Formula SAE is a student competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). The first competition took place in 1978 and was originally called "SAE Mini Indy".
| Formula SAE | |
|---|---|
| Location |  USA : City , Region |
| Site | www.students.sae.org.com |
Content
General concept
According to the competition plan, the student team is an engineering group that must develop, build, test a prototype of a formula-class car for the non-professional racing car market. The test for the teams is the construction of the car itself, which can successfully pass all the disciplines in the competition. The car should be built according to special rules (regulations), the purpose of which is to ensure safety on the track (racing cars are controlled by students), and also to help find a solution to problems arising during development.
The winner of the competition is chosen according to the total number of points scored for the following disciplines:
| Business Plan Presentation | 75 |
| Design presentation | 150 |
| Economic Presentation | 100 |
| Overclocking | 75 |
| Manageability test | 50 |
| Autocross | 150 |
| Fuel Efficiency | 100 |
| Endurance run | 300 |
| Total points | 1000 |
The teams also have a chance to receive awards from various sponsors for the best engineering solution. For example, the use of fuel E-85, innovative electronics, an analytical approach to the design of the car and the overall dynamic characteristics. A prerequisite for admitting a vehicle to participate in dynamic disciplines is technical inspection, where the vehicle is checked for compliance with the requirements of the regulations and safety requirements.
Technical inspection
- Technical inspection (Scrutineering) - checking by judges of the car, additional equipment and equipment of drivers.
- The test on the inclined table is to check the vehicle to determine leaks of fuel and operating fluids (when tilting the car sideways by 45 degrees) and to check its stability against lateral tipping (when tilted by 60 degrees).
- Test for noise - check the noise level of the car
- The brake test is a test of the vehicle’s brake system, in which it is necessary to prove that the brake systems are capable of blocking all four wheels while maintaining the straight-line movement of the car.
Dynamic disciplines
A car is admitted to dynamic disciplines if it has passed a technical inspection.
- Acceleration competition. A series of races for acceleration from a place at a distance of 75 meters. Points are awarded using a special formula according to the regulations, depending on the size of the gap to the best result of the competition.
- Maneuverability competition (Skid-Pad). A series of races on maneuverability, in which the ability of the car to move with lateral overload is checked. Arrivals on the track type "Eight". Points are awarded using a special formula according to the regulations, depending on the size of the gap to the best result of the competition.
- Competitions on precision control (Autocross; at competitions in England - Sprint). Check in two laps for a time on a closed highway about 800 m long from a set of regulated elements. Points are awarded using a special formula according to the regulations, depending on the size of the gap to the best result of the competition.
- Endurance Run. Races with a separate start of 22 km in length on a closed track with a mandatory change of pilot in the middle of the race. Points are awarded using a special formula according to the regulations, depending on the size of the gap to the best result of the competition.
The SAE formula covers all aspects of a business, including research, design, production, testing, development, marketing, management, and fundraising.
Large companies such as General Motors, Ford, Chrysler collaborate with more than 1,000 student engineers, who in turn argue that a team of two to 30 people is able to independently design and build a workable car. Technical inspection judges such as Carroll Smith, Bill Mitchell, Doug Milliken, Claude Rowell, Jack Old John LePlant, Ron Taranak and Brian Cubala are often outstanding engineers and consultants of the racing industry.
To date, the number of countries where the stages of the competition Formula SAE increased significantly. For example, in the UK, one of the largest competitions in Europe is Formula Student UK. The Australian stage SAE Australasia (Formula SAE-A) is also popular. Starting in 2012, the SAE Linkoln Formula Competition has been held in Nebraska; earlier, similar Formula SAE West (USA) competitions were held in California. The Association of German Engineers (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure, VDI) conducts the Formula Student Germany stage at the Hockenheimring circuit. In 2007, a series of student engineering competitions added to another project. This is the Formula Hybrid, an analogue of the formula student, but with a hybrid power plant.
General rules
Student Competition
The rules of the SAE Formula are relatively few restrictions. The team should consist exclusively of students (including riders) who are willing to invest in the project free time, experience and skills. Since the project is non-commercial, accordingly, the rules contain less restrictions than other profitable projects. Students have the right to receive advice and criticism from professional engineers and teachers, but all car designs must be made by the students themselves. Students are also responsible for fundraising, although most successful teams are based on curricula sponsored by the university. In addition, the scoring system is built in such a way that the original design of the car can lead to success. This provides a huge variety of cars in competition, which is a rarity in the world of motor racing.
