Published: May 17, 2006 10:19 pm         

Rose-Hulman students unveil hybrid SUV

As one student revved the biodiesel-powered hybrid SUV, others grinned at the machine like proud parents.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students Wednesday unveiled the vehicle they will take to Arizona in two weeks for the second phase of the three-year “Challenge X: Crossover to Sustainable Mobility” competition, featuring 17 colleges and universities.

The challenge is to create a more efficient SUV, relying on the success of smaller hybrid vehicles already on the market.

General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy selected 17 teams from more than 60 applicants in 2004 to address energy and environmental issues through advanced vehicle technologies.

Other government and industry leaders are providing technical support and mentoring as well as software and hardware donations to the teams.

A 2005 Chevrolet Equinox was donated by GM to each team last summer to tweak in preparation for the coming competition, which will be staged at the GM Proving Grounds in Phoenix, May 30 to June 10.

Teams have been charged with re-engineering the gasoline-dependant SUV to minimize energy consumption, emissions and greenhouse gases while maintaining the vehicle’s performance.

The RHIT team, made up of more than 50 students, inhabits a unique position among other competitors. Representing the only Indiana school in the challenge, RHIT’s team consists solely of undergraduates. Other teams, among them Ohio State University and Texas Tech, include graduate and Ph.D. students, according to Zac Chambers, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rose-Hulman.

The SUV will be judged on fuel efficiency, zero-to-60 mph acceleration, 50-to-70 mph acceleration and towing capacity, as well as its ability to seat five adults and whether it “feels like a normal car,” according to Chambers.

RHIT’s vehicle currently seats two and is expected to get about 35 miles per gallon, based on mathematical modeling tests. The team’s goal for next year is to shrink the transmission, which occupies the entire back seat and trunk portion of the SUV, allowing for more seating and improved fuel-efficiency.

Garry Wieneke, a senior electrical-engineering major, said students know they are up against tough competition. Even if the Rose-Hulman team doesn’t win, “I hope we represent ourselves well,” he said.

Clint Hammes, a 21-year-old junior majoring in mechanical engineering, said the project has been a lot of fun. “I love it. This is the best real-world experience you can have at school,” he said.

Hammes said eventually he hopes to work in the auto industry on hybrid drive trains for trucks and heavy construction equipment. That is exactly what sponsors of the competition had in mind, Chambers said.

“The goal is to train future engineers for working on hybrids,” Chambers said. “We will be graduating engineers with one to three years experience in designing a hybrid car … They’re going to be the guys who come up with the new technology four and five years from now.”

Deb McKee can be reached at (812) 231-4254 or deb.mckee@tribstar.com.