Typhoon MotoRacing, the student team of the University of Western Macedonia, gained another significant global distinction, with the second place in the overall ranking at the international competition “Motostudent VI”, which was held from 15 to 18 July 2021 in the Motorland-Aragon circuit in Spain.
In total, 37 universities from all over the world participated in the competition and Typhoon MotoRacing of the UOWM, collecting 680.7 points, managed to leave behind teams with a long tradition in the institution, from Engineering Schools of Italy, Spain, Germany and the UK. From Greece, the student team of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki participated as well and gained the 8th place in the overall ranking.
The team designed, studied and built the new motorcycle “Cerberus” (a name inspired by the ancient Greek mythology, according to which the mythological creature was titan Typhon’s offspring) from the beginning, applying a variety of innovative ideas. The frame of the motorcycle in particular is a hybrid, tubular space frame, which consists of carbon fiber tubes connected with metal connectors made of steel and aluminium. This innovative method is applied for the first time and countless hours of study and trials have been devoted for its implementation. Furthermore, another innovative application concerns the reinforcement of the motorcycle driver’s passive safety. The large number of fatalities due to the lack of helmet compelled the team to develop an electronic system that does not allow the motorcycle to start unless the driver wears his helmet, encouraging this way more riders to use this important passive safety equipment. The swingarm has been studied and manufactured from aluminium leaves and solid pieces, while the suspension system consists of an inverted fork with self-made boots at the front and a single shock-absorber with a leverage system at the back. The design of the aerodynamics was based on fluid dynamics analyses and they were made with carbon fibers, while respective analyses were conducted for the 3D-printed intake and the titanium exhaust.
The student team was founded in 2014, with Dimitrios Giagopoulos, Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, in the position of the scientist responsible for the project and has been gaining significant distinctions in every participation in international competitions ever since.
University of Western Macedonia
