Eco-marathon

The Shell Eco - marathon (SEM ) is a competition for the least energy-consuming vehicle in the world. The competition will be held in different regions of the world and organized by Shell. At a price of about 25 kilometers in length, it is important to use as little fuel as possible equivalent.

The history of the race goes back to a bet that scientists ( from Shell ) joined in 1939. Content of the bet was to determine how far you can go your own vehicle with a gallon of fuel.

In 1985, the SEM was first held in its present form in France. Meanwhile, place annually competitions at the Rockingham Motor Speedway ( UK, Shell Eco-marathon UK), the Auto Club Speedway (United States of America, Shell Eco-marathon Americas ) and the Euro Speedway Lausitz ( Germany, Shell Eco-marathon Europe) instead. By the year 2008, the European competition took place at the Circuit Paul Armagnac in France. In 2012, he was discharged in Rotterdam.

Rolling stock

The vehicles can be constructed with the aim to use as little energy as possible. Often there are technologies such as lightweight or streamlined bodies for use. Also special materials such as carbon fibers, Teflon, high-strength aluminum or even wood are used to build the vehicles. As the wind attack surface has a decisive influence on the drag, the vehicles are suitable for very small and only for one person without luggage.

There are two energy categories, which are competed ECO cars. These define themselves classified the type of fuel or by the used energy source in classes.

The category of internal combustion engines include:

  • Premium gasoline
  • Diesel
  • Synthetic fuel ( GTL)
  • Biodiesel (FAME )
  • Ethanol E100 (100 % ethanol)

To Category electric mobility include:

  • Photovoltaic
  • Hydrogen ( fuel cell)
  • Accumulator (from 2011)

Regulate

Horn, rear view mirrors and seat belt are also required such as fire extinguishers and roll bar. The maximum width of the vehicle is limited to 1.1 m, wherein the ratio between height and width should not exceed 1.25. The design and the material use of the vehicles, there are no restrictions.

At the Shell Eco- marathon is the goal with as little energy to drive a great distance as possible. To determine the consumption of each vehicle must have a 25 km long stretch in maximum of 50 minutes to complete (this corresponds to an average speed of at least 30 km / h). During this journey, the consumption of fuel is measured. To make the results of the various categories comparable, it is calculated how much ( milli) liters of premium gasoline, the same amount of energy contained as the fuel consumed. Finally extrapolated how many miles the vehicle could travel with the amount of energy an entire liter of super gasoline theoretically.

So it is not so, as is occasionally to read that the vehicles actually drive the several thousand kilometers on one liter of petrol. A scoring run would in this case namely take several days. For comparison between electrically driven and fuel- driven vehicles, the required amounts of fuel in liters or amounts of energy in kWh in the other unit to be converted.

Records

The current record for prototypes in 2010 was 4896 km / l and were prepared by the team from the University Polytech ' Nantes with the fuel cell vehicle " Polyjoule ". He replaced the existing record since 2005 from the team at ETH Zurich. Their hydrogen- powered vehicle PAC - Car II took the energy equivalent of one liter of petrol for the purposes of the Shell Eco- Marathon at the Circuit Paul Armagnac 3836 km. This vehicle also held the record continues outside the Shell Eco- marathon. On the Michelin test track Ladoux the prototype reached 5385 kilometers with the energy equivalent of one liter of petrol. The electric classes are here become even more effective in 2011 and reached the TU Graz at the Lausitzring in battery-powered prototype category 842.5 km / kWh, which corresponds to the equivalent of about 8052 km / l.

Poorer results were obtained on the new road course in Rotterdam 2012 in the prototype category, here 732.3 km / kWh about 7000 km / l were obtained from the HS Lausitz thus reached before the TU Graz. In the same category the Dutch Eco MAC team came up with a drive GTL (gas-to -liquid) but at 416.3 kilometers per liter, a record growth of 138 km. In the Urban Concept category battery-powered class of relatively close to everyday vehicles, the French team Electricar Solutions came up with a range of 262.6 km per kWh - an increase of 29.6 kilometers per kWh. The DTU Roadrunners TU Denmark achieved in the same category, but in the fuel class, 611.1 km per liter of fuel, an increase of 102.1 km / l

Selection been participating teams

  • TERA TU Graz ( Graz University of Technology )
  • ETA Racing Team (Technical University of Central Hesse )
  • Team Green
  • Team Dynamics Lusatia ( Lausitz )
  • Microjoule
  • Eco - Runner Team Delft
  • Trinity School Racing
  • Aemval
  • Team RuppinJet
  • PAC - Car II
  • Team Schluckspecht
  • Team proTRon ( Fachhochschule Trier )
  • Fortis Saxonia
  • Ecoemotion
  • Hanseatic Racing Organization ( University of Rostock )
  • Friedrich Dessauer school Limburg (Team Carpe Diem )

Criticism

The Shell is repeatedly accused of being not interested in the new technologies that bring this competition to the fore, but to use the competition as a marketing tool. These arguments are supported by the fact that the Eco - marathon does not care that the vehicles are suitable for everyday use. Also the support of muscle strength in the drive - which can also save fuel - is not desired.

Live broadcast of 2012

Students of the Faculty of Media and Information of the University of Offenburg transfer the Shell Eco-Marathon since 2008 live on the Internet.

Aluminium Fatty acid methyl ester Horn (acoustic) PAC-Car II Eco-Runner Team Delft Trier University of Applied Sciences
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