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Professor David Greenwood named as new CEO for WMG centre HVM Catapult

Professor David GreenwoodWMG is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor David Greenwood, as the new CEO of the

Professor Greenwood will replace Archie MacPherson, who has successfully led the WMG Catapult team since 2016.

WMG Executive Chair, Margot James, said: 鈥淲e thank Archie for all that he has achieved in this period and wish him all the very best as he returns to a role in industry.鈥

The CEO role is part of Professor Greenwood鈥檚 remit as Director for Industrial Engagement at WMG.

He currently leads WMG鈥檚 Energy Research, and also holds advisory and board positions for the Advanced Propulsion Centre, Innovate UK (Faraday Challenge and IDP and the Faraday Institution, and is Head of the Advanced Propulsion Centre's Electrical Energy Storage Spoke. Professor Greenwood also provides academic leadership for the development of R&D activities within the National Automotive Innovation Centre at the 天美传媒.

Margot added: 鈥淒ave鈥檚 passion and unrivalled experience make him the ideal candidate to lead the HVM Catapult drive to de-risk innovation in UK manufacturing, enabling its productivity, growth and sustainability.鈥

Professor Greenwood added : 鈥淭he focus of my career has been around bringing science and technology into industry, and I am delighted that these new roles will bring together the academic strengths of WMG with the transformative capability of the to benefit Industry and the UK. I look forward to strengthening our existing partnerships and welcoming new ones.鈥

Professor Greenwood will officially start as CEO from 26th October 2020.

Wed 07 Oct 2020, 10:04 | Tags: HVM Catapult Pioneering Research

Celebrating 40 years of WMG 鈥 from autonomous vehicle testing to digital healthcare

Margot James MP and Professor Lord Bhattacharyya 1st September 2016.

WMG an academic department at the 天美传媒 was on this day, the 1st of October, 1980 started by the late Professor Lord Bhattacharyya.

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya sadly passed away on the 1st March 2019. His long and highly accomplished career in engineering and manufacturing began with his studies in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, before he moved to the UK to further his studies. After working at the University of Birmingham he was persuaded by the then Vice Chancellor at Warwick, Lord Butterworth, to move to the 天美传媒 where he started WMG.

Over the years he went on to become a Government adviser to Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat Industry Ministers and Prime Ministers.

Vice Chancellor of the 天美传媒, Professor Stuart Croft comments:

鈥淚鈥檓 sure I speak for the whole Warwick community when I say how fantastic it is to see how Professor Lord Bhattacharyya鈥檚 vision for WMG has flourished to become not only an exceptional part of our University but also our whole region, by connecting engineering and manufacturing industries with academia. I look forward to seeing what is in store for WMG in the years ahead, as it continues to go from strength to strength.鈥

The new Executive Chair for WMG is Margot James, who was appointed in April 2020, comments on the achievements so far and plans for the future of WMG.

鈥淲e operate on a huge scale today but our mission and vision is the same it was on that first autumn morning. The challenges we are addressing now are different to those of 40 years ago; the need for a zero carbon industry is at the forefront of so much of our work. Our experience and expertise have never been more relevant and vital.

鈥淲hether educating the next generation of engineers or developing the technologies that will change our world, the challenges we embrace today will shape the next chapter of the WMG story. We have the creativity, the insight, and most of all, the people to make the next 40 years of WMG even more exciting and impactful as we build a smarter, greener, cleaner and healthier world.鈥

Thu 01 Oct 2020, 10:53 | Tags: Education Pioneering Research

Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya building shortlisted for a further three design awards

NAICHot on the heels of being shortlisted for the West Midlands regional awards, the Prof. Lord Bhattacharyya building, home of the National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC), has now been shortlisted for a further three prestigious design awards.

The new shortlisted awards are , a, and an .

Based at the 天美传媒, NAIC was officially open in February 2020 by HRH The Prince of Wales. The Centre is a partnership between WMG, 天美传媒, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors, and is the largest of its kind in Europe and is well timed, arriving when a global mobility revolution is underway, with a new age for transport mobility.

