Formula SAE Research Articles

Crashworthiness Analysis of Bi-Tubular Aluminium Tubes with Varying Shapes in LS-Dyna

The viability of thin-walled energy absorbers as impacts attenuators for Formula SAE racing cars was studied. The crashworthiness of bi-tubular tubes of varying geometries were explored. 9 designs grouped into 3 batches, were axially crush simulated in LS-Dyna. The tubes were set to 50mm long and made of aluminium 6061-T6. A convergence study was conducted, and the tubes were simulated using a meshing size of 1.5mm. The crushing energy applied is 490J. The LS-Dyna settings used were validated using experimental data from previous studies. It was found that the tube with an outer hexagon shape and an inner square shape had the best SEA. It was also observed that square-shaped geometries were the best in absorbing energy, with the most amount of energy being absorbed by a bi-tubular tube with outer and inner square geometries. Tubes with hexagonal geometries absorbed slightly less energy compared to tubes with square geometries, but they only differ by a small margin.

Chassis Structural Design of Track Racing One Manned Formula Car

The current work contains the design and optimisation of a spaceframe chassis for a track racing one manned formula car able to participate in the Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (Formula SAE) 2017/2018. Materials, profile cross section types were selected by considering the theories of elastic failure. The structural strength of the chassis was determined by Finite Element Analysis using ABAQUS software by determining the stress distribution during static and dynamic loading in addition to exposing the modal frequencies. Beam elements were used in the finite element model as it provides accurate modelling of small deflection bending responses. A simple baseline chassis design was developed that adheres to the Formula SAE 2017/2018 rules. Optimisations were made in terms of the configuration and material utilisation of the chassis members were done to prevent yielding during the static loading of car components and dynamic loading during acceleration and cornering. Furthermore, the same method of optimisation was used in prevention of the coincidence of natural frequency with the frequency of the engine.

Analysis and Development of Restrictor for Parallel Twin Engine in FSAE Cars

This research aims to the development of intake restrictor of a formula SAE car engine which is of 300cc parallel twin cylinder engine. In this paper we have considered different venturi designs which have different convergence and divergence angles. The main aim is to optimize the pressure and velocity of air which tends to offer better combustion reflects in performance. The parameters which are to be considered for design as well as analysis are mach number, intake velocity, mass flow rate, etc.., To perform this research we have chosen the Ansys fluent software tool and the analytical calculations were made for standard design. It is observed that the continuous variations in converging and diverging angles offers better results in both pressure and velocity characteristics of air entering for combustion.

Design and Optimization of Formula SAE Suspension system

In automobile industry it is essential to produce the Compact and reliable Suspension system in order to increase the vehicle performance. Also, lot of forces during cornering, acceleration and bump conditions are also applied directly during dynamic condition. This article deals with design of Formula SAE Suspension by considering various loads and their simulation on each component of the system

An ANOVA approach for accounting for life-cycle uncertainty reduction measures in RBDO: the FSAE brake pedal case study

Accounting for uncertainty reduction measures (URMs) is critical to maximize the potential benefits of probabilistic design methods such as reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) and tackle the challenges in the design and construction of lightweight, high quality and reliable products. This work formulates and solves the RBDO of a Formula SAE (FSAE) brake pedal model with two failure modes (stress-Smax and buckling-fbuck) accounting for uncertainty reduction measures (URMs) throughout the product lifecycle while establishing the URMs global relative contributions to weight savings (expected value and variability) and computational expense. Given a set of URMs such as number of coupon tests, mesh refinement and manufacturing control, the solution approach includes: i) modeling structural analysis errors, ii) construction of surrogate models for the functions of interest, e.g., mass-M, Smax, fbuck and the corresponding error functions, iii) modeling pre-design and post-design URMs, such as material property density functions from coupon tests, and manufacturing tolerances (quality control), iv) solving the RBDO problems associated with each of the entries in a DOE with replication, and v) using ANOVA to compute main effects of most significant URMs on selected performance measures, i.e., mean and standard deviation of brake pedal mass, and computational expense. Results show that in the context of the brake pedal case study: the adoption of URMs led to reductions of up to 15 and 85% of mass mean and standard deviation, respectively, design and post-design URMs were responsible for 77 and 19% of the maximum mass reduction, respectively, and it was possible to set preliminary guidelines for URMs allocation and meet a particular performance objective under alternative URMs.

