Despite all that has transpired in the first half of 2020, we would like to take a retrospective look at all that the team got up to in the first few months of the year. Coming into 2020 we were again in the midst of executing one of the most challenging stages of our two-year design cycle, Design Period. Despite the saddening reality that we made the correct decision to cancel our 2020 Europe Campaign and that fact that we won't be able to compete at Formula SAE Australasia this year, our 2020 Design Period was filled with success and exciting innovations for the team. All the work that went into refining and improving M19-C, M19-D and M19-E in preparation for the 2020 season led to immense learning in all areas of the team and definitely won't be going to waste.

Below our Leaders and Managers go into detail about the key developments in each section of the team during summer design period.

Aerodynamics

The main focus for the Aerodynamics section during the 2020 Design Period revolved around the improvement of an already well-refined aerodynamics package on M19-C and M19-E. The section also refined methodologies and workflows for designing a completely new aerodynamics package at the beginning of 2021. In terms of developments looking towards 2021, lots of work has been done to automate workflow processes and improve our CFD model and methodology. In terms of physical aerodynamic package refinement for 2020, the section developed rear wing Drag Reduction Systems (DRS) for both M19-C and M19-E, as well as made smaller package changes including new nose wings designed to improve overall CLA and reduce the yaw sensitivity of the rear wing. Progress was also made towards a new aero rake which will help facilitate more aerodynamics validation. Finally, the section continued to build knowledge with research into numerous manufacturing techniques, testing and structural analysis.

Autonomous Systems

The main focus of the Autonomous Systems section had been on the development of camera systems in preparation for competition in Europe. Previously, M19-D has been limited by its perception systems as it has only been utilising a LiDAR which gives around 7m of reliable range. With cameras, it is expected that the effective perception range can be increased, which will help with path planning and allow the car to navigate the track at higher speeds. To accommodate these cameras, an NVIDIA Xavier has been installed into the onboard computing box, replacing both the i7 CPU and Jetson TX2. The design period also saw a focus on improving software management practices such as pull request procedure and documentation in code, as well as implementing a continuous integration server to test code automatically before it’s pulled into the master file.

Business

This year the Business section underwent a minor restructure, with a shift from a Business Leader and Business Manager managing all domains of the business section, to a number of subsections which will handle the majority of our business needs. The subsections were divided into marketing, sponsorship, events and design. Each of the subsections had their own Manager who was ultimately responsible for the sections deliverables. This allowed the section to more effectively address the needs of each distinct area and also help improve the value proposition for non-technical members who want to join the team. Over the design period, the Business section focused on two main tasks. Firstly, a new website was developed and released. Secondly, a marketing timeline was devised for the team’s whole year which aimed to streamline the process of managing our social media channels while the team competes across 2 months in Europe. The section also worked on small changes to update the way events are planned, as well as our sponsor relations to make sure we’re giving back as much as possible to the people that enable us to do what we do.

Our brand new website!

Chassis

Across the 2020 Design Period, the Chassis section was focusing on redesigning and refining elements of last year’s chassis. Refinements were being made to the design of the team’s first successful monocoques to improve manufacturing and decrease the chances of failure. At the time of COVID-19 impacting our ability to work on the cars, M19-C was undergoing a chassis swap, preparing to race in Europe with a brand new monocoque. Other changes included refinements to M19-C and M19-E’s steering to be tighter and reduce slop. The Anti-Roll Bar (ARB) was improved greatly with the implementation of a servo-powered, driver-adjustable ARB. Finally, M19-C and M19-E were preparing to move to carbon-fibre wishbones with 3D printed titanium inserts.

*Aluminium honeycomb core cut ready for M19-C's new monocoque.*

Electrical Systems

The newly formed Electrical Systems section worked on a wide range of parts throughout the 2020 Design Period, executing design changes to two different accumulators and increasing reliability across all three cars. Changes to M19-D’s accumulator mainly involved remaking the loom, replacing the relays and HV cabling, and reassembling it into a more robust and reliable package. M19-E’s accumulator underwent similar modifications, with a reconstruction of the shelf and relocation of the HV connector to the front of the assembly. These changes also involved rerouting the wiring harness of the Orion Battery Management System (BMS) and the shelf. In the BMS, the PCBs have been changed for simplicity and robustness, removing their cell balancing functionality, which is now only performed by the Orion BMS unit. Inside M19-E’s accumulator, a significant change took place with the aluminium busbars being replaced with copper ones to reduce contact resistance. The safety systems managed by the section had a focus on making PCBs across all three cars uniform. Finally, tuning for the Acceleration event was conducted with the inverter to improve on-track performance for the upcoming campaign.

*Copper busbars for M19-E's accumulator.*

Powertrain

During this year’s design period, the Powertrain section focused on redesigning the engine and driveline mounts for both cars in collaboration with the Chassis section to improve load paths on the monocoque. For M19-C’s intake, the section looked into the effects of fatigue and changes in wall thickness with the 3D printed Nylon 12 material in an effort to reduce mass and assess lifespan. In preparation for the competition events, the tuning of M19-C’s KTM 690 Duke R engine was investigated for improvements in efficiency and power tuning for Autocross. Looking forward to 2021, the section had been investigating components for both Combustion and Electric powertrains. This included research for gearbox development, composite fuel tanks and electric motor options.

While we may not have the chance to put M19-C, M19-D and M19-E to the ultimate test in competition this year, we still hope that we will see them on track again with some friends in the future. You can rest assured that as soon as we are back in our workshop, you will see lots of these changes implemented.

Keep an eye out for some big announcements about what lays ahead for Monash Motorsport soon!