Students take the wheel in designing eco-friendly cars
RALEIGH – N.C. State University students are competing with 16 other schools from across North America to design and engineer the environmental car of the future as part of the EcoCAR Challenge, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors.
N.C. State grad student Ali Seyam has always wanted to work in the auto industry. His interest in hybrid vehicles began in middle school when someone showed him one. So taking on the task of converting a hybrid Saturn Vue into something even more environmentally friendly is the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
"I knew this was a chance to get hands-on with industrial tools, and I knew I could get an exciting job," Seyam said. "When this competition came along, I said this is definitely for me.
To follow the NCSU EcoCAR team's progress, visit their Web site.
He is now one of the team leaders of a group of more than 20 undergraduate and graduate N.C. State students competing in the EcoCAR Challenge.
"To be selected as one of these 17 elite teams, to have the privilege to work with General Motors and the Department of Energy, I think it speaks very highly of North Carolina," said Dr. Richard Gould, the head of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department in N.C. State's College of Engineering.
Students work with actual GM engineers who serve as mentors.
"We're always looking for new ideas and new technologies, and the students of today can see things that possibly the people who are already working in the industry can't see, that we're not open to seeing," said GM Product Engineer Kelly Pietras. "We want to develop those minds and cultivate their ability to go into industry and use what they know and what they learn, help us achieve our goals of reducing emissions and increasing fuel economy."
The N.C. State team spent the last year building computer models and simulations of their car. They plan to convert the Saturn into an electric car with an electric motor, an A123 advanced lithium-ion battery pack that will be stored in the back of the car and a 1.3L GM diesel engine fueled by B20 biodiesel. The biodiesel tank is designed to recharge the battery on long trips.
They have until March to make it a reality. And the students are excited about the chance to help steer the auto industry into a greener future.
"This is a once in a lifetime chance to work on a project like this," Seyam added. "You get such a big leg up in the industry, and they'll definitely want to hire you. So, win or lose, everybody going to win on the team in their career."