Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Car# 90, Formula Student India

saeiitk@gmail.com

2015-2016 IITK Motorsports Formula SAE Design Report

Introduction
IITK Motorsports is competing in FS India for the first time in 2016 and this is our second
participation in FS events. Weight reduction, manufacturability and reliability were the key design
goals. Ergonomics and compact packaging were the major areas of improvement this year. A major
step to reduce weight was to include composite materials. In the development of the vehicle, a
strong focus was placed on the car’s suspension geometry, powertrain and ergonomics to make the
vehicle more driver friendly for a better performance.

Design Goals
Weight Reduction: Decreasing car’s weight by 25% - 60kg (from 240Kgs).
Manufacturability: Manufacturing of the vehicle is simple and cost-effective.
Reliability: The vehicle must complete all dynamic events at Formula SAE INDIA.

Frame
Frame subgroup will deliver a well packaged, light weight and triangulated frame, through cross-
functional engineering, with a target of 2800 Nm/degree torsional rigidity.
1020- Seamless steel tube was chosen owing to its ease in fabrication, no need of post-weld heat-
treatment and also it is well suited for point loads. We aim at a reduced weight of 28kgs as
compared to last year’s 32kgs. The prior weight reduction was ensured by careful consideration of
member placement, overall size and compact component packaging such that free space is
minimized. The chassis was designed around suspension and engine mounting points while
ensuring the ergonomics and packaging of other subsystems.
Design process was facilitated by ergonomics study conducted on a full-scale PVC mock-up of chassis
to finalize positioning of frame members while remaining compliant to all envelopes and templates.
Later, the PVC model also helped in better understanding of sequence of welding. With an
understanding of load paths, tube thicknesses were optimized iteratively using FEA of stress versus
strain, of displacement and torsional and rigidity analysis study with an objective of high
strength/weight ratio while being restricted by rules, ergonomic and packaging constraints. Frame
was designed so that loads from engine and suspension are transferred back to the structure only
through nodes. All mounting tabs are designed in double shear to ensure safety and reliability.
Based on analysis of last year's car and team feedback following points were changed-
To improve driver visibility, the front roll hoop was lowered by 59.1mm. To increase driver comfort
cockpit was made spacious by increasing the horizontal distance between the roll hoops by
32.5mm. A less bulky engine, a change in pedal assembly and compact packaging resulted in the
reduction of the total length of the car by 163.8mm. The main hoop was also narrowed by 91.0mm
to aid in mounting of radiator incorporated this season and also to reduce weight.
The designed 4-part bodyworks can be easily installed and removed providing quick access to
mounting points. Bodyworks is fabricated by 2 layers of 200gsm carbon fiber twill fabric and epoxy
using vacuum bagging. Galvanised (GI) sheet bodyworks was replaced by Carbon Fiber Reinforced

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Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Car# 90, Formula Student India
saeiitk@gmail.com

Polymer (CFRP) this season to reduce weight and to improve aesthetics of the car as it provides
better shape control compared to GI and also reduced weight by 78% (20.5kgs to 4.5kgs).

Powertrain
Engine Selection
The team shifted from Royal Enfield Thunderbird 499cc to KTM 500 EXC 510cc engine this season.
The primary reason for this shift was the drastic reduction in weight (26kg lighter) coupled with
improved torque output (10.4N-m higher peak torque). The use of single cylinder engine also
ensures the reduction of overall part count and hence weight and also results in compact
packaging.

Intake and Exhaust Design

The intake and exhaust systems is designed to improve the drivability of vehicle by taking advantage
of the acoustic resonant effects to deliver constant torque curve. A wider bandwidth of 3000 rpm
(6500-9500 rpm) was chosen to maximize torque to ensure better drivability. Flow simulation was
performed for different converging and diverging angles using CFD analysis in ANSYS to maximize the
flow rate through restrictor. Initial intake/exhaust runner lengths were theoretically calculated using
Helmholtz resonance theory and David Vizards rule. Initially the plenum volume was taken to be 5
times the engine volume so as to prevent the engine from starving at high rpm. With these base
values, 1D CFD co-simulation was performed using RICARDO Wave for obtaining final geometry with
flatter torque curve over 6500-9500 rpm range.
Exhaust runner and muffler were designed to reduce the back pressure. The stock glass wool packed
stock muffler was identified as suitable option for delivering the required performance. For final
tuning, the engine and intake/exhaust package was Dyno-tested using variable plenum volume and
intake/exhaust runner lengths to deliver steady torque in mentioned rpm range.To minimize weight
of intake, Selective Laser Sintered (SLS) from thermo-plastic material was chosen over other
manufacturing alternatives, it also offers flexibility to manufacture complex geometries and also
reduces weight.

