For the 2024-2026 solar car, we will use an underslung pedal box with the master cylinder mounted on top of the frame, allowing the pedal to hang down.
Top Mount/Underslung Pedal Box:
Top-mounted pedal box significantly improves serviceability and space optimization
The geometric arrangement allows for a longer pedal arm, in turn increasing pedal ratio; resulting in lighter pedal feel
One thing to note is that this can make the arrangement of the mechanical components more difficult
Why not a bottom mounted pedal box?
Limited lever arm length resulting in lower pedal ratio
Takes up a lot of footwell space and can limit the travel for the foot resulting in less braking force
Bounding Box
The dimensions of the bounding box will determine where the pedal box fits in the car. It will be constructed around the frame. From the current bounding box, we can achieve the estimated max pedal ratio of 1:7.
Preliminary Pedal Box Design Documentation
Assignee: Carol Reji
Design Review:
We’ll be designing the pedal box around these specifications:
Brake Pedal Design Specifications |
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Master Cylinder Selection | ||
Balance Bar |
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Pedal Ratio |
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Pedal Travel |
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Pressure Range Estimate |
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Bias Estimate |
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Accel Pedal Design Specifications |
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Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor |
| https://www.carparts.com/details/Nissan/350Z/Replacement/2003-2009/RI32160001.html |
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Accel Pedal Travel |
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Pedal Axle Range of Rotation |
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Pedal Box Design Methodology
The pedal box design is designed using a skeleton sketch to map out important locations like:
The mounting point of the master cylinder
The mounting point of the balance bar
Axle of pedals
Location of pedal