Difference between revisions of "Formula SAE"
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'''Formula SAE''' is a [[student design competition]] organized by the [[Society of Automotive Engineers]] (SAE, also known as SAE International). The competition was started back in 1978 and was originally called [http://www.sae.org/students/fsaehistory.pdf SAE Mini Indy]. | '''Formula SAE''' is a [[student design competition]] organized by the [[Society of Automotive Engineers]] (SAE, also known as SAE International). The competition was started back in 1978 and was originally called [http://www.sae.org/students/fsaehistory.pdf SAE Mini Indy]. | ||
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The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team to develop a small [[Formula One|Formula-style]] [[race car]]. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend [[autocross]] racer. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules, whose purpose is both ensuring on-track safety (the cars are driven by the students themselves) and promoting clever problem solving. | The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team to develop a small [[Formula One|Formula-style]] [[race car]]. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend [[autocross]] racer. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules, whose purpose is both ensuring on-track safety (the cars are driven by the students themselves) and promoting clever problem solving. | ||
| − | The prototype race car is judged in a number of different events. The points schedule for most Formula SAE events is: | + | The prototype race car is judged in a number of different events. The points schedule for most Formula SAE events is: Bob Woods, ''1996 Formula SAE Rules'', (Warrendale, PA) : Educational Relations SAE International, p. 4. |
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Formula SAE encompasses all aspects of a business including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management, and fund raising. Formula SAE takes students out of the class room and puts them in the real world. | Formula SAE encompasses all aspects of a business including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management, and fund raising. Formula SAE takes students out of the class room and puts them in the real world. | ||
| − | Big companies, such as [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]], can have staff interact with more than 1000 student engineers. Working in teams of anywhere between two and 30, these students have proved themselves to be capable of producing a functioning prototype vehicle. | + | Big companies, such as [[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]], [[Ford Motor Company|Ford]], and [[Chrysler Corporation|Chrysler]], can have staff interact with more than 1000 student engineers. Working in teams of anywhere between two and 30, these students have proved themselves to be capable of producing a functioning prototype vehicle. |
The volunteers for the design judging include some the racing industry's most prominent engineers and consultants including the late [[Carroll Smith]], Bill Mitchell, Claude Rouelle, [[Jack Auld]], [[John LePlante]], and [[Bryan Kubala]]. | The volunteers for the design judging include some the racing industry's most prominent engineers and consultants including the late [[Carroll Smith]], Bill Mitchell, Claude Rouelle, [[Jack Auld]], [[John LePlante]], and [[Bryan Kubala]]. | ||
Latest revision as of 01:04, 14 March 2009
Formula SAE is a student design competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE, also known as SAE International). The competition was started back in 1978 and was originally called SAE Mini Indy.
Concept
The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team to develop a small Formula-style race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend autocross racer. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules, whose purpose is both ensuring on-track safety (the cars are driven by the students themselves) and promoting clever problem solving.
The prototype race car is judged in a number of different events. The points schedule for most Formula SAE events is: Bob Woods, 1996 Formula SAE Rules, (Warrendale, PA) : Educational Relations SAE International, p. 4.
| Design Event | 150 |
| Cost & Manufacturing Analysis Event | 100 |
| Presentation Event | 75 |
| Acceleration Event | 75 |
| Skidpad Event | 50 |
| Autocross Event | 150 |
| Fuel Economy Event | 100 |
| Endurance Event | 300 |
| Total Points Possible | 1,000 |
In addition to these events, various sponsors of the competition provide awards for superior design accomplishments. For example, best use of E-85 ethanol fuel, innovative use of electronics, recyclability, crash worthiness, and analytical approach to design are some of the awards available. At the beginning of the competition, the vehicle is checked for rule compliance during the Technical Inspection. Its braking ability, rollover stability and noise levels are checked before the vehicle is allowed to compete in the dynamic events (Skidpad, Autocross, Acceleration, Endurance and Fuel Economy).
Formula SAE encompasses all aspects of a business including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management, and fund raising. Formula SAE takes students out of the class room and puts them in the real world.
Big companies, such as General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, can have staff interact with more than 1000 student engineers. Working in teams of anywhere between two and 30, these students have proved themselves to be capable of producing a functioning prototype vehicle.
The volunteers for the design judging include some the racing industry's most prominent engineers and consultants including the late Carroll Smith, Bill Mitchell, Claude Rouelle, Jack Auld, John LePlante, and Bryan Kubala.
Today, the competition has expanded and includes a number of spinoff events. Formula Student is a similar SAE-sanctioned event in the UK, as well as Formula SAE Australasia (Formula SAE-A) taking place in Australia. A Formula SAE West division is taking place in California and the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI) is holding the Formula Student Germany competition at Hockenheimring.
In 2007, an offshoot called Formula Hybrid, similar to Formula SAE except all cars must have gasoline-electric hybrid power plants, was inaugurated. The first two contests were held at the New Hampshire International Speedway. [1]
History
In 1979 the only SAE Mini-Indy was held at the University of Houston. Conceived by Dr. Kurt M. Marshek, the competition was inspired by a how-to article that appeared in Popular Mechanics magazine, for a small, "Indy-style" vehicle made out of wood, and powered by a five horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine. Using the Mini Baja competitions as a guide, engineering students had to design and build small, "Indy-style" vehicles using the same stock engine used in the Popular Mechanics article. Thirteen schools entered and eleven competed, The University of Texas at El Paso won the overall competition.
Although Dr. William Shapton (who had recently left the University of Cincinnati to join Michigan Technological University) broached the idea of hosting a similar competition in 1980, no one stepped up to organize another Mini-Indy.
