Budgets, deadlines, sheet metal and engine oil. These are only some of
the things that go into a jigsaw puzzle of components that Ryan Jolley and
his teammates are trying to turn into a race car.
Jolley, a senior in mechanical engineering from Montgomery, is
heading this year's effort to field Auburn Engineering's second entry in the
annual Formula SAE race held in Pontiac, Mich., and sponsored by the Society
of Automotive Engineers.
Auburn's 1996 entry, engineering's first, finished as the rookie entry of
the year, coming in eighteenth in a field of 97 cars. It was an impressive finish
for Auburn's inaugural effort in the highly competitive event.
"It took a lot of effort and a lot
time," explains Jolley, whose parents are
both Auburn alums his father, Ron, in business, and his mother, Carlotta,
in education.
The team began by looking at the competition at Georgia Tech and
the University of Texas at Arlington, and took notes on how to run a racing
program. Members then drew up a plan and took it to John Owens, the
college's associate dean for research and himself a car buff.
Owens agreed to be the team's advisor, and enlisted the help of senior
research technician Hugh Fellows to help the team with the nuts and bolts of
running the program.
"The rest was follow-through,"
Ryan notes. The team, composed of students from several disciplines in
engineering, as well as undergraduates in the
College of Business, went to work.
"The criteria from SAE were
simple," Jolley recounts. "It called for the
design and construction of a non-professional weekend racer that could be built
for $8,000 for a total market of 1,000 cars."
That's where the interplay with the students from the College of
Business came in every weld, foot of tubing, sheet metal panel, screw, nut and
bolt had to be costed out.
"That aspect of engineering alone having to figure in production costs
was an education," Jolley explains, adding that the 'business factor' added
a new dimension to the team's experiences.
"Of course, the biggest challenge was the engineering itself," he points
out. "We designed our car from ground zero, from a clean sheet of paper."
The team plans to use what it learned building its first racer to field this
year's entry, but under Formula SAE rules, a new car must be entered each year.
"Because we can't use the same car we plan to build on a new,
improved frame, and plan modifications to the suspension as well," Jolley notes.
"We have to use a 600cc motorcycle engine fed through a single 20mm intake
restriction as a point of departure for the power plant."
Team members coaxed 70 horsepower out of Honda's popular
FLCBR engine last year, a technical triumph of 'plenum plumbing' over the
stock engine's 78 rated horsepower a number Honda achieved by using four
stock carburetors on tuned, multiple runners.
"Our engine was normally aspirated but still competitive against the
turbocharged entries. It held together really well," Ryan observes. "One of the
turbos threw a rod during competition, and others had problems, so I don't know
if we'll go turbo next year or not."
The event consisted of static displays the first day, with judging of design
and preparation as well as concept and presentation. The second phase
consisted of dynamic events, including acceleration, skidpad and autocross
competition. The final event was a 15-mile endurance race consisting of 24 laps split
by a pit stop.
"We placed fourteenth in the endurance run," Ryan notes.
The team is now looking for sponsors and technical help for next
year's race, which will be held in May. Ryan says they need tires, fiberglass
technology for the body, fuel injection components, and 'all the other bits and pieces.'
(They can be reached at War Eagle Motorsports, 202 Ross Hall,
Auburn University, AL 36849, by phone at (334) 844-2322, and also by email
at jollejr@eng.auburn.edu.)
"We really learned to apply what we had learned in class to this project,"
Ryan points out. "At the same time, we
brought ideas back into the classroom. We discovered concepts that went beyond
racing and motor sports that are applicable to engineering in general.
"There was a huge benefit in gaining practical knowledge, but this project
also taught us teamwork, how to achieve a common goal, and the dynamics of
problem solving."
He says of the nine rookies at the race last year, none of the others
were even close to the performance that the Auburn entry achieved.
"Honda invited our team and just one other to do additional
research and development on the engine," he adds.
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