Design of a dry sump lubrication system for a Honda® CBR 600 F4i engine for Formula SAE applications

Abstract

A dry sump lubrication system for a Formula SAE race car was designed and manufactured in order to gain the various advantages this type of system affords. A dry sump system stores oil in an external tank and pumps it between the engine and tank as needed. This allows for a shallower oil pan, which permits lower engine placement. This lower placement improves handling through a lower center of gravity. Additionally, the highly stressed racing engine, a Honda CBR 600 F4i, receives more constant lubrication than a conventional wet sump system. The system included design of a new pan, tank and the associated bracketry and hoses that are needed to make the system functional. The design of the system stressed reliability while keeping an eye on weight to minimize it whenever possible. Detailed analysis and the methodology driving the design choices are presented here along with simple dry sump theory. This document serves as the roadmap through the design of the first dry sump system on an MIT FSAE car. It should prove beneficial to the team when the official design report is created for the competition. Lastly, it will help assist future members who certainly aim to refine the package in subsequent years to make it smaller, cheaper, lighter, more reliable and simply better performing overall.