Northern Arizona University

Project Description

SAE the Society of Automotive Engineers is a non-profit educational and scientific organization dedicated to advancing mobility technology to better serve humanity. SAE puts on the Collegiate Design Series, a collection of important educational competitions challenging engineering students to demonstrate teamwork and apply textbook theory to real-world application in a variety of exciting events such as Aero design, Clean snowmobile challenge, Formula SAE, Supermileage, and The Baja SAE series.

 

In the United States, Baja SAE consists of three regional competitions that simulate real life engineering design projects and their related challenges. Students must function as a team to design, build, test, promote, and race a vehicle within the limits of the rules, and also generate financial support for their project. Stringent requirements are placed on the team to meet all the requirements laid out by the SAE event organizers.

 

Our group will be representing the NAU chapter of SAE in this collegiate challenge as our senior capstone design project. As such, our group will be designing, building, and testing a car to compete in the Wisconsin Baja SAE competition in June of 2009.

 

Requirements and Specifications:

 

Many unlisted requirements and specifications are listed in the 2009 Baja SAE rules this document is extensive and covers many of the project requirements and specifications that were too small and minute to be listed here.

 

Requirements:

1.All Systems and components must conform to 2009 Baja SAE rules

2. High top speed

3. Good overall performance in Competition

4. Good maneuverability

5. Use roll cage from previous semester

6. Use the supplied Briggs and Stratton engine

7. Must use two independent braking systems

8. Off road Capable

 

Specifications:

 

The numbers after each of the specifications are the corresponding requirements.

 

Top speed flat, dry, unpaved surface 40 miles per hour or greater. 1,2

Ability to perform better than the top 30 teams. * 3

Continuous operation for 5 hours without major breakdown. ** 3,8

Turning Radius under 8 feet 3,4

Roll cage specifications: Section 31 of Reference 1. 1,5

Engine Specifications and allowed modifications: Section 21 of Reference 1. 1,6

Braking system Specifications: Section 34 of Reference 1. 1,3,7

Maximum Dimensions: Width 64 inches, Length 108 inches 1,3

Suspension Travel Rear: 8in. 1,3,4,8

Suspension Travel Front: 10in. 1,3,4,8

Maximum Ground Clearance: 12in. 1,3,8

Maximum Weight: 450 pounds (Without driver) 2,3,8

 

Reference 1: 2009 Baja SAE Rules. September 2008. SAE International. 18 November 2008.  <http://www.sae.org/students/mbrules.pdf>