STEM Racing challenges students to design, analyze, and manufacture a miniature Formula 1 car, which is raced on a 20-meter track. Beyond racing, the competition emphasizes key skills such as teamwork, project management, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Design Challenges

To compete successfully, the team needed a fast car—something only achievable through aerodynamic optimization. While physical track testing offers accurate results, manufacturing prototypes was both costly and time-consuming. To overcome these limitations, the team turned to SimScale’s online CFD platform.

Before adopting CAE, they faced several challenges:

• No visual feedback to guide design changes
• Inability to calculate drag and lift forces
• Slow and expensive trial-and-error with physical prototypes

With SimScale, the team gained access to:

• Accurate and fast cloud-based simulations
• A student-friendly, browser-based interface—no installation required
• A wealth of tutorials and learning resources that made onboarding easy

SimScale proved to be a powerful and accessible tool that allowed us to efficiently evaluate and enhance our car’s aerodynamic performance.

– Team Lightning

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

The team imported their F1 car model into SimScale and created a flow volume to simulate a wind tunnel. Using an incompressible steady-state setup, they assigned air as the working fluid and defined key boundary conditions, including a 20 m/s velocity inlet, pressure outlet, and no-slip walls on the car’s surfaces. A hex-dominant mesh with surface and region refinements, as well as inflation layers, was used to ensure accuracy. A forces and moments control was added to track drag and lift throughout the simulation.

Over the course of development, the team ran 12 CFD simulations, each focusing on refining aerodynamic components such as the nose, side pods, and diffuser. Simulations averaged 25–30 minutes each, with SimScale automatically allocating cores based on mesh complexity. The final mesh contained approximately 1.4 million nodes, using the hex-dominant automatic meshing algorithm at a medium-to-fine fineness level.

SimScale provided the team with detailed results, including velocity planes, pressure distribution, and force coefficients. Particle traces revealed vortex behavior and flow separation, while wall shear stress and velocity contours guided further surface optimizations. The clear visual outputs and reliable data enabled efficient, data-driven design improvements throughout their project.

The team plans to use simulation results to refine key aerodynamic elements such as the nose, side pods, and diffuser, while also conducting FEA to evaluate structural strength. By virtually testing each component before physical production, they aim to ensure a more precise and efficient development process, reducing reliance on trial-and-error prototyping.

SimScale has been a game-changer in our F1 in Schools journey. Their support has been instrumental in helping us develop and refine our car. The cloud-based platform gave us the freedom to run high-quality simulations without hardware limitations, delivering accurate and reliable results throughout the process.

– Team Statement

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Design Challenges

The team aimed to implement numerous geometry optimizations to reduce drag but initially faced challenges in identifying the most aerodynamically effective solutions. To address this, they utilized SimScale’s CFD tools to simulate changes in drag force resulting from modifications to various parts of their car. Their CAD models were created in Onshape, and thanks to SimScale’s direct integration with Onshape, the team was able to import their car bodies seamlessly—greatly improving workflow efficiency compared to other CAE software.

In addition to CFD, the team also leveraged SimScale’s FEA suite to optimize components such as the wheels and the wing support structure, ensuring these parts were both lightweight and structurally sound.

The integration of several CAE tools within a single streamlined user interface makes SimScale, compared to other options, very easy and convenient to use.

– Team Zephyros

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

To set up their CFD simulations, the team imported their car geometry from Onshape into SimScale. They created an external flow volume, applied boundary conditions including a pressure outlet and moving wall to simulate ground and wheel motion, and selected an incompressible steady-state analysis using the k-omega SST turbulence model. A region refinement was added around the car to improve mesh resolution, and force/moment controls were used to track aerodynamic performance.

For FEA simulations, the team imported their wheel geometry, applied appropriate boundary conditions (a 60N vertical load and fixed support), and increased mesh quality to improve accuracy. These simulations were key to optimizing weight and structural integrity.

