MS14 Chassis Structural FEA Project
- Tommy Tran
Driver | @Tommy Tran |
|---|---|
Participants | @Catherine Cai @Min Qian Lu (Deactivated) @Kimberly Liu (Deactivated) |
Project start date | May 3, 2021 |
Status | HIGH PRIORITY - IN PROGRESS |
On this page | |
Sections of this project |
Problem Definition
Between January 2020 to October 2020, there was a major change in vehicle design that involved removing the structural bottom panel from the design. A major premise of MS14 was that we would be able to manufacture a structural bottom panel which would provide us significant weight reduction and maximize occupant space. Major factors that prevented us from having a structural bottom panel included the absence of a sponsor for an autoclave, the aggressive bend angles of the bottom panel that were difficult for honeycomb nomex core to conform to and the general difficulties of performing prepreg carbon fiber manufacturing.
Figure 1: Image of the Bottom Panel CAD
What needs to be now completed is a vehicle re-design that does not consist of a structural bottom panel while satisfying all American Solar Challenge Regulations (ASC Regs).
Jason’s Insight: What is important to keep in mind is that if a solar car was hit by an actual vehicle, no one would survive. The ultimate goal of vehicle collision simulations would instead be to survive a rollover.
Related American Solar Challenge Regulations (ASC Regs)
Below are images from ASC 2021 Regs Release A that relate to the structural design of the vehicle. There are possibly even more regulations that can be relevant factors for vehicle design. It is strongly recommended to fully review the latest release of the ASC Regs before beginning any design project. Feel free to add screenshots of additional regulations that may apply.