A beacon for automotive research it brings together the brightest minds from industry and academia, to develop future vehicles and mobility solutions. It is home to up to 1,000 staff working across design, engineering and research, as well as future engineers on degree programmes.

Designed by the brief for the Centre was for simplicity and strength of purpose, turning a complex assembly of spaces into an immediately legible building.

Wed 23 Sept 2020, 17:23

WMG Professor to present at key webinar exploring The Future of Logistics

Professor Paul JenningsProfessor Paul Jennings will be joining the line up at The Future of Logistics, free webinar, this Friday (25th September).

The Future of Logistics, produced by Barclays Manufacturing Logistics and Transport team, will feature presentations by three experts on the logistics industry from the Road Haulage Association (RHA), Unipart Logistics and WMG. Professor Jennings will be sharing his expertise on connected and autonomous vehicles.

Legislation on vehicle emissions, Brexit, Covid-19, an aging workforce, vehicle autonomy and smart highways, the surge in e-commerce, and vehicle electrification are some of the biggest influencers shaping the future of logistics that will be debated.

Professor Paul Jennings, a physicist and expert in connected transport systems, will present on autonomous vehicles and also on a range of other research into transportation that can help keep goods flowing; GPS, traffic management, smart roads and cities and driver behaviour. Professor Jennings led the development of WMG鈥檚 3xD Simulator for Intelligent Vehicles and is the current lead on , the 拢31 million public CAV (connected and autonomous vehicle) test environment.

Richard Burnett, CEO of the RHA will discuss diesel legislation, Brexit, labour and the trend of 鈥渟tranded assets鈥, where trucks purchased by logistics firms are inoperable within a short period due to changing local regulations on vehicle emissions. Technology sector director at Unipart Logistics, Nicola Rouse, will discuss how technology is changing Unipart鈥檚 business and the new opportunities more data brings, plus the importance of sustainability and resilience in business.

Barclays鈥 Head of Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics, Lee Collinson, and logistics business specialist Ian Cranidge, will give an overview of their customers鈥 experiences of the logistics industry and where they expect improvement from operators, the government and in technology, at this challenging time.

鈥淲ith the rapid rise in e-commerce before and through lockdown, plus environmental pressure on hauliers and new technology improving the intelligence of delivering goods, the logistics business is changing fast,鈥 says Lee Collinson. 鈥淢ore home deliveries, Brexit, more electric vehicles and even the expected reshoring of manufacturing from Asia will put pressure on logistics operators but offer new business models too. We urge you join this free-to-attend webinar to find out more.鈥

A Q&A session follows the presentations where participants can put questions to the panel.

The webinar is free to attend on registration, once approved by Barclays. The event takes place at 10am on Friday 25th September.

You must register before the event, and places are first-come first-served.

Register for the event .

 

ENDS

Wed 23 Sept 2020, 10:41 | Tags: Intelligent Vehicles Sensors

New research says Sodium-ion batteries are a valid alternative to Lithium-ion batteries

  • Lithium (Li)-ion batteries (LIBs) are the electrochemical energy storage systems of choice for a wide variety of applications, however other types of emerging battery technologies are currently on the path to share their dominant position.
  • Among them Sodium (Na)-ion batteries (NIBs) have great potential to represent the next generation low cost and environmentally friendly energy storage solution. The diverse key performance indicators required by different applications and the market diversification is the driving force pushing the Na-ion technology closer to the market.
  • A team of scientists including WMG at the 天美传媒 combined their knowledge and expertise to assess the current status of the Na-ion technology from materials to cell development, offering a realistic comparison of the key performance indicators for NBs and LIBs.

Battery technologyLIBs play a primary role in the transition to a low carbon economy. However, as the market rapidly expands, the environmental and social challenges associated with the mass production of LIBs is triggering large attention toward the search for alternative energy storage solutions based on materials that can be sourced in a sustainable and responsible way. In this scenario, NIBs represent an alternative low cost, sustainable and more environmentally friendly energy storage technology.

