Team Overview
For more than 30 years, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has held an annual competition known as Formula SAE. The goal is to design and build a formula-style racing car, and then compete against similar race cars from all over the world. A Formula SAE car weighs 400 to 500 lbs, with horsepower figures ranging from 60-80 hp. With a 0 to 60 mph time in the low-4 second range, lateral acceleration of up to 1.4 g and a 60 to 0 braking distance of about 115 ft, an FSAE car will leave most production streetcars in the dust.
The students take the role of being part of a manufacturing firm that must produce 4 racecars a day. The car is to be designed for the weekend autocross racer. This car must have excellent handling, braking, and acceleration capabilities. However, sheer performance is not the only goal. The car must be affordable, easy to maintain, and reliable. Additionally, ergonomics and aesthetics must be addressed. Surely with enough money any car can satisfy these requirements. But the Formula SAE competition requires that the maximum cost of the prototype car cannot exceed $25,000.
At the competition, each team is judged in several events, including a cost analysis, general presentation, engineering design, and various dynamic performance trials. A panel of judges from the automotive and motorsports industry comes from all over the world for this annual event. The majority of the points earned in the competition come from the dynamic events including a grueling 13 mile endurance event.
2011 is the 23rd year that the University of Washington has competed in Formula SAE. Team 23 operates under three goals:
To design, build, test and tune a car to maximize total points across all events at competition.
To justify engineering decisions with simulation validated by physical testing.
To improve sponsorship, public relations and resource management opportunities through professional business operations, effective documentation and open communication.