Design and Fabrication of Electric Go-Kart

The report aims at discussing the design procedure of the Go-Kart vehicle. The report is an account of application of extensive engineering concepts, production engineering, project management and team work. The report is a submission proof that these ideas have been efficiently and viably converted into a high performance vehicle. With the vision to eliminate the harmful gases in the air caused due to smouldering of fuel and to form a pollution-free environment, we have designed an electric go-kart. This report is aimed at designing and developing a working model of an electric go-kart. The design and fabrication of the go-kart are made simple so that it could be operated even by non-professional drivers. The design is made keeping in mind the high strength of vehicle which can sustain more weight and provide the best facilities at a low cost.


INTRODUCTION
The design has been approached by considering all possible alternatives for a system by modelling them in CAD software like CREO Parametric 3.0 and analysed it on ANSYS 16.0 FEA software.
The design is mainly focused on the following objectives: Safety, Serviceability, Strength, Ruggedness, cost, durable, lightweight, high performance, ergonomics, and aesthetics.

MATERIAL SELECTION
The material with low cost high strength and good weld ability must be used for the roll cage. After the extensive paper study of different material, we concluded to decide between SAE 1018 and SAE 4130. Alter discussion and analysis considering the physical strength, weight, availability and cost of the material we decided to use AISI 4130 as a roll cage material.

Rear Impact Test:
In rear collision, the vehicle is assumed to be stationary, fixed and another vehicle with same mass and collides with the former vehicle. Force is applied on rear portion of vehicle and all DOF'S of front were constrained.

[2] STEERING
Steering system is one of the crucial mechanisms, which are responsible for a smooth maneuver controlling of the vehicle. Apart from the controlling of the vehicle, steering system is expected to display its Good Ergonomics as well as the ease of use. The primary objective of the any steering mechanism is to reduce the steering effort as possible and for that, decreasing the steering wheel travel which results in a quick responsiveness of the steering wheel. The steering geometry is Ackermann-type steering mechanisms which uses four-bar linkages.

[3] TRANSMISSION
Electric Powertrain -EVs have a single-speed transmission which sends power from the motor to the wheels. The motor is powered by a battery or by multiple batteries which store the electricity required to run an EV. The higher the kW of the battery, the higher the range. We have used chain drive type Transmission Between motor and drive shaft. The main advantage being its lightweight, highly efficient, low maintenance characteristics.

[4] BRAKING SYSTEM
The hydraulic disc brakes are used in motor vehicles to slow down its rotational motion by the help of frictional force. It is caused by pushing the brake pads against the disk rotor. It converts kinetic energy into heat energy that dissipates through the rotor vents and slows down the vehicle. Disc brake offers much better stopping performance. Advantages of Disc brake system:-• Ability to provide more consistent frictional behaviour.
• Better braking performance at high speed.
• Ability to lose heat developed due to friction quickly. Selection of brakes: These are considerations and certain selections that are selected for the better and safe braking. For the vary purpose master cylinder bore diameter was taken under consideration and calculation was done. Two discs have been used at the shaft for multiplying braking force. Some selected parameters are:-

[5] ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Objective: The E-power train system has the following objectives are: • To have a combustion free vehicle.
• To have agility in the performance.
• To achieve flexibility on the road.

1) BLDC Motor:
Brushless DC motors work on the same principle as that of a conventional DC motor. Due to its low noise and lightweight, it is being used for a vehicle. It requires low maintenance as well. 2) Battery (Li-ion):-Lithium-ion batteries have a high energy density and are rechargeable. They are commonly used in consumer electronics. The life cycle and efficiency of Li-ion batteries are more as compared to the other rechargeable batteries.

3) Controller:
A motor controller is a device used for operating an electric motor and is coordinated in some predetermined manner. A controller can have a manual or automatic system in order to start and stop the motor, for changing the direction of rotation from forward to reverse, for selection and regulation of speed and for limiting the torque. It is also used to protect the motor from overloads and faults.