Milwaukee–The NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge is heating up! Right now, teams are building, testing, and adjusting their vehicles. By March, students prepare for the Final Competition Event, which this year is being held April 12-13 at Danfoss in Ames, Iowa.
Teams will present their design process and demonstrate the safe function of their vehicles on April 12. The Final Competition will take place on April 13 and includes three judged races: a Sprint Race, an Efficiency Challenge Race, and an Endurance Challenge Race. The event also includes nightly networking events as well as a Final Dinner and Award Ceremony at Iowa State University.
Sponsors are:
• Danfoss
• Parker Hannifin
• SunSource
• Eaton
• Lube-Tech
Vehicle Challenge teams are:
• Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo
• Cleveland State University
• Iowa State University
• Purdue University
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Murray State University
• University of Akron
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
• University of Minnesota
• Western Michigan University
• West Virginia Tech
Students started on their project in September or October. Usually coinciding with the university’s senior capstone design course, students gain knowledge in fluid power components, circuits, and systems, as well as their use in controlling force and motion. The Vehicle Challenge strives to promote original thinking in a competitive setting by combining two technology platforms that are not normally associated with one another—bicycles and fluid power. A fluid-powered bicycle presents engineers with a familiar yet challenging platform for change.
The Vehicle Challenge is a low cost way for universities to bring hands-on fluid power training to their students, and NFPA is always looking for more teams to compete!
National Fluid Power Association
www.nfpa.com
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