Overall Big Picture of Design
The technical team of Rainbow Warrior Racing (RWR) is divided into three subsystems. The subsystems are responsible for ownership of the design and manufacturing of parts for the car.
Chassis / Aero
The Chassis/Aerodynamic subsystem is responsible for the frame, driver ergonomics, the firewall, and aerodynamic components. The frame acts as a structure that provides mounting points for the suspension and powertrain components. The frame also serves as the main protection for the driver. The ergonomics is the main interface between the car and the driver and consists of the driver’s seat, the driver controls, and seat belt configuration. The firewall shields the driver from the dissipation of heat from the powertrain components, and also shields the driver from any debris or shrapnel. The aerodynamic components allow the airflow to redirect around the car in order to maximize downforce and minimize drag. Aerodynamic parts include the sidepods, diffuser, body panels, and nose cone.
Powertrain
The primary function of the powertrain is to deliver power from the tractive battery to the wheels. The powertrain subsystem is broken down into five main components: motor, tractive battery, drivetrain, software & electronics, and cooling. The tractive battery provides electrical power to the motor and motor controller. The drivetrain transfers the rotational energy, or torque from the motor to the wheels. The software & electronic components consist of the motor controller, microcontroller unit, and battery management system. These components act as the brain of the vehicle and controls the function of the major components such as the motor, accumulator, and cooling system. The cooling system regulates the operating temperatures of the vehicle.
Suspension
The suspension system integrates the wheels to the chassis and enables the vehicle to be tuned for stability during acceleration, braking, and cornering. Key factors are considered in suspension design such as maximum tire contact patch, weight transfer, and center of gravity. The suspension system consists of three major systems: the wheel assembly, the pushrod system, and the steering system. The wheel assembly comprises the tires, wheels, hubs, uprights, brake rotor, and brake caliper. The pushrod system comprises of the control arms, pushrod, coilover, and bell crank. The pushrod helps dampen the forces experienced by the wheels by transferring the force into the coilover. Pushrods also help maintain the desired suspension geometry. The steering system comprises the steering rack, steering column, steering wheel, and pedal box. The steering rack is connected to the front uprights to provide driver with steering capabilities.
Current Progress
Chassis
The chassis subsystem has made significant progress following a complete redesign, with the suspension boxes, hoop shapes, and side impact structures all finalized, and tube coping completed. Current efforts are focused on finalizing the mounting solutions for the battery, motor, and pedals, as well as completing the firewall design and performing a stiffness analysis. Looking ahead, the team will finalize remaining design logistics and prepare the full model for fabrication and retrofit.
Powertrain
The drivetrain and tractive battery subsystems continue to advance steadily. For the drivetrain, the initial system design and gear ratio have been finalized, and the team is currently redesigning the mounting plates to fit the new chassis geometry, with materials already selected. Upcoming work will focus on cooling routing and full structural analysis. For the tractive battery, the module casing and preliminary container design are complete, and efforts are now directed toward developing the chassis-mounting solution. Future tasks include detailed strength analysis, airflow testing, and integration of the required electronic components.
Suspension
The suspension subsystem is progressing well, supported by extensive modeling used to determine and validate the geometry. The rear suspension geometry and rear upright design are fully finalized, while work continues on finalizing the front upright. Steering geometry is also nearing completion, along with the remaining suspension components such as the control arms.