USM10 newsletter issue1

University of Strathclyde

Motorsport

Formula Student

[email protected] www.formulastudent.strath.ac.uk

Issue 3: March 2010

Welcome

Welcome to the third

edition of USM’s

newsletter for

2009/2010. In this issue

you can find out about

the current progress of

the team and details

about the development

of the design and the

manufacture of USM X.

Competition

Registration

During the winter break, senior

members took time out of their

studies to attempt to register for

the Formula Student UK and

Germany competitions.

As expected, USM secured a

place in the UK competition

allowing the team to take part in

the event for the eleventh

successive year. Once again,

the competition will be held at

Silverstone Circuit on 15-18 July.

USM hopes to take as many

members of the team as possible

to the UK competition.

Registration for the Formula

Student Germany event featured

a quiz testing the team’s

knowledge about the

competition rules. The quiz was

introduced to avoid a repeat of

the previous year where the

event was fully booked within

seconds. After an anxious few

minutes as the team tried to

answer the questions correctly

as quickly as possible, USM

secured a place well before the

event became over subscribed.

The Formula Student Germany

competition will be held on 4-8

August at Hockenheim Circuit.

This year will be only the third

time that USM has been able to

compete at a second competition,

allowing the team to make further

use of the car built for this season.

Senior members of the USM are

now working out the logistics

required to transport the car,

equipment and a small team to

Germany for the competition.

Commencement of

Manufacture

With most designs finalised, the

team has begun the

manufacturing process.

Chassis Build

In this issue

• Competition

Registration

• Commencement

of Manufacture

• Design Update

• Component

Deliveries

• Sponsorship


Motorsport Formula Student [email protected] www.formulastudent.strath.ac.uk

The jigs to hold the chassis tubes in place

during assembly were designed and water-

jet cut so that they could be manufactured to

the required tolerances.

As the jigs were being produced, members

of the team set about notching the tubes for

the vehicle chassis with both the front and

main roll hoops having also been bent into

shape.

Design Update

Suspension

The team has done a significant amount of

work preparing and testing carbon fibre

wishbone test pieces. With promising

results, it is hoped that USM X will feature a

fully functional composite wishone

assembly.

Wishbone inserts and bellcranks have been

designed and finite element analysis

performed to ensure the parts are

structurally sound.

Rear suspension packaging

Furthermore, anti-roll bars have been

designed and will be an integral part of the

suspension system on USM X.

Full suspension assembly

Chassis

Design of the chassis was completed after

Christmas allowing other subsystems to

package their components in a full CAD

assembly of the car.

Full car assembly

The team is close to having the whole

cockpit area of the chassis fabricated and

assembled. Work will continue on the

engine mounting points and the differential

cage at the rear of the car.

USM X Design Update


Motorsport

Formula Student


Drivetrain

Extensive analysis has been carried out on

the differential mounts and the impact of the

driving torque on the chassis. Furthermore,

halfshaft and sprocket adapter designs have

been finalised and submitted for machining.

Halfshafts after initial turning

Since the last newsletter, finite element

analysis has been performed on the hubs

and the design finalised. The main hub will

be made out of aluminium and the insert

created from steel. The whole assembly will

be lighter than the last year’s design and the

reduction in unsprung mass should greatly

improve the handling of the car.

Hub and insert design

Engine

All major systems linked to the engine have

been designed and will begin to be

manufactured shortly. New engine internals

have arrived and will be installed and tested

on the dynamometer in the coming weeks.

Wiseco pistons

Thanks to the generosity of 3D Systems, the

new design of intake will be manufactured

using rapid prototyping techniques.

The design of the oil system is being altered

due to the exhaust design, allowing the

return to the original filter location. This will

remove the need for the large inline filter

making oil tank location more practical.

These designs should yield an increase in

the torque produced while reducing weight

of the overall system. The true effect of the

advances in design will only be known once

tuning of the engine has been completed.

Gear shifter

Work on the pneumatic system for gear

shifting has progressed well since the winter

break. Testing on a running engine has

proven the capability of the system.

USM X Design Update


Motorsport

Formula Student


The custom designed steering wheel, clutch

and gear change controls have evolved from

the previous carbon-fibre design. Due to

time constraints an aluminium based design

has been produced.

