Unisel Winning Second Runner Up on Perodua Eco-Challenge 2009

More recently, UNISEL participated in the Perodua Eco-Challenge. which was held last month June 18-20th. A team of 12 students (nine from the Engineering programme and three from Automotive Design) — lead by Associate Professor Ir Muhidin Arifin and seven staff members — was placed third in the Manual Transmission category of the recent Perodua competition.Race.

Malaysian car manufacturer Perodua (Perusahaan Otomobil Kedua Sdn Bhd) had arranged for a modified Myvi 1.3 SE car rally at the Speedway PLUS Circuit in Subang Jaya to encourage the development of cars with less pollution and emissions, in line with the country’s strategy to be an ecologically sustainable environment.The event was to create public awareness of the need to reduce the environmental impact of exhaust emissions through focused driving in a fuel-efficient vehicle. “It was an opportunity to test whether or not students could respond to local industry’s challenge to reduce the impact of emissions and to improve petrol consumption.”

Selected students at local universities competed in the car rally after modifying a Myvi 1.3 SE. Based on submitted modification proposals, twelve 12 universities, which included UiTM Universiti Teknologi Mara and UNITEN Universiti Tenaga Nasional, were selected out of a total of 21 participating universities learning institutions.The chosen universities, which also included UNISEL, had each received a development funding of RM10,000 with a Perodua Myvi 1.3 SE car to be modified. Each university proposed different solutions.

“It was an opportunity for students to work with a real product; it was multidimensional and multidisciplinary.”

The UNISEL’s team also received RM5,000 for achieving a fuel efficiency of 23.6km per litre of Petronas Ron 97 gasoline after modifications to the Perodua Myvi. And this included a reduction in the mass and height of the car.

“For weight reduction, materials used were different from the traditional metals.

“A height reduction for safe driving was made to facilitate the taking of corners.”

There were modifications to its cold air intake, to its fuel magnet, air fuel controller, firing and ignition system, customised fuel tank, nitrogen gas tires tyres, aluminum crank pulley and to the vehicle’s voltage stabiliser.

“They controlled the car engine’s air intake and made its ignition more efficient to improve the car’s combustion.” These modifications were attained at an additional outlay of RM20,000.

“We were given a tight budget and a fixed schedule to complete the changes. It is experiential learning and we like to have more of this methodology and approach.”