“All Nighters” have taken new meaning at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology as nearly 50 mechanical, electrical and computer engineering students have taken turns at working 24-hour shifts to prepare their biodiesel hybrid electric Chevrolet Equinox for the Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility engineering competition.
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Hitting The Road: Challenge X Faculty Co-Advisor Zac Chambers and team member Kristina Lawyer take Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Challenge X hybrid sport utility vehicle for a test drive on May 9, before shipping to join vehicles from the 16 other competing colleges and universities for the East Coast Showcase |
The end of the four-year challenge comes from May 12-21 when Rose-Hulman participates in the Challenge X 2008: East Coast Showcase, including safety and dynamic vehicle evaluation at the New Jersey Motor Speedway, a 350-mile road rally from New York City to Washington, D.C., and a vehicle display at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Mechanical Team Leader Robert Warden, a junior mechanical engineering major, was back in the Challenge X project’s campus vehicle laboratory at 7:30 a.m. during a morning late last week –- after leaving at 2:30 a.m. -- to make last-minute modifications to the vehicle. He wasn’t alone.
“Sleep has been a precious commodity around here for all team members,” Warden conceded. “I’m tired, but there are things that needed to get done. We’ve invested far too much into this project for us not to come away with giving our best effort.”
Rose-Hulman students hope their innovative custom powersplit hybrid 1-mode transmission, featuring two integrated electric machines, will give the team a technological edge against the other 16 teams from throughout North America. The team has been near the back of the pack throughout the four-year vehicle development process. The team placed 15th overall after the first year, improved to 10th following the second year before falling back to 14th last year.
“It’s the bottom of the ninth inning and we’re looking to hit a home run that could win the game,” assessed mechanical engineering faculty co-advisor Zac Chambers. “Our students are winners if the vehicle operates efficiently at the final competition. Having a vehicle that travels down the test track was our ultimate goal.”
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Attention To Detail: Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students have added custom detailing, including the college's elephant mascot, throughout the Challenge X vehicle. Other special amenities include custom-made leather seats.
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Marc Herniter, electrical engineering faculty co-advisor, added: “This competition isn’t easy and there has been a big learning curve throughout the four-year vehicle development process. Our students have been creative, innovative and resourceful to overcome challenges faced by the use of alternative fuels.”
Competitors are using a range of cutting-edge clean vehicle technologies such as hybrid, plug-in or fuel cell propulsion systems. The vehicles are powered by alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol and hydrogen.
Following General Motors’ global vehicle development process, students have created advanced propulsion technology solutions that will increase energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and fundamentally change the way automobiles are powered. Rose-Hulman team members estimate that their crossover SUV will now get between 28 and 32 mpg, a 20 percent increase from the stock mileage performance. Passing acceleration has also improved considerably.
Rose-Hulman team and faculty members have received several honors from the National Science Foundation, The Mathworks, Freescale Technology Forum and the Lyn St. James Foundation for their design and teamwork abilities during the project.
By participating in the Challenge X program, the students gain real-world engineering skills and hands-on learning to better prepare them for a future career in engineering, according to Chambers. The competition also helps seed the automotive industry with engineers who are committed to advancing vehicle technology to address the energy and transportation challenges of the 21st Century. Since the competition began in 2004, several Challenge X project graduates have found jobs with automakers and automotive suppliers.
“I have learned quite a bit about the vehicle development process, gained respect for skilled trades, learned about working with suppliers and developed leadership skills that I didn’t know I had,” stated Warden, whose Challenge X project experiences have helped land a summer internship with Solar Turbine in San Diego, Calif.
The Challenge X competition has been such a rewarding educational experience that Rose-Hulman has filed a proposal to be one of the 16 universities selected to participate in EcoCAR, the DOE’s next vehicle development competition. Participants in this three-year project will be announced at the conclusion of Challenge X in Washington, D.C.
The Challenge X team is part of Rose-Hulman's Advanced Transportation System initiative. For more about the Challenge X competition and Rose-Hulman's Challenge X team, visit www.challengex.org and www.rose-hulman.edu/challengex.
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