website exemplar extended projects unit: 4. topic: rotax box...stages of the project project...
TRANSCRIPT
Website Exemplar Extended Projects Unit: 4.
Topic: Rotax Box
BY BRAD SMITH
Re-design Rotax Airbox
Motivation
My motivation for this project came from my interest in motorsport.
What Is The Rotax Airbox
Rotax is an engine manufacturer who specialise in kart engines.
The airbox is primarily used to silence the engine and prevent any liquid or dirt entering the carburettor.
Current products are not made to optimise performance.
Research
Primary
Talks and interviews with professionals and engine manufacturers
Location visits
One of the first and most important parts of my or any project is research, if you can’t gather enough good reliable information your whole project may end up wrong. The main points I researched were:
Secondary
MaterialsManufacturing methodsTypes of flowBasic engine researchProduct disassemblyCurrent rules and regulations
Basic Specification
Target market:Privateer kart racers/Racing teams/Engine tuners/Engine manufacturers
Function:Improve airflow inside the airbox to increase engine performance
Materials and Manufacturing:Polypropylene if manufactured using injection moulding, if rapid prototyped it will be made of Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).
Ergonomics:The way the airbox is fastened together and how it attaches to the carburettor. It must be entirely air tight.
Appearance/Aesthetics:The design should be sleek, not made just to look good but work well and efficiently.
Stages of The Project
Project Planning
ResearchSketching and
ModellingFinal Product
Analysis and Testing
Project Log
E-portfolio
However as in most projects there were a few obstacles in the way, the biggest of which was trying to get a full size accurate model.
Final Product
Results
GG Min Velocity 1
m/s 0
GG Av Velocity 1
m/s 4.66894
GG Max Velocity 1
m/s 11.6707
GG Min Velocity 1
m/s 0
GG Av Velocity 1
m/s 3.58564
GG Max Velocity 1
m/s 16.5006
Evaluation
Overall my project has been very interesting and I have found it useful choosing a project which I can relate to. It has had a range of different strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths:
Successfully increased average velocity of air through the airboxVery Enjoyable and interestingA lot of ways to test the productRelatively simple to compare the old and new models
Weaknesses:
Unable to produce an accurate full scale model for physical testingA lot of hours behind a computer screenLarge amount of travelling (location visits and dyno testing etc)
What I Have Gained
From this project I have gained and learnt many new skills as well as improving current ones, these include:
New and improved CAD skills
Project management experience
Presentation experience
Communication skills
Future Development
If I was able to continue to develop this product further I would:
Manufacture an accurate full size model, preferably rapid prototyped.
Use this model on an engine dyno to find out what difference it makes.
Test it on a kart at a race circuit.
If it is very successful I would then patent my design and again approach the engine manufactures.
Questions