Race Car Track Super Elevation for Transverse Acceleration Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing race car tracks with high transverse acceleration due to centrifugal forces pose challenges in controlling race cars, especially when the centrifugal force exceeds the frictional force, increasing the difficulty level and risk of sliding, which requires careful track design to balance thrill and safety.
Innovation Solution
A customized track design featuring adjacent lanes with varying super elevations and radii of rotation to adjust transverse acceleration, allowing for equal difficulty levels by setting super elevations and slopes to match the centrifugal force with road friction, ensuring fair competition and driver experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the track is designed with high transverse acceleration to increase thrill, then the driving excitement is improved, but the risk of sliding increases when centrifugal force exceeds frictional force
Solution Approach 1:
The track design applies different super elevations to different lanes (first lane vs second lane) to create localized variations in transverse acceleration characteristics. Each lane has optimized local geometry to provide appropriate thrill levels while maintaining safety margins against sliding
Solution Approach 2:
The patent varies key geometric parameters including super elevation angles, lane widths, and curvature radii across different lanes to achieve desired transverse acceleration profiles. By adjusting these parameters, the track provides controlled high acceleration zones while maintaining safety through friction force balance
2Adaptability or versatility
If the track design varies transverse acceleration across lanes to create different driving experiences, then driver experience is improved, but the track design complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The track is divided into multiple adjacent lanes (first lane, second lane) with distinct geometric characteristics. Each lane segment has its own optimized super elevation and curvature parameters, allowing independent tuning of driving experience while using standardized design methodologies for each segment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric lane configurations where adjacent lanes have different super elevations and curvature radii. This asymmetric design creates varied transverse acceleration profiles across lanes while maintaining overall track symmetry and fairness in competition conditions
3Reliability
If super elevation is increased to prevent sliding, then safety is improved, but the thrill and transverse acceleration experience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Different lanes have different super elevation values optimized for their specific purposes. Some lanes prioritize safety with higher super elevations, while others prioritize thrill with lower super elevations, allowing both requirements to be satisfied simultaneously across the track system
Solution Approach 2:
The track design creates dynamic variations in super elevation across adjacent lanes, allowing the system to adapt to different driving preferences and conditions. Drivers can select lanes based on desired balance between safety and thrill, with each lane's super elevation dynamically optimized for its intended use
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The customized track design effectively balances thrill and safety by adjusting transverse acceleration to prevent sliding, allowing drivers to experience maximum acceleration within safe limits, ensuring fair competition and enhancing the driving experience.
Implementation Method 1
a downhill road having various longitudinal slopes... travel on the track by using gravity
Implementation Method 2
A super elevation means that an outer side of a road is made to be higher than an inner side of a road at a curved part of the road to prevent the car from sliding or deviating due to the centrifugal force
Implementation Method 3
because the race car may be slid when the centrifugal force that is higher than a frictional force between the race car and the road surface is applied
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a race car track for allowing non-powered traveling by using gravity, the track comprising: a first lane including a first curved track; and a second lane including a second curved track located adjacently to the first curved track, wherein the first curved track has a first super elevation such that the first lane has a predetermined first difficulty level, and the second curved track has a second super elevation such that the second lane has a predetermined second difficulty level.