society of automotive engineers (SAE)

aero competition 2017

full assembly

full assembly - transparent fuselage

full assembly with component breakdown

wing

vertical tail

horizontal tail

forward fuselage

middle fuselage

aft fuselage

landing gear

The club is composed of five major disciplines: Aerodynamics, Design, Electronics, Propulsion, and Project Management. Each discipline is populated with members that are interested in that area.

1. Aerodynamics: Researches and conducts trade studies on airfoils for various parts of the plane: wing, horizontal tail, vertical tail, and fuselage. The aerodynamics group is responsible for supplying aerodynamic parameters such as lift, drag coefficients, wing loading etc. People in this group have an interest in Fluid Mechanics.

2. Design: The Design discipline is divided into three concentrations: General Design, Modeling Design, and Structural Design which respectively create a design for part depending on the desired requirements and constraints, determine an idea for the physical structure of a part, and transfer and unite all those ideas into a solid model. General Design discipline requires a fair balance between creativity and analytical thinking; there is a lot researching of design equations to implement them to calculate dimensions. The structural design understands the idea of the general design and creates a design for the physical structure. The modeling discipline requires CAD skills to create solid models, drawings and conduct tolerance studies.

3. Propulsion: Conducts research to select a motor that is most beneficial for the plane. Relating motor speed and torque with power consumption are examples of trade off studies necessary. Physical motor testing may be required to obtain current draw readings and to test the electrical systems.

4. Electronics: Determines all the electrical devices used and ensures that the team follows all rules set on the electrical system. The electronics group is also responsible for determining servo motor sizing and testing of the electronic devices.

5. Project Management: Basically will be the glue to our team and the tunnel that connects our team from being an underground club to become an established respected organization. Manages the overall team to ensure that formal report documents, drawings and plane will be completed before the required deadline. The Project team is responsible for the completion of the formal budget proposal, the final design report, and drawings submitted to the SAE Organization, the NJIT MIE Department, and NCE Dean. Additionally, they will be responsible for the budgeting of the group and communications like contacting vendors for sponsorship. Most importantly the Project Management group is responsible for the communication to the NJIT administration to obtain the necessary school permission for events, use of lab machinery, etc

Despite members pertain to a specific discipline they are not limited to only work in that specific area, as discussed further below usually in the development in the design of a part, there group is very interactive and frequently cross functional.

The plane is designed through first designing individual major parts such as the wing, fuselage, empennage, etc. and then assembling the parts together. Part Development Team (PDT) is responsible for the research, development, design, of the part. Each PDT is composed of a minimum of one person from each discipline, and the work regarding the specific part is addressed accordingly by the appropriate person.

In our weekly design meetings, we no longer will have the entire team discussing a design but rather the specific PDT. Each part on the plane worked on will have a PDT, which contain at least one person from every discipline. The PDT is in charge of the part and therefore owns the design and is responsible for the construction of the part. Any information needed towards the design of a specific part is answered by the PDT.

Though there are not specific groups for manufacturing and analysis of the parts, the members in each PDT conducts work in those areas after the general design is completed. The work conducting under manufacturing turns the designs into reality since it is determined how a part will actually be made. While the structural designer investigates what materials should be used and what the structure of a part is, working in manufacturing, one determines how will that structure be made, geared towards the construction. Manufacturing works closely with Structural Designer to understand what needs to be constructed and with the Project Engineer to ensure that all the resources needed will be supplied. Work conducted on analysis provides structural, fluid analysis for critical parts in the plane. The PDT members who work on the analysis have an understating of Mechanics and Stress Analysis. It requires the use of Computer Aided Engineering Programs such as Solidworks Simulate or ANSYS.

