Bauman Racing Team - a story with a taste of speed

Hi, Geektimes! After the first article about our favorite university, we wanted to publish material about various developments / studies, but the guys from the racing team were all ahead (this is their hobby). So catch the second post about the history of our Bauman Racing Team.

BRT-4

Since Soviet times, “Rocket College on the Yauza” is associated with military equipment. In many ways, the superiority of our weapons today allows university students to engage in more peaceful competitions.

The story I want to tell you begins in 2012, when students of the Wheeled Machines and Piston Engines departments (Hello students and graduates of CM10 and E2 - I wonder how many they are at the boom?) Decided to create a unique project for MGTU - a racing car class "Formula Student."

Held since 1978, international engineering student competitions at that time were virtually unknown in Russia. In 2012, there were only 3 teams from Russia: MADI (founded in 2005), MAMI (2006) and RUDN (2011).

The teams' goal is to create a racing car under the rules of Formula SAE (SAE - Society of Automotive Engineers - supports holding competitions around the world) and take part in international competitions. Formula The student is not a sport and not a race in its pure form, it is the quintessence of engineering, economic and managerial activities, which is a bridge between education, technology, innovation and motor sports itself.

For students participating in a project, this is a great way to “pump” yourself, your skills, and maybe even get a job in major international corporations, such as Bosch, Siemens, Daimler, Porsche, etc., for which the competitions have become fair best minds.

Porsche booth at Formula Student Germany 2016

And in total in the world in 2012 there were 500 teams from 50 countries of the world, more than 70 of which are German. Each major German city has 2 teams, for example, KIT Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology) and UAS Karlsruhe (Karlsruhe Polytechnic University). And official competitions are held in industrially and technologically developed countries such as England, Germany, USA, Japan, etc.

Uas karlsruhe

KIT Karlsruhe

Like any undertaking from below - the project was looking for support for a long time and finally found it in the person of Dmitry O. Onishchenko, then a candidate of technical sciences (and now a doctor of science), a lecturer at the E2 Piston Engines department.

It remained the case for small - to get the approval of the rector of Moscow State Technical University. Bauman - Anatoly Alexandrovich Alexandrov. Anatoly Alexandrovich liked the idea of ​​creating the Formula Student team, with a small reservation. Initially, we planned to build a car for 2 years, but the rector, correcting us believing in us, said that we can build a car and for 1 year.

One of the first sketches of BRT-1

We received top level approval and started working. Our first refuge was the laboratory of the E2 department, where we huddled between test benches and outdated engines, which became museum exhibits. Having nothing but regulations and a great desire to create - our every step, every our purchase, was a great success for us.

Laboratory 056 of the E2 department and we

2012, September.

First step. Develop carrier system. But how? In imagination, on paper, a 3D model? No, it will be faster to create a wooden layout, where we can immediately evaluate and create the layout required by the regulations.

Model of the carrier system

2012, October.

The project "goes to the people" - the first exhibition of the team - "Polytechnic 2012". The first recognition and genuine interest in the "design".

After creating the layout, the process of three-dimensional design began, without which today it is impossible to imagine the creation of virtually any product. The basic concept was defined rather quickly: steel frame, carbon suspension arms, 13-inch wheels, tires from the company Michelin, which has given us support since its inception. And what about the power plant?

A distinctive feature of all the cars of the team Bauman Racing Team - a complex and interesting power plant. Initially, we decided to create a powerful engine. The maximum allowed volume at that time was 610 cm3, and the most popular engines in Formula Student were 4 cylinder Japanese Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki of 599 cm3 volume. After studying the characteristics of these engines - we decided to opt for the engine Yamaha R6, the basis of the power plant for the next three years.

The power plant BRT-3 - 2015

The second significant limitation of the engine is a restrictor - a washer with a diameter of 20 mm through which all the air passes, which strongly “chokes” the engine. We decided to reduce this effect by adding a Roots-type drive compressor, and we looked at the Motec M400 to control the power plant.

In the first year to use the boost, it sounds a little crazy for many, but not for us. Standard 125 HP Atmospheric Yamaha R6 become 60-70 hp with the restrictor installed, that is, out of 60 kg of the engine, we would carry almost 30 kg with us just like that.

The drive compressor returned us more than 40 hp, measurements on the stand showed 102.3 hp - the engine officially became one of the most powerful Formula Student in the history of competitions! In this case, the compressor helped us in all engine operating modes, since it was driven by a crankshaft drive.

Drive compressor type Roots Eaton M45

For several months, the team worked tirelessly to have time to finish the car before leaving for the competition. We worked in two shifts, the engines worked in the morning and in the afternoon, and the rest worked at night. However, we were destined to go to our first stage in Italy with a disassembled car. The last detail came a couple of hours before departure, and the top cover of the body kit polymerized in the matrix, which we took with us to the stage.

