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Coast-bound for Spring Break: MSU participates in the Gulf Coast Children’s Fair

April 30, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

When everyone was busy packing their bags and heading to the beach for Spring Break, the MSU EcoCAR 2 team was planning an exciting event with the EPA! The Gulf Coast Children’s Fair, held in Biloxi, MS, was a two-day environmental event organized by the Gulf Regional Planning Commission in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Mississippi Department for Environmental Quality (MDEQ).

The purpose of the event was to talk to local elementary students about pollution and the benefits of keeping the air clean. More than 800 third graders from all over the state attended the two-day fair and they learned about cars of the future and alternative energy forms that decrease pollution. Students shared their ideas and had very interesting questions that tested the team’s knowledge, causing them think about certain concepts from a completely different perspective. On the last day, the event opened to the public where hundreds of locals brought their families and friends to learn about cleaning up the air. For more coverage, visit the local WLOX news station website.

It was a great learning experience for all in attendance, including the MSU team. Overall, the Gulf Coast Children’s Fair was a remarkable example of how a big event can come together when a different organizations team up and work together!

 

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RHIT Is Greening Up the Future!

April 26, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

Last year was widely seen as the first year of the “new electric car era:” The Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf dominated the headlines at major auto shows.  Using many of the same technologies implemented in these electric cars, students from EcoCAR 2 are using a real world engineering process to design and integrate advanced technology solutions into a GM-donated Chevy Malibu.

Rose-Hulman EcoCAR 2 plans to keep “Greening Up” its future with some fun and exciting upcoming events for the remainder of Year One.  EcoCAR 2 team members recently visited Rockville Jr. – Sr. High School to show pre-calculus students how EcoCAR 2 is changing the future.  During the month of April, the team visited Turkey Run High School’s career unit, which helps juniors decide where they want to go to college. Many universities and student-run organizations speak to prospective students at the career unit, and RHIT EcoCAR 2 was proud to be one of them.  Terre Haute West Vigo High School was also a stop on the team’s “Greening up the Future” campaign, which turned out to be a quite a success!

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Overcoming Obstacles: An Inside Look at Colorado State University’s EcoCAR2 Team

April 25, 2012 in Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

The CSU Controls Team Gets a Little Help from DSPACE

One of the biggest challenges faced by the Colorado State University (CSU) controls team to date is troubleshooting and repairing new hardware. DSPACE graciously provided a hardware in the loop (HIL) testing setup, but due to damage from shipping, it did not function properly at the Winter Workshop. Over a month of work was lost in this process. However, with the excellent customer support provided by DSPACE and countless hours put in by each team member, the HIL box is finally up and running.

“From the time we got there until we were asked to leave, the DSPACE reps worked diligently to make sure we had the hardware needed to ensure success,” said Chris Hargett, a member of the controls team.  “They provided us with a new processor board on the fly and soldered our power supply leaving us ample time to test our strategy and perform in our presentation. We are lucky to have talented and motivated individuals on the controls team along with excellent support from DSPACE.”

The Two-Man Team: Analysis at Colorado State University

The CSU analysis team has been crunching numbers and running simulations night and day. The goal? To make sure the component selections are backed up with simulation analysis to show how each component fits harmoniously into the team’s architecture while producing optimal vehicle performance.

In addition to overseeing the component selection, the analysis team has been performing additional investigations to determine hydrogen storage requirements for the unique architecture. The team has to overcome a variety of hurdles when designing the hydrogen storage system. There are multiple tradeoffs that must be assessed including the complexity and safety of the system and its effects on trunk space, consumer acceptability and vehicle range. With the assessment of these tradeoffs, the team is designing the hydrogen storage system and pushing forward.

CSU’s Energy Storage Team is Hard at Work

The CSU energy storage team is hard at work making sure their battery enclosure will keep the team’s batteries safe and cool. The A123 batteries will be water cooled and enclosed in a carbon fiber case. Getting all 7 battery modules into the car is another challenge, but the team is working hand-in-hand with GM to accomplish this while keeping the car safe and maintaining consumer acceptability.

“Our team is taking on a significant challenge being a first year team and the only team using hydrogen in the competition,” said Matt Zevenbergen, energy storage team leader. “A goal for the energy storage team is to be 20 years ahead of the hydrogen powered car curve.  That is a huge motivator for the entire team to do well this year. We want to leave years two and three with a great foundation to build on.”

