Shell #1 – Drivetrain

Overview

The Shell Eco-Marathon competition is a global challenge to build and drive the most fuel-efficient vehicle. The
team will be competing within the Urban Car category of the competition. The competition is scheduled for the
first week in April, so the project is following an accelerated schedule. This project has been inherited from work
done by previous semester’s teams, however there are issues in every subsystem that still need to be addressed
prior to the completion of the project.

Objectives

The Eco-Marathon team was divided into three sub-teams, specializing in the drivetrain, exterior, and interior of the vehicle. Each sub-team was responsible for readying the vehicle for competition and identifying opportunities to increase efficiency. Though the team was not able to complete the project due to COVID-19, the fuel economy was improved, and the vehicle was made competition ready.

The Eco-Marathon team’s plan for this project is to split up the team into 3 sub-teams to address 3 subsystems of the car: exterior, interior, and drivetrain. The 3 sub-teams will then address the issues associated with each subsystem, such as panel weight, driving strategy, and energy losses in the wheels. All work is directed to the ultimate objective of maximizing fuel efficiency to at least 400 miles per gallon of fuel.

Approach

-Communicated with sponsor and stakeholders to identify customer needs and specifications

-Reviewed inherited vehicle and identified problem areas and opportunities for improvement

-Conducted product search, concept generation, concept selection by use of Pugh Scoring Matrix

-Fabricated of vehicle components aimed at remedying issues identified with competition rules

-Conducted vehicle tests at the Larson Transportation Research Facilities

-Conducted a burn-down-test to approximate vehicle energy losses

-Designed and planned of vehicle shipment to competition in Sonoma, California

-Conducted a mock inspection to verify performance to the rules and regulations of the competition

-Diverted team effort towards the design of 2022 urban class vehicle

Outcomes

-Current 2020 Urban vehicle meets safety standards and regulations

-The vehicle is competition ready once exterior paint job is completed

-Due to COVID-19, fuel efficiency was not determined at the Competition or at the test track

-Adjusted deliverables regarding 2022 preliminary design have been met