Challenge X fuels engineers

The UT College of Engineering is participating in the nationwide Challenge X competition to come up with a more efficient, environmentally friendly vehicle.

According to Amanda Womac, graduate in communication with the COE, the competition is “a senior design project for mechanical engineers.”

The four-year-long competition will come to a close Oct. 28 at the 2007 Department of Energy Day of Science at the Knoxville Convention Center. The challenge of the competition is to redesign and rebuild a standard Chevrolet Equinox into an electric biodiesel hybrid.

Team Tennessee’s biodiesel hybrid electric Chevrolet Equinox is named “The Revolution X.” The UT Challenge X team consists of team leader and graduate student in mechanical engineering Scott Curran, COE Dean Way Kuo, COE Associate Dean Wayne Davis and professor William Hamel.

“There’s a lot that goes into it. It’s a pretty rigorous competition,” Curran said.

Womac said this year the students are “fine-tuning” and putting a lot more emphasis on marketing their vehicles, rather than physically building their souped-up sport utility vehicle. But just because they are not concentrating on building this year doesn’t mean they haven’t put in a few hours with a torque wrench.

Curran said, “The first year was all modeling and calculations. The second year the truck was stripped down and rebuilt. There was nothing but a frame, and it was put back together by the students.”

The Challenge X satisfies three hours of course credit for seniors in mechanical, aerospace and biomedical engineering, and Curran said the students typically work on the vehicle for as much as 10 hours each week.

In 2006 Team Tennessee came in sixth place overall and tied with San Diego State for “Most Improved Team.” Curran said he is expecting competition from some high-quality opponents again this year.

“Virginia Tech and Wisconsin always do well in these competitions and will be tough to beat, as will Mississippi State,” he said.

Despite the tough competition, “Team Tennessee should do very well during year four,” he said.

According to the competitors, the efforts they’ve made in the past four years have yielded many benefits. Curran said the competition gives an edge to students seeking a career in the automotive industry or in automotive engineering research.

Womac said the Challenge X competition provides the opportunity to “improve national and regional air quality by research in sustainable mobility.”