FEA

The frame is the backbone of the car. It has several functions to fulfill, and thereby requirements of many kinds. Because of this, there are many materials, approaches and objectives possible for the frame. We do not necessarily want to make the stiffest, the strongest or even the cheapest frame. No, we want to make the frame that helps the car to have a minimal life cycle impact. Of course, we do have to take in mind that this frame has to be producible, affordable and reliable, but our main goal is the minimization of the life cycle impact.

Last year, the frame team focused on the conventional materials of steel and aluminum. We had to learn new software, solve complex engineering problems, and develop our ‘soft skills’. But after a year of hard work, we’ve had the chance to make our frame come to life at a company in Torino. What we accomplished last summer was really a once in a lifetime experience. It gives an amazing feeling to construct the frame you’ve conceptualized, designed and calculated for a whole year long.

We did a great job, but we can do better. This year we will design an aluminum frame more in detail and produce it for our next prototype. Beside this, we will investigate what the potential is for other materials and/or approaches. This feasibility study will be difficult because ,many parameters are uncertain, but we are making good progress. As a result of this study, we will be able to decide which direction we should take in the future. The central question of this research is: “With our design, which material in what kind of structure will result in the lowest life cycle impact, and what are the consequences?”

The motorteam finished the design of the PMSM motor in September 2008. This motor is obviously controller by the PMSM controller, which will be finished in Q2 2009. The production of the Switched Reluctance Motor is scheduled in Q1 2009. The VISION GT will be driven by an 30 KW SRM motor, 100% developed and designed by VDS GROEP T. The SRM motor has significantly better results in the life cycle analysis, compared to all other electric motors. Next to a cheap, fast and environment friendly production, it has a very high efficiency while in use.

Maarten Vanhove and Thomas are working together on the Switched Reluctance Motor for the Vision GT. This 30 kW motor is fully self-designed and researched under the VDS project and of course framing the characteristics of the motor in the environmentally friendly aspect of the project. Due to lack of rare metals (magnets) and an extremely robust construction this motor has an excellent Life Cycle Cost.

At this moment are Thomas and Maarten in the completion of the phase "Geometric adjustments." This means that the geometric design of the engine is as good as finished and that soon a thermal analysis will take place. The actual construction of the engine is no longer so far away!

Of course there is an awful amount of much work preceded. The motor team, after an extensive literature study, started with the design of an analytical software program on which a first image can be formed of the average torque that the motor will generate. This way you can make a rough estimate of the size of the motor.

After this initial estimate is time to verify the results with a finite element package. The team uses the software engine Magnet ®. With this incredible software many geometries can be tested in a quick and reliable way, e.g. particularly adjustments of stator and rotor angles, air gap width, curvature of stator poles, etc.

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