Momentum - February 2019 - 8

FEATURE

STUDENT
GENERATION

'HARD WORK,

DETERMINATION,
AND A LITTLE

BIT OF LUCK'

With Lauren Bangert behind the wheel, the
Northern Illinois University car takes a run
during the SAE Supermileage competition
hosted by EATON Corp. at the latter's proving
ground in Marshall, Mich.

A complete vehicle overhaul helped the SAE Supermileage team from
Northern Illinois University score a second-place overall finish at the
2018 competition.
BREAKING RECORDS AND MAKING NEW MILESTONES
is the primary focus of the Northern Illinois University
(NIU) Supermileage team, and at the most recent SAE
Supermileage competition (June 2018) we did just that.
Not only did we set a new team record of 1,888 MPG
and finish in second place, but we also proved to be the
most reliable vehicle on the track for the second year
in a row. These achievements didn't come without their
challenges, however, and in the end it was a combination
of hard work, determination, and just a little bit of luck
that made it all come together.
The main focuses of the 2017-2018 season were to
give the car a much needed overhaul. This included
replacing the aluminum frame and carbon-fiber body, and
significantly reducing the overall weight of the vehicle. Up
until then, the frame had been used for the past six years,
the body four years-and their age was showing. The
fatigue on the frame was becoming apparent, as it sagged
more with each year under the weight of the driver, and
the exterior shell had become warped due to one too
many accidents. Thankfully, we had seen this coming, and
these projects were also a large focus of the previous year.
Several changes were made to the frame design,
including more room for the driver's shoulders, increased

8 February 2019

space for the engine, and a higher factor of safety. The car has to
withstand a load of 250 lb downwards on the roll-hoop without failure,
and through the use of finite-element analysis (FEA), we determined
our frame could withstand a minimum of six times this, or 1,500 lb. Since
aluminum is extremely difficult to weld, and safety is a priority, our
sponsor-Superior Joining Technologies-welded it for us after we had
bent and cut all of the tubes to size. Several different teams at our school
partner with them, and they are always excited to see what we've come
up with next.
Our carbon-fiber body also received several design updates. The shell
consists of three layers: The inner and outer layers are carbon fiber and
the middle layer is a honeycombed fabric, which provides rigidity. By
adding more of this honeycomb material to problem areas of the body,
we sacrificed some weight savings but gained more rigidity, longevity,
and safety.
In order to make the shell, we used large fiberglass molds in a
process called vacuum bagging. The first step to this was laying out the
carbon fiber and honeycomb material in the mold. Then we added a few
additional layers of mesh and bagging material to allow the resin to flow,
and also keep it isolated from the air so that it can cure. The next step
was to pull vacuum on the mold and make sure that it held, and then
draw resin through the fabric so that it would cure and harden.
This proved to be much more nerve wracking than one might think,
as approximately 200+ man hours had gone into preparing the molds,

MOMENTUM



Momentum - February 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Momentum - February 2019

Momentum - February 2019
Contents
Go all in with your student membership
Briefs
Battling the elements
‘Hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck’
Shootout in Canada
How to lead a team
Plan, prepare, and succeed
‘The Eagle has landed’
SAE Detroit Section helps teams prep for Formula SAE season
SAE 101: Organically developed member groups considered for new organization model
DOSSIER: Mario Gutierrez of Robby Gordon Motorsports
Tips for navigating through the entry-level position
New SAE technical paper competition launches
Momentum - February 2019 - Momentum - February 2019
Momentum - February 2019 - Cover2
Momentum - February 2019 - Contents
Momentum - February 2019 - Go all in with your student membership
Momentum - February 2019 - Briefs
Momentum - February 2019 - Battling the elements
Momentum - February 2019 - 5
Momentum - February 2019 - 6
Momentum - February 2019 - 7
Momentum - February 2019 - ‘Hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck’
Momentum - February 2019 - 9
Momentum - February 2019 - 10
Momentum - February 2019 - Shootout in Canada
Momentum - February 2019 - How to lead a team
Momentum - February 2019 - 13
Momentum - February 2019 - Plan, prepare, and succeed
Momentum - February 2019 - ‘The Eagle has landed’
Momentum - February 2019 - SAE Detroit Section helps teams prep for Formula SAE season
Momentum - February 2019 - SAE 101: Organically developed member groups considered for new organization model
Momentum - February 2019 - DOSSIER: Mario Gutierrez of Robby Gordon Motorsports
Momentum - February 2019 - 19
Momentum - February 2019 - New SAE technical paper competition launches
Momentum - February 2019 - Cover3
Momentum - February 2019 - Cover4
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