The tuning of the gear shift pressures will be

completed before April, so as to give a good

indication of the performance of the system

before fitting to the car.

Pneumatic shifter assembly

USM are confident that the pneumatic gear

shifting system will produce good results for

the team at this year’s competition, with a

noticeable improvement on the car’s

performance.

Uprights

This year the upright manufacture utilises

machined aluminium compared to sheet

steel on last year’s car.

Notable alterations to previous year’s

designs include the placement of the rear toe

arm. This has moved from the position at

the top of the upright helping to lower the

car’s centre of gravity by placing the

majority of the upright’s mass below its

centre line. At the front, the lower mounting

point has undergone a redesign. This allows

for a much narrower extrusion connecting

this point to the centre of the upright. This

change accounts for a 10% reduction in

weight over 2008’s similar aluminium front

upright.

Front and rear uprights

Electronics

A preliminary circuit for the electronics for

the pneumatic gear shifter has been

assembled for dynamometer testing, and a

further circuit to integrate this system with

the ECU is in the process of being fabricated

and tested.

The testing of the engine also allows data

regarding the current draw of the engine’s

electrical systems to be analysed, which will

allow the team to make decisions regarding

the selection of a lighter lithium polymer

battery pack.

USM X Design Update


Motorsport

Formula Student


Bodywork

The design for the body work is heavily

dependent on the chassis design and

suspension pick-up locations. These two

major parts of the car are finalised and the

task of designing the bodywork can now

begin in earnest.

The major work within this process will be

the creation of the moulds for the carbon

fibre to be ‘layered up’ in. This process is

both very time consuming and labour

intensive, therefore the team is currently

seeking a company to create the moulds for

the bodywork.

Tool/Component deliveries

The team has taken a number of deliveries

since the last newsletter.

The biggest purchase of the year for USM

has been a new welder. The old unit that

the team used had expired and was unable

to be repaired. With the build of the new car

commencing, the team had no option other

than to buy a new piece of kit. The welder

has since arrived allowing the team to begin

the build of the USM X chassis. Thanks goes

to the departments of Mechanical

Engineering; Design, Manufacture and

Engineering Management; and Electronic

and Electrical Engineering for their financial

support. USM would also like to thank

Premier Welding Services for generously

providing additional welding equipment.

USM has also been donated a large selection

of much needed hand tools from Buck &

Hickman. The new tools should allow some

of the tasks required to produce components

to be performed with greater ease.

Welder and additional equipment

The new differential that the team ordered

(as described in the December newsletter)

had now arrived. Considerable effort has

gone into the design and integration of the

Drexler differential with the other drivetrain

components.

Drexler differential

Component Deliveries


Motorsport

Formula Student


Sponsorship

Once again, the Graduates Association has agreed to sponsor the team, providing much needed

financial support. The contribution will be spent in a number of areas including the cost of

participating in the Formula Student Germany competition.

The Schaeffler Group will also be continuing their sponsorship of USM this year. The group’s

INA brand develops and manufactures rolling and plain bearings for automotive applications.

The Schaeffler Group provides USM with high quality bearings, allowing the total cost of

components for the car to be reduced.

Additionally, 3D Systems has agreed to help with manufacture of the intake for the team. The

company specialises in three-dimensional rapid prototyping allowing a more complex design to

be created.

Plascore Inc has agreed to support the team in 2010. The company is a global manufacturer of

honeycomb core, composite structures and cleanrooms and has agreed to provide the team with

test specimen samples to use for the impact attenuator for the car.

Scottish Engineering has renewed its association with USM after sponsoring the team a number

of years ago. The Glasgow-based company positively promotes the Scottish manufacturing

engineering industry and its interests, in Scotland, the United Kingdom, and in Europe.

Additionally, it provides high quality practical support in all aspects of employment services.

The team is grateful for the financial contribution the Scottish Engineering has made.

The team would like to thank these companies for continuing their sponsorship of the Formula

Student project at the University of Strathclyde. USM are also very appreciative of its existing

sponsors for their continued involvement with the team.

The team actively seeks to expand its sponsorship portfolio and welcomes any enquiries.

Sponsorship


Motorsport

Formula Student


Sponsorship


Motorsport

Formula Student


USM10 newsletter issue1

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