Formula Monthly - Six Monthly Newsletter 2012

ALMOST THERE.....

Six Monthly Update

July –December 2012

In This Issue 

Our story till date



An update on our activities



A chat with our team members



Quick facts



Our sponsors

CAD render of the 2013 car

Time and tides wait for none. No one knows this better than the team members of Formula Manipal. Another semester has passed at Manipal University, but the excitement in the team seems to increase with each day!

The 2013 team began its work on the car more than an year ago.

Over the last six months, radical developments were made by the team. The car, which was but a mere concept on paper, is now manifest, waiting to be assembled. With the chassis completed and the engine testing in progress, and with the arrival of all required machined parts, it wont be long until the car rolls on the racetrack !

Life in the workshop has taken a new turn as the FSAE competitions are just round the corner. The body work of the car has been finalized. The hunt for racetracks to test drive our car has also begun. Read on to know more about the latest updates on the car.

“Being the driver of the current car, I can vouch for the fact that driving a car I built with my own hands feels better than driving any other car in the world” -Shivam Gupta Driver and Engine Head, Season 2013

PAGE 1

What is SAE? Formula Manipal participates in the international events organized by the Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE).

CONTENT 

The Inside Story

3

Updates on: 

Structure

4



Vehicle Dynamics

6



Engine

8



Transmission

10



Electronics

12

Other…. 

Tech Talk

14



Formula Manipal ‘Buy A CC Campaign’

15



Our Sponsors

16



What’s Next?

18

PAGE 2

The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a design team to develop a Formula-style race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend autocross racer. Each student team has to conceptualize, design, test and manufacture a prototype car based on a series of rules whose purpose is both to ensure onsite event operations and promote clever problem solving.

We at Formula Manipal follow the FSAE culture and work protocol in the all work we do. We try to inculcate in ourselves a sense of thorough professionalism. To achieve our goals in an efficient manner, the team is divided into technical and management sub-systems as per the portfolios that need to be managed in the making of the car. Weekly meetings are held to promote co-ordination between all sub-systems. To handle all the non-technical aspects, the management team specializes in media, publicity and finance.

The Inside Story….

Here’s what our co-students think about us. A write up by a student from Manipal Institute of Technology, on his opinions on Manipal University’s most successful student project, Formula Manipal:

It is highly improbable to live in Manipal University and not know about the University’s incredible racing team Formula Manipal. Building a racecar from scratch, driving it, taking it abroad and competing with international teams is…..it’s definitely got to be amazing!! And so the craze for being a part of the coveted team is sure to storm the minds of fresher’s entering the portals with gleaming eyes and promising determination.

Some take it so seriously that they give up their first holidays and train their minds to live up to the requirements the team boasts of. After visiting the workshop a couple of times I was totally convinced about the place being a heaven for budding technocrats and far flinching aspirers. Seeing the guys work with sweat beads trickling down their foreheads as if they were engineers already and music playing in the back ground!! I had to go back and regret my apathy. Doesn’t matter I am human after all.

Now some details about the team’s race against time…...

They surfaced in 2008 and showed themselves to the world at FS Italy. The team has been growing by leaps and bounds ever since. They revealed another car at the Silverstone F1 Track, UK in 2009 then at FS Austria in 2010. In Austria our guys were prestigiously titled the “most motivated team”. And soon later, FM XI was born, the fourth car in the lot. After rigorous testing and development it finally showed up at the Riccardo Paletti Circuit, Italy once again in 2011 in the endurance and design events and put up a noteworthy performance.

Since then the team has been relentlessly working on their new car with promising and dynamic changes in the transmission system and flamboyant aerodynamics. Even the electronics department has given the car a new Power Distribution Board and a new tiny microcontroller. Seeing them work so hard definitely confirms better performance in the upcoming events on their calendar and they are determined to do so.

So if there is any group here in Manipal that is truly indulging in technical ecstasy, it definitely is Formula Manipal! They are the ones who are working while we rest and waking while we sleep. Hope they continue to do what they are good at and continue to be a source of interest and inspiration for the fresh minds of Manipal.

