2014 – 2017
Helping the transition towards sustainable mobility. Calsmv is UC Berkeley’s high efficiency vehicle team that races the Eco Marathon. As a member of Super Mileage programs since high school, I became team lead during my tenure at Calsmv and led the development of vehicle build and hardware integration.
How can design and engineering lead to combustion vehicle efficiency at well over 700+ miles per gallon?
To power the vehicle, Super Mileage Vehicles often use 4-stroke engines from small devices such as a push-mower.
Compact engineering and fabrication helped us to assemble the engine, fuel injection unit, heat shielding, transmission, and battery in a space smaller than a typical backpack.
Calsmv was a newer team that needed investments into its manufacturing, business, and recruiting organizations.
One example was our custom built CNC router that helped us to cut the female foam molds necessary to manufacture our vehicle.
We fabricated a carbon fiber monocoque structure with strength greater than steel, yet weighed less than 15 kilograms. The team used a mix of vacuum bagging uni-weave carbon and wet layup methods.
After removing both halves of the vehicle from the mold, the top and bottom of the vehicle was glued together and meticulously sanded down to complete the vehicle fuselage.
We experimented with novel power and steering techniques to assist with the driver’s ability to steer within the vehicle’s compact interior.
Our steer by wire system was powered by two linked servo motors and a 3D printed steering wheel, adapting the turning radii to provide the driver with greater vehicle control while miniaturizing the steering column for wider outward visibility.
Through the Eco Marathon and our work, we hope to foster the ingenuity of tomorrow's engineers and designers.