scootz
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| posted on 13/8/08 at 06:58 PM |
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Tank Placement
Been working out the positioning of all the 'bits' for my car.
Discovered (by accident - laid it down and it fell in) that the fuel tank sits really neatly
HERE.
I was a little concerned before about all the weight being at the back of the car, so I thought it was worth exploring this re-location as a
possibility.
Obviously I'm a little concerned that it may be vulnerable at the front, but then I thought about where the fuel tank was in the Caterham I
previously had... equally vulnerable to smacks from the rear!
Sooooo... how about I weld in steel sheet panels to create a proper 'box' (floor and side profiles, and a bolt on lid) for the tank to sit
in and bond in some flameproof aviation foam tiles to create a snug fit???
There's no heat sources in the area, and there's already a steel sheet 'firewall' before the footwell, so that would mean -
GRP front clip - 3 inch gap - steel clip connecting bar - 3 inch gap - front chassis steel members - leading steel sheet - aviation foam - tank -
aviation foam - steel sheet - 6-inch gap - steel sheet - footwell.
Not too concerned about the damage aspect... if I bent the front of the chassis, then a £100 ali tank is the least of my concerns.
Just bothered about the risk of fire spreading to the cockpit.
Opinion please!
[Edited on 13/8/08 by scootz]
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stevebubs
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| posted on 13/8/08 at 07:02 PM |
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First thoughts were ... if you stuff it, the fuel tank is right in the front crumple zone....
But then not sure if that's better / worse than having one either side of you when you get T-boned....
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Fred W B
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| posted on 13/8/08 at 07:42 PM |
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Makes me nervous too.....
How do you plan to duct air through the rads in the side pods?
Would it not be easier just to put the rad in the standard location?
Cheers
Fred W B
You can do it quickly. You can do it cheap. You can do it right. – Pick any two.
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matt_claydon
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| posted on 13/8/08 at 08:12 PM |
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IVA will require fuel tanks to be located in such a way as to not be vulnerable to front or rear impacts. Seven-style rear tanks could be a bone of
contention, but since rear impacts are rare compared to frontal ones people may get away with it. I doubt a front mounted tank would pass, and in my
opinion rightly so 
quote:
Fuel Tanks for Liquid fuels at Ambient Temperature
...
5. A Fuel Tank must not be fouled by moving parts of the vehicle, or mounted so that
it is likely to be subject to abrasion by adjacent parts.
6. Fuel Tanks must not be positioned near a heat source (similar in installation to that
of a type approved vehicle), so that a leak would cause a fire hazard.
7. Fuel Tanks must be positioned so as not to be vulnerable to damage from
protruding parts or sharp edges in the event of a front or rear impact.
etc...
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scootz
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| posted on 13/8/08 at 08:29 PM |
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Initial post edited from the blithering drivel that first spewed from my brain to something that makes (slightly) more sense. 
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02GF74
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| posted on 14/8/08 at 08:25 AM |
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I wouldn't put it there; also have you considered how heavy that is gonna be? Best keep it as central as possible.
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scootz
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| posted on 14/8/08 at 09:26 AM |
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The weight aspect is the most attractive part... the front ends on these cars are notoriously light, and with the engine / box set up I'm using,
I'm putting even more weight over the rear of the car than normal.
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scootz
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| posted on 17/8/08 at 07:53 PM |
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Any other opinions?
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