OptimumG Vehicle Dynamics Seminar, Pune, April 7-8-9-10

[Claude Rouelle]

OptimumG Vehicle Dynamics Seminar, Sinhgad Technical Education Society, Pune, April 7-8-9-10

Taught by Claude Rouelle, president of OptimumG, this training seminar will focus on applied vehicle dynamics to race car concept, simulation, manufacturing, testing, and development.

All numerical examples will be based on Formula Student.

We’ll cover every aspect of vehicle dynamics and you’ll be given many tips and tricks as well as do’s and don’ts during a Formula Student car design and testing. We’ll wrap up with data acquisition and analysis.

Each participant will receive a binder with approximately 800 pages and several spreadsheets of exercises.

To avoid late fees, registration and payment have to be made by March 17. Price per individual decreases with number of students sent by the same university.

See details at http://downloads.optimumg.com/semina...Flyer_2017.pdf

This workshop will be conducted exclusively for University students and Formula Bharat volunteers.

[Claude Rouelle]

I understand that some students are looking for accommodation during the OptimumG seminar at the Sinhgad Technical Education Society's Vadgaon Campus.

If my information is correct you can find a room for IRN 200 / night at the Sinhgad Hostel

If you want to know more contact Tanay Shinde tanay_shinde@hotmail.com

[P^squared]

Hello Claude! I'm really happy to see another OptimumG seminar being conducted in Pune, India.
If possible, please try to visit a few of the numerous teams in Pune who will be attending your seminar. You'll also get to know more about your audience.

While I'm sure that everyone will deeply appreciate the topics you plan on covering, I'm doubtful that it will have the same beneficial effect on everyone who attends.
I feel that it will be like providing instructions on how to win a hurdle race, when a fairly significant fraction of the audience has only recently learnt how to walk.

Along with talking about "The lighter a car is, the lighter it can be", I feel the need of the hour is to also place emphasis on stuff like "Designing and optimizing your VD will only pay off if you get a chance to properly test it on track, and the drivers get to utilize all your hardwork" & "To showcase your engineering on a racetrack, you need to engineer a product that first clears TI". I know they're too long. I'm sorry.
And stuff along the lines of this: http://www.fsae.com/forums/showthrea...l=1#post127146

I find it extremely likely that some teams who attend the seminar will spend more time before their next competition trying to do everything by the book and end up eating into the time they had reserved for testing, finally leading to reduced chances of successful participation.
Although the seminar will undeniably help people who attend in developing their understanding and knowledge, the same cannot be warranted about its benefit to their teams.

I understand that the seminar is not intended to address the points I've stated above. But as the target audience will have plenty of FS participants, it could be a good place to remind everyone to keep things in perspective.
It is unfortunate that such things will only be taken seriously when heard from someone as influential as you, but not from the numerous alumni who've learnt their lessons the hard way. The competition results tell the entire story.
Please know that in no way am I trying to depracate your efforts to help the Indian FS community.
I'm only trying to propose ways to make your efforts even more fruitful.

I hope you have a pleasant stay in Pune!

-Prathamesh Patalay

[Claude Rouelle]

Prathamesh,

Your comments are welcome and useful. Students need help from everybody: judges and alumni

At an automotive conference in India a few years ago, I was asked after my lecture what my opinion was about the future of the Indian automotive industry. My answer was that I believe the Indian automotive industry will have a bright future the day employers will start to hire people on skills and not only on grades.

I say this in the context of your post; theory is not enough. At the end, the customer wants a good car. He doesn't care how much you know. And good companies are looking for young engineers that can solve problems, not only systems of differential equations. In fact as a boss I often say to my guys that I don't care how much they know unless I know how much they care.

In the particular exercise of Formula Student in India, students need to understand that half of the energy, time, budget, sweat, focus, enthusiasm etc need to be devoted to testing. That means that for next Formula Bharat Indian teams should start testing in July, latest in August. And you can't achieve that unless you make a simple car especially if you are a new team. Remember; Team A and C car, not the other way around. The teams with the best results in India have proved my case. In fact the team that won Formula Bharat did not score very well with me in Design (one of the reasons was that their car waaaaaaayyyyyyy to heavy) but they won because they had a car that was tested and reliable.

The seminar WILL address the problems you mention. That is why my next binder (800 pages.....) i just finished created for the Pune seminar will focus not only on the vehicle dynamics theory but also on the basics design and team organization pitfalls to avoid and many very practical advice

[P^squared]

And you can't achieve that unless you make a simple car especially if you are a new team.

Yes! Though it will be important that we define how new a team is, not by the amount of time they've been operating for, but by the level of development they've reached.
For example, teams think that just because they have been competing for ~4-5 years they should have an aero package/electronic shifting/etc.

It will also be important to consider that a simple car won't necessarily result into a C car, especially in the long run. That is even without considering the competitions the team will be attending.
Even here, the term "simple" is so subjective that it becomes difficult to know if the speaker and audience are on the same page!
It is debatable that everyone shares the same views about having carbon fibre/custom IA/etc. on a "simple" car.

[Claude Rouelle]

Following the suggestion from Prathamesh Patalay, I would like to offer my availability to visit a few teams in Pune, look at their cars and give them a few critics and advice after the seminar on Tuesday 11th and maybe Wednesday 12th. No need to email or post on this website: we will discuss this visit schedule at the beginning of the seminar.

Another suggestion. if students are interested I will give them a bit of time during the seminar to connect their laptop on the conference projector and we will look together at their car pictures or drawings and I will share with them my observations.

[Claude Rouelle]

As this morning we already have 73 participants!

We have extended the deadline for the registration and payment for the Pune seminar to Wednesday 22nd midnight, Denver, CO time. That is Thursday 23rd at 11:30 AM in India. After that time the price will go up by 50 %.

http://www.optimumg.com/training/201...india-seminar/

Claude