October 2010

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CA Air Resources Board & British Council Launch Climate Generation Program Competition

October 29, 2010 in Sponsor Post by ggguest | No comments

An innovative new project called the Climate Generation Program is bringing even more hope for a greener future for our youth. The competition will ultimately target high school students in more than 60 countries but initially be piloted in California and Minnesota this year.

Not only does the Climate Generation Program seek to educate our country’s students on climate change, it presents them with the test of connecting their environmental school work to their everyday lives. By aspiring to connect all subjects of a high school education with real-life application, the competition aims to inspire students to make a difference in our earth’s future environment and climate.

“We believe the initiative will propel students to become tomorrow’s leaders on climate change, green technology, and any number of other environmental issues,” said Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency Linda Adams.

The British Council has paired with the California Air Resources Board, an EcoCAR competition sponsor, to make this project possible. “We feel that the climate action projects will complement California’s new Education and the Environment Initiative standards-based curriculum.  We are looking forward to continuing to develop new ‘Climate Champions’ who can represent the youth voice on global climate issues at the local, regional, national and international levels,” West Coast Manager for the British Council, Meghan Steed said.

It’s both interesting and inspiring to see the many ways that organizations and groups of people are becoming educated on the climate issues throughout the world, while progressively fighting for a better, greener future. Good luck to all of the participating students in California and Minnesota!

For more information on the Climate Generation Program, please visit www.coolcalifornia.org/article/champion-the-cause.

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Video: Preview of EcoCAR’s Spring Workshop at EPA

October 27, 2010 in EcoCAR News, Video Blogs by ggguest | 1 comment

As we wrap up the Fall Workshop, we turn our attention to the next workshop on the horizon…Spring!

EcoCAR is thrilled to bring the teams to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Vehicle and fuel Emissions Laboratory facility in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the spring workshop from March 6-18. EcoCAR vehicles will undergo emissions testing on the EPA’s impressive dynamometers and face evaluations similar to those in the industry including highway, city, vehicle energy use and exhaust particulate tests.

It’s already lining up to be a tough, but memorable Spring Workshop! For a preview and more details about the EPA’s state-of-the-art facilities, check out the video below.

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Courses Charge Up Future Electric Vehicle Plug-In Engineers

October 18, 2010 in Team Posts by ggguest | 1 comment

 

Dr. Mehdi Ferdowsi (left) and Andrew Meintz are leading the effort to prepare Missouri S&T's engineering students to design the electric and hybrid cars of the future. Photo: B.A. Rupert/Missouri S&T Communications.

 

When Dr. Mehdi Ferdowsi and Ph.D. student Andrew Meintz offered the inaugural class on electric and hybrid vehicles last January at Missouri University of Science and Technology, they made an instant connection with students from a variety of engineering disciplines.

Seventeen students enrolled in the course, even though it was hastily put together and not widely advertised.

“They obviously see this as a new field that is going to grow and ultimately become a new career path,” says Ferdowsi, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Missouri S&T.

That’s one of the hopes of Ferdowsi, Meintz and the federal government. Fueled by $5 million in stimulus funding from the U.S. Department of Energy as part of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Missouri S&T is developing a new undergraduate minor in advanced automotive technology to better prepare students for the plug-in economy.

Last semester’s introductory course, taught by Meintz, a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering, was S&T’s entry into the world of plug-in electric vehicles. Meintz makes a great instructor because he can draw upon his own experience with EcoCAR as S&T’s Electrical Team leader. “I used skills learned through the EcoCAR Challenge to tie course material with industry practice.  Not only did the course present material from a classroom lecture point of view but also used hands-on Model Based Design techniques to allow students to model hybrid electric vehicles.”

The introductory course was what Ferdowsi calls “a gateway class” designed “to familiarize students with the concepts of plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles.” Students from electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering and engineering management enrolled in the course to learn about the different fuel, powertrain and energy storage systems of electric and hybrid vehicles.

