The team members of P&C Scott realize how crucial research is during the design process of the AEV model. Therefore, team R has made it a point to research into how to make the AEV as efficient as possible.
To begin our research, we looked at the design of several real life high speed trains from The United States and Europe. While there were many designs that offered small drag coefficients due to their aerodynamic design, a more important point was discovered. That at low speeds, the aerodynamic design of the shell of the train mattered much less than those traveling at high speeds over 100km/hr. At lower speeds, it was not imperative to maximize the drag coefficient as the effects of this design would only be marginally better.[1]
Through our first expirimental methodology, we have determined that the most effective motor configuration for the AEV is the pull configuration rather than the push. After acknowledging this, the group has determined that the implementation of the pull configuration will be used when the AEV must carry the load. The pull configuration will allow the vehicle to pull the load with greater ease, as opposed to the push configuration. For more information about this research, feel free to navigate to the advanced research and development tab of the website.
Sources:
https://www.globalrailwayreview.com/article/18927/understanding-the-phenomena-of-train-aerodynamics/ [1]