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The modern braking system in the field today may be controlled by over a million lines of computer code and may feature several hundred moving parts. Although modern brake systems generally deliver performance, even with partial failures present in the system, that is well above regulatory minimums, they also have a level of complexity that extends well beyond what the authors of existing regulations had envisioned. Complexity in the braking system is poised for significant increases as advanced technologies such as self-driving vehicles are introduced, and as multiple systems are linked together to provide vehicle-level “features” to the driver such as deceleration (which can invoke service braking, regenerative braking, use of the parking brake, and engine braking). Rigorous safety-case analysis is critical to bring a new brake system concept to market but may be too tedious and rely on too many assumptions to be useful in the early architecting stages of new vehicle development.

The Snowmobile Team at Kettering University designed its entry into the 2001 Clean Snowmobile Competition to be cleaner and quieter than current snowmobiles, while maintaining the same performance levels expected by consumers. A four-stroke Daihatsu 659cc turbocharged engine was installed into a Yamaha V-max 600 snowmobile. Several modifications to both the engine and to the sled were done to maximize the performance of the two systems when they are merged together. The overall performance of the sled is comparable to the stock snowmobile. Acceleration is slightly less than the OEM snowmobile, and mass was added to the front of the sled which decreased the handling ability. This is offset, however, by the drastic reduction of harmful exhaust emissions and also by the reduction in the sound level of the sled. This snowmobile was designed with maintenance and durability in mind.

This paper describes the experiments conducted to determine the effect of high energy multiple spark discharge (MSD) ignition systems and spark plug electrode design, on the cold start performance of a vehicle which was converted for dedicated operation on E85 (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) fuel. Tests were conducted using three different ignition configurations; original equipment manufacturer (OEM) ignition and spark plugs, high energy multiple spark discharge (MSD) ignition with OEM, J-type spark plugs, and high energy MSD ignition with surface gap electrode spark plugs. The high energy MSD ignition with OEM spark plugs showed a significant improvement in cold start performance over the OEM ignition. The addition of the surface gap spark plugs caused a decrease in cold start performance. Despite this, the surface gap spark plugs produced higher ending coolant temperature than the other configurations.

This paper describes experiments conducted to determine the effect of multiple spark discharge ignition systems and spark plug electrode design on cold start performance of a dedicated E85 fueled vehicle. Tests were conducted using three different ignition configurations: OEM ignition and spark plugs, multiple spark discharge ignition with OEM spark plugs, and multiple spark discharge ignition with large gap circular electrode spark plugs. The multiple spark discharge ignition with OEM spark plugs showed a significant improvement in cold start performance over the OEM ignition, but the addition of the circular electrode spark plugs caused a decrease in cold start performance. The circular ground spark plugs did produce a higher ending coolant temperature than either of the other configurations.

The Formula Lightning is an exciting part of GMI Engineering & Management Institute's motorsports program. This project is an excellent opportunity for students to apply and test their acquired classroom skills in practical applications. Competing in six race events annually, students are exposed to high caliber competitions in engineering design, combined with the thrill of racing. The Formula Lightning is a unique high-speed electric vehicle. Most of the challenging engineering tasks lie within the drive train design and battery system efficiency. Part of the battery system design and development includes a quick and reliable technique for exchanging battery packs under race conditions. Designed and built by GMI students, this project encompasses all fields of engineering giving experience with mechanical and electrical design as well as project management and marketing.