Re-engineering of a shifter kart for improved performance

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2008

Abstract

This paper describes a new senior design project offered at Louisiana State University's Mechanical Engineering Department. The project was aimed at improving the performance of a 125 cc racing shifter kart in order to give the kart a competitive edge at three different types of racing events (autocross, sprint races, and road races) and good reliability during pre-race testing. Although similar design projects exist in the Mechanical Engineering Department, most racing-related projects primarily use off-the-shelf components. While these are worthwhile, they do not give students the satisfaction of being involved with the end-to-end life cycle of a complex engineering project, from conceptual design, fabrication, integration and testing to actual operation of the system. This project fulfills that need. Two approaches were taken in this project to accomplish a better performance for the racing shifter kart: one was to create a new exhaust for more power at low and medium engine speeds, while the other was to create a new front fairing to reduce the kart's coefficient of drag. This paper describes the design strategies, the fabrication processes, the final test results, and lessons learned from this project.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education

First Page

320

Last Page

330

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