Gentlemen, start your hydrogen-powered, zero-emission engines! Greenchoice Forze, TU Delft’s Formula Zero hydrogen racing team, is now racing to provide a cleaner future for us all with a hydrogen and fuel cell powered car.
The first prize the team has its eyes on is the Formula Zero Student Championship racing series. The first race will be held in Rotterdam in August, followed by races in London, Detroit and Dubai.
Hydrogen is the ‘fuel’ that is driving the thinking behind the Formula Zero racing championships. Hydrogen, arguably the best pollution-free alternative to conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel, is found in almost everything, from water and plants, to animals and fossilized fuels. Hence, hydrogen is considered an infinite carrier of energy, as it can be generated using solar, wind and bio-energy sources. Hydrogen-based fuel cells are therefore the next big thing in the energy revolution and key to an emission free future.
Formula Zero is the new zero emission racing class for hydrogen and fuel cell powered vehicles, with the ultimate goal being to race at high speeds while producing just water and waste heat as exhausts. The Formula Zero concept was founded in 2003 and, since then, has developed into a spirited, global mission to instill a passion for sustainability and racing in future engineers and designers.
One of the keys to achieving success is the ability to present zero emission technology to a wide audience and to make Formula Zero racing seem just as fun, exciting and cool as real ‘polluting’ Formula 1 racing. Accordingly, visit Greenchoice Forze’s website and you’ll see sexy models posing in the team’s racing kart, just like Formula 1. The real competitive excitement will come from organizing the world’s first hydrogen racing championship, called the Formula Zero Student Championships. Leading universities from around the world will compete in this high-profile racing series. At present teams from Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and USA will participate in races in Rotterdam in August, followed by races in London, Detroit and Dubai.
Sustainability
TU Delft’s Greenchoice Forze team began designing and developing their version of the hydrogen-powered racing kart in February 2007. It is a student project, started by students and run by students. “Occasionally, if necessary, we’ll ask various professors for technical advice,” says Edgar Van Os, Greenchoice Forze’s team manager. The team is quite versatile and includes PhD, BSc and MSc students from different faculties within the university, such as aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design and electrical engineering.
Greenchoice Forze is also an international team, with current team members from Brazil, India, Aruba and Italy. The team’s presentations, interviews and even general communication is all in English, which makes it completely accessible to foreign students and thus provides them with an equal opportunity to be part of an exciting university project.
Van Os, the team manager who put together the current team of students, was inspired by TU Delft’s participation in the World Solar Challenge and the fact that Delft’s NUNA solar car team had won that event three years in a row. “I first learned about Formula Zero racing while I was working on my BSc project,” says Van Os, who studies mechanical engineering. “The concept of racing to promote sustainability really inspired me. When I realized that TU Delft wasn’t participating in the Formula Zero Championships, this motivated me to set up a team at TU Delft that will hopefully win the championship.”
Van Os has taken a year off from his studies to assemble and develop the team. At present the team consists of 30 members, with four of them, including Van Os, working full-time on the project. The rest of the students work part-time or whenever they can spare a few hours from their busy schedules. Van Os: “But whether team members work full-time or part-time, the exemplary dedication shown by all the team members is remarkable. And their passion to design, build and race isn’t deterred by the fact that they don’t earn any credit points or money for working on this project.”
Innovation
In terms of innovation, the Greenchoice Forze team believes they are a cut above the other Formula Zero racing teams, as they are currently developing a whole new radical concept for the racing kart’s drive system. “Traditional Formula 1 racing is all about improving minor details or tweaking existing technology to gain that extra edge from the racing cars,” Van Os says. “But our drive system is totally new and has never been tried before, and that’s exciting and what innovation is really all about.”
Van Os and his team members are committed to being part of the social impact of hydrogen technology, which if successful will influence the future generations to come. Van OS: “We are all well aware of the fact that we are pioneers in the history of Formula Zero racing.”
The team has managed to raise the required funds through advertising, campaigning and giving presentations at various venues. Also, it has specifically approached companies with sponsorship proposals. The company Greenchoice is now the main financial sponsor of the team, hence the team’s name. TU Delft has also contributed funds, as well as providing all the extras a successful team needs, like a workshop, phone-lines, computers and Internet access.
Greenchoice Forze’s ultimate goal is to promote the concept of zero emission technology and sustainability to the highest level: It’s hoped that in future Formula 1 racing teams and the automotives industry will adopt some of their innovative, sustainable ideas. Van Os: “Apart from the pure thrill of racing at a professional level, we are also part of the history of developing a new technology that should ultimately drastically reduce global pollution levels.”
