INDUSTRY

The Buckeye Bullet, designed entirely in SolidWorks 3D mechanical design software by Ohio State University students, has just set a land speed record for the fastest electric car on earth. Topping out at more than 314 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah last week, the Buckeye Bullet withstood desert conditions and intense pressure at the World Finals to achieve the fastest speed of any completely electrically powered car ever built. Four years ago, a team of OSU students began to design, build, test, and race the Buckeye Bullet to break all land speed records. Through its Center for Automotive Research, the university has fueled students' enthusiasm for automotive engineering for more than 10 years by competing in events to design and race electric cars. The projects teach students about sponsorship, teamwork, dealing with suppliers, meeting deadlines, and matching analysis results to refining designs. After repeatedly beating teams from other universities, OSU students decided to aim for land speed records. They chose SolidWorks Education Edition software for the Buckeye Bullet project because of the software's intuitive interface and powerful design capabilities. "Weight is a huge factor in designing fast electric vehicles," said Isaac Harper, Buckeye Bullet team leader and an OSU junior. "We need to fit a 17-inch diameter motor into a 24-inch chassis, and still ensure the motor is relatively light while delivering the performance to maintain speeds as high as 300 miles per hour. SolidWorks gives us the design visibility to make sure every component meets every single spec that could affect the car's overall performance." SolidWorks' short learning curve helps freshmen quickly get up to speed on 3D modeling, while its associativity automates changes throughout the design, saving time otherwise spent recreating solid models, according to Harper, who is working as a co-op student in research and development at Honda. Students also use the SolidWorks COSMOSXpress (design analysis tool to analyze their designs and troubleshoot errors prior to production. This tool is particularly important for testing weights and general tolerances. "We can come up with a fast component design in SolidWorks in less than an hour, and test it in two to three minutes with COSMOSXpress. Other more expensive packages might have to run the same simulation analyses overnight," he said. Students separate into teams that focus on different areas of the car, such as the drive train, aerodynamics, etc. The teams manage all aspects of design and production, and occasionally seek faculty or external design advice. "I've essentially entrusted the students to work on their own for mechanical design," said Giorgio Rizzoni, director of the Center for Automotive Research and the faculty adviser to the students. "I've got enough confidence in the students and the software to give them autonomy over the project. This is how we help to create a future workforce that grows beyond the classroom, learning about teamwork, sponsorship, and how to use state-of-the-art software." Rizzoni is also the university's Ford Motor Company Chair in Electromechanical Systems and a professor of mechanical and electrical engineering. "OSU's Center for Automotive Research has a long track record of graduating students who are offered pioneering engineering jobs at Daimler-Chrysler, Ford, GM, Caterpillar, and other global brand-name companies," said Rosanne Kramer, director of worldwide education markets for SolidWorks Corporation. "That the Buckeye Bullet team used SolidWorks to design and test the fastest electric car in the world speaks volumes about the software's ease of use and performance and our commitment to helping students gain the professional experience they'll need for their careers." SolidWorks reseller 3D Vision provides Ohio State University with ongoing software training, implementation, and support.