Energy-efficient driving

Fortis Saxonia e. V.

The student research project Fortis Saxonia e. V. proves that eco doesn't have to be boring. 15 young people at Chemnitz University of Technology have been working on an energy-efficient vehicle for eleven years. They affectionately call the white and green vehicle that is being created as part of their interdisciplinary work "EcoBee". Four wheels, lots of carbon and hundreds of metres of cable. On 30 June, they will start the Shell Eco-marathon in London. Together with around 200 other teams from Europe and Africa. Patrick Schaarschmidt and André Bürger talk about their research work.

Energy-efficient vehicles - what exactly does that mean?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: We develop lightweight vehicles that have the purpose of consuming as little energy as possible. Our vehicles should be as light as possible and as efficient as possible. The Shell Eco-marathon gives us the opportunity to compare ourselves in an international competition.

How time-consuming is your work?
Patrick Schaarschmidt : In the weeks leading up to the competition, we are actually here or in the workshop 24 hours a day. Otherwise, we meet at least once a week, and otherwise depending on what comes up. It adds up to several thousand hours of planning and construction time.

How is your organisation made up?
Patrick Schaarschmidt : We currently have 15 active members. But it changes all the time. People finish their studies. And we are always trying to recruit new members and integrate them into the team. In principle, we are all students at Chemnitz University of Technology. A few years ago, there were also students from Zwickau who developed the design. We have people who take care of public relations, people for engine development and, of course, people who build the chassis.

Where is the topic affiliated at the university?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: We are an independent association, so we are not directly part of the university, but we work closely with various professors and the university administration. We take part in exhibitions. We try to integrate basic research into our vehicle. This has already resulted in some great collaborations. Lightweight construction and alternative vehicle drives are the biggest interfaces.

André Bürger is studying automotive production. Patrick Schaarschmidt is studying mechanical engineering. But other subjects from the technical fields are also represented. "Many club members study electrical engineering and mechatronics. They take care of the drivetrain, the fuel cell for the electric motor," they both say. "They can do that better than mechanical engineers," adds Patrick with a laugh. They are proud of their "Sax4", which stands in the stairwell of Reichenhainer Str. 29. In 2013, they managed to drive 2200 km on 1 litre of premium petrol. That put them in fifth place in Europe.

How did you develop the project after your success in fifth place in 2013?
Patrick Schaarschmidt : The prototype in the stairwell is already the fourth generation of the vehicle. We wanted to achieve maximum efficiency with the Sax4 and drove the equivalent of around 2200 km on 1 litre of premium petrol. Then we decided to start a new project and start in a different category. This enabled us to gain new members who contributed their ideas. This has now resulted in our "EcoBee".

And what kind of category is it?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: It's called Urban Concept. The idea is to build a four-wheeled, roadworthy vehicle that could also be driven in everyday life. However, most of the participants only have small bowls. But we wanted to sit comfortably in our vehicle and make it more roadworthy. However, due to its extremely lightweight construction, it is not recommended for public transport.

Is it possible to get a road traffic licence for the vehicle?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: No, at most as a licence with an escort vehicle. But the road traffic regulations for four-wheelers are very strict. Failure tests would have to be carried out. A base frame already costs a lot of money and if you have to break two more to prove that it will last...that's difficult.

If you take part in the marathon in London, who will be driving your car?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: We have a woman in our team who drives the car. But you shouldn't think of it as a classic race. We try to drive as energy-efficiently as possible. Our top speeds are around 35 km/h. The average speed must be at least 25 km/h. We ride on a circuit with eight laps. That's a total of 17.9 kilometres, which we have to cover in 43 minutes.
André Bürger: " Each vehicle also drives individually. So we are not competing in a direct race against other vehicles. Everyone is allowed onto the track individually. If one comes off the track, the next one can start. In theory, you could start as often as you like. At the end, the best time is counted.

Are you in contact with the other teams from Germany, even independently of the races?
André Bürger: Of course, if there are problems, you write a nice email and get a nice reply. But unfortunately there is no personal contact.

Where are the other locations?
Patrick Schaarschmidt : The next location is Merseburg, the "ecoemotion" team. Then there are Trier, Braunschweig, Munich and one team from Hamburg. There are 19 German teams in total. We are the only one from Saxony. According to the tables, the French are a pioneer and can drive over 3000 km on just 1 litre of petrol, which is pretty crazy... This is probably also due to historical reasons, because the competition originated in France in the 1960s. In France, there are degree programmes in which 50 students and three professors develop a car. There is a lot of manpower and money behind it. It's always difficult to compete against them and win. We were very happy with fifth place and were the best German team. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet with the "EcoBee".

What are your chances now for the competition in London?
André Bürger: Good from our point of view, but there are also a lot of unknowns. The competition has never been held in London before. It's a new route, new conditions. That's why we can't judge the competition and how we will perform. We first have to see for ourselves what it's like on the real race track. We've only been able to test on car parks here.

Have you ever driven on the Sachsenring?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: Unfortunately, it's too steep, we can't get up there. But we did drive on the airfield in Jahnsdorf last year and on the trade fair car park. We'll see what it looks like in real life during the test runs in London.

What are your future plans for the club over the next few years?
André Bürger: We want to optimise the recirculation housing of the fuel cell, with which the optimum temperature can be maintained, and we have also started a second project. We want to build another motorbike that also works on this concept. There won't be any competitions like there are on four wheels, but there is the "WAVE Trophy", which was also held in Chemnitz last year. We want to compete there with the motorbike and ride the tour with a prototype registration. So that the vehicle can also be driven on public roads.

Are you from Chemnitz?
Patrick Schaarschmidt: I come from Chemnitz. I still like it here, otherwise I would have left already (laughs). I spent a year in Australia, but I really enjoyed coming back to Chemnitz. And I decided to study here. You can find everything you need here.
André Bürger: I was drawn here by the university. I'm now in my fourth semester of my degree programme. I think it's quite good here, I like it.
Patrick Schaarschmidt : The infrastructure has changed a lot in recent years. There could be more public life sometimes. But it's developing - Rock am Kopp, Fuego a la isla... and so on. These are great offers.

How did it come about that an organisation like yours was founded in Chemnitz of all places?
Patrick Schaarschmidt : The association was founded eleven years ago by the mechanical engineering student council. Back then, people were thinking about building a car, and the first idea was to go in the "Formula Student" direction. But there was a lot of competition in the neighbourhood, for example in Mittweida, Zwickau and Freiberg. And then we developed something where there is no direct, regional competition, but where we can still compete internationally. The Formula Student regulations are also very comprehensive and the schedule is very tight. There is more freedom at the Shell Eco-Marathon. Chemnitz University of Technology has also given us a lot of support along the way.

Do you also have support from companies based here?
Patrick Schaarschmidt : A close partner in the region is Eissmann Cotesa GmbH, based in Mittweida, where we also manufacture our carbon parts. They really support us tremendously every year. Another very good partner is chemmedia AG from Chemnitz.

Do you have to encourage the Chemnitz-based company?
André Bürger: I wouldn't say so. Chemnitz is developing a lot on its own. The endeavour is definitely there and in the end there are visible results.
Patrick Schaarschmidt : I would say that you should encourage the people of Chemnitz to simply go outside. There is a lot to discover. Just don't complain, but look at the city with joy.