Shell EcoMarathon Competition
Designing and fabricating Harvard's first ever submission to the Shell EcoMarathon Competition, a contest to build the most energy efficient battery-powered car.
I have been very involved with the design and fabrication of Harvard University's car for the Shell's annual EcoMarathon Competition to be held in April 2014 in Houston. While many successful teams have years of knowledge and testing under their belt, this is Harvard's first year competing. Much time has been devoted to research to gain the essential know-how to undertake this complex project. While the learning curve has been steep, we have been able to evaluate the successes and failures of other teams. Being the pioneering team has its advantages: we are not limited by precedent; through many hours of brainstorming and a series of design reviews with our professors, we have been able to innovate key design features that will allow our car to be lighter, stronger, more compact, and, we hope, ultimately more efficient than our competitors'. As the Project Lead for Wheels, Brakes, and Steering, I personally have designed two such innovations: an original rear-wheel steering design and a wheel allowing for a lighter, more compact body shroud. Specific details and photos will be released following the competition. As part of such a small team, I have collaborated heavily with other members to brainstorm, design, and fabricate many components of the car, as well as managing some logistics such as company and sponsor relations.
* SolidWorks model on 'Projects' page - credit: Gregorio Gomez, Willie Pirc, Khadi Tshishiku, John Budd
* SolidWorks model on 'Projects' page - credit: Gregorio Gomez, Willie Pirc, Khadi Tshishiku, John Budd
© Ishan Chatterjee 2020