One major challenge was fine-tuning the car’s body design for aerodynamic efficiency. After researching natural streamlined shapes, the team experimented with a concave front-end profile inspired by penguins, which research showed had a lower drag coefficient than traditional teardrop shapes. Simulations confirmed their hypothesis: the concave body produced less drag (0.354N vs. 0.362N), leading the team to adopt this optimized design. The pressure visualization tools in SimScale were especially helpful in guiding this decision

Using just a few core hours, the team achieved an excellent CFD convergence with acceptable range of residual values showing an improvement over the method used in the previous season despite lower computational cost. Over the course of the project, they ran 165 simulations across both CFD and FEA. The standard meshing algorithm with a fineness level of 5 proved most effective, with region refinements providing sufficient accuracy.

SimScale proved to be an invaluable tool throughout our development process, offering both efficiency and ease of use. We’re excited to continue this partnership as we head into the World Finals.

– Team Zephyros

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The team began competing in 2023, securing 3rd place in Scotland and earning the Best Pit Display Award, which qualified them for the 2023-24 UK National Finals. Building on this success, they achieved an impressive 2nd place overall at the Nationals, once again winning the Best Pit Display Award, outperforming 30 teams at the event and over 5,000 competitors across the UK. The team’s school has a strong history in the STEM Racing competition, with three teams over the years qualifying for the World Finals, further cementing its legacy in the competition.

Design Challenges

Throughout the project, the team was tasked with designing and creating a model F1 car, incorporating aerodynamic development within the competition’s regulations. This process was meticulously documented in a comprehensive ten-page portfolio, which included a requirement to demonstrate the use of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software in the car’s development. A significant portion of the design was informed by CFD analysis, while additional engineering challenges, such as the development of custom wheel support systems, required the use of FEA (Finite Element Analysis) to ensure structural integrity under stress.

We chose SimScale as the ideal software due to its intuitive interface, which made it easy to learn and implement within our tight time constraints. It also provided invaluable data, including force coefficient graphs and detailed cross-sectional pressure images, enabling us to refine our design with precision.

– Team Statement

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

The team began setting up the simulation by importing half of the full model to optimize meshing speed and calculation efficiency. A flow body was then created with dimensions closely matching those of the track. By utilizing a combination of cutting planes, particle traces, and force coefficient graphs, the team effectively refined key components of the car, including the end pods and front wing.

Throughout the project, challenges were minimal; however, a significant setback occurred due to a meshing issue. Upon investigation, the team identified the problem as a modeling error, which was quickly resolved using a few additional modeling commands, allowing the development process to continue smoothly.

The simulations performed exceptionally well, with each run completing meshing and computations within just a few minutes. The initial simulations took approximately 25 minutes to run, utilizing around 20 core hours. Overall, the software operated smoothly, enabling quick adjustments to both the model and the simulation settings and streamlining the development process.

SimScale has significantly reduced our development time. Its cloud-based platform allowed us to run simulations on school computers despite software and internet restrictions. Having simulations open alongside our design work improved efficiency, and moving forward, we plan to integrate SimScale into all prototypes to accelerate design iterations before finalizing race-ready models.

– Team Statement

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The team developed the second-fastest car in Ireland during the 2023/24 season of the competition, achieving impressive performance statistics. SimScale played a pivotal role in the design process, providing invaluable and reliable data that significantly contributed to the team’s success.

“Overall, it is fair to say that SimScale was one of the best parts of our system as it allowed us to obtain such useful and reliable data. We would be nowhere near where we are now without their help.”

– Team Statement

Design Challenges

To create the best car in the competition, continuous innovation and refinement of previous designs are essential to maintaining a competitive edge. The F1 in Schools regulations are regularly updated, adding an extra layer of difficulty by rendering past innovations obsolete and encouraging teams to develop new, unique solutions. With design possibilities constantly evolving, extensive testing during the development stages is crucial for selecting the most effective configurations without relying on costly and resource-intensive track testing. Due to limitations in manufacturing capabilities, budget, and access to testing facilities, the team depended heavily on SimScale for accurate performance insights. SimScale was chosen as the team’s CFD partner for its user-friendly interface, which allowed for efficient and effective simulations without the need for extensive training or high-end computing power.

