Study on Structural-Based Design and FEA Analysis of Light Weight Steering Uprights for a Formula Student Vehicle

In FSAE formula student vehicles, the steering upright connects the wheel and the steering mechanism. Thus, an op-timized upright shape is essential for enhancing vehicle efficiency and wheel performance. This study compares aluminum 6061-T6 with titanium alloy 6Al-4V (aged and treated) for upright development, considering materials science, engineering, and innovative design to optimize component weight. The Topology solver optimizes the geometry, such as a vehicle's upright, by considering other design elements. The safety factor of the topology-optimized titanium alloy Ti 6Al-4V model was 2.6237, compared with 1.554 for aluminum 6061-T6. The safety factor for the topology-optimized model improved by 68.737%. The comparison between 6061-T6 and Ti 6Al-4V alloy, where Ti alloy provides the best optical properties and optimizes the design for weight reduction as well as structural integrity. The up-right validation aligns with prior efforts, exhibiting a difference of less than 1% from the previous findings. ANSYS Workbench was used to analyze the topology and structure, whereas SolidWorks selected and designed the materials. Simulations revealed only 0.0438% deformation and 0.1272% stress variance from the experimental results. 2D plots, contours, and streamlines show these findings. For the automobile industry and motorsport community, the optimized upright model will reduce the car's weight by 2.56 kg and improve its performance.