First Advisor

Robert Paxton

Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Mechanical Engineering and University Honors

Department

Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Language

English

Subjects

Drivetrain, Baja SAE, Engineering, Capstone, CAD, finite element analysis

DOI

10.15760/honors.1695

Abstract

This thesis reviews the 2024-2025 Baja SAE Drivetrain capstone project. The Baja SAE competition mimics real world engineering problems where teams of students design and build off-road vehicles that can handle tough, rough terrain. The objective of this capstone was to design a functional and reliable drivetrain system for the vehicle, within the constraints of a limited budget and the SAE competition guidelines. As part of a 12-member capstone team divided into three subgroups: frame, suspension, and drivetrain. As part of a four person drivetrain team, we picked up where the 2023-2024 team left off by relying on their past documentation to guide us through their thought process and lead us to the new project plan. With this new project plan, we headed towards a chain driven drivetrain design. Throughout the project, our team engaged in ongoing design, analysis, and decision making processes in order to create a sustainable drivetrain system capable of withstanding the terrains of the Baja competition. Design tools and engineering software were also used to model and evaluate the components of the systems to interpret various challenges that were encountered during this project. At the end of the project, we were able to design a complete chain driven, drivetrain system. Although the Baja car will not be used in competition this year, the work completed serves as a foundation for future development as this capstone project will be available for 2025-2026 seniors.

Rights

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Persistent Identifier

https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/43800

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