Análise linear estática por elementos finitos das armaduras de segurança de carros de corrida: estudo comparativo entre aço e alumínio

Abstract

This monograph intents to determine the feasibility of the use of aluminum alloys in the manufacture of the safety armor of the race cars. The International Automobile Federation (IAF) has a standard for the design and construction of the security armor, which are installed on touring race cars in various automotive categories. According to this standard, the safety cage must have a tubular structure in carbon steel, but does not mention the possibility of using other materials. A comparative study between a computer model of a safety harness in carbon steel and other aluminum, using a finite element simulation for static structural analysis. Engineers that works with competitive sports, such as motor racing, are always striving to improve the performance of vehicles. A parameter that is constantly used by engineers to improve the performance of vehicles is the power-to-weight ratio. Based on this ration, the work on this monograph aims to establish a comparison between the characteristics of the two materials mentioned. The study showed modeling difficulty when using the finite element method, either with the one-dimensional or three-dimensional model, due to the stress concentrations in the junctions of the rollcage tubes. For the comparative study, the high-strength aluminum alloy rollcage led to a 56 % weight reduction.