MOMENTUM - April 2023 - 15

STUDENT GENERATION
For 2023, the team has switched to an electric racing car.
engineering-focused student group that most
improved engineering student life throughout
the last academic year at Columbia.
CUFR has competed in the FSAE combustion
events for over 20 years. This June, we will
compete in Michigan for the first time with an
all-electric car. Our vehicle is powered by an
Emrax 208 motor which interfaces with a new
drivetrain design. We use a chain driven system
with a hanging Drexler differential, prioritizing
an accessible, simply packaged design. Power
for the motor comes from our battery pack,
housed within our custom high voltage
accumulator.
The battery pack comprises six
interchangeable segments with twelve battery
modules each for a total configuration of 72s8p.
Our enclosure uses a two-floored design, one for
the batteries and the other for the remaining
components, including the inverter and custom
designed battery monitoring boards. This allows
us to safely isolate our electrical systems.
Our chassis has just finished a powder coat
from a sponsor at P&M Industrial Finishing. In
the meantime, we have been able to make use of
a full-scale test bench to run our motor, cooling,
and sensor suite. We assemble our components
onto a weighted table with distributed mounting
holes and can collect data, test fit parts, and see
if our systems work before final vehicle
assembly. Track testing is scheduled to start in
MOMENTUM
early Spring to measure our performance and get our drivers up to speed
driving an electric car.
Many of our team members attended an FSAE competition for the first
time last year. We have incorporated design review feedback and knowledge
gained from the event into our current vehicle design, for example, a user
friendly, adjustable pedal box, and an aerodynamic body that can quickly be
removed for improved access to the vehicle interior. We also completed a
redesign of the rear suspension to meet key performance and safety metrics
in our dynamic events.
Our first entry into the EV competition has been a long journey, with
delays and cancellations over recent years. We are setting reasonable goals
for our first entry, aiming to pass the technical inspection and finish the
endurance competition event. Achieving these goals will provide a strong
foundation for future years and based on historical event results may offer a
strong standing for placement if these milestones can be achieved.
We are excited for this year's track testing and competition and look
forward to seeing what we can improve between now and June. We have
been in close contact with our alumni and other university teams, and the
sentiment is shared across the board regarding the move to electric.
We will see how far our design work and testing goes at Michigan. We are
planning for success. n
Matt Groll, a mechanical engineering student at Columbia
University who serves as president of Columbia University
Formula Racing, wrote this article for MOMENTUM. He has
worked at NASA as a flight controller trainee for the
International Space Station and contributed to the Artemis
project through thermal system analysis and attitude control.
He is interested in designing mechanical systems as well as
building them.
April 2023 15
Columbia University Formula Racing
MOMENTUM - April 2023

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