Do hydraulic transmission accept in FSAE?

[Scania]

I'm not talking about AT, but the hydraulic system can replace the shaft & Gear Box

[rjwoods77]

If you are refering to a Hydrostat I would steer away from them. People have tried very hard to use them in Mini Baja for years but they always come out heavier and less reliable than a mechanically linked system. Also if you did use a system like that and if failed the hot high pressure fluid could pose some huge safety risks and would make an awful mess of the track that wouldnt clean up quick or well.

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

Why would you want hydraulics? For front wheel drive? Engine placement?

Are you just talking about a pump and a motor or an actual hydrostatic transmission?

[Scania]

Are you just talking about a pump and a motor or an actual hydrostatic transmission?
do there have any different? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_eek.gif

[Drew Price]

To actually answere your question, yes, they are allowed.

Rule 3.5.1.3 Transmission and Drive:
Any transmission and drivetrain may be used.

However, watch out for:

Rule 3.7.5 High Pressure Hydraulic Pumps and Lines:
The driver and anyone standing outside the car must be shielded from any hydraulic pumps and lines (other than brake lines) by steel or aluminum shields with a minimum thickness of 1 mm (0.039 inch).

Our adviser was very curious with me for a while if this was a route that we would be interested in taking, and has some interesting things to say on the subject.

Nice forum name, by the way.

Best,
Drew

[murpia]

Originally posted by Drew Price:
Rule 3.7.5 High Pressure Hydraulic Pumps and Lines:
The driver and anyone standing outside the car must be shielded from any hydraulic pumps and lines (other than brake lines) by steel or aluminum shields with a minimum thickness of 1 mm (0.039 inch).
Just run the lines down the centre of a frame tube...

There was a UK team, I think it was Bath, who proposed a 4wd car with the front wheels driven hydraulically. However once they built it they had abandoned that idea.

Regards, Ian

[Scania]

can I use something to sace the pressure to make the engine no need run too slow or fast?

[Peter7307]

Yes.
An engine driven pump drawing from a hydraulic tank and supplying hydraulic fluid under pressure to a high pressure storage accumulator will work.

The larger Citroen models use this arrangement and have done since 1955 with the introduction of the D Series sedan cars.

A caution however is the pressure involved are around 2 250 psi (about 150 bar) and the components are heavy.

Cheers , Pete.

[Brian S]

If I'm reading this right you can't. You can use hydraulics to drive the wheels, but you can't store energy for later use.

3.5.1.1 Engine Limitations
...
Hybrid powertrains utilizing on-board energy storage are not allowed.

[ad]

Originally posted by Brian S:
If I'm reading this right you can't. You can use hydraulics to drive the wheels, but you can't store energy for later use.

3.5.1.1 Engine Limitations
...
Hybrid powertrains utilizing on-board energy storage are not allowed.

Maybe not the best place for this, but how about kinetic energy recovery devices?? http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Introduce some kind of 'green' feeling to the competition considering the automotive industry is taking this approach??

[Chris Lane]

Originally posted by Scania:
I'm not talking about AT, but the hydraulic system can replace the shaft & Gear Box

I know exactly what you're thinking of using...

[VFR750R]

Front wheel assist with hydraulics has been used on tractors of all sizes (20hp up through 200), but obviously weight and speed are not factors in that application.