Motorsport air-brake design and load analysis
End-to-end design and engineering definition of a deployable aerodynamic air brake system for a high performance vehicle, developing the geometry in CATIA V5 through iterative design to maximize drag generation and vehicle stability during high-speed braking.
Load definition
Worst-case aerodynamic load scenarios were defined at full deployment at 490 km/h, calculating a dynamic pressure of 11.3 kPa and resulting forces of 4.9 kN to size the structure and evaluate support stresses above 800 kPa. Fatigue effects due to vortex-induced vibrations were included in the assessment, since a bluff deployable surface sheds unsteadily by definition.
Manufacturing definition
The design was translated into a manufacturable composite component using carbon-epoxy prepreg (200 g/m²), incorporating internal reinforcement through spars and ribs to withstand bending and torsional loads, while ensuring compliance with dimensional tolerances (IT8 fits, surface finish N4) and assembly constraints.
/assets/img/projects/airbrake-prototype.pngIndustrialisation
Beyond the part itself, the work extended to tooling and mould design, production planning for 30 prototypes plus 400 units, and preparation of a supplier-ready Request for Quotation package including technical drawings, bill of materials, tolerances and cost estimation.