Greenpower for Mechanical Engineering students

Engineering students have designed moulds for the bodywork of an eco-race car, with the help of the Royal Navy, to encourage STEAM* engagement in schools.

Glasgow Caledonian MEng students Erin Rooney, Jamie Warnock, Henderson Ewan and Ramzy Abou-zeid, under the supervision of Professor Patricia Munoz de Escalona and co-supervision of Dr Andrew Cowell, designed the bodywork for an F24 Greenpower kit car, the materials for which were provided by the Royal Navy. The F24 uses a single 24-volt DC motor, powered by two 12-volt batteries linked in series.

During the project, students were able to participate in public engagement by delivering engineering workshops to S3 students from Woodfarm High School in East Renfrewshire.

The project will benefit a further 15 schools across the UK during the next academic year, with pupils able to use the moulds and electronic monitoring equipment developed by the Glasgow Caledonian students.

The project concluded with the students’ participation in the Scottish Electrical Chariot Competition as part of the Jim Clark Trust, celebrated in Kelso on May 30.

This is the second collaboration between Glasgow Caledonian and the Royal Navy following a project to design and manufacture the world's first mobile luge ramp for the Navy’s luge team last year.

Professor Munoz de Escalona said: “I am delighted to encourage and provide opportunities for our students where they are able to transfer knowledge, engage and inspire the new generation, while also enhancing their own soft and meta skills. I would like to thank the Royal Navy for providing exciting projects and allowing our students the opportunity to showcase their learned engineering skills in activities such as this competition.”

Cdr Christopher D Pinder of the Royal Navy said: “The Royal Navy STEM Engagement Team were delighted to support the Glasgow Caledonian MEng students. This project has not only benefitted the students, but will also benefit 15 schools across the UK during the next academic year. The schools will be able to use the moulds and electronic monitoring equipment produced by Glasgow Caledonian students in the production of their own F24 Greenpower car.”

Mr JP Murray, science teacher at Woodfarm High School, said: “Student engagement with Woodfarm pupils has provided a hugely enriching contribution to our STEAM curriculum. From incredibly inspiring online webinar sessions, outlining positive destinations in further education and the world of work, to fun and interesting in-person workshops where pupils participated in student-led electrical engineering, engineering design stages and composite material sessions.”

James Warnock, MEng Electrical Engineering student, said: “Working on the F24 project has been one of the best choices I have made at my time at the University. It has given me many experiences I thought I would never have, and allowed me to develop some fantastic skills, which I hope to take forward into my post-university career. It has shown me the importance of being a good team member and has allowed me to make many new friends.”

*The Arts have now been added to the portfolio of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.