A team of students from Coleg Gwent’s Crosskeys Campus were quick to make their mark on a national engineering and science competition recently.
The team of National Diploma in Vehicle Maintenance and Repair students finished third in a competition which involved eight teams of engineering and science students from institutions around the UK. The competition was to design and produce the most efficient scale model of a vehicle in terms of its coefficient of drag.
The competition, held at the University of the West of England’s Bristol Institute of Technology, is part of the Bloodhound Project, the latest British based land speed record attempt. The project is directed by former land speed record holder Richard Noble and aims to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists.
Students were given a brief overview on their arrival and then asked to design and produce a scale model using the most efficient and dynamic shape for the vehicle. Finished models were tested on their performance in a wind tunnel.
Head of School for Motor Vehicle Engineering Mike Coakham said: “The team thoroughly enjoyed the day. Many of the students plan to study motor-sport engineering in higher education when they finish their current course, so this was a fantastic opportunity for them to put their knowledge into practice.”