Teaching automotive suspension design to engineering students: Bridging the gap between CAD and CAE tools through an integrated approach

The paper presents an integrated approach to suspension design with educational purposes. A dedicated design tool was created to instruct automotive engineering students in the whole process of suspension design across the various CAE tools involved, from early kinematics studies to CAD, vehicle dynamics simulations and FEM modelling. The tool has given birth to a proven design procedure that the authors would like to share in this paper with focus on the educational side, although suspension kinematics design is not certainly a novel subject in itself. The tool includes geometries like the widely used McPherson strut, complex five-link schemes for high-end road cars, and typical racing car geometries like the so-called push/pull rod systems used on Formula 1 and Le Mans racecars. It has been applied successfully to various projects developed by professionals as well as by students, including the latest three Formula SAE (FSAE) single-seaters of the University of Brescia (Brescia, Italy) team. The paper is structured as follows. The introduction describes the role student design competitions play in higher engineering education, and within the frame of the Automotive Engineering course at UniBS in particular. A selection of relevant bibliography on the topic is listed. The Educational scenario section deals with the specific case of the Automotive Engineering course at UniBS and the requirements posed by student competitions, also in the frame of the Dublin Descriptors, and shows how suspension design can play a pivot role in a FSAE project. The A tool for suspension kinematics: requirements, description, solution section presents the software tool in itself. The math underlying the user interface is outlined. Finally, the integration features towards other CAE tools are presented with the related advantages.

A brush-based thermo-physical tyre model and its effectiveness in handling simulation of a Formula SAE vehicle

The ability to model tyre dynamics precisely is often one of the most critical elements for realistic vehicle dynamics control and handling investigations. The industry-standard empirical models are able to predict the important tyre forces accurately over a short range of vehicle operating conditions, which is often restricted to the operating conditions experienced during the tyre testing process. In this paper, an alternative and practical method to model Formula SAE tyres has been proposed and studied in a series of possible running scenarios. A simple, analytically solved brush-type tyre model is considered for the physical part with the introduction of a novel approach for defining the contact length formulation that incorporates the influence of inflation pressure, camber angle and velocity, while a set of ordinary differential equations are employed to predict the thermal behaviour of the tyre model, which are mostly based on an already-existing method that has not been experimentally validated before. The resulting tyre models provide realistic and informative behaviour of the tyre, which has the ability to consider the majority of the typical operating conditions experienced on a Formula SAE vehicle. The performance of the proposed tyre models is compared against experimental tyre test data, which shows good agreement and indicates that the tyre models have the ability to give realistic predictions of the tyre forces and thermal behaviour in the case of thermal tyre model. Furthermore, the temperature-dependent tyre model has been incorporated into a two-track model of Oxford Brookes Racing’s Formula SAE vehicle to study the effectiveness of the tyre model during transient handling simulation. The resulting simulations suggest that the proposed tyre model has the ability to represent realistic operating conditions of tyres, and also that tyre temperatures influence the vehicle dynamic behaviour significantly during on-limit scenarios.

Aerodynamic optimisation of Formula student vehicle using computational fluid dynamics

This work aims to improve the external aerodynamic characteristics of the 2017 University of Huddersfield Formula SAE vehicle. To improve dynamic performance in the SAE events, a multiple-element rear wing was developed, which incorporated adjustable elements to constitute a drag reduction system (DRS). A numerical modelling approach was adopted to produce a suitable design. A simplified model of the vehicle was created to obtain baseline coefficients of lift (CL) and drag (CD). The rear wing was optimised to find the peak configuration generating maximum downforce. The results show that the incorporated rear wing improved the vehicle’s CL from 0.21 acting in the positive Y axis (lift) to 1.15 acting in the negative Y axis (downforce), whereas the CD increased from 0.71 to 1.21. However, the DRS configuration reduced the CD to 0.79. Using the obtained lift and drag coefficients, vehicle performance was estimated, such as maximum cornering speed, straight-line top speed and straight-line acceleration capabilities. The rear wing improved the theoretical maximum cornering speed by 3.1% for a corner radius of 13 m. The DRS increased the theoretical top speed by 18.2% compared to a fixed wing configuration. Acceleration potential increased by 15.7% at 25 m/s with the DRS open. The final section of the study used an online simulator (FSAESim) to make predictions of the acceleration event time, which were compared to the track results from the 2017 Hungary SAE event. The results showed a 97% similarity.

