Introduction
ASU Racing group is the present holder of the general idea class engineering design award in Europe’s most established instructional engineering competitors: Formulation Pupil UK. The group ranked fifth worldwide within the autonomous driving class. ASU Racing Group actively participates and excels in different worldwide competitions, together with:
- Formulation Pupil UK
- Shell Eco-marathon
- EVER – Electrical Automobile Rally
The competitors offered us with a great alternative to reveal our engineering information and check and enhance our capabilities to ship a fancy and built-in product within the demanding setting of a motorsport competitors because it challenges us to design, construct and race a single seat racing automobile in a single 12 months and we’ve got been taking part in FSUK since 2012 with a imaginative and prescient of influencing the automotive trade in Egypt.
The highway from design idea to Silverstone observe
Because of the highly effective modeling and simulation software program offered by MathWorks. The group was in a position to observe the model-driven design strategy which facilitated overcoming a number of challenges related to designing a race automobile because the group had a chance to optimize the design and streamline the manufacturing course of.
Developed fashions and simulations:
All through their journey, ASU Racing Group has developed a spread of fashions and simulations to reinforce the design course of of assorted programs. These instruments allow the group to investigate, optimize, and refine their designs, guaranteeing the best stage of efficiency and effectivity. Some notable examples of the group’s improvements embody:
- Tire mannequin: ASU Racing Group has developed a classy tire mannequin that precisely simulates the behaviour of the tires underneath totally different circumstances, enabling them to optimize automobile dynamics and efficiency.
- Driveline mannequin: By making a complete driveline mannequin, the group can analyze energy transmission, torque distribution, and effectivity, resulting in improved general automobile efficiency.
- Suspension vibrational mannequin: ASU Racing Group has developed a simulation that precisely predicts the habits of the suspension system, permitting for exact tuning and optimization to reinforce automobile stability and dealing with.
- Brakes mannequin: This mannequin permits the group to simulate and analyze the habits of the braking system underneath totally different eventualities and circumstances. By contemplating components comparable to brake pad materials, rotor dimension, and hydraulic strain.
- Lap time simulation: The group makes use of a lap time simulation instrument, which considers varied parameters comparable to automobile dynamics, powertrain efficiency, and observe circumstances. This allows them to strategize and optimize their race efficiency.
- Powertrain optimization: ASU Racing Group focuses on optimizing the powertrain system, using simulations to fine-tune engine efficiency, drivability, and gasoline effectivity.
We’ll break down the method intimately for particular fashions within the following sections.
Constructing a Dynamic Simulink Mannequin for a Formulation Pupil automobile Brake System
To optimize the brake system design, the group realized the need of implementing an correct mannequin that includes varied automobile parameters. This complete mannequin would allow an in-depth evaluation of the brake system’s efficiency.
Breaking down the issue
The brake mannequin depends on the tire mannequin as an enter and integrates the automobile’s aerodynamic parameters. The system was divided into a number of subsystems, together with Power Distribution, Rotor Diameters, Locking Time, Grasp Cylinder Calculation, Adhesion Power Calculation, and Stopping Distance Calculation. Every calculation offered important outputs that had been utilized in subsequent phases.
How did we implement it?
The group collected the mandatory data for the mannequin, together with static weight distribution and the Mu vs. Slip ratio curve for the tire. By using weight switch equations, the required braking power and braking bias ratio had been calculated.
Outcomes
The developed mannequin produced a number of key outputs, together with the utmost stopping distance from a given pace, the utmost braking power, and the optimum brake bias. These outcomes allow an intensive understanding of the brake system’s efficiency and assist in its optimization.
Growing Lap-Time simulation for a Formulation Pupil automobile utilizing MATLAB.
Designing a high-performance automobile requires exact tuning and intensive evaluation. Recognizing the necessity for an correct lap-time simulation, the group launched into creating their very own answer. Present software program choices had been both costly or relied on estimations, prompting the group to create a cheaper and dependable simulation utilizing MATLAB.
Breaking down the issue
The group wanted the simulation to be as correct as doable to be environment friendly, additionally the simulation ought to have the ability to output the automobile parameters amongst totally different tracks comparable to wheel hundreds, steering angles, throttle and brakes operation, and so forth.
The group began looking for assets and surveying the optimum software program to make use of, MATLAB being a robust software program in a position to remedy exhausting mathematical equations was the proper choice amongst different software program.
How did we implement it?
We began by simplifying the issue through the use of a quasistatic strategy which is a much less correct strategy however excellent to get into understanding the issue, then we needed to analyse the observe by getting the utmost pace allowable for the automobile at every level on the observe, the automobile was them accelerated and decelerated at every level on observe with the least pace at every level being the optimum.
To compensate for the diminished accuracy of the quasistatic strategy, the group integrated a full automobile mannequin, in addition to their developed powertrain and tire fashions. This integration ensured a extra correct simulation in comparison with freely obtainable software program and provided an economical various to paid options, efficiently reaching the group’s aims.
Outcomes
The developed simulation yielded a number of precious outputs, together with warmth maps of the observe and an Excel file detailing the automobile’s situation at every level (pace, acceleration, slip angle, steering angle, wheel hundreds, and so forth.). These outputs had been utilized within the fatigue evaluation of crucial automobile components.
Growing Simulink battery mannequin for a Formulation Pupil automobile.
Designing a high-performance automobile requires exact tuning and intensive evaluation. The group aimed to estimate very important metrics comparable to battery capability, state of cost, and temperature rise on the observe.
Breaking down the issue
The group wanted to simulate the automobile’s habits on the endurance observe to estimate its required capability, SoC, temperature rise, and its energy draw at any given level on the observe. The preliminary capability for the battery was decided by conducting an Optimum lap simulation targeted on the endurance occasion. Subsequently, a Simulink mannequin was developed to validate the outcomes and guarantee extra dependable decision-making.
How did we implement it?
An equation-based Simulink mannequin is completed. Its primary enter parameter is the velocity-time graph taken from Optimum lap, adopted by a collection of equations to calculate the required capability, SoC, and temperature rise. As well as, the Simulink mannequin offered precious insights for the battery system. It decided the optimum configuration of cells in collection and parallel to fulfill the efficiency necessities. Moreover, the mannequin generated essential information, together with the temperature rise through the endurance occasion, energy dissipation, and the required stream fee to attenuate the temperature rise throughout the battery throughout operation.
Outcomes
Key Takeaways
By way of the method of creating the simulation, the group found that utilizing MATLAB considerably saved effort and time, because of its distinctive pace and highly effective capabilities. The software program proved to be a flexible and environment friendly alternative for fixing a variety of complicated issues.
In case you have any feedback or questions on this challenge, be happy to achieve out to us by way of LinkedIn or Fb @ASU Racing Group!
