Prevention of spinal injuries in motorsports, especially off-road racing where chassis contact with the terrain at high-speed transfers force to the driver via the seat is a concern. In rocky terrain, the driver feels a lot of stress on his/her spine from the quick impact on the vehicle. Studies indicate the human spine can sustain an impact force of up to 3000N-3700N. This thesis investigates the design and evaluation of a protective aluminum element (Al 6061-T6 alloy) intended to shield dirt race car drivers' spinal cords from harm in the case of an accident. The component was machined using a Hypertherm 1250 Plasma Cutter machine and developed using Solid Works software to achieve optimal outcomes. A thorough methodology was employed to evaluate its effectiveness. The testing parameters included a driver weight of 200 pounds and vehicle acceleration of three times the speed of gravity. The component was tested using a Tinius Olsen Hydraulic UTM Model 300SL, installed between the seat mounts, and subjected to controlled impact forces. The impact force was calculated analytically and compared to experimental results. All three configurations exceeded design requirements. The highest failure load was obtained for the monolithic design with a failure load approximately 3.75 times higher than the design load. The load predicted from the FEA models was 10% to 37% higher than the compression test failure loads except for the multiple-hole model which was 1% lower. This research aimed to design and evaluate a safety component capable of effectively absorbing impact forces and minimizing stress on the driver's spine, thereby enhancing safety in dirt-racing environments.
- Impact attenuation in aluminum seat mounts for off-road race vehicles to prevent spinal injury
- Laxman Dhavaleswarapu
- Rustin Vogt (Advisor)Farshid Zabihian (Committee Member)
- Mechanical Engineering Department
- Master of Science (MS); Mechanical Engineering; California State University, Sacramento; 08/11/2024; 2024
- California State University, Sacramento
- 10/23/2024
- 99258173562601671; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12741/rep:12601
- Masters Thesis
- English
- 71
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