This semester, S&T has ramped up the course offerings for plug-in and hybrid automotive technology. The curriculum, which is funded through stimulus dollars, includes half a dozen undergraduate and graduate courses designed by Ferdowsi, an expert in power electronics.

The ambitious initiative of converting the auto industry from gasoline to electricity requires far-reaching efforts. Thus, S&T is also integrating coursework into existing classes and developing graduate certificate programs to help practicing engineers move into the emerging field of plug-in technology. Ferdowsi and his colleagues at S&T are also working with two other Missouri schools – the University of Central Missouri and Linn State Technical College – to provide additional work force training. In addition, Missouri S&T is helping the St. Louis Science Center educate the public about the importance of electric vehicles.

“Developing new course material is hard, especially when you’re talking about a new car that hasn’t even been developed yet,” says Ferdowsi. But creating a new course of study will ultimately have a significant impact on the nation’s economy. “We will have a pipeline of students prepared for this industry.”

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Notice of Program Interest Now Available for EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future

October 13, 2010 in EcoCAR News, Video Blogs by ggguest | No comments

It’s hard to believe that EcoCAR 2 is already on the horizon, but Argonne National Laboratory has released the Notice of Program Interest for EcoCAR 2: Plugging In to the Future.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), General Motors (GM) and other sponsors such as Natural Resources Canada, EcoCAR 2 is North America’s Premier Collegiate Automotive Engineering Competition Series. Beginning in Academic Year 2011, EcoCAR 2 will build upon the 22-year history of DOE Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) and seeks to develop the next generation of automotive engineers with unparalleled experience designing, building, promoting and demonstrating advanced vehicle technologies. Up to 16 universities will be selected to participate through a competitive Request For Proposal (RFP) process. Participating teams will be challenged to minimize the environmental impact of a GM production vehicle utilizing various electric powertrain architectures.

The RFP will be out in November and proposals will be due in January 2011.

Watch the video below for a preview of the EcoCAR competition and what the future holds.

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UWAFT Runs All-EV This Summer

October 4, 2010 in Team Posts, Video Blogs by ggguest | 1 comment

As the University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) enters Year Three of the EcoCAR Challenge, it is excited to refine the optimization strategy in its hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (FC-PHEV).  Although the team’s vehicle did not have enough power to run the dynamic events at the end of Year Two in Yuma, Arizona, UWAFT presented well in static events and had a strong showing in its outreach deliverables. They finished 8th overall in the final competition points for Year Two and continue to make big strides.

While in Yuma, the team took advantage of the extraordinary resources, including the equipment and expertise provided by the competition sponsors, which helped them pass safety inspection and fill their vehicle’s hydrogen tanks. Now able to fill the fuel tanks of its functioning all-electric vehicle, the team is in a good position to build a strong campaign in Year Three.

To catch a glimpse of the UWAFT vehicle running all-EV, check out the video below:

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EcoCAR Students Speed to Victory at F1 Racing in Boston

October 1, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | 1 comment

It was sweet victory last night for two EcoCAR teams. But we’re not talking green vehicles. Texas Tech and University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) students won first place at F1 Racing Boston, a speed-filled team outing to mark the halfway point of the Fall Workshop.

 

Gavin Clark, Team Leader for UOIT takes his F1 Racing trophy

 

One thing was evident at the end of the night: don’t mess with Texas Tech. Team member Kevin Kappes won first place on Track One at F1 Racing. With a best lap time of 16.33 seconds, Kevin beat out seven other students during the final race, including two outreach coordinators. Wisconsin’s outreach coordinator Andrea Sotirin put up some tough competition though, leading throughout most of the race and finishing third overall.

Gavin Clark of UOIT raced to the top on Track Two with a best lap time of 20.67 seconds and average speed of 40.7mph. He faced some tough competitors and finished only 1.9 seconds ahead of the second place winner. But perhaps the sweetest victory was from General Motors sponsor Ed Argalas who won first place during the sponsor/organizer race. Ed beat out more than 35 sponsors to get the fastest time in the sponsor finals of 20.8 seconds.

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