Module code and Title: CIS039-3 Vehicle Powertrain Technology Assignment Sample
Summary
This research study is critically concentrated on the comparison between two formula cars that compete for the race in the FIA world endurance championship. For comparison two, the formula cars ToyotaTs50 and Porche919 are chosen. This research study will critically discuss these two cars’ engine/transmission combinations to critically discuss the significance of these engine or transmission combinations.
In addition, the strengths and weak points of these two engines will also be critically discussed to point out why these are used in cars for endurance racing. Additionally, the chassis of these two cars and a brief comparison of the dimension of these two cars will also be explained to observe the track length, track-to-wheelbase ratio, wheelbase, weight distribution, and many more aspects between these two cars.
Discussion
Powertrains
Engine / transmission combination
The car model Toyota TS50 is a sports prototype racing car. This car was developed for Le Mans prototype regulations in the “FIA world endurance championship” in the year 2016. The racing car Toyota TS50 was basically exposed at “Circuit Paul Ricard” in the year 2016 due to the company Toyota’s two-year cycle policy.
While searching data for comparison it was clearly found that the company Toyota used a 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged petrol version six engine in this Toyota TS50 racing car. Through deep research, it was also found that in the previous versions of this carn Toyota TS50 the company used an aspirated petrol version eight engine. This respective engine generally has an eight-megajoule hybrid power system and lithium-ion batteries are generally in the system for power.
Figure 1: Inner diagram of TOYOTA TS50 (Source: http://www.connectingrod.it/public/file/TS050_2018%20Front%20LOW.jpg)
The car model Porsche 919 is also a sports prototype racing car, and this car was also developed for “FIA world endurance championship”. This car is a Le Mans Prototype 1 car. This car model was used by the company Porsche for “FIA world endurance championship” in the respective years of 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. The company Porche used a two-liter ninety-degree version four mid-mounted mono-turbocharged petrol engine. This respective engine generally has a six-megajoule hybrid power system and lithium-ion batteries are generally in the system for power.
Figure 2: Model of Porsche 919 (Source: https://preview.free3d.com/img/2017/10/1703922646091040300/uz44yvll-900.jpg)
Strengths of the engine
The engine used in Toyota TS50 is a 2.4-liter twin-turbocharged petrol version six engine (toyotagazooracing.com, 2017). This engine is a combination of turbochargers and superchargers that refers to a powerful engine in which the two turbochargers simply compress the “intake air or fuel mixture”. The biggest strength of this engine is that it is an internal combustion engine in addition to spark-ignition and this can easily run on gasoline or petrol or other similar volatile fuels.
On the other hand, the engine used in Porche 919 is a two-liter ninety-degree version four mid-mounted mono-turbocharged petrol engine. The company used this type of engine to obtain a higher torque or power outcome for a proposed engine displacement. The biggest strength of this engine is that this engine can easily produce 370kW or 500 horsepower.
Weak points
Besides huge amounts of strengths in the engine, there are also some weak points or limitations of this engine. More power in the engine means there is a huge output of energy per second. The system requires huge amounts of energy while using it. The driver should burn huge amounts of fuel.
Compare the powertrains
While comparing the powertrains of these two cars it was clearly shown that the car Toyota TS50’s powertrain is far better compared to the car Porche 919. The car Toyota TS50 won the twenty-four hours of “Le Mans” races consistently in the previous years 2019 and 2018. While comparing the powertrains of these two cars the respective results simply declare the winner is Toyota TS50.
The company Toyota has just undergone huge and critical developments in the car’s power train. The company includes some materials for lithium battery cells to produce high power and some electronic solution (toyotagazooracing.com, 2019). More than that, further developments have been made in battery deterioration prevention and reliability in preparation for the racing season of 2019-2020, in the contemplation of making it feasible to apply the “hybrid boost” until the finish of the race.
Chassis
Type of chasis
Chassis is considered as the frame of the vehicle which is the foundation structure of any kind of vehicle that provides help or supports it from its underneath. There are different kinds of chassis. Among all of the chassis categories, aluminum monocoque and steel spaceframe are some of the well-known chassis applied by leading companies such as Toyota, Porsche, Red Bull and many more in racing cars. Spaceframe chassis frames are sometimes applied while designing chassis for motorcycles and automobiles.
While designing chassis for vehicles traditionally, most chassis designing companies used steel as a chassis structuring material. In addition, companies generally used steel as a chassis material because this material component is easy to get as well as the respective machinery needed to contriver steel is also too simple. In the chassis design, there is no doubt that steel is one of the most preferable materials applied to create the frame and chassis of the vehicle just because of its affordable cost, strength, and malleability.
Figure 3: Different types of Chasis (Source: https://learnmech.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/chassisoperationcondition.png)
The car model Toyota TS50 is a sports prototype racing car. When the car model Toyota TS50 was genuinely introduced back in the year 2016, the rules and guidelines specified that just because of cost-saving initiatives accepted by different kinds of manufacturers such as Audi, or Porche, the design of the chassis would be valid for at least for 2-year approximate, and after the specific period of time, the ensign must be developed by the designers (www.racecar-engineering.com, 2019).
The chassis used in the Toyota TS50 is the MA chassis. This chassis design can easily carry over the similar primary mid-motor structure of the MS chassis. This chassis performed far better than the MS chassis and AR chassis. The chassis used in the Toyota TS50 is almost 156mm long and the width of the chassis is about 97 mm. With batteries, the chassis weight is 125.9g.
The car model Porsche 919 is also a sports prototype racing car. And the company Porche used a 7-speed electro-hydraulic actuated sequential gearbox in addition to the rear-lock differential as transmission. In addition, the chassis designer of the car Porche 919 used some carbon fiber composites in addition to a honeycomb aluminum core to develop the chassis for this car.
