Challenge X

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Look for EcoCAR and Argonne at SAE World Congress

April 14, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

This week, Argonne National Laboratory and EcoCAR are taking part in SAE World Congress 2010! Not only will members of the Michigan Tech, Rose-Hulman and University of Victoria EcoCAR teams be in the crowd - look for them and say hello! - but two competition supporters are scheduled to speak. Vehicle systems engineer and EcoCAR organizer Frank Falcone is delivering a technical presentation on hybrid powertrain optimization as well as Don Hillebrand, director of the Center for Transportation Research at Argonne, who is giving a keynote speech on energy policy recommendations.

Frank’s a familiar face to the EcoCAR teams and he’s an Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition alum himself, having participated in Challenge X competition. His talk at SAE World Congress is focusing on many elements of his thesis and the work he did as team leader for San Diego State University’s Challenge X team. Frank highlights the complicated challenges he faced building his vehicle and those that the EcoCAR students are literally working through now as they prepare for Year Two Finals.

Don’s keynote speech discusses the lack of a clear national energy policy and it’s effect on the business of renewable fuels and vehicles. Following his talk, a panel will outline ways and ideas to ensure vehicle manufacturers, energy providers and consumers will all benefit in the future.

We are thrilled to be part of SAE World Congress 2010 and to show our support for such an integral organization and the superior work SAE has and continues to accomplish!

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Mentor Monday: Challenge X Students Explain how AVTCs Help in the Real World

April 5, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | No comments

This week’s Mentor Monday post takes a look into the lives of three men that participated in Challenge X, the Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition that preceded EcoCAR. Ron Lewis (Mississippi State), Steve Scott (University of Michigan), and Kennabec Walp (Mississippi State) all took a moment to reflect on their Challenge X experiences and how the program helped get them to where they are today!

Ron Lewis found that the competition helped many students, including himself, decide on a specific direction for their future work. “Challenge X helped set my career path and allowed me to gain much needed experience with a large long term project. The experience gave me a leg up when it came time to search for a position. I was already headed down the path of automotive engineering, and the Challenge X program definitely reassured my choice for a career,” said Lewis, now an applications engineer for Woodward.

Steve Scott recalls how companies with products and tools used in the competitions also often realized the benefits of university sponsorships in the form of talent – the students often become recruits. “Corporate contacts made through Challenge X were directly responsible for my two most recent positions within the field of alternative powertrain development. In addition to offering unique hands-on experience, student competitions such as Challenge X and EcoCAR attract self-motivated students truly interested in the targeted technologies. These are just a few of the reasons progressive companies participate in and recruit heavily from student engineering competitions,” said Scott, now a senior systems engineer for Parker Hannifin Corporation and former applications engineer for Woodward.

Many students who participate in programs like Challenge X and EcoCAR learn valuable skills that are a priceless asset for future employment opportunities. “To be successful with my Challenge X projects, I needed to develop control systems quickly – MotoHawk enabled me to do just that. I was so excited by the innovative technology that it led to my career as a MotoHawk developer,” said Kennabec Walp, who is now an embedded software engineer for Woodward and the Woodward technical representative for EcoCAR.

Kennabec joined the MSU Challenge X team as a graduate student and says he picked up invaluable skills he wouldn’t have been exposed to in normal classroom experiences. “Challenge X gave me extensive hands-on experience with both existing technology as well as the leading edge of new technology such as hybrid vehicle designs and model based development,” he said.

Photo circa 2007

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Where Are They Now: Cheri-Ann Olsen Knows Both Sides of AVTCs

March 10, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | 1 comment

Cheri Olsen, right, preparing for the EcoCAR Year 1 Finals in Toronto

Cheri-Ann Olsen has been involved in the Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC) for more than ten years. She first participated in the program as a student on the University of Alberta’s Ethanol Vehicle Challenge team in 2000 and FutureTruck team in 2002. After graduation, Cheri took a job at Natural Resources Canada, an AVTC sponsor since the program’s inception in 1987, where she has served as a competition organizer and Executive Steering Committee Member. Over the years, Cheri has had the opportunity to see the benefits of AVTC competitions from both sides of the spectrum – as a student and as an organizer.

“As a student, I had the unique opportunity to apply the skills I learned in school, and gain new experiences from the business and outreach aspects of the program,” said Cheri. “As an organizer, it’s exciting to watch the teams learn, develop and refine their technologies during the competitions.”

