A group of final year undergraduate students from the Automobile Engineering and Integrated Rural Art Departments of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have built an electric-powered vehicle as their final year project.
The car, named “nyansapo”, which translates as the “gordian knot” or “knot of wisdom” reflects the ingenuity of these students, who by their efforts, have successfully responded to the charge in the university’s motto “that it takes only the wise child to untie the knot of wisdom”.
In a rare combination of arts and mechanics, the students who were motivated by the global shift for sustainability in automobile development, converted a traditional fuel powered vehicle which was part of the university’s Vice-Chancellor’s fleet, into an electric car.
The process involved replacing the internal combustion engine with an electric motor and installing a custom battery pack, which then also required a reconfiguration of the vehicle’s control system, whilst maintaining the car’s original body.
Adinkra symbols were also incorporated onto the body of the vehicle to revamp its aesthetics and enhance the traditional artistic quality of the prototype. “Nyansapo” was unveiled during KNUST’s Tek-Alumni Homecoming as it glided majestically to the admiration of students and alumni, displaying its unique adinkra designs.
This is not the first time KNUST students had attempted to showcase their innovative talents, only a year ago at a graduation ceremony, a group of students unveiled a solar-powered 4X4 vehicle, developed as part of a project ran in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich, in Germany.
With the road transport sector alone contributing to 15% of global energy-related emissions, electric vehicles are becoming a more preferred road travel option because of their energy efficiency. They run on battery-stored electricity in place of internal combustion engines whose tanks are fuelled by petrol and diesel.
KNUST is a public teaching and research university established in 1952 to place emphasis on the training of scientists, engineers and technologists.
Source: assafuahonline.com
