History of Formula SAE/Student [Archive]

FStotal.com

10-29-2009, 08:23 AM

Hallo,

FStotal.com wants to update the article about the history of the Formula SAE/Student series (http://www.fstotal.com/home/history) .

Please help us to find some innovations.

We need: the year, name of the team, innovation and picture.

Some examples are:

- 4WD
- CFRP Monocoque
- Aluminium Monocoque
- CFRP Spaceframe -> TU Vienna 2009?
- Aluminium Spaceframe
- self developed engine
- electronic throttle -> 2001 Wisconsin Racing?
- own ECU
- CFRP Wishbones
- CFRP Rims
- Magnesium Rim
- Titan Rim -> Kiel ?
- CFRP Brake Discs
- own Brake Caliper
- ESP
- turbocharger
- supercharger
- wing
- undertray
- active aerodynamics
- differential
- steering rack
- CFRP upright
- CFRP spring
- first car with engine mounted beside driver
- first hybrid car
- first full electric car
- traction control
- 4wheel steering -> TU Graz 2009?
- great changes in the rules
- telemetry
- first car ever

What other innovations or major rule changes you know?

Does anyone have the first FSAE rules ever?

FStotal.com

10-29-2009, 08:23 AM

michaelwaltrip

10-29-2009, 12:00 PM

looking at some old programs in the office, i'm coming across several items of intrest:

1979 - SAE Mini-Indy is derived from SAE baja events (radically different rules)

1981 - First Formula SAE event as we know it now

1982 - Rules change to require 4-wheel suspension

1984 - First ever "all composite" vehicle, whatever that means. (UT austin).

1985 - Bob Woods takes over the event, revising the rules to include static events as a portion of the 1000 point total score (including the introduction of a cost report). engine displacement limit introduced at 610cc and restrictor size of 23mm. first forced induction entries (west virginia with a supercharged 300cc sachs wankel, marquette with a turbocharged 550cc kawasaki)

1986 - Big 3 automakers become associated with the competition

1987 - first car to pull in excess of 1g in skidpad (UTA - 1.09g, Cornell - 1.04g). first fuel injected car (Maryland, UTA)

1988 - introduction of methanol class.

1989 - rules changed to eliminate rotary engines

1990 - first powered aero car (cornell's sucker car). first win by turbo car (UTA)

1991 - first significant use of wings (UMR, Michigan)

1996 - design finals moved to after endurance event

1997 - first european entry to fsae (leeds)

2002 - first austrailian entry (wollongong)

also, to take a guess at some of your other points (again, not 100% sure on these)

self-developed engine - western washington in 2001

active aero - UTA in 2005

engine mounted beside driver - "sidewinder" cars were common in the early years of the competition. I know for sure that UMR had one in 1989 but I'm also pretty sure it wasn't the first

4wheel steering - western washington in 1990

Pennyman

10-29-2009, 12:40 PM

These documents may prove helpful

FSAE history 1981-2000 (http://comp.uark.edu/%7Ejjrencis/fsae/resources/fsaehistory.pdf)

FSAE history 1981-2004 (http://www.gatormotorsports.com/files/2004/fsaehistory.pdf)

js10coastr

10-29-2009, 12:51 PM

Cal Poly SLO (Don Schaffer) designed and built our own brake calipers back in 2001-2002. I'm not sure if any team did that previously as it was before my time.

..and then I'll say that Cal Poly SLO built the first ever SAE Camber Car, which was entered in the hybrid in progress category of formula hybrid in 2009.

js10coastr

10-29-2009, 12:52 PM

...I think the western washington V8 needs to make the history list. We're still talking about it 9(?) years on.

Patrick Caherty

10-29-2009, 12:55 PM

I worked on the Maryland car for 1991, and through some of the FSAE old-timers who were still around, I heard that Maryland's 1985/86 car was the first to use aluminum tubing for the chassis. Was also told that Maryland was the first to turbocharge, and the first to use M85 fuel, both in '87 IIRC -- it is possible that we turbocharged earlier than that.

The '91 MD car was modified for '92 with four-wheel steering, though that feature may have been disabled for portions of the competition.

The all-new '92 MD car used a CVT. Virginia Tech may have had one in 1991, I'm not sure. The '92 MD car also had single coil-over front and rear suspensions -- students decided the lack of roll damping was worth the weight save. With an additional year of development, this car finished 4th overall in '93.

rjwoods77

10-29-2009, 02:25 PM

1997 Univeristy Buffalo first turbo single maybe? They did a KTM 525cc with an turbo.

Tom W

10-29-2009, 03:54 PM

UNSW have used aluminium composite monocoques since 2001. Some details are on our website, if you would like more PM me and I will either give you whatever info you require or put you in touch with someone who can.

benny41

10-29-2009, 03:57 PM

i think we were were the first team to use carbon fibre rims in 2004. but i could be wrong.

mumbles

10-29-2009, 04:58 PM

I know WWU built there own brakes back in 95-96. Calipers, master cylinder, and inside out brake rotors, i.e. where the rotor was mounted to the inside of the wheel shell. Not sure if any of it was a first though, just different, like most of our older designs.

