The Homopolar Racer Competition: A Multi-Disciplinary Student Training Tool in Electromagnetic Launch Technology

The first electric motor, the homopolar motor, was demonstrated by Michael Faraday in 1821 at the Royal Institution of London. The homopolar motor operates on the principle that a force is produced orthogonal to current and magnetic field. The Homopolar Racer Competition (HRC) is a college-level competition created to raise awareness and interest in electromagnetic launcher technology and research and to serve as a multi-disciplinary training tool in this area. Student teams design, build, and demonstrate a homopolar motor in the form of a vehicle (i.e., the racer) that rolls along the ground. The students learn electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineering concepts along with principles from physics and material science. The racer must carry its own battery power during the race. Battery weight cannot exceed 100 grams. Scoring is based on the shortest time to travel the 10 meter track. This investigation will focus on HRC operation and design along with the rules of the event. The investigation will also report the results from the 2008 HRC event at the University of Missouri. The winning racer of that event achieved velocities of 2.4 m/s over the 10-meter track using a single battery.