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While the EcoCAR teams were in Yuma for the Year Two Finals, MotorWeek was on hand filming in the pits during the safety and technical inspections and interviewing representatives from the Department of Energy, General Motors and Argonne National Laboratory to get a real feel for what the competition is all about.
The finished piece aired last week and came out great. Check it out below!
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Energy, EcoCAR, GM, MotorWeek
Here at EcoCAR we are challenged to develop practices to measure emissions and fuel economy and now it’s happening at a national level. It was just announced that mechanical engineers at Agronne National Laboratory received approval of SAE J1711, a revised recommended practice for figuring out the fuel economy and exhaust emissions test procedures of hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). The approval is a major accomplishment that will encourage and support the nation’s move to electrified vehicles for petroleum savings. The new revisions are also the basis for the way that we measure fuel consumption in EcoCAR.
Mike Duoba, a principal mechanical engineer for Argonne, has led the SAE International (Society of Automotive Engineers) task force in the effort to revise the test procedures to better evaluate PHEV technologies.
Mike Duoba tests a car at Argonne's Advanced Powertrain Research Facility
Even more exciting, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a new regulation later this year that will define PHEV fuel economy reporting protocol and much of the new EPA regulation is likely to be based on SAE J1711. Now that SAE J1711 has been approved, Duoba and his colleagues are focused on supporting the development of testing standards for all-electric vehicles, known as SAE J1634.
Pretty cool! What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the challenges and benefits of having these standards in place.
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR, EPA, hybrid vehicle, SAE International, SAE J1711
In the video below, the Mississippi State EcoCAR team answers the question, “What is an Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV)?”
Team leader, Matthew Doude, shows off the team’s vehicle and explains how the EREV is powered and what happens when the battery power is depleted.
Mike Wahlstrom from Argonne National Laboratory also makes an appearance and describes how the fuel economy of each EcoCAR vehicle is calculated.
Check out the video below!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRfby30YND4]
Do you agree with the Mississippi State team that EREV technology will be a reality?
Follow along with us during the EcoCAR Year Two Finals, May 17-27, 2010, to see how MSU’s EREV stands up against the other competing teams!
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, battery power, EcoCAR, EREV, fuel economy, Mississippi State
The UVic EcoCAR team has been very busy the last two weeks preparing for the A123Systems battery inspection and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) technical inspection. The team is happy to report that the long, grueling nights, that put their skills and sanity to the test, paid off as they passed the A123Systems inspection and their vehicle qualified to ship to competition.
Preparing for the A123Systems inspection proved to be taxing and some lessons were learned the hard way. The parts came together for the team’s custom cooling system, but they quickly learned how important it is to pressure test the system with air before filling it with coolant. Team leader, and now team plumber, Jeremy Wise, spent several hours finding and fixing leaks. The end result was a system that held 30psi overnight without any pressure drop. Jeff Waldner, who will be taking over the team leader role later this year, found that Computer-aided Design (CAD) should never be fully trusted, as he was left remaking mounting brackets for vital battery components with only hours to spare.
For the ANL inspection that took place three days later, the team assembled and installed the new rear cradle for the first time. Surprisingly, everything fit. Although the team didn’t get the chance to hook it up to the A123Systems battery, overall they were happy with the way things turned out.
ANL's Mike Wahlstrom under the hood of UVic's EcoCAR
With only one month remaining before vehicle shipment, several key steps remain: integration of the A123Systems battery with the 2-Mode transmission, software control of the 2-Mode transmission, and building a CAN gateway for the LE9 engine control module. One thing is for certain, many more sleepless nights to come in preparation for Yuma!
Tags: A123Systems, Argonne National Laboratory, Computer-aided Design, EcoCAR, University of Victoria
It’s March Madness and that means, yes, it’s Safety/Tech Inspection time during EcoCAR. The first school to get inspected was Mississippi State University. Read their before and after story below to get a flavor of the MSU team’s intense preparation for inspection. Will they pass inspection and qualify for this year’s EcoCAR Competition? Read and watch the video below to see for yourself…
My name is Matt Doude and I am the team leader for the Mississippi State EcoCAR team. We recently had the distinction of being the calibration school for the EcoCAR on-site technical inspections that are going on this month. That means that Steven Boyd, Michael Wahlstrom, Frank Falcone, and Nicole Lambiase from the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory all came down to sunny Mississippi to inspect our vehicle FIRST as well as to practice and streamline their inspection routine. They will be splitting up and going all over North America to inspect the other 15 teams as we get ready to ship our vehicles to the Year 2 Competition in Yuma, AZ (another place known for being sunny and warm.)
