Types of Differential:

Open Differential: Nothing special, just splits the engine output across the two wheels, each of which rotates at
different speed
Locking Differential: When engaged, the two wheels that are locked rotate at the same speed.
Limited Slip Differential: Works as open most of time, automatically locks as soon as system detects any
slippage.

Kingpin Angle:

The suspension is mounted to the wheel at a certain angle, called kingpin angle.
CAD and CAM:

CAD is computer aided drawing

CAM is computer aided manufacturing
Rack and Pinion Steering

Steering shaft joined to pinion, which when rotates causes horizontal motion in rack, which causes
motion in wheel
Understeer

Occurs when front wheels start to slip, when they are asked to turn while moving under high speed;
occurs as momentum causes them to slip.
Fuel Pump

Transfers fuel from fuel tank to engine (Carburettor or Fuel Injection)

Air Filter:

It removes particulate matter from air sucked in by engine

Electric Relay

Electromagnetic Switches that operate at low currents but can switch off a much larger current.
KERS: Kinetic Energy Recovery System

Recovers the moving vehicles kinetic energy under braking and stores it in a battery and uses for later
acceleration.
Disc Brakes

Discs of iron or steel, often drilled, connected to wheels (Rotor) Brake pads push onto it to stop motion
Motor Controller

Govern the performance of an electric motor

Lubricant:

Reduces friction
Stroke and Bore:

Bore is diameter of cylinder in which piston travels

Stroke is the distance travelled by piston in each cycle
Plenum
Fasteners:

Nuts and Bolts

Clutch

Connects and Disconnects engine from the gearbox

Downforce

Force produced as a combination of gravity and air resistance, that acts on a moving vehicle and has
the effect of pushing it down.
Weight Transfer

Change in load borne by wheels under acceleration.

Oversteer

Occurs in high powered RWD cars

when the car is turning and the driver applies more power than the tyres can deal with, the tyres slip
and try to push in the opposite direction to the turn, hence rear end of car is pushed out.
Master Switch

Firing Order

The sequence in which each cylinder is fired.

CVT

Type of Transmission
Has three major parts: A Variable Input Driving Pulley, an output pulley, and a high-power belt
connecting the two.
Brake Fluid

Must meet requirements set by SAE.

Hydraulic fluid used in braking applications.
Transfers pressure from master cylinder to brake pads.
Pneumatic Shifter

Gear is changed with help of air pressure.

Buttons on steering control up or down.
BLDC Motor

Brushless DC Motor
We do not use carbon brushes to supply AC to the armature coil.
Dry Sump vs Wet Sump

Sump lubricates the engine.

In a dry sump system, oil is stored in a separate tank and is provided to piston by multiple vacuum
pumps and rails.
Wet Sump, uses base of crankcase for oil storage, oil is actively transported to top and fed to pistons.
Wet is cheaper, but under high G Forces, fluid level may not be proper to ensure proper lubrication of
all.
Rectifier

Converts AC to DC
Camshaft

Operates the valves in IC Engine.\

Mild Steel

steel which contains only a small percentage of carbon and is strong and easily worked but not readily
tempered or hardened.
more ductile, machinable, and weldable.
Transmission

Controls transfer of power from engine to the wheels.

Bernoullis Theorem:

Principle of Conservation of energy:

1
+ 2 2 + =

Heim Joints

Similar to ball and socket joint, used in steering links,

Connects a shaft to Steering Linkage
G Force

Under high acceleration, the force experienced by a person as a multiple of his mass.
Meaning, if a person experiences an acc. of 10m/s, it is 1G.
Traction Control

System detects which wheel is slipping, it reduces the power sent to that particular wheel or applies
brake on that wheel to reduce wheel spin.
Tube/Pipe

Tube: it is structural
Pipe: it is a vessel,
Ignition systems:

Spark Based: in petrol engines

Compression Based: in diesel engines
Drilling

Cut a hole of circular cross section thru a solid material.

Brake Lining

Part of Brake pad that comes in direct contact with the Disc
TPS-Sensor:

Tire Pressure Monitoring System

PMDC Motor:

In a DC Motor, if a permanent magnet is used to create the magnetic field in which armature coil
rotates, it is called PMDC Motor.
Muffler(A)/Silencer(B):

The system which reduces the noise of exhaust system of ICE.

Compression Ratio:

The ratio of maximum to minimum volume in the cylinder of ICE.

Valves:

Control inflow/outflow of fuel, air, exhaust gasses in ICE

FRP:

Fibre Reinforced Plastic: Strands of Fiberglass are added in the plastic while it is moulded.
Flywheel:

Smoothen the engine rotation, by giving momentum to crankshaft.

Gears:

Rotating machine. Having cuts on its surface. Can produce a change in torque.
Control Arms:

Hinged link between chassis and suspension.

Roll, Pitch and Yaw:

Rotation around front to back axis is roll, Side to Side Axis is pitch, Vertical Axis is yaw.
Sprocket:

A Profiled wheel with teeth or cogs, over which a chain runs (generally)
Heat Treatment:

Can harden the material.

