FSAE Racecar Hub Assembly Design

Location

CSU 204

Start Date

21-4-2014 1:05 PM

End Date

21-4-2014 2:05 PM

Student's Major

Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Student's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Mentor's Name

Gary Mead

Mentor's Email Address

gary.mead@mnsu.edu

Mentor's Department

Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Technology

Mentor's College

Science, Engineering and Technology

Description

The Minnesota State University Formula SAE race team builds a race car each year, which they bring to an international collegiate competition in the spring. The competition is more than just building a race car, and teams are judged heavily on the manufacturing costs and marketability of each car. The hub assemblies are a key component of the car that must be designed yearly. They are the central location that the suspension, steering, brakes, speed sensors and wheels all mount to. The hubs themselves are where the wheel bolts onto, and the rest of the assembly is the package that houses everything else. In the pursuit of speed weight is very important, so every ounce that can be shaved off the total weight of the car counts. The design of the lightweight hub assemblies begins in CAD programs where the parts are drawn. From there the computer model is taken to another CAD program where a Finite Element Analysis is performed that applies forces in a virtual world. The FEA will tell us whether or not the part is strong enough, and the data can also be interpreted to find out where the areas of low stress are. Some areas that do not support any loads can be removed for weight savings. This project has been very beneficial in teaching the team the proper way to bring an idea into reality, the steps in the machining process, and how the industry deals with these real world situations.

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Apr 21st, 1:05 PM Apr 21st, 2:05 PM

FSAE Racecar Hub Assembly Design

CSU 204

The Minnesota State University Formula SAE race team builds a race car each year, which they bring to an international collegiate competition in the spring. The competition is more than just building a race car, and teams are judged heavily on the manufacturing costs and marketability of each car. The hub assemblies are a key component of the car that must be designed yearly. They are the central location that the suspension, steering, brakes, speed sensors and wheels all mount to. The hubs themselves are where the wheel bolts onto, and the rest of the assembly is the package that houses everything else. In the pursuit of speed weight is very important, so every ounce that can be shaved off the total weight of the car counts. The design of the lightweight hub assemblies begins in CAD programs where the parts are drawn. From there the computer model is taken to another CAD program where a Finite Element Analysis is performed that applies forces in a virtual world. The FEA will tell us whether or not the part is strong enough, and the data can also be interpreted to find out where the areas of low stress are. Some areas that do not support any loads can be removed for weight savings. This project has been very beneficial in teaching the team the proper way to bring an idea into reality, the steps in the machining process, and how the industry deals with these real world situations.

Recommended Citation

Houser, Matthew. "FSAE Racecar Hub Assembly Design." Undergraduate Research Symposium, Mankato, MN, April 21, 2014.
https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/urs/2014/oral_session_07/2