FutureTruck Archive
2001 Competition
The
2001 FutureTruck competition turned out to be a nail biter to the very end. Although
the teams worked toward common goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) impact and
improving emissions and fuel economy, the competition was fierce.
The University of California, Davis, and the University of Wisconsin, Madison, were neck and neck throughout much of the competition. In some events, their scores were less than a point apart. In the end, UW-Madison came away with many of the event awards, but UC-Davis took the first place award.
Every team ran into a setback at some point, but everyone kept pushing forward. The effort put forth by the students and their unwillingness to lie down in the face of adversity says a lot about this group, not only as engineers but as individuals.
Emissions
The
Emissions Event decided the match: UC-Davis came in second with 80 points, while
UW-Madison was unable to score points. This event requires vehicles to demonstrate
simultaneous control of regulated pollutants, including non-methane hydrocarbons
(NMHC), carbon monoxide (CO), oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and particulate matter
(PM). The UC-Davis hybrid strategy incorporated a 1.9-L Saturn engine running
on reformulated gasoline, while UW-Madison's hybrid vehicle used a 2.5-L Land
Rover TD5 engine fueled by biodiesel. Vehicles fueled by diesel or biodiesel cannot
reduce the PM without incorporating significant emission technologies. UW-Madison's
overall emissions were low, but their PM level (0.169 g/mi) put them outside of
the point brackets for this event.
Ten competition vehicles completed the two dynamometer-based events (Emissions and Greenhouse Gas). The University of Maryland, running on E85, blew the competition away with SULEV emissions. Other high-performing teams included UC-Davis with ULEV emissions and Georgia Tech demonstrating LEV emissions.
Greenhouse Gases
The exhaust components that contribute to the GHG score differ from those measured in the Emissions Event. The GHG Event considers several unregulated components, such as CO2, methane, and N2O. The event also takes into consideration the upstream contributions of these components resulting from production of the fuel. Cornell University, running E85, achieved the lowest GHG Index: 428.95 g/mile (CO2 equivalent) compared with the stock vehicle's result of 797.2 g/mi. Seven of the ten vehicles showed better GHG results than the stock vehicle.
The
dynamometer events take place in a laboratory where each vehicle is tested individually,
and the data must be processed and analyzed before the results are known. The
dynamic events, on the other hand, take place on the test track and provide an
open setting for teams to see and compare each other's vehicles.
Fuel Economy
The On-Road Fuel Economy Event demonstrated vehicle robustness while measuring the fuel economy over a specified route. The total distance traveled divided by the amount of energy (fuel and electricity) used determines the fuel economy of the vehicle. The route included stop-and-go, urban, and highway driving segments with prescribed speed limits. Six of the 11 vehicles in this event demonstrated higher fuel economy than the stock vehicle. UW-Madison achieved a fuel economy of 28.1 mpg gasoline-equivalent, a 62% improvement over the stock vehicle's performance of 17.3 mpg. The average fuel economy was 19.90 mpg gasoline-equivalent.
Acceleration
Passing and highway merging performance remain key customer satisfaction criteria for any vehicle. In the Acceleration Event, each vehicle ran a quarter-mile straightaway from a standing start; the best time of three runs was used for scoring. Georgia Tech had the best performance with a time of 16.8 seconds; the stock acceleration time was 17.9 seconds.
Off-Road
The
Off-Road Event incorporated several obstacles with a trail rating of 2.5 for the
stock vehicle. Ostacles included whoops and moguls, hill climb, traction run,
and stacked obstacles (9-inch logs). Before running the course, the vehicles were
measured for approach/departure angle, breakover angle, ramp travel index, and
ground clearance. After the run, they were inspected for damage. Texas Tech, Michigan
Tech, University of Tennessee, and UW-Madison all passed the obstacle course and
made it through the inspection station clean. The University of Tennessee won
the event with 48 out of 50 points.
Trailer Tow
Part
of what defines a truck is its towing capability. The Trailer Tow Event required
trucks to pull a 7000-pound trailer with a 42-square-foot windscreen over a set
route totaling 48 miles. The trucks had to meet or beat the stock time while maintaining
the battery's state of charge within a set window. This year's route included
significant inclines, such as a 7.2% incline for a distance of about one-third
of a mile. Four of the seven competing vehicles were eligible for the full 75
points. The team with the best time, as long as they kept within the speed limits,
would be the winner. Because of their exceptional performance, West Virginia University
and University of Maryland tied for the event.
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