University of Central Florida SAE Branch

Aerodynamics

The aerodynamics subsystem at Knights Racing is responsible for designing the aerodynamic package for KR23. We validate our designs using various CFD simulations and methodologies in addition to on-car experimental tests. Our subsystem also covers all composite manufacturing.

 

Brakes

Brakes Subsystem is an integral part of the car as it doesn’t matter how fast the car can go if it cannot stop. Its job is to convert kinetic energy into thermal energy through friction, aka stopping the car. The braking system consists of the brake pedal, master cylinders, brake lines, calipers and rotors.

 

Business

In the eyes of SAE International, each chapter is viewed as a business. The lead here is responsible for conducting and running the team as such. The purpose of the business subsystem is to create a budget for the annual vehicle build. It is important to prioritize the engineering goals of the car when doing this. Additionally, this subsystem is responsible for a large part of competition scoring, including the business and cost reports and presentations. This function is paramount to the operation of the team because without it, there would be no funding for the vehicle build and overall scores for our competition performance would be much lower. All in all, this subsystem is responsible for:

  • Team budget
  • SGA bill proposal
  • Cost report
  • Business presentation (competition)
  • Cost presentation (competition)

 

Chassis

A chassis can be defined as many things. Whether a space frame, ladder frame/four tube, stressed skin, or Monocoque, the chassis is meant to hold all components necessary for a car. Colin Chapman, a major player in chassis development and involved in the early development of the Lotus stated that “the chassis is a big bracket that holds everything else in place”. Your goal as a chassis designer is to connect the dots with the smallest amount of material and highest strength.

 

Composites

The responsibility of the composites subsystem is to manufacture and test all the carbon fiber parts on our car. While the aerodynamics team creates the look for the car, we bring their dream to reality. We manufacture and sand molds, lay up carbon fiber and make a beautiful car.

 

DAQ/ Data Acquisition

The purpose of DAQ or Data Acquisition is to log, extract, and interpret numerical data from our car to get an understanding of how it is performing. This includes a wide range of data including:

  • Tires
  • Aerodynamic
  • Engine components
  • Braking
  • Driver Performance & more

This requires working with a lot of numbers and tracking physical quantities.

 

Electrical

The electrical subsystem is split into two sides, our electrical team and our electronics team. Our Electrical team focuses on the design and manufacture of our car’s wiring harness, installing and setting up sensors on the car to collect data, working with our engine control unit (ECU) and C125 Dashboard along with their MoTeC software, and integrating the different subsystems together through wires and connectors. Our electronics team places their focus on the design and manufacture of the cars various printed circuit boards (PCBs), completing calculations and setup of the CANBUS system, and testing and troubleshooting our systems.

 

Ergonomics

Ergonomics involves the engineering of solutions to make the human-vehicle interface as comfortable and efficient as possible. In endurance racing, ergonomics is arguably the most important subsystem because if the driver of the vehicle is not comfortable throughout the entire race, performance will seriously decline throughout the race.

 

Manufacturing

The purpose of the manufacturing subsystem is to build the car year-to-year. You can have the best-designed car the world has ever seen, but unless you have people who know how to manufacture, then that car will never leave the confines of your hard drive. Members of the manufacturing team have the opportunity to be trained on manual mills, manual lathes, CNC machines, TIG welders, and any other machine that the club gains access to. The subsystem must be able to quickly and precisely manufacture every component on the car. If the quality of the parts goes down so will the overall performance of the car. A large portion of competition goals is based on the manufactured components of the car.

 

Powertrain

Powertrain is a subsystem that consists of the engine and everything that connects to it, like the intake, exhaust, fuel system, cooling system, oiling system, and other small components like the throttle body. Powertrain is important because it is responsible for moving the car. The engine that we use is a four-cylinder 2006 GSX-R 600cc which has a 636cc bore and runs on E- 85. In the future, we are planning to use a single or twin-cylinder engine due to its reduced weight and flexible packaging.

 

Suspension

The goal of the suspension broken down to the most basic level is to use the tires as efficiently as possible. All performance statistics, such as lateral acceleration, longitudinal acceleration, stability, and drivability, are controlled by the tire.