During the remainder of the year, the team will be hard at work making the carbon fiber battery enclosure and readying facilities for hydrogen storage. Much more work lies ahead, but the team is looking forward to the challenge.

Reflections: CSU’s Auxiliary Team

The EcoCar2 competition departs from previous electric vehicle competitions by placing equal importance on consumer acceptability and “green” innovation.  The auxiliary systems of a car have become standard features in the eyes of the consumer.

This is where the two-person auxiliary team comes into the picture and plays a major role. The team saw room for innovation in the area of automobile air conditioning. Traditional air conditioning systems use a toxic working fluid, which is harmful to the atmosphere.  Thermoelectric technology on the other hand uses solid state cooling, no working fluids, and no moving parts.  The team has become very familiar with this type of technology and is confident enough to specify, fabricate and construct a thermoelectric assembly to be implemented in the vehicle.

CSU Team Update: Powertrain

The Colorado State University powertrain team has met and successfully overcome challenges with the design and analysis of their powertrain.  The powertrain is a fully electric powertrain with all power coming from UQM’s 145kW Powerphase Select electric motor mounted to a single speed gearbox/differential from Borg Warner.  The team is confident it will be extremely efficient and user friendly, providing ample acceleration and adequate cruising speed for any highway.

Additionally, the team was challenged to find a motor that would supply the power needed without exceeding voltage limitations. In order to determine the power requirements to maintain performance, the team simulated a 0-60mph sprint as well as a 50-70mph passing exercise using a variety of motors and gear ratio.  Once they determined the UQM 145kW motor would supply ample power, they had to find a suitable gearbox to get that power to the wheels.  They decided to go with a purchased gearbox from Borg Warner and to adapt it to the Malibu’s half shafts and the selected motor.

Though the team has had success so far, they still face challenges.  They must determine a good mounting strategy for implementing the powertrain into the vehicle.  They also need to design a cooling system to keep the motor and inverter cool.  Integrating all these components will be crucial to the success of the Colorado State University EcoCar2 Chevrolet Malibu.

 

 

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EcoCAR 2 Team Leader: “More Than Just Engineering”

April 19, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

By University of Tennessee, Knoxville Mechanical Team Leader Ryan Howell

As soon as I became a team leader for EcoCAR2, I knew I would gain valuable engineering experience through the program. What I didn’t expect was all the non-engineering experience I would receive and apply.

My key duty as the mechanical team lead has been supervising a team of senior design students. For Year One, the mechanical team assumes responsibility for packaging all additional drivetrain components for our hybrid-vehicle.

The team is also responsible for analyzing these components to ensure vehicle safety.  The sponsors of EcoCAR 2 have generously donated millions of dollars worth of technology and parts, including Siemens NX 7.5 for CAD modeling and NX-NASTRAN for Finite-Element Analysis. I have gained a lot of experience with these software packages, and I have been able to take my knowledge from the classroom and apply it to real-world engineering problems.

However, there is much more involved with the position of team leader than engineering. I am in charge of all mechanical related deliverables. This includes report requirements, presentations and much more. In order to get the best results from my team, it is my responsibility to know the strengths and weaknesses of each member.  Each team member has a different background; some have no CAD experience while others do.  Some may be great presenters while others struggle.

By understanding each member on my team, it becomes easier to distribute the workload and responsibility appropriately.  It is also important to strive to strengthen the weak points of my team members and myself.

In addition to these key aspects, I must discover effective methods of managing the team.  While micro-managing often hinders productivity, it was important to stay involved with my team’s work while not getting in the way.  Managing is an art form that only improves with practice.  Due to the demanding nature of this competition, stress levels are always high and deadlines are always looming.  Time is very valuable, so effectively managing the team is critical.

Team Tennessee strives to have a cross-disciplinary focus.  Therefore, in addition to managing my team, I also coordinate with the other teams and team leaders.  These include the other three engineering teams, as well as outreach and business.  While working with other engineering teams comes natural for us as fellow engineers, working with the non-technical aspects of the competition require more effort.  We work especially hard to ensure our outreach efforts receive the full support of the engineering teams and vice-versa.  We attend outreach functions and work directly with the media and public.

