For the 2020 FSAE season I further developed my aerodynamics package from my previous 2019 design iteration. Aerodynamic targets were revised after running OptimumL 1D lap time simulations of the 2019 FSAE Michigan Endurance track. All CFD simulations were meshed in Altair Hypermesh and run in Ansys Fluent after tuning the CFD with data from testing. The front wing was modified to increase flow to the undertray and to boost front end downforce. This helps shift the center of pressure forward for reduced understeer at high speeds. A downwash element was added to the nosecone to drive flow lower and produce a tip vortex to manage the front tire wake, allowing for a smaller sidepod inlet and improved downforce in the undertray and rear wing. An array of vortex generators were added to the leading edge of the undertray to improve downforce further. I worked closely with the cooling and exhaust teams to tightly package their systems within the undertray and sidepod to reduce drag. The rear wing efficiency was improved by reducing the flap size compared to the 2019 design and adding endplate cutouts to reduce the size of the tip vortex. General design changes were made to reduce manufacturing time and improve serviceability. For example, all mounting was redesigned with custom quick release fasteners so any component could be removed in under 10 seconds.

For the 2019 FSAE season I was the chassis system lead for Cooper Motorsports with four subsystems: aerodynamics, bodywork, frame, and impact attenuator. The aerodynamics was my focus and was completely overhauled for 2019 to greatly increase downforce and minimally increase drag. The design was tailored to FSAE style tracks with low average speeds and both slow and fast corners. The frame was our first ever steel-composite hybrid space frame. The frame was redesigned to simplify manufacturing and improve stiffness under multiple load cases. The bodywork was integrated into the aerodynamics design and was styled to be both exciting and properly display sponsors. The result of our work was an improvement in our chassis design score at FSAE Michigan from 13/25 in 2018 to a 22/25 in 2019, the highest score given by our judges and the highest in our team’s history; This helped us in the overall design score to tie for 8th out of 120 teams.

My undergraduate capstone project was to develop a throttle body design for a restricted FSAE engine intake. The existing butterfly throttle body and restrictor were tested using a team built flow bench. The experiment was recreated in CFD, where the model was correlated to within 5% of the pressure drop found using the flow bench at all actuation angles measured. The tuned CFD model was used to simulate alternative throttle designs. The barrel throttle was found to improve flow rate by 6% over the existing butterfly valve and gave a more linear relationship between flow rate and actuation angle. Due to COVID-19 we were unable to test a physical prototype, but were able to adapt and couple our 3D CFD with Ricardo WAVE 1D engine CFD. This showed that the barrel throttle improved power and torque linearity across throttle input to make the car more drive-able. Using lap time simulations and the simulated torque curves, the barrel throttle is predicted to give 6 more competition points at FSAE Michigan.

This was my first time using a full scale wind tunnel. I organized the test, expedited prototype component manufacturing, and created an efficient testing plan to maximize the number of wind tunnel runs and the amount of data collected. The car was tested with aero components from the 2018 car and prototype development parts for the 2019 car. It also allowed us to evaluate how the car performed in pitch, yaw, and even running backwards to test for stability in a spin. The data was used to help tune the CFD model of the car and inform the design direction of the 2019 aerodynamics package. This experience was one of the highlights of my FSAE career.

In Spring 2020 I designed a blended wing body microjet concept during my Aircraft Design course. The jet was initially sized using a class 1 weight estimation before going into more detail by sizing the engines and all aerodynamic surfaces for takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing. The rudder size, airfoil profile, wing location and engine location were iterated to make the plane aerodynamically balanced and naturally stable. Using the calculated dimensions, I created a conceptual surface model of the plane.

