Successes with the new racing car
The PolSl Racing Student Scientific Club took third place in the general classification of electric cars during the first-ever Formula Student Poland competition, which took place at the Autodrom Słomczyn race track.
A racing car for the decade
PolSl Racing celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The scientific club gathers automotive and motor sports enthusiasts who have the opportunity to build a Formula Student car from scratch.
Formula Student is an international competition involving the creation of a racing car. Its goal is to inspire and develop students' technical skills. Vehicles designed by young engineers must meet certain technical requirements, including the engine, braking system, suspension and aerodynamic package.
- Technical inspection during the competition is extremely detailed and can last up to several hours, especially in the case of electric cars - says Ewa Kocyan, leader of PolSl Racing. - The regulations are approximately one hundred and thirty pages long. Virtually every screw is checked. Then, a test is performed on evacuating from the car - the driver should do it in a maximum of five seconds.
Among other things, the technical inspection was one of the stages of the Student Poland Formula.
- The rounds of the international Formula Student and Formula Student Polska competitions taking place around the world are based on the same principles - says Ewa Kocyan. - Our national competition aspires to an international series. It was a very important event for the team, during which we presented our solutions to a wider audience and received many valuable tips.
The scientific club of our University presented in Słomczyn a new electric car SW-04e (this is the second electric car created by PolSl Racing), which debuted during the summer in the Czech Republic in one of the rounds of the international Formula Student competition.
- Our proprietary BMS battery management system deserved special recognition among judges, observers and team members from all over Europe - says the team leader. - The car's electrical harness and the electric drive system are the main areas of intensive development of our vehicles, following global trends in the field of electromobility.
Podium in the general classification
In addition to the technical inspection and the car exit test, those taking part in Formula Student Poland also had to take part in further competitions.
- The teams also had to face more dynamic tasks, i.e. testing the car's acceleration, performing timed figure eights on a special track, as well as a race over a distance of approximately 22 kilometres, during which the driver is changed, says Ewa Kocyan. - We also presented our business plan, which was awarded third place. We passed the "Cost & Manufacturing Event" competition, i.e., a project cost report, with a positive result. We also had a presentation of our solutions at the "Engineering Design Event". The judges appreciated our projects. Moreover, the ergonomics of our car was also highly recognised.
Ultimately, the students of our University, after passing all the competitions described above, took third place in the general classification of electric cars.
- The satisfaction is very high - recalls Ewa Kocyan. - We also competed with seven foreign teams, for example from Germany. We 're developing. I think our success is even greater because the team employs about fifty people, while other teams usually have twice as many people and have larger budgets. Moreover, we managed to build the SW-04e car for the first time this year. We spent up to three years creating previous cars. It required sacrifice and many sleepless nights, but it was worth it. We are a really well-coordinated team of enthusiasts, which is why we motivate each other on such projects.
Active in social media
It is also worth following PolSl Racing's social media, because in the near future there will be detailed information about the recruitment of new members to the team.
- We invite you to visit our social media - encourages Ewa Kocyan. - We have there, among others, the series "Adam from the paddock", where we comment on current events on Formula 1 tracks. Moreover, last Sunday we had the opportunity to show our car at the GT Festival, which was an accompanying event to one of the largest motorsport events - the Silesian Rally. Now we are preparing for the new season of Formula Student.
- During the competition, we presented for the first time the SW04-e electric racing car, which was built as a result of continuation of work and development of systems used in last year's prototype version of SW03-e - says dr hab. eng. Mirosław Szczepanik, prof. SUT, scientific supervisor of SKN PolSl Racing. - In the new car, we have mechanically improved the vehicle's supporting structure, suspension system, drivetrain and aerodynamic package. The newer styling of the car was developed using class A surface modelling tools. We also improved electrical components and electronic systems - during the competition in the Czech Republic, the PolSl Racing team gained recognition for its proprietary BMS battery management system, which was also previously awarded in the Drive Innovation BASF competition and distinguished by TESLA. The car's electrical harness and the electric drive system are the main areas of intensive development of PolSl Racing vehicles and correspond to global trends in the field of electromobility. The team returned from the competition with valuable knowledge, plans for further implementation and success that motivates them to continue working. Our current projects concern the development of systems introduced in the SW04-e racing car and the construction of the MC02 Elektra electric motorcycle. Today we invite automotive enthusiasts and innovative solutions to join the ranks of SKN PolSl Racing. The opportunity to develop, apply knowledge in practice, pursue interests, participate in scientific work, create innovative solutions, participate in international competitions, promote a brand recognizable in the industry and a great teamwork atmosphere and adrenaline - these are just some of the advantages of SKN PolSl Racing.
The project "Participation of the Student Scientific Club of the Silesian University of Technology PolSl Racing team in the international Formula Student competition" was co-financed by the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis under the "Metropolitan Fund for Science Support" in the years 2022-2024.
Photos Szymon Stencel, Monika Rejek
