Countdown Counting down to the Shell Eco-marathon 2012 opening ceremony Thursday 17 May at 15:00

Op 7 mei stelt het VUB Ecoteam de wagen voor op de VUB-campus in Etterbeek.

Zuinigheid is in de vervoerssector een essentieel begrip. Er wordt steeds meer onderzoek gedaan naar milieuvriendelijk vervoer. Om de mensen bewust te maken van de technische inventiviteit die dit vraagt, worden er wereldwijd Eco-marathons georganiseerd. De uitdaging bij deze wedstrijden is om een voertuig te bouwen dat zo weinig mogelijk energie verbruikt. De ingenieurs van de Vrije Universiteit Brussel doen dit jaar weer mee en hebben hun wagen Bluecorner gedoopt.

Het VUB Eco team zit nu in de fase van ontwerpen en modeleren. Dat gebeurt met de meest geavanceerde apparatuur, zoals laser snijmachines en 3D-printers. Naasts tal van computersimulaties worden ook verschillende testen uitgevoerd, onder andere in de VUB windtunnel. Deze jaargang bouwt het VUB Ecoteam een volledig nieuwe, elektrische wagen. De sturing van de Bluecorner zal ook volledig veranderd worden in vergelijking met vorig jaar. Op 7 mei stelt het VUB Ecoteam de wagen voor op de VUB-campus in Etterbeek.

De Shell Eco-marathon wordt dit jaar in het Nederlandse Rotterdam gehouden. Voor het eerst is er een stratencircuit, waardoor de uitdaging voor de teams nog groter wordt. Zowel oneffenheden in de weg als enkele scherpe bochten maken het de bestuurder niet eenvoudig. In oktober nemen de studenten deel aan de Solar Race in Murcia, Spanje. Vorig jaar haalden ze daar de top drie.

http://ecomarathon.vub.ac.be/media/#!prettyPhoto

What is the Shell Eco-marathon?

The Shell Eco-marathon is a worldwide competition that challenges students from around the world to design, build and test the most energy saving vehicle they can. Competitions are organized throughout Europe, Asia and America on an annual basis. The team that is able to transverse the biggest distance with the smallest amount of fuel is the winner.

This year's European event will take place from the 17th to the 19th of May 2012 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. For the first time the competition takes place on a street track. The Shell Eco Marathon competition is divided into two big categories: Prototypes and Urban concepts. The vehicles in this last category are required to allow the transport of passengers and luggage. Another division can be made by the type of the drive train used in the car. Combustion engines are allowed with a variety of fuels to choose from, electro motors may be supplied by batteries, fuel cells and solar panels. We will participate with a prototype, powered by an electro motor with batteries.

The winner in each category gets awarded, but there are also prizes for teams that excel in innovation, design, marketing, communication and creating the most environmental vehicle “from well to wheel” possible.

Did you know...

...the 2012 VUB ecoteam will appear in Koppen?
...that this is the second year in which « plug-in » electrical vehicles are allowed to compete in the event?
...last year the VUB was the only Flemish university that has competed in this event? So it is about time that we can highlight the knowledge and possibilities of our region in an international context.
...we want to put our acquired knowledge to practice and that we are inspired by challenges and believe in a different, greener future for transport and mobility?
...that the VUB-EhB EcoTeam ended up on the 8^th place out of 19 teams last year at the Lausitz EuroSpeedway-circuit in Germany?
...we will participate on other events in Europe, like the Murcia Solar Race in Spain?
...you can buy the name of the car? This name will come in every paper & magazine that writes about the VUB EcoTeam.
...we can also be found on facebook?

“Climate change and Earth's scarcer fossil energy resources are presenting mankind with its toughest challenge ever, but they also offer a unique opportunity to develop alternative and more sustainable energy solutions. While we currently have some means to clean energy production, they will not suffice to address the global demand. Therefore, we need to implement new solutions and strategies that will allow us to optimize energy use, while satisfying the development aspiration of peoples in the perspective of a low carbon sustainable future.

Adapting to new technologies and reframing our relationship towards energy will be a major challenge, but the opportunity of designing, testing and building tomorrow's solutions highlights the role of technicians and engineers as they become actors of a clean future.

I firmly believe that initiatives such as the Shell Eco-marathon promote creativity and generate new technological solutions, while allowing Belgian teams to demonstrate their know-how in terms of energy efficiency. Similarly to the Princess Elisabeth Station in Antarctica, this landmark project takes us one step further in our journey to low carbon mobility.

Because of this, and of my firm belief that solutions can be found where there is collaboration and good will, I wholeheartedly support the VUB EcoTeam and wish them all the best with their project!”

“A challenge that tests the limits of the (im)possible touches my soul as you can find the same ingredients in my core activity which is polar travel. A place where one is confronted with extreme purity of the two places on Earth, the Arctic and the Antarctic, the best barometers for global warming.

The eco-challenge is a straightforward invitation for a group of motivated students to do better, go further and face up to the competition, which... should not be the other competing participants, but a screaming world in need of problem-solving visionaries.

A realistic view on revamping an ailing world consists of instigating optimism and offering solutions. There is no more place for human environmental pessimism, nor is there time for apathy. I love to be mobile in order to discover the world, but I know that travelling the world is a notion that is flexible when it comes to reducing our environmental footprint.

Hail to this eco-challenge and Godspeed for your adventure. May the preparations be just as intense as the final result!”

About the VUB EcoTeam

We are a group of motivated and ambitious engineering students of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel who participate in the Shell Eco-marathon. Our team is comprised of engineering students, mostly specializing in electro mechanics. Further diversification within the VUB master educations includes mechatronics, aeronautics, vehicle technology and energy which guarantees that our team has all the necessary competences. We can rely on a good mix of practical insights and theoretical knowledge and the necessary expertise in strength calculations, aerodynamics, control engineering, vehicle dynamics, electrical traction, etc.

Although this project is not part of our studies, we have the support of the professors, assistants and technical staff so we can rely on the extended knowledge and experience of these people. Following students take part in the project:


team leader

Geoffrey

drive train						steering

Karel	Laura	Willem	Glenn M.	Florent		Vincent	Jeroen	Kenny	Odile	Geoffrey

sponsoring					structure & body

Aurélie	Geoffrey	Sam			Jan	Wim	Sam	Jimmy-John	Glenn S.	Jens

			IT			freelancers

			Beerend	Tim		Steve	Branko