{"id":2518,"date":"2016-09-29T10:21:37","date_gmt":"2016-09-29T15:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dunwoody.edu\/blog\/?p=2518"},"modified":"2016-09-29T10:51:13","modified_gmt":"2016-09-29T15:51:13","slug":"dunwoody-joins-the-shell-eco-marathon-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dunwoody.edu\/news\/2016\/dunwoody-joins-the-shell-eco-marathon-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Dunwoody joins the Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"
First-year student Donald Posterick was part of the highest-ranking high school team in the national Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge last year. And now he\u2019s bringing his skills to Dunwoody.<\/h5>\n

\"DonaldDonald Posterick joined Grand Rapids Senior High School\u2019s Shell Eco-Marathon team\u2013The Thunder Hawks\u2013his senior year after being laid off from his job wiring electric harnesses. Instead of finding a new gig, Posterick decided to teach himself electronics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started out with robotics and programming stuff, and then I got more into the components,\u201d Posterick said. \u201cI designed little circuit boards- etching them myself, doing toner transfers, all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Posterick picked it up quickly and soon became in charge of the electronic components for The Thunder Hawks\u2019 Eco-Marathon car, building the speed controller and the electrical system of the vehicle by himself.<\/p>\n

The Thunder Hawks placed fourth in the 2016 National Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge in Michigan\u2013the highest-ranking high school team in the competition.<\/p>\n

Posterick brings Shell Eco-Marathon Club to Dunwoody<\/h6>\n

\"DonaldPosterick came to Dunwoody in June through the Youth Career Awareness Program (YCAP)<\/a> summer camp. After completing the six-week camp, he decided to enroll in the College\u2019s Electronics Engineering Technology<\/a> program where he could pursue his passions for alternative energy in the automotive industry.<\/p>\n

In his short time at the College, he has already organized Dunwoody\u2019s first Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge Club with a goal to design and build a battery-electric eco car during the 2017 season and enter the 2018 competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think this is something we really have the potential to do good with,\u201d Posterick said. \u201cHeck, the speed controller we competed with last year, I stripped the components off\u00a0of a wheelchair speed controller to design and build mine. We were scrimping and we took fourth. I think with the right support and the time to do it we can do so much better and put Dunwoody\u2019s name out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Eco-marathonMembers from the Dunwoody team, including Posterick, will travel to Michigan later this year to watch the Eco-Marathon Challenge and get a better idea of the project that lies ahead of them.<\/p>\n

The Shell Eco-Marathon Challenge<\/h6>\n

The Shell Eco-Marathon<\/a> is a unique competition that challenges students to design, build, and drive the most energy-efficient car. During the event, student teams take to the track to see who can drive the furthest distance using the least amount of fuel.<\/p>\n

The competition is split into two classes: Prototype and UrbanConcept. Prototype simply focuses on energy efficiency without taking passenger comfort into account while UrbanConcept encourages more practical designs.<\/p>\n

Each class is divided and judged based on energy types:<\/p>\n