Columbia FSAE: Powertrain Subteam

Goal - Design and manufacture a High-Voltage Enclosure for Columbia University's Formula SAE Electric race car.

Tenure - 2024 to present

Role:

High Voltage Enclosure Lead - Responsible for the full design cycle from concept to implementation for FSAE accumulator and battery pack integration. Additionally, assisted and coordinated with other subteams when needed.

Objectives:

• Develop a high-voltage battery enclosure to house the power supply.
• Ensure structural integrity and cooling efficiency for competition use.
• Manufacture car components through machining and 3d printing.
• Prototype and build the EV 2026 Formula car while iterating and improving the 2025 Formula car.

Tools & Technologies & Skills

• CAD: SolidWorks, Fusion 360.
• Material Analysis: ANSYS (FEA), Material Selection.
• Manufacturing: Machining (Lathe, Mill, Saw), 3D Printing, Water Jetting, Laser Cutting, Welding Design Optimization.
• Skills/Developed: Cross-team coordination, working with mentors and manufacturers, project organization, manufacturability optimization.

Contributions:

2025 Accumulator Design

• Selected Aluminum 5052-H32 for the accumulator enclosure, providing strong thermal conductivity and structural stability while reducing weight by 53% compared to the previous all-steel design.
• Optimized manufacturability by reducing welds and using large aluminum sheets, cutting manufacturing costs from $20,000 to $3,000 while improving ease of fabrication.
• Modeled lids, walls, and casing in SolidWorks, incorporating aerodynamic air terminals for on-road cooling and improved thermal performance.
• Conducted FEA to validate strength, durability, and safety while ensuring easy battery accessibility for quick swaps during operation.
• Learned/Developed: How to apply properties of thermodynamics for cooling; How to coordinate with team members and manufacturers; Improved skills with Solidworks and material selection.

Battery Enclosure Design

• Selected Aluminum 5052-H32 for enclosure material. This selection decreased weight and allowed for better thermal contact.
• Modeled lids, walls, and casing in SolidWorks. Made designs to accomodate new EV car designs and allow for easy electrical wiring access.
• Conducted FEA analysis to evaluate durability and safety.
• Learned/Developed: How to design for tolerance and accessibility; Developed skills in solidworks.

Chassis Integration

• Using Solidworks, designed mounting tabs to connect chassis with the accumulator.
• Coordinated with other subteam members to design and ensure compatability of chassis design.
• Rearranged and allocated space for accumulator to account for car stability, cooling, and weight.
• Learned/Developed: How chassis layout impacts stability, cooling, and weight distribution; Improved cross-team collaboration; Strengthened CAD skills for multi-system integration; Gained insight into manufacturability in motorsport engineering.

Differential Mount

• Milled out the differential mounts for our formula car from a block of aluminum using a CNC mill. These differential mounts allow for the wheel axles to spin at different speeds.
• CAD and CAM the design from start to finish using Solidworks and Fusion360.
• Learned/Developed:

Cross Bar Integration

• Coordinated with electrical team to integrate controls and battery packs into accumulator.
• CAD and 3D printed parts for cross bar.
• Learned/Developed: Skills in 3D printing; Developed better understanding of electrical components.