FSAE Intake Preliminary Design & Acoustic Tuning

FSAE Fuel Injector Placement, CAD Modeling & Spray Testing

Physical Spray Bench & Cone Angle Testing Rig:

• Designed a 3D-printable/clamp-mounted bench testing apparatus to fix the injector at a precise 100 mm vertical offset (H) above a target plate.

• Formulated the experimental spray pattern protocol using pressurized solvent and 9V battery pulse triggers to capture wet-pattern circle diameters (D).

• Applied trigonometric relations (theta = 2 * arctan(D / (2 * H))) to convert physical spray circle dimensions directly into true cone angles for CAD refinement.

Manufacturing & Material Selection Plan:

• Selected 3D-printed PETG/ABS/Nylon for initial fitment prototypes and spray testing rigs.

• Specified CNC-machined 6061-T6 Aluminum for final runner bosses to handle 60 to 100°C engine bay temperatures, fuel exposure, and O-ring sealing pressures.

FSAE Intake CFD Simulation & Aerodynamic Diagnosis

Executed 3D numerical fluid simulations in ANSYS Fluent and SolidWorks Flow Simulation to analyze compressible internal flow dynamics, static/total pressure drops, and velocity profiles across single intake runners. Diagnosed unphysical pressure drops on initial CAD geometries, using first-principles compressible fluid dynamics to identify choked flow conditions and resize internal runner diameters.  

CFD Mass Flow & Boundary Setup (ANSYS Fluent):

• Configured single active runner domain with a 0.0007318 m^2 outer boundary surface (30.5 mm outer diameter).

• Calculated true internal flow area (A = 0.0005107 m^2) for initial baseline geometry based on a 25.5 mm inner diameter and 2.5 mm wall thickness.

• Achieved 100% mass flow rate balance between inlet and outlet boundaries across 16 solver iterations.

Aerodynamic Breakdown & Choked Flow Diagnosis:

Initial Result: ANSYS Fluent reported a net total pressure drop (Delta P) of 175.35 kPa (Outlet Total Pressure: -175,352.36 Pa).

Analytical Validation: Identified that a 175.35 kPa drop is physically impossible for an atmospheric intake tract and conducted manual velocity/Mach checks:

V = mass flow rate / (density * Area) = 0.01839 kg/s / (1.225 kg/m^3 * 0.0005107 m^2) approx 294 m/s

Mach Number (M) = 294 m/s / 343 m/s approx 0.86 Mach

Engineering Correction: Proved that the high velocity (0.86 Mach) in the pre-adjusted 25.5 mm ID runner caused severe compressibility effects and choking losses, dictating an upscale in runner cross-sectional area (up to 51 mm OD) to bring internal flow velocities back into the optimal 0.2 to 0.3 Mach range.

FSAE Steering System CAD Assembly & CSM Integration

Modeled, integrated, and validated the complete mechanical steering system for the Ravens Racing Formula FSAE vehicle within the top-level Car Space Model (CSM). Packaged the entire assembly from the driver-facing quick-release steering wheel hub down to the chassis-mounted steering rack to resolve hard spatial clearances, ensure driver ergonomics, and maintain parametric agility across frame iterations.  

FSAE Intake Material Selection & Thermal-Structural Validation

Evaluated, selected, and validated materials across the intake manifold assembly for the Ravens Racing Formula SAE vehicle. Balanced heat deflection, fuel resistance, structural vacuum integrity, weight reduction, and rapid prototyping feasibility across 3D-printed polymers and CNC-machined alloys.

FSAE Plenum Fluid Dynamics: Static Pressure, Velocity & Mass Flow Analysis

Calculated and evaluated internal fluid dynamics at the base of the intake plenum for the Ravens Racing Formula SAE engine. Evaluated static pressure distribution, inlet base velocity profiles, and air mass flow rates across active bellmouth runner entries to ensure equal mass distribution across all cylinders and eliminate flow choking under restricted intake conditions.  

FSAE Steering System CAD Assembly & CSM Integration

Designed, audited, and integrated the complete RR26-27 double U-joint steering system for the Ravens Racing FSAE vehicle inside the top-level Car Space Model (CSM). Solved driver knee and shin packaging interference caused by a 55 degree reclined seat posture using a 3-part shaft routing that preserves over 50 mm of dynamic clearance.  Eliminated rotational binding by enforcing matching U-joint operating angles (alpha1 = alpha2) and in-phase yoke alignments in 3D CAD. Sized hollow column tubes and designed internal shoulder transition inserts to eliminate torsional shear stress concentrations (tau = T * r / J) under a 50 Nm driver input torque. Audited the full layout for 100% FSAE compliance—verifying front hoop clearances, quick-disconnect rules, and Grade 8.8 / AN locking hardware—while tying shaft centerlines parametrically to chassis datums.

FSAE Suspension Bell Crank Pivot & Chassis Mount Structural Validation

Validated and optimized the bell crank pivot assembly and chassis mounting tabs for the FSAE suspension geometry. Conducted double shear, bearing stress, and edge tear-out calculations on a 3/8 inch (Grade 1020 steel) pivot bolt, confirming structural integrity with a shear factor of safety of 4.31 (tau = 46.84 MPa against S_sy = 202 MPa).

Evaluated bearing stresses across both the steel chassis tabs (FOS = 3.17, sigma_b = 110.37 MPa) and the 6061-T6 aluminum bell crank rocker hub (FOS > 5.0), ensuring zero risk of hole ovalization or material crushing. Identified and resolved CAD model hole size discrepancies (1/4 inch to 3/8 inch) and recommended expanding the tab outer radius (12.5 mm to around 16 to 19 mm) to increase the edge-distance-to-diameter ratio (R/d = 1.31) against potential tear-out failure.

FSAE Intake Plenum TMAP Sensor Placement & Fluid-Dynamic Optimization

Engineered and validated the optimal spatial mounting location for the Temperature and Manifold Absolute Pressure (TMAP) sensor on the FSAE intake plenum to ensure clean, accurate ECU sensor telemetry. Placed the sensor on the plenum roof centered between runners 2 and 3, maintaining a greater than or equal to 50.4 mm (2D) clearance from the bellmouth entrances to eliminate local runner pulse distortion.

Conducted a Helmholtz resonance analysis (f_H approx 137 Hz), proving that the plenum effectively dampens intake pulses at peak engine speed (11,000 RPM, 366.7 Hz pulse frequency, ratio = 2.68). Enforced a greater than or equal to 40 mm radial offset from the inlet diverger jet core, preventing a 0.091 kPa dynamic pressure bias (q = 1/2 * density * U^2 at 12.5 m/s) to guarantee true static pressure measurement and proper IAT thermal mixing.