Curtin Sarawak team all geared up for Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2011

Miri – 7 July 2011 – A team of mechanical engineering students of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) is all geared up to represent its varsity and Sarawak, being the only team from the state, at the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2011 from 6 to 9 July 2011 at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor.

This is the second time a team from Curtin Sarawak is participating in the prestigious international event following the inaugural Shell Eco-Marathon Asia last year.

They have spent a considerable amount of time developing and constructing their vehicle, which incorporates innovative fuel-saving and structural features, and are confident of a good showing at the competition.

The Shell Eco-Marathon is an annual competition designed exclusively for college and university students from around the globe to test their creativity, innovation skills and technical know-how in designing the most energy efficient vehicles.

The vehicles are tested on kilometres achieved on a single litre of petrol and winners are chosen based on the farthest distance concluded using the least amount of energy. Besides Asia, the competition is organised in the Americas and Europe.

A total of 121 teams from countries across Asia including Malaysia, Japan, China, Chinese Taipei, India, Pakistan, Iran and Singapore will be competing in this year’s Shell Eco-Marathon. Peter Voser, Royal Dutch Shell’s Chief Executive Officer will officiate at the event.

Calling themselves ‘The Incredible Team’, the all-male team from Curtin Sarawak comprises 11 final-year mechanical engineering undergraduates who volunteered to participate in the project.

They are team manager and reserve driver Wilson Lim You Wei, driver Yeo Chee Won, Bernard Huang Chee Soon, Wong Mau Hong, Richard Lo Li Zhe, Ho Dong Sun, Luk Kuok Chii, Low Man Huan, Wong Kuang Yang, Kueh Sze Chiat and James Chai Chung Zeng. Their advisor is Rajamohan Ganesan, senior lecturer in mechanical engineering of the university’s School of Engineering and Science, who was also advisor to last year’s team.

Due credit should be given to this ambitious group of youngsters for not only for carrying the university’s and state’s flags at the competition, but also for merely qualifying for the competition, which was no mean feat in itself.

In order to be eligible for participation, all competing teams had to go through two phases of the registration process that involved submitting technical drawings of their vehicle, which was then deliberated by the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia Selection Committee prior to the posting of results.

Only the top teams are selected based on the strength of their applications. Other criteria taken into consideration are diversity in competing countries, the educational institutions, fuel categories and engine types.

The Curtin Sarawak team’s vehicle, named I-GFE or Incredible-Go For Eco, will compete in the Prototype: Three Wheel Vehicles category which aims to build the most aerodynamic and fuel-efficient vehicle for maximum efficiency. Vehicles competing in this category must ensure all dimension specifications outlined by the organiser are met.

According to the team, development of the vehicle on a budget of about RM16,000 started as early as July last year and it took three months to assemble the complete vehicle. It included extensive computer testing using sophisticated 3D software to render three-dimensional models of the vehicle body as well as multiple test analysis.

A stainless steel frame, modified internal combustion engine and plastic fibre housing are the integral components of the I-GFE vehicle. Its gear system, clutch and accelerator were built to mirror the set-up of a conventional car. The structure and mechanics of the vehicle were assembled at the university’s engineering workshop while the plastic fibre housing was fabricated externally.

Drawing from last year’s experience, the new vehicle is better built this time around as its chassis is made of stainless steel compared to ordinary steel last year, ensuring a lighter vehicle that can go up to 300km on a litre of petrol.

The chassis took one and a half months to build and perfect, the longest time taken in the entire building process. In addition to a vastly improved chassis, the vehicle has re-designed and enhanced manoeuvring and gear systems.

While the competition specifies a maximum vehicle weight of no more than 140kg without the driver, the I-GFE weighs in at 115kg, 15kg lighter than last year’s vehicle. This is to ensure optimal speed is attained. Also contributing to this will be designated driver Yeo Chee Won, who is at 55kg is the lightest member of the team.

When asked to comment on the biggest challenge they faced in developing the I-GFE, the team members concurred that outfitting the car was perhaps their biggest challenge.

Due to the intricate design of its wiring system, each piece of wiring had to be compatible with the rest. Furthermore, being students of mechanical engineering, the task proved a challenge as they lacked the necessary know-how. A further obstacle was in acquiring some of the required components and inadequate fabrication facilities for the plastic fibre housing in Miri.

Despite the drawbacks, team manager Wilson is satisfied with the final outcome and of the performance of the vehicle.

“Besides having to work on the vehicle, all of us were overloaded with lectures, assignments, final year projects, not to mention exams,” exclaimed the Sibu-born Wilson.

Meanwhile, team member Bernard is hopeful of winning should their carefully worked out strategies pan out.

“Our strategies include applying less weight and driving on medium speed. We will definitely try our best, and hopefully, win for our team, the university and the state. Even if we do not win, just being able to enter the competition would be a success in itself. The experience gained from this international event will be put to good use in developing next year’s vehicle, which will be undertaken by a new team of students,” said Bernard.

According to Bernard, the project has been a tremendous learning experience for the team. It has given them the opportunity to apply the concepts and theories they have learned in the classroom and given them a valuable hands-on experience in constructing a vehicle like the I-GFE. This, he says, required them to apply considerable creative and critical thinking to make everything work.

Mentor and dedicated senior lecturer Rajamohan Ganesan described the team as hard working and very enthusiastic.

“This project serves as a fantastic learning experience for the students. It is also good for the university’s Mechanical Engineering Department as it complements our mission to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge,” he commented.

Rajamohan was also the man responsible in guiding last year’s team. The team,  Hornbill Lightz, won USD1,000 for successful completion of a minimum of one valid run, was ranked 18 among 81 international teams, was shortlisted for best Malaysian team award out of 19 teams, and also qualified for the Early Bird Incentive (first ten registrations), pocketing an additional USD1,000.

The achievements proved the design integrity and innovative construction of the vehicle and the strategies applied by the team, according to Rajamohan.

Further details on the Shell Eco-Marathon are available at www.shell.com/home/content/ecomarathon. For more information on Curtin Sarawak, visit its website at www.curtin.edu.my or e-mail enquiries@curtin.edu.my.

The initial planning includes sketching of the car design.

The car body shown in 3D.

Chassis made of stainless steel.

The front wheels are originally taken from a bicycle.

Rajamohan (2nd right), Wilson (far right) and other team members posing with the I-GFE car.