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Automotive Engineering Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Automotive Engineering

Reinventing The Wheel, Esther K. Unti, Ahmed Z. Shorab, Patrick B. Kragen, Adam M. Menashe Dec 2018

Reinventing The Wheel, Esther K. Unti, Ahmed Z. Shorab, Patrick B. Kragen, Adam M. Menashe

Mechanical Engineering

Reinventing the Wheel selected tires and designed wheels for the 2018 Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo Formula SAE combustion vehicle. Available tire options were evaluated for steady-state and transient performance as well as vehicle integration. A single-piece composite wheel with hollow spokes was designed to meet stiffness, strength, and tolerance requirements. A detailed study of wheel loading and geometric structural efficiency was performed. Finite element analysis was used to iterate the geometry and laminate. A two-piece male mold was designed and machined to manufacture the wheel. Removable silicone inserts were used to create the hollow spokes.


Lithium And The Foreseeable Future, Paolo Vargas May 2018

Lithium And The Foreseeable Future, Paolo Vargas

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

This paper aims to clarify the uncertainties regarding worldwide lithium resource availability in the years to come. Previous studies made on the subject are presented with some ambiguity and this work intends to fill the gaps. The information and data presented throughout this script with respect to global lithium resources and reserves are mostly based on data released by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Lithium resource availability in the future is a point of paramount significance primarily for the automotive, portable electronics, and the power generation industry. Since, a change of supply would ultimately affect the price of lithium, …


Mechanical Characterization And Shear Test Comparison For Continuous-Fiber Polymer Composites, Matthew Crossan Apr 2018

Mechanical Characterization And Shear Test Comparison For Continuous-Fiber Polymer Composites, Matthew Crossan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

As fiber-reinforced composites continue to be used in a wide-range of high performance structures, more detailed understanding and accurate prediction of stress-strain behaviour is necessary to improving designs and reducing costs. This thesis compares the experimental behaviour of a continuous fiber polymer composite of carbon fiber and epoxy resin using Digital Image Correlation to analytical and theoretical predictions. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of shear testing methods reveals the advantages and limitations of different testing standards. Finally, the limitations of the Iosipescu Shear test (ASTM 5379) fixture to break high-strain-to-failure composites in comparison to the V-notched Rail Shear Fixture (ASTM 7078) …


Manufacturing A Composite Wheel Prototype Using 3d Printed Molds, Steven Thuening Jan 2018

Manufacturing A Composite Wheel Prototype Using 3d Printed Molds, Steven Thuening

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Throughout the evolution of high performance racing, a large emphasis has been on reducing the weight of the vehicle in order to improve its performance. Over the years, new designs and materials have been introduced reducing weight in a variety of different locations. Comparing weight reduced in different areas has shown that some areas are more valuable to reduce than others are. Perhaps one of the most beneficial locations are the wheels. This is because the mass of the wheel is considered unsprung and rotational. Because of this, large improvements towards the reduction of wheel mass have been developed in …