“Racing” to Get Involved at Purdue

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A great way to get involved on campus is through the various car clubs that Purdue has to offer. Not only are you gaining valuable experience with working in a team, members of these clubs are designing and building something that is directly related to engineering and their interests. By participating in the building of a car, one can learn everything from the technical skills of machining various parts to soft skills of project management and communication.
           
            Some of the major car clubs on campus include Purdue Baja Racing, Purdue Formula SAE, ChemE Car and Purdue Electric Racing. There are unique features and requirements each of these teams have to include. For the ChemE Car team, the biggest difference is that the car is powered by a chemical reaction, rather than a motor. Additionally, the ChemE car is much smaller (the size of a remote control car) compared to cars that are designed to be driven by people.

            Purdue Baja Racing designs a vehicle made for off-roading. With these competitions, every car must use the same engine, with major variations coming in the physical design of the vehicle. This is very different than the ChemE car whose source of energy is a large point of focus in variations between teams. Purdue Formula SAE is one of a few race car teams on campus. Their focus is the design and building of a small, open wheel car. They also attend competitions to show off their design!

            What makes the Purdue Electric Racing team unique is that their Formula car is powered with a 300V, 90kW battery, rather than an engine. In addition to designing and building every single component of the car, the students involved learn manufacturing and CAD skills that can be brought into real-world industries. According to their Vice President, Claire Nelson, this past season, Purdue Electric Racing has placed 3rd in the Formula North competition and 7th in the Formula Lincoln competition. Between these two competitions the team has compiled 7 trophies!

A recent race car designed and built by the Purdue Electric Racing team here on campus.

            If you’re looking for a way to get involved on campus right away, consider joining a race car team. These clubs will help you develop so many necessary skills for when you are ready to tackle an internship, co-op or even full-time job! Going to competitions allows you to see all of your hard work in action and can be a very rewarding experience. Go check it out!

- Madeleine Hollinger
WE Link Recruitment Project Committee, Blog Group
Purdue ChemE 2021

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Purdue Women in Engineering

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