Nicolas Crivelli
2014 Fsae Electric Design
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The 2014 Fsae Electric vehicle's carbon composite monocoque was designed to meet the geometric constraints required by the Fsae regulations. The construction consists of two sections, a lower and upper tub, for ease of manufacturing. The lower tub provides the overall structure of the chassis, while the upper tub is a more aesthetic and lightweight counterpart. The chassis features a cycom 5320-1 cycom prepreg composite and a 5052 Al alloy force flex honeycomb core. The core thickness, ply orientation, and ply amount vary throughout the sections of the chassis.
2014 Fsae Monocoque Design
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The 2014 Fsae Electric vehicle's carbon composite monocoque was designed to meet the geometric constraints required by the Fsae regulations. The construction consists of two sections, a lower and upper tub, for ease of manufacturing. The lower tub provides the overall structure of the chassis, while the upper tub is a more aesthetic and lightweight counterpart. The chassis features a cycom 5320-1 cycom prepreg composite and a 5052 Al alloy force flex honeycomb core. The core thickness, ply orientation, and ply amount vary throughout the sections of the chassis.
Composite Structures
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To conduct a thorough theoretical analysis, I utilized Hexcel's Sandwich Design Guide and reviewed numerous composite monocoque theses from various universities. Hexcel's Core Material Selector Guide was also instrumental in this process. My subsequent approach involved calculating the theoretical stiffness modulus based on ply orientation, employing either the Rule of Mixtures or the Matrix Theorem, and comparing these theoretical results with the empirical data obtained from physical tests.
Bending test on a 5320 - 1 Cycom Plain weave sandwich with 6 laminate plies in total, 3/4" thick 5052 Al force flex Honeycomb, 0 45 0 orientation, & 2 ply of film adhesive.
Shearing of the core during bending shows a successful bending failure Mode & therefore acceptable sandwich design
One of the many pull out tests performed on harness (belt) mounts.
Bending test on a 5320 - 1 Cycom Plain weave sandwich with 6 laminate plies in total, 3/4" thick 5052 Al force flex Honeycomb, 0 45 0 orientation, & 2 ply of film adhesive.
Testing & Manufacturing
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Given the sensitivity of polymers to curing cycles, vacuum conditions, and humidity, sample testing is essential to accurately assess the stiffness of our material in comparison to the manufacturer's specifications. Testing allows us to evaluate potential delamination issues, identify various modes of bending failure, and optimize the panel's thickness and ply orientation based on the obtained results.