In the paper 鈥,' published on the 18th of September 2020 in the Journal of Power Sources, a large team of Na-ion technology expert scientists, led by WMG, at the 天美传媒 (UK) analyse the prospect of NIBs taking a spot in the energy storage market. The paper also includes researchers from: Helmholtz Institute Ulm (Germany), College de France (France), Humboldt University Berlin (Germany), Institute for Energy technology (Norway), Universit茅 de Picardie Jules Verne (France), University of Bordeaux (France) and CIC energiGUNE (Spain).

Na- based batteries offer a combination of attractive properties. They are low cost, use sustainable precursors and have secure raw material supplies. In addition, they are considered as a drop-in technology which could benefit from the already existing Li-ion batteries manufacturing facilities.

As Li-based systems, Na-based batteries come in different forms, such as Na-ion, Na-all-solid-state-batteries, NaO2 and Na/S. While the last ones are seen as disruptive future technologies, the Na-ion technology represent an attractive technology almost ready to challenge the Li-ion batteries in specific applications.

Performance metrics are of utmost importance for the SIB technology to ensure a competitive cost per Wh and find a place in the market. In this work, the most promising electrode materials and electrolyte systems have been reviewed and performance metrics from the academic literature have been used to extrapolate full sodium ion cells performance indicators.

Authors indicate that with the ongoing development, the present best materials available for Na-ion cells should allow approaching the energy density of the present generation of Li-ion commercial cells. One of the most important application field for the developed sodium-ion battery prototypes is certainly stationary energy storage systems, where cost and cycle life represent two fundamental parameters. 鈥淚n this field sodium-ion batteries have the potential to dominate the future market representing the most promising system to fill the gap between energy production and utilization by securing energy supply. However high-power applications in the electrified automotive field are a potential niche field application for NIBs鈥 says Dr Ivana Hasa, Assistant Professor at WMG.

Further technological improvements are needed to increase the performance especially in terms of energy density. Extremely encouraging results have been achieved for the Na-ion technology in a very short time when compared to the Li-ion technology. Technological improvement will be achieved by cell component fabrication/assembly optimization, as occurred in the last thirty years for the LIB technology.

Ivana HasaDr Ivana Hasa, from WMG, 天美传媒 comments:

鈥淔rom an applied research point of view, the future research efforts should be devoted on fundamental research, materials discovery and understanding of the thermodynamic and kinetic processes governing the chemistry of these systems. In addition, the investigation of upscaled Na-ion batteries is of primary importance to obtain realistic data to benchmark the progress of the technology as well as the adoption of a common reporting methodology in the scientific community enabling a fair comparison among performance results.鈥

Tue 22 Sept 2020, 10:53 | Tags: Pioneering Research Battery Materials and cells

Report fears UK could lose out to the rest of Europe in crucial automotive battery recycling market

Electric Vehicle charging.

The UK is at significant risk of falling behind in the electric revolution and losing out to the rest of Europe on a crucial automotive lithium ion battery recycling market according to a new research report published this week by WMG at the 天美传媒 and backed by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and Faraday Battery Challenge at Innovate UK.

The new report entitled Automotive Lithium ion Battery Recycling in the UK by Anwar Sattar, David Greenwood, Martin Dowson and Puja Unadkat in WMG, at the 天美传媒 calls for the UK to move quickly to establish commercial scale recycling for automotive lithium ion batteries

The WMG report notes that there are currently over a dozen such large scale lithium ion recycling facilities in the rest of Europe but none in the UK despite the fact that the UK is the second largest vehicle market in Europe with annual sales exceeding 2.3 million units in 2019, and is also amongst the top electric vehicle markets in Europe, with a 6% market penetration in the first quarter of 2020.

Jacqui Murray Deputy Challenge Director of the Faraday Battery Challenge at Innovate UK said:

鈥淭his new WMG report is a timely call for action. To achieve net zero carbon emissions, we need to be thinking about the whole system. Recycling of batteries is a challenge we see in the making, yet I am confident we can develop into a successful circular economy in the UK. Understanding, sharing and collaborating will accelerate the efforts needed to advance the right technologies and infrastructure to meet the future UK Automotive market.鈥

Value in EoL packs.