Mark TMV

10-29-2009, 05:43 PM

2004 - U of Guelph was the first 4wd FSAE car, I believe.

adrial

10-29-2009, 05:52 PM

Rutgers did Carbon Wheels for the 1995 FSAE competition...not sure if anybody else did it earlier.

And a Composite Monocoque for 1994. Looking at pictures, it's difficult to tell that the UTA car was a monocoque in 1984.

Pennyman

10-29-2009, 07:45 PM

Didn't TU Vienna get awarded "best engineered car" with their rookie entry at FSUK 08?

Damn...

Michael Schwaiger

10-30-2009, 12:26 PM

hi!
Yes, we got the best [quality] engineered car award in '08.
Please note that it is the best -->quality<-- engineered car award, although the engraving on our cup is different. Some of our fellow countryman are very eager to add that whenever they can.

One thing to add:
We scored 4th with our first entry in the following event in Hockenheim '08 still with our first car but didn't receive the best newcomer award because we were in silverstone weeks before. This was awarded to a team ranking 50 or something. Funny FSAE world.

Cheers,
Michael

JohannesH

10-30-2009, 12:27 PM

The first 4WD car I know was the 04 car of UAS Graz
<span class="ev_code_BLUE">http://www.joanneum-racing.at/en/boliden_2004__start.php</span>

Michael Royce

10-30-2009, 01:43 PM

I believe that the University of Guelph (Ontario) had a 4WD car at the 2004 FSAE Michigan competition.

Luniz

10-31-2009, 08:45 AM

The 2008 and 2009 car from UaS Kiel features titanium rims which I haven't seen anywhere else. They are not completely made from titanium though, the inner piece is machined from AL7075, only the beds are spun from titanium. The inner piece has been anodized to match the titanium's colour.

Thomas MuWe

10-31-2009, 12:28 PM

@Michael Schwaiger:

Maybe they are so eager because there is a crucial difference. If you read the rules.....

"The concept of the design event is to evaluate the engineering effort that went into
the design of the car and how the engineering meets the intent of the market. The
car that illustrates the best use of engineering to meet the design goals and the best understanding of the design by the team members will win the design event."

So as far as I read the rules best engineering design and so best engineered car is rewarded in the design event, isn't it?
Just my guess!

@fstotal:
Maybe you should create different sections / eras:
Europe and Australia (and Asia?) started later than North America.

Some things I know:
Complete Anti dive and anti squat:
Lions Racing 2007
15" rims -> DART Racing
15" tires -> DART Racing
A car to win all dynamics at one comp:
F0711-3 Renntem Stuttgart (Silverstone 2008)
Engine beside the driver:
Geelong 2005
Most completed endurances in a row:
TUG Racing -> 12
First year team to finish on podium:
Stuttgart 2006
Self developed diff:
TU Munich
First european team to win outside Europe:
Stuttgart (Australia 2008), TUG Racing (Detroit 2009)

No more input at the moment! :-)

rjwoods77

10-31-2009, 01:14 PM

UUC was the first I know of to do a sid mounted engine. 600 cc with a soldi axle rear end too boot and they did well with it. 1997 i believe but the website sucks now and doesnt show there history anymore.

Akron was the first to compete in the mini baja and formula comp with the same car. Ran a briggs v twin for the formula which i believe is also a first and they were doing awesome in the formula comp until the fuel pump let go.

Stocky Fast 1

10-31-2009, 11:28 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
Akron was the first to compete in the mini baja and formula comp with the same car. Ran a briggs v twin for the formula which i believe is also a first and they were doing awesome in the formula comp until the fuel pump let go. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't know if we did this a couple of years in a row or not but I've heard we won fuel economy with the "Bamula" car.

rjwoods77

11-01-2009, 11:07 AM

I am pretty sure the bajamula was in 1995 but i have no pics to back this up. I know that they got a right up in Race Car Engineer for it.

L B0MB

11-01-2009, 05:18 PM

Curtin may have been the first to use "active" rear suspension mounts on it's 2008 FSAE-A car... http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

edit: by "active" I mean compliant leading to endurance disqualification http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif

AxelRipper

11-01-2009, 05:23 PM

our 07 car with the Mahle 3 cyl must count for something, shouldnt it? I wish I could find pics of that car in comp dress

MalcolmG

11-01-2009, 06:14 PM

Didn't Aachen use the Mahle 3 cyl several years beforehand?

