Who we are, what is Formula SAE, and why it is important.

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What is Formula VanCougs?

        Formula VanCougs is a co-curricular multidisciplinary teaming and design club with 24 members that is tailored to augment classical classroom engineering education with active and collaborative project-centered experiential learning through building an Electric Formula SAE Racecar. Design, creativity, inventiveness, hands-on learning, project management, teaming, and leadership become the value-added education based on an international competition developed by SAE International.

What is Formula SAE?

        Formula SAE(FSAE) has existed since 1978. The premise behind the project is that the student team is developing a prototype electric vehicle, as seen in Figure 1, for the target market of a weekend autocross racer. The student team then “sells” their design to a fictional manufacturing company which evaluates the design on its performance features and its viability as a production vehicle. Vehicle performance and manufacturability are assessed through several different competition events. Static events involve presentations and written documentation while dynamic events demonstrate the actual capabilities of the vehicle which is driven by a student. The static events include a cost report detailing the production cost of the vehicle, a marketing presentation focused on vehicle manufacturing processes and costs, a critical review of the car’s design by judges having vehicle design expertise, and a technical safety inspection. The dynamic events consist of a straight-line acceleration test, a handling test on a figure-eight-shaped course, an autocross event around a one-mile track, a twelve-mile endurance event, and an energy efficiency event. These competitions are held in six locations worldwide, including two in the United States. We plan to compete in the California Competition by the fall of 2023. 

Figure 1 - "Wazzu Racing's Internal Combustion FSAE Car"

        The structural analysis appears throughout the vehicle design. A frame capable of supporting the dynamic loads of the vehicle must be designed. Suspension members that support loads necessary to keep the car on the track in a 1.5G turn must be created. A differential is usually necessary to transmit motor output to the rear axle, which requires a housing that can support the applied torque. All parts of the car must be mounted to the frame, requiring an appropriate selection of support points. 

Figure 2 - Formula VanCougs Front Suspension DesignFigure 3 - Formula VanCougs Front Suspension Geometry Sketch
     Other topics factor more subtly into the vehicle’s design. Ergonomics must be considered, as the vehicle has to accommodate the 95th percentile male while allowing the driver to exit in fewer than five seconds. The car must decelerate from a frontal impact by use of an attenuator that transmits loads safely through the frame and around the driver. Student designers must choose appropriate materials for the different parts of the car, considering the fatigue life of parts, yield or rupture strength, and overall weight.  

Figure 4 - Formula VanCougs Demo Frame

              In addition to the diverse technical demands of the project, many other benefits have been documented by various schools. Kettering University surveyed alumni and found that students who participated in the SAE collegiate design series found that their educational experience was enhanced, they were better prepared for employment, and they had improved perceptions of the university.[2] Montana State University noted that students participating in FSAE tackled challenging design problems, learned collaboration skills through managing interfaces between systems, and dealt with project management issues such as budgeting, decisions to make or buy components, assembly sequencing, and quality assurance.[3] Clarkson University discussed the benefits of student competitions in general, including FSAE, Concrete Canoe, Steel Bridge, and FIRST Robotics. This institution emphasized that students participating in these competition-based activities were given opportunities to apply classroom learning to real-world projects to learn first-hand how manufacturing impacts design, to improve leadership and interpersonal skills, and to develop skills that are marketable in a job search.[4] California State Polytechnic University-Pomona found that many industry recruiters specifically request interviews with students who participate in an SAE project, indicating industry values the self-motivation, technical skills, and experience developed by these students.[5] 

 See Bibliography 

 

 If you have any questions or concerns about the project please feel free to reach out to the Team Captain: Steven.selix@wsu.edu