In this paper, the tuning process of a regenerative braking system for a full electric Formula Student car is reported. Experimental results will be discussed and recovered energy will be measured. In order to obtain the best tuning some preliminary requirements have been decided: no-slip motion of traction wheels during braking phase, no over current and over voltage of Li-ion cells and the best feeling from the braking pedal for the driver. The main target of the regenerative braking system is to obtain the maximum recovered energy during the Endurance event in a typical Formula Student Competition (FS Germany, Hockenheim ring). First, an accurate estimation of the admissible braking torques with the tires used was carried out, starting from the magic formula of Pacejka of the tires. The maximum electric braking torque that the installed engine can provide at various speeds was then estimated, compatibly with the charging currents allowed by the storage system. Subsequently, a mechanical regulating device for regenerative braking was designed and described here, installed directly on the gear lever system that connects the brake pedal to the brake pumps. The proposed system is able to appropriately delay the entry into action of the hydraulic brake pumps and this delay is mechanically adjustable by acting on threaded pins. In this way, the interval of actuation of the brake pedal which activates only the electric braking can be adjusted and tuned. Finally, the overall project was tested on the track, in order to validate the hypotheses previously calculated and determine the setting capable of optimizing the energy recovered during a test equivalent to the Endurance event, compatibly with the constraints of the installed systems on board.
In this paper, the performance and overall efficiency optimization process for a full-electric Formula Student car are reported. The Formula Student Electric is a scientific-educational competition of high technological value that requires the development and construction of a fully electric open-wheel prototype car; the cars rival both in terms of absolute performance and in terms of total energy efficiency, especially in the most important test, the endurance event. The optimization of the performance and efficiency of the cars affects various aspects of both the powertrain and the car body and, as macro areas, three crucial themes can be identified for the development of the cars: the power maps with which the inverter manages the electric motor, the aerodynamic kit installed onboard and the overall weight of the car. In this regard, in fact, it is not obvious, for example, that it is convenient to use the maximum power allowed by the rules for the powertrain (80 kW); in the same way, it is not inevitable that it is advantageous to install all the components of the aerodynamic kit (front wing, rear wing and undertray with diffusers) and, finally, the best configuration may not be the one with the lightest car. This is also in consideration of the fact that some choices must necessarily be a compromise, such as completeness of the aerodynamic kit and vehicle weight. Hence the search for an optimum point is necessary. The work proposed here aims to describe the experimental search for the optimal configuration for the car of the Sapienza Fast Charge team. To achieve the goal, the analysis has been conducted with several experimental tests on a simple test ring with a dynamic configuration comparable to that of a typical endurance track. The tests have been fulfilled with different combinations of aero-kit configurations, with the aero devices available on the car, rear wing, front wing and undertray, and with different energy management strategies, implemented in the power map of the inverter. The best result has been achieved considering the official ranking calculation of the Formula Student rules 2020, with a combination of best track time and lower energy consumption.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.