Overview
Bruin Racing's Supermileage team designs and manufactures a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle which is built for maximum efficiency, competing against other teams nationally. As a Structures member, I worked on the physical exterior of the car, from mold manufacturing through composite layup, where every structural decision directly affects performance.
What I Worked On
- Manufactured CNC-machined foam molds used to shape the monocoque for the vehicle's body
- Executed wet layups with fiberglass, resin infused carbon fiber, and laid up pre-impregnated carbon fiber to use as the final car shell, balancing structural integrity against weight
- Contributed to accelerating the overall build timeline in order to reach competition deadlines
Why It Mattered
The Supermileage competition is reliant on efficiency and performance, which meant structural decisions had to serve performance goals as much as safety ones. From passing technical inspections to meeting internal deadlines for car integration, every person's contribution was crucial to the subteam and team's success. I loved being able to make a meaningful impact and apply myself in the manufacturing and design of such an innovative project.