Racing Car Lightweight System Methods And Frame Optimization

For a long time, lightweight is the hotspot and difficulty in automobile technologies, most especially for racing car. In the field of racing, the "fat kid" has no future. Degree of lightweight represents the level of racing car design and the power performance and fuel economy, directly affecting the game scores. Formula SAE-Chinese (FSC) started in2010, and it is still in its initial stage. With the vigorous development of FSC, racing car lightening is inevitable. Up to now, few domestic researches have been made in racing car lightweight, and most of them were about the frame. The contribution of these researches to overall lightening of racing car is limited. Racing car lightening is a systems engineering. Reling on FSAE car project in Guangdong University of Technology, racing car lightening and frame optimization were studied in this thesis.In this thesis, lightweight design principles were summarized; Four methods about racing car lightening were discussed, including material lightweight method, structure lightweight method, manufacturing lightweight method and function lightweight method, forming a complete system of lightweight methods. Starting from the practical lightening of the racing car, the above four methods were applied. Practices show that these methods are affective, and the union of various lightweight methods may reach better integrative results. Through the integrated application of lightweight methods, the weight of racing car fell to232.0kg in2012, down from301.0kg in2011. Effect of weight loss is obvious.In this thesis, the direct purpose of frame optimization is lightening. Frame is the main body of racing car, and its performance directly affects the racing car’s performance, so the research of frame optimization is very necessary and very typical. At first, the frame performance indicators and frame lightening design principles were summarized; Then, frame materials, structures, manufacturing technologies and functions were discussed; Then, based on the finite element analysis of the frame strength and stiffness properties, optimization for the frame was conducted, achieving the goal of losing weight. Finally, optimization effect and safety were verified by finite element analysis, and the accuracy of the finite element model was confirmed through experiment. Practices show that the weight of frame fell to28.0kg in2012, down from34.0kg in2011. Frame optimization is a success.Racing car lightweight system methods and frame optimization were studied in this thesis. The research achievements of this thesis are affective, and play a directive role in practical engineering, and may provide a reference for other related researches.