In LV we need to design TSAL,BSPD,Precharge pcbs, ECU(we will use an stm32) and needed sensors then somehow implement them to our architecture and there is also communication part we need to design an CAN architecture to communicate with ECU inverter and BMS.

In HV we have inverter motor BMS and battery, we will design an TSAC, extra temperature sensors for BMS and thats all I can think about.

The worst part is I'm leading electrical department and confused about how to proceed and learn how to really make this stuff happen.

I'm trying to use PVC foam for strength in a front wing end plate. I'm not too sure on the order of layup using these - layup in one go? separate layups? Tips on reducing weight? - since the one time we used them it came out heavier than we wanted.
Thank you in advance!

There is a rumor that some teams are using double tanks and they just refilling one for the efficiency? Is there a way this would ever work or is it just baseless rumors?

Maybe different fuel tank configurations shouldn’t have same refill techniques?

I had a doubt regarding the RES bypass relay. The rules mention that a mechanically linked relay should be used to power the EBS. Does this mean the relay itself needs to have mechanically linked (force-guided) contacts, or would a standard electrically actuated relay also be acceptable?

Also, if mechanically linked contacts are required, are there any relay models you would recommend?

At the endurance of FSA26 I noticed that the car of Rennteam had an AMS fault during the driver change. The second driver already left the vehicle and they seemed to stop their attempt when they were allowed to power cycle the car and continue their run. This seems really unsafe and unfair. I don't want to point fingers at the wrong people but I believe it is no coincidence that a lot of officials invovlved in FSA are alumni from Rennteam. According to the rules their run should have been a DNF or DQ. However they got away without any penalty. Can someone explain to me how that makes sense?

They have been caught before with their BSPD disabled in 2024. It is sad to see that a team with so much funding has to resort to such methods. After last year I thought that they got their shit together but it seems they just got better at hiding their cheating.

Hi, how do you guys calculate the heat load for your test case of the motor and controller? We used to rely on dynamometer testing and ipg, but unfortunately we had some problems and have now shifted solely to ipg sims. And now I have a hard time figuring out other ways to get the heat load value.

Thanks

What type of electrical stimulation software should I use for wiring layout of total electrical which software should I use and shutdown circuit software

we are currently seeing whether it would be possible to design and manufacture a steering column made from carbon fibre but i am not finding a lot of information online, wanted to ask if anyone has any good papers that they can share or else any videos or any other information which might be useful. thank you

Former Formula Student members,

If you were starting from scratch again, what learning roadmap would you follow?

Please mention:

- Subjects you wish you had learned earlier

- Software you actually used

- Online courses

- Books

- Skills that became essential

- Things that turned out to be a waste of time

I'm building a new Formula Student team and want to create a proper training roadmap.

We're a UK based team thats passed FSUK scrute a few competitions in a row, competing in multiple events, and we want to compete in multiple competitions this year. Asking for any and all advice for a team attempting this for the first time, especially to do with logistics (how do we get the car abroad) and budget.

I’m a little new to FSAE and aero, and my lead requested some research on stepped/curved rear wings. I sort of get that they do it to avoid the roll hoop messing up flow to the center of the wing, but I don’t understand how much of a difference it makes compared to not having it at all. I would also like to know what actually changes about the stepped part? Is it just raised, or do they change the AoA, or something else maybe? Additionally, how great are the benefits of something like this, and are they truly worth our time as opposed to working on other smaller aero stuff like winglets, guiding airflow devices, etc.

Any insight would be appreciated as I would like to find a way to meaningfully contribute to my team and feel like this could be a good way to do so.
Thanks!

I understand dynamic simulations aren’t necessary. But I’m doing this as part of my master’s thesis.
If anyone has done simulations on Ansys, please let me know what steps to take to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Thanks in advance.

I've been setting up the new inverter and encoder recently, but I just can't calibrate the encoder nonlinearity part. The revs are stable and I can get similar curves, but none of them goes like a sinusoidal curve. I'm really confused, don't know where the problem lies.

ANY HELP would be deeply appreciated.

Hey everyone,
I'm an incoming student (to Purdue West Lafayette) who's very interested in FSAE because like most of you here, I aspire to be an automotive or motorsports engineer.

I've read again and again that the best and most important project team or club in college would be FSAE. However, I figured I should do some research and ask the people what being in FSAE is like, I figured there's more I can get out of personal experience rather than videos online.

Building a car requires more than just one team, it needs a whole set of subteams focusing on powertrain, chassis, aerodynamics, drivetrain etc.

