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A carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque racecar frame was designed and constructed by students for the 2012 Formula SAE (FSAE) collegiate design series competition. FSAE rules require that the monocoque frame have strength equal to or greater than the traditional steel space frames that they replace. The rules also specify minimum values for perimeter shear strength, main roll hoop attachment strength and driver harness attachment (pullout) strength. Overcoming limitations imposed by locally available finite element analysis tools, a variety of tests were devised to determine required laminate thicknesses and layup orientations. These included perimeter shear tests, pin shear tests, three-point bend tests and tensile tests. Based on the results of these tests, a sandwich construction using composite skins fabricated from carbon/epoxy prepreg and aluminum honeycomb core was selected.

Due to their high specific stiffness and strength, carbon-epoxy composites have become the predominant structural material at the highest levels of international motorsport and are also gaining widespread popularity in collegiate design competitions. Formula SAE is one such event where college students design, build, and race a small, formula-style race car in an autocross environment. The use of composite materials in the structure of these vehicles provides a competitive advantage through weight reduction. Undergraduate students often face a steep learning curve when dealing with composite materials, however, as they have had little exposure to the design, analysis, and fabrication processes of composite structures. By outlining the design and testing of a carbon-epoxy A-arm for a Formula SAE vehicle, this paper will serve as an introduction to the unique benefits and challenges associated with composite motorsports structures.