Igniting ideas to make a difference
It was a glorious moment for the team, when they proudly displayed their car FM-XI at the international conference organised by M.I.T. The conference was attended by notable professors from all over the world. The team gained the praise of all dignitaries present at the conference. They also appreciated the support our various sponsors gave us in making FM-XI a reality.
A new challenge, a new car and a new team overflowing with innovative ideas, changes are bound to happen. The research phase was completed and the design phase is in process. With the FMXI back from Italy, the disassembling of the car began. The learning process started as the teammates began to correlate things practically. The mighty roar of the powerful Honda CBR 600 RR was indeed an enthralling moment for the team.
Engine
The Engine team found out capacity of the oil pump. CAD models of the exhaust manifold were made and the engine model was modified. The collectors of different half angles were designed using CATIA. The ANSYS simulation of the restrictor was set up and Bell mouth was also made.
Vehicle dynamics
The preliminary design for the front suspension geometry has been finalized, which has been changed from push rod mechanism to pull rod mechanism. In accordance to the ergonomic calculations, the position of the dampers has been changed from top to bottom making the design of the car more compact. The turn radius has been reduced enormously to around 2.8 meters, which is a big achievement for the vehicle dynamics team.
Brakes
On the brakes front, the space for brake and accelerator pedal was reduced in the new design. For reducing the space, the master cylinders were tested in various orientations by preparing the mounting jigs. This season they will be manufacturing the brake pedal and brake-discs. Also the new wheel assembly was designed on CATIA for testing.
Transmission
The Transmission team has decided to have a foot operated clutch. Electro-Pneumatic circuit was prepared and the system is implemented on static engine with positive results. This season the final drive ratio will be 4:1 as compared to 3.69:1 in FM XI, which will provide better packaging in the rear compared to FM XI. In order to achieve this 44 and 11 teeth sprocket will be used.
Electronics
The Electronics team is engrossed in Engine-Mapping, Electro-pneumatics shifting, Data acquisition and Display. The new RD Engine Control Unit (E.C.U.) has been purchased. They are also setting up paddle shift along with a fully functional pneumatic system. Elementary programs on Lab View for data acquisition were made.
Structure
The greatest success for this month was the manufacturing of the ergonomic apparatus. The first test chassis design has begun in full swing. One half of the Structure team is engaged in designing the chassis while the other half is planning to devise the jigs for mounting and un-mounting the engine on the
chassis.
Don’t you wish to be involved with Formula Manipal? With the overwhelming response of the previous year, this year also team has come up with the ‘BUY a CC’ campaign .This initiative will allow us to integrate our benefactors into the Formula Manipal family like never before.
It is the scientific discipline that helps to make products more comfortable for workers and consumers. In context of a car, that means considering anything from the placement of the steering wheel to how a person sits in the car.
Wondering what Ergonomics is?
Ergonomics is a process which inculcates maximizing user’s safety and car’s efficiency and reliability. An ergonomic apparatus is designed and manufactured to aid in the design of the car cockpit considering the comfort of the driver while in static condition as well as during the race.
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