The report points out that the current costs of this recycling black hole are already enormous. As the UK lacks significant industrial capacity for lithium ion battery recycling, batteries are shipped to mainland Europe for material recovery. This can be a very expensive process, dependent on state of health of the pack, chemistry of the pack and size of the pack. This can mean that up to 75% of the total cost of recycling which can range from 拢3/kg to >拢8/kg may be attributed to transportation costs and other factors such as the state of health and chemistry of the cells.

Even more concerning are the report鈥檚 comments that without its own significant recycling facilities, the UK could also be losing out on a major source of expensive and difficult to source materials to help manufacture new batteries.

By 2040, 339,000 tonnes of EV batteries are expected to reach their end of their life annually. The average value in end of life automotive packs is 拢3.3/kg for Battery Electric Vehicles and 拢2.2/kg for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

By 2040, the UK will also require 140GWh worth of cell production capability, representing 567,000 tonnes of cell production per year. Recycling can supply 22% of this demand (assuming a 60% recycling rate and 40% reuse or remanufacture). The break-even point for an automotive lithium ion battery recycling plant is just 2,500 – 3,000 tonnes per year if the chemistry contains nickel and cobalt.

To satisfy 2040 demand, the UK will need 133,000 tonnes of cathode metals per year. Much of this material can be supplied by recycling end of life batteries as the report shows in the following table:

To satisfy 2040 demand, the UK will need 133,000 tonnes of cathode metals per year. Much of this material can be supplied by recycling end of life batteries as the report shows in the following table.

Based on 8:1:1 chemistry assuming 60% of end of life batteries are recycled in 2040.

Dick Elsy CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult says in the report

鈥淲MG has been at the forefront of the development of battery technology for the future of electric mobility in the UK. Internal combustion engines and systems will be replaced by electric motors, power electronics and battery packs. A key part of that future is how we responsibly recycle the materials contained in the batteries and thus create a commercially valuable circular economy. This report is one of the best that I鈥檝e seen to present the challenges and the opportunities in such a clear way.鈥

One of the report's authors, Professor David Greenwood Professor of Advanced Propulsion Systems, in WMG at the 天美传媒, concludes:

鈥淓lectric vehicles offer huge potential for decarbonising transport and improving air quality, but as we accelerate their early market we must equally be thinking about what happens at the end of their useful life. Batteries in particular contain significant quantities of materials which are costly to extract and refine and which could be hazardous to the environment if improperly disposed of. Investment is needed to create suitable recycling facilities in the UK within the next few years, and beyond that, research is needed to allow economic recovery of much greater proportions of the battery material. In doing so we will protect the environment, secure valuable raw materials, and reduce the cost of transport.鈥

Mon 21 Sept 2020, 10:47 | Tags: Pioneering Research

Engineering apprenticeship success for WMG duo

Engineering apprenticeship success for WMG duoCongratulations to Joseph Benjamin and Tom Moore who have both completed a four year Engineering Technician Apprenticeship at WMG.

The pair started their apprenticeship journey after completing their studies at the in Coventry.

They initially completed a Level 3 Engineering Technician Apprenticeship, before going on to a Level 4 Higher National Certificate (HNC) in Manufacturing Engineering, and have been dividing their time between working at WMG and studying at Warwickshire College.

Joseph explained: 鈥淲hat makes WMG a great place to work and learn is all the amazing staff, students and visitors I have had the pleasure of working with over the last four years. The support and detail of training I have received on equipment and systems is second to none. Therefore, I would like to say thank you and give a special shout out to anyone who has supported me along the way. You know who you are!

鈥淭he advice I would give to others considering an apprenticeship, is to look at what the programme can offer you. Especially in terms of development and opportunities such as qualifications and real-life experience in fields that interest you.鈥

Tom added: 鈥淢y apprenticeship at WMG has been a fantastic opportunity, allowing me to explore a whole range of engineering disciplines, gain qualifications and ultimately find a keen interest in materials science, characterisation and microstructural analysis. Thank you to all the staff, students and external customers who have been a part of my journey. I look forward to continuing my career with you all.鈥

Next steps

Joseph and Tom have both now secured permanent positions as Mechanical Technicians within WMG鈥檚 Technical Services Team. Joseph is based within the Metrology research team whilst Tom is specialising in Electron Microscopy.

