Electronic Control System of a Formula SAE Gearbox Using Electric Voice Coil Actuators

In this paper we present an electronic control system for a sequential gear of a Formula SAE racing car. The system makes the car gearbox semi-automatic, so that the driver can use flipper paddles to shift gears without operating the clutch. The gear and clutch actuation is performed by means of voice coil actuators, which represents an innovative application of these kinds of actuators. The system has been implemented and successfully validated. Test results show an outstanding performance of 40 ms for an up-shift.