Baja SAE Northwestern University - Squarespace · PDF fileNorthwestern University Baja,...
Transcript of Baja SAE Northwestern University - Squarespace · PDF fileNorthwestern University Baja,...
Competition Lowdown The Baja competition, organized by the Society of
Automotive Engineers, challenges students with building
a car capable of surviving the grueling tests of rough
terrain: rocks, ditches, mud, creeks, loose dirt and gravel,
drops and jumps. Hundreds of schools compete across
the country, allowing students to come together as
individuals, teams, and engineers to gain invaluable
hands-on experience.
Scoring Big
Competition takes place over four days, with static
events – a design presentation and business report –
followed by the dynamic events like a maneuverability
course, sled pull, and a punishing four-hour endurance
race. Because each event weighs heavily in the overall
scoring, teams are forced not only to perform well but to
understand the rationale behind every design choice.
Designing to Win
All cars run on the same engine and are subject to strict
safety and dimensional constraints, but teams are
otherwise free to innovate. Most of the design process
focuses around first building a strong, safe frame and
suspension system, and then making the car as light,
comfortable, and capable as possible.
About NU Baja Our team consists of 16 returning veteran “Motorcats”
as well as about 10 new members, dubbed
“Motorkittens.” With a larger and still growing member
base, we’re able to better divide work and speed up the
design/build/race cycle.
A Brief History
Northwestern University Baja, founded in 1988, is the
oldest vehicle team on campus, but has gone through
some rough periods. We have historically made it to
competition about once every three years, due to our
past dependence on a small, unorganized group to
complete our car. Over the past four years, the team has
seen a complete turnover of members. The 2013 Baja
SAE Tennessee event was the first competition any of our
current members attended. After 2013-14’s grueling
one-year design cycle, we were left with a car that was
improved for our 2015 race. Boosting our recruitment,
sponsorship, and training efforts, we are building the
team’s foundation to succeed for years to come. We
mean business.
How We Roll
Baja is entirely student-run. We conduct extensive
research and discuss each design element as a team
before beginning to model and analyze our designs in
Solidworks CAD software. The team functions with
individual projects designed with the whole car in mind,
and students manufacture nearly all of our own parts.
We’re always down to get dirty.
And We Raced!
Baja SAE Pittsburg State University – May 22-25, ‘14
After struggling to pass technical inspection the car was
finally able to race in an international competition, and
performed better than expected. After conquering the
endurance race, we placed in the middle of the pack of
100 schools at the Kansas event.
Baja SAE Maryland Competition – May 7-10, ‘15
Despite a mid-competition engine change, we managed
to compete in all of the dynamic events in addition to
the endurance race. We also had our first checkered-
flag finish in NU Baja recent history. Ultimately, we once
again finished in the middle of the 100 schools
attending.
Enter Stage Left: the 2016 NU Baja Car This past summer, we began the design process again for
a brand new car. Between our first and second iterations,
we improved immensely, but now it’s time to advance
even further. The goal is to make a new car both lighter
and stronger, to make it faster and more maneuverable:
ultimately, to make it better. To do this, we are focusing
on a few major design changes:
Powertrain
For the first time ever, we are making a major push to
tune our Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) and
gather telemetry data. The CVT works to hold the engine
at the most efficient speed for as long as possible, so by
adjusting the springs and weights inside it, we can adjust
the car’s speed, acceleration, and ability to climb hills.
This summer, we built a system to monitor both engine
output speed and vehicle speed in order to better
monitor the engine’s performance. Now, it’s a matter of
tuning the CVT to achieve the desired balance of speed
and power.
Suspension
Last year, one of the most challenging aspects of bringing
our old car to life was the designing of the uprights – the
components that attach the wheels to the suspension.
To help with some of the issues, we decided to build very
tall, heavy uprights. This year, however, we’ve made
decreasing weight a priority and are thereby dedicating
numerous hours to a complete design overhaul, using
FMEA software and extensive testing. The end goal: new,
shorter, lighter, but just as strong uprights.
Looking Forward
Team Motivation
After experiencing several competitions and our first
ever checkered-flag-finish, NU Baja is finally back on its
wheels, with the momentum to keep rolling. We are
working furiously, designing and manufacturing a new
car, gearing away for the 2016 races.
Upcoming Races
This year, we’re planning on attending Blizzard Baja at
Michigan Tech in February. For the first time, we’re
planning on going with not only one, but two
Northwestern Vehicles—last year’s as well as the one
we’re designing now.
We’re also officially registered for the Baja SAE
Tennessee Competition that’s on April 14th-17th. Look out
for Team #33!
What You’re Here For Like any group, we need money to run. We have an
enormous project in front of us, and we need support
throughout all stages. In addition to building a car, the
team is also tackling the challenging logistics of
improving our workspace on campus, of growing and
educating our team, and of making our way to race with
everything we need to be a legitimate competitor.
What We Need
Anything you are able to contribute to our team will be
appreciated. Be it a financial contribution, discount, or
in-kind donation of products or services, we will take it.
We are open to creative ideas. If you have a sponsorship
idea for the team, please contact us.
Your Benefit
Our appreciation for our sponsors is reflected in several
ways. When a company or individual helps our team,
their name or logo will be advertised on our car,
competition trailer, shirts, and website. All donations are
tax deductible. Additionally, our sponsors gain an
immediate connection with Northwestern engineers,
and of course endless thanks from our team.
Sponsorship Levels Bronze ($100-$499):
Logo featured on website
Name listed on car
A handwritten thank you note
Silver ($500-$999):
Access to team resume packet
Logo featured on car
Gold ($1000-$2499):
Logo featured on t-shirt
Prominent logo on car
Platinum ($2500 +):
Access to team and car for outreach events
Team assistance with on-campus recruitment
*Each level includes benefits of all lower levels!
Have Your People Talk to Our People Thank you for your time and consideration!
Sincerely,
Sarah Gorlick and Faye Zhang: Co-Project Managers
Joseph Burke: Sponsorships Chair
Mikey Diamond: Captain
And all the Motorcats!
www.northwesternbaja.com
Without Your Funding, We’re Stuck in the Mud.