Zac Parkinson, WMG Workshop Manager who also line managed the apprentices, said: 鈥 We are extremely pleased to announce that Thomas Moore and Joseph Benjamin will be joining our Technical Services team as Mechanical Technicians. Both of these young men have worked extremely hard during their apprenticeships, this is evident from their academic grades and ever-advancing skill set.

鈥淲e are grateful for their dedication to the group during their apprenticeships, achieving impressive grades and continuing to grow a network of stakeholders across WMG.

鈥淲e are also really appreciative of the role models that they have become to other younger members of our technical team.

鈥淲e are looking forward to working with them in their new roles, and watching them grow in the future.

鈥淲ell done chaps!鈥

Thu 17 Sept 2020, 13:33

Autistic children in Berkshire school to benefit from new Digital Healthcare Apprentice support

DHS apprenticeship with Prior's Court

, a specialist residential school in Berkshire and training and development centre for young people aged between 5-25 who are severely affected by autism, is working with WMG at the 天美传媒 to help recruit two specialist Digital Healthcare apprentice staff.

The new Digital Healthcare Apprentices will investigate and evaluate data collected on Prior鈥檚 Court pupils to support improvements in the wellbeing and experiences of young people with autism at Prior's Court –and will be part of the first wave of a new, innovative national digital healthcare science workforce, working in health and social care to improve people鈥檚 health and wellbeing.

Using 鈥楤ig Data鈥 mining techniques the apprentices, working under joint supervision by academics and specialist autism practitioners, will be able to sift more than a million data points to identify circumstances which predict particular behaviour patterns. This will in turn enable earlier intervention steps to be taken.

This could make a major difference to their quality of life, minimising incidents and perhaps even enabling a young person at the school to later enter employment where this was may have not been previously possible.

The two new Digital Healthcare Apprentices will provide specialist support to the Foundation and its young people, while also studying towards a Bachelor of Science Undergraduate degree in Digital Healthcare Science with the 天美传媒 drawing on the expertise of two departments – WMG and Warwick Medical School.

Prior鈥檚 Court Chief Executive Mike Robinson said: 鈥淎utism is a complex condition. The fundamental question 鈥榃hy does someone with autism have a good day or a bad day?鈥 is a difficult one to answer. For the young people at Prior鈥檚 Court who are severely affected by autism, often with other complex coexisting conditions, it is almost impossible to answer. We believe that by applying the power of being able to collect and analyse large quantities of data to this problem, we will be able to start to answer the question.

鈥淥ur digital platform Prior Insight is capturing thousands of pieces of data on our young people every day but it is the practical application which is key. By working with the 天美传媒 and recruiting Digital Healthcare Apprentices we can ensure that data is comprehensively analysed and applied to positively impact the lives of many more people with autism – both at Prior鈥檚 Court and in the wider world of autism.鈥

Professor Ed Peile, of Warwick Medical School, comments:

鈥淥n my first visit to Prior鈥檚 Court I was inspired by how the team there are constantly striving to help young people with severe autism lead happy and fulfilling lives. I was keen to see their cutting edge project using the digital platform 鈥楶rior Insight鈥 and to understand what role future members of the new specialism Digital Healthcare Science could play.

鈥淚t was immediately apparent to me that, both in their apprenticeship training and when they graduate, Digital Healthcare Scientists have so much to offer at Prior鈥檚 Court, and so much to gain there. Thanks to the investment in data collection at Prior鈥檚 Court, there is a huge amount of information about how each young person functions.

鈥淣ot only that, but working with other technologies including 鈥榳earable digital technology鈥 and using the skills of behavioural science and shared decision-making taught on our innovative 鈥榝usion science course鈥 will enable the apprentices to contribute as they learn in the workplace.鈥

How to apply

Applications for the two new roles close in just two weeks on 30th September 2020. Details on how to apply can be found

 

Thu 17 Sept 2020, 12:53 | Tags: Healthcare Technologies Degree Apprenticeships

You can train your brain to reduce motion sickness

  • Everyone can suffer from motion sickness, and around one in three are known to be highly susceptible to motion sickness
  • Motion sickness can occur during car travel, at sea, using virtual reality headsets and is expected to be a significant factor in self-driving car
  • A cognitive training tool designed by researchers at WMG, 天美传媒 has been proven to help 鈥榯rain the brain鈥 to reduce motion sickness by over 50%

3XD Intelligent Vehicles Simulator at WMG.

