Simulations Help Fuel UM Race Team Performance In International Competition

 

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - Oct. 22, 2007 – It takes a year of near-continuous work, but a team of about 30 University of Michigan students can build a small formula-style race car from the ground up, operate and market their own racing organization and participate in an international racing schedule. The Formula SAE (FSAE) competition is a university program of the Society of Automotive Engineers, featuring approximately 140 teams from around the world.

The MRacing team is building cars that successfully compete on the world stage. But more important, the program is producing engineers and enthusiasts trained in the most sophisticated forms of vehicle design and manufacturing on the market today.

Mechanical Simulation Corporation’s CarSim® and SuspensionSim® vehicle dynamics software have helped shorten the team’s design time, and have helped the team take a more proactive approach to vehicle design. “We’re excited to be able to get these tools into the hands of student designers,” said Terry Rhoades, Mechanical Simulation president. “The earlier they are exposed to the benefits of using simulation as part of product development, the more likely they will be to incorporate it into their careers.”

“We’re starting to use more tools in the early stages of design now,” said Jason Moscetti, MRacing team captain. “We used to rush into building our components and tested them once they were built. Now we use CarSim and SuspensionSim to get as much information as possible before we start manufacturing. The results are encouraging.”

Mechanical Simulation’s CarSim software package simulates the dynamic vehicle behavior of cars, light trucks and utility vehicles. The program animates simulated tests and generates about 600 output variables that can be plotted and analyzed, including the “fish hook” test required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The CarSim math models cover the complete vehicle system and its inputs from the driver, ground and aerodynamics.

SuspensionSim analyzes suspension systems for their kinematic and compliance qualities. This software tool features a graphical user interface (GUI) and engineering layout for simple and quick model building and change evaluation. The entire program is PC-based; files created in SuspensionSim can be directly imported by CarSim or TruckSim® for further analysis.

Dave Belo, a member of the MRacing team and a former intern with Mechanical Simulation, works as the team’s simulation group leader, and recently completed the new vehicle’s suspension design. “The suspension is the key design element of the vehicle, and SuspensionSim was very beneficial in our design work,” he said. “We can change some of the details of the vehicle (like tire pressure) and see how it performs. Then we can make the necessary adjustments. SuspensionSim is also very good for data acquisition.”

“Many FSAE teams don’t use simulation to test their designs before they build,” said Damon Becker of Mechanical Simulation. “The teams can produce designs which may have to be scrapped due to the problems they find during testing. This can result in simply rebuilding them with different mistakes. All of this can be avoided with simulation. These programs can help the student teams, as well as the automakers, get vehicles built, tested and on the road more quickly.” Mechanical Simulation works around the world with more than 120 universities, participating in many activities including Formula SAE, teaching, and funded research.

The University of Michigan vehicle is a small version of a Formula 1 racer (with an open wheel and cockpit), and carries the weight and power of a high performance motorcycle. Teams are responsible for designing the entire vehicle, but the MRacing team is unique in the amount of original parts manufacturing they do. “If you make the parts specific to your own car they’ll perform better,” explained Moscetti. The team has a machine shop on campus, and also outsources some of the manufacturing.

Teams typically begin planning and manufacturing activities in the fall for a testing and racing season that takes place in April and May. The competition takes place over several days, beginning with a technical inspection of the vehicle and student presentations about the design of their vehicles. In the first of several elimination rounds, the teams present a detailed report about the proposed pricing of the vehicle if it were available for sale, and how it would be marketed to the public. The on-track events take place over the weekend, and include straight-line acceleration, figure eight and autocross competition, ending with a 22-kilometer endurance race. “Our vehicles are scored based on performance, fuel economy and safe operation,” Moscetti said. “Our goal, as a team, is to improve our performance with every competition.”

About Mechanical Simulation: Mechanical Simulation Corporation is a technology leader in the development and distribution of advanced software used to simulate vehicle performance under a wide variety of conditions. The company was established in 1996, and from its Ann Arbor, Mich., headquarters provides car and truck simulation packages, training and ongoing support to more than 50 OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers, and over 120 universities and government research groups worldwide. For more information, visit www.carsim.com..