Formula SAE
Nosecone
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For the 2022 Formula SAE season I was the nosecone part holder for Virginia Tech Motorsports, and I worked in conjunction with the chassis part holder and the aerodynamics subteam.
Some of the primary focuses of the development were:
Manufacturing
Serviceability
Safety
Aerodynamics:
The aerodynamics concepts remain largely the same to prior years. The nose is raised from the ground which often seems strange when comparing it to most cars. Prior extensive CFD validation has been performed which shows that the undertray can see performance losses when airflow is restricted/choked. The raised nose in conjunction with shallower angle of attack of the center portion of the front wing main element allows for air to be redirected to feed our undertray. A major difference between the aerodynamics of my nosecone and previous years' is the smooth contours. Not only is it less harsh on the eyes, but it also reduces drag and possible boundary layer separation.
Manufacturing:
The nosecone is made of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer laminate. Producing these parts requires many steps and maintaining tolerances from CAD as well as releasing the parts from the molds have been our team's biggest issues. To address the release issue I maintained a minimum draft angle of 3 degrees from vertical and to address tolerancing I took time to gauge the thickness of different layer counts. By improving the manufacturing method I was able to reduce the nosecone weight by 65% (over 2 lbs).
Step 1: Tooling board
To create a plug for our tool we use a tooling board made of polyurethane foam to create a blank for machining. The density of this tooling board is around 10 pounds per cubic foot. Our team outsources the machining of the plugs to Symmetrix in Mooresville, NC. The image to the right shows the plug after machining to the shape of the nosecone.
Step 2: Plug Surface Prep
The tooling board is slightly porous so it is an undesirable mold surface. We start be sanding the foam to 400 grit then we apply a mold primer. It creates an impermeable hard surface that can be sanded to also produce a smooth tool which makes good looking parts and makes mold release easier. After the primer is applied we dry sand to 400 grit
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