First Meeting with BAJA 9/17/09 8:00pm

Meet with: Nick Liotta, Chris Jones, Ryan Hurley, and Evan Lumby

Rules about race

  • Choose one pair of tires for race, have them on during tech inspection and must use those tires and have them on at end of race
  • Everything on the car must stay on the car during entire race
  • If something on the car falls off during race, the team isn’t allowed to continue the race until it is back on the car
  • Can have thing that snap on and of wheels, kind of a “grey” area
  • No real rules about tires, generally they run 21-23 inch diameter wheels.
  • Are allowed to cut own tread pattern, but need to cut multiple identical tires for spares.
  • If a car gets stuck three times during the endurance race in the water, they are taken out of the race
  • Do have a separate water event, will be held in Rochester this year

Current Car Info

  • Fenders from last year held together with duct tape and zip ties, duct tape was used to redirect the water and would run tires in reverse
  • Developing a three piece flotation for this years car, one piece for front and rear bumper and underside, and two pieces for the sides that can be raised and lowered in the water.
  • During race, cars do have a tendency to run into each other (whatever we design has to be durable)
  • Current fenders weight about 10lbs/side
  • 10 horse power Briggs and Stratton engine, only really makes about 7hp at the clutch, rpms in the range of 3200-3600
  • In the water engine is wide open
  • Speed on land up to 45mph, in the water speed is “slow”
  • Do have a wheel speed spreadsheet they can send us
  • Can have problems getting out of the water

Things they hope to get from our project

  • Priority for the team is data backing up tire/fender propulsion system
  • Looking for balance between fenders and tire tread
  • Good tires and fenders are worth more then any paddle system
  • Want information about different tire treads
  • Have the ability to change the ride height in the water, want to find optimum depth the tires and buggy should be in the water.
  • Thinking that the test stand may include a CV shaft and uprights, and would be able to test different fenders and tires
  • Want records that show testing to include in their design report and design board, these a major point in the design portion of the race.
  • Something to look into is how to attach the fenders to the tires
  • Any fender design needs to have one solid strong point to attach to. The Mini Baja Team will take care of mounting the fender to the Buggy.

Resources from Baja

  • Have new tires we can test
  • The team has to order new tires this year, if we find a good tread pattern they can order the tires and we can test them
  • If we have a fender design, some one on their team can build it
  • Willing to give us an old engine, or rebuild on for about $100
  • Have spare parts we could borrow from them, like uprights, rims, cv axles.
  • Can use their shop

Other

  • The teams that RIT Baja noticed in previous races for their flotation were TTU and ETS
  • TTU tilted their whole car back in the water so the front wheels were out of the water complete
  • ETS (Canadian Team) did just to opposite of TTU
  • No real requirements about test stand size, have trailer they can store it in after we finish the project, was thinking around 3’x6’.
  • Oregon won many of the races last year
  • The races are generally won or lost in the endurance race.
  • Whatever designed needs to be durable and flexible, to withstand damage and to release dirt
  • Team has design meeting every Saturday 8-12 in the morning
  • Would consider using heavier tires
  • Would like to know how additional tire weight would affect acceleration.
  • We can look at the front tires, but in general are looking at the rear wheel, they do the most work in the water.
  • Rob Aldi is an RIT student that is very good with composites.
  • Mini Baja would prefer to have their own test stand and not have to use FSAE’s.
  • CFD work would be a plus for design review.