Senior Design Project Brief
Team 10 - ‘Volts Wagon MK 2’
October 19, 2015
Laura Boluyt
Daniel DeVries
Christine De Zeeuw
Vincent Rovedatti
Objective
The objective of Team 10’s project is to design and build a 4-person electric vehicle. The design of this vehicle will use a previous senior design team’s final product as a starting point, improving the functionality and design of this vehicle. The vehicle will be a cross between a golf cart and a standard car, combining design aspects from both types of vehicles. The primary elements of this vehicle include the brakes, steering, electric motor, electronic dashboard, and overall aesthetic design. The specific goals that pertain to this project are as follows:
Safety
Passengers will be contained within the vehicle during standard travel and sharp or moderate turns. Road obstacles such as bumps and holes will not compromise the integrity of the vehicle or the safety of the passenger.
Ease of Use
Driving forwards and backwards, turning, braking, accelerating, and using vehicle lights should not be more difficult than operating a golf cart or other vehicle. The dashboard elements will be user-friendly, and the vehicle controls easy to navigate and operate. The vehicle aims to fill a need for those who have mobility challenges (i.e. elderly community members or those with a temporary or permanent disability who have difficulties walking long distances) and difficulties climbing in and out of a golf cart.
Quality
The vehicle will be fully functional and will be a quality-engineered final product. No element of the vehicle should be partially function, and care to produce quality parts shall impact every design decision.
Maintenance
The vehicle will be easy to maintain and repair for continued and future use. Any necessary documentation for the vehicle will be provided.
Aesthetics
The vehicle will be visually appealing and present our project in an effective way to Calvin College’s campus. The vehicle should effectively represent the Calvin Engineering Department through a vehicle that is both tasteful in functionality and aesthetically pleasing to observe.
Seasonal Outdoor Usage
Taking Michigan’s weather into account, the vehicle will have the capabilities of driving in the winter months. A front windshield will protect the driver from precipitation and wind that may obstruct the driver’s view while driving.
Motivation
Our team found this project appealing because there were many aspects of the original design that we felt could be improved and modified. This project is a great learning experience because it allows our team to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of the other team’s design, incorporating that into our project. This experience will be very relatable to industry and will provide valuable experience for future jobs and design experiences.
Members of our team also have personal experience using a golf cart to provide transportation across campus for those who have mobility challenges. Members of our team have also become aware of the inability for the parents of fellow Calvin peers to accompany their child on a campus tour due to their inability to walk long distances and the lack of a vehicle designated for this purpose. Our team saw this as an opportunity to try and make Calvin’s campus accessible to everyone.
Requirements
In order to achieve the project goals listed above in accordance with Calvin’s policies, there exists a certain set of requirements:
Functional
The vehicle must be fully functional and able to withstand minor and possibly major road disturbance and weather conditions. The vehicle must be in a stable state at all times, and the brakes must be fully operational and effective. The frame must be able to withstand all required forces and provide some protection in the event of a crash.
Capacity
The vehicle must be able to hold 4 passengers safely, and hold the electrical power to transport them across Calvin’s campus. The vehicle must also be able to fit on Calvin’s sidewalks.
Speed
The vehicle must operate within the 25MPH speed limit set on Calvin’s campus grounds.
Safety
The vehicle must include safety features for the driver and passenger.
Time Feasibility
The vehicle must be designed, constructed, tested, and fully functional before May 7, 2016.
Design Norms
As Christian Engineers, design norms provide a way for Calvin Engineering students to integrate relationships with God and those around us into our engineering. These guidelines challenge the engineer to consider outside relationships and consequences in the design process.
One design norm that characterizes our project is trust. One of the top priorities for this project is safety, and the passenger should trust the design and know that it is dependable and reliable. The passenger puts their safety into our hands, and it is our job to make sure that they can trust our design for the sake of their safety.
Another design norm that fits into our project is integrity. Our design strives to be pleasing and intuitive to use, demonstrating a complete harmony between form and function. Our design also strives to make Calvin’s campus accessible to all, especially those with mobility challenges or limitations, promoting human relationships and interaction through this vehicle.
A third design norm that fits into our project is stewardship. The electric motor provides an excellent way to minimize the degradation of the environment. Other design elements strive to be an efficient use of resources such as materials and money.
Status
Currently, our team is in the process of researching and designing the various components of the vehicle. We have broken down the main components of the vehicle to the steering, brakes, electric motor, electronic dashboard, and aesthetic design. The frame of the vehicle is being designed and modeled using SolidWorks, and alternatives for the steering and brakes are being researched. The electrical engineers of the team are researching what metrics will be collected and displayed on the dashboard as well as researching whether an AC motor or DC motor can be used in the vehicle.
The Team
Daniel DeVries Laura Boluyt
Mechanical Concentration Electrical Concentration
Christine De Zeeuw Vincent Rovedatti
Electrical Concentration Mechanical Concentration