Predator Drone

Through the use of various curve/spline features in Solid Works, this predator drone was created. This project played a large role in the utilization of the loft tool to create the majority of the assembly through the imported curve features. For this assembly, some important things to consider the reference planes that would play a part in accurately laying out the wing planform, its placement with respect to the fuselage, etc. Since we can assume that this assembly would be symmetric longitudinally along the fuselage, time can be saved in the modeling process by creating half of the predator drone and mirroring the other half upon completion. This plays a large role in the analysis phase since a half-model would yield the same results with half the computational time.

Rail Transport Assembly

A. Stud:

I create a new part and insure that IPS units are selected with four decimal places for all dimensions. I begin by creating a sketch with a horizontal centerline at the origin and sketch the cross section of the stud on the top half of the horizontal centerline. I exit the sketch and create a revolved base around the horizontal centerline. After the revolve is complete, I add a chamfer feature to the smallest circular end of the stud with the dimensions 0.0625 inch x 45°. Finally, I add a cosmetic thread to the left end part where the threads would be located.

B. Plate:

I create a new part and insure that IPS units are selected with four decimal places for all dimensions. I begin by creating a sketch and create two circles at the origin to serve as the base of the plate. The large and small holes have diameters of 3.125 in and 1.75 in, respectively. I exit the sketch and create an extrude feature to a depth of 0.0938 in. Afterwards, I use hole wizard to create four small holes of diameter 0.25 inch, which are placed 90° from each other and positioned 1.25 inches from the center. I positioned the first hole at a 45° angle from the horizontal axis. Then, I patterned it four times around the center axis of the plate.

C. Hanger:

I create a new part and insure that IPS units are selected with four decimal places for all dimensions. I begin by creating a sketch and create two circles at a vertical offset distance of 6.1875 in from the origin at diameters of 3.5 in and 2.625 in, respectively. I exit the sketch and use the extrusion boss tool to extrude the sketch to a depth of 2 inches. Afterwards, I create a plane offset from the right plane at a distance of 2 in. I select the newly made Plane1 and sketch two circles on the origin, with diameters of 1.5 in and 0.75 in, respectively. I exit the sketch and use the extrude tool on the sketch at a depth of 1.375 in. Next, I create a sketch on the front plane for the straight part of the long base of the hanger and then extrude the sketch at a depth of 2 in. Next, I use the same plane to create the base circle at the origin with a diameter of 3 in. I connect this sketch with the previous sketch with diagonal lines and then I add a tangent constraint to both lines to close the sketch smoothly. I extrude this sketch to a depth of 2 in as well. Then, I preselect the sketch and extrude mid plane to a depth of 0.375 inches.

Next, I create a hole at the center of the large base circle from the previous sketch at a diameter of 1.5 in and extrude through all material. I create a plane offset from the top plane at a distance of 4.1875 in (Plane2). In this sketch, sketch a center rectangle with dimensions of 1 in x 1.625 in. Extrude this sketch from the plane up to the next surface. Next, I create a plane offset from the top plane at a distance of 8.3125 in and then sketch a circle with a diameter of 1.25 in from the origin (Plane3). Exit the sketch and extrude the sketch from the plane up until the next surface. For the side feature of the hanger, a rib feature needs to be created. To create the sketch, go to the front plane and create the rib cross section with the line tool and arc tool. Once the sketch is created, use the rib feature at mid plane to add material under the sketch at a thickness of 0.3750 in. Next, I create a hole at the bottom of the rectangular extrusion created earlier at a diameter of 0.4219 inches and extrude up to the next surface. For the upper hole, a plane must be offset from the most recent plane at a distance of 0.75 in (Plane 4). With Plane4, create a hole wizard to create a counter bore hole with a diameter of 0.875 in and a depth downwards from the sketch and remove material up to the next surface. Use Plane3 and create a hole with a diameter of 17/32 in and make this extrude cut through all material. Then, I create a chamfer of 45° and 1/8 inches depth to serve as the countersink hole. Lastly, at all sharp edges and corners, I create appropriate rounds to reduce stress in the part.