The company Porche used carbon fiber composites as chassis material to critically balance the vehicle’s structural rigidity as well as help to keep the overall vehicle weight down. That is why the company Porsche used carbon fiber composites in addition to a honeycomb aluminum core to create the chassis for Porche 919.
Dimension comparison
Weight distribution- The weight distribution of the car ToyotaTS50 is the finest. Compared to the previous season’s non-hybrid vehicles, the model TS50 must now comply with the addition of the EoT which is also known as Equivalence of Technology. In addition, the weight of the “hybrid car” has been enhanced by 35 kilograms in the eighth race, the twenty-four hours of “Le Mans” compared to the first lap. Additionally, the instant flow of the fule was increased by the value of 43.75%. The curb weight of the car is 1879 lb.
The car model developer of Porsche was typically inexperienced in the Le Mans Prototype 1 category but the developers drew over the 918 Spyder and 911 GT3 R Hybrid sports car. The designers of the car Porche 919 used carbon fiber composites in addition to a honeycomb aluminum core as the formation of the chassis (www.stuttcars.com, 2018). That is why the weight is distributed properly and the overall weight of the car is approximately 1929 lb without fule or driver.
Suspension- suspension in the vehicle is one of the most essential and significant aspects because suspensions help to secure the drive smoother and safer. Suspension performs as it basically absorbs energy sources from different kinds of track bumps and various types of kinetic impacts. Suspension can provide consistent operating and braking, and also help the vehicle tires in connecting to the track. The suspension also takes a valuable and significant position in controlling the dynamic wheel alignment.
The company Toyota in their car model Toyota TS50 used a rear double wishbone and independent front wishbone and also a pushrod system. The company Porche in their car model Porche 919 used an independent multi-link pushrod configuration in addition to adjustable shock absorbers.
Track length- a vehicle track length simply refers to the gaps between the vehicle’s centerline of two wheels over a similar axis. The measurement units of wheel track and axle are in millimeters or inches. For the car Toyota TS50 the track length is about 1800mm, and the track length for the car Porche 919 also remains the same. Through deep research, it can be stated that both cars are about 4650mm in length.
Wheelbase- The wheelbase of any kind of car is considered as the gaps between the car’s front wheel center and the car’s rear wheels center. In addition, those cars that have a long wheelbase, generally tend to have an improved ride quality as compared to those cars that have a short wheelbase. After deep research, it can be stated that both the racing cars Toyota TS50 and Porche 919 are about 4650mm in length. The value of the wheelbase for both the cars Toyota TS50 and Porche 919 are about at least 4250mm.
Track to Wheelbase ratio- in the car there is no appropriate ratio between the track and wheelbase. In addition, the track-to-wheelbase ratio simply differs on the basis of the car design features. Additionally, if a car generally has a huge wheelbase then it can be stated that the car has high stability and minimum maneuverability.
Economics of chassis
The chassis used in the Toyota TS50 is the MA chassis. This chassis design can easily carry over the similar primary mid-motor structure of the MS chassis. Porche 919 used some carbon fiber composites in addition to a honeycomb aluminum core for their chassis. The MA chassis is basically a small 4WD chassis and this chassis was first developed by the corporation Tamiya in the year 2013. The corporation Tamiya also cut the “three-piece modular design” in approval of 1-piece unit construction. In the MA chassis, the secondary portions were basically molded in minimum-friction polyoxymethylene plastic, creating brass-bearing eyelets un-compulsory (mini-4wd.fandom.com, 2017).
However, these kinds of developments simply accelerate the performance and speed of the chassis. The carbon fiber composites in addition to a honeycomb aluminum core have been hugely applied in those industries that are related to aerospace. In addition, the panels of this composite generally consist of aluminum honeycomb core and carbon fiber face sheets. Due to this, the model can take full benefits of the complementary lightweight and strength properties.
Chassis developments
The chassis of the vehicle can be easily improved. As discussed previously that the design of the chassis would be valid for at least for 2-year approximate, and after a specific period of time, the design must be developed by the designers. In addition, “weld-in roll cage” or “stitch welding” the car chassis is the proven pathway to improve the chassis’s overall rigidity. One can easily make a strong and better chassis for their cars.
Chassis is considered as the frame of the vehicle which is the foundation structure of any kind of vehicle that provides help or supports it from its underneath. One can easily make a better and strong chassis by installing an element that simply reinforces the “suspension agent” to the chassis. More than that, by tying these two chassis points cooperatively in addition to a brace, the flex becomes smaller, preventing an arrangement of the chassis.
Along with the strength, one of the significant considerations in chassis structuring is to have sufficient bending stiffness for improved operating characteristics. By improving the deflection, max equilateral stress, and max stress the chassis design can be also improved.
Reference list
Journals
Agarwal, A. and Mthembu, L., 2022. Structural Analysis and Optimization of Heavy Vehicle Chassis Using Aluminium P100/6061 Al and Al GA 7-230 MMC. Processes, 10(2), p.320.
Bonab, S.A. and Emadi, A., 2020. Fuel-optimal energy management strategy for a power-split powertrain via convex optimization. IEEE Access, 8, pp.30854-30862.
Boretti, A., 2020. Energy flow of a 2018 FIA F1 racing car and proposed changes to the powertrain rules. Nonlinear Engineering, 9(1), pp.28-34.
Duchet, M., Haouas, J., Gibeau, E., Pechenot, F., Honecker, C., Munier, R. and Weber, B., 2019. Improvement of the fatigue strength of welds for lightweight chassis application made of Advanced High Strength Steels. Procedia Structural Integrity, 19, pp.585-594.
Sutisna, N.A. and Akbar, M.F.A.A., 2019. FEM simulation of electric car chassis design with torsional bar technology. Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics, 3(2), pp.97-117.