PAGE 3

(clockwise) The 4 stages for manufacturing the chassis

STRUCTURE JULY:

The month of July was mainly utilized in making a mild steel prototype of the chassis to be designed. This chassis was made keeping all the FSAE regulations in mind, and its main purpose was to ascertain that all dimensions of the chassis were correct and to analyze the mounting of the engine on it. A sample of the seat to be mounted on the chassis was manufactured. The impact attenuator was sent to Chennai for the impact test. However, the test did not provide any fruitful result. Hence the design of the impact attenuator was modified.

AUGUST:

In August, new jigs and fixtures were manufactured for the chassis. A second mild steel prototype chassis was made, according to the revised dimensions, The final CAD design of the rear of the chassis was completed in August.

SEPTEMBER:

The FSAE released the rulebook for Formula Student 2013, in September. As per the new restrictions, the chassis was modified. Moreover, until last season, only the head, shoulder and hip dimensions of the Percy were specified. This season, the leg dimensions also have to be taken into account. Also, the engine mounting cups and damper mounting points were made on the chassis. The tubes for the front hoop of the final chassis were sent for CNC bending.

PAGE 4

Bodywork of the car

Making of the chassis...

The chassis is the framework that supports the car. In other words, it is the skeleton of the car.

The 2013 chassis is made out of a type of steel known as ASTM A 106B. The foremost thing before the making of the chassis is deciding the specifications implied on it. Accordingly, a design of the chassis is made in CATIA. The design is then analyzed in terms of reliability, packaging and feasibility. The chassis is then optimized according to the problems.

Working on the chassis

Finally, a prototype is made out of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) which gives a rough structure of the car. The PVC framework is then reproduced in steel. We weld the chassis ourselves using the TIG welding machine in our workshop.

The steel chassis is identical to the final skeleton. The structure is then analyzed and any changes to be made are taken into notice. This elaborate process finally comes to an end with the final structure of the chassis made out of ASTM A 106B.

OCTOBER:

The basic model of the final chassis was completed in October. The construction of the chassis began with the rear. Then the cockpit was made, and finally the frontal portion was added. The engine was then mounted into the chassis to check if its dimensions were correct.

NOVEMBER:

With the onset of November, most of the work on the chassis was complete. The seat was redesigned and mounted on the car in accordance with the required ergonomics. The Ethafoam ordered for the head restraint was received and was used to make its padding. Also, the team had begun trying out the use of glass fibres for the side panels and floor pan of the car.

DECEMBER:

The major work done in December included the designing of the head restraint and the layup of side panels. The design of the bodywork has also been finalized. The welding of brackets on the chassis was also done. The manufacture and layup of side panels was another accomplishment. Another important achievement in December was the testing of the impact attenuator.

The impact attenuator was tested at the SOM laboratories within the Institute, to check how much pressure it can bear before it gets deformed.

PAGE 5

“ These four wheels are like my magic carpet, something the world would want but the only difference is that we made this thing and brought it to life and that is what makes it so valuable to me.�

-Pulkit Arora, Vehicle Dynamics The damper of the 2013 car

VEHICLE DYNAMICS JULY:

Our sponsor High Calibre manufactured the newly designed inserts in the month of July. Meanwhile, the Vehicle Dynamics team finished the CAD model of the new uprights. Splines were cut for the coupler of the new steering rack. The column mount and mount for the steering rack were welded onto the mild steel chassis.

AUGUST:

August witnessed changes in the designs of the rear of the chassis, and the steering column mount. After the rear of the chassis was suitably modified, the suspension jig was set up and tested on the chassis. The design of the bell crank was also revised in this month.

SEPTEMBER:

In September, the design of the upright was finalized. Jigs for mounting the suspension brackets were manufactured. The steering bracket was mounted onto the chassis and necessary modifications to its design were made. Pressure sensors were mounted on the brake circuits, and the obtained pressure values were verified with the theoretical values, to check for any leakage in the brake lines, and to get rid of any air bubbles in the same. The design of the hub, which was being changed, was now finalized.

