Hytech Racing Designs

Hytech Racing | Mechanical Controls Team

Project Overview

As a member of the Mechanical Controls team for Georgia Tech's Formula SAE team, Hytech Racing, I was tasked with designing and validating a driver headrest assembly. This component is critical for driver safety and ergonomics, requiring strict adherence to FSAE competition rules while optimizing for weight and structural integrity.

ToolsCATIA (CAD), FEA Simulation

MaterialsSteel Plate, Carbon Fiber, Foam

AnalysisFinite Element Analysis, Hand Calcs

ComplianceFSAE Safety Requirements

Design Process

The development followed a rigorous engineering workflow to ensure the design met both performance and regulatory standards:

Ideation: Started with hand-sketching various design concepts to explore different mounting orientations and material distributions.
Collaboration: Consulted with the Team Lead to evaluate concepts based on manufacturability and integration with the existing chassis.
CAD Modeling: Utilized CATIA to model the selected design, featuring a steel mounting plate integrated with a carbon fiber backing.
Fastening Logic: Decided on a hybrid assembly method—attaching the steel plate to the carbon fiber using small high-strength bolts, and securing the foam headrest via heavy-duty Velcro for easy adjustment and replacement.

Structural Validation & Iteration

Validation was a two-step process involving both computational simulation and classical mechanics:

FEA Analysis: Performed Finite Element Analysis to identify structural weaknesses. The simulation showed the highest stress concentrations in the top-left and top-right sections of the steel plate.
Design Iteration: Based on the FEA results, I increased the height of the steel plate to better distribute the load and reduce localized stress below the material's yield point.
Hand Calculations: To verify the simulation, I modeled the design as a simple beam with two supports and ran hand calculations to ensure the theoretical displacement and stress aligned with the FEA data.

Outcome

The final design successfully met all safety criteria for the Formula SAE competition. The resulting headrest assembly provides a reliable safety interface for the driver while maintaining the lightweight profile necessary for competitive racing.