Transmission
The stock clutch plates and 6-speed transmission with a primary reduction of 2.375 was retained.
Gear shifter is both an electric as well as manual shifter to provide reliability. Solenoid type electric
shifter is primary shifter with switches on steering wheel for quick and comfortable shifting.
Additionally manual lever type shifter is also attached in case electronic shifter fails to work. The
clutch is actuated via hydraulic lever manual shifting attached to gear shifting lever - it is not
required for electronic shifting as it is done by killing ignition momentarily hence making shifting
smoother, simpler and quicker.

The final drive ratio was set at 3.8 based on a modified lap simulation data with consideration of
gear shifts. This was set so as to increase acceleration while not strongly limiting the top speed, a
standard autocross set up. The goal was to use 3 gears, 1st for launch, 2nd and 3rd as the main drive
gear as the average speed of the car on endurance track would be around 55 km/hr and we want to
reduce shifting time by using less gears.

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Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Car# 90, Formula Student India
saeiitk@gmail.com

Custom made AL 6061-T6 differential mounts ensure a minimum wrap angle of 120 degree on the
driving sprocket while accounting chain tension loads and inertial loads. Turnbuckles installed on
lower joint of the mounts act as chain tensioners. Jacking rod was attached to the differential
mounts itself to reduce weight and minimize structural complexity.
Custom built axle half shaft with spindle tripod housing on the wheel end and Rzeppa joint on the
differential end was used in order to give more direct control over track width, weight and ensure
sufficient movement during bump and cornering. Steel 4340 was selected as the material of the
shaft and it was designed to serve a fatigue life of 300km using material properties and data from
Optimum Lap software.

Suspension
Suspension design was initiated by considering a trapezium model of the chassis in the front view
along with certain restrictions on variation of dimension imposed by rules, ergonomics and
packaging constraints. 13 inch wheels were chosen to provide sufficient room for easy packaging
of upright-spindle assembly hence making the assembly easy.
By analysing the dynamics of the car at 1.6g lateral acceleration, the camber was set to be -1.70 for
the front and -2.50 for the rear wheels so that the outer tire becomes vertical during cornering for
maximum grip and hence maximum lateral force. Scrub radius and kingpin inclination were
optimised, yielding a final value of 10.5 mm and 60 respectively this was done to give the driver an
adequate steering feedback. Kingpin was set according to the packaging constraints and scrub
radius. Caster was set to be 40 keeping in consideration the camber change and realignment torque
during steering. 10 of front toe out and 10 of rear toe in were decided for better cornering response.
The suspension geometry was designed for 1 inch bump and 1 inch jounce respectively according to
rules.
The points obtained with the above parameters were iterated extensively, within a predefined
interval, for various mounting points on the chassis to establish properly triangulated load paths and
effective force distribution in the suspension arms against yield and buckling failure. The height of
the roll centre was set to be 30 mm at front and 60 mm at rear for optimising jacking force and body
roll. The geometry of the A-arms and the tie rod was established so as to nullify the effect of bump-
steer.

Upright
Designing was aimed at minimising the weight while ensuring a high factor of safety for resistance
against failure. Aluminium 7075-T6 was selected for its high strength to weight ratio. Proper
designing and material selection led to a weight reduction of 60% in comparison to the previous car.
All the mounting points were kept parallel to their respective arms while at static ride height to give
greater range of motion.

Spindle and Hub

Aluminium 7075-T6 was used to manufacture spindle and hub assembly owing to its high strength to
weight ratio. Though the material is not favourable for its fatigue strength, priority was given to
reduced weight factor as compared to steel with high fatigue strength. Steel C-inserts were used to
reduce damage from steel made joints. Fatigue analysis was done on ANSYS.

