Quattro Eco Mechanics, a team of several young Greeks, is developing the Dominator prototype vehicle which is bound to race in the Shell Eco Marathon in the Netherlands from May 17th-19th. The team has uploaded many CAD files onto GrabCAD and is open to suggestions and feedback about the vehicle!
THE SHELL ECO MARATHON
The goal of the Shell Eco Marathon is to achieve the most mileage with the least energy consumption. The event takes place each year in Europe, Asia and in the United States. You can read more about the competition here or you can watch the video below (on the right) which tours you through the course in the Netherlands!
VEHICLE DESIGN-MANAGEMENT
In line with the Shell Marathons winning criteria, the Quattro Eco Mechanics team seeks to build a light car capable of doing an awful lot of mileage with minimal power consumption. The main concept is a tricycle design with two wheels in the front and one in the rear (see chassis above). The vehicle is propelled by a single electric motor. Supercapacitors are used to provide the necessary energy to the motor. The team hopes to achieve one kWh per thousand kilometers.
One of the team's main challenges was to choose a light but also strong material for the car’s frame. It quickly became obvious that any type of steel was too heavy. Magnesium alloy was examined for it's low weight and it's ability to cope with the high stresses. However, it was quickly eliminated though due to prohibitive cost. Aluminum 6060 type was ultimately chosen for both the chassis and wheel hubs for it's high strength, lightweight properties and relatively easy machining and TIG welding. Plexiglas and Carbon Fiber were chosen for the fuselage. Plexiglas is also used for the wheels.
From the beginning, the Quattro Eco Mechanic's have had to think outside the box to save weight and gain an edge without unlimited funding- a scenario many of us engineers often face. An example of this outside of the box thinking-- their vehicle needed some form of suspension. The required travel distance for the suspension was very small. Using a standard shock absorber was a heavy and cumbersome solution, so the team creatively decided to use valve springs from a car.
The Quattro Eco Mechanics team is sponsored by Acode Advertising, Centrosolar, Ilion Energy, and Constantinos Stergiou. Despite the team's sponsorships, many expenses must be covered by team members. Manolis commented: "Sometimes the only thing that keeps us going is Greek stubbornness. We want to prove that when we want we can. We can produce results, we can produce good engineers that think outside the box, we can innovate. Our goal is of course to win, but even participating is proving to be a big deal". We wish the Quattro Eco Mechanics good luck in the Shell Eco Marathon!
The team is sharing a few CAD models and renderings- click on the above pictures to find more. You can also check out the Quattro Eco Mechanics on facebook or on their website.
TEAM MEMBERS
The team consists of Thanos Pirpiris, Gavalas Evangelos, Gerasimos Doukas, Ekonomides Alexandros and Manolis Theofilos. Professor Constantinos Stergiou PhD, is appointed by the Institute to supervise and provide the team with advanced Engineering knowledge. If you'd like, read more about each team member below.
Thanos Pirpiris, 28, is the team manager and second driver. He is a Mechanical Engineer Bsc, T.E.I. Piraeus graduate and has a lot of experience in the automotive industry. He is an Inventor and Autocad User, has experience with CNC programming, is a laboratory associate at T.E.I. Piraeus in 2D and 3D design. He has also designed a biochemical experimental boiler for CRES (Centre for Renewable Energy).
Gavalas Evangelos, 24, is a senior student in mechanical engineering at T.E.I. of Piraeus. He has worked as an engineer in copper and zinc industry and also in research and development for the Greek research center of metals. With extensive experience in motorsport as a racing driver he is the team’s driver and a huge asset to the team.
Economides Alexandros, 25, is senior student in mechanical engineering at T.E.I. Piraeus. He has worked as an engineer both in the automotive sector and sea as a yacht engineer. He is also a certified judge in the Greek Automobile and Touring Club (ELPA). He was recently drafted to perform his military service in the technical body of the Greek Army. He is an Autodesk Inventor (2010 and later versions) user as well as Autocad mechanical, Solidworks and 4M user.
Gerasimos Doykas, 29, is an Aircraft Mechanic from Athens, graduate of 6-month seminars held by the Civil Aviation Authority. He has worked for 2 years as an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer at Aignatia Aviationas training school for pilots. He responsible for the maintenance, airworthiness and repair of several private aircraft type DA-40 & DA-42 and is an expert in Diamond Thilert engines. For the past 3 years, he works as a car engineer in a qualified workshop. His hand on experience with engines and aluminum is crucial for the team’s success.
Manolis Theofilos, 27, is a Mechanical Engineer Bsc, with several years of experience in the Automotive safety. He is a certified lead auditor for ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems, he has supervised the successful certification of machinery with CE marking, he has been a member and team leader in health and safety inspections in industry. He is an Autodesk Inventor, Autocad Mechanical, Autodesk simulation Multiphysics User.
Costantinos Stergiou, is a Mechanical Engineer PhD, graduate from the Technische Universitaet Darmstadt. He is an Associate Professor at Technological Educational Institute of Piraeus. He is the Deputy Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Head of the Mechanical Design Division. Since April 2011 he is a Honorary Research Fellow at Kingston University London. He is the Academic Director of the MSc in Advanced Industrial and Manufacturing Systems, collaboration with the Engineering Department of Kingston University London. He lectures in engineering design, has written 8 books, most of them are the official Handbooks given out to engineering students at various Universities across Greece.
GrabCAD wishes the Quattro Mechanics good luck!