Another difficult task to master is how to speak the same language as our audience.  As team leaders, we are expected to provide a concise summary of our work that a non-technical audience can understand.  We often rehearse and practice our “elevator speeches” before an event.  We recognize the importance of communicating our work to the public.

As you can see, the role of a team leader goes beyond just engineering.  It includes public speaking (technical and non-technical), management skills, logistics and a cross-disciplinary focus; all of which are extremely valuable skills for a future career in any profession.  Thank you EcoCAR 2!

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Engineering Explorations at University of Waterloo

April 18, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

The University of Waterloo recently opened its doors to local elementary school students for the Faculty of Engineering’s annual Engineering Explorations night. Thousands of students from grades six to eight and their parents descended upon Waterloo Engineering to experience the faculty during a tour of the various departments. The three main objectives of Explorations are to excite students about engineering and technology, to provide the public with an opportunity to see what engineers do at the University of Waterloo and to promote the Faculty of Engineering.

Electrical Team Lead Eric Evenchick speaks to students and their parents

The University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) set up a booth and presented to the students and their parents about their team, the EcoCAR 2 competition and advanced vehicle technologies.

“The students asked many questions, so we knew they were well engaged during these discussions” said Rachael Morin, Director of Youth Outreach. Students were especially interested in UWAFT’s project goals of reducing fuel consumption, tailpipe emissions and well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions.

According to Mark Goody, Director of Outreach, “many students were actually very knowledgeable about the problems that exist from society’s dependence on fossil fuels, the environmental risks associated with their extraction and the environmental damage caused by their emissions.”

UWAFT was very happy to give young students and their parents an opportunity to learn more about advanced vehicle technologies and the EcoCAR 2 program. Getting students interested in engineering and science is important because it ensures that there will be a next generation of passionate students, who are dedicated to solving real-world problems.

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Team Tuesdays: Wayne State University

April 18, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts, Video Blogs by ggguestuser | No comments

Diversity, community and ecology are the basic tenants of the Wayne State University (WSU) EcoCAR 2 team, and they’re taken seriously. At last count, there were more than a dozen countries represented by WSU team members, including India, China, Nigeria, Egypt and Israel, as well as Canada and the U.S. This reflects the vast cultural diversity of both WSU (one of America’s top research universities) and Detroit, a magnet city for visiting scholars and immigrants. These students come together in in a truly American “melting pot,” identifying themselves not as someone from another country, but as teammates, classmates, friends and Detroiters.

Community plays a big role in the team’s actions, as evidenced by educational outreach to middle school students. All Year One classroom outreach efforts will take place in Detroit Public Schools, a system working hard to put a troubled past behind. The team is also focused on reaching the community at large by working closely with organizations like the Detroit Area Clean Cities Coalition (DACC) and Detroit’s premier green energy incubator, NextEnergy. The team also expects to be involved with other community organizations to help “green and clean” the city.

Behind all these efforts is the tenant of ecology. Making the world a cleaner, healthier place is a primary goal of all EcoCAR 2 teams, and Wayne State is no exception. The team hopes to contribute to a better environment with the design of our vehicle, through their efforts to educate others on green technologies, and by direct actions taken with campus and community groups to make the city of Detroit a better, more beautiful place to be. The team welcomes all to join them as they put their energies behind the team’s slogan: Aim Higher – Aim Hybrid!

 

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Ohio State at the Columbus Auto Show

April 13, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

The Ohio State University’s EcoCAR 2 team recently partnered with Clean Fuels Ohio to create a display called “Green and Made in Ohio” for the 2012 Columbus Auto Show! The focus of the display was regional Ohio’s contributions to the alternative fuel transportation sector, including electric vehicle alternatives and electric vehicle charging installation displays.

Over the course of the four day show more than 10,000 attendees passed the display. The public’s reaction was a mix of surprise at how advanced Ohio’s automotive industry has become and positive reactions to the various vehicle technologies.

The display featured an AMP Electric Mercedes MLe, a Signature Controls Recharge Power Electric Vehicle Charge Station, a Honda Civic Natural Gas, IGS Energy’s FuelMaker CNG station, a Chevrolet Cruze Eco, The Ohio State University EcoCAR, The Ohio State University Buckeye Bullet  (World’s fastest electric vehicle) and the Columbus Electric Motorsports’ Electric Midget Sprint Car. Representatives from Clean Fuels Ohio and The Ohio State University EcoCAR 2 team staffed the display during the show.

