Sunderland ‘perfectly fierce’ in money making

“They are perfectly fierce in their money making,” is a quote attributed to the business dealings of Sunderland’s industrial growth during the 19th century, and is examined in an exhibition at the Winter Gardens, ‘Boom Town’. Read more

Sunderland Racers talk with engineering institution

Both teams told the group of IMechE senior members about the competition, and how their teams are organised. They also spoke about how they plan and design their cars, as well as the building process, demonstrating how the Formula Student competition encourages innovation.

Kate Jones, the Formula Student project leader, told the audience, severely reduced because of bad weather, that the competition, open to universities worldwide as well as the UK, was an important asset that not only gives engineering students the chance to develop valuable real world skills in both design and manufacturing, but also develops their business skills, in areas of marketing; along with budget and time management.

The IMechE, as well as sponsors that includes Shell, Toyota and Airbus, supports the competition as it is a useful way to encourage school leavers to study engineering, an area were there has been a drought in graduates for several years.

Newcastle team members Ryan Broadhead and William Smith

Newcastle, represented by its team leader, Fiona Finlayson, along with William Smith, Ryan Broadhead and Johnny Knox, all 4^th year engineers, lead the way. The team of 16 people, split into two groups, work on separate cars. While one group worked on the 2009 car, NR6, the second team worked on designing next year’s car. Their methodology is one of constant evolution, and “intelligent, affordable, innovative design.”

Their car is an improved version of the one they competed with this year, making improvements to the design, reducing weight and replacing the gearing, now using a high speed sequential gear box that utilises a paintball mechanism, while also hoping to improve reliability. It uses a Ducati Monster 600cc motorcycle engine, with fuel injection, air intake and exhaust improvements added on.

SU Racing, represented by team leaders John Wood and David Meyerowitz, along with Chris Greaves, also presented designs for their newest car, the SU09, nicknamed ‘Trout,’ a completely new car for this year, using a new engine, a 600cc Honda CBR motor that replaces the team’s venerable 400cc one-cylinder Suzuki dirt bike engine, that will be combined with a steel space frame, with honeycomb panels to improve torsion stiffness. It is hoped that this design will not only be more powerful, but will also be lighter, weighing less than 250kg.

The team also discussed what it was like to be involved with Formula Student, highlighting the strong elements of social bonding found not only in the team, but also the camaraderie found when interacting with other teams at the competition itself, held at Silverstone in July.

IMechE examines SU08, alongside Durham's solar car, DUSC

The differing strategies between only two teams highlighted the reliance on innovation and original thinking that the competition was designed to encourage.

Both teams were also able to share stories of their particular woes during the event itself, with Newcastle telling the audience about the problems it had with loose drive shafts, leaking valves and a heavy, unreliable gearbox; while Sunderland related the incident when a drive shaft became loose, ripping out the differential and twisting the chassis, with major repair work being performed over night by Wood, a qualified mechanic.

Geoff Clack, a Formula Student judge also spoke, highlighting how important this, and other competitions held in primary and secondary schools in partnership with Learning Grid, such as the ‘K’NEX Challenge’ and ‘F1 in Schools’ were important to attract youngsters into engineering, as well as giving them important experience, saying, “Formula Student is more than just racing. It is also beneficial to the students.”

Formula Student, originally developed in the USA in 1981, was brought over to the UK in 1998. The competition itself asks the students to simulate building a prototype autocross car that if successful, would be a basis to produce a 1000 such cars each year.

The next competition, to be held at Silverstone in July next year, has already attracted over a 110 teams from 23 different countries. This year’s competition will also highlight the competitions environmental aspects, such as its encouraging teams to use E85 bio-fuel, as well as its newest category, class 1(A) a low carbon competition.

SU Racing and The Frog

Doug Cartwright, a Fellow of the IMechE, and chairman of the Automotive division had been impressed by both the teams work, and SU08 ‘Frog,’ Sunderland’s old car, that had been on display in Durham’s wind tunnel, particularly its front suspension system, as he himself had been a racing driver.

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks by local IMechE chairman Syd Croft, who had attended Sunderland Polytechnic, as well as Newcastle and Durham Universities. He said he had enjoyed the stories told by the teams and added, “If Formula Student had been around during my time at university, and I would have certainly joined the competition.”

Links:

SU Racing: http://www.formulastudent.sunderland.ac.uk/

Newcastle Racing: http://www.nracing.co.uk/

Formula Student: http://www.formulastudent.com/

IMechE: http://www.imeche.org/

Learning Grid: http://www.learninggrid.co.uk/

Cultural understandings…do we understand?

‘A Gift to Those who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling’ is a collaboration between artists Erika Tan and Mio Shirai that aims to show the supposed eccentricities of foreign cultures, as well as examine cultural icons and the apparent living machines that are used within urban areas.

The first section, ‘The Syntactical Impossibility of Approaching with a Pure Heart’ concentrates on Mount Fuji, an internationally known symbol of Japan. A projector displays a slideshow of drawings of the mountain, along with an opportunity for visitors to add their own drawings, with the eventual aim to display chosen drawings when the exhibition reaches Yokohama in 2009.

This goes alongside works such as a video collection of public domain images of the mountain, and ‘On a Clear Day’ a video taken from a cable car going up the mountain, moving through cloud, while every so often an announcer comes over the P.A. system.

This then moves on to the next section, ‘Ghost in the Machine’. A collection of photographs, as well as three videos, concentrates on the movements of several mechanised car parking machines. Though unused, these automated machines, a collection of turntables, doors and vehicle lifting equipment, will continue to work throughout the night, almost of their own accord. Watching the continuous work of these machines, without human control or interference, does seem to imply that they have some sort of intelligence, maybe even a soul.

The next part of the exhibition created by Mio Shirai uses ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ to illustrate the shock of travelling and interacting in foreign cultures, such as that felt by Japanese ambassadors when travelling outside of Japan.

Drawings, such as ‘Ambassador walking to Hylton Castle’ incorporate quotes from the book, but put a personalised spin on the pictures, ‘Alice’ is drawn usinga ‘Mino-washi’, the traditional Japanese umbrella.

Shirai also created two short films. The first, ‘Forever Autumn’ recreates the tea-party scene and sees Alice, played by Shirai, as she learns the rules of engagement to live in a strange land, in this instance it is filmed in locations around the North East.

The second, ‘Restaurant Wild Cat House’ is an adaption of ‘Restaurant of Many Orders’ written by Kenji Miyazawa in 1921. The story follows two Japanese men who emulate western fashions, who stumble upon a strange restaurant, and while blindly following instructions posted on doors, end up being killed and eaten by a large Wild Cat. The film asks whether the cat, a symbol of the Japanese culture, was defending Japan’s cultural history or blindly attacking outside elements.

The exhibition is a wonderful examination of perceptions of differing cultures, and its beauty and strangeness.

Closes: 15th November

Location: Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, City Library and Arts Centre, 28-30 Fawcett Street, Sunderland