Supporting the first ever UK team to take part in Wind Powered Vehicle race

At AllDrives and Controls, we are hugely focused on minimising our carbon footprint and impact on the environment.

Meeting that ‘green challenge’ means using only the highest efficiency motors and systems – for example, we are UK suppliers of WEG UK low energy consumption motors.

But as well as providing the most efficient automated drive and control systems for today, we are also dedicated to finding new and sustainable solutions for tomorrow.

To that end, we have recently sponsored a team of UK university students to take part in one of the four largest sustainability races in the world by building and racing a Wind Powered Vehicle (WPV).

The team of fourth year Master of Engineering students from the University of Sussex have just paticipated in the Racing Aeolus 2018 competition, which attracts teams from across the world. Not only that, the group, known as ‘Sussex Power Storm’ was the first British mechanical team to compete in, and subsequently complete, the race, finishing in a respectful fifth place out of seven teams.

They were up against teams from Germany, Turkey, Canada, Denmark and The Netherlands.

The aim of the event is to achieve the highest possible speed when travelling into the wind. It took place across three days of racing at Dyke Den Helder in Holland on a 5.3km seawall track on the boundary between land and sea, which runs from Huisduinen to Den Helder – Holland’s last stop before the North Sea.

Participants in the annual event have to ride their unique, custom designed, built and tested WPVs straight against the wind on the seawall.

Sussex Power Storm spent several months working on their design, with funding and support from sponsors including AllDrives and Controls, and the team were delighted with their fifth place result.

The team exceeded expectations in their first time of competing, managing to travel at 64.95% of the wind speed, into the wind.

Developing sustainable technologies

There are four large sustainable race events that take place worldwide and the Racing Aeolus is one of them. This year was the 11^th time that Dutch and international teams have taken up the challenge of generating power from the wind to race their hyper modern mechanical and electrical wind cars.

The challenge is to build the fastest vehicle, while using the most modern materials and the latest wind technology. Designs vary, including horizontal axis, vertical axis and turbines utilising the Venturi effect. The high quality of technology used means the event has proven a valuable tool in the development of wind technology. This is why we were delighted to have been able to offer our support to the young and inspiring Sussex Power Storm team and their contribution towards the development of future sustainable solutions.

AllDrives and Controls, your local WEG UK supplier

As leaders in the provision of automated drive and control solutions, we only use the best products, sourced from the world’s leading manufacturers.

Our bespoke suppliers are carefully selected to ensure that our customers benefit from the highest quality, most efficient and most reliable products and systems.

One of those is the WEG motor. We have an excellent partnership with Germany-based WEG, as UK and Ireland suppliers and distributors of WEG low energy consumption motors.

WEG is also known for its commitment to green products and technology, combined with a passion for efficiency, flexibility and innovation. All motors are made to the highest energy efficiency standards to ensure they perform well, while using resources responsibly.

For more information on AllDrives and Controls as your UK-based supplier of WEG motors, get in touch now.