Carbon Fiber Vehicle Floor
Fabricated a carbon fiber sandwich floor to enclose the cockpit and prevent track debris from entering the vehicle.
What?
FSAE rules require a solid, non-brittle floor extending from the foot area to the firewall to prevent debris from entering the cockpit
Previous aluminum floor added unnecessary mass
A lightweight composite replacement meeting structural equivalence requirements was designed
How?
Floor was split into 6 sections for DFA purposes (much easier to install around mounts and tabs)
6 plies of 3K twill carbon were laid up in a [0/45/-45]s schedule with a 6mm PVC foam core sandwiched in the middle
Vacuum bagged overnight to cure under uniform pressure
Results?
All 6 sections of the floor were epoxy bonded to the frame with structural epoxy, avoiding fasteners to prevent stress concentrations
Achieved 60% weight reduction over last year’s floor and passed FSAE technical inspection
