Student Project Support

The following update report is from Cambridge University Eco Racing [CUER]. CUER is one of several student teams which we, the Cambridge University Engineers’ Association [CUEA] support financially. The support from CUEA, and a number of other companies and organisations, comes via a Department of Engineering initiative: the Student-Led Projects and Industry Partnership (SPIP) scheme, to which the student teams bid and pitch for funding and manufacturing support. The pitches are heard and reviewed by a panel of Department, CUEA and industry members.

New Helia Testing Rig for Upcoming Events and Competitions

Over the past few months, Cambridge University Eco Racing [CUER] have hit several significant milestones and embarked on exciting new projects. 

The Electrical Engineering Team has been working on a ‘hardware-in-the-loop’ [HiL] testing rig to check the functionality of all the components involved in the electrical system of Helia, the team's 6th solar car. This HiL rig will help the team ensure the smooth running of the systems and perform comprehensive tests to ensure high performance and quality. It will allow the team to simulate conditions they may face during upcoming events and competitions and gather data that is crucial to improving the vehicle. The rig consists of three main sections, the low voltage section, the battery packs, and the connections between them, mainly the battery monitoring system [BMS]. The BMS is another significant development from the last few months, and provides a means of reliable communication throughout the system and monitors the conditions of the battery packs to ensure they remain in safe boundaries. 

The Mechanical Engineering Team are hard at work fixing the rear suspension design for Helia due to some instability issues discovered during testing. This will see members of the team work closely with CUED technicians to machine a new upright as well as work through design iterations with other advisors. The Mechanical Team have also been developing CAD models of the new battery pack designs and producing 3D printed fixing to hold the new Li-ion battery cells. 

The Aerodynamics Team has been focused on CUER’s new vehicle, SC7, set to debut in 2025. They have been working on the development of the body shell following large changes in competition regulations. 

The whole team also ran an outreach day at a local primary school, teaching children about the importance of physics and maths in motorsport.

Article supplied by Freya Harris, Team Principal, CUER

2023-2024 has proven to be one of the best years in recent CUSF history. Following the success of Aquila, an M-class solid rocket launched in the Mojave desert summer 2023 (3km apogee), CUSF has been hard at work delivering 2

major project streams: continued high-powered rocketry (HPR), and liquid rocket engines. Both of these programs have focused on building and consolidating CUSF' s technical expertise in our pursuit of the Karman Line, including

onboarding a record number of freshers.

We enjoyed 2 major successes at the end of this year, both in the same week. We launched Tigris, an I-class HPR from Machrihanish air base in Scotland. Entering as part of the Mach-24 rocketry competition, we were given a target of 1.5km and achieved 1545m - an impressive error of only 3%. Detailed procedures on the day meant that we were ready to launch with only 3 minutes of prep time. The rocket successfully deployed its chute at apogee; all parts were recovered with minor damage. This was a testament to the team's intensive aerodynamics analysis and planning, and to the amazing support of the student rocketry community.

We were also thrilled with the successful firing of White Dwarf, our bi-propellant regeneratively cooled engine. Fired 4 times in one day, we achieved a specific impulse of 195s. During last firing, we reached 3.7kN peak thrust, which is 247% of the design point and one of the highest at the Race 2 Space competition. It was a great opportunity to test our hardware in a safe environment, network with experts in the field, and engage with other student teams - each were amazing competitors, and they continue to inspire us to aim high.

As we retire White Dwarf, we look forward to the future firing of White Giant, the engine’s successor, later this year. White Giant has been designed to reach up to 32kN of thrust, marking it as the most powerful engine fired in the UK by any company, let alone student, in the last 30 years. We are also continuing to develop stronger rockets, with Panthera, an L-class solid rocket scheduled for late August, and more beyond. Ultimately, we have the ambitious plan to combine

the two programs to build a liquid rocket that could be launched next year.

Throughout this year we have taken significant efforts to expand our connections with the wider rocketry community in the UK. While we are immensely proud of our own work and are keen to share our experience, we still have so much to

learn from our peers and professionals in the industry. Our deepest gratitude goes to Alastair John for organising the Race2Space Competition and conference, and to Airborne Engineering for allowing us to use their facilities for firing White Dwarf. We also extend our thanks to Sara Lai and Exotopic for organising Mach24 and its accompanying conference. Thank you to the amazing community of student teams for their support and collaboration. Thank you of course to the Cambridge University Engineering Department and the Whittle Lab for supporting our mission and manufacturing key components for us. 

Lastly, our heartfelt thanks go to the CU Engineers’ Association for sponsoring our projects - they would not have been possible without you.

Per ardua, ad astra!

William Yu and Iga Ratajczak, Co-Presidents of CUSF