Rose-Hulman students developing transportation systems of future

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September 25, 2009

By Dale H. Long The Tribune Star Fri Sep 25, 2009, 07:17 PM EDT

TERRE HAUTE — Through several extracurricular and academic projects, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students are developing innovative solutions to meet tomorrow’s sustainability needs. They’re designing green cars of the future, developing biodiesel from algae and exploring ways to improve transportation systems.

Rose-Hulman is among 17 North American colleges and universities participating in EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge, a three-year collegiate advanced vehicle technology engineering competition established by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors Corp. The competition challenges students to reduce the environmental impact of vehicles by minimizing the vehicle’s fuel consumption and reducing its emissions while retaining the vehicle’s performance, safety and consumer appeal. Students use a real-world engineering process to design and integrate their advanced technology solutions into a 2009 Saturn Vue.

The Rose-Hulman EcoCAR project is part of the college’s Advanced Transportation Initiative, with several corporations providing valuable assistance to help educate future engineers about sustainability issues. Other transportation initiatives include the Rose Efficient Vehicles team, which has lived up to its name by achieving 1,600 mpg in international competitions; the human-powered vehicle race team, a two-time national champion in American Society of Mechanical Engineers contests; Design-Build-Fly aeronautics team; and Team Rose Motorsports.

In EcoCAR, Rose-Hulman students are designing and building advanced propulsion solutions that are based on vehicle categories from the California Air Resources Board zero emissions vehicle regulations. They’re exploring a variety of cutting-edge, clean-vehicle solutions and incorporating lightweight materials into the vehicle, improving aerodynamics and utilizing alternative fuels.

Last year, Rose-Hulman students used math-based design tools to compare and select an advanced vehicle powertrain that meets the goals of the competition. Now, during this school year, students are translating their design into reality and developing a working vehicle that meets the competition’s goals.

“Consumers will want our vehicle because it has excellent fuel economy, great acceleration and reduced tailpipe emissions,” said Andrew Corsten, a mechanical engineering major. “We are looking at about 49 miles per gallon, with a 0-60 mph acceleration time of 8.5 seconds. That’s approximately two seconds faster than the stock vehicle. And, on a well-to-wheel basis, we generate half the greenhouse gases of the stock vehicle. This car should be great in every aspect.”

The teams come together at the end of each academic year to compete against the other university teams in more than a dozen static and dynamic events.

Elsewhere at Rose-Hulman, chemistry and applied biology researchers have successfully extracted biodiesel from algae — a significant stage in an unique project that will eventually use native algae from a campus pond to produce fuel for diesel engines to test power, torque and emissions. The research project has been conducted at Rose-Hulman Ventures through the Department of Applied Biology and Biomedical Engineering and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Algae-based biodiesel has significant advantages. Fifty gallons of biodiesel can be produced per acre of soybeans once per year. Conversely, algae can be grown year-round, is not a competing food source, and 50 gallons of biodiesel can be obtained from 50,000 gallons of algae-rich water.

“In terms of a 2-foot deep pond, this would require an area half that required by soybeans and can be harvested almost daily,” said Michael Mueller, head of Rose-Hulman’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. He has conducted extensive research on biodiesel during the past two summers.

Future projects will involve using native algae in the pond at Rose-Hulman’s South Campus, off Indiana 46, for fuel that will be used in diesel engines tests.

Meanwhile, the Sustainability Club is one of Rose-Hulman’s largest student organizations. Club members organize events throughout the year to make students more aware of the world around them and the impact of recycling and other sustainability issues.

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