By John D. Wright
TERRE HAUTE — Bob Warden enjoys the practical benefits of belonging to a team of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students working to improve the hybrid vehicle.
“It’s a lot of hands-on, real-world work that you get to do…,” he said Tuesday, before he and a teammate addressed the Terre Haute Rotary Club.
It’s also a welcome relief from the classroom, said the graduate of Terre Haute North Vigo High School.
Warden and Rebecca Winer of Akron, Ohio, talked to the club at its weekly luncheon in the Holiday Inn of Terre Haute about the basics of their work on their “EcoCAR.”
Their team of about two dozen students is in a three-year competition with 16 other universities to design and integrate technology solutions to a Saturn Vue. Among the sponsors for the prestigious contest are GM and the Department of Energy.
The teams are trying to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by minimizing fuel consumption and reducing emissions while retaining vehicle performance.
In their presentation, Warden described how the students will strip the Vue, then rebuild it based on the team’s own design. Their work could improve the performance of hybrids. Hybrids are vehicles that use more than one power source, such as a combination of internal combustion/electric motor.
Hybrids currently on the market include the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic. The effect of these cars is significant in fuel savings and in reducing pollution, but they cost more.
“In many cities, such as New York and Los Angeles, the emissions coming out are actually a lot cleaner than the air going into the car,” Warden said.
Warden said he first became interested in automotive technology during a Rose-Hulman internship with Caterpillar Inc. When he graduates in May, he and Winer both have jobs waiting for them with Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
“I’ll be doing fuel and lubricant research on power trains,” Warden said.
Ashley Erffmeyer, a first-year graduate student from Lemont, Ill., joined the pair at Rotary. She serves as business manager and outreach coordinator for the team.
“I don’t only get to see the engineering aspect of the competition, but I also get to see what goes on behind the scenes with the business and marketing. It’s a different side of things that engineers don’t always get to see,” she said.
John D. Wright can be reached at (812) 231-4255 or john.wright@tribstar.com.
