K-16 Student Competitions

 

For K-16 teachers, please see the great work of Alan Gleue and Greg Bacon as part of the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Teachers:  Shaping Inquiry from Feedstock-to-Tailpipe

 

ASME and EcoHawks received first place for KU Engineering Expo 2010 efforts!

 

Please contact us if you want more information (kuecohawks at ku.edu) and we are happy to work with schools or individuals who have suggestions about our competitions.  There are some competition examples below to help students get moving in the right direction.

The University of Kansas

School of Engineering Design Project

A Sustainable Approach to Automobiles and Energy Infrastructure

KU EcoHawks Battery Powered Race

 

Detailed Handout Link (new version for 2012 coming soon)

 

Description:  The goal of this race is for K-16 students to explore the role batteries and electric motors play in the future of automobiles.  The competition is a battery-powered race involving a student-constructed car.  The participants will start at the bottom of the ramp and go up the ramp.  The ramp is 10 feet long and 4 feet high at the finish line.  The car the students build can have the maximum dimensions of 7” wide by 15.5” long and 4.5” high (average size of a shoebox).  The students will compete one at time. The time it takes for the car to make it up the ramp and across the finish line (indicated by tape) will be recorded.  Students will get two time-recorded attempts.

 

Battery and Motor Rules:

· Only 1 single-celled rechargeable battery may be utilized as the sole power source

· Must be able to buy the battery at a local store (receipt required for entry)

· Unlimited motor option (example here: http://store.sundancesolar.com/dcmot5vto3vf.html); however, cost is judged!

· Speed controllers are not permitted (unless you build them from scratch on your own, no “off-the-shelf” versions allowed)

· All decisions of the judges are final

 

Points will be awarded mainly on the fastest time; however, sustainable engineering is not just about making the fastest car. Additional points will also be awarded for using recycled materials, which will be defined as anything that has been previously used and intended to be thrown away; i.e. plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, cans, glass, and other “waste” items. Moreover, the high school division students may receive points by describing the physical principles involved and other important concepts described here. Participants should bring this sheet to the competition with requested areas filled out by hand or using a word processor (just do not give yourselves points before you arrive J). IMPORTANT: NO kits allowed, car must be built from scratch, a team must consist of no more than three students and the car must fit within dimensions allowed.

Example Images of Battery Powered Cars

 

In this section, the students document a few battery powered cars to help get K-16 students up and running.  The key is torque!  Enzo Ferrari was quoted as saying that “horsepower sells cars, but torque wins races.”  How do you get a high amount of torque???  Something should stick out from the pictures below.

2011 Winner

 

This is the overall winner of the 2011 EcoHawks battery powered competition.  Please note, they only use 1 rechargeable battery (from an old laptop) as per the guidelines above.  Next year, we will provide images of the difference between a single battery and a battery pack, we are sorry for any confusion this may have caused.  This is the first year we ran this competition, so we are learning how to describe the competition better.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q:  The ramp in the uphill battle is made of what material?

A:  Standard plywood, nothing special.

 

Q:  Can we use an exhaust (using a fan to push air out of the rear of the car to propel it forward) instead of or in addition to a motor?

A:  As long as the fan is powered by the 1 rechargeable battery.

 

Q:  Is there a limit to the voltage of the battery?  And is it supposed to be a single-celled battery or a battery with many cells?

A:  The goal of this challenge is to use 1 single-celled rechargeable battery and have students learn about different chemistries involved when making batteries.  Therefore, it is supposed to be a single-celled battery without any limits on voltage.  Now, what is a single-celled battery?  Starting in 2012, these are the rules:

1. 9-volt batteries are NOT allowed.  This is “technically” considered a pack, see Figure 1.

2. Other “pack” batteries are NOT allowed since they consist of multiple batteries, see Figure 2.

3. So, one battery like an AA is allowed as illustrated by Figure 3.  Typically, if the voltage is greater than 3.7VDC, then it is a pack of batteries.  We may create a “pack” category in future years or have voltage divisions, but for the time being, if you have a question about the battery that you are using, e-mail us at kuecohawks at ku dot edu  If we are unsure about the battery during competition, we may have to disqualify you, sorry.

Q:  How many motors are allowed in the Uphill Battle competition in the KU Expo?  Are points lost if the vehicle is bare instead of decorated? 

A:  You can use as many motors as you would like.  Feel free to decorate it however you would like as no points will be lost.

 

Q:  Can we use a rubber band and/or balloon to power our car?

A:  The power must come from a single rechargeable battery.

 

Q:  Can my student use Lego gears, wheels and axels because they are all the same tooth size and match?  All other materials are recycled from old printers, pencil sharpeners, and telephones.

A:  We do not want students using a kit for their vehicle; however, if you use the gears and axles from the kit that is fine.  You should use different wheels and a unique motor, not from the Lego kit, in order to prevent utilizing the majority of the drivetrain.

 

Q:  Does the vehicle start on the floor before going up on the ramp, or does the race start with the vehicle on the ramp? 

A:  The race starts with the vehicle on the ramp.