Visuospatial training exercises can train the brain to reduce motion sickness, providing a potential remedy for future passengers riding in autonomous vehicles. Researchers at WMG, 天美传媒 reduced motion sickness by over 50% using the training tool and it was found to be effective in both a driving simulator and on-road experimentation.

Everyone can experience motion sickness, with 1 in 3 of us being highly susceptible to motion sickness. Motion sickness, sometimes referred to as travel sickness usually can occur during travel in cars and boats, but also when using virtual reality headsets or in a simulator.

With the concept of autonomous vehicles coming closer to our roads, the need to reduce motion sickness is more apparent than ever. It is expected that due to potential vehicle designs and people鈥檚 desire to engage in non-driving related tasks such as reading or watching films, motion sickness will be a significant factor for vehicle occupants.

In fact, if we were able to reduce motion sickness so much that people could read and work in future cars, it鈥檚 predicted that this productivity boost could be worth as much as US$508billion per year according to Morgan Stanley.

Considering the number of people affected, relatively little research has been done into motion sickness, especially not into motion sickness and autonomous vehicles.

However, in the paper 鈥楢 Novel Method for Reducing Motion Sickness Susceptibility through Training Visuospatial Ability – A Two-Part Study鈥, published in the journal Applied Ergonomics, researchers from WMG, 天美传媒 have been successful in reducing motion sickness.

In the project, researchers have found by using visuospatial training you can essentially train the brain to reduce motion sickness by over 50%.

Participants in the study went in either the WMG 3xD simulator for a driving simulator trial, or on an on-road trial where they were driven around as passengers, imitating what it would be like to be in an autonomous vehicle.

Baseline motion sickness was first measured during their initial ride, using a verity of pre-validated questionnaires, to report severity of the symptoms. A 鈥榝ast motion sickness scale鈥, was also used to capture 鈥榬eal-time鈥 symptoms as participants were asked to rate their sickness every minute on a scale of 0-20 considering nausea, discomfort, and stomach problems.

Example of a visuospatial excercise part of the vandenberg and kuse mental rotations test.After their first run, participants completed various pen-and-paper visuospatial training tasks, once per day for 15 minutes per day, for 2 weeks. This included exercises such as a looking at a pattern of boxes that and having to identify which image out of three is the original just rotated, paper folding tasks and understand spatial patterns.

After the training period, participants took part in another motion sickness assessment and it was recorded that motion sickness reduced by 51% in the driving simulator, and 58% in the on-road trial.

Dr Joseph Smyth, from WMG, 天美传媒 comments:

鈥淏eing able to reduce an individual鈥檚 personal susceptibility to motion-sickness using simple 鈥榖rain training style鈥 tasks training is a massive step-forward in the development of future transport systems, including autonomous vehicles. Human factors research is all about how we can design products and services that are pleasurable. Motion sickness has, for a long time, been a significant limitation to many peoples transport options and this research has shown a new method for how we can address this.

鈥淚 hope that in the future we can optimise the training into a short, highly impactful method. Imagine if when someone is waiting for a test-drive in a new autonomous vehicle they could sit in the showroom and do some 鈥榖rain training puzzles鈥 on a tablet before going out in the car, therefore reducing their risk of sickness. It鈥檚 also very likely this method can be used in other domains such as sea-sickness for navy staff or cruise passengers. We are particularly excited about applying this new finding to Virtual Reality headset use.鈥

Pete Bennett, from Jaguar Land Rover comments:

鈥淢aking our future autonomous vehicles as user friendly as possible is key, and motion sickness is something we knew we needed to research as so many people experience it even now as a passenger.

