- 03 Apr, 2021
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- 1 Min Read
Braking system in cars
This pedal setup featured a 6:1 pedal ratio, offering plenty of mechanical advantage leverage to
be ergonomic for the driver. However, after working with the team it was found that this concept
would not fit easily inside the car. By making cardboard cutouts to the dimensions of this
concept and placing it inside the concept frame it was found that in order for the pedal to be in a
comfortable position the master cylinders would be hanging outside the front of the frame. This
is definitely not an ideal scenario. Analyzing the problem, it was seen that the pivot point could
be moved and the master cylinders could be flipped around, and placed inside the car, facing the
driver. Figure 8 shows this design, which is ultimately the design that was decided upon.
This pedal, like the previous has a pedal ratio of 6:1. To get a better idea of sizing inside the
prototype frame, a rapid prototype model was produced. Using this model and the prototype
frame, it was found that there was ample room to place the pedal in the car in a comfortable
position for the driver. To adjust bias, a purchased bias bar from Wilwood will be used. In order
to adjust bias quickly, a remote cable will be setup so that it will be able to be adjusted by the
driver on the fly. The master cylinders will also be purchased from Wilwood. The rest of the
pieces will be fabricated out of 6061-T6 Aluminum so that they are lightweight, keeping the total
weight of the car in mind.
prove
In order to prove the design of the braking system the car will undergo testing before the
competition. In order to prove the system is more ergonomic than the previous car, the same
hydraulics calculations will be run using the setup of the 2011 car. Ultimately the required driver
input will be looked at to see if the system is more ergonomic. The team will also compare the
time and amount of tools required to adjust bias on both cars. Finally, the car will need to stop
consistently in the SAE competition stipulated scenario (lock up all four wheels from
acceleration). Testing will be done on the car during March, before the competition.