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The front suspension will retain the original braking system. Later I will add a rear disc braking system as a backup in case of hydraulic failure.
Wheel base is calculated at 92 inches not very different from n=many small cars today.
The is no air in this design used for power, it's hydraulic fluid driven.
I have not drawn anything else yet, but will post any further drawings here when they are completed. The outside shape was precisely the same as the aero template used on this forum to show where shapes do or do not allow air flow to not be separated from the body. It was actually designed from the outer shape inwards. Another benefit from the shorter wider shape is less surface friction between the air and the body, an potentially less effected by crosswinds.
A side view drawing is next. It will be basically flat from the lowest portion up 18 inches, with 6 inches of ground clearance for a total of 2 feet from the ground up to the point where you arm rest would normally be in your car (about parallel with the top of the front tires). After that the shape will be identical to the shape of the sides in the drawing. The 18 inches of vertical body side will be two horizontal parallel tubes with fairly heavy sheet metal welded to the parallel tubes and will look just like a NASCAR frame.
All tubing will be of similar strength to race car tube chassis, in the main area of the passenger compartment. In front of the front axle the tubing will be much lighter and the nose cone will be filled with foam to provide a collapsible nose cone. The rear top tubes will be smaller and thinner.
I have a 2001 Yamaha R1 donor motorcycle for the rear suspension.
Most likely the doors will be of a gull wing configuration.
The shop I am working with builds race cars so they have much experience in the process, including bending tubing as well as a superb welder whose work is absolutely beautiful. I am fairly good as a welder but their man is a real artist.
I may use the interior of the tubing for storing low pressure fluid.
If there is an overpressure situation SOD, then the high pressure fluid will be bypassed through a restriction, to the low pressure circuit to provide braking energy in the drive wheel, of course with backup in the front suspension.
The front wheels will either be configured similar to the early Insight, or have skirts that are controlled by the steering rack to move out for clearing the front tires.
Thanks for the support drmiller. I understand the frustration when dealing with "tail gunners" in your build thread and have experienced many similar responses to my idea. I invite constructive criticism from anyone interested here and truly hope everyone tries to learn and understand what I am trying to do with this design.
Maybe one day it will be accepted by the manufacturers but it will probably take a lot of time, possibly more than I have left on this earth, who knows. The history of auto manufacturers has been unkind to real innovation.
In 2006 I read the EPA's hydraulic hybrid research documents and they were begging for a "clean sheet of paper" design for a drive.
I believe this is that design and the Tech students agreed with that assumption. They looked at it for almost a year and did considerable research, far beyond my capabilities.
Thanks to this site and many members here who have helped me to learn how to best utilize aero design in this vehicle and maybe by this time next year it will actually be on the road. God only knows how many miles I would drive it if it does, but my first passenger will be my 90 year old Father, so he can see the Kid done good.
From start to finish (if it ends in the next year) the whole process will have taken over a decade and over $50,000. Wish me luck.
regards
Mech
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