A Race Car Like No Other
Formula Student Electric: STOBER supports Rennschmiede Pforzheim as a main sponsor.
Jade is the semi-precious stone associated with calm and harmony. “Jade” is also the name of the new RSP24 racing car with which Rennschmiede Pforzheim will once again be competing in the Formula Student Electric (FSE) race this year. In order to be successful, the team has further enhanced the predecessor model. The optimizations include the aerodynamic sidepod, a driving dynamics control for traction control, torque vectoring, and a new battery cooling system.
Pforzheim, 2024-07-01 – “The drive concept alone makes RSP24 Jade special,” promised Alexander Schubert. As a member of the Rennschmiede Pforzheim team, he knows what he is talking about. He played a key role in the drive concept this year as part of the High Voltage Powertrain team. Two internal rear motors for each rear wheel give the race car the necessary power. “We combined the whole thing with the monocoque chassis and the large aerodynamics package, which we developed completely in-house,” Schubert said. “You won’t find another vehicle like this one.”
The new car also stands out visually from its predecessor: its jade green color matches its name. In addition, the new sidepod and the cover over the spring/damper system add the finishing touches to the streamlined shape. Inside the vehicle, there is a detailed wiring harness diagram, a completely redesigned battery container and an updated electronics arrangement.
A strong partner at their side
What has remained is STOBER, which has supported Rennschmiede Pforzheim from the very beginning. Initially, the Pforzheim-based specialist for drive technology primarily provided the team with financial support. “We have been a platinum sponsor since 2020, when electric motors replaced internal combustion engines at the event for good. We have amped up our collaboration and now supply physical technology as well,” said Artur Wagner, Head of the Management Center for Gearboxes and Motors at STOBER. The drive specialist has also been available at all times to answer all kinds of questions and has helped with the pre-development of new drive components. “We supplied drive technology that we modified together with the racing team to meet the requirements,” explained Stephan Scholze, Head of the Management Center for Electronics. “After all, our components are not designed for racing.” STOBER supplied drive controllers, synchronous servo motors and precise planetary gearboxes with noise-optimized helical gearing. The engineers contributed a great deal of expertise to the modification and production of the race car components. They also enabled the team to test the modified drive technology on the company’s own motor test bench.
An opportunity to grow
Before the new race car was ready to hit the track, the Formula Student team had to overcome a variety of challenges. According to Alexander Schubert: “Our team consists exclusively of students from Pforzheim University, so alongside our studies, we had to work hard on this big project in our free time. Each of us put in a considerable amount of time and a lot of passion.” Given their different skills and levels of experience, sharing knowledge and expertise proved to be particularly challenging. Staying motivated and dealing with the challenges in production and setbacks also put the team to the test.
The size of the project and the often complex tasks required careful coordination and cooperation among all members. Everyone had to be willing to learn and put their knowledge into practice in order to contribute to the overall success of the team. Their different fields of expertise needed to be integrated and used effectively. “Despite all the challenges, it was inspiring to see how we grew together and took on the tasks,” said Schubert in summary. “We saw every setback as an opportunity to learn and improve.”
The collaboration with STOBER was once again extremely positive and pleasant. As Schubert put it, “For years, we have maintained a cooperative relationship based on trust, reliability and expertise.” Whenever students had questions or concerns, they could always rely on expert contacts who were there to support them with their expertise and commitment. Regardless of whether it was about technical details, production parts or individual adjustments and agreements, the racing team always received quick and precise answers.
The students now have an exciting summer ahead of them. The FS Switzerland race will take place in Geschinen from July 13 – 17. The RSP24 Jade will be able to prove its performance for the first time in the Swiss Alps. FS Czech is organizing the second race from August 5 – 10 on the grounds of the Autodrom in Most, Czech Republic. “We will end this year’s season at the technically demanding FS Germany event from August 12 – 18 at the Hockenheimring,” reported Schubert, with delight.
Students from Pforzheim have taken part in this international design competition since 2014. The RSP24 Jade is the seventh car in the Gemstone series and the fourth electric race car in a row.
Captions:
Photo credits: STÖBER Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG
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STÖBER Antriebstechnik GmbH + Co. KG
Solveig Moll
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