Hydrogen is the ‘fuel’ that is driving the thinking behind the Formula Zero racing championships. Hydrogen, arguably the best pollution-free alternative to conventional fuels such as gasoline and diesel, is found in almost everything, from water and plants, to animals and fossilized fuels. Hence, hydrogen is considered an infinite carrier of energy, as it can be generated using solar, wind and bio-energy sources. Hydrogen-based fuel cells are therefore the next big thing in the energy revolution and key to an emission free future.
Formula Zero is the new zero emission racing class for hydrogen and fuel cell powered vehicles, with the ultimate goal being to race at high speeds while producing just water and waste heat as exhausts. The Formula Zero concept was founded in 2003 and, since then, has developed into a spirited, global mission to instill a passion for sustainability and racing in future engineers and designers.
One of the keys to achieving success is the ability to present zero emission technology to a wide audience and to make Formula Zero racing seem just as fun, exciting and cool as real ‘polluting’ Formula 1 racing. Accordingly, visit Greenchoice Forze’s website and you’ll see sexy models posing in the team’s racing kart, just like Formula 1. The real competitive excitement will come from organizing the world’s first hydrogen racing championship, called the Formula Zero Student Championships. Leading universities from around the world will compete in this high-profile racing series. At present teams from Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom and USA will participate in races in Rotterdam in August, followed by races in London, Detroit and Dubai.
Sustainability
TU Delft’s Greenchoice Forze team began designing and developing their version of the hydrogen-powered racing kart in February 2007. It is a student project, started by students and run by students. “Occasionally, if necessary, we’ll ask various professors for technical advice,” says Edgar Van Os, Greenchoice Forze’s team manager. The team is quite versatile and includes PhD, BSc and MSc students from different faculties within the university, such as aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial design and electrical engineering.
Greenchoice Forze is also an international team, with current team members from Brazil, India, Aruba and Italy. The team’s presentations, interviews and even general communication is all in English, which makes it completely accessible to foreign students and thus provides them with an equal opportunity to be part of an exciting university project.
Van Os, the team manager who put together the current team of students, was inspired by TU Delft’s participation in the World Solar Challenge and the fact that Delft’s NUNA solar car team had won that event three years in a row. “I first learned about Formula Zero racing while I was working on my BSc project,” says Van Os, who studies mechanical engineering. “The concept of racing to promote sustainability really inspired me. When I realized that TU Delft wasn’t participating in the Formula Zero Championships, this motivated me to set up a team at TU Delft that will hopefully win the championship.”
Van Os has taken a year off from his studies to assemble and develop the team. At present the team consists of 30 members, with four of them, including Van Os, working full-time on the project. The rest of the students work part-time or whenever they can spare a few hours from their busy schedules. Van Os: “But whether team members work full-time or part-time, the exemplary dedication shown by all the team members is remarkable. And their passion to design, build and race isn’t deterred by the fact that they don’t earn any credit points or money for working on this project.”
Innovation
In terms of innovation, the Greenchoice Forze team believes they are a cut above the other Formula Zero racing teams, as they are currently developing a whole new radical concept for the racing kart’s drive system. “Traditional Formula 1 racing is all about improving minor details or tweaking existing technology to gain that extra edge from the racing cars,” Van Os says. “But our drive system is totally new and has never been tried before, and that’s exciting and what innovation is really all about.”
Van Os and his team members are committed to being part of the social impact of hydrogen technology, which if successful will influence the future generations to come. Van OS: “We are all well aware of the fact that we are pioneers in the history of Formula Zero racing.”
The team has managed to raise the required funds through advertising, campaigning and giving presentations at various venues. Also, it has specifically approached companies with sponsorship proposals. The company Greenchoice is now the main financial sponsor of the team, hence the team’s name. TU Delft has also contributed funds, as well as providing all the extras a successful team needs, like a workshop, phone-lines, computers and Internet access.
Greenchoice Forze’s ultimate goal is to promote the concept of zero emission technology and sustainability to the highest level: It’s hoped that in future Formula 1 racing teams and the automotives industry will adopt some of their innovative, sustainable ideas. Van Os: “Apart from the pure thrill of racing at a professional level, we are also part of the history of developing a new technology that should ultimately drastically reduce global pollution levels.”
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