Claude Rouelle
04-17-2015, 07:43 PM
The infamous OptimumG “Applied Vehicle Dynamics to Race Car Design and Development” seminar will be held Sunday, May 17 through Wednesday, May 20 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan— right after Formula SAE Michigan.
The seminar is somewhat intensive and runs from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. each day.
Topics covered:
1. Vehicle Dynamics Fundamentals. Gain a basic understanding of what makes a car quick in steady state and in transient conditions. Understeer occurs when you do not have enough yaw moment; oversteer occurs when you have too much yaw moment. OK, but do we know what the right amount of yaw moment is in each part of the corner? And how to get it. Learn how to exploit the tires and the car characteristics to get the best of both worlds: grip and balance.
2. Tire. During this part of the seminar, we review tire forces and moments; in-lab and on-track tire testing; tire forces and moments sensitivities to slip angle, slip ratio, vertical load, camber, pressure, speed, temperature, wear and rim sizes; tire modeling; and advantages and limitations of tire data and tire model exploitation in on-track engineering and simulation.
3. Steady State Fundamentals. Learn how to define and quantify understeer and oversteer. Also learn the 10 conditions you need to meet to get a quick, balanced, and drivable car
4. Aerodynamics fundamentals. Understand the basic equations of fluid mechanics applied to race car aerodynamics. Discover what Aeromaps are and how to use them in simulation and on-track engineering.
5. Kinematics and Compliances. This part of the seminar focuses on why K&C are important. Learn about exploitation of tire data in the kinematics part of the car design, taking into account targets of camber variation in heave and roll; advantages and limitations of kinematics and force-based roll and pitch center definitions. You will also learn how your car suspension kinematics choice will influence your car weight transfer and steady state and transient behavior; how KPI and caster trails and angles will influence your cross weight, ride heights, and camber variation in steering; and how to exploit your tire data to define your Ackermann geometry. You will be shown the importance of one upright design characteristic very often unknown by students: the influence of the distance of the non-suspended mass CG to the KPI axis, and a simple design method to design a suspension kinematics without bumpsteer (although bumpsteer could, sometimes, be a good thing). Discover, with real world examples, how compliance completely changes your perspectives on the limitation of “pure” kinematics. And, finally, you will be given a step-by-step guide to determine your wheelbase, tracks, outboard and inboard suspension pickup points and the motion ratio of springs, dampers, and ARBs.
6. Weight Transfer. Learn two step-by-step methodologies with numerical examples of weight transfer calculations: a simplified one and a more complete one that takes into account jacking forces, tire lateral grip and overturning moment Mx, and the instant center and non-suspended mass CG heights. You will also be given good information on how “anti” suspension design influences the car longitudinal transient behavior.
7. Suspension Stiffness and Damping. Learn how to determine and tune your springs and ARBs stiffness as well as your damper characteristics with simulation, and on-track data analysis, and 4 or 7 post rigs to get the most of your tire grip and grip consistency as well as car heave, roll, and pitch control.
8. Grip, Balance, Control and Stability Analysis. This is the moment of the seminar where all the parts of the puzzle (tire, aerodynamics, kinematics, suspension stiffness, etc...) assemble into a logical and useful method to get the most of your car in both simulation and on-track development. OptimumG recently developed a unique method to correlate the driver subjective comments and the simulation and data objective analysis.
9. Vehicle Design Process. We will finish the seminar by sharing some typical FSAE/FS “Do’s and Don’ts” as well as some advice on the logical and chronological order in which a car concept, simulation, drawings, manufacturing, testing, failure analysis, and driver training tasks should be performed.
Seminar participants will receive a 800+ page binder as well as access to numerous data, data analysis tools, and excel spreadsheets that will help them in the car concept, simulation, and testing process.
I will be the one presenting this seminar and will answer all of your questions and share 30+ years of vehicle dynamics and race car engineering experience as well as 15+ years of FSAE/FS design judging. I will also share several videos and stories illustrating the many mistakes I made—which I don't want students to make—and a few good successes that I wish you all will have as well. And of course many (new) jokes :)
This "Applied Vehicle Dynamics to Race Car Design and Development" will be followed by another four-day "Data Driven" seminar in Lincoln, NE, on June 21-24. This seminar will focus on:
- Brakes and differential
- Simulation best practices with several group exercises on:
o Tire modeling and tire models
o Kinematics design
o Weight transfer calculations
o Damper choice and tuning
o Lap time simulation
- Test preparation, organization, and debrief
- How to set up a car
- Test organization
- Driver briefing and debriefing
- Data acquisition hardware choice
- Data analysis with KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
- On-track aerodynamic measurements and tuning
- And much more....
These exercises will be conducted by me and other OptimumG employees. Participants will need to bring their own laptop.
We offer discounts for early registration, groups, or both, and an even greater discount for registering for both seminars. For more information, please contact susanne.chastain@optimumg.com
See you in just a few weeks in Michigan and good luck in your last weeks of the competition preparation!