鈥淭he research done by WMG has shown that motion sickness can be reduced, and we can incorporate the research into our future vehicle design process.鈥

Mon 14 Sept 2020, 13:51 | Tags: Intelligent Vehicles Sensors Pioneering Research

Warwick Racing team develop second electric race car during lockdown

is a team of 30 dedicated members all working towards getting a single-seater electric race car designed, manufactured and tested in the space of a year. The team consists of students from multiple departments including the School of Engineering, Warwick Business School and the Department of Computer Science, with the help and facilities of WMG.

The team usually spend their summer in the workshop building a race car. The Covid-19 lockdown hasn鈥檛 stopped them from designing and virtually validating their second electric competition car, WRe2.

Warwick Racing renderThe design of WRe2 was started by the 4th year team in October last year who completed development of the powertrain, suspension and chassis. Over the last few months this work has ramped up, continually improving the designs.

As a team first, the bespoke powertrain has not one, but two rear electric motors. The idea of two motors is to allow better control when deploying power in race conditions.

The Control Systems team have been working on developing a traction control system, employing the E400 Automotive Motor Controller under guidance kindly provided by . The framework was developed in Simulink with future expansion kept in mind. Specifics of the vehicle powertrain, suspension configurations and tyre models were considered to achieve the fastest acceleration possible whilst effectively managing rear tyre slip.

Meanwhile, the workshop has very recently opened so students have started preparing the car that they鈥檒l eventually see doing 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds. This has a power to weight ratio of around 300hp/tonne comes very close to the ratios seen in Formula E racing!

Rens Bossers, the chief powertrain engineer for the coming year says:

鈥淲Re2 is a level up for Warwick Racing. By learning from issues found during the build of WRe1, our first electric car, the design is very resilient. As reliability is historically a very significant factor, WRe2 puts us in great stead for a very competitive finish at our annual competition, FSUK. The dual motor setup is also a massive step towards the 4-wheel drive powertrain that we aim to achieve in the near future.

鈥淚t is great that we have had the support of several major sponsors such as Catapult, Ford and RS Components – their support has got us to where we are and enables us to continually come up with new, innovative designs.鈥

However the design and validation of the new vehicle isn鈥檛 all the team have been up to, they鈥檝e also been able to virtually race their current vehicle, WRe1, in the FSUK 2020 Virtual Challenge.

Sixty-six teams participated in the event, with the Warwick Racing team managing to get into the final for cost, finishing in 5th place. In their business presentation the team finished in 7th place.

As a first for this year, the dynamic events included wheel to wheel sim racing. Despite having little preparation time, the team finished in 10th place overall, with their best performance being 3rd place in an individual race out of 34 competing teams.

Iqra Hamid, Chief Powertrain Engineer for the 2019/20 season who oversaw the development of both vehicles, comments:

Warwick Racing Car"I've always had a passion for engineering and all things motorsport so being involved with Warwick Racing over the past 4 years has been an amazing experience! The team have come a long way in such a short space of time with the development of WRe1 and now WRe2.

鈥淲hilst we weren't able to showcase our performance live on the track this year, I'm proud of how well the team came together to make the most of the situation during lockdown, achieving some of our best results to date in the virtual Formula Student competition.

鈥淎s the team now enters the new season, I'm looking forward to watching the team continue to build upon this success and achieve even better results at FSUK 2021!"

The entire car is built using funds from sponsors – without their generous support the project would not be possible. With thanks to WMG, Catapult HVM, Ford, Embed, Zuken, Vector, Emrax, Demon Tweeks, Loctite, RS, Colt, Igus, Lohmann Technologies, Aquajet, IMI, GRM, ST Motorsport, B-G Racing, Race Parts, AIM, OBP, Powerflex and the many other supporters of the project.

ENDS

10 SEPTEMBER 2020

NOTES TO EDITORS

High-res images available to view at: /services/communications/medialibrary/images/september_2020/warwick_racing_render.jpg

Caption: A render of WRe2 spaceframe.

Credit: Warwick Racing, 天美传媒

/services/communications/medialibrary/images/september_2020/warwick_racing_car.jpg

Caption: Wre1 on track
Credit: Warwick Racing, 天美传媒

Thu 10 Sept 2020, 12:55

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