Formula Student Team Delft ’s Journey to Innovation
Formula Student Team Delft powered by Eurocircuits’ PCBs
Throughout last year we, at Formula Student Team Delft have been working hard to develop a new contender for victory at Formula Student competitions. With a team of 90 dedicated students we combined every aspect of building a racing car- from chassis, suspension, aerodynamics, and drivetrain to powertrain, software, and of course PCB design, where Eurocircuits so kindly aided us with their fast production.
Our future engineers put in their utmost efforts with one goal in mind; victory at Formula Student, an international engineering competition that challenges university teams to conceive, design, build, and race a single-seat formula-style race car. The competition consists of static and dynamic events.
- Static events include engineering design, business plan presentations, and cost analysis. They are all meant to demonstrate the student’s skills in engineering, planning, and finance.
- Dynamic events, such as skid pad, acceleration, autocross, and endurance, test the car’s performance in speed, handling, and durability. All this comes together in Formula Student, creating an environment that nourishes growth and innovation and gives students a chance to put their theoretical knowledge into practical skills.
Navigating a Season of Challenges
Despite our best endeavours, this season went far from smooth. During the year we encountered a great deal of problems, starting with problems related to the motor controllers which were caused by EMI (Electromagnetic interference) issues.
Fortunately, we were able to find solutions to these obstacles with the implementation of more robust software and better grounding.
At our first competition, Formula Student Netherlands (FSN), we managed to pass all technical inspections and competed in all dynamic events. In the end we managed to place 3rd in the acceleration event however, we were unable to finish the endurance event due to an IMD error. Despite this setback we placed 9th out of the 32 competing teams and we were determined to improve for the next competitions.
Technical Issues
In order to improve for our next competition, we needed to find the reason for the mishap at FSN. Upon investigation, we discovered that the Insulation monitoring device (IMD) issue originated from the high voltage system of the car. After fixing this problem and after extensive testing, we were ready for Formula Student Germany (FSG).
Overcoming Hurdles at the Final Competition
The final, biggest and most important competition did not start of all to smooth either. Due to issues with the charger some delays arose which led us to take the safe approach for both the autonomous skid pad and autonomous acceleration. Unfortunately during the autonomous skid pad the car went off-course which invalided the run. We then went to the test track for validation and set-up of the car, hoping to get some more autonomous runs in later in the afternoon. At the test track we uncovered that one of the chassis inserts had come loose. This could be a serious and competition ending issue, however due to the quick thinking and hard work of our team we managed to solve the issue. The repair did take up a full day of the teams time and consequently, we were unable to compete in the acceleration and skidpad events. But due to our great performance in autocross and endurance, the DUT24 achieved 4th place overall in the competition. Considering the setbacks our team faced during the week, this was a great result.
PCB Development This Year
A lot of electronics go into making a race car drive, and almost all the PCBs are designed and produced by the team. Eurocircuits supported us in this endeavour by producing all the bare PCB boards. In our first blog post of the year, we discussed the motor controllers-this PCB drives the motors. Another highlight of previous year is our self-developed low voltage BMS, which gave us more control over our low voltage battery and in turn made our car safer and more reliable.
Reflections on a Year of Growth
Through the highs and lows, setbacks and triumphs, we’ve honed our skills, built connections, and set new limits for what’s possible in Formula Student. Although we didn’t achieve a first place overall, we still achieved incredible results and gained invaluable experience. We want to thank Eurocircuits for making this possible this year. They helped our team of students grow, learn, and improve. The PCB engineers gained firsthand experience in designing, producing, testing, and improving their designs, while the software team learned about board bring-up, testing, and writing efficient embedded software for custom hardware.
As the year ends, a new team has come together to pick up the torch and develop the next generation car, the DUT25. We look forward to seeing where they will take this team and have no doubt that we’ll hear more from them in the future.
For more information please visit the Formula Student Team Delft website.
Bring your product to market on time and within budget – join the Eurocircuits Community
