MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | PSEM | MAY 2018
GREEN LETTER THE FUTURE THE GP19
Nº 5
acquired this last year, we can make great improvements in this aspect and, in this way, develop an advanced prototype, making
This year,
part of the team is
a better performance on track.
focused on the conception of new prototype that will presented in the 2018/2019 season, the GP19. Bearing is still in its infancy, there
COORDINATOR’S REMARKS
are still some details and technical aspects yet to be define. However, a carbon fibre structure is surely going to be implemented. This structure, is already being designed by the aerodynamics department, using CFD analysis, and is later going to be studied in wind tunnels. However, it will not only be the monocoque to be redesigned but also all the other components that make up a car like the PSEM’s. Thus, the project is now at the stage where these improvements are being defined in concrete terms. We are confident that with the knowledge
Our team is very excited with the beginning of the project of the GP19. Having our minds already set to the future season, we had our first team meetings to discuss how we could improve our prototypes to the next level. Keeping a continuous communication between the team members is one of our main priorities. Since we are divided in several departments – mechanical project, aerodynamics, electronics and marketing – we do our best to keep everyone updated.
“‘THE ONLY REAL MISTAKE IS THE ONE FROM WHICH WE LEARN NOTHING” HENRY FORD
OUR SPONSORS AEIST As one of PSEM’s first partners, the Instituto Superior Técnico Students’ Association mediates th e re l a t i o n s h i p b et we e n our team and the different IST Mana gement Bodies. Founded in 1911, AEIST’s main objective is to look after students’ interests and represents a community of about 12,000 students, making it the largest student association in Portugal.
FABLAB EDP The partnership with FabLab EDP has been essential and this month we were offered 3D printed parts for our project. In the past, PSEM had already been helped with various parts done on the laser cutting machine, such as an acrylic case to protect our electronic controller. The FabLab concept was started at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) in 2001. FabLab EDP was the first endeavour of this kind in Portugal (since February 2011) and held the first editions of the advanced course of digital manufacturing – the Fab Academy. Today the worldwide FabLab network (with more than 1000) has industrial rapid prototyping tools such as milling machines, laser and vinyl cutting machines, el ectronic workbenches and computers with CAD / CAM and programming tools. The projects designed in 2D and 3D on the computer by the users and team of FabLab are then reproduced on the various CNC machines providing a “Learn by Doing” experience.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT GIVEN MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | PSEM | MAY 2018
MORE NEWS... SOLIDEDGE TOOLS - WINGLETS This month, the team began the construction of the winglets for the new GP17 interaction, the GP17. EVO. These structures, that are unique in the history of PSEM’s prototypes, were thoroughly studied when designing GP17. When this prototype was designed, the rear wheels were placed on the exterior of the car in order to reduce the frontal area of the GP17 and, consequently, reduce the aerodynamic drag. Thus, the winglets appear as the connecting element between the rear wheels of the car and the main structure, the monocoque, and as an cover and protection to the rotating power shaft. Given this, the winglets needed t wo m a j or co n s i dera t i o n s on the part of the team. The first was its aerodynamic characteristics. With the wheels being detached from the car to reduce aerodynamic drag, the winglets had to be studied in a way that would make sure that this change would indeed be beneficial.
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | PSEM | MAY 2018
Thus, these components were studied to create a profile that did not offer great resistance to the passage of air at the speeds at which it operates. The second consideration was structural. The winglets must be strong enough to withstand the stress placed on the wheels as well as all the vibrations. In this way, the design of these parts required a great coordination between the aerodynamic and mechanical departments. This year, these structures were stretched by 30 millimeters for aerodynamic reasons. These changes have been made using SolidEdge, the team’s favourite software for these applications. Thanks to softwares like this, we managed to get the exact shape and profiles we wanted.
GETTING TO KNOW THE TEAM INTERVIEW
“IT’S ESSENTIAL TO TRANSIT FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE”
PEDRO MARQUES In the segment of this month we present Pedro Afonso, a third year student of Aerospace Engineering. Pedro is, throughout the current season, one of the coordinators of the Aerodynamics area of the PSEM. He joined PSEM in his second year of Aerospace Engineering with a desire to put into practice the theoretical knowledge learned. He fell in love with the project shortl y after adjusting to the way of working and team spirit.
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | PSEM | MAY 2018
In the previous year, Pedro worked in the Mechanical Project area and having jumped to a different area did not frighten him. However, he acknowledges that it was a fairly large transition from his first year in the team. He feels, along with Xavier, the other aerodynamics department coordinator, able to make important decisions on the aerodynamic performance of the car and also help in adapting the new members of the department he oversees. As for the current team of PSEM, Pedro makes many compliments. He notes that although a large part of the team has not yet participated in a race, the members are interested and interested in exchanging ideas and suggestions for GP19. Pedro also believes that the modifications to GP17 will translate into “better results in this year’s competition” and having a place on the podium is his main objective in the Greenpower races. To do this, the team will build on the knowledge used in previous prototypes to increase the competitiveness of the car and, consequently, the PSEM.
cor uto pintura e técnica automóvel
SERRALHARIA MECÂNICA DA TROFA