Discipline: Technology and Engineering
Subcategory: Civil/Mechanical/Manufacturing Engineering
Session: 2
Room: Exhibit Hall A
Isaac A. Medina - San Antonio College
Co-Author(s): Jorge Leon, San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas; Jerry Ozuna, San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas; Trinity Wilkins, San Antonio College, San Antonio, Texas
Since 2017, the San Antonio College Motorsports team has designed and built several prototype hydrogen fuel cell vehicles for the annual Shell Eco-Marathon Americas fuel-efficiency competition. Building on knowledge gained from experience, the focus of this research will include the design and fabrication of a nearly street-legal two-passenger Urban Concept Vehicle that is powered by a hydrogen fuel-cell stack. With the Urban Concept vehicle, some ways that efficiency will be addressed is by decreasing aerodynamic drag and reducing overall vehicle weight. The most efficient means of weight reduction for the body, chassis, and supporting mechanical components is by using 3D modeling software and fabrication that will ensure we are using a minimal amount of material possible while maintaining structural integrity and safety. As the world continues to increase its carbon-based pollution from modes of transportation, there is an urgent need to reduce these harmful emissions by finding alternative fuel vehicles. By the year 2050, the sales of electric vehicles are projected to increase exponentially, thus supporting the reduction of carbon-based pollution. Currently, our 2019 single passenger prototype vehicle weighs 56 kilograms and is capable of achieving 1286 miles per gallon equivalent (mpge). The future 2020 two-passenger vehicle is expected to weigh nearly 90 kilograms and acquire a minimum of 1000 mpge. The research on this lightweight, fuel-efficient vehicle will contribute to sustainability, eco-friendliness, and efficiency by paving the way for future automobile design that will ensure the reduction in carbon emissions and global warming.
Funder Acknowledgement(s): CIMA-LSAMP NSF Award No.1712626
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Dan Dimitriu, ddimitriu@alamo.edu
Role: As the mechanical team lead, my responsibility was to oversee the research and development of the Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Vehicle. My specific part of the research included the examination on material strength and weight properties along with designing a 3-Dimensional model of the vehicle body, chassis, and supporting mechanical components. The 3-D modeled parts contained restrictive parameters concerning the strength and weight properties where parts consumed the least amount of material without compromising its structural integrity and providing a realistic manual machining standpoint.