Suspension Kinematics Design and Simulation for a Formula Student Race Car

The objective of this dissertation is to set forth a complete overview and documentation of suspension kinematics design and simulation for a Formula Student prototype race car, serving as a guide to future members of Squadra Corse PoliTO’s Vehicle Dynamics Division and marking the end of my work for the team. Following an introduction to Formula Student competitions and the team, the implied necessary theoretical background on tires, vehicle dynamics and suspension systems is described. Suspension geometry fundamentals are then discussed and are followed by an overview on dampers, their testing and simulation. Later, suspension tuning and its influence on vehicle dynamics, control and stability is discussed after an introduction to Yaw Moment Diagrams and their computation. Then, several different design proposals are generated by means of self-developed MATLAB scripts and subsequently simulated through a multi-body approach, using customized Simscape Vehicle dynamics templates in Simulink environment. The resulting signals are then saved and post-processed using self-developed codes to analyze the suspension kinematic behaviour and performance, including steering, and to compare different design solutions. Finally, considerations and proposals for future improvements are discussed at the end of the thesis work.