Buckeyes who aim to break 400mph barrier featured in Scientific American

Buckeyes interested in motorsports have likely heard of the world-record-breaking alternative fuel car known as the Buckeye Bullet. Now, the world-at-large will learn even more about the latest iteration of the car known as the Venturi Buckeye Bullet 3 (VBB3), thanks to an article that appears in the February 2013 print edition of Scientific American magazine (pages 56-61).

Mechanical Engineering professor Giorgio Rizzoni and several Ohio State students were interviewed for the article which details the challenges that lie ahead for the team and the car that will attempt to break the 400-mph barrier at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats later this summer. The VBB3 team has been working on the design of the car for the past year and are hopeful that their changes -- ranging from the car's aerodynamic design to the shape of the 80 custom-designed battery modules, to the cooling system of the VBB3's four electric motors, which generate 400 horsepower each, will ensure that the car will be able to complete two 60-second runs and earn a new international speed record.

Rizzoni, who is also the director of Ohio State's Center for Automotive Research (CAR), and who organized Ohio State's first team to compete in a collegiate battery-powered car race twenty years ago, is impressed by the caliber of the students who continue to join the motorsports teams at CAR. In reflecting about their dedication to the VBB3 project and other motorsport projects, he commented, "Their level of enthusiasm and interest in electric vehicles and advanced energy storage continues to translate into significant breakthroughs in the electrification of the automobile. The VBB3 team and all the previous Buckeye Bullet teams have been dedicated not only to the prospect of breaking land speed records, but to pushing the technological boundaries of automotive engineering. It's been wonderful to be part of their collegiate experience and the growth of one of the best automotive research centers in the country. And seeing many of our Buckeye Bullet alumni reach out to advise today's team members tells me that their CAR experience fostered a life-long interest in the art of engineering new possibilities."

A preview of the Scientific American article may be found at: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=buckeye-bullet-electric-vehicle-will-go-400mph

About Buckeye Bullet 3
The mission of the Buckeye Bullet team is to provide unique engineering challenges for students. The team strives to provide valuable, hands-on experience, creating some of the best young engineers in the world. The goal is to promote and represent sponsors professionally and with integrity, aiming to bring together great minds and new technologies to overcome the most difficult challenges. This student team pushes the envelope of electric vehicle technology and in so doing hope to change public perception of electric vehicles. Mission: prove that green technologies of the future will be both fun to drive and fast!