Parallel Hybrid:

A hybrid in which both battery and engine can power the wheels simultaneously.
Welding:

Joining materials by melting the two edges and then they two joins.
ABS:

Anti-Locking Breaking System: Prevent the locking of wheels when under heavy braking
MAPS Sensor:

Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor: Detect the pressure in the intake manifold of engine.
ECU:

Electronic Control System, Brain of Car, coordinates every function of a car

Carburettor:

Blend fuel air mixture in proper combustion

Catalytic Convertor:

Converts the highly harmful nitrogen oxides into lesser harmful substances
Crank Shaft:

Takes the vertical motion of Pistons, coverts to rotational motion

Universal Joint

A joint that can transfer rotatory power by a shaft at any selected angle
Aerodynamic Drag

Force of resistance offered by the wind opposite to the direction of motion.

Scrub Radius

Jounce and Rebound

Action of Maximum compression in a shock absorber is jounce

 Action of shock absorber to return back to its fully extended state is rebound
Castor

Housing that include wheel, and facilitates the installation of wheel on objects.
Traction and Friction

Traction: Friction between the drive wheel and the surface it moves upon.
Friction: The general resistance offered by a surface between two bodies to oppose the relative motion
between them.
Electrical Discharge Machining:

Spot Welding
Series Hybrid:

Motor runs generator, charges battery, battery power runs wheels.

Turning:

A machining process, a non-rotating, linearly moving tool describes a helical path on a rotating object.
Master Cylinder:

Converts the drivers pressure on brake pedal into hydraulic pressure on the brakes
Starter Motor:

Device used to rotate the crank of ICE to initiate the engines rotation under its own power.
Supercharger:

Air compressor that increases the density of air supplied to ICE

Coolant:

Fluid that moves about in a system removing heat.

Exhaust Manifold:

Collects the exhaust gasses from different cylinders into a common pipe and takes it to exhaust system
Diesel Cycle:

Fuel is ignited by compression of air in combustion chamber

Space Frame/ Monocoque

Space Frame: Geometric pattern of interlocking struts provide support.

Monocoque: The skin carries all forces and it has no internal frame.
Aerofoil:

Cross-sectional shape of wings, blade or a sail

Slip Angle:

Angle between rotating wheels pointing direction and the direction in which it is actually moving.
Track Width:

The distance between the two wheels mounted on the same axel.
Camber:

The angle made by the wheels of the vehicle,

Drive Train:

Components that deliver power from engine to wheels; include clutch, gearbox, differential etc
Water Jet Cutting:

Uses a high-pressure jet of water mixed with some abrasive material.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle:

Combines ICE with electric propulsion.

Grinding:

High Power Abrasive wheel grinds surface to remove material.

Rotor Caliper:

Caliper fits over the disc. Inside it we have brake pads.

Alternator:

Converts mechanical energy into electrical energy AC current

Turbocharger:

Turbine driven, increases the pressure of air being supplies to engine.

Radiator:

Radiates heat collected by coolant

Butterfly Valve:

Quarter turn valve.

Otto Cycle:

Idealized thermodynamic cycle found in most automobile engines.

Describes the function of a typical spark ignition piston engine.
Slick/ Wet tyres.

Slick: Used in dry conditions, non-treaded, provide maximum contact area for max traction
Wet: Used in wet conditions, are grooved.
Dampers:

Shock Absorbers.
Toe-in/Toe-out:

Angle that each wheel makes with the longitudinal axis of vehicle
Toe-in: Wheels point inwards
Toe-Out: Wheels point outwards
Wheelbase

Distance between front and rear axle.\

COG (Centre of Gravity)

Point about which gravitational moments are balanced.

Power Train:

Components that generate and transmit power to the ground.

Engine + Drive Train
Laser Cutting

High power laser is directed (focussed) on a surface, which melts, and leaves am edge with a sharp cut.
Used where high precision is required in cutting.
Launch Control

Electronic aid; Used in sports cars to provide maximum acceleration from rest.
Eliminates wheelspin, maximise useable power, traction, and builds pressure boost in forced induction
engines.
Also limits RPM, so as to get a best mix of power and torque.
Transmission also plays a big role.
Milling

Cut or shape a metal with a rotating tool

Drum Brakes:

The brake drum rotates along the wheel, when brake is applied, brake shoe push against the brake
drum.
Lambda Sensor

It measaures the air/fuel ratio in the exhaust gasses.

If something not all right, it sends signal to control unit to initiate a change in fuel operations.

Hose Clamp:

Used to attach/seal a hose onto a fitting.

Spark Plug:

Generates sparks in the combustion chamber of a petrol car to ignite the fuel air mixture.
Pascals Law

Pressure change that occurs in an incompressible liquid is transmitted throughout the fluid.
IC Engine

Combustion of fuel takes place inside the combustion chamber.

FSAE

SAE is society of Automotive Engineers

FSAE is organised by SAE
It is an engineering design competition for graduate and under graduate students.
Single Seat Race Car with best overall package of Design, Construction, Performance and Cost.