Estudo da geometria de um sistema de direção de um veículo conceito urbano para competir na Shell Eco Marathon

Abstract

With the launch of a new category in the Shell Eco Marathon Brazil competition, the Pato a Jato team, comprised of students from UTFPR Pato Branco campus, had to develop a new vehicle that complied with the event's rules. The Urban Concept category aims to create highly energy-efficient vehicles with features closely resembling ordinary cars, subjecting them to tests simulating urban environments. Among all the systems that need to be studied and modeled, this current project focused on the development of the steering system, an essential component for vehicle drivability and passenger safety. This involved the analysis of the best mechanisms, the type of geometry that fits the car and competition characteristics, as well as all the important parameters to ensure good dynamic behavior. Thus, this study developed a pivoted steering system through 3D CAD modeling, following the Ackermann geometry behavior. It allows adjustments to parameters such as camber, caster, and track width. The outcome of the work delivered a functional system to the team, providing complete freedom to alter dynamic behavior characteristics based on each track.