Well. I'm not dead after all. Dunno about this blog however.
So here's the deal, got a job, a new place, a new car and things are good. Bad news? Yep there's some. A faulty power supply fried my computer in August of 2010. I lost everything. The annoying part is I did have a backup of everything including the FSAE and F1000 stuff. Well it was on another internal drive, and when I say everything got fried, I mean even the CD drives.
Yay new computer! Boo no more data. Turns out there are companies that specialize in recovering this stuff. $1300 later I was reunited with all my old data. Yup got it all back even the F1000 stuff. That was only for one drive though, the one with all the good stuff on it. All my programs like SolidWorks was lost though, so for the past 16 months I have not had access to my favorite CAD program, SolidWorks.
Lets go buy a copy then! I have a job now and could afford a few hundred dollar program right? Nopes. Turns out a single seat of SolidWorks is $15,000. Yup that's right kids, $15k. Fuck that.
Well here I am, doing other things and still thinking about F1000. Maybe I'll get back into it, but being busy with work and driving around in my new 2012 Mustang GT (did I mention that it has 412 hp? Its sweet...) as well as some other projects, it may take a few more months.
We shall see what happens.
I'll see ya when I see ya.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sunday, March 21, 2010
After break...
Alright so I didn't live up to my word. Turns out I was quite busy over this break and didn't work on the car at all. Sad. I do however have a good deal done since I last posted and will get to that soon. I just need to get through this next patch of work.
I like to refer to work and the act of being busy with varying densities. Being very busy for the next week is a dense week. And I see the next week and a half being very dense. After this dense part I see a small clearing which I will use to my advantage.
Have a good one.
I like to refer to work and the act of being busy with varying densities. Being very busy for the next week is a dense week. And I see the next week and a half being very dense. After this dense part I see a small clearing which I will use to my advantage.
Have a good one.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Soon To Come!
Well hello there! Why so excited? Well it just so happens that my spring break is coming up, and that means 3 things: friends, F1000, and time off. So expect a post or two over the next week for a lot has been done, but I need to talk about it. For now, I need to get back to work, a lot needs to be done between now and my time off.
Have a good one.
Have a good one.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Little Details
Hey guys, how are things cookin? Well as you maybe able to tell by the lack of posts, I am quite busy with school work, but still having a good time.
So today I want to talk quickly about a little detail that I would like to implement on my car. Its quite simple and could really improve braking performance. Let's talk hypotheticly for a moment, you are driving a race car on a hot day and really pushing the brakes. After they heat up to operating temperatures, they brake well, but if that temperature is passed, you start loosing braking power. This is why a lighter car is almost always better, the brakes don't have to work as hard. However, I am limited to a 1000 lb minimum so I can't really cut out too much weight. The idea here is help the brakes cool down even faster, with a water mist.
Dick Firtz explained this idea to us a few months ago and the team really seemed to like it. Basically you go and get a windshield washer pump, some lines, and a nozzle for each brake disk. When the system is turned on and the brakes are damn near full on, the pump turns on and mists the brake disks to cool them off. Now you maybe thinking, 'Wouldn't that warp the disks?' and my response is, 'Have you ever driven in the rain?' Yes it is possible to warp the disks, but I am not going to dump gallons on them, just a slight mist. You might also think, 'Won't that reduce the braking power when the water gets between the pad and disk?' Well yes, if it could, remember the pads are usually seated on the disk and just squeeze when the brakes are applied, they don't float 10 or 20 thousandths away and then move in for the kill. On top of that, I want to use a turn signal relay to pulse the mist and achieve just enough cooling, not too much or too little. I could put a potentiometer in line with that and by changing the resistance change how long the relay is closed. This part I need to talk to an EE for a better understanding, but the basics are there. After the system is setup its just a matter of testing how long the pump should be on.
This system also depends on what kind of brakes I decide to use, for some gain efficiency at higher temperatures, while others drop off quickly. Testing will be quite important to find what will work. To ativate the system, I will need a switch on the dashboard, and then a push button on the brake pedal. I don't want the pump to run when I'm at a stop, so the system needs to be activated by the driver. Besides the push button on the brake, I will need a master kill switch down there, but that all comes later.
So let me know what you guys think, any foreseeable problems?
And that's about all I have for now, have a good one guys!
So today I want to talk quickly about a little detail that I would like to implement on my car. Its quite simple and could really improve braking performance. Let's talk hypotheticly for a moment, you are driving a race car on a hot day and really pushing the brakes. After they heat up to operating temperatures, they brake well, but if that temperature is passed, you start loosing braking power. This is why a lighter car is almost always better, the brakes don't have to work as hard. However, I am limited to a 1000 lb minimum so I can't really cut out too much weight. The idea here is help the brakes cool down even faster, with a water mist.
