Taiwan Team Makes History in Qualifying Round: NCKU Seawarrior Team Secures Fifth Place in the European International Submarine Races
Written by Amy Lin. Image credit to NCKU News Center & NCKU human-powered submarine team.
The NCKU Seawarrior team has achieved an impressive fifth place in the European International Submarine Races 2024 (eISR 2024).
The National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) human-powered submarine team, Seawarrior, achieved a milestone by securing fifth place in the European International Submarine Races 2024 (eISR 2024) held from June 24 to July 5. On July 1, Taiwan time, competing with its second-generation self-built submarine, Pegasus, the team successfully completed the entire racecourse, surpassing its 2022 record and advancing to the qualifying rounds. On the final day of the competition, it competed in the agility race and ultimately achieved fifth place, the best result in the team’s history.
The eISR 2024 featured 17 teams from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore and other countries. After the first week of comprehensive tests, including dry checks for submarine mechanism performance, wet checks for underwater performance, and diver checks, 11 teams advanced to the qualifiers. The NCKU Seawarrior team successfully passed several crucial tests, advancing to the second week’s official racetrack competition. On the last day of the event, it qualified for the agility race, competing against five other top teams.
After the propeller broke, the team brainstormed ways to enhance its structural strength.
The agility race, consisting of two laps around the original course, posed a significant challenge to the submarine’s speed and maneuverability. During the first lap of the qualifying race, the team encountered an unexpected vertical rudder malfunction, causing the submarine to veer off course. Under time pressure, the team performed underwater repairs on the rudder. However, control system issues persisted during the second lap, preventing it from maintaining optimal performance in the agility race. Despite this setback, team members were deeply impressed by the team’s spirit and unity in problem-solving through the process.
Team members also recalled a propeller breakage issue during the first week’s practice runs. Demonstrating on-the-spot adaptability, the team drew on members’ experiences, used prepared spare parts, made timely modifications over the weekend, and reinforced the structure with metal strips, allowing them to continue competing. Team members view these challenges as valuable lessons for future practice, improvement, and growth.
The team pre-assigned underwater repair tasks while on shore.
Dan-Syu Wang, a junior from NCKU Department of Systems and Naval Mechatronic Engineering and the Seawarrior team captain, noted that the top three winning teams were from schools with extensive competitive records. The Seawarrior team used this opportunity to gain experiences from international teams, exchanging ideas on design, implementation methods, and team management. The Seawarrior team plans to integrate observations from this competition with the pros and cons of the two-generation submarine design and manufacturing to improve future performances and bring honor to Taiwan.
The NCKU Seawarrior team discussed design concepts and construction with this year’s champion team, Omer from Canada.
The NCKU Seawarrior team first participated in 2022 as Asia’s only and Taiwan’s first student-built submarine team, winning the Best Newcomer award. Shortly after returning home, team members voluntarily gathered to create the second-generation submarine. Starting from scratch, they learned vacuum techniques and embarked on a new design and manufacturing process. It took 16 months to build “Pegasus,” followed by three months of intensive underwater testing. The Seawarrior team expressed special thanks to sponsors, manufacturers, and NCKU resources that have continuously supported members over the past two years, enabling them to return to the stage of the European International Submarine Races.
Provider:
NCKU News Center
Date:
2024-07-19