Fred G

11-01-2009, 09:28 PM

Hmmm,

Time to get my head bitten off.

I'll claim the following for the University of Western Australia:

1) First open wheel race car to be equipped with H2 - Kinetic suspension system. This is not active suspension, but a passive system controlled by interconnected dampers. (2004)
2) First non-autoclaved composite vehicle. My basis for this was that a patent was developed for this particular system (2003) and an article written somewhere.
3) First full one piece carbon fibre monocoque chasis (2005)
4) Full electric gear shift (2006).
5) Torsion bar corner springs (2006).

Photos can be found at the website http://motorsport.mech.uwa.edu.au.

Otherwise, I can do more digging and get some.

*puts on flame suit*

Fred

RacingManiac

11-02-2009, 11:30 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Michael Royce:
I believe that the University of Guelph (Ontario) had a 4WD car at the 2004 FSAE Michigan competition. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

They also finished in top 20 with it in Michigan...

Jimmy_seven

11-02-2009, 11:58 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Fred G:
Hmmm,

Time to get my head bitten off.

I'll claim the following for the University of Western Australia:

1) First open wheel race car to be equipped with H2 - Kinetic suspension system. This is not active suspension, but a passive system controlled by interconnected dampers. (2004)
2) First non-autoclaved composite vehicle. My basis for this was that a patent was developed for this particular system (2003) and an article written somewhere.
3) First full one piece carbon fibre monocoque chasis (2005)
4) Full electric gear shift (2006).
5) Torsion bar corner springs (2006).

Photos can be found at the website http://motorsport.mech.uwa.edu.au.

Otherwise, I can do more digging and get some.

*puts on flame suit*

Fred </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We (Brunel Racing) had a full carbon monocoque back in 2001.

James

MalcolmG

11-02-2009, 02:32 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Fred G:
2) First non-autoclaved composite vehicle. My basis for this was that a patent was developed for this particular system (2003) and an article written somewhere. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Nah, first non-autoclaved prepreg perhaps, but there would be plenty of wet laminated and infused monocoques that would have never seen an autoclave

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
4) Full electric gear shift (2006). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
We also had a "full electric gear shift" in 2006 (it may have been there in 2005 too but didn't get used), and I'm pretty sure that I read mentions in the forums about people using a similar system in earlier years.

The AFX Master

11-02-2009, 07:01 PM

Well.. we were the first team from South America in 2002 i think..

At least in our country we did made history :P

L B0MB

11-02-2009, 07:35 PM

First use of flexure joints goes to... UWA???

Most incomplete car ever taken to an event... One of the Indian teams at FSAE-A 2008??? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_redface.gif

MalcolmG

11-02-2009, 07:41 PM

First use of flextures I saw was Lehigh in 2006 at one of the US comps

UWA would definitely have the oldest driver in FSAE http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif (Hi Pete!)

Pete Marsh

11-02-2009, 10:46 PM

Ok i'll bite. Sick of studying anyway!

No, I'm definatley not the oldest driver, there have been way older team members in the US. I may be the oldest driver to win the FSAE cup though? I was 38. Nick and Jim from Akron's win in '98 would be close though? ( want to check this Zac?)My last dymamic points were scored at FSG when I was 39 and 5 months.

UWA has not done flexure joints at all, the flexures on '08 are springs, the car has regular spherical joints. However I am sure this is the first use of the system it has. RMIT had a CFRP leaf spring on the front third spring of their '05 car I think? Lehigh had flexure joints at FSAE East in '06.

I agree there would be plenty of out of autoclave stuff around way before '05. What Fred failed to mention was the '06 tub. Fully enveloping 1 piece chassis (not bath tub), single shot cure, with all pre cure hard points. And no Autoclave of course! I believe most teams do the top/bottom half thing. At the time I we belived no teams had done one like that before, but we are a bit 'out of the loop' over here.

The thing about the '06 electric gear shift was not so much the gear actuation, but the clutch servo. That car had fully automated clutch control, driving like an automatic car, and also had clutch slip based launch control. Gears could be either fully auto or driver selected. I do think it was probably the first car to have this sort of functionality.

There was a car at FSAE-A in '03 that had 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steer. Don't remember the team but they were new to the comp, and bit off more than they could chew for a first year car. The car never passed tech, so I don't know if it should count?