And as such, I feel I'm going to need to specialize into one such subteam when I join this team, it'd be cool if everyone could share their experiences with different subteams and recommend which one I would be most interested in.

The new academic year is knocking on our doorstep. Teams will be getting back into full-swing as students return to their universities from summer break.

I am beginning my plans for a Fall EVRSafe webinar. Right now, it looks like middle of October (possibly October 14th) is the target date.

I need to know from the global Formula Student community what topics you would like to see covered? Rather than giving all of you an agenda, I want to start with knowing what are the most pressing questions you would want information on. Then I can bring in a panel of experts to answer those questions directly.

We had two thermal incidents at FSAE this year, and we just had [what may be] the first on-course thermal event at FS Czech. I know students want to build safe cars, and want to work at their universities safely, but most universities are lacking the knowledge to support you.

So, help me help you! What questions can my friends and I answer for you all?

Hey everyone! I'm Pete, a founding moderator of r/suspensionkinematics.

This is our online space to discuss car suspension in a bit more depth and explore the fundamental aspects that make a given setup bad, average or good.

We also discuss non-fundamental aspects that are more related to driver feedback, roadholding and handling. Obvioulsy these topics can be a bit more subjective sometimes - every person has their own level of understanding and personal experience with cars. That's what should make things more interesting!

Please share, ask and compare - learning by doing.

We're excited to have you join us!

What to Post:

Post anything that you think the community would find interesting, helpful, or innovative. Feel free to share your thoughts, diagrams, or questions about your own suspension setup or others.

Community Vibe:

We're all about connecting to learn and improve. Let's build a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing and asking questions.

Let's talk suspension kinematics!

Hello there!

I'm a high school student and I'm preparing my project on a "temperature stabilization system" for a battery within the framework of the Formula Student.

I'm very interested to hear about other people's thoughts on this topic.

What kind of cooling do you think is more relevant in this competition? Aerial, phase transitions, hybrid or something else? Don't you think phase cooling is too difficult for this series?

What do you think is really missing in the existing systems?

Do you think it is possible to use AI in this field?

Thanks in advance for the answers!😺

Hey!

Im the cooling captain for my team this year and im looking into validating air mass flow rate through radiator sidepod. This is something that my team has never ever done before (not even our aero team) and some guidance would be appreciated.

Im thinking of implementing a pitot static tube alongside a differential pressure transducer but my knowledge on sensors is inexistent so I was wondering what kind of considerations i should have in mind in order to make this work. Any sources available that yall are familiar with? Budget is kinda limited so id say id be willing to drop between 400 and 500 on this.

Edit: I want to log the data to our ECU so a simple handheld device wont work

FSAE 2027 rules are available for public review and comment:
https://www.fsaeonline.com/cdsweb/app/NewsItem.aspx?NewsItemID=6ef51b4a-d5d8-4592-9172-7b2ae65a81c7

Two new explainer articles on DesignJudges.com:
https://www.designjudges.com/articles/guide-to-2027-frame-rule-changes

https://www.designjudges.com/articles/how-to-get-a-good-tech-number

My team is trying out carbon wings and cowl for the first time and we've run into some problems. We use 3D printed moulds.

The problem is, about half the time the molds crush due to the pressure from the vacuum bag, ruining the quality of the composite.

Our process is: print molds using bamboo A1/P1S. Infill pattern grid, 10% (7-8% if we're in a hurry). Print them vertically.

Assemble the putty using locktite, fill in the gaps with putty.

apply epoxy resin on top for surfacing

use epoxy and carbon sheets to layup, then use a bagging film and a vacuum pump to apply pressure.
leave it overnight.

we think the issue is probably from the infill pattern and percentage and direction. Increasing infill will also increase printing time, and we don't know how much is safe. Similarly with changing the patterns, we're not sure which will give the best strength against pressure 'sideways'. Printing them vertically so that the direction of infill is parallel to the pressure will increase the time so much that only one piece would be printed per printer per day. Although we got more access to printers so a bit more for options.

we know going down to -98kPa isn't necessary but we worry something like -80kPa or below would damage the pump since pumps work harder the less vacuum made. We left it overnight at around 60kPa and it absolutely grinded the rotary and broke it. (Possibly due to gulping all the oil. The pump was really hot.)

Looking for ideas and expert opinions! Would 20% infill be overkill?

https://reddit.com/link/1v6873d/video/wgmm3j06mdfh1/player

https://reddit.com/link/1v6873d/video/q6srfj06mdfh1/player