Leading up to the inspection, our team worked night and day to finish little tasks and get everything ready to go. Check out our video below, shot just 48 hours before our inspection to see our preparations:
One of the biggest projects during preparation was getting our A123Systems battery pack built and mounted in the car. The battery pack, along with everything else we’ve added to the car, could not possibly be a tighter fit. Our new oft-repeated team motto has become “It’s gonna be tight…”
Working right up until the organizers arrived, however, we got everything in the car and hooked up just in time for our inspection.
The moment of truth came at the end of the inspection when we put the car on the ground and turned it on. Brian Benoy, our controls leader, shifted into reverse and smoothly backed out of the garage. The car, running in EV mode, made literally no sound as it moved. He took several people for a short ride in the parking lot and back to the garage, where it glided back in as smoothly as it left. Watch the video below to see our vehicle run on its own power!
About 48 hours after our inspection, the car was back in pieces all over the shop again as we made changes and continued to build our competition vehicle. I’m looking forward to the day when it’s together and doesn’t have to come apart again!
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR, Mississippi State, U.S Department of Energy, vehicle inspection
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) EcoCAR team has worked tirelessly throughout the academic year to build its all electric vehicle for the EcoCAR 2010 Competition Finals, May 17-27, 2010 in Yuma, AZ and San Diego, CA. Like the other 15 universities competing in the EcoCAR Challenge, the UOIT team has put in countless hours and had many sleepless nights in the last several months to prepare for the Safety & Technical Inspection this March.
UOIT team members look on as their vehicle is inspected
Michael Wahlstrom, an engineer and safety tech inspector for the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions at Argonne National Laboratory, paid the team a visit on March 15th and inspected their vehicle meticulously. Mike evaluated the vehicle to ensure that the team had followed the EcoCAR safety and technical rules and pointed out areas that needed attention prior to shipping the vehicle to competition in early May.
Mike Wahlstrom takes a look at the team's battery pack
UOIT’s electric vehicle has the largest battery pack in the EcoCAR fleet, making it imperative that all fault modes be considered and that mitigation procedures are put in place in order to eliminate all risk of injury to the driver or passengers. When storing almost 80 kWh of energy, a fault in the system could mean trouble if sound engineering practices and key fault mitigation procedures are not implemented properly.
Check out the video below to see some of the safety systems that have been installed in the team’s electric vehicle and see how “UOIT Plays it Safe” for EcoCAR.
Tags: 80 kWh, Argonne National Laboratory, battery pack, EcoCAR, university of ontario institute of technology
March is Women’s History Month and, without question, engineering is a field where women have made their mark. What was traditionally a male-dominated field in now full of professionals from all backgrounds and gender. This trend is visible in the EcoCAR competition – female participation has steadily grown since Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) started at the U.S. Department of Energy, one of EcoCAR’s headline sponsors, in the 1980s.
In an effort to recognize the outstanding contributions of women in the program and encourage others to pursue a career in engineering, the Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation honors a woman or group of women every year with the Outstanding Women in Engineering Award. Not only must the winner show exceptional technical skills and leadership, but she should also contribute to recruiting and retaining female EcoCAR team members. Former Indy race car driver, Lyn St. James, will deliver this year’s award on May 25 in San Diego, California. EcoCAR teams, be sure to sign up to participate by April 30! For EcoCAR students interested in participating in the Women in Engineering Award, please access the details on the EcoCAR SharePoint site.
One of last year’s award recipients, Nicole Lambiase, says her passion for engineering sprouted from childhood influences, like watching shuttle launches at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, near her hometown. As a student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University she became involved in the EcoCAR competition and her outstanding work as electrical team leader ultimately led her to a position today with Argonne National Laboratory. Watch Nicole’s story below!
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR, General Motors, Kennedy Space Center, Women in Engineering, Women in the Winner’s Circle Foundation
The past 12 months of the EcoCAR competition marked quite a turnaround for the Virginia Tech Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT). After falling short of expectations at the Year 1 Finals in Toronto, the team returned to the garage with a new group of engineers and placed first among teams using National Instruments systems in the Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) presentation at Winter Workshop in January. How did they do it? Since the summer, mechanical engineers on the Controls subteam have spent countless hours becoming control system designers. In the video below, “Virginia Tech Gets in the Loop for EcoCAR,” the team explains the crucial points of its HIL system, as well as the benefits of using HIL for designing controllers.
