Thirty mechanical engineering students from Loyola Marymount University participated in the 2009 Shell Eco-Marathon Americas where they competed to build vehicles that travel the farthest with the best fuel efficiency. LMU’s team took third place for overall team safety. “It was by far the most beneficial project that I have ever been involved with,” says Andrew Braum, a senior in mechanical engineering.

LMU students entered two vehicles, Gen 2 and Gen 3, and among the 44 participating teams, Gen 3 placed ninth overall with 858 miles per gallon and Gen 2 placed 15th with 554 mpg.

“The students managed the whole process; from the concept in their minds to the physical product that they used in the competition,” says Matthew Siniawski, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “They had hands-on experience and learned engineering through actually doing it. With this competition, they are exposed to working with environmentally friendly practices, which is extremely important in our world today.”

The students had the opportunity to better understand how engineering functions outside of the classroom. “We spent a long time on our design and worked together to come up with creative solutions.” says Jaimie Hamilton, a senior in mechanical engineering.

This was the second year LMU students have competed in the Shell Eco-Marathon, and they improved significantly from last year. They reduced the weight of the Gen 2 by 100 pounds and increased its fuel efficiency from 313 mpg. “In terms of mechanical engineering we did the best we could, but there are other elements of the competition we could improve on,” says Braum.

Students have formed an “Eco Motor Sports Club” at LMU open to students of all majors. “This club is important for getting students of other majors involved in the different aspects of the competition to make our vehicles stronger,” says Siniawski.