Three students at the University of Texas at Austin saw the potential and proposed a new mini-Indy with new rules. The new rules kept restriction to a minimum, any four-stroke engine with a 25.4 mm intake restriction. A new name was sought to differentiate the new event from mini-Indy. Students were to design a racing car which couldn't cost over a set amount "as evidenced by receipts".
The University of Texas at Austin hosted the competition through 1984. In 1985, the competition was hosted by The University of Texas at Arlington. There, Dr. Robert Woods, with guidance from the SAE student activities committee, changed the concept of the competition from one where students built a pure racing car, to one that mirrored the SAE Mini-Baja competitions, where they were to design and build a vehicle for limited series production.
General Motors hosted the competition in 1991, Ford Motor Co. in 1992, and Chrysler Corp. in 1993. After the 1992 competition, the three formed a consortium to run Formula SAE.
Winners
See also
External links
- About Formula SAE
- Formula SAE
- Formula SAE West
- Formula Student
- Formula Student Germany
- Formula SAE Japan
- Formula SAE Italy
- Formula SAE Brazil
- Formula SAE Australasia (Formula SAE-A)
- SAE Formula Student, Mini Baja & Formula Hybrid Russia
- FSAE.com Forums - the "unoffical" forums for all competitions
- FStotal.com - Formula SAE and Formula Student News, Tips, Pictures, Videos, ...
- HowStuffWorks.com - How does a Formula SAE Car work?
Team Links
- ACME Racing UNSW@ADFA
- University of Portsmouth
- Rutgers University
- Aston University
- Auburn University
- Brown University
- Brunel University
- California State Polytechnic University Pomona
- California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
- Carleton University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Colorado State University - RamRacing
- Columbia University Formula SAE
- Cornell FSAE
- Clemson University FSAE
- Chalmers Formula Student
- Delft University of Technology Formula Student Team
- Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal - EPM Motorsport
- Ecole de technologie supérieure ETS
- Eindhoven University of Technology - University Racing Eindhoven
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas - Equipe FSAE-UNICAMP
- Ferris State University - Ferris Formula Racing
- Florida Institute of Technology - Florida Tech Motorsports
- Formula Student INSA de Rennes
- Georgia Institute of Technology - GT Motorsports
- Helsinki UAS - Metropolia Motorsport (Stadia Motorsport)
- Iowa State University - ISU Formula SAE
- Kansas State University - Formula SAE
- KTH Racing
- Lakehead University - Thunder Wolf Racing
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT Motorsports
- McGill University - McGill Racing Team
- McMaster University - McMaster Racing Club
- Miami University - Redhawk Racing
- Michigan State University - MSU Formula Racing
- Mississippi State University - MSMotorsports
- Missouri University of Science and Technology - Missouri S&T Racing (Formerly UMR)
- Monash University - Monash Motorsport
- Torque India Racing Club
- National University of Singapore - Team NUS Motorsports
- Northwestern University - Northwestern Formula Racing
- Oregon State University - Beaver Racing
- Ohio State University - Formula Buckeyes
- Queen's University - Queen's FSAE
- Queensland University of Technology - QUT Motorsport
- Rochester Institute of Technology FSAE
- Formula RPI Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
- RMIT University Formula SAE
- San Diego State University Racing
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology FSAE
- Southern Polytechnic State University FSAE
- Stevens Institute of Technology Formula SAE
- Student's Engineering Group MADI (STU), Moscow, Russia
- Swansea University
- FaSTTUBe - Technical University of Berlin
- Universidad Central de Venezuela
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
- Università di Pisa - E-Team Squadra Corse
- University of Adelaide - University of Adelaide Racing Concepts
- University of Akron - Zips Racing
- University of Alabama - Crimson Racing
- University of Alabama in Huntsville - Charger Motorsports
- University of Alberta - Angry Beaver Racing
- University of Applied Sciences Graz - joanneum racing graz
- University of Applied Sciences Munich - FHM Racing Team
- University of Applied Sciences Stralsund - Baltic Racing Team
- Graz University of Technology - TUG Racing Team
- University of Auckland Formula SAE
- University at Buffalo
- University of British Columbia - Formula UBC
- University of Calgary - Schulich Racing
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Cincinnati - Bearcat Motorsports
- University of Colorado
- University of Darmstadt - DART Racing e.V.
- University of Florida - Gator Motorsports
- University of Hertfordshire - UH Racing
- Universtiy of Illinois Chicago - UIC Motorsport
- University of Illinois - Illinimotorsports
- University of Kansas - Jayhawk Motorsports
- University of Maryland - Terps Racing
- University of Melbourne
- University of Michigan Ann Arbor - MRacing
- University of Missouri
- University of New Hampshire - UNH Precision Racing Wikipedia Link
- University of New Mexico - Lobo Motorsports
- University of Newcastle FSAE
- University of Oklahoma - Sooner Racing Team
- University of Ontario Institute of Technology - UOIT Motorsports
- University of Pittsburgh - Panther Racing
- University of Sherbrooke
- University of Siegen - Speeding Scientists Siegen
- University of South Australia
- University of Texas Arlington
- University of Toledo - Rocket Motorsports
- University of Toronto Formula SAE Racing
- University of Ulster - UUJ Racing
- University of Washington Formula Motorsport
- University of Waterloo Formula Motorsports
- University of Western Australia - UWA Motorsport
- University of Western Ontario
- University of Windsor - Lancer Motorsports
- University of Wisconsin - Madison Formula SAE
- Virginia Tech - VT Motorsports
- Washington State University - Washington State Formula SAE
- Washington University in St. Louis - WU Racing
- Western Michigan University - WMU Formula Racing
- Western Washington University - WWU FSAE
- Wayne State University - Warrior Racing
- Universidad Simón Bolívar
- Universidad Central de Venezuela
- University of Salerno - Unisa Racing Team