Examination of Automotive Development Education through Formula SAE

Examination of Automotive Development Education through Formula SAE

LIGHTWEIGHT FOAM IMPACT ATTENUATOR DESIGN FOR FORMULA SAE CAR

The impact attenuator is a safety component which is used to reduce the effects of frontal crash on driver, which can cause injuries. This article describes the design process of the impact attenuator with lightweight materials to satisfy the required weight reduction targets for Formula SAE racing car. This study is carried out as part of weight reduction studies on Formula SAE racing car. As a first step, the impact-absorbing structures and technical features were compared. In this step, it was decided to use EPP foam material with a density of 100 g/l as basic material to design a lightweight impact attenuator. Also, the design outlines of shape and analysis techniques for impact attenuator was defined in this step. Then, validation process was carried out for virtual model of 100 g/l EPP foam material. Foam material model was validated using referencestudy in literature. After model validation, a new impact attenuator was designed according to Formula SAE rules. It is 10% lighter than the standard model. The results show that selected EPP foam material can be used to design a lightweight impact attenuator for formula SAE race car to satisfy weight reduction requirements successfully.

Robust Detection using sparse laser scanner with Autonomous Race Car

In this paper, a novel laser detection approach with lower objects is proposed. The detection method is based on RANSAC and another filter. For RANSAC, it detects ground surface and delete it in different driving condition. After that using Cluster, it can divide points into different groups which represents objects. Finally, there is a modified Formula SAE race car designed by author to finish experiment to test approach. We apply cones to combine track and do experiment in a random track to analysis the accuracy of detection.

Torsional Stiffness Comparison of Different Tube Cross-Sections of a Formula SAE Car Space Frame

Since torsional loading and the accompanying deformation of the frame and suspension parts can affect the handling and performance of the car, torsional stiffness is generally thought to be a primary determinant of frame performance for a FSAE car. According to the FSAE Rules, different tube cross-sections are available for some members of a space frame. By finite element simulation, this research compared different tube shapes and thicknesses. Compared with 1.6 mm thickness round tube, square tube with the same wall thickness can improve the torsional stiffness by 23% in test Mode I, and 65% in test Mode II. The 1.2mm thickness square tube also can improve the torsional stiffness by 6% and 39% in test Mode I and Mode II. From these comparisons, it can be found the usage of square tube can improve the frame torsional stiffness efficiently.

Experiential learning in engineering education: The role of student design competitions and a case study

Student competitions can play an important role in education: they promote interest and engagement of the students, as well as of the teachers. In the case of engineering, one of the most challenging contests in Europe is the Motostudent event, joined by the University of Brescia (UniBS) in 2016 for the first time. It is a typical implementation of Kolb’s theory of experiential learning, where engineering theory and application meet in an intensive, ‘hands-on’ team work experience, resulting in a very effective learning process that involves the so-called soft skills as well. The paper aims at briefly reviewing the scope of competitions like the Formula SAE and sharing the authors’ experience in a similar event, the Motostudent contest.

Design of Complex Engineered Systems Using Multi-Agent Coordination

In complex engineering systems, complexity may arise by design, or as a by-product of the system's operation. In either case, the cause of complexity is the same: the unpredictable manner in which interactions among components modify system behavior. Traditionally, two different approaches are used to handle such complexity: (i) a centralized design approach where the impacts of all potential system states and behaviors resulting from design decisions must be accurately modeled and (ii) an approach based on externally legislating design decisions, which avoid such difficulties, but at the cost of expensive external mechanisms to determine trade-offs among competing design decisions. Our approach is a hybrid of the two approaches, providing a method in which decisions can be reconciled without the need for either detailed interaction models or external mechanisms. A key insight of this approach is that complex system design, undertaken with respect to a variety of design objectives, is fundamentally similar to the multi-agent coordination problem, where component decisions and their interactions lead to global behavior. The results of this paper demonstrate that a team of autonomous agents using a cooperative coevolutionary algorithm (CCEA) can effectively design a complex engineered system. This paper uses a system model of a Formula SAE racing vehicle to illustrate and simulate the methods and potential results. By designing complex systems with a multi-agent coordination approach, a design methodology can be developed to reduce design uncertainty and provide mechanisms through which the system level impact of decisions can be estimated without explicitly modeling such interactions.

