The engineers compose the bulk of our club. They deal with all aspects of building the car and make sure it runs. The engineers are split into two main teams, mechanical and electrical led by the Chief Mechanical Engineer and Chief Electrical Engineer, respectively.
Mechanical
The mechanical side of engineering is involved with the mechanical research, design, and manufacturing of the car. This subteam is split into four systems: Handling, Drivetrain, Ergonomics, and Structural. Projects typically start in the research stage, then go through concept sketching, and finally get turned into detailed Computer Aided Designs (CAD) models in Solidworks. Throughout the design process, calculations and simulations are used to validate design decisions and ensure components are staying in compliance with the competition rules. Once the design process is completed, the team moves to the machine shop where the components are fabricating using tools such as mills, lathes, CNC machines, and hand tools, and later installed into the car via welding and bolted assemblies.
Electrical
On the electrical side of engineering, the team works with power electronics, low voltage circuitry, printed circuit boards, controller area networks, telemetry, and more. The subteam is split into three system: Electronics, Embedded Software, and Electrical Powertrain. Electrical-based projects also follow a design process in which they are first designed, then fabricated and tested, and finally installed into the car. Team members who engage with electrical work handle everything electrical (and computer) related including the custom accumulator, tractive systems, LV circuits (safety, controls, etc.), and telemetry system.