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

The team utilized SimScale’s incompressible simulation type to analyze and compare the drag coefficients of various design iterations, ensuring the selection of features that would optimize the car’s speed. The process began with importing the desired model as an STL file, created in SolidWorks. After meshing the part and defining key parameters, such as the car’s speed and the viscosity of air, the team generated flow simulations with SimScale, providing valuable insights into the interaction between air and the entire vehicle. Additionally, velocity and drag vectors allowed for precise numerical comparisons between different designs. The team also leveraged the particle trace feature in post-processing to visualize airflow patterns over the car, further refining aerodynamic performance.

With limited prior experience in CFD software, the team had to learn and master its complexities throughout the project—a process greatly facilitated by SimScale’s comprehensive tutorials. Through this learning journey, the team successfully conducted 14 individual simulations, utilizing a total of 44 core hours across various projects. Thanks to SimScale’s efficient platform, average run times remained relatively short, typically ranging between two and four hours.

The simulations provided crucial data, including drag coefficients, pressure diagrams displayed on cutting planes, and particle trace analyses. These insights played a key role in the development of the second-fastest car in Ireland during the 2023/24 season, delivering outstanding performance statistics.

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The team consists exclusively of students from the Tampere higher education community. It is fully responsible for all aspects of the project, including organizational management, technical development, and fundraising. This hands-on experience gives members a unique platform to enhance their engineering skills and prepare them for professional challenges.

Each year, Tampere Formula Student proudly competes in renowned Formula Student competitions across Europe. With a hybrid race car designed for the internal combustion engine category, the team consistently measures its innovation and expertise against top universities worldwide. They placed second overall in FS Netherlands and secured second place in design at FS Austria, making TFS24 the most successful season to date. They earned a total of eight trophies.

At the start of the development phase, Tampere Formula Student identified several key challenges in its aerodynamic performance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations did not correspond closely to track testing data, resulting in discrepancies that hindered accurate performance evaluation. Additionally, the team was not fully utilizing the potential of the rear wing and underbody, leaving room for optimization in these areas. The front wing was generating excessive downforce compared to the rest of the aerodynamic package, leading to an imbalance in overall efficiency. This was further reflected in the aerodynamic balance, which was heavily front-biased at approximately 70% on the front axle, far from the ideal 50%. These findings provided valuable insights and shaped the focus for targeted improvements in the subsequent design iteration.

Design Challenges

For the TFS24 season, Tampere Formula Student’s aero-package focused on enhancing overall vehicle performance. The team aimed to achieve better aerodynamic efficiency by refining the aerodynamics and reducing the weight of the aero-package. A key objective was to improve the aerodynamic balance, ensuring a more stable and efficient vehicle. In terms of CFD development, the focus shifted toward creating a more accurate model, with the goal of aligning simulation results more closely with real-world performance. Additionally, the team emphasized validating their CFD simulations through track testing, ensuring that the theoretical improvements translated effectively into on-track performance.

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

For the TFS24 CFD simulations, Tampere Formula Student focused on refining their approach to achieve more accurate and comprehensive results. The simulations were run at a speed of 15 m/s, utilizing the K-Omega SST turbulence model to capture flow characteristics effectively. The Y+ value was set to 1 on the car surfaces, ensuring full resolution with no-slip conditions for optimal accuracy. The team conducted full-car simulations, incorporating rotating wheels and both the front and rear driveshafts to simulate real-world dynamics accurately. Additionally, the radiators were modeled with fans to simulate cooling effects, while roll and yaw aero-maps were generated to assess aerodynamic performance under various dynamic conditions. This detailed simulation strategy aimed to provide a thorough understanding of the car’s aerodynamic behavior.

“SimScale provided us with all the necessary tools for the development of our ‘Aero’ package. The cloud-based nature of the software allowed us to run simulations efficiently without the need for a separate cluster or an in-house server. This seamless access to powerful simulation capabilities played a crucial role in enhancing the team’s design process and ensuring optimal aerodynamic performance.”

– Lauri Luoma-aho, Aerodynamics Lead Engineer

Additionally, the team implemented region refinements in the wake areas and refined boundary layers, which contributed to more accurate simulations and enabled a better understanding of the car’s aerodynamic behavior.