In Fall 2019 I designed a hybrid steel-composite space frame for Cooper Motorsports for the 2020 season. The cockpit structure was revised for improved ergonomics while reducing weight and improving stiffness. Carbon fiber composite panels were added and iterated in location and layup schedule to yield the minimum weight to meet our stiffness target of 10x the difference in front and rear roll stiffness. All non-structural tubes were re-evaluated compared to earlier designs, with many being reduced in size or eliminated, while others were added to improve load paths. The final design is 13% lighter than the 2019 design while being 50% stiffer and with reduced suspension compliance under braking. The completed frame was in the process of being tested using a team designed torsion testing rig as the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Over the course of the 2019 FSAE season I developed a specialized aerodynamics package through CFD analysis, wind tunnel testing, and on track testing. The package consists of an extreme outwash front wing, four element rear wing with a leading edge slat, an aerodynamically efficient Venturi tunnel undertray, a drag reducing engine shroud, and aerodynamically beneficial sidepods for improved cooling and aerodynamic performance. The CFD models were tuned using wind tunnel data. The components in the package were iterated through CFD by using Altair Hypermesh for controlled mesh generation, Ansys Fluent for simulation, and CFD-Post for post processing. The package was designed to work cohesively to maximize downforce and minimize drag, resulting in a downforce to drag ratio of 3.0.

This was my team’s final project for my CAE course. We were tasked with developing a cooking method for a “genetically engineered monster turducken” which involved oven type, heating skewer design, and stuffing recipe. The model was meshed using Altair Hypermesh and was simulated using a transient thermal analysis in Ansys Workbench. We used hand calculations in Matlab to find thermodynamic properties and check our solution using a heat transfer model. The report can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-LlfCOBk2J835qE6DkldO4lhG3cbqIXs/view?usp=sharing

This was the midterm project from my CAE course. We designed and simulated a wind turbine tower and base using Ansys APDL and Workbench. The tower was submitted to a variety of conditions, from extreme temperatures and winds, to frequencies caused by a turbine blade failure. Everything from the bolt size to the tower material was chosen based on design parameters. The report can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gTVT8dLWhqUf33__NcGyIQETkxWDStwb/view?usp=sharing

This is my long term passion project. I fell in love with archery when I was 13 and quickly wanted to make my own bows. I used VirtualBow and Super Tiller to simulate countless limb geometries to develop a design that stores as much energy as any compound bow available today with a dynamic efficiency of over 80%. The riser (handle) was designed for FITA barebow regulations. It has an internal weighting system to comply with FITA regulations and is naturally balanced. The limb pockets are adjustable to help tune the limbs perfectly for every archer. The knowledge I gained from working on this from an early age has helped me tremendously through my engineering career.

A fully custom rc boat that I designed when I was 16 for a high school class. I used this project as an excuse to develop my CAD abilities and get exposure to 3D printing. The entire assembly was first designed in CAD to package and integrate all components. The hull was rapid prototyped and features a flat bottom to get the boat up on plane when moving to reduce drag and built in channels to improve thrust from the propellers. The bow has an integrated wireless camera that can live stream to a laptop. The boat is powered by a lithium battery and two high speed electric motors. The motors have full forward-reverse speed control and use a servo actuated rudder system to steer. I named this boat Murphy’s Law because of the huge number of things that went wrong, but ultimately it was a project that I consider successful and learned a tremendous amount from.

This was my first project for Cooper Motorsports as a freshman. From sketch, to CAD model, to carboard mockup, and finally to a debatably functional composite prototype, with a small team I designed and manufactured a prototype undertray and diffuser for the 2016 car, which was a first for the team. I also designed an extended jacking point that allowed the car to be serviceable even with a large diffuser in the back and doubled as mounting for the undertray. The design wasn’t the most successful in terms of outright performance, but I learned a tremendous amount from it and caught the bug for aerodynamic design.

In the 2017-18 FSAE season I worked on the aerodynamics, bodywork, composites, and impact attenuator of the 2018 car. The team’s focus was on weight reduction, quality, and serviceability. I reduced the weight of aerodynamics subsystem weight by over 50% and created mounting solutions that were easier to service and less compliant. The bodywork was made entirely in house for the first time ever. We created composite molds for all the components, which resulted in high quality, light weight parts and paved the way for our future composite manufacturing techniques. I simplified the nosecone mounting so that it could be put on or taken off in under 10 seconds for improved footwell serviceability. I also took over development of a composite impact attenuator (IA) from a senior project from the previous year. I manufactured and tested prototype IA layup schedules using our inhouse dynamic testing rig and high speed cameras. I wasn’t able to get a successful design produced within the season, but I was able to gather and share institutional knowledge for use in future seasons.