DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF THE TORSIONAL STIFFNESS OF THE CHASSIS OF A COMPETITION PROPOTYPE FORMULA SAE USING THE FINITE ELEMENT METHOD
Palavras-chave:
Chassis, Formula SAE, MEF, torsional stiffness.Resumo
The torsional stiffness of the chassis of a competition prototype is one of the main factors to be analyzed
in structural design. Regarding the vehicle dynamics, the chassis design must have enough torsional stiffness so
that the suspension work does not influence the structure behavior. On the other hand, the chassis should not have
excessive weight, since it is a high performance prototype. In this context, the structural design of the chassis
should take into consideration the balance of the functional aspect (torsional stiffness) and its performance (weight
factor). The purpose of the present work is to design and analyze the torsional stiffness of the chassis of a Formula
SAE Prototype of competition, when subject to the efforts arising from the suspension as a function of vehicle
dynamics during a competition. The finite element study aims to replace the bench test, which in most cases
demands excessive time and high cost. Simulations performed with SolidWorks software will serve to validate
and verify the compatibility of the results found. The results obtained will be presented through the main torsional
stiffness indicator and the other indicators related to the stress and strain variables.
