Students at STC member WMG (University of Warwick) have had significant input into the design of a hydrogen-powered car fuelled by sewage that will attempt to set a new land speed record.
The striking ‘Waste2Race’ Le Mans Prototype race car (LMP3) is a collaborative project between Severn Trent Water, Ginetta Cars and WMG, amongst others.
It is hoped that by summer 2025 the car will be ready to attempt several land speed records – including fastest standing and flying starts for a mile and a kilometre.
WMG staff and students hope to use the car to showcase a wide range of sustainable concepts that are being worked on across the University and industry.
The four mechanical engineering students from Warwick have helped design mountings for the high-performance car’s engine and gearbox.
Working with CAD (computer aided design) as well as being practically hands-on, they have also focused on integration of motors within the suspension, plus other areas such electrical systems, connectors and power supplies and the car’s fuel systems and hydrogen tanks.
Head of the Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing Research Group at WMG and Warwick’s Deputy Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research), Professor Kerry Kirwan, commented: “We’re incredibly proud of the ingenuity of our students and wish them all the best of luck in their land speed record attempt.
“These sorts of collaborations are a great example of how businesses, universities and the endless curiosity of our students can break barriers and push the boundaries of what’s possible”.
The hydrogen the car will run off is a byproduct of wastewater fuels treatment technology being trialled at Severn Trent.
A selection of spare and unused parts from Ginetta have been adapted with sustainable materials, including recycled carbon fibre and a wing mirror from beetroot waste.
The steering wheel, developed by the National Composites Centre (NCC) is made from 100% naturally occurring materials. ENRG Motorsport contributed a battery recovered from a crashed road car.
The project, ‘Waste2Race’, comes as manufacturers such as Alpine and Toyota are exploring hydrogen as a fuel for racing cars of the future. BMW recently announced plans for its first hydrogen car to go on sale from 2028.
Click here to read more about the project.
Article by Carl McKellar
Author: Silverstone Technology Cluster
Date: 4 December 2024
We are delighted to announce the launch our Student Placement Service, the first initiative of our latest Skills Stream, which was first revealed at the 2023 Innovation & Growth conference (you can see that presentation here). To deliver this initiative, we have teamed up with STC Members Intake Talent, a specialist recruitment consultancy passionate about … ContinuedAuthor: Silverstone Technology Cluster
Date: 27 November 2024
Global Marketing Architecture, one of the most active promoters of Italian motorsport in the UK, believes RPM, an STC-style Italian organisation is bringing benefit to the sector’s productivity and prosperity in Italy. GMA founder Matteo Costariol commented: “We, Italy, are the second most active (motorsport) market in Europe, and GMA are members of the RPM Italian … ContinuedAuthor: Silverstone Technology Cluster
Date: 20 November 2024
From supplying the Ferrari F1 team to patenting ‘High Performance’ rowing machines – meet two of the STC’s newest members, Dynisma and Inond. Dynisma creates the world’s most dynamic, accurate, and responsive driving simulators, providing unmatched simulation technology for motorsport teams and automotive OEMs worldwide. In motorsport, top teams like Ferrari F1 use Dynisma’s ‘driver-in-the-loop’ … Continued