Leave soon ...

Italy 2013, September.

Autodrome Ricardo Paletti near the commune of Varano de Melegari, 7 teams from Russia (total number of teams in Russia doubled in just a year), dismantled BRT-1 car, euphoria from what is happening around and feeling that all the flour was not in vain.

Seeing our designer, the judges praised us for our efforts, however, they advised us not to waste time and go home, because “you don’t have time, tomorrow we will have those inspections”.

... tomorrow is the inspection

The next day, the judges were waiting for a fully finished car. On those inspections, we received a huge list of shortcomings that need to be addressed in one day and the same advice “do not waste time”.

Troubleshooting

The morning of the second day, “crazy Russians” in orange uniform was presented to the judges a race car with all the corrected shortcomings. The expressions of their faces should have been seen! And we allowed to race!

And we allowed to race!

Having passed all the tests, reaching the endurance race, we stopped at the second round. When designing the route, the last turn (which was not in autocross) was made by the judges too sharp and no one among the first starters could get into it. Including us. A few cars after us - the judges corrected their mistake, however, we were not destined to return to the track. After disputes and inspecting the car, we found in addition to the judges' error and our mistake in designing the steering mechanism - a small angle of rotation of the wheels. However, it was a decent debut.

FS Italy 2013

The second year brought us a completely new car design (although a minor revision of the existing one was originally planned), our own premises and a number of nodes unique to Russia, of which we are proud of ourselves: our own steering rack, the body of which is made of carbon, dry crankcase, hybrid steel carbon frame and aerodynamics.

BRT Laboratory - April 2014

BRT Lab - March 2016

Having visited two European stages in 2014, unfortunately, despite the obvious progress, we were unable to finish both endurance races, but the first successes came to us in 2014 at the first Russian stage of the competition.

Team season 2013/2014 and BRT-2

The set of the fall of 2014 brought us a significant strengthening of the team in all areas of activity. The practice of “engineering subbotnik” emerged - when engineers gathered in the laboratory and all day long intensively generated new ideas and designs.

Training in the New SolidWorks Program - 2014

The concept of the car remained the same, the bet was placed on reliability and it came true! The first finish in the endurance race at Formula Student Germany 2015!

The joy of the first finish!

And the first championship in Russia in September 2015 (in the meantime, in just 2 years the number of Russian teams approached 30, and the number of teams with cars reached 15).

The first title of champions of Russia!

From October 2015 in the history of the team, a new chapter begins - the status of champions, giving new strength and a completely new concept (1 cylinder instead of 4, turbocharger instead of driving compressor) - as a result, the car lost 50 kg from 247 kg to 195.5 kg.

Formula Student Germany 2016

The season of records began with the number of stages for which the team registered: 3 European and 1 Russian.

However, the new concept is not always reliable, as a result - 3 meetings in the race for endurance.

Cut off needles for attaching carbon drive shaft

The solution of problems with the car coincided with the solution of problems on the organization of the Russian stage, which took place at the end of October 2016. And then our car shot. We knew what he was capable of — now our rival friends have also learned. As a result - cups for all disciplines, except for one and the second title of champions of Russia!

The second title of champions of Russia

The team structure is also constantly undergoing changes and more formalization. A distinctive feature of the first year was that without recruitment, the team from the original 5 people grew to 20 incredibly motivated people. Now this team is almost fully engaged in the development of the youth roadster "Crimea".

The team was formed around the captain - Andrei Basov, whereas today the team enters the final phase of building a vertical structure - a more convenient and perfect form of interaction.

The new captain, Sergei Ruman, no longer has to control everyone, for this we have department heads. However, this does not mean that the “subordinates” simply follow the instructions “from above”. We are a team - and everyone can express and implement their proposals.

Since the second year of its existence, the team has been carrying out regular recruits, which enjoy consistently high interest from students and a chance is given to everyone!

Excursion to the laboratory under the new set - 2015

The captain, heads of departments and "subordinates" form the basic structure - 25 people without whom it is impossible to build a car and perform at competitions. A year ago we launched the project - “Junior Formula”, which this year was renamed “Advanced BRT”.

Initially, the “Junior Formula” consisted of first and second year students who did not yet have enough knowledge of the specialty, but who really wanted to develop in the framework of the project. They listened to a course of lectures on 3D design and general information on the design of the car, and then became the "Padawans" of more experienced participants.

The experiment was successful and in 2016 we extended it to all courses, calling it “Advanced BRT”, which today consists of 35 people. The participants more organically fit into the project, better understand the requirements placed on them and more effectively replace the graduating team members.

2017 begins again on a positive note. We were convinced that our new concept is able to win, our approach to the cultivation of personnel is bearing fruit. In the anniversary, the fifth season for us, we face all the same ambitious tasks - to be the best in Russia and become one more step closer to the best European teams!