PAGE 6

An upright

FlamePack Manipal FlamePack Manipal has been a pillar of support for the Formula Manipal Team for years now.

FlamePack Manipal deals with CNC manufacturing among other services offered. They have manufactured many a few components for Formula Manipal over the last few years.

Mr. V. R. Pai of FlamePack Manipal, fondly addressed as Flamepack Sir by the team, has readily helped us manufacture various components. Till date FlamePack Manipal has helped us out in the manufacture of A-arm cups, steering paddle box, wheel hub cups and lots more.

We thank Mr. Pai and FlamePack Manipal for believing in us, and rendering their invaluable support .

The newly manufactured stub axle

OCTOBER:

The inserts of ball joints in the suspension were replaced by cups to make it more stable. The cups, steering column mount and steering paddle box were manufactured by our sponsor FlamePack Manipal. Bearing were ordered for the recently bell crank cups. The new brake lines arrived this month, which are much more flexible and of smaller diameter than the older ones. The testing of these brake lines was done in November.

NOVEMBER:

The newly designed aluminium uprights were sent for manufacture in early November. The new cups manufactured

by FlamePack Manipal were used in making the A-arms for the car.

The steering paddle box which was also manufactured by FlamePack Manipal, was made ready to be mounted onto the chassis.

DECEMBER:

The suspension A-arm brackets were welded on to the chassis. Wheel and suspension bearings were bought. The uprights were also received. The pedals with the master cylinder mount were received from Dynamatics. The bearings have been press fitted onto them and their brackets have been welded onto the chassis. The hubs were received from Dynamatics and Flamepack Manipal. The steering rack mount and column mount has been welded onto the chassis.

PAGE 7

Dyno testing A Dynamometer or ‘Dyno’ for short is a device for measuring force, torque or power . When the engine is connected to a Dyno and operated, the Dyno creates an equal and opposite torque to oppose the torque generated by the engine.

When the torque is equal to that of the engine, it indicates the value of torque generated. In this method, the engine’s performance can be analyzed.

The engine team at work

ENGINE

We are fortunate to have our own Dynamometer in the Formula Manipal Workshop, where the Engine team tests and tunes our engine to perfection

JULY:

In July, the jigs for mounting the engine on the mild steel chassis were manufactured. The team purchased a Kawasaki Ninja 650 R fuel pump this month. The testing of the radiator in the wind tunnel was done, to obtain the position of maximum pressure difference. The fuel injection flow rate was also analysed, and the value came out to be exactly 200 mL/min. The manufacture of the exhaust flanges, fuel tank, expansion tank and mufflers was also done in July.

AUGUST:

The new radiator, manufactured by BEHR India was received in August. The cooling testing of the radiator had not yet been done. The engine jig was modified and a leakage test of the fuel tank was done , which gave positive results.

SEPTEMBER:

Cooling data acquisition of the new radiator was done this month. The upstream and downstream temperature values were recorded using Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) sensors, and were compared to the readings of the previous radiator.

The initial readings of the coolant (distilled water) temperature were recorded on the static car. Also, the filler neck of the fuel tank was rectified according to the modifications made in its CAD design.

PAGE 8

The dynamometer

About The Muffler A muffler (or silencer in British English) is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine.

Mufflers are installed within the exhaust system of most internal combustion engines. The muffler is engineered as an acoustic soundproofing device designed to reduce the loudness of the sound pressure created by the engine by way of Acoustic quieting.

The majority of the sound pressure produced by the engine is emanated out of the vehicle using the same piping used by the silent exhaust gases absorbed by a series of passages and chambers lined with fiberglass insulation and or resonating chambers harmonically tuned to cause destructive interference wherein opposite sound waves cancel each other out. An unavoidable side effect of muffler use is an increase of back pressure which decreases engine efficiency. This is because the engine exhaust must share the same complex exit pathway built inside the muffler as the sound pressure that the muffler is designed to mitigate.

