Website Exemplar Extended Projects Unit: 4. Topic: Rotax Box...Stages of The Project Project Planning Research Sketching and Modelling Final Product Analysis and Testing Project Log

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