Engineering students to participate in competition

Analia Fiestas / Staff Writer

For the first time in the University’s history, mechanical engineering students will be representing FIU at the international Shell Eco-marathon competition.

On April 14, Bryam Quinceno, Ryan Sampath, Stephanie George and Pablo Salamea will travel to Houston, Texas to showcase a single-person vehicle, which the team has been working on as part of its senior design project

Founded in 1939, the competition seeks to acknowledge a team that has designed, built and tested the most fuel-efficient vehicle possible.  The idea to join the competition sparked from an email that Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Sabri Tosunoglu sent out to recruit interest in the competition.  Students agreed to take on the challenge.

“We needed a senior design project, but most importantly, we wanted to have the opportunity to have a chance to represent FIU at an international level. Also, the competition is about fuel-efficiency and that is really important to our mechanical engineering careers,” said Salamea.

From then on, Dr. Tosunoglu has guided them through the entire process.

According to the team, the main component of the vehicle is the chassis, which supports the entire weight of the car and the driver. It is aerospace grade so that the car can be very strong but very light, as well.

“When it comes to fuel-efficiency, weight is the biggest factor. We decided to build a shell for the car so that it provides more aerodynamics capabilities for the vehicle. The power system we are using is a breathless motor, which means there is no contact between the parts and the motors,” said Quinceno.

The team also eliminated the transmissions so that friction is reduced.

Although the team members were greatly motivated, they faced a major problem. They did not have enough funding for the expenses of the project.

“At the beginning, the great thing about the project was that Shinde, our graduate advisor, had offered to pay for everything, since we were going to do the work and it was his idea to enter the competition. However, that ended up not being true,” said Quinceno.

Quinceno explained that Shinde had offered to provide the team with $7,000. When the team finalized its budget, including materials and traveling expenses, the total was less than expected.  Another obstacle occurred when Shinde could not pay the $6,000, and was only able to contribute $1,500.

“That is when we decided to write a proposal. So far, we have gotten money from the Student Government Association and Shell. We have also gotten discounts on some of the car parts. Finally, the rest of the money is coming from our own pockets. Money was definitely our biggest limited resource,” said Quinceno.

The team believes their greatest difficulty was to compare the assimilation model to their vehicle. It was also very difficult to build the fiberglass shell and the designing process was also a challenge.

“It was it was tricky to decide how to start, what approach to take, what to have in mind, and how to actually make it look like,” said Sampath.

Although the team faced difficulties, they remained optimistic.

“At the beginning, I didn’t even know if we were going to graduate because the senior design project seemed so surreal and impossible. A lot of work was required, and we had a limited amount of time. However, we were confident and determined. And now, we are near the finish line, and it all fits into place,” said Quinceno.

“I am excited because I am going to be the driver. It’s difficult to explain all the emotions I feel, but I know it will be an unforgettable experience,” shared Salamea.

Sampath feels that his last semester at FIU has been extremely worthwhile because of this project.

“Even though this is not my senior year, the group recruited me, and I cannot be any more excited about that. Helping them out during my junior year has been an amazing learning experience. I now feel ready to succeed during my senior project next semester,” said George.

The team has worked on the project for two consecutive semesters. Now, they feel ready for the big day.

“We want to win but we know it is FIU’s first time competing, whereas other schools have attended the competition numerous times. However, we are very hopeful that our efforts pay off, and we feel confident that we have done a great job,” said Salemea.

Once the team is done with the competition, it has two options available for the vehicle’s future. The team hopes the car can be donated to FIU, so that other undergraduate students can use it as part of their senior design projects. However, Shinde has said that he wants the car for himself.

“FIU and other companies have provided a lot of funds for the vehicle, and we, FIU students, have worked diligently on the construction of the car. We would rather give the car to FIU,” concludes Quincero.