BGR CFRP Monocoque challenge
the monocoque is the backbone of the vehicle, every single component is reliant on it and bolts up to it. first a study on the materials must be conducted, which manufacturing methodology will be best, resin infusion or prepreg CF. Further research to be conducted is abpit the cpre material, wether it be a aluminium or kevlar honeycomb structure or a rigid pvc foam such as rohacell, a derivitive of that is the decision on how to bolt certain components. in key areas such as the front bulkhead there can be no crushing of the the core material, that means that an implanted aluminium plate must be used or potted inserts. after that outside components must be decided on such as the suspension geometry, the size, location and means of taking out the battery box. outside sensors such as Li-Dar and camera, heat evacuation components such as radiators, and aerodynamic components such as an undertray and wings.
after that it is needed to start a 3d model of the chassis, this is in order to be able to start FEA analysis based on the characterization of different requirements from different parts of the chassis, and in order to be able to have a rough estimate of material thickness' per area. testing must be done to make sure the equivalncy of the CF is met according to FSAE stanards, all equivalncy tests are compared to 1010 steel. the equivalncy tests are a 3 point bend test and a shear test where a punch must penentrate al layers of the laminate.
once the geometry is agreed upon the design of a mold must begin, the first step is to make a "plug", from that the molds are made which are usually 2- piece molds and finally the CF can be laid onto the molds to make the chassis.
Team leaders must have a meeting to decide on a configuration freeze date, after which no alteration can be done affecting production unless absolutely mission critical. Furthermore basic concepts of each team must be debated so as to free up CAD, FEA and testing to make rough estimates.
All things considered, due to the major lacking of testing equipment and materials, and a timeline of competing in august 2026 it must be taken into consideration the use of a tubular spaceframe again.
the monocoque is the backbone of the vehicle, every single component is reliant on it and bolts up to it. first a study on the materials must be conducted, which manufacturing methodology will be best, resin infusion or prepreg CF. Further research to be conducted is abpit the cpre material, wether it be a aluminium or kevlar honeycomb structure or a rigid pvc foam such as rohacell, a derivitive of that is the decision on how to bolt certain components. in key areas such as the front bulkhead there can be no crushing of the the core material, that means that an implanted aluminium plate must be used or potted inserts. after that outside components must be decided on such as the suspension geometry, the size, location and means of taking out the battery box. outside sensors such as Li-Dar and camera, heat evacuation components such as radiators, and aerodynamic components such as an undertray and wings.
after that it is needed to start a 3d model of the chassis, this is in order to be able to start FEA analysis based on the characterization of different requirements from different parts of the chassis, and in order to be able to have a rough estimate of material thickness' per area. testing must be done to make sure the equivalncy of the CF is met according to FSAE stanards, all equivalncy tests are compared to 1010 steel. the equivalncy tests are a 3 point bend test and a shear test where a punch must penentrate al layers of the laminate.
once the geometry is agreed upon the design of a mold must begin, the first step is to make a "plug", from that the molds are made which are usually 2- piece molds and finally the CF can be laid onto the molds to make the chassis.
| Assignation | Collector | Loop | Conflicts | Sum | Blocking Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | 2 | 0 | 6 | 8 | High |
| A | 1 | 0 | 6 | 7 | High |
| D | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | Med |
| E | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | Med |
| B | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | Med |
| C | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | Med |
| F | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Low |
| H | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Low |
research of core material, and physical testing are the main blockers of the project. As such the two must be the main priority in chassis team and higher managment- branch manager and CEO must be aware
the team is made of three branches, mechanical, electrical and autonomous. in mechanical compoments such as suspension geometry, brake pedal and steering geometry, heat evacuation, aerodynamics, battery packing, drivetrain. in electrical there are high voltage, low (and medium) voltage and communication components. and in autonomous the components affecting chassis design are perception&mapping
Operational Effectiveness – OE
Effective
Ineffective
OE Ideal operation
Operational Perfectness - OP
Basic functions
Components
Supersystems
OP 0.13
chassis team | 10 |
drivetrain | 6.3 |
suspension | 5 |
heat evac | 5 |
aero | 5 |
battery pack | 3.8 |
high voltage | 3.1 |
low voltage | 3.1 |
comunications | 1.9 |
the way the team is split up is functional and allows good functionality with a high grade of OE. it must be considered to absolve communications into High/Low voltage teams
manufacturing methodology is yet to be decided
Conduct a thorough analysis of existing manufacturing methodologies used in CFRP structures to identify the most suitable options.
2
no FEA analysis and actual testing can be done
Implement a robust Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software tool to simulate the CFRP structures before physical testing.
1
no 3D design of chassis exists yet
Utilize existing chassis designs as a reference to expedite the development of the new 3D model.
1
Unclear project priorities leading to delays in decision-making
Establish a clear project prioritization framework that aligns with overall business goals.
2
If | we start FEA and physical testing based on former chassis |
|---|---|
Then | manufacturing process can be moved forward while other teams continue design |
But | it will limit further itirations of the chassis |
| Task | Rank |
|---|---|
plug and mold research | 3 |
insert research | 3 |
contact outisde workshop for future collaboration | 2 |
core material research | 2 |
BOM upkeeping | 0 |
| Task | Rank |
|---|---|
3D design of chassis | 1 |
physical testing | 1 |
design freeze | 1 |
| Task | Rank |
|---|---|
SES and SE3D upkeeping |
| Task | Rank |
|---|---|
FEA analysis |
inside the mechanical branch the product of making a chassis is contingent on many mini-projects and teams finalizing their design. such as suspension designing a push-rod or pull-rod configuration, aero deciding on wether they will need ground effect and from that a flat floor, the back side of the car holds the battery pack so high voltage and battery pack teams need to decide on the size of the fuel cell, and drive train need to decide on mounting
Operational Effectiveness – OE
Effective
Ineffective
OE 2.92
Operational Perfectness - OP
Basic functions
Components
Supersystems
OP 0.21
Manufacturing | 10 |
chassis team | 10 |
Steering Column and Rack
| 10 |
battery packaging | 8.8 10 |
Ventilation | 8.8 |
Cooling System Interface | 7.5 8.6 |
Radiator Mounts | 7.5 |
Mounting Hardpoints
| 7.5 |
Packaging Constraints | 7.5 |
drivetrain | 6.3 3.6 |
suspension and steering | 6.3 |
Sidepods | 6.3 |
Wings and Mounting | 6.3 10 |
Battery Pack Housing | 6.3 |
Mounting and Fastening | 3.8 7.1 |
FEA Analysis & SES | 3.8 |
Load Requirements | 3.8 |
Cable Routing | 3.8 |
Motor Mounting | 3.8 7.1 |
Material & Process Selection | 3.8 |
Structural Integration | 3.8 |
Undertray Design | No impact |
Cooling Ducts | No impact |
Due to the high complexity of the integration of several outside components to the chassis, it is recommended that the team lead be in charge of the structural integration and not delegate the process.
If | Wings and Mounting remains unchanged |
|---|---|
Then | Wings and Mounting improves aerodynamics |
But | Wings and Mounting delays Structural Integration |
Anatoly Agulyansky
This is a great project showing that previous experience is important and can be used to create the future
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