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Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Car# 90, Formula Student India
saeiitk@gmail.com

Pushrod and Bell Crank

Pushrod actuated bell-crank assembly was chosen as it provides control over motion ratio, ride
height and packaging options. Pushrod outer mount was built on lower A-arm closer to the spherical
bearing so as to reduce the bending moment on the bearing. The motion ratios for the front and
rear were set to be 1.2 and 1.1 respectively, taking into account the wheel travel and required
sprung mass frequencies. U-shaped antiroll bars were introduced this year at the front and rear to
increase roll stiffness and control understeer and oversteer for improved vehicle performance.
Spring rate was calculated so as to keep ride frequency in the range of 2-3 Hz.

Steering System
We aimed at designing a steering system that provides consistent feedback about the contact patch
with the track while allowing an easier control on the steering angle. Ackermann geometry was
chosen to make the cornering easy at tight corner with higher yaw moment due to the difference in
the longitudinal force and also allow the vehicle to turn around a corner without scrubbing the tires.
Bump steer of the car was made negligible (0.4 for 1.2 in of bump) by aligning the direction of tie rod
along the line joining instantaneous centre of wheel and outer tie rod point.
Two universal joints was used to nullify the waviness produced in angular velocity of the steering
shaft in case of single universal joint. The rack with spur pinion is used which provides the driver with
a constant turning ratio of 2.86:1 with +-35° steer throughout the entire turning radius. Steering
wheel is inclined at an angle of 15° from vertical for driver's comfort. A splined quick release
mechanism connects the CFRP steering wheel to the steering column. Steering arm length (2.25 in)
and steering arm angle (28°) are optimized using constraints of geometrical condition and 100%
Ackermann condition.

Brakes
The outboard brake system is capable of providing braking time of 2.5s (90Kmph to halt). Separate
hydraulic circuits for both front and rear are operated with Dual Master Cylinders of bore diameter
19mm each to enable locking of all four wheels. Further, easily accessible and adjustable balance bar
is used to achieve different fluid pressure in each circuit. The choice of outboard brakes at rear
reduces the chances of brake failure due to overheating.
We chose an A-B pedal configuration with the clutch integrated with the shifter mechanism. This
provides easier & quicker shifting while also reducing overall weight and complexity of the pedal
assembly. The pedals and the master cylinder were mounted directly to the chassis without the use
of a base plate. This coupled with using Aluminium for the pedals and master cylinder holders
resulted in a weight reduction of 3kgs compared to previous season.
Wildwood fixed-type PS1 Caliper with 5cm2 piston area gives good pedal force utilization and has
compact lightweight geometry. Corresponding to PS1 caliper, Willwood’s sintered metallic brake
pads were selected as they provides excellent cold torque response at around 250oC [operating
range found from thermal analysis]. Stainless steel buttons integrate floating-rotor with hub using
circlip, allowing rotor an axial freedom of 1.7 mm that keeps it centred between brake-pads. This
avoids pad knockback, giving us even pad wear and consistent brake feel. Rotor was manufactured
from Alloy Carbon Steel as it provides good thermal transfer characteristics and has directional
stability at elevated temperatures.

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 1405

Master cylinder assembly

2501

DETAIL B
SCALE 1 : 2

MATERIAL: N/A PART : Full Assembly: TOP VIEW

Team Name: IITK Motorsports

IITK Motorsports All dimensions in mm A4
Car ##90
Car 91 SCALE1:10 SHEET 1 OF 3
 Master Cylinder Holder lower than front bulkhead
but above the lowest chassis member

ALL MOUNT IN DOUBLE SHEER

DETAIL G
SCALE 1 : 5

DETAIL B
SCALE 1 : 1

GROUND LINE

MATERIAL: N/A PART : Full Assembly: FRONT VIEW

Team Name: IITK Motorsports

IITK Motorsports All dimensions in mm A4
Car ##90
Car 91 SCALE1:10 SHEET 2 OF 3
 1224

1538

Steering angle selection

based on ergonomic study
15°

Manual Gear Shifter

MATERIAL: N/A PART : Full Assembly: SIDE VIEW

Team IITK
Name: IITK Motorsports
Motorsports All dimensions in mm A4
Car #90
Car# 91 SCALE1:10 SHEET 3 OF 3
 Isometric View

FRP Light weight seat

Nose Cone

Oz Wheel 7X13,22 mm neg. offset, forged AI

Floating Rotor

Lock nut, metric grade 8.8

Singled row tapered roller bearing

Front upright

SCALE 1 : 5

FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY

IITK Motorsports
Team Name:
Car IITK
#90 Motorsports
Car # 91