WVU human powered vehicle team takes 7th in global competition - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

If well designed, it can be a viable form of sustainable transportation.

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers international Human Powered Vehicle Challenge provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate sound engineering design in the development of sustainable and practical transportation alternatives.

Undergraduate engineering students work in teams to design, develop and build highly engineered vehicles for everyday use — from commuting to work to carrying goods to market.

West Virginia University's Human Powered Vehicle Team recently traveled to Grove City College, in Grove City, Pa., for its first-ever competition.

"Our team performed fantastically," said Kostas Sierros, research assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in WVU's Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources. "We placed seventh overall out of 34 competing teams from some of the best engineering schools in the eastern United States."

Vehicle performance was assessed in three main areas: design, speed and durability.

On the first day of the three-day event, the team's tricycle vehicle underwent a safety inspection, which included demonstrating its ability to accelerate to 25 mph, to maneuver safely and to come to a complete stop within a distance of 20 feet.

The second day consisted of a drag racing event, split into two races. The competition required each team to have one female driver and one male driver compete in the two races. The team placed 10th overall in the quarter-mile sprint drag event.

The third and final day culminated in the endurance event, a 2½-hour race that tests a vehicle's durability. WVU's entry placed fifth in the event

"We learned a phenomenal amount in the competition," said Caleb Lucas, a senior mechanical and aerospace engineering student. "We finished very close to some extremely strong and experienced teams even though it was only our first year in this competition."

The team won the "Energizer Bunny" award for the most reliable vehicle in the three-day long competition.

"We didn't experience a single mechanical breakdown and we only used the pit-stops to change drivers," Sierros said. "This is a fantastic achievement underlining the ability of the participating students to design for reliability."

The team is excited to get back to the drawing board to revamp the vehicle's design for next year's competition. Although changes will be made, the team plans to maintain the tricycle design, since it is highly durable, practical, stable and safe.

"We have many different ideas for improvements for next year," Lucas said. "We want to reduce weight and make some steering modifications. We also want to change the drive-chain gearing and we're hoping to implement more new ideas that the new student team members will propose."