Designing a Prototype Fuel Cell Vehicle

Overview

I had the opportunity to manage the mechanical sub-team of the Queen’s University Fuel Cell design Team (QFCT) for the 2018\2019 season. This team would design a prototype hypermiling vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell.

As the mechanical manager, I led the design and manufacturing of the vehicle’s frame, steering assembly, and primary safety systems such as the driver’s harness and roll cage. I worked within the design specification requirements provided by Shell, the main sponsor of the Eco-Marathon.

I was the primary designer of the vehicle’s subframe, suspension uprights, power-unit mounts, and driver controls. Additionally, I contributed to the post-processing of the composite components, the molding of the canopy, and the design of the firewall. I designed the majority of the components with considerations that they would be manufactured by undergraduate engineering students with limited shop experience. Working with the campus machine shop, I applied my machining skills to guide the production of complex components such as the suspension uprights, collaborating closely with the foreman.

Leading this sub-team meant educating my teammates on designing for manufacturing as well as assigning roles to best suit their interests and capabilities. Positions on this team were unpaid, so cultivating a collaborative environment and keeping teammates engaged were my top priorities for team success.

Through the efforts of many, we successfully competed at the Shell Eco-Marathon in Sonoma, California.

Proficientcies

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