Winter Workshop

You are currently browsing articles tagged Winter Workshop.

UW Gets a Little Design Help from A123

February 17, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

Engineering is a highly iterative process.  Sometimes new data causes an entire redesign, often for the better. University of Washington EcoCAR 2 team members have devised several iterations of a battery cooling system, but with A123 Systems’ help, they’ve finally hit the mark.

Four engineers are designing a system to cool the battery pack for UW’s proposed vehicle architecture. Batteries generate heat when in use, so cooling via air or fluid is necessary to avoid damage. The main issue is that the ambient air at the final competition in Yuma, AZ is going to be about 40 degrees Celsius, and the A123 Systems batteries shut down at 50 degrees Celsius.  After much brainstorming, the team’s initial thought was to run coolant through battery cooling plates and then through a radiator to dissipate the heat. They crunched thermodynamic data and learned that, in order to be effective in Yuma, the system would have to pump approximately 100 gallons/minute… which is completely unrealistic! UW needed to find an alternative.

After further deliberation, the team decided to use a thermodynamic refrigeration cycle. This system is similar to a refrigerator: Coolant is compressed to raise pressure through the radiator, heat is dissipated, and then the coolant is allowed to expand to add a magnitude of cooling. The system is a little more complicated and requires more power, but the UW thought they were headed in the right direction.

However, things changed yet again. At the Winter Workshop in Austin, A123 Systems representatives showed the team that cooling is not going to be as critical as they had thought. The batteries won’t heat up as much as predicted so UW had grossly over-engineered the cooling system. With A123’s input, the team re-redesigned a cooling system that integrates the coolant and radiator of the Chevy Malibu’s existing A/C system. This is a much simpler, smaller and more elegant solution than UW’s original design. The team thanks A123 Systems’ representatives for being so helpful in guiding them towards a much more feasible and realistic design!

Tags: , , ,

OSU at Winter Workshop and the Washington D.C. Auto Show

February 15, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

The Ohio State EcoCAR 2 team was invited to attend the Washington D.C. Auto Show recently for Public Policy Preview Day! While there, the team got to meet with media, policy makers, and General Motors executives. Even the president of General Motors North America, Mark Reuss, stopped by to talk with the team. He was very impressed by all the hard work EcoCAR 2 teams do and he is looking forward to seeing how the vehicles turn out at the end of the competition.

The 2nd place SUV designed by the OSU team from the EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge was on display next to HEVT (Virginia Tech’s team) and a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The team had a great time talking about the benefits of the EcoCAR 2 competition and would like to thank the D.C. Auto Show organizers for the invitation!

Soon after the Auto Show, the OSU team headed to Austin for EcoCAR 2’s Winter Workshop. On the first day of the workshop, the team set up its HIL (Hardware in the Loop) to make sure everything was running properly. The HIL, from dSpace Inc., is a very helpful tool that allows the team to simulate different scenarios on its vehicle. But the best part was that it only took an hour to set up! Afterwards, OSU joined the rest of the EcoCAR 2 competitors for a wonderful dinner at the Thurman Mansion. They had the chance to try Austin’s famous BBQ from Salt Lick, and it definitely lived up to its reputation!

Day two of Winter Workshop was also filled with activities. Both the Business and the HIL presentations were given in front of 12 judges. The OSU presenters’ hard work paid off and they did a great job. The Outreach team also visited a local middle school with some of the other schools. They taught middle school kids about EcoCAR 2, advanced vehicle technologies and the environmental effects of conventional vehicles.

The team had a great time in Austin thanks to all of the wonderful organizers and sponsors. Special thanks to Freescale for hosting the event at their facility!

Tags: , , , , ,

The 2012 Winter Workshop Wraps Up in Austin

February 10, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

The 2012 Winter Workshop has come to an end as the 15 EcoCAR 2 teams head back to their universities to prepare for the remainder of Year One competition.

Over the five day workshop, which was co-hosted by Freescale and dSPACE, Inc., teams participated in detailed sessions from competitions organizers General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory. Teams also took part in in-depth training on sponsor-donated components and software tools from dSPACE, A123 Systems, Freescale, AVL Powertrain Engineering, CD-adapco, Siemens, and Vector.  The Winter Workshop was also the first time teams presented to judges on their Hardware-In-The Loop (HIL), Business Plans, and Youth Education efforts.

The team’s Outreach Coordinators (OCs) had the opportunity to attend the first Education Day of the EcoCAR 2 competition series. At the end of the day, teams talked to more than 250 middle and high school students in the Austin area. A special thank you goes to John Haraf, Director of Hybrid Vehicle Integration and Controls at General Motors, for speaking to the schools and bringing a new Chevrolet Volt with him! The OCs also attended a special PR Panel and received a tour of a local television station while in Austin.

One of the most exciting sessions of the Winter Workshop was the Plenary Session on Saturday morning. During the session, AVTC Director Kristen De La Rosa, announced the location of the Year One Competition (check back in to the Green Garage Blog next week for the big news!) and released a competition schedule to the teams. Teams heard first-hand about the events they will be competing in, including Electrical, Controls, Mechanical, Trade Show, HIL, Business, Outreach and Program Initiation Approval (PIA).

