March 2021 - Vol IV
Green LETTER
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News
GreenPower Iberia Competion 2021
Team leader’s remarks Vítor Teixeira
Siemens Inovation Steering system & Hub supports
Sponsors Worten & Metalotrofa
#Teammates
Filipe Monteiro; Pedro Martins; Eduarda David
Photo of the MOnth PSEM at Bilbao
Greenpower Track List East Fortune
News In the second weekend of march we participated in the first Greenpower Iberia event of the 2021 season. Unfortunately the pavement of the circuit didn’t allow the team to be present in the race. Even so, we had the opportunity to exhibit two of our prototypes, GP17 and GP19, near the city circuit. We also participated in the scrutiny of one of the teams that, coincidentally, was the winner in the F24+ category. Having had the opportunity to meet the other teams from the Iberian Peninsula was also a great experience. We can’t wait to compete and see them again!
team leader’s remarks “Finally we could partake on the First event of 2021 and for the first time
we were scrutineers!” Vítor Teixeira
On the 14th of March we were at Greenpower Iberia’s opening event of the 2021 season! In the early morning we tested the circuit by doing a couple of laps with GP19 to see if it was fit for the circuit. When we designed GP19, we had in mind it racing only on professional racetracks with relatively f lat surfaces, with not too bad surface quality. However, to our disappointment, a drainage ditch that crossed the track, together with the steep incline on the other side of it, meant the car was not only scratching its f loor but also hitting the monocoque quite hard on the pavement. In order not to damage the vehicle’s monocoque, which would take 4 months to repair, we decided not to race and save GP19 for another event, on which we’d definitely aim for victory So, given the circumstances, we decided to transform the event into an expo, and took the opportunity to talk to other teams and answer their questions about our cars and our design process. It’s always wholesome to see the shine in younger teams’ eyes and the interest with which they come to us for help, looking to design and improve their own machines. It was a pleasure to meet everyone and we can’t wait to share a racetrack with them at Navarra!
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Siemens Inova Steering & Hub supports
Just like the hub supports, the main goal with the design of the steering supports is to reduce
their weight. During the design of GP17, we created lightweight but also rigid supports, capable of handling circuits with more deteriorated surfaces. Since then we have used a similar design (with only slight changes) for the following prototypes. In GP17 and GP19, these supports were very close to the vehicle’s structure, so it was necessary to thin out the bulkheads in certain areas that suffered interference from the steering system.
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On the other hand, GP21 will no longer have this problem: as the structure is tighter at the front,
ation
we were able to compensate and move the monocoque wheels apart, maintaining a minimum distance of 500 mm between each of the front wheels, thus ensuring the ideal behaviour of the supports. For the same prototype, it was decided to implement off-the-shelf hubs, not only to reduce the production time of the vehicle, but also to increase the availability of parts in case of need of replacement. Its ease of assembly is also a great advantage, since it is no longer necessary to assemble the hubs under pressure, as was the case with GP19’s conical hubs and shafts.
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sponsors
Founded in 1996, Worten is a leading electronics and entertainment company with more than 180 stores in Portugal. It focuses on a strategy of complementarity between digital and physical, through which customers can make the best use of digital assets. For PSEM, Worten had the generosity to provide us with a camera that will be used to follow GP21’s entire construction process and to capture our team’s best moments.
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With nearly 30 years of experience, Metalotrofa is a company focused on machining services and, more recently, welding and metalwork. PSEM was able to count on the company’s exceptional services for the machining of GP19’s steering arms and support for the belt tensioner, both crucial to ensure the good performance of the car.
Eduarda DAVID
Pedro martins
Filipe mONTEIRO
#teammates I am a 3rd-year Mechanical Engineering student. Outside of IST, I spend my free time “feeding” my interest in history. I’ve been at PSEM since 2018, being responsible for both GP19’s and GP21’s cooling systems and, since the end of last season, I’ve been studying the possibility of improving the aerodynamics of the rearview mirrors. I have already acquired several skills: I learned how to do modelling in Solid Edge and NX and perform CFD simulations, using Star CCM +. I hope that in the near future we’ll be able to build GP21 and compete with both it and GP19 for the top places in England. I’m 19 years old and I’m in the 2nd year of Mechanical Engineering. I’m from Vale de Éguas and I like to cook. I joined the Mechanical Design Department in the 2019/20 season and I’m currently working on the rear wheels’ hubs. The greatest competence I acquired in PSEM was learning how to develop structural analyses. The most remarkable moment I lived in PSEM was the participation on a webinar about Generative Design. I hope to be able to get back to work at the workshop, as soon as possible! I’m 21 years old and a 2nd year Industrial Engineering and Management student. I’m also passionate about travelling and getting to know new cultures. I joined the Communication and Marketing Dept. in October 2019, and my functions are searching for potential sponsors and manage social networks. Joining PSEM was an added value to me since I improved various skills, such as time management and editing images/videos. In the near future, I hope to see our vehicles getting back to race tracks so that I can document everything for our fans.
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photo of the m
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month
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Greenpower Track
East Fortune’s village, located in East Lothian, Scotland is known for its big aerodrome built during World War I.
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It has also been used as a Hospital and airport during World War II. It became a tourist attraction in 1975, when the Nacional Museum of Flight was inaugurated.
k List: East Fortune
In the aerodrome’s east part, motorcycle races started to take place and these events continue to happen nowadays. Also, it is one of The Greenpower Challenge’s stages and a very special track for PSEM, since it was in Scotland that we achieved our best result in competitions to date, a 2nd place in 2019.
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Thank you for your support! 11
Follow psem’s adventures on:
@psem.ist
@psem_portugal
company/psem
@Psem_Portugal
psemportugal@gmail.com (+351) 218 419 561 Vítor Teixeira
Team Leader (+351) 913 548 111
Bruno Vitorino
Technical Director (+351) 935 820 953
Leonor Barata
Leader of the Comms & Marketing Dept. (+351) 968 275 408
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