Design and Analysis of a Monocoque Chassis for an Electric Formula SAE Vehicle

Abstract

The chassis design of a racecar is fundamental to unlocking the maximum vehicle performance by supporting the applied external loads with a low-mass, high-stiffness structure. Thus far, MIT’s Formula SAE team has developed and utilized welded steel tube chassis designs for their racecars due to their relative simplicity and economy.

By taking advantage of the directional stiffness of anisotropic carbon fiber materials, a monocoque design offers a stiffer structure with similar or lower total mass resulting in a high specific stiffness design that out-performs conventional welded designs. This thesis provides a detailed background on chassis design and the necessary design requirements to meet performance targets and competition regulations. Composite laminate designs are proposed and then integrated into a full-chassis structural design that is then analyzed for torsional stiffness in the ANSYS FEM package. Finally, potted insert design and avenues for future development are considered.