During the evenings, students and advisors had the opportunity to attend a Welcome Night dinner at the Thurman Mansion catered by Salt Lick and an evening ‘fun’ night at Maggie Mae’s on Sixth Street. EcoCAR 2 teams also networked with sponsors at the 2012 Winter Workshop Sponsor Social at the famous Driskill Hotel with keynote speaker and former Austin Mayor, Will Wynn.

Thank you to Freescale and dSPACE for co-hosting the 2012 Winter Workshop, and a special thank you to Freescale for allowing the EcoCAR 2 program at their Oak Hill facilities.

Missed the Winter Workshop? Check out the Winter Workshop Video below and all of the Workshop photos on Flickr!

Tags: , , , , ,

EcoCAR 2 in the New York Times!

February 10, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

It wasn’t just students and sponsors that took notice of all the great work being done at this year’s Winter Workshop: Jim Witkin of the New York Times’ Wheel Blog wrote about it yesterday! The article, which (if we do say so ourselves) has the great title “In Energy Department Competition, Students Wield Textbooks and Welding Torches,” gives a solid summary of the competition and even quotes several of our student-team members. Colorado State University’s Benjamin Geller and the University of Washington’s Trevor Fayer were both interviewed for the story.

Check out the full text here, and stay tuned for more news as EcoCAR 2 heats up!

Tags: , , ,

Outreach Coordinators Gain PR Career Insight at Workshop PR Panel

February 9, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

OCs listen in

During one of the Outreach sessions at the Winter Workshop, EcoCAR 2 Outreach Coordinators (OCs) participated in a panel discussion with public relations professionals to learn about the career paths they chose as well as industry tips for the students as they consider their own career choices.  There was a good amount of diversity amongst the panelists, who represented careers in PR agency, corporate PR and government, and there were even a few who started on the media side and moved into communications.

Panelists included:

Kimberly DeClark, Aaron Kellogg and Andy North address the OCs

Each of the speakers spent years working in the industry and shared their professional development stories and discussed the numerous differences in PR careers.  They also touched on the various areas PR practitioners specialize in, including marketing, media relations, speech writing, employee communication and public affairs.  Given the technical background of several panelists, there was ample discussion about how to take complicated technical information and convey it to the media – something  OCs are challenged with every day.

One coordinator commented, “I really thought I always wanted to work in corporate PR, but after this panel, I’m seriously considering looking at agency work instead.”  A big thank you to our PR professionals on the panel. Your insight is helping shape future communicators!

Tags: , , , ,

The Winter Workshop’s Sponsor Social

February 8, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

At the beautiful and historic Driskill hotel in downtown Austin, Texas teams gathered for a dinner hosted by the EcoCAR 2 sponsors.

Will Wynn, former two-term mayor of Austin, was the guest speaker for the evening. Mr. Wynn talked about how Austin’s downtown district has been developed over the past decade and is now much more focused on sustainable living.

“This is another part of the transportation solution,” said Mr. Wynn, explaining that city leaders in Austin have aimed to create more living space for those who work in the city.  Over the past several years, with the addition of multiple condominiums and apartment buildings in the midst of downtown Austin, thousands of more people have moved closer to the heart of the city.  It is these types of sustainable choices for smart living, matched with sustainable transportation solutions like advanced vehicle technologies, that are reinventing communities like Austin and shaping society in a positive way.

Freescale and dSPACE were also honored at the dinner for co-hosting the workshop. Kevin Kott, president of dSPACE, spoke to the students about the role of the Hardware-in-the-Loop systems that each team will be using for their vehicle simulations. Ray Cornyn, VP & General Manager, Automotive Microcontroller Products, Automotive and Industrial Solutions Group at Freescale also presented and welcomed all 15 student teams to Austin, and to Freescale, where the week’s activities were held.

Students spent part of the evening mingling with representatives from these and other sponsors at booths hosted by recruiters from each organization.  The sponsors’ exhibits allows students to learn more about those organizations and network with industry leaders, and they also provided an outlet for sponsors to hear more about the status of the teams.

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Outreach Coordinators Meet with Austin Youth for Education Day

February 5, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

Outreach Coordinators presenting to high school students

This past Thursday marked the first official Education Day for EcoCAR 2 teams! Throughout the competition series, EcoCAR teams get the opportunity to present to K-12 students at workshop locations. For the 2012 Winter Workshop in Austin, Texas, EcoCAR 2 teams had the opportunity to present to both middle and high school students at Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders and Covington Middle School in Austin, Texas.

High school students at Ann Richards School Check out the Chevy Volt

“It was a great experience to talk to an all-female middle school,” said Dylan Schmitter, the outreach coordinator for Purdue University. “I have never presented to an audience that big, but the students seemed really interested in advanced vehicle technology competitions (AVTCs).”

 

AVTC Mechanical Engineer, Nicole Lambiase, spoke to the female middle school students at Ann Richards Middle School about her career path in science and engineering. “The students asked great questions,” said Lambiase. “It was really encouraging to see them have such a big interest in science and math at an early age.”

