AUC Students Gear Up in Building Racecar

BY MARIAM WAHBA

The Mohamed Samir Ghanima (MSG) Racing Team’s single-seat racecar designed by 12 Mechanical Engineering students has been accepted as an official entry in the Formula Student 2014 Competition in the United Kingdom, said Tarek Akmal, one of the team members.

The annual student engineering competition held by the Institution for Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), a London-based engineering society, calls on students to design and manufacture a prototype-racecar as if they are presenting it to an automotive manufacturing company.

“We are 12 car enthusiasts who have found a medium for expressing that passion. We believe that we will take what we have learned in our journey as aspiring engineers, to create a sophisticated machine,” said Nabil Osama, a Mechanical Engineering senior and team member.

He says the team has been working on the car for their graduation project since July 2013.

Almost all of the manufacturing and assembling process for the car has been complete and the team is now fine-tuning to meet the competition’s criteria.

“This project is a continuation of last year’s team who were not able to complete the car under the requirements of the competition. Last year’s team finished the chassis, the steering system, suspension, and the mounting of the engine,” said team member Joseph Toutounji.

The racecar is now considered a valid production item after it was been tested in statistic and dynamic conditions, which examined the car’s design, strength and tilting while dynamic tests assessed its acceleration, endurance, stability and fuel economy.

According to Toutounji, the 12 members had to modify the car’s steering, suspension, and the engine’s intake and exhaust.

Akmal added that they also manufactured the car’s body and completed the transmission system.

“Even though we took parts of the car from last year’s team, we had to modify most of the components in order to meet the competition’s specifications,” said Paula Shoukry, another team member.

Shoukry added that the team faced many challenges during their manufacturing process. Besides limited funding, members had to assemble and manufacture the car according to extremely detailed rules and regulations.

The AUC team manufactured the vehicle at the Mechanical Engineering workshop under the tutelage of Khaled El Eraky, the workshop’s supervisor. The car’s curb weight is 340 KG and is equipped with a 4-cylinder Petrol motor, 600 CC.

The car produces a maximum power of 119 hp at 13500 RPM, Osama said. He added that the power is transmitted to the track by a sequential manual gearbox.

The MSG car accelerates from 0 to 100 km/hr in 5 seconds and is capable of reaching a maximum top speed of 180 KM/HR, Osama said.

“I think it is a good start for young engineers to get exposed to that kind of challenge and try to follow universal standards, answer open ended questions and solve real engineering problems,” said Mohamed Ali, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Osama told The Caravan that department faculty members, and the Mechanical Engineering workshop staff provided significant assistance to the team throughout their process.

He also added that Ali guided them with their research and current production. Osama said that the Mechanical Engineering workshop was always at their disposal to manufacture and assemble the car.

Meanwhile, reaching the final stage of the competition has created an enthusiastic buzz on campus.

“For AUCians, and as Egyptians, competing on an international level in Formula Student is outstanding,” says Hussein Al-Melegi, an accounting junior.

Electronic Engineering senior Omar El Abd believes such a challenge will be a beneficial experience to graduating seniors since they are getting exposed to tough global competition early in their career.

“It’s good that the AUC community is participating in international competitions in order to demonstrate their engineering prowess with respect to top ranked universities,” he said.

The team namesake – MSG – is in memory of car enthusiast Mohamed Samir Ghanima, one of the team’s close friends and a top Mechanical Engineering student who was shot dead during protests last summer, says Shoukry.

“Mohamed had always been motivating all of us in order to do well – not only in our studies but in our lives. He was always trying to bring out the best in us in order to seek perfection. He has always been there for each member in this team, that’s why we proudly dedicate this project to him,” said Shoukry.

The competition will be held July 9-13 at the Silverstone Circuit near London. AUC is one of only three teams from Egypt eligible for its final stages.