Tampere Formula Student’s on-track validation highlighted the accuracy of their simulations. The team conducted constant velocity runs with the simulation speed, using vehicle speed data from the front wheel speed sensors. They also calculated downforce by measuring suspension potentiometer compression and axle spring rates. This helped them confirm their CFD results’ reliability and precision, reinforcing the value of their simulation-driven design approach.

Tampere Formula Students also validated their CFD setup through tuft testing. This hands-on approach confirmed the accuracy of their simulations, providing additional confidence in the reliability of their aerodynamic models.

The standard simulation time for full car simulations was 8–10 hours, utilizing approximately 140 core hours per simulation. Compared to the TFS23 car, the aero package’s performance increased by approximately 57%. Progressive improvements to the simulation setup throughout the season contributed to this achievement, providing valuable knowledge.

Tampere Formula Student has set ambitious goals for TFS25 and is working diligently to continue the upward trend in its team’s performance. The team will continue utilizing SimScale’s CFD software to develop its aero-package and has big aspirations for the performance of its next iteration. This ongoing commitment to innovation and optimization underscores its dedication to achieving greater success in future competitions.

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The team’s mission is to develop and enhance its members’ skills through hands-on experience in model rocketry, with the goal of becoming a national leader in the field through the successful execution of projects and achievements in competitions. In every aspect of their work, Supernova upholds core values: a relentless pursuit of knowledge, commitment, unity, a collaborative spirit, and a deep sense of pride in being part of Supernova.

In 2024, Supernova made its debut at the world’s largest rocketry competition, the Spaceport America Cup, where 152 teams from various countries gathered in New Mexico, USA, to launch their projects. The team’s mission aimed for a 10,000 ft apogee using a solid-fuel rocket named Aspera, which earned them an impressive 6th place in their category and 23rd place in the overall team rankings. This achievement marked a significant milestone for Supernova and its members, representing a proud and memorable victory.

Before participating in the Spaceport America Cup, Supernova made significant strides in Brazil by actively engaging in regional competitions and national research assemblies. However, the team’s primary focus has been the Latin American Space Challenge (LASC), an international competition where they have achieved notable successes in previous years. Their next target is LASC 2024, in which they plan to launch a rocket with a 10,000-ft apogee in a new mission featuring a CanSat payload.

Incorporating Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) into Supernova’s operations has proven to be a key solution to challenges encountered in previous projects. The team had faced difficulties validating components through physical tests due to a lack of access to necessary structural conditions, leading to wasted materials and financial resources on parts that ultimately proved non-functional.

To address these issues, Supernova established the Simulations and Research (SIMP) division, tasked with analyzing rocket components through computer simulations. This process ensures the validation of both the design and physical aspects of the project while also fostering innovation, optimization, and resolving problems encountered in earlier stages.

Prior to using SimScale, we used other CAE software programs that had major problems like outdated layout and bad mesh tools mechanics, which used to make the work harder and result in bad mesh quality. However, SimScale provides a good mesh creating and improving systems and an updated layout, that makes the process a lot easier.

– Team Supernova Rocketry

Some of the components that required simulation included the motor’s bulkhead (which needed to withstand the pressure generated upon ignition), the recovery module’s junction (designed to bear the rocket’s weight), and the motor’s casing (intended to withstand the motor’s internal pressure).

Initially, separate static simulations were created for each component to analyze whether the aluminum used would meet these demanding conditions. The geometries were imported individually, without any other rocket parts, making contact definitions unnecessary. For all components, the material was defined, and fixed supports were applied where the screws would be located. Boundary conditions were applied as required: the bulkhead was subjected to the motor’s pressure at its base, the casing received internal pressure on its inner surfaces, and the junction was subjected to forces above and below it via a remote force calculation, considering the center of mass.

Several simulations were conducted to analyze the bulkhead, recovery module’s junction, and motor’s casing, focusing on their ability to withstand pressure and weight. For the bulkhead, multiple iterations with varying node sizes were run until the results converged, with the final simulation using around 1,000,000 nodes in 20 minutes, confirming the component’s safety via Von Mises stress analysis. The recovery module’s junction, though not fully analyzed due to time constraints, showed no stress exceeding the material’s yield strength after a 25-minute simulation with approximately 300,000 nodes. Similarly, the motor’s casing, analyzed with 1,500,000 nodes in 20 minutes, was deemed safe through Von Mises stress evaluation, as the stress remained within the allowable limits.

