NI-based researchers have helped construct the world's first sustainable racing car.

Researchers from the University of Ulster's School of Art and Design and the Engineering Composites Research Centre, made the barge board – which is positioned behind the front wheel of the Formula 3 racing car – from renewable materials.

The car is itself made from products derived from flax and hemp fibres, cashew nut shells, soybean oil, potato starch, recycled bottles, bio-diesel and other root vegetable and plant oil extracts.

Dr Julie Soden from Ulster's Art and Design Research Institute said: "The barge board component sits behind the front wheels and is used to improve airflow around the car. It accounts for up to 30% of the cars down-force."

The unique design has custom-tailored reinforcement from high-strength flax fibres woven into a multiple layer 3D fabric at the Belfast campus and shape-moulded using Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding.

The Formula 3 Racing Car is the first full-scale demonstrator model manufactured using some sustainable and renewable materials.

The racing car appeared at this year's Goodwood's Festival of Speed and was driven by A1 Grand Prix champion racing driver Adam Carroll.

"It is exciting and refreshing to see an actual product coming out of the research lab," Dr Soden said.

"The next step in the process is the testing and improvement of the first design, so the initial work will be built upon to show the full potential and the scope of the research.

"While the safety critical parts are not made from sustainable materials, the racing car is evidence of the significant advances made by researchers into what is readily achievable in the sustainable composites field."

The project was undertaken in collaboration with the University of Warwick's Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre.

(GK/BMcc)