Karting survey anyone?

[Splint]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a new member here and am a mechanical engineering student. As part of an assignment I need to gauge public acceptance of the idea of a sandwich panel go kart frame made from composite materials. I'm aware that the CIKFIA rules do not allow such frames but the basis of the assignment is how the technology of sport may change in the next five years.

The assignment is on an alternative to the traditional tubular metal chassis which suffers performance degradation caused by strain hardening as the kart experiences bending and twisting loads in normal use.

I know the concept has some flaws but the process of discovery and sourcing opinions/ideas from outside sources is a requirement of the assignment. I will not be building the frame as such, just a CAD drawing and some finite element analysis to compare with a metal frame kart. It doesn't necessarily have to be an engineering success, as long as we can identify and understand why it will or will not work.

Anyway, if you have had some experience racing at a club level (not rental karts as we would like opinions of people who are well up to speed with how the sport works) and are prepared to spend a few minutes answering some questions, here's the link.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/25M3RCJ

And if you're not sure what a sandwich panel is, this may help.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsQ8JGBhR-8

Thanks
Splint

[Tel 911S]

I used to race Karts , quite a few years ago .
Mostly the Big circuits , had quite a few wins & lap records on Brands , Cadwell park , Lydden hill, etc etc

Anyway , at the time there was a competitor called Dud Moseley , who built his own Kart called a MOTUS .
He was , [ I believe ] , an ex aircraft engineer , and used his experience to build a plywood monocoque Kart .
It did seem to work quite well , & had no problems with scrutineering by the RAC.
I believe he later took it sprinting & hillclimbing , but after complaints from other competitors , [ Karts were much too quick ] , the rules were changed for those events to ban Karts .

[Tel 911S]

I used to race Karts , quite a few years ago .
Mostly the Big circuits , had quite a few wins & lap records on Brands , Cadwell park , Lydden hill, etc etc

Anyway , at the time there was a competitor called Dud Moseley , who built his own Kart called a MOTUS .
He was , [ I believe ] , an ex aircraft engineer , and used his experience to build a plywood monocoque Kart .
It did seem to work quite well , & had no problems with scrutineering by the RAC.
I believe he later took it sprinting & hillclimbing , but after complaints from other competitors , [ Karts were much too quick ] , the rules were changed for those events to ban Karts .

Edit ,did a bit of googling & come up with this .
Scroll down the list to the bottom & there is a MOTUS.
http://www.trhkc.com/karts.html

[Zeakiwi]

#1 if you ever have a spare 90 minutes. There were Formula One designers for the Americas Cup catamarans. There is some similarities in the materials used etc.
https://youtu.be/XQoNYe2jFP8
You might consider the structural stiffness of a 'roll-caged tubular chassis' for a kart versus the uncaged tubular chassis vs the composite chassis/caged, uncaged.
http://www.suitorsgarage.com/racing/sugarhill/sugarhill1.html

How do you determine the chassis damage on a composite chassis ? Is Tubular damage more obvious and can be x-rayed? Is it less difficult to repair metal tube damage?
http://www.compositehelicopters.com/
With the extra rigidity of the composite kart chassis, would you consider some type of basic kart suspension - some type of elastomer to mount rear axle etc.

Always try 3D printing a 'plastic' Go - Kart chassis similar to the Local Motors car.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a12821/the-first-3d-printed-car-breakthrough-awards-2014/

Electric Go Karts - composite chassis to off set the weight of batteries. Run like Formula E with a set of quaik change batteries in the pits mid race? Composite safer? than a metal tube chassis in an electric kart - better insulation for an electrical shock accident?
http://otlkart.com/

[Tel 911S]

#1 if you ever have a spare 90 minutes. There were Formula One designers for the Americas Cup catamarans. There is some similarities in the materials used etc.
https://youtu.be/XQoNYe2jFP8
You might consider the structural stiffness of a 'roll-caged tubular chassis' for a kart versus the uncaged tubular chassis vs the composite chassis/caged, uncaged.
http://www.suitorsgarage.com/racing/sugarhill/sugarhill1.html

How do you determine the chassis damage on a composite chassis ? Is Tubular damage more obvious and can be x-rayed? Is it less difficult to repair metal tube damage?
http://www.compositehelicopters.com/
With the extra rigidity of the composite kart chassis, would you consider some type of basic kart suspension - some type of elastomer to mount rear axle etc.

Very true .
As I remember with a new tubular chassis , it needed it bit of use before it settled , then corner weighing, [ & perhaps a slight twist ], before it would work right .
Then the amount of flex it would give, to make it handle & grip , was in the original design of the chassis .
So trying to start with a composite monocoque would probably take many years of testing to get up to where the current steel tube chassis are now .

[Splint]

Thanks for all the great feedback eveyone. This has given me a lot to cosider. It's always interesting to see the wide range of opinions and responses. Very helpful.

Regards
Splint