The ESTACA Formula Team is a project of ten students from the ESTACA Engineering School, born in September of 2010 from the will of five students to create a single-seater race that can participate to the Formula Student. The later is an international championship which is reserved to the colleges from all over the world, where more than a hundred teams take part to static and dynamic tests judged by people coming from Formula One (Ross Brawn for example). They can compete in the following categories: Electric, combustion or E-85.
The EC-01 race car
The EC-01 is a 2.7 m. length, 1.4 m. wide and 190.5 kg single-seater race car built for the Formula Student regulation. The conception lasted one year, so as the manufacturing. The team participated to the event in the UK, in Silverstone, where they won the trophy of “Best Newcomer 2013” with its race car. Its technical characteristics are described below.[image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”center” alt=”The EC-01 Formula student race car” title=”The EC-01 Formula student race car has won the trophy of “Best Newcomer 2013″” height=”389″ width=”600″]https://www.car-engineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-EC-01-formula-student-race-car.png[/image_frame]
The EC-01 powertrain
A 4 stroke single cylinder engine coming from a motorbike (BMW G450X) is used, which initial characteristics were the following:
Displacement: | 450 cm³ |
Stroke x Bore | 59.6 mm x 98 mm |
Max Engine Power: | 41 hp @ 7000 rpm |
Max Engine Torque: | 43 Nm @ 6500 rpm |
Max Engine Speed: | 10500 rpm |
Meanwhile, the air intake and the exhaust were optimized to increase the power and the torque, especially at high revs, so they reach 50hp @ 8500 rpm. The gearbox is integrated to the engine and has 5 gears and chain drive. A big diameter crown wheel is put behind to increase the torque, because the racetracks haven’t straight lines. A limited slip differential is integrated too.[image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”center” alt=”The EC-01 powertrain” title=”The EC-01 powertrain now features 50 hp”]https://www.car-engineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-EC-01-powertrain.png.jpg[/image_frame]
The EC-01 frame and suspension
The frame is in E235 steel and weights 44 kg. The torsional stiffness is 2500 Nm/deg and the engine is rigidly mounted. It has 10 inch rims with double unequal A-arm pushrods actuated by Öhlins TTX25 dampers, which allows high lateral acceleration (1.6g). The braking system come from AP Racing and includes calipers with double brake line, 180mm brake discs and compact master cylinders with an adjustable balance bar.[image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”center” alt=”The EC-01 chassis and suspensions” title=”The EC-01 chassis and suspensions can withstand 1.6g of lateral acceleration”]https://www.car-engineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-EC-01-chassis-and-suspensions.jpg[/image_frame]
The future of the ESTACA Formula Team
The EC-01 will participate to the Hungary competition from the 21st of August to the 24th 2014. Meanwhile, the team is finishing the conception of the EC-02 which will be manufactured from September 2014 and will compete in 2015. It will keep the current engine but will have an all-new frame and a more aerodynamic body including wings and flat floor.[image_frame style=”framed_shadow” align=”center” alt=”The EC-02 aerodynamics calculations” title=”The EC-02 will be released in 2015″ height=”391″ width=”600″]https://www.car-engineer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-EC-02-aerodynamics-calculations.png[/image_frame]