Design of A Steering Mounted Paddle Shifter for A Racing Car

• Main Author: Raja Faeez Shah Bin Raja Mudzaffar Shah, Raja Faeez Shah
• Format: Final Year Project
• Published: Universiti Teknologi Petronas 2008
• Subjects: TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/980/

UTP Formula SAE Team has created a race car for the Formula SAE race. This project is a part of the research and development for improving the racing car performance. This report represents the progress that has been made for project design a steering mounted paddle shifter for the UTP Formula SAE racing car. The existing car is using the sequential transmission system with a lever to allow the driver to change the gears. With this configuration, there are some limitations and problems arise. The lever position on the side of the driver position means that the driver has to let go of the steering to change gears. This can cause a hazard and danger to the driver safety as he/she traveled at high speed. The lever configuration itself will slow down the changing gears process as the driver has to lift his/her hand to reach the lever. From ergonomic view, the lever which is mounted on the chassis can cause a discomfort to the driver due to the lowered seat design. A sequential transmission system using a new configuration using two rocking paddle, mounted behind the steering wheel and which can be pulled by the driver using his/her fingertips [3] will be design and install in the race car to enhance the performance. This project is divided to two sections, first part is the research and literature review and the second part is the design and fabrication if time permitted. Within the first part, a few of the parameters of the design are justified such as the requirement and the design criteria. Thru this parameters that the design selections are being made. The entire project is being done with the help from UTP Formula SAE team and engineering software such as CATIA, AutoCAD and ANSYS Workbench.