Teams 8 & 9 built a vehicle to compete in the National Fluid Power Vehicle (NFPA) Fluid Power Vehcile Challenge. This challenge required college teams to build a self-propelled, wheeled vehicle, powered by a human. Some of the important requirements include regenerative braking capability, power must reach the wheels through hydraulics, and it must be stable when stationary.
In addition to meeting all of these requirements, the team designed a bike with some uniqure features, including a piston pump system and an electropneumatic control system. The NFPA has been hosting events across the country since 2016 and the Purdue Fluid Power Club was invited to compete in Rockford, IL. At this competition, the team improved on last year's score and achieved first place in efficiency.
The Purdue Fluid Power Club's existing vehicle has an inefficient, heavy chassis and drivetrain that has hurt its performance at the NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge. The current clutch system lacks reliability, and the digital interface uses an unstable touchscreen that produces inaccurate speed data. The goal is to redesign the drivetrain, implement a pneumatic clutch engagement system, and build a fault-tolerant digital control interface to restore PFPC's competitiveness.