Cranfield Motorsport MSc students have been given the challenge of designing, manufacturing, testing and validating active aerodynamic elements for the Reynard Inverter race car for their 2013 Group Design Project (GDP 2013).
The Reynard Inverter was designed and built by Andre Brown and Adrian Reynard, Deputy Chairman of the Cranfield Industrial Advisory Panel for Motorsport. The inverter is a two seat sports racing car weighing just 450kg, yet generating over 1000kg downforce. The Inverter is a proven race winner, regularly taking podiums and race wins.
As well as designing aerodynamic features, the four teams of students on the MSc Motorsport Engineering and Management programme will be required to quantify their performance benefits with reference to cost. The teams will make use of Cranfield University’s impressive facilities, testing a scale model of the Inverter in the University’s wind tunnel facilities and conducting full car validation experiments at the Silverstone Circuit, working with Visiting Professor Reynard who will test the car in April, running instrumentation. Adrian Reynard is sending over the Inverter wind tunnel model from his ARC facility in the USA. The students will have access to the University's supercomputing grid for their CFD work and will be using CAD to design and then manufacture parts for testing. Two F1 teams have offered their rapid prototyping capabilities in support of the Cranfield project.
The teams of Cranfield students will use their engineering and management skills developed during the taught part of the MSc course. Group design project work is a key feature of the Cranfield Motorsport programme which is triple accredited by the IMechE, IET and RAeS. The groups will receive technical support from both Reynard and Andre cars.
The teams compete for an impressive array of prizes awarded by Racecar Engineering, the Motor Sports Association (MSA) and Silverstone. The student teams will make their presentations to senior figures from motorsport on 8 May 2012 at Cranfield University. In addition to their presentations, the students submit an in-depth report and their individual input is evaluated throughout the duration of the project from February to May after which they undertake individual thesis projects.
Commentating, Clive Temple, Motorsport MSc Programme Director said:
"I am delighted that we are working with Adrian Reynard who has supported the Motorsport MSc since it was conceived back in 1999. The group design project is challenging for the students and will test their understanding. The catalyst was discussion at our advisory board meeting when we were focussing on the Motorsport Industry Association's (MIA) Technology Road Map for Motorsport. This demonstrates the value of our close working with the motorsport sector which ensures our group and individual student projects are relevant to the motorsport sector".
In addition Adrian Reynard has asked the Cranfield students to design a new livery for the Inverter featuring University logos.
If you wish to attend the presentations on 8 May please indicate you interest to motorsport@cranfield.ac.uk
