DEVELOPMENT & OPTIMIZATION OF
SUSPENSION SYSTEM OF A SOLAR CAR
This study explains the design, optimization and production phases of the suspension systems which are used on Istanbul Technical University Solar Car Team‟s solar vehicle prepared for native and world-wide solar car races.
The most significant property of solar vehicles is that they can go long distances with small amount of renewable energy. During the design phase of these vehicles energy efficiency is considered of upmost importance. Additionally different design problems than normal passenger and commercial vehicles are encountered and dealt with. In order to give the vehicle an aerodynamically optimal shape, arms of the suspension system had to be placed well above the wheel centre. Since those kinds of vehicles are mostly three wheeled and have high centre of masses, basic stability calculations become highly important, and kinematic problems of the axle geometry and resistance problems create target conflicts, as could often be experienced during vehicle design.
In the study, vehicle (dynamics) fundamental calculations, done by using of commercial software‟s like Catia, Solidworks, MSC/Adams and MS/Excel, were taken firstly into consideration. A series of methods was developed to optimize the axle geometry, construction, endurance, production and test process and basic know-how is collected for the design of chassis parts of such an environmentally friendly vehicle.
By using of solid modelling and other CAD techniques together with MSC/Adams software, different suspension system layouts were modelled and analysed, aiming to obtain the optimum geometry that provides both driving stability and energy efficiency. On the other hand, the assembly of suspension was realized on the vehicle and road and track tests were carried out.