Archive for April, 2009

Instead of using heavy-weight relays and fuses for our car, this year we chose to use a digital system with small SMD power-chips. These chips provide internal current limitation and the ability to be switched on or off by digital inputs. In fact one fuse and one relay can be replaced by one little SMD chip. Furthermore these chips have an analog status output from which the current that flows trough them can be read. These values are processed by an onboard microcontroller and they are being sent over the CAN-network to the steering wheel and the data-acquisition. The construction of this system has now been completed, and this week the software for sending the information over the CAN-network will be written and implemented. Even without the software the system is fully functional to replace the old fuse and relay box.

URE will use the terrain at Weeze Airport for numerous testing and public relations days. By using the terrain at Weeze Airport the team will have a chance to test the car at real race conditions and analyze the behavior of the car and driver. This is essential to get ready for the European races on Silverstone, the Hockenheim-Ring and Riccardo Paletti this summer.

We performed a number of tests to verify both our carbon fiber material models and our calculations on the carbon fiber chassis. One of these tests being a tensile test on the mounting points where the connection rods are attached to the monocoque. Beside this the carbon fiber was tested on different layup possibilities on the maximum tensile strength and elongation.

All of the tests were successfully completed and we can now finish our chassis knowing that our calculations are correct.

Our new data-acquisition module is ready to use. It can log up to 40 different sensors at 400Hz. The new design focusses on ease of use. Logging can be started and stopped by simply pressing a button. Due to the data-acquisition’s USB functionality the logged data can be retrieved on any computer without the need for additional software. Finally, the logged data can be directly imported into most analysis software tools.

This enables anybody to measure the vehicle dynamics of our car.

Construction of the URE05 is in full progress at the moment. Different subassemblies are coming together.

Below you can see a first test of the shift indicator LEDS on the new steering wheel. The next step is to connect the LCD display on which the driver can see all relevant data, install the shift flippers and install the grips.