Dick Firtz explained this idea to us a few months ago and the team really seemed to like it. Basically you go and get a windshield washer pump, some lines, and a nozzle for each brake disk. When the system is turned on and the brakes are damn near full on, the pump turns on and mists the brake disks to cool them off. Now you maybe thinking, 'Wouldn't that warp the disks?' and my response is, 'Have you ever driven in the rain?' Yes it is possible to warp the disks, but I am not going to dump gallons on them, just a slight mist. You might also think, 'Won't that reduce the braking power when the water gets between the pad and disk?' Well yes, if it could, remember the pads are usually seated on the disk and just squeeze when the brakes are applied, they don't float 10 or 20 thousandths away and then move in for the kill. On top of that, I want to use a turn signal relay to pulse the mist and achieve just enough cooling, not too much or too little. I could put a potentiometer in line with that and by changing the resistance change how long the relay is closed. This part I need to talk to an EE for a better understanding, but the basics are there. After the system is setup its just a matter of testing how long the pump should be on.
This system also depends on what kind of brakes I decide to use, for some gain efficiency at higher temperatures, while others drop off quickly. Testing will be quite important to find what will work. To ativate the system, I will need a switch on the dashboard, and then a push button on the brake pedal. I don't want the pump to run when I'm at a stop, so the system needs to be activated by the driver. Besides the push button on the brake, I will need a master kill switch down there, but that all comes later.
So let me know what you guys think, any foreseeable problems?
And that's about all I have for now, have a good one guys!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
FEA is Awesome
Hey guys, just a quick post for now.
I wanted to show you something about FEA that I think is just great. The whole idea of FEA or FEM is awesome, any engineer that has used a good program and gotten good results would probably agree with me.
Well SolidWorks has this new FEA and analysis addon that I have been poking around with. Check out this picture.
This is the suspension chocolate block that I was talking about a few posts ago. I actually did this a while ago with the intension of posting here. So as you can see there is a factor of safety of 2 for the piece in the way that I had loaded it. The actual loading would not be in this direction, but I generally check all cases and this one was interesting. I then decided to weld a end cap on the two ends there to help with the factor of safety, and look what I got.
The factor of safety is now 1.8 for this piece. I would have not guessed that it would lower with more support. Because I was able to analyze this before actually building it, I was able to avoid the posibility of lowering the strength of my suspension.
So I hope you can see why I am a huge fan of FEA/FEM and general order of magnitude. I think Jersey Tom talked about being a fan of ROM (Rough Order of Magnitude) in one of his last posts. Well Jersey Tom, I totally agree with you.
Now that's about all I have, just wanted to share something cool with those readers out there.
I'll see ya when I see ya.
I wanted to show you something about FEA that I think is just great. The whole idea of FEA or FEM is awesome, any engineer that has used a good program and gotten good results would probably agree with me.
Well SolidWorks has this new FEA and analysis addon that I have been poking around with. Check out this picture.
This is the suspension chocolate block that I was talking about a few posts ago. I actually did this a while ago with the intension of posting here. So as you can see there is a factor of safety of 2 for the piece in the way that I had loaded it. The actual loading would not be in this direction, but I generally check all cases and this one was interesting. I then decided to weld a end cap on the two ends there to help with the factor of safety, and look what I got.
The factor of safety is now 1.8 for this piece. I would have not guessed that it would lower with more support. Because I was able to analyze this before actually building it, I was able to avoid the posibility of lowering the strength of my suspension.So I hope you can see why I am a huge fan of FEA/FEM and general order of magnitude. I think Jersey Tom talked about being a fan of ROM (Rough Order of Magnitude) in one of his last posts. Well Jersey Tom, I totally agree with you.
Now that's about all I have, just wanted to share something cool with those readers out there.
I'll see ya when I see ya.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Update
Hey guys! So to be honest, I really have no idea how many people are reading this at this point, or if there is any one at all. But I am ok with that and am sure that within due time...
So how about an update? Sure.
I am back up at school and am quite busy, but it seems that almost every weekend I put in a few hours or so. I like to think of work and projects like an engine, the harder you work (the higher quality of fuel you put into the engine), the more 'work' (haha get it? Yeah I am an engineer, so what?) you get out. And getting tools, like a new computer, a better CAD or CDF package, or new calculator, is like building a better engine, adding nitrous, or boost or something.
