UBC Solar Aeroshell Topshell Plug

I contributed to the practice plug and led the first stage of CAD surfacing and plug development for the topshell of the UBC Solar Aeroshell, designing precision male molds used to manufacture composite body panels, before handing the project to another team member following a change in the aeroshell subteam's structure. The aeroshell fabrication workflow required three stages: surfacing a male mold with all feature indents, producing a fiberglass female mold from foam tooling, and completing a wet composite layup to create the final structure.

Initial Steps

I began by working with another team member and reverse engineering our previous vehicle into CAD to build a practice plug, which strengthened my surfacing workflow and deepened my understanding of aerodynamic geometry and airfoil continuity. Accuracy was critical, since misalignment in plugs would propagate into downstream components.

Scaling to the Full Plug

I then produced a scaled prototype plug for process validation, incorporating 1.5 mm and 1 mm indents for fairings and lights. Offsetting complex surfaces at small radii created intersecting geometry, requiring iterative redesign and increased fillet radii to maintain manufacturability while improving airflow. I also worked hands-on with the team on the wet layup for the scaled prototype, applying epoxy-wetted carbon fiber to the body.

Building on these iterations, I began the full topshell plug for our next-generation vehicle, developing features such as battery access panels and intake and exhaust openings, translating aerodynamic concepts into production-ready tooling geometry. Following a change in the aeroshell subteam's structure, I handed the project to another team member, who added the auxiliary mounting points, carried it through supplier quoting to evaluate machining cost, and finalized the geometry for manufacturability.