Altair Engineering has announced today that the ENIM Racing Team (ERT), the student racing team of ENIM (Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Metz), is using its HyperWorks CAE suite to tune its racecar for maximum performance.
ENIM initiated its MCAC project (mechanical conception assist by computer) one year ago to design and develop a racecar for automotive competitions. The team plans this year to participate for the first time in the Formula SAE student design competition organised by SAE International.
In September 2009, ENIM began using Altair Engineering’s OptiStruct software in the development of the new race car. After participating in a training session at the Altair office in Anthony, France, where they learned how to use OptiStruct for the structural optimisation of their vehicle components, team members have successively implemented more tools from Altair’s HyperWorks suite into their development process. The ERT currently uses HyperMesh for pre- and post-processing and OptiStruct for structural optimisation. Within the near future, the racing team will also implement Altair's Radioss solver for crash-test simulations and its MotionSolve solver to improve the dynamics of the vehicle.
With OptiStruct, ERT successfully reduced the weight of an engine mount from 9.5 to 4.9kg while at the same time improving its eigenmode characteristics. The optimisation objective was to achieve a maximum of 5kg weight, a maximum stress of 200N/mm², the first eigenmode above 200Hz and a maximum displacement of 1mm of the specific reinforcing device, which was attached to the engine. Based on the given boundary conditions, OptiStruct was able to define the optimal solution. The final part had a weight of 4.9kg and improved mechanical properties with a maximum displacement of 0.7mm and a first eigenmode at 207Hz.
'HyperWorks is the optimal solution for our development tasks,' said Vincent Bialeck, manager of the ENIM Race Team. 'Not only does HyperWorks give us all the tools we need and enable us to optimise our development process to maximise the vehicle performance, also the partnership with Altair is very helpful within our project in general. Innovation and technology are the fundamental concepts at the basis of our agreement with Altair. They have the vision and the technology we need and provide us additionally with the service and training to use their technology.'
'Supporting educational projects is a major focus for Altair, and it is seen as an investment in the future,' said Mauro Guglielminotti, managing director, Altair, France. 'FSAE race teams all over the world use the technology today that will drive developments in all the companies in which future engineers will work. We are always happy to support these student projects with our passion, technology and knowledge.'