It is impossible to write in words how Simscale changed Supernova. Since we have adopted it, the process of simulating has gained a lot of improvements, shortened the time needed to set up the analysis and to calculate the problem, decreased the work to create and improve mesh by better algorithm creation and tools, and in the end, by having online mechanics, made it possible to work when we had problems with other software programs and our own computers.

– Team Supernova Rocketry

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As four-time champions of the prestigious Formula Bharat competition, Orion Racing India has set a benchmark for performance and perseverance. The team further cemented its legacy by becoming the first Indian team to complete endurance events on an international stage in both combustion and electric vehicle categories. This groundbreaking achievement underscores their commitment to pushing boundaries and advancing engineering excellence on the global stage.

Design Challenges

Faced with the limitations of traditional prototyping methods, the team sought a more efficient approach to refining their designs. Incorporating computer-aided engineering (CAE) allowed them to simulate airflow around their vehicles and make data-driven adjustments swiftly. This transition enabled faster innovation and more effective design optimization, elevating their overall performance.

After evaluating multiple CAE solutions, Orion Racing India selected SimScale because it offered several key advantages that aligned perfectly with their needs. The platform’s cloud-based accessibility facilitated seamless collaboration among team members, regardless of location. Its user-friendly interface, coupled with specialized Formula Student and Formula SAE workshops, strengthened the team’s understanding of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) fundamentals. Additionally, SimScale’s responsive and knowledgeable support team provided invaluable assistance, ensuring smooth progress even during challenging simulations.

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

Through the adoption of SimScale, Orion Racing India has transformed its design process, driving innovation and efficiency in the competitive world of motorsport.

Orion Racing India utilized advanced simulation techniques to refine the aerodynamic design of their half-car model. The design was meshed using SimScale’s Hex-Dominant Parametric Meshing Algorithm, ensuring precise modeling of walls and wake regions critical for aerodynamic analysis.

“The accessibility and streamlined workflow, combined with its reliability has made SimScale an essential tool to our development process. Ability to run parallel simulations and remote access to the tool are game-changers.”

– Ankon Mukherjee, Aerodynamics Engineer

To simulate airflow, the team employed an incompressible flow analysis with the k-omega SST turbulence model, chosen for its reliable performance in handling adverse pressure gradients and separating flows. The simulation setup included a velocity inlet of 16 m/s, with slip conditions applied to the ceiling and outboard wall, while the car’s centerline was assigned a symmetry condition. The ground was modeled as a moving wall at -16 m/s, replicating real-world conditions.

Since integrating SimScale into the aerodynamic design process of their Formula Student race car following the 2017 season, Orion Racing India has made it an essential component of their workflow. More recently, the team expanded their use of SimScale’s capabilities to include thermal simulations for critical components such as the radiator and accumulator, further enhancing their design process.

“The decision to switch to SimScale for our thermal simulations greatly improved our efficiency due to its user friendly interface and the ability to run multiple simulations at once”

– Aaron Crasto, Cooling Engineer

The car’s body was simulated using a no-slip boundary condition, with the wheels modeled as rotating bodies to capture wake effects accurately. To ensure comprehensive analysis, the team simulated the car in various dynamic scenarios, including yaw, pitch, and roll. This detailed approach enabled Orion Racing India to achieve high accuracy and performance optimization in their aerodynamic designs, further enhancing their competitiveness in motorsport.

Orion Racing India conducted over 300 simulations throughout their design process to optimize their final aerodynamic and cooling packages. Leveraging SimScale’s extensive suite of post-processing features, the team aligned simulation data with physical testing benchmarks, including tuft testing, to validate and enhance confidence in their virtual analyses.

