A new foundation
As my Senior Design capstone project, I successfully led the team in its transition to a new engine, marking one of the largest powertrain changes in team history. The team had used the Honda CBR 600 F4i engine as its powerplant for over a decade, and even prior to that, its carbureted ancestor had been used. Between dwindling parts supply and reliability concerns, the Honda engine was beginning to show its age. After much careful deliberation, it was elected to upgrade to the modern Yamaha YZF-R6 engine.
A complex problem
This change marked one of the largest changes to the vehicle's design in recent memory, and I was responsible for all aspects of the transition. The new engine package required not only mechanical integration, but also hundreds of hours of calibration, testing and validation. Almost every engine system component required some sort of modification to support the R6 powertrain.
Hard work pays off
The change proved to be enormously successful, resulting in one of the best competition seasons in team history. All design targets were met, with a noticeable increase in peak power. The new system was judged as one of the best designed powertrains at competition, even when competing against teams that had many years of development in their calibration and components. The vehicle completed the endurance event at all competitions attended, proving the reliability of the system. Engine performance was clearly demonstrated, with a 6th place autocross finish out of 115 cars at Formula SAE Michigan and a 3rd place autocross finish out of 80 cars at Formula SAE Lincoln.
Engine Calibrations
Hundreds of hours were spent in the engine dynamometer, calibrating various performance parameters.
The finished product
All the powertrain systems cleanly integrated into the vehicle.
At the track
The vehicle's performance was fine tuned at the racetrack, based on driver feedback and telemetry data.
Design
All components were designed in CAD, down to the nut and bolt.