We're starting to regularly post progress pics on our website, anyone else doing the same?

Ryerson FSAE Website


-Evan Martin
Ryerson University

Hey,

Is there any chance you could give me some info on how you did your carbon fibre skin?

It looks like you have a number of techniques wet layup, pre fabbed sheet, foam, honeycomb

we are looking into using some carbon fibre technique for our floor

Thanks, Rob

Very nice carbon fibre panel.Care to share how you do it?

Wow, thats some very nice work guys! I've met some of you guys last year in Sanair when I was in École Nationale d'aérotechnique's team. Remember the tall guy who was (supposed) to drive? Can't wait to see your car in Detroit, but be prepared for some competition from my team this time...

We also have put up some pictures on our website, and we also have a sweet flash animation. Check this out.

www.fsae.polymtl.ca

Thanks for the props everyone...

We did use a number of techniques to make the chassis and body...
For the shear panels (any flat surfaces) we use panels made off the car with Nomex core, and then we carefully router the edges to fit snugly. The final shaping to fit in the chassis is done very carefully, and slowly... not cheap material for those panels!

The bodywork is made using our tried and tested topographical foam method. We cut profiles in 2" foam, and then hand-shape them down to the desired shape. A quick layer of plaster takes care of smoothing it out. After tuck-taping the mould, we use wet-lay carbon (and kevlar in the nose itself) and finish it with peel-ply. Seeing as its only bodywork, we're not worried about the extra strength of vacumn-baging, and the peel ply leaves a good primer-able finish. You can see the results of using the peel-ply from the pics of previous years cars.

-Evan Martin
Ryerson FSAE

Didier,
I like the flash animation. Care to share how you made it?

quote:

Originally posted by Denny Trimble:
Didier,
I like the flash animation. Care to share how you made it?

I'm afraid you'll have to ask my friend Marc Jaxa-Rozen... I only made the Catia models, he imported them in 3ds max and used Flash to make the animation as far as i know...

Your engine seems to be much lower than the chassis:http://www.ryerson.ca/~fsae/images/2005car/the%20carleft.jpg

Why?

You may have done structural equivalence but i was just wondering about the angle of the main hoop.

3.3.4.2 Main Hoop
(D) In the side view of the vehicle, the portion of the Main Roll Hoop that
lies above its attachment point to the Major Structure of the Frame must be
within 10 degrees of the vertical.

Answers to the questions:

1) Dave, the engine doesn't sit lower than the lowest point of the chassis. if you look again at that image, you will notice the bottom of the oil pan is the same height as the bottom of the roll hoop. On top of this, as it is closer to the rear tires, it has less chance of bottoming on a wallow or heave than the chassis. The designed ride height is similar to what we have run in the past, and we have had no bottoming issues even on the Detroit surface.

2) Eddie, rule 3.3.4.2 that you cite is the answer to your question. The portion of the roll hoop that lies above the major structure (ie the top of the side panel) is vertical. This construction has been done in the past.

-Evan Martin
Ryerson FSAE

The major structure is defined as being made up by the three side impact tubes.

3.3.1 Definitions
(F) Major Structure of the Frame – The portion of the Frame that lies within
the envelope defined by the Safety Structure. The upper portion of the Main
Hoop and the Main Hoop braces are not included in defining this envelope.

3.3.8 Side Impact Protection
3.3.8.1 Tube Frames
(A) The upper Side Impact Protection member must connect the Main Hoop
and the Front Hoop at a height between 300 mm (11.8 inch) and 350 mm
(13.8 inch) above the ground with a 77kg (170 pound) driver seated in the
normal driving position. The upper frame rail may be used as this member if
it meets the height, diameter and thickness requirements.

So the upper part of the major structure, as i read it, should be between 300 mm and 350 mm. As i said before you may have done some structural equivalence.
Just because it has been done before doesn't mean its legal.

At the end of the day it doesn't bother me, i'd just hate to see a team turn up with a car thats illegal after 12 months work and not be able to compete.

Eddie:

Your understanding of the rulebook seems to be incomplete. The side impact protection portion of the rules and the roll hoop portion of the rules are separate from one another. Please see rules 3.3.1 (E) and (F) for the correct definitions of the terms you use.

Further to this, in regards to your comment about it being done before doesn't mean it's legal... I was referring to cars that secured their safety stickers and were able to compete, and I don't think the technical inspectors, nor the judges would appreciate you implying that they are either ignorant of the rules, or too stupid to notice such a fundamental violation!

At the end of the day, it doesn't bother us either. If it did, we would have done something else, or fired an email off to SAE for a clarification.

-Evan Martin
Ryerson FSAE

Well it's getting to testing weather up here now, and we should be out by the end of next week. The car will likely be complete and finished except for paintjob by the end of the week. Hope everything is going well for all the other teams...

More pics added to the website
www.ryerson.ca/~fsae

-Evan Martin
Ryerson FSAE

Where is the tube required by 3.3.8.1 C?

Travis:

If you look at some of the earlier pics, you will see a carbon shear panel mocked up that goes in the entire side opening... we are leaving all bonding of panels until the last step, to allow for increased efficiency working on the car until that point, and they only take a few days to complete. Structural equivalency has been proven and accepted by SAE for our setup.

-Evan Martin
Ryerson FSAE

The car is complete and we're out testing now.
Again, pics added to the website.

www.ryerson.ca/~fsae

-Evan