Design, Analysis and Manufacture of a Tube Chassis and Related Components for SAE Baja
Date
2020-05-05
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Abstract
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) holds yearly International Collegiate Design Series (CDS) competitions. The SAE Baja competition is the most rugged of the CDS, requiring students to design and build an all-weather off-road vehicle from the ground up. This thesis is a documentation of my contribution to Alfred University’s Saxon Racing vehicle for the 2020 SAE Baja competition. I am the team lead for the Frame team. I also have made a number of contributions to the suspension team and performed organized testing for the drivetrain team. It is important to note that the Baja project is very distinctly a team project. My team has four other members, and all of them have contributed significantly to the project. As the Frame team lead, my work on the chassis was comprehensive. My team handled design, analysis and manufacturing of the frame. Primary concerns in chassis design were guaranteeing a pass at tech inspection with as little weight as possible, and having a design that was compatible with the 4WD drivetrain components as well as well as being able to adapt to the multilink rear suspension system. Analysis on unique or novel members in my frame was performed with FEA software. Team Captain, Austin Gibson and I manufactured our welded tube chassis in house, and worked to resolve the numerous manufacturing challenges together to create a finished frame. Additionally, throughout the season I offered input on the design of the front suspension components, most notably in creating an upright that was capable of being manufactured. My experience with ANSYS FEA led me to spearhead the analysis of suspension components using the software.
Description
Thesis completed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Alfred University Honors Program.
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Thesis
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Honors thesis, Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), SAE Baja competition, Engineering, Vehicles, Saxon Racing Club