D. Wheel:

I create a new part and insure that IPS units are selected with four decimal places for all dimensions. I begin by creating a sketch on the front plane and create a vertical and horizontal centerline through the origin. I sketch the cross section of the wheel using all the specified measurements retrieved from the drawing provided. I revolve this sketch about the horizontal centerline to create the solid base of the wheel. At certain edges at the front of the wheel, as well as the internal features of the wheel, I add appropriate fillets to reduce stress in the wheel. Lastly, I create a sketch on the surface of the front inner flat face of the wheel. I use the hole wizard to create a hole of size ¼-20 at a position of 45° from the horizontal axis and a distance of 1.25 in from the center of the wheel. From there, I proceed to make a circular pattern of the hole about the center axis to create 4 equally spaced holes. All 4 of these holes go through all of the material.

E. Eyebolt:

I create a new part and insure that IPS units are selected with four decimal places for all dimensions. I begin by creating a sketch on the top plane and I sketch a circle with a diameter of 0.5 in and then exit the sketch. I preselect the sketch and extrude it up to a depth of 0.625 in. I sketch on the front plane once again and I draw the cross section of the sketch that creates the rivet end to create a loose fit into the top of the hanger. In order to revolve the sketch, I create a vertical centerline and select it as the axis of revolution for my revolved base. For the next revolve, I create a horizontal centerline that is a distance of 1.375 in from the upper edge of the first extrusion. Next, sketch a circle of diameter 0.375 in positioned at a vertical distance of 15/16 in from the horizontal centerline. This circle should be revolved about the horizontal centerline to create the top loop. At the top surface of the first extrusion, create a sketch and make a circle with a diameter of 1 in and extrude it up to the next surface. Lastly, I add any appropriate rounds to the part that would reduce the stress in the material.

Assembly:

I create a new assembly and I insure that IPS units are selected with four decimal places for all dimensions. I insert the hanger as the starting part at default constraint. I insert the eyebolt and apply the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the hanger and the axis of the eyebolt.

· Coincident constraint between the top face of the hanger and the large flat face of the eyebolt.

· Perpendicular constraint between the right plane of the hanger and the right plane of the eyebolt.

I add the Cone Point Set Screw with the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the hanger hole and the axis of the cone point set screw.

· Distance constraint of 0.063 inches between the bottom face of the hole and the flat face of the screw.

Then I add the ball bearings and apply the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint with the axis of both bearings.

· Coincident constraint between the inner sides of both bearings.

I add the wheel and apply the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the wheel and the axis of the ball bearings.

· Concentric constraint between the outer cylindrical surface of the ball bearing and the inner cylindrical surface of the wheel.

I add both plates and apply the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the plate and the axis of the wheel on both sides.

· Coincident constraint between the inner face of the plate and the respective inner surface inside the wheel on both sides.

· Coincident constraint between the edge of the hole in the plate and the edge of the hole in the wheel.

I insert 8 round head cap screws from the toolbox and apply the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the round head cap screw and the axis of the hole of the plate on both sides for all 4 holes.

· Coincident constraint between the outer surface of the plate and the inner surface of the screw head on both sides for all 4 holes.

I combine the wheel and the hanger with the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the wheel and the axis of the bottom hole of the hanger.

· Coincident constraint between the back face of the wheel and the front edge of the bottom circular extrusion of the hanger. A small gap should be left between the wheel and the body of the hanger.

I add the stud with the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the stud and the axis of the hole of the wheel.

· Coincident constraint between the second largest diametrical face of the Stud and the outer front face of the ball bearing.

Lastly, I add the Jam Nut with the following constraints:

· Coincident constraint between the axis of the stud and the axis of the jam nut.

· Coincident constraint between the front face of the jam nut and the end face of the circular extrusion of the bottom of the hanger.

I create an exploded view of the whole assembly and had to manually move each part. Afterwards, all parts of the assembly should be visible and it should be obvious where there would be inserted at the time of assembly. I save this exploded view and use it later on for my detailed drawing. Then, I collapse the exploded view. I insure that the part is regenerated and save the assembly.