For our students PROGRAM GOALS. Become nationally recognized and competitive in student motorsports competitions.

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1 CU DENVER PROGRAM

2 CU DENVER We are taking a broad-based view of motorsports that extends well beyond the typical definition that consists only of race cars. At CU Denver, motorsports includes anything that shakes, rattles and rolls. Our goal is to not just graduate motorsports engineers, but to graduate engineers who have had the opportunity to work with state-of-the-art equipment on comprehensive mechanical engineering projects in a world-class facility. Our motorsports program is unique in its urban location, offering access to a diverse student body and collaboration with local and national companies. Students will draw on industry knowledge and experience to work on a range of student-driven projects that will compete in motorsports competitions nationally. Our students focus and willingness to meet a challenge will provide the catalyst to establish a program that both produces excellent vehicles and prepares students at both the undergraduate and graduate level for careers in automotive and mechanical engineering. 2

3 Now is the time The CU Denver Motorsports Program connects with students on a topic in which they are inherently interested and will engage them in their engineering education, a field that is of utmost importance to U.S. global competitiveness. The creation of a motorsports program provides students with the opportunity to pursue a rigorous undergraduate or graduate education in mechanical engineering. Motorsports will provide students with in-depth exposure to the design-build process as well as technical expertise. Graduate students also will pursue research that is relevant to industry with opportunities for hands-on application. MILE HIGHDROGEN Six mechanical engineering students designed and built a hydrogen-powered vehicle to compete in the 2012 Shell Ecomarathon. The final product was a single passenger, three-wheeled, hydrogen-powered electric motor prototype capable of the equivalent of 500 mpg while producing close to zero negative emissions. The car weighed about 160 pounds and could reach 35 mph. 3

4 The program BARSTOOL RACER Seven mechanical engineering students designed and built an electric-powered barstool to compete as a specialty class in the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association s annual World of Speed event and break the current record of mph. The team attained a maximum speed of 52 mph and plans to return to compete in ELECTRIC VEHICLE A team of seven mechanical engineering students spent a summer successfully converting a 1967 Triumph Spitfire that hadn t run under its own power in more than 20 years from a gasoline internal combustion engine into a 100 percent electric-powered vehicle. The converted Triumph had the capability to cruise at highway speeds, and it had an in-town range of 40 miles per charge. The CU Denver Motorsports Program will provide undergraduate and graduate mechanical engineering students with exposure to and experience with complex engineering problems and solutions. The primary focus of the program will be the bachelor s degree and master s degree in mechanical engineering. Similar to other institutions with motorsports programs, the undergraduate and graduate programs will be interconnected through courses, student competitions and research. Undergraduate students pursuing the bachelor s degree will have the opportunity to take motorsports courses as part of their curriculum. At the graduate level, there will be a motorsports master s degree track, and students enrolled in the Engineering and Applied Science PhD program will be able to conduct motorsports-related research and take program courses, depending on their chosen program of study. The master s degree track in motorsports engineering is an opportunity to develop a high-profile signature program in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Housed in the new 5th Street Hub for sustainability on the Auraria campus, students will be challenged to take on projects with a sustainable focus. From incorporating responsible waste-stream reduction and recycling to focusing on the design of alternatively powered vehicles, our students will be prepared to address questions central to the future of the automotive industry. 4

5 For our students Motorsports projects encompass many aspects of mechanical engineering, from mechanical design, analysis and vibration testing, to fluid analysis and testing vehicle aerodynamics. While there is the expectation that many students in the program will eventually work in the automotive industry or in race-related fields, the skills that they acquire are applicable to all mechanical engineering careers. Implementing the motorsports program will facilitate the expansion of the undergraduate design experience to include additional access to national student competitions. The undergraduate student motorsports competitions involve projects that are at the highest level of complexity. These projects are an integral part of a combined undergraduate/ graduate motorsports program and provide a venue for graduate students to lead their first motorsports team. For most students, these projects are the first entry into the motorsports engineering world. Additionally, the program and the facility will be a recruitment tool for prospective undergraduate and graduate students and will include summer courses for high school students. PROGRAM GOALS Become nationally recognized and competitive in student motorsports competitions. Attract students locally, nationally and internationally for both our undergraduate and graduate motorsports curriculum. Extend the curriculum into research on motorsports topics. 5

6 For industry With the national need for engineering graduates to be globally competitive, motorsports is a vehicle that provides an experiential learning environment on complex mechanical systems that encompass all of mechanical engineering. Ron Rorrer, associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of motorsports The CU Denver Motorsports program will be a unique resource for industry. Not only will the program train the leaders of tomorrow in a creative and collaborative environment, our location in downtown Denver provides industry access to realworld projects and an outstanding pool of talent. Partners also have an ongoing relationship with students and faculty, which often leads to technical collaborations with faculty. In addition, partners have an ongoing, multi-year exposure to the student employee pool. Industry partnerships are essential to building an outstanding motorsports program from development of the curriculum and facility to the sponsorship of students and projects, and ultimately employment of the students. Industry experts will provide insight on program design and implementation as well as access to cutting-edge technologies and challenge students to take on real world problems and applications. To launch a robust undergraduate and graduate program that will educate students to be competitive in the motorsports engineering industry, financial support from industry partners is essential. Contributions will enhance program facilities, provide program and faculty resources, provide scholarships for students and more. Opportunities for industry partners also include sponsorship recognition in the motorsports facility, on program collateral and in press releases, company logos on competition vehicles, and the recruitment of students. 6

7 Advisory board An advisory board will be formed during the next year from representatives of our corporate sponsors, the automotive industry (car companies as well as component and service suppliers), the motorsports industry, local industry representatives and college alumni. The advisory board will be essential in offering industry expertise, guidance and financial support. The facility The motorsports program will be housed in a world-class design and fabrication facility on the Auraria Campus. The main design facility is 4,100 square feet, supplemented by another 1,894 square-foot manufacturing space. These facilities have or will have manual and CNC mills and lathes, welders, a composite material fabrication area and electronic testing space. VERV The Victim Evacuation Robotic Vehicle (VERV) was a vehicle designed and built by six mechanical engineering students. The vehicle was a remotely operated system capable of retrieving injured persons from hazardous situations without endangering EMS personnel. VERV was powered with rechargeable electric motors and could travel up to 10 mph. 7

8 About the College of Engineering and Applied Science The College of Engineering and Applied Science was founded in 1964 with four departments: Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. The college expanded to five departments in 2010 with the addition of the Department of Bioengineering. The college has continued a 90-year University of Colorado tradition that meets the needs of the Denver Metropolitan Area by providing nationally accredited engineering education in a flexible format that suits both students and employers. Contact us Department of Mechanical Engineering College of Engineering and Applied Science University of Colorado Denver Campus Box 112; P.O. Box Denver, CO