Development of the software for a Formula Student vehicle suspension optimal hardpoints positions determination

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Izrada softvera za određivanje optimalnih pozicija točaka ovjesa formula student bolida
• Author: Bruno Mraz
• Mentor: Pero Prebeg (mentor)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2021-12-17, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: TECHNICAL SCIENCES; Mechanical Engineering; General Mechanical Engineering (Construction)

Abstract

The main objective of this Master Thesis is to create an application that would automate the process of finding preferred double wishbone suspension kinematics while satisfying the constraints on suspension characteristics. This would in turn mean that students can spend less time on tasks which do not bring any new knowledge and more on optimizing the rest of suspension subsystem.
Through internet search commercial and free suspension calculators with or without open-source code can be found. Commercial are characterised by use of a 3D suspension model while free calculators use 2D models with approximations or 3D models that are solved with the help of optimisation algorithms. However, none of them give insight to the mathematical models used for calculating suspension movement or characteristics what has been done in this master thesis for the 3D quarter suspension model and it is calculated directly, without iterations or use of the optimisation algorithms. Furthermore, currently there is no free suspension calculator that has implemented a module for suspension kinematics optimisation and the commercial ones either have this ability in beta stages (OptimumG) or complete optimisation model must be made from scratch (MSC Adams Car Module). Therefore, this is the first freely available tool, to the author’s best knowledge, with open-source code and accompanying explanations that implements suspension kinematics optimisation.
Finally, success of free application largely depends on their ease of use, so a graphical user interface is developed. It is characterised by simple parameter modification of the current suspension, interactive visualization of the current 3D quarter suspension model, output of main suspension characteristics of the current suspension and with the ability to enter parameters for suspension kinematics optimisation.
Finally, since sharing knowledge is common practice in Formula Student community, the source code is available at GitHub repository:
https://github.com/brunomraz/FS-BMK

Abstract (croatian)

Cilj ovog diplomskog rada je bio napraviti aplikaciju koja automatizira proces traženja željene kinematike ovjesa dvostrukih ramena uz zadovoljenje ograničenja na karakteristike ovjesa za potrebe Formula Student timova, a naročito FSB Racing Team-a. To bi značilo da studenti mogu provesti manje vremena na zadatke koji ne donose nova znanja i više na konstruiranje.
Pretragom interneta mogu se pronaći komercijalni i besplatni kalkulatori ovjesa sa ili bez otvorenog koda. Pritom komercijalni koriste 3D model opisa ovjesa dok su za besplatne kalkulatore korištene ili 2D aproksimacije ili 3D modeli koji se i sami rješavaju uz pomoć optimizacijskog algoritma. Međutim, niti jedni niti drugi ne prikazuju matematičke modele kako hoda tako niti značajki ovjesa što je u ovome radu razvijeno za 3D model četvrtine ovjesa te se izračunava direktno, bez potrebe za iteracijama ili optimizacijskim algoritmima. Nadalje, trenutno ne postoji besplatni kalkulator ovjesa koji ima razvijen optimizacijski modul za kinematiku ovjesa, te samo neki komercijalni sadrže tu mogućnost ili u beta fazi testiranja (OptimumG) ili uz potrebu za postavljanjem optimizacijskog modela iz nule (MSC Adams Car Module). Stoga je ovo prvi javno dostupan alat, prema autorovom istraživanju dostupnih rješenja, otvorenog koda sa popratnim objašnjenjima koji implementira optimizaciju kinematike ovjesa.
Uspjeh besplatnih aplikacija uvelike određuje i njihova jednostavnost korištenja. Stoga je razvijeno grafičko korisničko sučelje sa: jednostavnom mogućnošću promjena parametara trenutnog ovjesa, interaktivnom vizualizacijom trenutnog 3D modela četvrtine ovjesa, prikazom glavnih značajki trenutnog modela ovjesa i mogućnošću upisivanja parametara za optimizaciju kinematike ovjesa.
Konačno, kako je širenje znanja u duhu Formula Student zajednice, izvorni kod dostupan je na slijedećem GitHub repozitoriju:
https://github.com/brunomraz/FS-BMK

• Keywords: Formula Student; FSB Racing Team; suspension; optimization; graphical user interface; C++; C#; Python; programming
• Keywords (croatian): Formula Student; FSB Racing Team; ovjes; optimizacija; grafičko korisničko sučelje; C++; C#; Python; programiranje
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:235:414305
• Study programme: Title: Mechanical Engineering; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra inženjer/inženjerka strojarstva (magistar/magistra inženjer/inženjerka strojarstva)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2021-12-02 18:13:50