The seminar is somewhat intensive and runs from 8:00 a.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. each day.
Topics covered:
1. Vehicle Dynamics Fundamentals. Gain a basic understanding of what makes a car quick in steady state and in transient conditions. Understeer occurs when you do not have enough yaw moment; oversteer occurs when you have too much yaw moment. OK, but do we know what the right amount of yaw moment is in each part of the corner? And how to get it. Learn how to exploit the tires and the car characteristics to get the best of both worlds: grip and balance.
2. Tire. During this part of the seminar, we review tire forces and moments; in-lab and on-track tire testing; tire forces and moments sensitivities to slip angle, slip ratio, vertical load, camber, pressure, speed, temperature, wear and rim sizes; tire modeling; and advantages and limitations of tire data and tire model exploitation in on-track engineering and simulation.
3. Steady State Fundamentals. Learn how to define and quantify understeer and oversteer. Also learn the 10 conditions you need to meet to get a quick, balanced, and drivable car
4. Aerodynamics fundamentals. Understand the basic equations of fluid mechanics applied to race car aerodynamics. Discover what Aeromaps are and how to use them in simulation and on-track engineering.
5. Kinematics and Compliances. This part of the seminar focuses on why K&C are important. Learn about exploitation of tire data in the kinematics part of the car design, taking into account targets of camber variation in heave and roll; advantages and limitations of kinematics and force-based roll and pitch center definitions. You will also learn how your car suspension kinematics choice will influence your car weight transfer and steady state and transient behavior; how KPI and caster trails and angles will influence your cross weight, ride heights, and camber variation in steering; and how to exploit your tire data to define your Ackermann geometry. You will be shown the importance of one upright design characteristic very often unknown by students: the influence of the distance of the non-suspended mass CG to the KPI axis, and a simple design method to design a suspension kinematics without bumpsteer (although bumpsteer could, sometimes, be a good thing). Discover, with real world examples, how compliance completely changes your perspectives on the limitation of “pure” kinematics. And, finally, you will be given a step-by-step guide to determine your wheelbase, tracks, outboard and inboard suspension pickup points and the motion ratio of springs, dampers, and ARBs.
6. Weight Transfer. Learn two step-by-step methodologies with numerical examples of weight transfer calculations: a simplified one and a more complete one that takes into account jacking forces, tire lateral grip and overturning moment Mx, and the instant center and non-suspended mass CG heights. You will also be given good information on how “anti” suspension design influences the car longitudinal transient behavior.
7. Suspension Stiffness and Damping. Learn how to determine and tune your springs and ARBs stiffness as well as your damper characteristics with simulation, and on-track data analysis, and 4 or 7 post rigs to get the most of your tire grip and grip consistency as well as car heave, roll, and pitch control.
8. Grip, Balance, Control and Stability Analysis. This is the moment of the seminar where all the parts of the puzzle (tire, aerodynamics, kinematics, suspension stiffness, etc...) assemble into a logical and useful method to get the most of your car in both simulation and on-track development. OptimumG recently developed a unique method to correlate the driver subjective comments and the simulation and data objective analysis.
9. Vehicle Design Process. We will finish the seminar by sharing some typical FSAE/FS “Do’s and Don’ts” as well as some advice on the logical and chronological order in which a car concept, simulation, drawings, manufacturing, testing, failure analysis, and driver training tasks should be performed.
Seminar participants will receive a 800+ page binder as well as access to numerous data, data analysis tools, and excel spreadsheets that will help them in the car concept, simulation, and testing process.
I will be the one presenting this seminar and will answer all of your questions and share 30+ years of vehicle dynamics and race car engineering experience as well as 15+ years of FSAE/FS design judging. I will also share several videos and stories illustrating the many mistakes I made—which I don't want students to make—and a few good successes that I wish you all will have as well. And of course many (new) jokes :)
This "Applied Vehicle Dynamics to Race Car Design and Development" will be followed by another four-day "Data Driven" seminar in Lincoln, NE, on June 21-24. This seminar will focus on:
- Brakes and differential
- Simulation best practices with several group exercises on:
o Tire modeling and tire models
o Kinematics design
o Weight transfer calculations
o Damper choice and tuning
o Lap time simulation
- Test preparation, organization, and debrief
- How to set up a car
- Test organization
- Driver briefing and debriefing
- Data acquisition hardware choice
- Data analysis with KPI (Key Performance Indicators)
- On-track aerodynamic measurements and tuning
- And much more....
These exercises will be conducted by me and other OptimumG employees. Participants will need to bring their own laptop.
We offer discounts for early registration, groups, or both, and an even greater discount for registering for both seminars. For more information, please contact susanne.chastain@optimumg.com
See you in just a few weeks in Michigan and good luck in your last weeks of the competition preparation!