Assembly of the muffler

OCTOBER:

The engine mounting cups were welded onto the chassis. The hand layup method which was used in the manufacture of the restrictor turned out to be unsuccessful as the resin could not be uniformly applied in this method. The restrictor, along with the intake manifold were hence given to our sponsor Stratasys for manufacture. The engine was also undergoing minor repairs in October. The upper swing arm of the Dynamometer was also repaired, so that the Dyno testing of the engine could begin as soon as possible.

NOVEMBER:

The intake manifold was manufactured by our sponsor Stratasys using a material called ‘Utem’. The fuel lines for the engine were also obtained. Few minor changes such as the replacement of piston rings, and the installation of new air filters on the engine was done this month. Also, the engine, intake manifold, fuel tank and strainer were tested on the Dynamometer in November.

DECEMBER:

The team was testing the functioning of the fuel filter on the fuel lines, and hence a second set of new fuel lines were ordered from Bangalore as a substitute. Also, the Honda BR 600 f4i fuel rail was imported from USA. The cooling system design was finalized and so was the radiator position. The engine was put up on the dynamometer with the new intake manifold for Dyno-testing. The Dyno-testing was one of the most significant accomplishments in December.

PAGE 9

About the Drexler Differential A differential is a device, usually, but not necessarily, employing gears which is connected to the to the outside by three shafts, through which it transmits torque and rotation. In automobiles and other wheeled vehicles, the differential allows the driving wheels to rotate at different speeds.

Heat treatment of the tubes

TRANSMISSION

We use a Drexler Differential in our car, which is undoubtedly the best differential for the requirements of the competition. It is the lightest differential available, and offers six differential torque biasing configurations.

JULY:

The month of July started with the creation of the CAD model of the sprocket flange. The CAD model of the entire rear driveline assembly had also been completed. With the help of the co-ordinates of Santro tripod housing taken on the Co-ordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), the stub axle of the car was designed.

Four specimens of EN 19 (Chromoly) steel shafts were prepared for destructive testing, This was meant to help in checking improved yield point obtained after heat treatment.

AUGUST:

In August, the heat treatment of the EN 19 specimens was done, and their destructive testing was done. It was observed that they could sustain a stress of 300 MPa more than the previous specimen. Hence, the heat treated specimens were found to be better than the non-heat treated specimens. The designing and analysis of the stub axle was done. The team also analyzed the differential mounting in differential orientations on the chassis.

Pneumatic testing of the was done on the stands with a running engine.

SEPTEMBER:

The month of November witnessed the manufacture of half shafts, which was done for the very first time by the team. The manufacturing proves included spline cutting, gun drilling and austempering. The analysis of differential mount was also successfully done.

PAGE 10

The Drexler differential assembly

Nitriding It is the addition of nitrogen into the outer surface of specimen in the form of nitrides in order to give an extremely hard, wear resisting surface. It is predominantly used on steel, but also titanium, aluminum and molybdenum.

The nitrogen must be supplied in the atomic or nascent form by cracking ammonia. This process is meant for alloy steels where the alloying elements like aluminium, chromium, molybdenum, vanadium form nitrides easily.

The nitriding cycle is quite long, depending on the case depth desired.The team usually sends components to Bangalore for nitriding. This is the last heat treatment process and the process is relatively a costly one.

The half shaft and stub axle after nitriding

OCTOBER:

In the month of October, a wooden prototype of the differential mount was done and was used to check the upper swing arm points on the chassis. The clevis for the differential mounting jig was manufactured. The driving sprocket was shifted to a suitable distance from the engine to facilitate the inclusion of a nylon brush between them.

NOVEMBER:

The month of November included the destructive testing of the heat treated specimens. A comparison was done between heat treated and non heat treated specimens was done, and the specimens were examined for their microstructure. Research is being done on them. Also, the inboard stub axle was sent for manufacturing.