One of Cheri’s fondest memories was witnessing the University of Waterloo Challenge X team create a fully operational fuel cell vehicle that competed in the dynamic events during the final year of the competition. This major milestone marked the first time in AVTC history that a team was able to participate using a hydrogen fuel cell for vehicle propulsion.

Cheri has been a core organizer for both the Challenge X and EcoCAR competition series, serving as  a member of the Technical Sub Committee, the Co-Event Captain for the Competition Scoring, and a member of the Executive Steering Committee. These roles have given Cheri a close and intimate look at the teams’ capabilities and their vehicle development process.

“As a whole, advanced vehicle technology has come a long way in the last 30 years,” said Cheri. “It’s really nice to see all the hard work between governments, academia and industry come to fruition through competitions such as Challenge X and EcoCAR. It’s exciting to know that the future of advanced vehicle technology in North America is in such capable hands.”

With the EcoCAR Challenge well underway, both Cheri and Natural Resources Canada look forward to seeing where the next installment of AVTCs will take the ever evolving automotive industry.

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Where Are They Now: AVTC Grad Launches Company to Design and Build Powertrains

February 10, 2010 in EcoCAR News by ggguest | 2 comments

Five years ago, Matt Stevens was sitting in a classroom learning about electrochemistry and control theory. Matt participated in Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility, a Department of Energy Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC), throughout his undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Waterloo. Matt’s experience in Challenge X led him to his current position, helping clients design and build powertrains and technology that will help drive tomorrow’s vehicles.  

Matt served as a team leader for the University of Waterloo’s Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) in Challenge X, which re-engineered a production Chevy Equinox into a hybrid fuel cell vehicle.  With funding and support from Natural Resources Canada, Matt and his team developed the first dedicated fuel cell vehicle in AVTC history to participate in every competition event! The project was the foundation for his research, which earned Matt a PhD in chemical engineering with a focus on hybrid powertrain design and battery degradation.

The interdisciplinary nature of the AVTC program inspired Matt to launch CrossChasm Technologies with Chris Mendes, another AVTC graduate. The CrossChasm team expanded and added a third AVTC graduate, Jen Bauman. 

Applying new technologies to reduce the cost of developing hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicles; Matt, Chris and Jen work with off-road, light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle clients.  The CrossChasm team also works with fleets, policy makers, and NGO’s to enable the adoption of higher efficiency powertrains.  The interdisciplinary nature of AVTC was instrumental in developing the soft skills demanded by CrossChasm’s clients.

Matt is currently an “on-call” resource for the Waterloo team and is excited to see what the graduates of EcoCAR will turn out this year!

Matt Stevens (middle) poses with GM and Department of Energy executives during Challenge X

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UWAFT Names Hydrogen Fuel of the Future

May 12, 2009 in Team Posts by sbauman | 2 comments

Carl Leung, UWAFT team member, talks with 2009 Canadian International Auto Show attendees

Calvin Leung, UWAFT team member, talks with 2009 Canadian International Auto Show attendees

The National Hydrogen Association (NHA) recently concluded that hydrogen-based vehicle technology is an economic and environmentally-friendly long term solution to decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels in its report titled, Energy Evolution: An Analysis of Alternative Vehicles and Fuels to 2100. The report discusses the importance of continual research and development of hydrogen technology for a zero-emission future*. The University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) is dedicated to the realization of such a future by developing a fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

UWAFT also recognizes the importance of educating the public on green technology with the hope that they make informed and educated decision. One particular highlight of our outreach efforts is our participation in 2009 Canadian International Auto Show, which attracted over 250,000 attendees.
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Going Green and Giving Back: Frank Falcone’s Story

April 30, 2009 in Uncategorized by ggguest | 2 comments

Frank Falcone In Action

Frank Falcone In Action

After being laid off from my eight-year job as a lab technician, I decided it was time to return to school at San Diego State University and finish my Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Initially, I figured I would get through school, get a job somewhere in San Diego and get back to evening surfing sessions as soon as possible. Then my life changed.

During my fourth year, I caught word of a hybrid vehicle engineering project at SDSU that was just getting started called Challenge X. As a diehard gear-head and car enthusiast, I went to check it out and, almost immediately, I was hooked. As soon as I started working on SDSU’s high-performance hybrid vehicle, I knew I had found my niche. I was always interested in being part of solving the nation’s energy issues, and if I could do this while building fast cars, even better! SDSU, however, was new to these types of competitions and, as a result, we faced many tough challenges.
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