Several EcoCAR 2 teams also presented to high school female students currently enrolled in an engineering elective at Ann Richards School.

John Haraf presents about the Chevy Volt to middle school students

“I was both impressed with and proud to stand alongside the group of EcoCAR outreach students,” said John Haraf, Director of Hybrid Vehicle Integration and Controls for General Motors. “In my mind, outreach like that is needed to help foster awareness of advanced propulsion technology in our younger students and determine the role it will play in setting the stage for the future of our automotive industry. I truly believe they have an impact on the lives and future careers of many students.”

As a surprise for the students, Haraf brought along a Chevrolet Volt and talked to students about different hybrid architectures, about the Volt, and the future of the automobile industry.

Teams switched gears during the afternoon and headed to Covington Middle school to present to a middle school tech class. The students enjoyed the presentation and a few commented that they couldn’t wait to attend college and become an engineer!

At the end of the day, outreach coordinators were able to meet with more than 250 students in the Austin area. EcoCAR 2 would like to thank Ann Richards School and Covington Middle School for allowing the program to present to their students!

Tags: , , ,

Recapping the Youth Education and HIL Presentations at the Winter Workshop

February 4, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

“How many of you rode the bus to school today?” Ashley Kronsell asked the audience. The Co-Outreach Coordinator from Rose-Hulman then explained how buses use energy to move people from one place to another.

But this wasn’t a classroom of middle-school students; it was a room full of Outreach judges listening to Outreach Coordinators present a Youth Education presentation typically given to 11 to 14 year old students. The teams will take the presentations that cover topics like energy, efficiency, and vehicles to local middle schools over the next two years of the competition. The judges also participated in hands-on educational activities presented by the teams, and gave comments and suggestions for improvements.

“The feedback I got from the judges was fantastic,” said Tyler Rose, the Outreach Coordinator the University of Washington. “I haven’t been in middle school for a long time, so it was nice for them to provide feedback from that perspective. What is great about this presentation is taking the technical aspects of our vehicle and translating them in a way that youth can understand.”

Down the hall in the Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) judging room, students showed how much progress they had made controlling the stock vehicle in a simulation environment using their HIL systems. This is an important milestone for the students, as it demonstrates an understanding of the process that they will use at the Year One Competition for simulating their own unique architectures and demonstrating control systems.

Tags: , , ,

Welcome to the 2012 Winter Workshop

February 2, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

It was a beautiful 77 degrees and sunny in Texas as students, sponsors, and organizers arrived at Freescale’s headquarters in Austin for the 2012 Winter Workshop!

Co-sponsored by Freescale and dSPACE, Inc. and hosted at Freescale’s Oak Hill campus, EcoCAR 2 teams are participating in detailed sessions from competition organizers from General Motors, the U.S. Department of Energy and Argonne National Laboratory. Teams are also taking part in detailed training of sponsor-donated components and software tools from dSPACE, A123 Systems, Freescale, AVL Powertrain Engineering, CD-adapco, Siemens, and Vector.

Over the next few days, EcoCAR 2 teams will be put to the test as they prepare for their first in-person scored presentations, including Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Outreach, and Business.

Teams had the opportunity to set up their HILs on Wednesday afternoon.

“It was nice to see all of the different HIL set-ups for the teams,” said Whitney Belt, Mechanical Team Member for Purdue University. “We all have the same objective with HIL but each team took it their own unique way.

After a long day of travel, registration, and workshop set-up, teams and sponsors enjoyed a southern feast at Thurman Mansion catered by Salt Lick! As if devouring brisket, BBQ ribs, and southern side dishes weren’t enough, EcoCAR 2 teams heard remarks from co-hosts Freescale and dSPACE, Inc., as well as General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy.

EcoCAR 2 organizers hope teams and sponsors enjoyed the Welcome Dinner and are excited for the rest of the Winter Workshop in Austin, Texas!

Tags: , , , , , , ,

dSPACE Opportunities at the Winter Workshop

January 30, 2012 in EcoCAR 2 News, Sponsor Post by ggguestuser | No comments

During the 2012 Winter Workshop, students and advisors will have the opportunity to take part in specialized training by Platinum-level competition sponsor and Winter Workshop co-host dSPACE, Inc.

On Saturday, Tobias Eifler of dSPACE will teach teams how to model a parallel hybrid vehicle with dSPACE’s ASM software. Using a demo application and hands-on exercises, EcoCAR 2 teams will use the software for drivetrain modification and battery and E-Drive integration.

During Sunday’s training sessions, teams will be given an introductory workshop on HIL Test Automation with dSPACE’s AutomationDesk from Joe Cassar of dSPACE. This training session will focus on fundamental concepts of test automation projects and how to use AutomationDesk via hands-on exercises and web-based training.

dSPACE, Inc. is just one of many competition-level sponsors that will be providing education presentations and training sessions for students at the Winter Workshop in Austin. Other sponsors offering sessions include General Motors, Freescale, A123 Systems, AVL,  Siemens, CD-adapco, Vector.

Tags: , , ,

« Older entries