Our Crowdfunding Groups
Last year, the UNC Charlotte Department of Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Science undertook the project of designing and building a Formula SAE EV car to attend the FSAE competition in the Spring of 2023.
With the automotive industry leaning toward electrification, the 49ers Racing team decided to venture into a new series of competitions in Electric Vehicles. Formula SAE is a student design competition where students design, build, and race a single-seater, open-wheeled race car.
While a new venture is great for student training and education, it comes with many new costs, as the challenge presented has a vastly different solution to that of an internal combustion vehicle. Our team operates on a stringent budget every year.
Donate today to help our team purchase parts, test, and compete with UNC Charlotte's first electric FSAE vehicle.
Our Chassis Team commenced manufacturing on February 20, 2024, and welding on February 24, 2024. Our chassis is crafted from 4130 chromoly steel and is MIG welded by our team. Our innovative skateboard chassis design incorporates 1" tubes of three different thicknesses: 0.049", 0.065", and 0.095". We utilized fixtures produced on our 3D printer using PETG filament to ensure tight tolerance during assembly. We will finalize welding on the chassis main frame in the upcoming weeks. Additionally, we will collaborate closely with the vehicle dynamics team to seamlessly integrate suspension components.
The Powertrain development team has been hard at work programming our Cascadia Motion PM100dx inverter and Emrax 228. We have successfully established complete control of our motor, full data acquisition, error logging, and driver display information through our Motec M150 VCU and C125 dash. The accumulator team has been busy designing our new high-voltage battery pack powered by high-energy-density Samsung SDI prismatic cells. Learning from last year’s lessons, we are developing this year’s pack with a focus on simplicity in design, operation, and reliability.
The Vehicle Dynamics team is responsible for designing, assembling, and tuning our car's suspension. Our Vehicle Dynamitists use math and physics to determine a suspension configuration optimized for speed and controllability. In addition to designing and building the suspension, the "VD" team continuously works on the suspension until competition. Through testing and simulation, we adjust the car's setup, ensuring the car is optimized by the time we arrive in Michigan. Funding for the VD team will go towards stock for components, advanced simulation software, and better teaching materials for new members.
The brake system in our car is crucial for ensuring safe and efficient operation. As we prepare for competition, our brakes must pass two rigorous tests. First, they must be capable of locking all four wheels when the car is traveling at 30 mph. In addition, they must perform reliably during our endurance test and exhibit minimal fade from the rotors, pads, and fluid. Currently, we're in the process of designing lightweight front rotors that excel at dissipating heat. Once these are manufactured and installed on the car, they will work with Wilwood GP200 calipers in the front to provide ample brake force for all our needs. In the rear, we will run Wilwood PS1 calipers with last year's brake rotors. Due to weight transfer under braking, we don't need as big of brakes in the rear and can save weight.
The Aerodynamics sub-team is responsible for designing and testing surfaces that manipulate the airflow around the vehicle's body. Changing how the car interacts with the surrounding atmosphere can dramatically alter the competitiveness of the entire car. Also, the body is the most visible aspect of the car's design, so the design must be sleek and presentable. We can increase the car's performance by optimizing airflow through the cooling system, adding aerodynamic downforce to support lateral acceleration/grip, or decreasing the effects of aerodynamic drag to optimize dynamic efficiency. As a team, we work closely with composite materials to manufacture light yet structurally rigid features to minimize the effects of deformation and momentum. Furthermore, composite materials make it easy to form the streamlined shapes desired for performance increases.
To see where your money is going, we made a cost breakdown chart! This better shows how the kind of donations we receive are distributed among the team and what we need the money for the most. Your donation will help tackle the expenses we have and can help us eliminate the slices of this pie chart!
Matching Donations:
You can double or triple the impact of your gift if your employer participates in a matching gift program. To see if your employer has a matching gift program, click here. If your company matches, complete your matching gift form and submit it to UNC Charlotte via mail (UNC Charlotte Foundation, 9201 University City Boulevard, Charlotte, NC 28223), fax (704-687-7259) or email (mwinslow@uncc.edu).
