Jaguar F1 Team in Schools Challenge

[mjmurphy]

Hello,

I am new to this forum, so I just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Mitch, I live in North Carolina, and I am a senior in high school. I am very active in all things involving technology in my community, so when I read about the Jaguar F1 Team in Schools Challenge I was immediately interested.

The contest is to design a CO2 powered F1 car using CAD, and build it using CAM and a CNC machine. This of course is a scaled model, and the body must be constructed using balsa wood. They will provide the CAD and CAM software (Solid Edge). I have been following a lot of the aerodynamics posts in this forum, and would like some more help in developing some ideas and some pointers.

Since there will be no regulations regarding aerodynamics, and each car will be powered by a single CO2 cartridge, what design will result in the fastest speed? I personally like the nose-less FW26, but what factors should I keep in mind when designing this car? Any feedback will be greatly appreciated,

Mitch

Here are some links for more detail regarding the challenge:
http://www.f1inschools.us/
http://www.f1inschools.co.uk/

[Monstrobolaxa]

Hi Mitch and welcome! IMO the best thing for you guys to do is a minimal drag "F1-dragster". In your case downforce isn't necessary and aerodynamic features will only bring some extra drag...and would only be visually apealing.

[mjmurphy]

Thanks Monstrobolaxa. What factors contribute to drag? Thanks again,

Mitch

[Monstrobolaxa]

The shape of the car influences drag....

[mjmurphy]

I am thinking the design of the brabham bt49........what do you think?

[bh]

You should be going for the shape of the high speed cars that race at the Bonneville salt flats. They are the lowest drag cars around.

[Guest]

The only problem with that is that speed is not the only determining factor. It needs to resemble an F1 car. Does downforce influence drag, and also what other attributes are in place in modern F1 cars designed to reduce drag. Thanks alot,

Mitch

[manchild]

If you’d only specify at least the era when it matters resemblance. If you can choose from 1950-2005 F1 cars than you should use the design from 1960's pre-wing F1 cars.

Forget about ground effect cars because you don’t need downforce but pure clean aero. As Monstro said cigarette/raindrop shaped car is what you are looking for. I’d go for one of these http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/fer156.htm http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/lotus25.htm
I dont have the dimensions but Ferrari has better shape while Lotus seams to be smaller.

If however the design has to be made using 2005 design envelope than?! Still, I don’t understand if you must use wings…?

[manchild]

You haven’t mentioned the wheels that you’ll be using. Will they all be given to you from competition organizer or will you have to make them too? How will they be connected on axles? What are wheels and axles made of?

Wheels are of highest importance for your project because whatever you gain by good aerodynamics you can loose it due to bad wheels. Let us know more details about propositions, materials for wheels and dimensions.

[manchild]

Sorry, I wrote my previous post without seeing that there are links on your post to competition rules and reg. web sites.

From what I’ve seen trying to copy an exact or even just similar shape of F1 car won’t get you anywhere. What you need is shape more-less similar to this one http://www.f1inschools.co.uk/gallery-item.asp?ID=31 I’d only suggest that you make middle of the chassis with waist that should be thinner than the mid sections of front and rear end of the car. That is necessary to minimise weight.

The key to success are wheels. They should be made with smallest possible diameter (better acceleration and aero) very light and narrow as much as regulations allow. Also, shape of the wheels must be streamlined so that they look like wheels on those solar racers. Wheel width (at surface contact point) must be narrow as much as regulations allow. Don’t use wheels with spokes, they must be fully closed.

Perhaps if regulations allow it you should consider making cartridge chamber with a certain angle pointing the “exhaust” slightly towards surface/racetrack. This angle can be calculated if data about the thrust of the cartridge is known.

Another thing that should be considered (if allowed by reg.) is designing the area around the rear end of the cartridge/car flat and with cylinder
surrounding it (perhaps some 30 – 50mm in diameter, 10 – 20 mm wide). It should prevent more pressure from the cartridge being lost sideways because this way the pressure would push the car forward pressing that flat end within the cylinder. Naturally, the drawing is only a sketch so have in mind stramlining this. This will increase weight and decrease aero performance but it will give you more power and better acceleration especialy having seen that most of other concepts prefer just aero with very thin chassis around cartridge. Anyway, try to use that boost from cartridge as much as possible forcing it to react with rear end of the car insted only on cartridge.

[Guest]

This previous drawing is actually a loophole because regulations impose max. depth of cartridge hole but say nothing about what comes behind opening.

I’ve downloaded reg. and read that the wings and sidepods are a must. Therefore, early ‘60s cars I mentioned are out of the question including any other actual F1 car without wings and sidepods.

“The design of the completed F1 racer should resemble an
actual F1 car and shall include the following features:
• Airfoil on the front, if made from separate material, attached to
the nose of the car
• Raised airfoil on the rear
• Side pods”

Unfortunately the regulations also mention “Distance apart (the distance between the two screw eyes) min 160mm”. Having in mind that overall bodywork length is limited on 210mm this means that you can’t copy any of high nose F1 cars. Combined all together these regulations are forcing you to copy F1 car from early ‘70’s to early-mid ‘90s (forget Tyrell).

[manchild]

Sorry, that was me without logging in.

[mjmurphy]

Thanks manchild,

One question, I have been reading about open-wheeled F1 cars, would this help reduce drag? Thanks

Mitch

[Guest]

The event organisers will provide all CO2
cartridges for the regional finals, national final and
international final.


No. Structure Min. Max.
6a. CO2 cartridge 19 20
chamber diameter
6b. Lowest point of chamber 22.5 30
to the track surface *
6c. Depth of hole 50 60
6d. Wall thickness around cartridge * 3 _

[manchild]

Thanks manchild,

One question, I have been reading about open-wheeled F1 cars, would this help reduce drag? Thanks

Mitch

I don't know what you mean. All F1 cars ARE "open-wheeled F1 cars". Open-wheeled means that aerodynamis cover around the wheels is forbiden (not used). This increases the drag.

Anyway, since reg. say that this competition of yours isn't simply about the speed but also graded on quality of design, complexity etc. I belive that if you could make a racer with great resemblance to an actual F1 car it would secure you higher position even if turns out to be slower than the competitors cars without resemblance to an F1 car.

Perhaps this drawing can be useful to you for picking up dimensions: