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The purpose of the structural report is to document the structural integrity and driver protection of each solar vehicle entered in CSDC'97. The structural report is to include specifications, drawings or photos, analyses, and conclusions as described below.
The report requires documentation of minimum criteria for protecting all CSDC'97 participants, but, every team is responsible for the safety of its members and the minimum CSDC'97 requirements should not be construed as design specifications for the construction of a 'safe' solar vehicle.
The report must describe the vehicle frame and construction techniques (aluminum space frame, composite monocoque, etc.) including the materials used, their important dimensions (e.g., tubing diameters and thicknesses, number of piles in composite constructions etc.) and their properties (in the "as welded" or "as fabricated" condition). The report must also list the specific impact criteria that are assumed for each case, as well as sample calculations and computer output, as applicable.
At a minimum, a team's structural report must include structural drawings of the vehicle from five viewpoints; top, front, side, rear and isometric. The drawings must include:
The report also must contain structural drawings of the driver's compartment from three views: top, front and side. The drawings must illustrate:
Analyses may be in the form of computer modeling (such as a finite-element analysis) or empirical testing of the actual vehicle.
The report must document performance of the vehicle regarding front, rear, side and rollover impact. Front, rear and side impact with another vehicle assumes a bumper height of 10 cm and an elevation of 35cm. Rollover analysis must address loads at a minimum of two increments between horizontal and vertical.
The minimum criteria for these impacts are loads of 3-5 G, where the G is the total gross weight of the vehicle (including driver and ballast, usually 80 kg). Emphasis should be placed on how protection is provided for the driver under these conditions. All impact scenarios must take into account movement of body panels and the vehicle's solar array to ensure that these members do not penetrate the space occupied by the driver during the impact.
The report should contain a summary of the findings for each impact case and a brief discussion of the results. Raw data should be attached as an appendix to the report.
For queries, please forward to SESCI at: (e-mail) sesci@sympatico.ca
Last update: 21 March 1997
URL:http://www.newenergy.org/newenergy/csdc_structure.html