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The University of Adelaide Motorsport Team was founded in 2001 to compete in the annual Formula SAE Australasia competition which began in 2000. With constant support from The School of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Adelaide and a wide range of loyal and invaluable sponsors, in 2010 the team will celebrate its 10th consecutive entry to the competition.
The team has expanded for the first time in 2010 to include engineering students at all levels of study at The University of Adelaide. The goal: to redefine the learning environment in which we operate and build the most competitive car to date.
The team is responsible for the research, design, manufacturing, testing and presentation of the vehicle, as well as the management and financial aspects of the project. Complete CAD modelling and extensive Finite Element Analysis is undertaken by the team during design. Advanced manufacturing processes are used to ensure the final product meets design specifications, and that the vehicle is ready to win.
A professional approach must be taken throughout every phase of the competition to ensure that the team operates as a successful business operation, rather than just an engineering team.
Students attending The University of Adelaide who wish to get involved please contact the Managing Director, the contact details can by found on the Contact Us page.
The Competition
Formula SAE is a global automotive design and manufacture competition run since 1981 by the Society of Automotive Engineers.
The competition involves both Static and Dynamic rewarded events. The static events require the team to discuss and justify both the engineering design and the cost of the vehicle and its separate components. The judges evaluate these aspects and score the team accordingly.
There are four separate dynamic events conducted over a two day period at the Formula SAE competition, each of which are evaluated by time. The skid pan event evaluates the vehicle’s lateral cornering ability, whilst acceleration benchmarks the vehicles power, torque and weight. The autocross and endurance events are longer circuit style events that test the vehicle’s speed, steering ability and reliability. The fuel economy of the vehicle is also ranked and is becoming increasingly important.
The Formula-SAE Australasia competition is held in Werribee, Melbourne at the end of the year. The University of Adelaide FSAE Team attends this event each year, competing against other teams from Australia and around the world
Formula SAE is a worldwide competition, with events held in the United States, UK, Australia, Germany, Japan, Brazil and Italy. For more details about the competition, please see the Formula SAE – Australasia website.
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