Michigan Technological University and Cleveland State University took Overall Champion in the 2021 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge events hosted by Norgren and Danfoss Power Solutions. This year’s program expanded to support two separate Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge competitions in an effort to reach more students and industry members. The events took place virtually April 7-9 and April 14-16.
The winning bike design from Michigan Technological University
The Vehicle Challenge is a competition that combines two technology platforms that are not normally associated with one another—human-powered vehicles and fluid power. In a typical year, teams design and build their own fluid power vehicles and then compete against each other in three races with the help of NFPA industry sponsors, judges, and mentors. While this year was different due to the virtual nature of the competition, students were still able to complete their projects and give a presentation on the vehicle construction, quality of vehicle design, and lessons learned.
The champions of the Norgren-hosted event are:
- Overall Champion: Michigan Technological University
- 2nd Place: California Polytechnic State University
- 3rd Place: University of Cincinnati
Cleveland State University’s winning bike design
The champions of the Danfoss-hosted event are:
- Overall Champion: Cleveland State University
- 2nd Place: Kennesaw State University
- 3rd Place: University of Louisiana at Lafayette
This year’s events also highlighted the use of pneumatics and electronics in addition to the traditional hydraulic systems in teams’ designs. The prize for Best Use of Pneumatics, sponsored by Norgren, was taken home by Murray State University and Milwaukee School of Engineering. The prize for Innovative Use of Electronics, sponsored by Iowa Fluid Power, was taken home by Iowa State University and California Polytechnic State University.
The following NFPA Foundation donors supported this program:
Event Hosts
- Danfoss Power Solutions
- Norgren
Program Sponsors
- Iowa Fluid Power
- Norgren
- SunSource
Founding Sponsor
- Parker Hannifin Corp.
Product Suppliers
- Danfoss Power Solutions
- Eaton Corp.
- Lubrizol
- Source Fluid Power
For further information on the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge, contact Stephanie Scaccianoce, Workforce Program Manager, at sscaccianoce@nfpa.com.
NFPA
nfpa.com
