About Eco-Runner Team Delft

Eco-Runner Team Delft is a multidisciplinary student team from TU Delft. The team of 23 students wanted to strive for a sustainable future by building the most efficient hydrogen-powered city car. Every year, they participate in the Shell Eco-marathon. This is a prestigious, international competition. The team builds and races the most efficient hydrogen-powered car, which looks like a modern city car. By emphasising on efficiency and the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier, Eco-Runner Team Delft aims to inspire and motivate people and companies to contribute to a more sustainable future.

Team Delft wins on home soil

The team from Delft ultimately won the Shell Eco-marathon 2022. They lived for a year. Blood, sweat and tears were put into the development of the car. The victory is the ultimate reward for all that hard work and only motivates them more to continue building an innovative and more sustainable future for mobility. Althen's Rotation Torque Senor enabled Eco-Runner Team Delft to accurately measure the efficiency of the drive train form their prize-winning hydrogen city car.

The Eco-Runner XII city car

With the Eco-Runner XII, the team wanted to make every part as efficient and light as possible. To keep pushing the boundaries of what technology can do. All the technical components, form the drive to the engine are hygrogen based. By placing the engine in the left rear wheel, the transmission that is normally needed to transmit the movement generated by the engine to the axle is eliminated. By eliminating this transmission, all energy losses that would normally accompany it are eliminated. Eco-Runner Team Delft has an extensive test bench in which they could measure the efficiency of their motor at various rotational speeds and torques.

Torque sensor for efficient motor performance

Two motors were used in the test bench. One was tested for efficiency, and the other delivers torque to the engine. The torque engine simulates the car. This way the efficiency at different operating points (both torque and speed) can be measured. Also the settings in the engine control unit can be adjusted to analyze which setting configuration results in the most efficient engine. Torque and speed are measured with the Althen RWT 421 Rotary Torque Sensor. Eco-Runner has had a partnership with Althen Sensors and Controls since 2018. The quality of the sensor and the consultation is highly appreciated by the team. The Althen torque sensor allows Eco-Runner to get the maximum and most efficient performance out of their engine. It also allows them to determine the best strategy during the exciting race on the circuit.

Achievements from Team Delft

On 31 May to 3 June 2022, the Eco-Runner Team Delft participated with great success in the Shell Eco-marathon on the famous TT Circuit in Assen. No less than 486 kilometres were covered on 1m3 hydrogen. By achieving this they left behind 11 other challengers from 5 different countries in the region of Europe and Africa.