Clean Fuels Ohio and The Ohio State EcoCAR 2 team would like to thank the following companies for their generous support and donation of display vehicles and materials!

Lindsey Honda

Byers Chevrolet

AMP Electric Vehicles

Mercedes-Benz of Cincinnati

The Ohio State University Buckeye Bullet Team

IGS Energy

Signature Controls

Columbus Electric Motorsports

And all the volunteers!

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New Semester, New Students, New Opportunities at Penn State

April 12, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts, Video Blogs by ggguestuser | No comments

This spring, the Penn State Advanced Vehicle Team welcomed 20 freshmen who are interested in the engineering field to Penn State EcoCAR 2 through a mechanical engineering seminar. The New students will spend the rest of the semester learning about hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) as well as broader transportation energy and emissions issues. The freshmen will also take on an active role as members of the EcoCAR electrical, mechanical or controls groups.

“Being a part of the electrical group as a freshman is the kind of the experience that I couldn’t get anywhere else,” said Bassam Al-Othman, a freshman from Kuwait. “I’m considering petroleum engineering to be my major, and EcoCAR 2 is going to give me the chance to go back home and work in the energy sector.”

Other freshmen agreed that EcoCAR 2 provides quite a unique experience for young engineers.

“I’m being exposed to so many industry programs and opportunities,” said Abhiram Yalamanchili, a freshman from India majoring in mechanical engineering. “It’s very worthwhile experience, especially considering how early it is in my college career.”

Because they see the value of EcoCAR 2, many of the freshmen expressed interest in continuing their work over the next two years of the competition. Bradley Dorce, a freshman in the mechanical group said, “I already plan to stick around to further my knowledge of cars. EcoCAR 2 gives me the opportunity to explore my interests.”

Today’s freshmen will soon be tomorrow’s engineering leaders, so it’s encouraging to see them diving right in to EcoCAR 2. The motto, “Plugging In to the Future” not only sums up Penn State’s concern about the future of the environment, it also stresses the importance of educating young, bright engineers who will help create energy and transportation solutions. We are look forward to watching Penn State’s new freshmen learn more, and we can’t wait to see just how far they’ll take the team.

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Team Tuesdays: University of Washington

April 10, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

University of Washington EcoCAR 2 is a highly interdisciplinary team comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from engineering, business and art backgrounds.  The team is developing a parallel through-the-road plug-in hybrid vehicle powertrain (PHEV). With the University of Washington’s background in environmental science and transportation technology, the team is confident in its ability to excel in the EcoCAR 2 competition.

The University of Washington has extensive experience in advanced vehicle technologies.  From developing composite materials for Boeing to designing a carbon fiber monocoque for Lamborghini, University of Washington engineering students have the tools to succeed in pushing the envelope.  However, since this is the school’s first time participating in an advanced vehicle technology competition (AVTC), the team is building an EcoCAR-dedicated facility from the ground up. The goal is to create a laboratory for ongoing alternative fuel research beyond the scope of the competition. The UW Advanced Vehicle Works is born!

Take a look at this entertaining video from the University of Washington to learn more about their EcoCAR program and witness some of the Washington “personality” that makes the team so fun to work with! They may be funny in the video but when it comes to advanced technology vehicles, they’re all business.

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EcoCAR 2 from a Freshman Perspective

April 6, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

By Mississippi State’s Wesley Haney

Joining a large EcoCAR 2 Team like Mississippi State’s can be very intimidating for a freshman. With helpful team members and grad students, however, working on the advanced programs and concepts behind EcoCAR 2 is an enjoyable challenge.

While I had a significant amount of CAD experience when my first semester at Mississippi State began, I was unfamiliar with implementing CAD into real-world designs. Since I joined the EcoCAR 2 team I have had many opportunities to assist with CAD work. Now I have a solid understanding of all of the subsystems in our vehicle.

In addition to the invaluable experience I’ve gained, I have also been fortunate enough to travel with the team to Detroit and Austin for Year One workshops. The specialized training I received through these events has significantly increased my knowledge of CAD. These travel opportunities have also allowed me to network with potential employers and even secure a summer intern position with platinum sponsor A123 Systems! I am proof that even for the most junior team members, EcoCAR 2 is a fun and rewarding program that offers a many benefits, including unmatched hands-on experience.

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