9/25/2016

FormulaStudentGermany:DesignJudgingStuff

12June200815:39

DesignJudgingStuff
Category:PatsCorner
By:PatClarke

Hereitis,Junealready,withonlyonemonthtogountilFSG.
MaysawtherunningofFSAEinMichiganandwemustcongratulatethewinnersthere.WesternAustralia,
StuttgartandTUMunichstoodonthepodium,shuttingoutthehometeamsandonceagainprovingthat
theFSGteamsareamongstthebestintheworld.
TUGraztookouttheDesignAward,tomymind,giventheintentofthecompetition,almostasimportant
astheoverallplacings.Congratulationstoallandaspecialmentionofcommiserationtoourfriendsfrom
Helsinkiwhoweredisqualifiedinstrangecircumstanceswheninapodiumposition.
SteveFox&PatattheDesignReviewFSG07

FormulaStudentatSilverstoneisoninbeginningofnextmonth,andwewishasafeandenjoyable
competitiontoallcompetitors.GoodlucktotheFSGgroup.

AlltheEngineeringDesignReportshavebeenpostedandIdownloadedandreadthemovertheweekend.Someareverygood,themajorityarenot
verygoodandasmallnumberdonotmeettherequirementsoftherules.SteveFoxandIdiscussedthisattheDesignReviewlastyear,soeither
teamsarenotlisteningordonothaveagoodknowledgetransferintheirteam.YoucanexpectthissubjecttobecoveredagainintheDesignReview.
WhydoIgoonaboutthis?ItisbecausepreparingDesignBriefstopresenttomanagementisacriticalskillwhenyouareintherealworldof
business.Theengineerscandesignafantasticproduct,butunlesstheycanproperlybrieftheBoardofManagement,theirprojectwillgonowhere.If
FSGisprimarilyaboutEducation,thendevelopmentofthisskilliscrucial.
IhavehadsomeenquiriesaboutwhatthepowertrainJudgeswanttoseeatthecompetition.Someteamsarguethatifa450cccarcanwinoutright,
ashappenedatFSlastyear,thenthereshouldbenorealneedtodevelopa600ccengine.Iseethisargumentasajustificationforlaziness!

Judgesaresk epticalpeople.ThisisClaudeRouelle(R)
Whateverengineisusedandwhateverdevelopmenthasgoneintothepowertrain,theteammustbeabletojustifytheirchoicestotheJudges.They
willwanttohearproperlyreasonedarguments,andlackoftimeand/ormoneyarereasonablearguments.However,thejudgeswillthenwantyouto
technicallyquantifyyourdecision.Itisnotamoneysavingschemetofitanenginethatsuffersoilsurgeandbreaksdownafterafewlapsofthe
enduro.
With30pointssuggestedtoPowertrainonthejudgingmatrix,mostjudgeswillscoreyouasfollows.Theywillallocate15pointstoateamwhoadapt
anappropriatemotorcycleengineanddriveline.Additionalpointswillthenbeallocatedforwelljustifiedenhancementsorapplication.Justbecausea
teamfitaturbochargerdoesnotmeantheywillgetmorepoints.Butiftheyhavereengineeredtheengine(compressionratio,valvesizes,camtiming
etc)andhaveovercometheFSGturbotendencytosuckoilpasttheseals,thentheycanexpectmorepoints.
Ofcourse,sloppy,poorlyexecutedandmisunderstoodinstallationswilllosepoints.Iremembergiving2pointstoateamseveralrearsago.Ofcourse,
thatcardidntrunatall.
RecentlytherehasbeensomediscussiononFSAEforumsaboutfittingacarburetorforsimplicityratherthanthealmoststandardfuelinjection
system.Fittingacarburetorwillalwayscostsomepoints,theexactnumberbeingrelativetohowwelltheteamhaveincorporatedthecarburetorinto
theirdesign.Carburetorsarealwayspotentiallylessefficientthanfuelinjection.Theyneedaventuriandtheresultantpressuredropinordertowork.
Also,theyaddabout7%fuelmasstotheairflowbeforeitpassesthroughthemandatoryrestrictor.Thislimitstheairmass,andthereforetheultimate
poweroftheengine.FitacarburetorandyoucanexpecttotakeabeatingfromtheJudges.

https://www.formulastudent.de/academy/patscorner/advicedetails/article/designjudgingstuff/

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9/25/2016

FormulaStudentGermany:DesignJudgingStuff

AncientSUcarburetoronamodernHondaengine
Removingfirstgearfromthetransmissionmightscoresomepoints,butnotifthatentailsahugerearsprocketwhichactslikeaflywheel.Some
monthsagowetalkedaboutspooldrives.Onthefaceofit,apowertrainJudgemightseesuchadesignasacopoutandmarkitdown,however,ifthe
teamreallyunderstandwhattheyaretryingtoachieveandcandemonstratetotheJudgethereasoningbehindtheirdecision,thenthereshouldbeno
penaltyapplied,andinfact,mightgainsomeextrapoints.
ThecoolingsystemisalsosomethingtheJudgesinspectcarefully.Aproperlysizedandductedradiatorwillimpressthejudges.Somethinghanging
outinthebreeze,hopingsomeairwillflowthroughit,willnot.Teamswhomounttheradiatorattherearofthecarwillbeaskedaboutheattransfer
issuesfirst,andaboutpolarmomentofinertianext.Aradiatoranditshosesfullofwaterandprobablyafanmountedwilladdsignificantmassatthe
extremerearendofthecar.Notonlythat,theairreachingtheradiatorwillbepreheatedasitpassesovertheengine.

Rearmountedradiatorputsmassbehindthewheelbase
Recently,thejudgeshavenotedatrendbyteamstoomitafanintheircoolingsystem.Iassumethisistoreducevehiclemass.Oncethecarpasses
intothehotareaoftheevent,separateblowersandfansarenotpermitted.CertainlytheywillnotbepermittedattheEndurodriverchangewhereheat
soakhasendedmanyagooddrive.Judgeswillnotlookfondlyatcarswithoutacoolingfanunlesstheteamputupaveryconvincingargument.
AnongoingpointthroughthisarticlehasbeenthatateamcanminimisepointlossbyintelligentlydefendingtheirDesigndecisionstotheJudges.This
iswhatFSGjudgingisallabout.Theteammustknoweverythingabouttheirdesignandsomeonemusthaveafullunderstandingofthereasoning
behindeverydesigndecision.TheJudgewillnotjudgeyoubasedonhispreconceptionsunlessyoucannotdefendyourdecisions.
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