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Problem Statement

Build a lightweight, yet robust chassis that can safely support 4 occupants in normal driving conditions and in the event of a crash as well as provide hard mounting points for all of the systems required in the car

Goals 

Occupant safety is the number one priority in designing this vehicle's chassis so roll over protection and impact protection structures must be incorporated into the design.

To reduce the power consumption of the vehicle, we must also keep the chassis as lightweight as possible.

Constraints Regulations 

Load cases: 5*9.81*Mass of car (N) force applied to vehicle from different angles of attack (to simulate a real crash)

Crush Zone: 150 mm wide crush zone on the side of each occupant.

Impact Energy Absorption: 

Criteria 

Safety factor of 2 for all major parts of the chassis.

• Research

  • Mounting structural composite floor to metal protection structure

  • Manufacturing of structural floor

  • Space requirements

  • Joining composite to composite

  • Type and thickness of honeycomb core

  • Type and thickness of core for less structural portions

• Design

  • Metal structure

  • Composite layup plan

  • Mounting solutions for all systems

  • Composite to metal joints

  • Composite ribs

• FEA

  • Metal structure

  • Composite floor

  • Both together

• Validation

  • 1:1 prototype for verifying occupant comfort, viewing angles

  • Testing carbon fiber layup parts that we make and validating them against known properties / ANSYS FEA properties

• Detailed Design
  
  

  • Mounting points for all systems

  • Mounting hardware designed

  • Fasteners and joining methods completely defined

  • Clearance and interference validation for each system

  • DFM and DFA verification

  • Drawings

  • Welding Jig for metal structure

• Manufacturing
  
  

  • Metal structure jig

  • Welding

  • Composite layup with honeycomb panels

• Integration

  • Mount to Aerobody/ structural floor 

  • All systems integration into chassis