CU-ICAR Graduate Students Design Innovative Suspension Concept for Ultra Fast V16 Nalalia SLS2 $2 Million DiMora Motorcars Sport Luxury Sedan
Summary
"This kind of project provides our students invaluable real-world experience, and the quick turnaround time and results show they were up to the challenge," says Dr. Steve Hung, associate professor of mechanical engineering and team faculty leader.Based in Palm Springs, Calif., DiMora Motorcar crafts automobiles designed to exceed expectations for safety, performance, technology, ecology, beauty, comfort and luxury.You come up with a suspension system that can handle speeds in excess of 240 mph, while maintaining all of the comforts of the ultimate luxury automobile.Because the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) fills the gap between basic research and commercial application of automotive technologies, DiMora Motorcar challenged CU-ICAR to assess suspension technology options for the Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan."This kind of project provides our students invaluable real-world experience, and the quick turnaround time and results show they were up to the challenge," says Dr. Steve Hung, associate professor of mechanical engineering and team faculty leader.Based in Palm Springs, Calif., DiMora Motorcar crafts automobiles designed to exceed expectations for safety, performance, technology, ecology, beauty, comfort and luxury.A unique design-driven requirement is the use of 275/40R24 tires.Using numerous advanced digital design and verification processes, preliminary DiMora Motorcar vehicle parameters, and computer-aided-design (CAD) engineering data for the Natalia, the CU-ICAR graduate team generated a solution that includes short-long arm (SLA) architectures for both front and rear suspensions, titanium control arms and wheel carriers, and combination air spring and damper units.The concept design satisfies the requirement for AWD, minimizes suspension weight, and allows for rear wheel steering to enhance directional stability at high speeds as well as maneuverability at low speeds.