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JUNE 12, 2009--Michigan Technological University's team surprised everyone last weekend by wringing a whopping 1,140 miles per gallon out of their low, sleek, custom-made vehicle in the 2009 SAE Supermileage competition. The effort was enough to earn them a silver in the 25-team field in just their second year at the event, held June 4-5 at the Eaton Corporation Marshall Proving Grounds, in Marshall, Mich. The Supermileage Systems Enterprise team also earned Best Design honors, which says as much or more about the students' effort as taking second place, according to their advisor. "You can fall victim to dumb racing luck at any competition," said Rick Berkey, a senior research engineer II in the Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies. "But your design proves the quality of the work." The team had plenty of dumb luck to contend with. The mounting bracket for the starter broke and was fixed using a welder borrowed from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The Tech team was able to return the favor later, when SDSMT needed a generator. A wiring mishap set them back. And the judges wouldn't let them use a novel feature on their GPS unit, which would allow the car to run on autopilot to get the highest possible mileage. "It could technically run by itself," said driver Justin Angelow, who is majoring in electrical and computer engineering. Nevertheless, once Angelow got out on the track to drive the old fashioned way, the team shocked even themselves, first by doubling their mileage over last year and then nearly tripling it. At one point, they traveled 9.6 miles on 23 grams, less than an ounce, of fuel. Berkey credited Angelow's meticulous control at the wheel in part for the stellar finish. A standard technique is to turn off the engine completely when coasting, and timing can be everything. One of the biggest changes over last year was a reworking of the front wheels, said team member Alexey Morozov, an electrical engineering major. The body was also redesigned to improve aerodynamics. "It was operational last year, but this year, we worked on the details," he said. All contestants work with a 3.5-horsepower, four-stroke engine donated by Briggs & Stratton. The Tech team added fuel injection and a starter, which helped boost their total weight to 120 pounds, making the vehicle one of the competition's heavyweights. Next year, they hope to shave a few pounds, which could boost their mileage even further. The team managed to turn a traditional handicap to their advantage. With Houghton's long winters, they couldn't get their car outside for much roadwork. As a result, they spent hours inside using their custom-made, portable dynamometer to fine-tune all the engine components. The result, they said, was a superior design that gave them the edge. The project provided other benefits. "You really learn how to work in a team," said Morozov. Plus, he says, he's also refined his own driving and is getting lots better mileage out of his minivan. "I was so proud of how well they dealt with adversity and how well they worked together," Berkey said. "It was great to see it all come together." Students in the Society of Automotive Engineers Supermileage competition design and build a single-person, fuel-efficient vehicle powered by a small four-cycle engine. The winner is chosen based on design and miles per gallon. The Universite Laval of Quebec won for the second straight year by attaining 1,804 miles per gallon. Third place went to California State University at Los Angeles. Michigan Technological University is a leading public research university, conducting research, developing new technologies and preparing students to create the future for a prosperous and sustainable world. Michigan Tech offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering, forestry and environmental sciences, computing, technology, business and economics, natural and physical sciences, arts, humanities and social sciences. |