DECEMBER:

December was a month of hustle and bustle for the Transmission team. The left and right differential mount , the eccentrics and the sprocket flange which were sent for manufacturing to Dynamatics, were received. The outboard stub axle was also manufactured. The differential mounting jigs were welded and some repairs were done on the brakes. The inboard stub axle which had been sent for manufacturing was received. The solid half shaft, eccentric and outboard stub axle were sent for spline cutting.

PAGE 11

About Pneumatic Gear Shifting

The pneumatic PCB layout

A pneumatic code is the code written to control the Arduino Nano microcontroller, which is the development platform used along with a self designed PCB to control the pneumatic gear shifting setup.

The platform utilizes an ATmega 328 microcontroller. The code exploits the enormous ability of the platform by using two external interrupts, and consists of the necessary software debounce, and is written in the Arduino’s IDE language.

ELECTRONICS JULY: The pneumatic code was finalized in July, after a few

necessary changes, making it flawless and reliable. The PCB for pneumatic shifting designed on EAGLE had been fabricated. The display system 4DGL µLCD- 32PT (GFX) was programmed to indicate the RPM of the engine. The team also implemented an array of LEDs for assistance in gear shifting. The wiring harness for the dashboard prototype was also finalized. The team had shifted to wireless data acquisition from July onwards. The electro-pneumatic shifting for gear shifting was done on the static engine and the shift timing came out to be 68 milliseconds.

AUGUST: In August, the bench testing for pneumatic shifting was done. The display 4DGL µLCD- 32PT (GFX) was mounted onto the steering wheel, which would be used to indicate the real time ROM of the engine. Data acquisition during test runs was successfully done, and data for suspension potentiometer and accelerometer was recorded.

SEPTEMBER:

The position of the LED on the dashboard was fixed and the brake light design was completed. Data acquisition of the radiator was completed, and real time temperatures were displayed using MATLAB and the Arduino board. The team plans to display the Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) and Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) values using bar graphs on the LCD , once the Analog to Digital Converted (ADC) arrives.

PAGE 12

Arduino Nano microcontroller

E.C.U. An Electronic Control Unit (E.C.U.) is one of the most important electronic components installed on the car.

Commonly called a powertrain control module (P.C.M), the E.C.U.is a type of electronic control unit that controls a series of actuators on an internal combustion engine to ensure optimum running.

It does this by reading values from a multitude of sensors with the engine bay, interpreting the data using multidimensional performance maps, called Look-up Tables, and adjusting the engine actuators accordingly.

The Race Dynamics engine control unit

OCTOBER: In October, the Arduino board was replaced

with the ATmega 16 microcontroller setup to gain more flexibility in coding and hardware implementation. The brake light, a set of 6 LEDs of 1 Watt power, was manufactured. A preliminary design of the power distribution module PCB mount was completed. Also, the data acquisition of the uprights was done.

NOVEMBER: The bracket for the PCB mount, the Primary

Master Switch (PMS) and the brake light mount were manufactured in the month of November. The interfacing of the Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) with the Âľ4DGL display was done. The dashboard prototype was tested too. Components of the power distribution module were sourced.

DECEMBER: The Brake light were manufactured and

mounted on the chassis in December. The electronics mount PCB containing micro-relays was sent for manufacturing. Also the micro relays and voltage protection were incorporated. The team had also started working on data acquisition by the end of the month. Real time data from ECT, IAP, MAP, TPS were logged and displayed using NI cRIO for the new intake manifold.

PAGE 13

The sub-system heads of season 2013

TECH TALK THE JOURNEY SO FAR…AS EXPLAINED BY THE TECHNICAL HEAD, TEAM MANAGER AND SUB-SYSTEM HEADS…

Aakhilesh Singhania Technical Head It is a mixed emotion. I am very happy as the assembly has started, but I am also scared about the problems we may face. I dream of seeing our car in the top ten cars at Formula Student Germany. As the technical head not only did I get a lot of technical knowledge but also had to incorporate management skills. Formula Manipal has been a milestone in my life.

Initially the progress was very slow as the design team had a lot of problems but the best day was when the chassis was made. Now the work is pacing up. The main goal is not to quickly finish the assembly but without any compromises so that we can get on track and get it running!