Each simulation run required approximately 1.5 to 2 hours, with a total runtime of around 5 hours when meshing was included, utilizing 16 cores for both operations. To achieve high-quality meshing, the team employed the hex-dominant parametric meshing algorithm, resulting in a final mesh with approximately 8.5 million nodes. Refinement levels were tailored to suit the design complexity, with most of the body refined at level 6 and intricate geometries at level 7 to ensure precise results.

SimScale has become an indispensable tool in Orion Racing India’s design process. Simulation results from SimScale are utilized at every stage of development. Aerodynamic data guides the design of critical components such as wings and diffusers, while thermal simulations ensure the cooling systems operate at peak efficiency. By iteratively refining their designs based on these insights, Orion Racing India achieves a finely tuned balance of speed, reliability, and efficiency in their final vehicle.

This streamlined, data-driven approach empowers the team to push boundaries and deliver high-performance solutions in the competitive world of motorsport.

“The results we obtained from SimScale have been very close to the actual values we obtained during the running of the car. We are very pleased by the accuracy of the simulations”

– Abhishek Dubey, Battery Pack Engineer

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The team is proud to have achieved an impressive rank of 26 out of the 107 teams that participated from all over the world. Despite having a tight budget and a significantly smaller team size (approximately 3 to 5 times smaller) than most other participating universities, they successfully competed in the AIAA DBF competition on their first attempt.

Team Pegasus leveraged their combined creativity, technical proficiency, and teamwork to embrace the challenges, compete at the highest level, and cultivate their growth as the next generation of aerospace engineers. Their participation in AIAA extends beyond creating an aircraft; it is a comprehensive learning experience that deepens their understanding of aerodynamics, structural integrity, and propulsion systems while operating within real-world constraints and time-sensitive deadlines.

Challenges in Aircraft Design

In their pursuit of designing a high-performance aircraft for the AIAA competition, the team recognized the importance of conducting precise drag analysis. Initially, they utilized XFLR5, a widely used aerodynamic analysis tool suitable for basic simulations. However, XFLR5 proved inadequate for the team’s complex designs, mainly when dealing with intricate body geometries and interactions between different aircraft components, leading to inaccuracies in drag calculations. These inaccuracies posed a potential threat to the aircraft’s efficiency and performance, underscoring the need for a more advanced solution.

This is when SimScale became a crucial asset. As a cloud-based simulation platform, SimScale provided advanced computational capabilities without needing high-end hardware, overcoming the limitations of traditional CAE software that operates on local machines.

“SimScale not only saves time but also frees up personal laptops, which are often bogged down by heavy simulations. Additionally, SimScale’s intuitive interface and robust performance minimize the risk of crashes and errors, common in other software, ensuring reliable and consistent results. By leveraging SimScale, we were able to perform complex drag analysis with ease, providing us with accurate data to optimize our aircraft design.”

– Team Pegasus

How SimScale Simulations Led to Success

To effectively tackle the challenges of drag analysis and optimize the aircraft design, the team implemented a structured simulation approach using SimScale. Their primary objective was to assess how various design choices influenced drag and overall aerodynamic performance, with a particular focus on selecting an appropriate propulsion system for the aircraft.

The process began with creating a detailed CAD model of the RC plane, incorporating all essential components, such as the fuselage, wings, and propulsion system. Simulations were then set up in SimScale to replicate the flight conditions expected during the AIAA missions, including critical scenarios like takeoff. These simulations enabled the team to minimize drag and provided valuable insights into selecting a propulsion system that would deliver the required thrust while maintaining optimal efficiency.

By following this methodical approach, the team successfully overcame initial design challenges and significantly enhanced the overall performance of the aircraft.

The implementation of SimScale for drag analysis yielded highly accurate results, closely aligning with the team’s expectations from physical tests. One key metric analyzed was takeoff distance, which is crucial for success in the AIAA competition. The simulations accurately predicted the takeoff distance, almost perfectly matching real-world tests conducted on the prototype, highlighting the reliability of SimScale’s capabilities.

The team ran multiple CFD simulations throughout the project to refine the final configuration, focusing on propeller sizing to ensure efficient flight. Despite the design’s complexity, SimScale’s cloud infrastructure handled the simulations efficiently, running significantly faster than would have been possible on local machines. This allowed for rapid iterations and informed decision-making. The strong correlation between the simulated and real-world data reinforced the team’s confidence in using SimScale for future projects.

