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Development of a Carbon Fibre Composite Ultra Lightweight Vehicle Structure for the Aero-Stable Carbon Car - Fastframes
Technical Paper
2002-01-1121
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
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English
Abstract
The Aero-stable Carbon Car (ASCC) was the first full vehicle structure project of the UK government DTI program ‘Foresight Vehicle’. The project investigated the limitations to maximising fuel economy in a lightweight car manufactured in carbon fibre composite (CFC). The EPSRC Integrated Manufacturing initiative / industry funded project FastFrames is developing design understanding and materials / manufacturing technology for lightweight vehicle structure and components.
Current lightweight composite vehicles such as racing cars use a monocoque, stressed skin design approach for both weight and manufacturing cost reasons. For passenger cars with large ‘cut-out’ areas for access, the approach of a space-frame supporting fairing panels offers the opportunity for a more efficient structure. It also offers the potential to incorporate localised loads from suspension, engine and door mounting, seats and seat belts more easily than for a thin section stressed skin approach. Manufacturing the space frame using carbon fibre composite materials provides a very lightweight structure. With current manufacturing approaches, the problems of labour cost for material lay up and bonding sections preclude the use of the framework approach. For this project a novel design and materials approach was conceived and developed. The approach uses a novel form of textile preform laminated to form a single piece integrated frame structure. Lightweight panels are bonded to the assembled frame after systems fitting. The approach should result in a total body weight of 125 kg, which compares to around 320 kg for a similar size steel car.
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Mills, A., Frost, M., and Castanos, A., "Development of a Carbon Fibre Composite Ultra Lightweight Vehicle Structure for the Aero-Stable Carbon Car - Fastframes," SAE Technical Paper 2002-01-1121, 2002, https://doi.org/10.4271/2002-01-1121.Also In
Foresight Vehicle Technology: Design, ITS, Safety, Electronics, and Materials
Number: SP-1695; Published: 2002-03-04
Number: SP-1695; Published: 2002-03-04
References
- Lovins A B UK Office Of Science and Technology Foresight Seminar London 6 March 1998
- Castanos A Mills A Review of Composites in Automotive Applications Cranfield CMRC Report November 2000