ANYWAY, yes I am quite busy but am getting somewhere. I have been doing a lot of work on the rear setup and drive train equipment.
This picture here is the rear assembly that I have been working on. Its still in progress, but the basic idea and most of the details are there. The idea is to mount the suspension, single rear brake, and most of the drive train all in one housing. The box is made from 5 major pieces with some bracing here and there. Recently I have done some FEA on the box to see what kind of numbers I can work with. Luckily most of the results have been positive, with the lowest factor of safety around 15. I have not done all the tests I want to, and those were all rather quick (20 min max). I want to bump it up and actually simulate some of the hardware and fasteners needed to hold the thing together and see if I get similar numbers.
Since I don't have much in terms of suspension geometry, this could all be for nothing in the end if I am not pleased with the product. I tried to make this as flexible as possible for when that day comes, but there is always a chance I missed something. We shall see.
Well I wanted to make an update, but keep it short, so I think I will end it here. Have a good one.
So how about an update? Sure.
I am back up at school and am quite busy, but it seems that almost every weekend I put in a few hours or so. I like to think of work and projects like an engine, the harder you work (the higher quality of fuel you put into the engine), the more 'work' (haha get it? Yeah I am an engineer, so what?) you get out. And getting tools, like a new computer, a better CAD or CDF package, or new calculator, is like building a better engine, adding nitrous, or boost or something.
ANYWAY, yes I am quite busy but am getting somewhere. I have been doing a lot of work on the rear setup and drive train equipment.
This picture here is the rear assembly that I have been working on. Its still in progress, but the basic idea and most of the details are there. The idea is to mount the suspension, single rear brake, and most of the drive train all in one housing. The box is made from 5 major pieces with some bracing here and there. Recently I have done some FEA on the box to see what kind of numbers I can work with. Luckily most of the results have been positive, with the lowest factor of safety around 15. I have not done all the tests I want to, and those were all rather quick (20 min max). I want to bump it up and actually simulate some of the hardware and fasteners needed to hold the thing together and see if I get similar numbers.
Since I don't have much in terms of suspension geometry, this could all be for nothing in the end if I am not pleased with the product. I tried to make this as flexible as possible for when that day comes, but there is always a chance I missed something. We shall see.
Well I wanted to make an update, but keep it short, so I think I will end it here. Have a good one.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
One Step Backwards, Two Forward
Welcome to the new year. I am excited for 2010, for this is the year I graduate and I'm sure a lot of other good things will come.
I feel like I need to take a step backwards before I continue. It seems like I maybe getting ahead of my self. For those of you who know what F1000 or FSAE is all about, you can probably pick up on this stuff quickly. For those of you who are not all that familiar with them, this post should really help you out.
I figured I would go through and talk about the "Big Picture". The overview of the car, what I want to get done, that kind of stuff. So lets get crackin'.
Over all car
I want to build a car that meets F1000 racing rules and is allowed to complete. The car needs to be within all specifications and meet all restrictions. Also, the minimum weight for the car is 1000 lbs, I would like to be within 100 lbs of that. What else can I say here... oh yes the color, Bullitt Green.
Frame or Chassis
Since this is my strong point I can say a bit about this frame. I want a frame that is as light as possible and as strong as possible. It needs to fit me and the motor I am thinking about using. Also I want to use a type of modular suspension mounting system that is commonly referred to as a 'chocolate block'.
If you check out this picture, notice the little block sticking out where the suspension mounts are. Those are often called 'chocolate blocks' and I used a similar idea for my chassis. If you were to look at one of the older posts and notice the square tubing in the fore section of the car, that is where these blocks will be mounted to. For some actual numbers, I would like the frame (with motor) to be about 2500 - 4000 lbs/degree for the torsional stiffness and a weight under 200 lbs. I do think I can get the weight under 100 lbs and the stiffness above 3500 lbs/degree, but a little room to breathe is always good.
Suspension
Now I know that suspension is one of the most complex parts of a race car right next to engine design, and I have no problem saying that I am still learning a lot about it. I can say that I will be using a double A-arm type suspension with 4 push rods and an anti roll bar. I need to start looking at some mountain bike springs and shocks and determine what is good for my application. Other than that, I know that I would like to tuck away the uprights in the tire and use streamlined tubing for as many of the members as possible. The rest I will have to learn as I go and see where the road takes me.
Engine
As for the power plant, a CBR1000rr is on my scope. At Clarkson we use a CBR600F4i and have had a lot of luck with it so I would like to use a similar motor. Now the rules say that the stock electronics and ECU need to be used, but it also says a piggy back fuel mapping system is allowed. I will definitely look into that. Just about everything else needs to remain stock, and so it shall.
