Closes out the rear of the bodywork over the engine bay and keeps the engine bay separated from the driver and from the airflow over the car.
A CFRP panel over the engine bay, working with the firewalls to contain heat and fluids. CR26I measured 187 C in the exhaust bay at the end of a half endurance, so the cover is a thermal boundary as much as an aerodynamic one.
No part-specific design process is documented. The Body Work and Nose subsystem design process applies: 1. Take the outer surface from the aerodynamics CFD geometry so the panel is the same surface that was simulated. 2. Choose a laminate schedule using the team's laminate weight calculator, trading ply count against stiffness and surface finish. 3. Mold: tooling board milled on the 5-axis gantry for large surfaces, 3D printed molds for small parts. Automotive clearcoat over the print cut roughly 22 hours of sanding and made the molds reusable. 4. Layup and cure, then post-process, fill the leading edges with polyester filler and satin clearcoat for UV protection. 5. Test fit on the frame, then trim and drill mounting hardware to jigs.
Exhaust bay temperature. Must be removable for engine service. Must not trap heat around the intake, which is what caused the CR26I intake failure when hot air flowed up the engine bay.
Laid up on a 3D printed mold, printed directly, or formed from sheet.
CFRP. Heat shielding film is applied where the panel is close to the exhaust.
None recorded. This part has no entry in Knowledge_Transfer/Issue Logging/Fault Vault.xlsx, in either Issue Log.xlsx, in CR22/Issue Tracking/Shakedown 7-15-23.xlsx, or in any design review issue list found in CrimsonStorage or Box.
Chassis weight breakdown: CR25 0.113 lb, CR26E CAD 0.000 lb. CAD mass, CR22 master assembly: 0.155 lb (0.070 kg). CG at X 63.34 in, Y 0.00 in, Z 22.85 in in vehicle coordinates. (CAD component: CR22-CH-Engine Cover) CAD mass, CR26I master assembly: 0.132 lb (0.060 kg). CG at X 62.95 in, Y 0.00 in, Z 22.54 in in vehicle coordinates. CAD mass, CR25 master assembly: 0.132 lb (0.060 kg). CG at X 62.95 in, Y 0.00 in, Z 22.54 in in vehicle coordinates. Source: CR26E/Systems/03 - Mass Model/ChassisWeightBreakdown.xlsx | SolidWorks mass model exports: CR22 (5 May 2024), CR25 (4 Jul 2025), CR26I (30 Jul 2025), CR26E (22 Mar 2026) Quantity per car, as costed: 1
Nothing in CrimsonStorage covers these yet.