DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF ONE-PIECE 10” CARBON FIBER WHEELS FOR ZIPS RACING ZR20 FORMULA SAE RACECAR

Reducing the weight of a vehicle in racing can substantially improve the vehicle dynamics and general performance capabilities. More specifically, the reduction of the unsprung corner weight can provide noticeable performance gains in handling and responsiveness, leading to a quicker, more agile car due to a lower yawing moment of inertia. Unsprung weight reduction also improves the car’s ability to maintain contact between the tires and the road surface for a more consistent grip. In this project we identified the loads that act on the wheel rims according to the data collected from the sensors in the car’s suspension, and we used that data to design a lighter and stronger carbon fiber wheel to handle those extreme load conditions. Decreasing the weight of the wheel itself (changing materials from aluminum to carbon fiber) will reduce the unsprung corner weight as well as the rotating mass