Drive train
As for getting the power to the wheels, I would like to use a Torsen differential. Once again at Clarkson we have used one for many years and it has truly left a positive impression. I have done some MatLab work to determine my gearing ratio and some other things like distance from engine to differential ect. I also want an inbound break on the differential to help reduce my unsprung weight in the rear. It will be larger and I will have to do some duct work to help cool it off, but it seems worth the effort. Also I would like to construct a rear box from aluminum that not only holds the suspension, but the diff, shocks/springs, and rear brake.
Aerodynamics
Wings. The F1000 rules say that wings are needed, and even if they didn't, I would still like to use them. Also a under body diffuser is great too, you can reduce drag and increase down force, seems like a win-win here. I am also looking at a front and rear wing for increased down force. For the rear wing, I am going to look at mounting on
either side of the wing, or a pedestal mount. After viewing some videos of F1000 cars in race, I see the wings vibrating furiously and being an aeronautical engineer I know that the vibrating is not helping with drag or down force. So I will construct a small trade study to test which will yield the best results.
And that's about all the basics for now. I hope that helps put a little more direction to this blog. And as always, more to come.
I feel like I need to take a step backwards before I continue. It seems like I maybe getting ahead of my self. For those of you who know what F1000 or FSAE is all about, you can probably pick up on this stuff quickly. For those of you who are not all that familiar with them, this post should really help you out.
I figured I would go through and talk about the "Big Picture". The overview of the car, what I want to get done, that kind of stuff. So lets get crackin'.
Over all car
I want to build a car that meets F1000 racing rules and is allowed to complete. The car needs to be within all specifications and meet all restrictions. Also, the minimum weight for the car is 1000 lbs, I would like to be within 100 lbs of that. What else can I say here... oh yes the color, Bullitt Green.
Frame or Chassis
Since this is my strong point I can say a bit about this frame. I want a frame that is as light as possible and as strong as possible. It needs to fit me and the motor I am thinking about using. Also I want to use a type of modular suspension mounting system that is commonly referred to as a 'chocolate block'.
If you check out this picture, notice the little block sticking out where the suspension mounts are. Those are often called 'chocolate blocks' and I used a similar idea for my chassis. If you were to look at one of the older posts and notice the square tubing in the fore section of the car, that is where these blocks will be mounted to. For some actual numbers, I would like the frame (with motor) to be about 2500 - 4000 lbs/degree for the torsional stiffness and a weight under 200 lbs. I do think I can get the weight under 100 lbs and the stiffness above 3500 lbs/degree, but a little room to breathe is always good.Suspension
Now I know that suspension is one of the most complex parts of a race car right next to engine design, and I have no problem saying that I am still learning a lot about it. I can say that I will be using a double A-arm type suspension with 4 push rods and an anti roll bar. I need to start looking at some mountain bike springs and shocks and determine what is good for my application. Other than that, I know that I would like to tuck away the uprights in the tire and use streamlined tubing for as many of the members as possible. The rest I will have to learn as I go and see where the road takes me.
Engine
As for the power plant, a CBR1000rr is on my scope. At Clarkson we use a CBR600F4i and have had a lot of luck with it so I would like to use a similar motor. Now the rules say that the stock electronics and ECU need to be used, but it also says a piggy back fuel mapping system is allowed. I will definitely look into that. Just about everything else needs to remain stock, and so it shall.
Drive train
As for getting the power to the wheels, I would like to use a Torsen differential. Once again at Clarkson we have used one for many years and it has truly left a positive impression. I have done some MatLab work to determine my gearing ratio and some other things like distance from engine to differential ect. I also want an inbound break on the differential to help reduce my unsprung weight in the rear. It will be larger and I will have to do some duct work to help cool it off, but it seems worth the effort. Also I would like to construct a rear box from aluminum that not only holds the suspension, but the diff, shocks/springs, and rear brake.
Aerodynamics
Wings. The F1000 rules say that wings are needed, and even if they didn't, I would still like to use them. Also a under body diffuser is great too, you can reduce drag and increase down force, seems like a win-win here. I am also looking at a front and rear wing for increased down force. For the rear wing, I am going to look at mounting on
either side of the wing, or a pedestal mount. After viewing some videos of F1000 cars in race, I see the wings vibrating furiously and being an aeronautical engineer I know that the vibrating is not helping with drag or down force. So I will construct a small trade study to test which will yield the best results.And that's about all the basics for now. I hope that helps put a little more direction to this blog. And as always, more to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