Analysing the effects of air flow on a formula prototype vehicle to optimize its performance

FSAE (Formula Society of Automotive Engineers) is an_engineering design competition which challenges students to design and build their own Formula Style race-car. The race-car is being judged on basis of various criteria namely, design, cost, business and performance. For the race-car to participate in the dynamic events and traverse through different sorts of challenging tracks in the least time possible, the tyres must generate appropriate amount of lateral and longitudinal force. The car must not topple even at high speeds and needs to manoeuvre quickly. To achieve the above-mentioned criterion, there is a need of implementing aerodynamics in the car. The optimum amount of downforce necessary to execute a smooth and rapid active behaviour of our car with maximum achievable performance is to be measured keeping vehicle dynamics into consideration. In this paper, vehicle dynamics and aerodynamics are related to an extent where all the above criterion can be achieved successfully, thereby bringing about a trade-off without any sort of compromises in either of them. The co-ordination between aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics has been depicted with a detailed methodology, accompanied by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of the wings and the full body of the car using STAR CCM+. Further the results has been discussed properly in the later sections of this paper. With a systematic approach, thoroughly done with several iterations on MATLAB followed by CFD simulations and analysis, the desired performance was accomplished.

Head Injury Analysis of Vehicle Occupant in Frontal Crash Simulation: Case Study of ITB’s Formula SAE Race Car

In the present study, frontal crash simulations were conducted to determine the effect of various car speeds against the Head Injury Criterion (HIC), a measure of the likelihood of head injury arising from impact. The frontal impact safety of ITB's formula SAE race car designed by students was evaluated as a case study. LS-DYNA®, an explicit finite element code for non-linear dynamic analysis was utilized in the analysis. To analyze head injury, a two-step simulation was conducted. In the first step, a full-frontal barrier test was simulated without incorporating a dummy inside the car. The output was the deceleration data of the car, which was used as input in the second step, a sled test simulation. In the sled test, only the cockpit and dummy were modeled. The effect of deceleration to the head of the dummy was then evaluated. The results show that HIC values at an impact speed of 7 m/s (25 km/h) to 11 m/s (40 km/h) were below the safe limit and still in the safe zone. However, the HIC values will exceed the safe limit when the speed of impact is the same as or greater than 12 m/s (43 km/h).

Design and static structural analysis of a race car chassis for Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) event

The main purpose of this study is to make improvement for the UniMAP Automotive Racing Team car chassis which has several problems associated with the chassis must be fixed and some changes are needed to be made in order to perform well. This study involves the process of designing three chassis that are created based on the rules stated by FSAE rules book (2017/2018). The three chassis will undergo analysis test that consists of five tests which are main roll hoop test, front roll hoop test, static shear, side impact, static torsional loading and finally one of them will be selected as the best design in term of Von Mises Stress and torsional displacement. From the results obtained, the new selected chassis design which also declared as the new improved design poses the weight of 27.66 kg which was decreased by 16.7% from the existing chassis (32.77 kg). The torsional rigidity of the improved chassis increased by 37.74%.

Analysis of a front suspension system for UniART FSAE car using FEA

In recent years, many research works from institutions that participated in Formula SAE had highlighted on suspension systems. The aim is to improve the system in term of performance and robustness. However, every suspension system for a racing car is tailored to the car itself. Thus, this paper proposes a new design for front suspension system for UniART FSAE car. The new design was than being compared to the previous suspension system for enhancement. The analysis covered in this paper based on several conditions such as braking, cornering and bumping condition and was carried out using finite element analysis. Each main component for the suspension system such as lower arm, upper arm and knuckle has been analysed in term of strength and performance. From the results, the proposed new design of the suspension system has improved in term of strength and performance compared to the previous suspension system.

Design optimization of rear uprights for UniMAP Automotive Racing Team Formula SAE racing car

In an automobile, the rear upright are used to provide a physical mounting and links the suspension arms to the hub and wheel assembly. In this work, static structural and shape optimization analysis for rear upright for UniMAP’s Formula SAE racing car had been done using ANSYS software with the objective to reduce weight while maintaining the structural strength of the vehicle upright. During the shape optimization process, the component undergoes 25%, 50% and 75 % weight reduction in order to find the best optimal shape of the upright. The final design of the upright is developed considering the weight reduction, structural integrity and the manufacturability. The final design achieved 21 % weight reduction and is able to withstand several loads.

Design of a Custom FSAE Engine

In 2014 the Edith Cowan University Formula SAE team competed with a custom designed engine in both Formula Student UK, and Formula SAE-A. This project was conducted over a period of 5 years from initial investigation to the first competition. The engine, designated the ER600C1, was based around the internal components and cylinder head from the 2006 Honda CBR600RR motorcycle engine. This paper provides a summary of the main features of the ER600C1 engine and some of the difficulties that were overcome during the commissioning phase of the project.