Solar Power Mini-Car

For a CAD design class at UCLA I had to create the design for a mini solar powered car. While we couldn't actually manufacture it due to COVID, here is my proposal, with FEA simulations on the chasis, and explanations on how I would go about manufacturing the car. I also gave it a little extra fun by designing it to look like a guitar!

Abstract:

This report entails the full design from conception to completion of a solar powered  minicar, with my thoughts along the way. While due to COVID-19 fabrication was not possible,  this also includes the plans for manufacture of the car. The design aims to be aesthetically  pleasing by taking the shape of a guitar, but at the same time, it aims to reduce chassis (and some  wheel) mass, while maintaining structural stability. The car started off with a weight of an  estimated 344 and was reduced to a grand total of 181 grams – almost a 50% weight reduction.

The car is intended to be made of ABS plastic, but some acrylic parts are also a possibility. FEA  analysis results in a minimum factor of safety of 3.14 for “poking with a finger” loads (as a  worst-case scenario), and around 100 times higher factor of safety for taking the weight of the  simple motor and solar panel. I thoroughly enjoyed putting this together and want you to feel  free to use or reiterate on this design if you wish. Thank you for reading!