new 2008 rules

[Math ze engineer]

I've heard that in the 2008 competition at detroit the engine cannot be part of the structure of the car. I mean the frame must be strong by itself without the engine so no stress is transfered to the engine. Is that true for this year because I didnt see it in the rules.

Waiting for an answer

[Math ze engineer]

I've heard that in the 2008 competition at detroit the engine cannot be part of the structure of the car. I mean the frame must be strong by itself without the engine so no stress is transfered to the engine. Is that true for this year because I didnt see it in the rules.

Waiting for an answer

[Anday]

If you check the 2008 Rule Change Summary on SAE.org you'll see that it's the main hoop bracing that cannot directly pass loads through the engine. The main hoop bracing must be connected to or triangulated to the primary structure of the frame.

[Math ze engineer]

That means you cannot connect the brace on a node where engine is bolted?

[mtg]

I would recommend sending a picture to the rules commitee/rules questions folks if you have a question like that.

At FSAE-West this year, James Waltman and I were tech inspectors, and had two teams that came through our bay weld in extra tubes on their chassis's. One of those teams (I won't name them) should have known better, as a consistently high placing team.

So, if you have a design that is suspect for passing safety structure rules, please ask well before competition. It's no fun as a tech inspector to tell people to go weld on their chassis, but when it's necessary...it will happen.

[murpia]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Math ze engineer:
That means you cannot connect the brace on a node where engine is bolted? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Follow Matt's advice of course, but it should be OK to bolt the engine to a node, provided the engine is not carrying bracing loads. The rule change is to stop the idea of running a brace from roll hoop to engine, then stopping it there with no load path to the chassis base except the engine itself. Or to put it another way, it should be safe to roll the car without the engine fitted.

This does not prevent other loads from being transferred through the engine (suspension loads etc.) but roll hoop forces must not be. Hope that helps.

Regards, Ian