We divide our Formula SAE work into four categories: Chassis, Electrical, Powertrain, and Suspension. Each of these subdivisions are led by our team leads, who guide our members through assignments and projects regarding their part of the car.
After meticulous design considerations in Solidworks we sent our chassis design out to VR3 Engineering to be laser beam machined to the specified trims to create a seamless fit. We have recently received the components of the chassis and are in the stages of welding it together. The team will continue to do research for front impact structure and creating an exterior body.
We are Implementing the necessary electrical systems, including engine management and electronically controlled pneumatic shifting. We have acquired the ECU, PDM, and harnesses and are currently working on a Raspberry PI Driver display and peripheral control. We have secured funding for 70% of our systems, $4,600 in components and $1,700 worth of sponsorships with Haltech USA and NBOP RI.
Currently preparing the engine and drivetrain systems. In order to lower the engine and due to changing the angled position of the engine our team has designed an oil pan to be 3D printed out of carbon fiber and epoxied. We have also run flow simulations on a throttle body and air intake system and began taking measurements to manufacture the attachments of the differential.
Using Finite Element Analysis, we have ensured the expected lifetime of our entire system is able to handle fatigue load cycles. We will create custom threaded inserts to be pressed into the wishbones to create a locking mechanism. Using URI’s machine shop, we will be manufacturing our knuckle on a HAAS 4 axis CNC mill. We are looking to get the components of our bell crank to be laser beam or waterjet machined.