PAGE 14

Rishu Raj Singh Team Manager The first thing I noticed when I first joined Formula Manipal was the passion in the seniors which made me realize that this means lot more than just a car to the members. Team members invest more than 70% of their daily time here and are happy doing so. That’s how important this car is.

Formula Manipal has been a great platform to learn. I have learnt things that I may not have learnt in my student life. The most important thing I have learnt is professionalism. We at Formula Manipal have been trained to practise professionalism. The main thing as a Team Manager was working with several different people and handling them efficiently and keeping up the team spirit. Even when things are not going right it’s very important to keep the team’s morale high, because it automatically converts into positive progress.

Vinay Reddy Structure Head It has never been more exciting for me. Germany will obviously be very exciting. The car is almost complete, which gives me an incredible feeling. But with this feeling there also a part of me which is extremely sad. Sad, that after this there will no more late nights, no more sitting with the entire team and working for hours. It was a different feeling. There have been times of intense tension in the workshop but the team came through it. The team requires a special mention because it was extremely supportive and it always had my back.

Anshul Chawla Vehicle Dynamics Head The work we did seemed slow at first. But I did not regret the delay. It is a great experience to work in a team. Among the noticeable achievements in vehicle dynamics was the designing and manufacture of the uprights for the 2013 car. It feels really good to see that we are depending less on external sources day by day, and were designing the uprights and hubs on our own.

Being the Vehicle Dynamics head is a challenging job as it is a big responsibility to manage an entire team. Everyone in Formula Manipal has contributed to the 2013 car in some way or the other, and it makes me very proud to see that all our painstaking work has paid off!

PAGE 15

Shivam Gupta Engine Head Being the engine head is a very big responsibility. The engine had a very big problem in starting up initially. It took a long time to start running properly.

My first priority was to get it to run smoothly. Hence, when the engine roared to life, the team had achieved a significant breakthrough. A lot of hurdles came our way. But with the co-ordination of the entire team, work became easier. I was blessed with such a hardworking team. They have all put in a lot of effort. Now the assembly is going on in full swing. I am waiting eagerly to see it run without a hitch in Chennai where we are supposed to test run the 2013 car.

Sohail Shaik Mohammad Transmission Head The last six months were full of various events. The design phase was the most hectic part according to me, as it took a lot of time to finalize the design. Every one was in a lot of mental strain. The design iterations stressed out everyone. We tirelessly worked day and night on the car, but all those pains were worth it when we saw the final design. It was an awesome feeling. Right now I see nothing more important than the car. I am too involved to think about anything else. I await the completion of the 2013 car.

Tushar Kant Roy Electronics Head The dream is finally coming true, so right now I am feeling very optimistic about it all. I’m eagerly awaiting Germany. With the competition nearing, I am eating, breathing and living FSAE. Mistakes will obviously be there but we will test, test and test it for the next six months. Being the sub-team head the most important lesson was managing people. I got very personal with my team. We are all brothers and it’s a small family. It was a great achievement for the electronics team along with the engine team to make the engine reliable. Finally after a long and tiring day of work, when I look at the car’s chassis under the light, its aura is unimaginable.

PAGE 16

Top 15 CC Buyers Of The Season



Mr. Vijay



Mr. Ravi Uppal



Mr. Manjot Singh Dhillon



Mrs. Poonam Gupta



Mr. S. Sirish Reddy



Mr. Anthony Varghese



Mr. & Mrs. Narayan Gupta



Mrs. Radha Krishnan



Mr. Bhagwan Das



Mr. Kalia



Mr. Sarin



Mrs. Paramjeet Bajwa



Mr. Harpreet Singh Dhillon



Mr. Rajesh Kakarala



Mr. K. Jagan Mohan Reddy

Buy A CC Help Us Excel At What We Do...