Engine
The engine for the car must be a piston with a four-stroke thermal cycle with a working volume not exceeding 710 cm 3 (610 cm 3 until 2017) per cycle. A circular cross-section restrictor must be installed downstream of the throttle valve in front of any compressor not exceeding 20 mm for gasoline engines or 19 mm for ethanol-fueled engines. The restrictor keeps the power level below 100 hp. in the vast majority of cars FSAE. The most commonly used engines are the four-cylinder 600cc, from sport motorcycles mainly due to their availability. However, there are many teams that prefer V-Twin engines and single-cylinder engines because of their weight, economy and advantages. Also, teams are allowed to build engines on their own, although this feature is rarely used.
Suspension
There are no special restrictions for the suspension. The main thing is that it complies with safety regulations. Most teams choose an independent suspension, using double wishbones. Active suspension is also allowed.
Aerodynamics
Most teams do not use aerodynamic packages. The speed in the FSAE rarely exceeds 60 mph (97 km / h), and judging tends to condemn aerodynamic details. They must pass wind tunnel tests or computational analysis. The advantage of a well-developed aerodynamic package is obvious; depending on the speed, sometimes even a slow car with good aerodynamics sometimes removes a few seconds from the circle than any other fast car without aerodynamic elements. But, on windy days, in the braking zone, or especially in cases of fuel economy, cars with aerodynamic details can suffer greatly.
Weight
There are no weight limit rules. Usually the weight of an average FSAE machine is less than 500 pounds (230 kg). However, teams are encouraged to adopt a weight saving strategy, such as the use of composite materials, complex and expensive processing methods, and rapid prototyping. In 2009, the importance of a fuel economy item was increased from 50 to 100 points out of 400 points for endurance. This change is marked by a tendency to reduce weight and increase fuel economy. Now, some top teams prefer four, one or two-cylinder engines that consume less energy and allow the car to become about 75 pounds lighter (34 kg) or more, and also provide significant fuel savings. A light one-cylinder car in the Endurance race may lose four cylinder machines in time, but it can return lost points at the expense of points for fuel economy.
Example: At the Formula SAE West 2009 in a race for endurance, the fourth-class car of the Rochester University of Technology finished third, which finished 22 minutes 45 seconds, while fourth-place was taken by the University of Oregon single-cylinder, second place to 2 seconds (22 minutes 47 seconds). As a result, the team from Rochester for the race received 290.6 points out of 300, the team from Oregon 289.2 points. Nevertheless, the single-cylinder car used the least amount of fuel in the whole race compared to any car of this class - 0.671 US gallons (2.54 liters), i.e. 20.3 miles per US gallon (0.116 l / km) and got a full 100 points for energy efficiency, while the four-cylinder car from Rochester used 1,163 US gallons (4.40 liters), i.e. 11.75 miles per US gallon (0.2002 l / km) and received only 23.9 points. In general, the University of Rochester overtook the University of Oregon, but the gap is small: only 8.9 points.
Security
Most of the rules of the SAE Formula are designed for competition safety. In the car, there should be a frame of the designated thickness and alloy, regardless of the composition of the rest of the chassis, the tested attenuator should be on the nose. The car should also have two hydraulic brake circuits, seat belts, and the driver’s position in the cab should follow the geometric pattern. To further verify the safety of the car, arrange a special test (Tilt-test or test on an inclined table), where the car is tilted by 45 and 60 degrees and ensure that there is no leakage of fuel or other liquids on turns.
History
The first competition, similar to the modern Formula SAE, was held in 1978 on the basis of the University of Houston and was called SAE Mini Indy. The initiator of the creation and conduct was Dr. Kurt MarkMarsek. The idea came to him after reading an article in the magazine Popular Mechanics, which told about a car made of wood. Many supported Marshek’s proposal, and the next year the first official competitions were held. The basis of the competition took already known Mini Bach competition. The students had to design and build a small Indy-style car with the same engine stock as in an article from Popular Mechanics. In the first year, 11 universities expressed a desire to participate (out of 13 registered). The winner of the debut competition was the University of Texas at El Paso.
It seemed that the project opened the door to the future, but when Dr. William Shepton spoke about holding such a competition in 1980, no one supported him. Then three students from the University of Texas at Austin suggested to Dr. Ron Matthews to organize similar competitions, but with freer rules. In the new regulations, they reduced the engine requirements to a minimum - in fact, only a restrictive washer (restrictor) with a diameter of 25.4 mm at the inlet was necessary. This proposal was sent to the SAE Department of Education and thus gave rise to the SAE Formula project.
In 1984, the competition was held at the University of Texas at Austin, in 1985 it was organized by the University of Texas at Arlington. There, Dr. Robert Woods, led by the SAE student committee, slightly changed the concept of the competition. Now the students were required to design, build a purely racing car for limited mass production.
In 1992, three leading companies such as General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Corp., formed a consortium to launch Formula SAE.
In 2008, after the competition, the consortium ceased to exist. The event is currently funded by SAE through company sponsorship and from team fees for participating in competitions.