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Minardi Formula 1 of Italy and Noran Engineering of the U.S. are building a Formula 1 race car that requires precise and correct analysis of structural features and constraints. Safety regulation requirements are the main consideration in chassis design. Impact tests that have to be passed (side crash, crash cone push-off, front crash, penetration test, main roll-bar crush, front roll-bar crush, and local lateral crushes)are described. In general terms, all the noted tests are simulated in a finite element analysis (FEA) environment. Some can be replicated closely, and others cannot. If a realistic simulation cannot be done, a simpler correlated calculation has been established and validated with many years of experimental data fitting. Minardi's CAE group has seven staff who address FEA, including computational fluid dynamics, multibody, and hydraulics design and analysis. NEiNastran is currently used as an all-purpose FEA software package for static analysis, buckling, and surface contact. To reach targets, several optimization runs are made in which material choice, layup sequences, local reinforcements, foams, bulkheads, and inserts are modified. One of the primary benefits of NEiNastran is shorter modeling time with FEMAP and Smart/Browser/Smart/Laminate features.
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