Mechanical engineering seniors, Johnathan King and Mike Kearney, demonstrate how the team's controller Hardware-in-the-Loop works
The team points out that their success would not be possible without the gracious and patient support from National Instruments. They company donated powerful software, like LabVIEW and VeriStand, and hardware, like CompactRIO supervisory controller and simple-to-use USB-CAN interface, making it possible for HEVT to design and implement a safe, robust, control system. The team used their tools, in addition to the real-time vehicle model provided by GM and Argonne National Laboratory, to design its control strategy and implement it in both hardware and software. The ultimate goal is a refined and accurate real-time vehicle model running on the National Instruments PXI HIL Chassis. This model is important because it allows the team to test its controller against either the model or the real vehicle – and expect the same results. HEVT is using HIL to perfect its control code, so they can safely and simply take the controller from its HIL test stand and install it into the vehicle for further testing.
A look at HEVT's technology from National Instruments
Safety is of utmost importance to HEVT and the safety-critical aspects of their control system is no exception. VeriStand’s “Stimulus Profile Editor” allows the team to simulate an infinite number of possible scenarios such as high temperatures, various vehicle speeds and communication errors, in order to ensure that the control code is robust and will not act unexpectedly under any circumstances. HEVT is confident that the amount of safety-critical testing they have done will allow them to put the controller in the vehicle in the coming weeks and compare real life to simulation! The Virginia Tech HEVT Controls team would like to thank National Instruments for their ongoing support.
Enjoy the video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FOZ8XnBPFc
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR, GM, HEVT, Virginia Tech
To celebrate National Engineers Week, President Obama sent a greeting to the nation’s engineers saying that “never has it been more important for America’s youth to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and math.” We couldn’t agree more!
To help the youth learn about career opportunities in science and engineering, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has invited Chicago-area girls in sixth through eighth grade to participate in the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day!
Teen girls learning what it's like to be an engineer at Argonne National Laboratory in 2009
“This event is a great opportunity to inspire our next generation of scientists and engineers,” said Erika Benda, chairperson of the event and an Argonne mechanical engineer. “The event is designed to spark their curiosity and encourage girls to pursue their interests in science and engineering.”
The event is a fun and educational way to introduce girls to engineering. The students will spend the day with a mentor, tour the laboratory, participate in hands-on activities and attend interactive presentations about engineering careers. They will also have lunch with some of Argonne’s leading experts and have the opportunity to ask questions about their work, education and how they decided to enter their chosen fields.
How are you celebrating National Engineers Week?
Tags: Argonne National Laboratory, Department of Energy, EcoCAR, Engineering, National Engineers Week, President Obama
Cindy Svestka on the cover of Woman Engineer Magazine
Cindy Svestka isn’t just a female engineer. She’s a shining example for men and women everywhere who want to have an impact on advanced vehicle technology.
Cindy started off like a lot of students, not really knowing how she was going to make her mark and what career she wanted to pursue. However, she did have an eagerness to learn and an interest in cars and helping others and wanted to make a difference. After joining the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) program as a student, she and everyone around her quickly learned that automotive technology was not only an interest, but a passion that she immersed herself in with intense commitment and dedication. As a team leader in the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge, Cindy stood out among the others because of her exceptional leadership and teamwork skills, her meticulous attention to detail, and her passion for the project. Now, after more than ten years in the AVTC program, Cindy has translated those skills into a successful career and serves as an example to thousands of current and future engineering students of how hard work and commitment can take you far.
After graduating from Utah State university in 1998, Cindy took a job at Argonne National Laboratory as the technical coordinator on the AVTC program where she he helped organize and manage the Ethanol Vehicle Challenge and FutureTruck competitions.
After two years at Argonne, Cindy joined the General Motors team. Cindy spent her first four years at GM in the fuel system group and eventually took on the role of lead design engineer on the launch of the ethanol (E85) flex-fuel systems for the full-size pick-up and SUV applications. In 2004, Cindy took over responsibility for the energy and drive quality performance of the Chevrolet HHR. After successfully launching the Chevrolet HHR program, Cindy joined GM’s hybrid vehicle group and worked on meeting fuel economy and vehicle performance targets for the 2009 Saturn VUE Two-Mode Hybrid program.
Cindy graduated with a Master of Science degree in engineering from Purdue University in 2006. In August 2007, she took the role of executive technical assistant and business process manager for GM’s Powertrain/Vehicle Integration group.
During her time at GM, Cindy has remained active in supporting the AVTC program, supporting the 2001 FutureTruck competition and serving as the GM technical lead for Challenge X in 2005 and 2006. She continues to support the AVTC program as a member of the steering committee for EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge.
Tags: Advanced Technology Vehicle Competition, Argonne National Laboratory, Cindy Svestka, EcoCAR, GM