“SimScale has been a game-changer for Team Pegasus, transforming the way we approach aircraft design and optimization. Its cloud-based platform offers unmatched convenience and power, allowing us to conduct complex simulations quickly and accurately. The ability to validate our designs with scientific precision has not only enhanced our performance but also our confidence as engineers. SimScale is more than just a tool; it’s an essential part of our journey towards innovation and excellence in the field of aerospace engineering.”

– Team Pegasus

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The RoboCorns actively participate in FIRST robotics, specifically the FIRST Tech Challenge. In this competition, teams consisting of up to 15 students collaborate to design and build robots with maximum dimensions of 18 x 18 x 18 inches. These robots are tasked with performing various challenges to earn points on a 12-foot by 12-foot field of foam tiles. The tasks range from placing plastic cones on tall poles and hanging the robot from a truss to arranging game pieces in specific patterns. The game changes annually, necessitating continuous innovation.

In the 2023-2024 season, named Centerstage, 7,681 teams registered to compete internationally. From Pennsylvania, four teams qualified for the FTC World Championship in Houston, Texas, USA. At this prestigious event, 231 of the world’s top teams competed, and the RoboCorns proudly emerged as a Control Award finalist.

Innovation and Challenges in Robot Design

The RoboCorns undertook the ambitious project of designing a custom drivetrain known as Swerve, one of the first of its kind in the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC). A Swerve drivetrain enables each wheel to be controlled and moved independently, necessitating the design of multiple custom parts. The team encountered a significant challenge with the mounting plate for each wheel assembly, which was made from extruded PLA+. They doubted that a 1/4-inch thick PLA+ plate could withstand the forces experienced during a match.

To address this issue, the RoboCorns integrated Computer-Aided Engineering (CAE) into their development process. This allowed them to predict the behavior of their plastic and metal components, determining whether a part would be durable or likely to fail due to breakage or deformation. Before adopting CAE and SimScale, they could not confidently assess the strength of their custom parts, often leading to the failure of 3D-printed components due to suboptimal design.

The team chose SimScale because it seamlessly integrated with their documents in OnShape, facilitating the easy import of parts into workspaces. Additionally, being browser-based, SimScale allowed for effortless collaboration across multiple devices without the need to download software.

“As high school students, we lacked CAE and FEA software experience. By using SimScale’s guides and intuitive simulation setup, we quickly became comfortable with setting up simulations for our parts and pulling graphed data from the simulations.”

– Team RoboCorns

Results From RoboCorns’ SimScale Simulations

The RoboCorns’ simulations performed well, providing meaningful data that facilitated design improvements. Over the course of their competitive season, they conducted a total of six simulations to analyze the custom parts they believed were at risk of failure. These simulations were efficient, never exceeding three minutes or 0.1 core hours. The primary results they focused on were Von Mises Stress and displacement, which were crucial in determining whether their 3D-printed parts could withstand competition forces.

They examined the displacement of each part along each axis and assessed the stress distribution throughout the model to identify areas needing additional support. This information guided them in strengthening high-stress areas in their designs.

“Because of the predictability that SimScale’s CAE provides us, our number of prototypes has decreased drastically. We plan to keep using SimScale to test all our new designs.”

– Team RoboCorns

SimScale enabled the project to run smoothly and efficiently, reducing the number of prototypes needed and preventing part breakage after manufacturing. Additionally, SimScale helped the team acquire basic CAE and FEA skills, significantly enhancing their robot design throughout the season.

“SimScale is an amazing software for teams that work across multiple devices. SimScale allows for seamless integration with a cloud-based workflow and creates excellent visualization of results. SimScale has helped our team reach the next level in our education and gave us a competitive advantage. We are very grateful for SimScale for being a part of our journey to the FTC World Championship and helping us win an award.”

– Team RoboCorns

If your team seeks academic sponsorship for optimizing your robotics design and performance for any type of student competition, make sure to check out our Academic Plan for students who are joining design competitions.

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