1. CO2 Dragster Cars

2. Purpose of CO2 Activity
Learn engineering, aerodynamic design, and testing principles
Understand how a CO2 car works
Design your CO2 car
Build your CO2 car
Race your CO2 car

3. Overview • Intro to Racing CO2 cars • Student examples
• Engineering Principles (Dragster Design PowerPoint)
• Designing your CO2 Car
• Manufacturing your CO2 Car
Youtube link example for tools and techniques of manufacturing CO2 Car

6. CO2 Car Examples

7. Intro to Racing CO2 cars 2 Cars are set up
Cars ride on guide wire from start of track to end of track
Co2 cartridge is punctured –propelling car forward
Two cars race
Cars go through end gate
light goes for fastest car
Race time is recorded for each car

8. What do you use for the track?
Many times when people are new to CO2 racing, they hear about cars running on a "track" and think that a track specially made for CO2 cars is needed to race them.
Our track will be the hallway floor

9. CO2 Racetrack The only track required is 50# test fishing line.
Fishing line is used as a guide line that the eye-hooks on the bottom of the cars attach to.
The fishing line runs between the start gate and the finish gate
We will likely run our races using only fishing line along the floor of the hallway. The smoother the surface, the faster the times will be.

10. length of the track
The length of the track is also important. You need to have at least 60 feet without any obstructions. Any shorter distance than this, and the cars will destroy themselves upon finishing a race.
The optimum track length is 66 feet (20 Meters), which is in scale with real dragstrip lengths of a quarter mile.

11. How fast are these things?
Up to 60 mph (100 kmh)

12. What is CO2?
Power is created by CO2 gas propulsion - CO2 gas is in the metal cartridges.
CO2 is the chemical abbreviation for Carbon Dioxide. Not to be confused with the poisonous Carbon Monoxide (CO) ,
Carbon Dioxide is made up of two Oxygen atoms and one Carbon atom sharing electrons.

13. Engineering Principles
The following Engineering Principles
Relate to how and why a CO2 car works
Newton’s Laws of Motion
Mass
Drag
Friction
More Details on CO2 Dragster Design PowerPoint

14. What's the best design for a CO2 car?
Your Car must meet the size and dimensional requirements of TSA.
The best design is the one that wins. There is no "one design" that is best.
Generally, the two best indicators of a good car are clean aerodynamics and high craftsmanship. Often, really good designs that are built poorly will loose to so-so designs built well.

15. Designing your CO2 car
Step 1: Work on Design Journal Understand & define
Understanding the problem or purpose- trying to achieve the fastest speed and/or best appearance
Take notes on CO2 Dragster Design ppt
Use the CO2 dragster specification spreadsheet to document requirements
Make quick sketches with dimensioning requirements making notes as to what design aspects you want to implement

16. Designing your CO2 car Step 2 Design forms worksheet
Explore Define Prototype
Brainstorming (think about what you want your car to look like)
Look online at different designs
Sketch different possible design ideas
Create detailed sketches in journal

17. Designing your CO2 car Step 3 Inventor prototype
Complete technical drawing for CO2 car
You must have a high quality, accurate drawing
Drawing must be 1:1scale (actual size)
Drawing must be dimensioned
(all dimensions must be in millimeters (mm) – note: 10mm =1cm)

18. Designing your CO2 car Step 3 Inventor prototype
Detailed assembly drawings similar to example project.
Presentation video showing axle and wheels assembly with car.
2 “Blue print” drawings. One showing parts list and balloons and one showing detailed dimensions. Information tables should be personalized to your project.
Final Solution rendered image and video from Inventor studio of finished dragster.

19. Designing your CO2 car Step 4 Step 5 Step 6
Project falcon wind tunnel report -Images and data from the wind tunnel simulation
Step 5
Refine if necessary
Update Design Journal
Step 6
Get instructor to look over your inventor applications, drawings, and design journal. You must get instructor approval before beginning to manufacture the car that you designed

20. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 7 - Create a template
Draw or trace the outline of your car on the graph paper. Attached it to the side and top of your basswood block - using clear or masking tape.

21. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 8 - drill the holes for the axles (using the drill press).
Make sure the axle holes are in the right spot and are straight
The holes should be perpendicular to the center line of the car and parallel with the bottom surface of the car.
* Take care to make sure these holes line up evenly and are drilled accurately. Crooked holes mean a slow car! Use a drill press and take your time! *

22. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 9 - Using the Bandsaw, cut out your shape.
When using the band saw to cut curves, you must use relief cuts (or you will break the band).
Follow the shape that is on the template that is taped to your CO2 car.
Youtube link example for tools and techniques of manufacturing CO2 Car

23. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 10 – Shaping and Sanding
Use a rasp or wood file ( you may also use the belt or spindle sander) for the initial sanding, in order to create desired roundness and curves
Hand Sand your CO2 car until you have reached the desired shape
Hand sand with fine sand paper to prepare the CO2 car for finishing.

24. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 11 – Finishing
Finish cars with wood stain, wood oil, varnish or spray paint.
Allow to dry and finish sand between coats.
Paint adds weight! Do not paint inside Co2 housing!!!!

25. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 12 – assembly
Assemble all the parts of the CO2 car
Wheels
Axels
Body
Eyelets
CO2 cartridge

26. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 13 – Measure and Test alignment on incline
Complete Design Testing Handout

27. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 14 – RACE and DOCUMENT RESULTS
On Results handout and in design journal.

28. Manufacturing your CO2 car
Step 15 – Bask in your glory!
Complete design journal, Powerpoint, submit documentation and results to your personal web page