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ISU TEAM POWERS ITS WAY TO FIRST PLACE
 

The Iowa State University Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) Team took first place in the multi-rider vehicle division at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) East Coast Challenge in Charlotte, North Carolina, May 5–7. This is the first time Iowa State’s ASME student chapter has entered an HPV competition.

HPVs are vehicles that are powered entirely by human muscle. Bicycles are the most familiar type of HPV; however, the HPVs created for the competition take shapes that are far different from the typical bicycle.

The Iowa State team of 16 students applied their engineering and analysis skills to research, design, and build a reverse (two wheels in front) recumbent tricycle. The goal was to build an aerodynamic vehicle to enhance speed and, at the same time, provide a safe and durable structure.

For the challenge, teams are judged on the design, safety, and performance of their vehicles, as well as a comprehensive design report and presentation.

The Iowa State vehicle, dubbed Tandem Tank, took first place in two out of three categories in the multi-rider division. “We won both the sprint and the 65 km endurance events,” says Royal Elmore, ASME chapter president and chair of the fundraising and procurement team. “And, we were within 1.5 points of first place in the multi-rider design category.”

In addition to placing first in the multi-rider division of the endurance event, the Iowa State team placed fifth among all competitors, including single-rider, multi-rider, and utility vehicles. “This event, with all of the vehicles competing together, is considered the true test of the HPV’s extended use viability,” says Elmore.

“We’re very pleased with how well we did,” Elmore adds. “Every aspect of designing and building our vehicle was a new experience. This has been a great opportunity for ASME members to get involved, to perform engineering analysis, and then go into the shop for hands-on fabrication. We learned a lot, and the HPV Team looks forward to doing even better next year.”

Iowa State team members at the HPV challenge were mechanical engineering students Jeff Bartels, Royal Elmore, Jeff Feuerhelm, Kyle Rehn, Greg Swiss, and Woodrow Witherow, along with meteorology student Michael Morse.

ASME sponsors the East Coast and West Coast HPV Challenges each year with the goal of finding designs that can be used for everyday activities ranging from commuting to and from work to running errands. These events attract participants from across the United States and internationally.