We want to say THANK YOU one more time to everyone that made the May 26
competition
at Pohick Bay such a success. We are looking forward to working with you in
the Fall
and seeing the teams compete in Norfolk next May. If there is anything we
can do to
help you professionally or help your team this summer, please shoot us an email.
In the meantime, here is the article Mike wrote for the Naval Engineers
Journal and the day-of video he recorded.
Throughout this school year, ASNE has promoted
electric
propulsion through a grant from the Office of Naval Research. College teams
participating in the Promoting Electric Program (PEP) receive $7,000 to
design,
build, test, and race their craft in a five-mile race. In addition, these
teams are
closely connected to ASNE's scholarship program, section meetings, and
our
various symposia. ASNE provides job/internship information to the
competitors and
matches these dedicated engineers to jobs in our industry. On May 26, these
activities came to a head in Pohick Bay off the Potomac River for an
exciting day of
competition and comradery of manned and unmanned races.
In the manned competition, Washington
College's
beautiful wooden craft took first place completing the five miles in 22
minutes, 38
seconds. There ice water-cooled electric motor had more than enough power,
and their
battery packs had plenty of storage. In second place, Old Dominion
University
completed nearly the entire race in 25 minutes and 29 seconds. Using four
marine
batteries in series and propeller on a five-foot-long axle, the team
reflected their
dedication and ingenuity. As team lead Daniel Erdogan said, “It's not
the size
of the team, it's the size of the heart within the team.” In third
place, first
year competitors from Pittsburgh put in a solid performance completing 3
miles in
37:13. Zodiac Milpro generously donated their inflatable craft which served
as the
foundation for a solid design that can be improved by the dozens of
teammates that
came together this year to form the team. North Carolina A&T put in a solid
showing
with their ruggedly-designed craft; they had more than enough power to
complete the
five miles and put in a great showing. The Princeton manned craft had great
power,
but suffered issues during the race—the team is on the right track for true
In the
week before the event, Wake Forest University blew out a shaft coupler and
the
University of Georgia had connections issues and did not make it to the
start line.
The Kentucky team showed true grit modifying their unmanned design to go
manned,
overcoming a wiring issue in their initial heat, and put in a solid three
mile
performance through their ingenuity and dedication.
In the unmanned competition, the stellar team from
Texas
A&M set the overall PEP record, completing the five miles in 17 minutes, 42
seconds.
This team came together quickly this year and began testing early in the
Fall
semester. With two seniors and three underclassmen in attendance, this team
showed
engineering excellence throughout the year. In second place, Stevens
Institute
narrowly edged out Johns Hopkins University. Both teams created strong
designs but
faced mid-race challenges that necessitated quick thinking and fast repairs
by the
operators of the craft. The University of Michigan Electric Boat team
brought an
impressive 550-kg, hydrofoil design, and worked tirelessly to get it into
the water.
Sadly, water found its way into their motors and they were unable to
compete.
Princeton's unmanned craft demonstrated raw power, appearing to top 25
knots.
However, the system needed a bit more refinement in order to compete on the
race
course. Virginia Tech also brought their unmanned craft but burned up too
many ESCs
to compete.
PEP needs you! Teams can use
mentorship
and technical expertise as well as in-kind and financial donations to help
them
build their crafts. This year, ASNE's STEM Fund covered the cost of
food and
drinks, and we look forward to providing a more robust competitor experience
during
PEP 2023 in Portsmouth, VA. If you can help us grow, please reach out to
education@navalengineers.org.
Before you head back to school, we invite you to join us at these exciting
events
(free for undergrads):
- June 14 (Arlington, VA): Representative Rob Wittman
(VA-01),
House Armed Services Committee, Seapower and Projection Forces
Subcommittee
Ranking Member, will join the ASNE community to share his thoughts on
current
congressional affairs. After his presentation, there will be an
extensive
networking session. Free
registration for all attendees.
- June 16 (Arlington, VA): Women in Engineering keynote
and panel
with Workforce Development panel to follow. Speakers include Ms.
Margaret G.
Palmieri, SES, DOD Deputy Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence
Officer
(CDAO); Ms. Anne Sandel, SES, Principal Civilian Deputy to the Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition; Mrs.
Stephanie
Hill, Executive Vice President of Rotary & Mission Systems, Lockheed
Martin; Dr.
Sandy Magnus, former NASA Astronaut, former DOD Deputy Director, OSD
Undersecretary, Research & Engineering, and former NASA Astronaut; Ms.
Matice
Wright-Springer, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton, former
Naval
Aviator (TACAMO); RADM Tony Lengerich, USN (Ret.), former ASNE
President; Chris
Deegan, former President & CEO, Gibbs & Cox; Scott Porter,
Director-Strategic
Initiatives, Thales Defense & Security, Inc.; Dr. Leigh McCue, Associate
Professor, George Mason University, former ASNE Executive Director; and
Admiral
John Richardson, USN (Ret.), former Chief of Naval Operations. Register now!