Formula Student Racing Design - Coursework Example

Module: When making a choice for the materials to be used in the construction of racing cars, it is of great importance to understand the dynamics that influence the choice of these materials. Materials for use in the design and construction of racing cars such as those used in formula one are influenced by processes of demand and supply which are in turn dependent on other requirements such as the required speed of the automobile, the expected light weight performance of the car and the safety of the driver. Formula one cars are highly dependent on the evolving technology and research which is aimed at developing advanced materials and in particular fiber reinforced composites. The use of these materials in this industry can lead to great improvement in the car performance as the vehicles developed are lighter, faster and safer. A racing car has a primary structure which is composed of chassis, engine and the gearbox and the secondary structure which is composed of the body work, under tray, wing configurations and cooler ducting and in this project, we shall identify and discuss materials that can be used in the design ensuring that speed is achieved and at the same time, maintaining ecological balance and safety to the driver. Introduction The automotive industry has made some great strides in the last few decades in terms of the materials used in the design of racing cars. Initially, iron and steel were the main components but through innovative research, engineers have come up with lighter materials which are resistance to tear and wear thus ensuring that speed and safety are enhanced. External factors such as competition among the manufacturers and government policies have had a great impact in the research into the development of racing automobiles that are lighter hence the emission of Carbon(iv) oxide to the environment is minimized. The lightweight technology has been adopted in this industry and research into better and more efficient materials continues. Engine design An engine of a racing car is the most important part of the entire structure and the choice of materials used determines the performance of the vehicle. Recently, research has led to the development of an alloy of magnesium known as Magnesium MSCI which has proved to have much improved characteristics as compared to the other materials. It is 33% lighter in weight as compared to aluminum alloys which are commonly used in the manufacture of engine parts. It has been proven that Magnesium MSCI can be manufactured at a comparable cost using the existing metals and at the same time it meets the extreme physical demands of a combustion engine of a high performance vehicle like formula one racing cars. It can function effectively in high temperature conditions and has a high strength to weight ratio, a high shock and dent resistance capability and it is able to dampen noise and vibrations much better than normal alloys of aluminum and steel. Bodywork design The bodywork of a car can be best designed using composite materials which are generally materials in which two or more constituents have been combined to produce a new material consisting of at least two components that have different chemical properties. In order to develop a composite material that will be effective, ceramic fibers should be mixed with a metal so that it produces a material that consists of a dispersion of the ceramic material within the metal composite. The strength of this metal composite can be enhanced through the elimination and minimization of the flaws and imperfections that exist in the material. A thermosetting polymer can be added to the composite material so as to reinforce the fiber and ensure that the strength of the composite material is improved. Such a composite material falls in the category of PAN based carbon fibers and it can withstand temperatures of up to 4000oC. They normally have a diameter of approximately 7 µm and have a standard modulus. The material has an increased strength and ductility making it more tolerant to damage and tear. This physical property is of great importance in ensuring that the driver is safe and that the chassis can be able to sustain the impact of damage thus protecting the occupant rather than disintegrate as what occurs when the modulus is very high hence low strength fibers are used. Woven products can be added to the composite material so as to enhance the conformance of this material to complex geometrics therefore reducing the time spent in the manufacturing process and also have an improved resistance to damage. The different alloys of carbon used to create composite materials are illustrated in the table below. Table 1: Different components of carbon and their properties. Fiber Type Fiber Fiber diameter HTT(C) Tensile strength Tensile modulus Density T300 Standard modulus 7 1000-1300 3530 230 1.5 1.79 T800 Intermediate modulus 5 1500 5490 294 1.9 1.81 T1000 Intermediate modulus 4.5 1500 6370 294 2.1 1.80 M46J High modulus 4.4 2350 4210 436 1.0 1.84 M55J Ultra high modulus 4.4 2500 3780 540 0.7 1.93 M60 Ultra high modulus 4.4 2600 3920 588 0.7 1.94 Table 2: Different materials and their physical properties. Material density (gcm3) tensile strength tensile modulus specific strength specific modulus steel 7.8 1300 200 167 26 aluminum 2.81 350 73 124 26 titanium 4 900 108 204 25 magnesium 1.8 270 45 150 25 E-glass 2.1 1100 75 524 21.5 Aramid 1.32 1400 45 1060 57 IM carbon 1.51 2500 151 1656 100 HM carbon 1.54 1550 212 1006 138 Data analysis Figure 1: comparison of the densities of different materials. From the graph above, steel has the highest density as compared to the other materials. This affects the weight of the material hence steel is very unsuitable for use in the manufacture of lightweight materials. Magnesium and the carbon components have average densities of 1.81g/cm3 and 1.54 g/cm3 which are much lighter. Figure 2: Comparison of the specific strength of different materials. From the graph above, the carbon components have the highest specific strength while the metallic materials have the least specific strength. This is analogous with the choice of the composite materials in creating bodywork that is strong and safe. Figure 3: Comparison of the densities of different materials. From the graph, carbon material has the highest tensile strength and this also supports the choice of material selected for the bodywork. The tensile strength ensures that the body of the racing car remains intact even after undergoing any form of damage. Conclusion From the discussion and analysis done above, we can conclude that the use of magnesium MSCI offers a good solution in improving the performance of racing cars though reduction of the net weight of the vehicle. This reduces the amount of Carbon (iv)oxide emitted to the environment and improves the speed of the racing cars. References J.Hirsch, ICAA5 (4) Materials Science Forum Volume, 242 Transtec Publications, Switzerland, (1997) S.33-50. E.Brünger, O.Engler, J.Hirsch: "Al-Mg-Si Sheet for Autobody Application" in "Virtual Fabrication of Aluminium Products" chapter I-6, Wiley-VCH Verlag, Weinheim 2006 (ISBN: 3-527-31363-X), pp. 51-61 A Poweleit, 28–29 November 2001, “The Body in White of the New BMW 7er Series”, New Advances in Body Engineering, Body Euro motor, Aachen, Germany. Read More