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Redesign of the Front Suspension Vehicle Prototype for Formula SAE Competition

Victor D. Zambrano, Lenin P. Sangopanta, Juan C. Palacios, Wilson E. Sánchez, Guillermo M. Cruz, and Jorge S. Mena
Departamento de Energía y Mecánica, Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, ID: 60104598, Sangolquí, Ecuador

Abstract—Through the use of structural topological optimization applied to the redesign of the front suspension components of the Formula SAE FESPE 2012 racing prototype and the implementation of materials such as aluminum Al 6061T6 and Al 7075T6 will improve vehicle maneuverability and stability. Analysis: The front and lateral geometry of the front suspension was redesigned, later on by means of a kinematic analysis to obtain the system's dynamic behavior curves and with the development of components through CAD/CAE software (Autodesk Inventor Professional), and supported by a FEA analysis (ANSYS), the maximum stress values in critical operating conditions of the suspension are obtained. Results: The results indicated a mass reduction of about 20.96% for the entire front suspension system, the use of materials such as Al 6061-T6 aluminum axles with an elastic yield stress Sy=276 MPa and Al 7075-T6 aluminum blocks (Sy=503), for CNC machining have a high mechanical resistance capable of withstanding the maximum stresses generated in the movement of the suspension and through the redesign of the geometry, the correct configuration of the camber and caster angles and the height of the rolling center was determined to obtain the maximum grip of the tyre that will provide reliability to the prototype. New/Improvement: A topological optimization study is carried out to improve the structural shape of the component and thus obtain an adequate reduction in the mass of the component, in order to achieve better results in terms of the safety factor of the dynamic design (fatigue). 

Index Terms— FEM analysis, SAE formula, CAD/CAE, suspension system, topological structural optimization

Cite: Victor D. Zambrano, Lenin P. Sangopanta, Juan C. Palacios, Wilson E. Sánchez, Guillermo M. Cruz, and Jorge S. Mena, "Redesign of the Front Suspension Vehicle Prototype for Formula SAE Competition," International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research, Vol. 9, No. 7, pp. 1051-1057, July 2020. DOI: 10.18178/ijmerr.9.7.1051-1057

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