Pete

MalcolmG

11-02-2009, 11:03 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pete Marsh:
Ok i'll bite. Sick of studying anyway! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Tell me about it, studying for my last exam ever (?) right now and prefer procrastination

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
I agree there would be plenty of out of autoclave stuff around way before '05. What Fred failed to mention was the '06 tub. Fully enveloping 1 piece chassis (not bath tub), single shot cure, with all pre cure hard points. And no Autoclave of course! I believe most teams do the top/bottom half thing. At the time I we belived no teams had done one like that before, but we are a bit 'out of the loop' over here. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
We also cured our chassis in 2006 in a single piece (i.e. no separate top and bottom glued together afterwards), since then the last 3 we've done basically the same but we cure the outer skins first before laying up core etc to give better consolidation.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
The thing about the '06 electric gear shift was not so much the gear actuation, but the clutch servo. That car had fully automated clutch control, driving like an automatic car, and also had clutch slip based launch control. Gears could be either fully auto or driver selected. I do think it was probably the first car to have this sort of functionality. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Ah that is much more awesome

brettd

11-03-2009, 02:44 AM

First team to finish an endurance while missing a pullrod?

Zac

11-03-2009, 06:54 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pete Marsh:

No, I'm definatley not the oldest driver, there have been way older team members in the US. I may be the oldest driver to win the FSAE cup though? I was 38. Nick and Jim from Akron's win in '98 would be close though? ( want to check this Zac?)My last dymamic points were scored at FSG when I was 39 and 5 months.
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I really don't want to confirm what Nick's age is, but I do know that he was younger than 38 back in 99 when Akron won. I don't know Jim.

Bemo

11-03-2009, 08:58 AM

Highest score without finishing the Endurance. We had 588 at Hockenheim '08. I think that's our sad record.
Highest score at a comp. Again us: 961 at Australia '08.
And I think that Michael and Tobi are the driving team with the most Endurance wins (I have to check how many they have).

FStotal.com

11-04-2009, 10:08 AM

Thanks a lot to all for your great support.

I will check these informations within the next days.

If you got pictures feel free to send me at mail{äaat}FStotal.com.

Welfares

11-05-2009, 03:53 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Pete Marsh:

There was a car at FSAE-A in '03 that had 4 wheel drive and 4 wheel steer. Don't remember the team but they were new to the comp, and bit off more than they could chew for a first year car. The car never passed tech, so I don't know if it should count?

Pete </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Pretty sure that was Newcastle. From what i remember it didn't look close to running. But then a FSAE car can go from a pile of parts to a weapon pretty fast.... *looks in the lab* at least thats what i'm hoping.

James-H

11-05-2009, 04:04 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by L Bomb:

Most incomplete car ever taken to an event... One of the Indian teams at FSAE-A 2008??? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_redface.gif </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Try Glasgow at Formula Student 2009-started making their chassis when they got to Silverstone.

Brett Neale

11-07-2009, 10:12 AM

University of Adelaide had an infinitely variable intake manifold (made from SLS Nylon rapid-prototype material) in 2005. Dunno if this was the first. We had RP intake manifolds from 2003 to 2008.

The same car (and the car it evolved from in 2004) also had a DeDion rear suspension, compound gear drive and front/rear wings, won FSAE-A 2004 Design event.

You could also rack up another one for RMIT - first competition win with a single-cylinder engine? Or did ETS or Tokyo Denki get in before them?

Also... University of Wollongong - first Australian team to win both at home and internationally.

And I'm pretty sure there was a US team in the early 90's who were doing plenty of experimentation with carbon fibre, including flexures, monocoques and the like. Can't remember the name, but they have a website with their car history...

Fred G

11-10-2009, 09:13 PM

UWA had a variable plenum in 2004 to change the effective runner lengths.

Hector

11-12-2009, 06:44 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Fred G:
UWA had a variable plenum in 2004 to change the effective runner lengths. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know a guy from the University of Florida that did Formula in the mid 90's and had that. The runners were vacuum sensitive; lower manifold air pressure sucked the plenum closer to the engine and shortened the runner lengths. It weighed 10 lbs and only ran one season...

I could probably call him up and get a definite year on that.

Wouldn't be surprised to find out that it was done earlier. It's all been done before.

Fred G

11-12-2009, 09:13 PM

Look what the search returned http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/t...406036575#9406036575 (http://fsae.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/125607348/m/9406036575?r=9406036575#9406036575)

I quite like the sound of what the Florida team did, UWA used a motor to control the runner length.

I'm sure most of this stuff has been done time and time again, but a good question would be which teams used such innovations with success? Which teams ideas/innovations lead to their demise? Which ideas paid no attention to the fundamentals of race car dynamics? Which ideas were just plain cool/awesome? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Fred

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hector:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Fred G:
UWA had a variable plenum in 2004 to change the effective runner lengths. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know a guy from the University of Florida that did Formula in the mid 90's and had that. The runners were vacuum sensitive; lower manifold air pressure sucked the plenum closer to the engine and shortened the runner lengths. It weighed 10 lbs and only ran one season...

I could probably call him up and get a definite year on that.

Wouldn't be surprised to find out that it was done earlier. It's all been done before. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>