Shell Eco-marathon - Steering System Design
Final Year Group Project | Duration: 8 Months | 2018-2019
Competition Overview
Shell Eco-marathon is a competition for University Student Teams around the world. The goal is to develop lightweight energy-efficient concept cars using one of the following energy types:
For the Urban-Concept class, teams are required to design and build a road-legal car (with headlights, indicator signals etc.) which then compete for the best mileage performance (over one lap) and ultimately race each other in a traditional race.
For the Prototype class, teams are to design an ultra-efficient single-seater car to achieve the best mileage performance.
- Internal Combustion Engine (gasoline/petrol, diesel, ethanol)
- Battery-Electric
- Hydrogen Fuel Cell
For the Urban-Concept class, teams are required to design and build a road-legal car (with headlights, indicator signals etc.) which then compete for the best mileage performance (over one lap) and ultimately race each other in a traditional race.
For the Prototype class, teams are to design an ultra-efficient single-seater car to achieve the best mileage performance.
Project Brief
During my final year at university, my project was to design and build a single-seater car for the Shell Eco-marathon competition. I worked within a team of six.
Our team was tasked with designing and building a Prototype class car which used a 100cc petrol engine. I was responsible for the design and manufacture of the cars’ steering system. The following sections illustrate the design and manufacture of the steering system.
Our team was tasked with designing and building a Prototype class car which used a 100cc petrol engine. I was responsible for the design and manufacture of the cars’ steering system. The following sections illustrate the design and manufacture of the steering system.
Design
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The steering system design utilises sheet metal and off-the-shelf components to reduce machining costs and allow for many of the components to be prepared in-house.
The mounting method for attaching the wheel to the chassis was simplified to using threaded rods which go straight into the chassis. This limited some of the technical aspects of the steering system such as caster but removed the need for complicated flooring, bodywork and additions to the chassis. The brake caliper mount was designed to be adjustable during setup. |
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Manufacture
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Sheet metal components were laser-cut and folded while the bars and tubes were prepared using a lathe before being welded.
Stainless Steel was adopted for the design for its welding properties and to avoid needing surface treatment ensuring the work could be completed in-house with limited resources. |
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