World-leaders in gas measurement and control solutions, Chell Instruments, have stepped in to provide the University of Maryland’s vehicle design and racing team, Terps Racing, with a latest generation pressure scanner to enhance their car’s aerodynamics.

Hosted in Michigan, the international Formula SAE IC competition tasks over 120 universities from around the globe to design, build, test and race an open-wheeled formula-style race car.

Chell Instruments has given the Terps racing’s aerodynamics team the latest nanoDAQ-LTS-16 and quick start cable to assist in wind tunnel testing and optimisation.

“Terps Racing are a close-knit group of passionate students who will undoubtedly help push the limits of automotive engineering. When we discovered their ambitions in aerodynamic development in motorsport, we were excited to provide the technology needed to help them design a race-winning car” says Jamie Shanahan, Director at Chell Instruments.

Established in 1982, Terps Racing are a student-led organisation that brings together some of the University of Maryland Department of Mechanical Engineering’s top minds to apply learned skills to motor racing.

Competing in international competitions such as the Formula SAE IC, Terps Racing has emerged as a leading contender in university motor racing, particularly because of their aerodynamic developments.

This year, students from the University of Maryland are hoping to take the capabilities of their race car to the next level with help from Chell Instruments’ technology.

“Our simulation testing process has been limited in the past due to a lack of quality data collection. However, this is no longer an issue following Chell Instruments’ generous contribution. Their nanoDAQ-LTS-16 scanner will be used to enhance our aerodynamics by gathering precise and in-depth data. The scanner will help us analyse regions of flow separation and perform detailed air foil analysis, which is critical for optimising speed and performance” says Brian Dwyer at Terps Racing.

Since 1976, Chell Instruments have been the leading provider of pressure, vacuum and gas flow measurement equipment that’s used across various sectors, including aerospace, pharmaceuticals, energy and motorsport.

In motorsport, their technology is used in wind tunnels to assess the aerodynamic properties of vehicles, providing engineers with valuable data that can be used to enhance performance, cooling and handling.

Working with leading teams in Formula 1, Chell Instruments provide equipment and expertise to help them reduce drag and increase down force in high-performance cars.

“As specialists in automotive developments, we’re always pleased to see the next generation of budding engineers come together for fantastic challenges like this. We can’t wait to see the finishing design of Terps vehicle and hope our instrumentation will help them secure a podium finish at the Formula SAE competition in May 2025” concludes Jamie.

For more information on Terps Racing, visit https://racing.umd.edu/  

For more information on Chell Instruments and their work in motorsport, visit https://chell.co.uk/specialisms/automotive-motorsport/