The University has always been our pillar of strength and our biggest sponsor. We have received a lot of support from various sponsors who have helped us in the past and have agreed to support us this time as well. However, for achieving the aim of self-sustainability and to raise sufficient funds for our project, the team has come up with “Buy a CC” campaign. Here CC means ‘Cubic Centimeters’ which is the unit of capacity of an internal combustion engine. The primary purpose of the campaign is to integrate those individuals or groups who are interested in being the part of the Formula Manipal family but do not fit into our sponsorship slabs. Each CC costs merely $20 or Rs. 1000

The team uses a 600 CC HONDA CBR engine. The whole idea of the campaign is that all those interested in supporting/helping/being associated with Formula Manipal can BUY CC’s of the engine. This initiative will not only allow a larger section of the society to become a part of our team but will also provide us the much needed support and bring us a step closer to achieve our dream. We provide our CC owners with various benefits which are mentioned on our website : www.formulamanipal.in

PAGE 17

Our team is incomplete without our driving force, our sponsors!

Our Sponsors Formula Manipal being an independent initiative, is funded by sponsorships and grants. Sponsors are the driving force behind the work being done at the Formula Manipal workshop. In-kind and Financial sponsors help us out in machining, manufacturing and provide us finance for us to carry on our work.

LEMO is a Swiss electronic and fibre optic manufacturing company, especially popular for their push-pull connectors. It is the acknowledged leader in design and manufacture of precision custom connection solutions. Offering over 50,000 connection solutions for over 6 decades, LEMO continues to grow, counting more than 1,00,000 customers over 80 countries today.

OUR NEW SPONSOR: INDIANOIL CORPORATION LTD. Indian Oil Corporation Limited, or Indian Oil, is an Indian oil and gas corporation with its headquarters in New Delhi, India. The company is the world's 83rd largest public corporation, according to the Fortune Global 500 list, and the largest public corporation in India when ranked by revenue. Indian Oil and its subsidiaries account for a 49% share in the petroleum products market, 31% share in refining capacity and 67% downstream sector pipelines capacity in India. The Indian Oil Group of Companies owns and operates 10 of India's 22 refineries with a combined refining capacity of 65.7 million metric tonnes per year.

Indian Oil operates the largest and the widest network of fuel stations in the country, numbering about 20,575 in all. It has also started Auto LPG Dispensing Stations (ALDS). It supplies Indane cooking gas to over 66.8 million households through a network of 5,934 Indane distributors. In addition, Indian Oil's Research and Development Center (R&D) at Faridabad supports, develops and provides the necessary technology solutions to the operating divisions of the corporation and its customers within the country and abroad.

We warmly welcome Indian Oil Corporation to the Formula Manipal Family!

PAGE 18

OUR 2013 SPONSORS

The Backbone Of Our Success Ever since its inception, Formula Manipal has been immensely indebted to its sponsors for their endless support. We have been fortunate to have the above esteemed sponsors, and hope that we continue to enjoy their support in the years to come. We would like to thank our Financial and In-Kind Sponsors, and acknowledge their contribution in helping Formula Manipal achieve accolades in the Formula SAE competitions.

PAGE 19

What’s Next?

The excitement in the air is rising with time, as the car is nearing completion. The month of January holds many promises and high expectations from the Formula Manipal Team. The assembly of the car has begun and its completion is due next month. Another important event to look forward to is the Registration Procedure for entry to the Formula Student Germany competition to be held in Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, Germany.

Here Come The Newbies...

Amidst the endless activity going on, on the 2013 car, a new team of freshers found its place in the team. The Formula Manipal 2014 Team, which was dormant so far, has finally stepped out of the learning phase, and has begun chalking out plans for the 2014 car. Guided by the current team, the newbies assure a smooth transition into another new season of Formula Manipal.

CONTACT: For feedback, please contact: Team Manager: Rishu Raj Singh Mob: +91-9008-7716-13 Mail us at: team.manager@formulamanipal.in www.formulamanipal.in PAGE 20

Keeping track of the team’s activities is soon to become a lot more fun!

Our website www.formulamanipal.in is soon to adorn a brand new avatar! Follow Manipal University’s dynamic racecar team on the new uber-cool website.

FOLLOW US ON….