Cornell Automotive X-Prize Team

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"Cornell AXP" redirects here. For other uses, see Cornell AXP (disambiguation).
Cornell Automotive X-Prize Team
The Cornell AXP Logo
Motto: "Be Inspired."
Established: Summer 2007
Location: Flag of the United States Ithaca, NY, U.S.
Website: www.cornellaxp.com

The Cornell Automotive X-Prize (AXP) Team is the first officially registered university team competing in the Automotive X Prize Competition.[1] The group is made up of over 70 undergraduate and graduate students from six of Cornell University’s seven colleges including engineering, architecture, design and environmental analysis, and business.[2]

The multi-disciplinary group is organized into several teams, including Chassis, Electrical Components, Mechanical Components, Design, Information Management, Business Administration, and Business Plan.[3] These groups are currently using a systems engineering approach to design an automobile that will push the limits of efficiency, feature a distinctive and unique aesthetic, and be commercially viable in the market. [4]

The goal of the team is to win the competition and to provide the world with a state-of-the-art automobile that will help reduce global non-renewable power consumption and harmful emissions. [5]

Contents

[edit] Testing

The Test Bed - A 1991 Geo Metro
The Test Bed - A 1991 Geo Metro

The Cornell AXP Team has been testing and evaluating different component technologies and systems that may be used for the team's final submission to the Automotive X Prize Competition. They have been using a 1991 Geo Metro as a test bed to evaluate the efficiency and feasibility of components including drivetrains, battery packs, electrical generators, and regenerative braking schemes. [2]

In addition, the team's aerodynamics and design specialists have been creating and testing conceptual design schemes both in computer simulation software and in real-world wind tunnels. They will arrive at a final design, which will take the form of a feasibly-marketable vehicle that can be brought to market in the near-term.

[edit] Technology

The Cornell Concept
The Cornell Concept

The team's final submission car will be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). This technology will allow the car to act as a pure electric vehicle for a range of 40-50 miles on a full battery charge. When this battery power runs low, the car will be capable of recharging while in motion, using a small gasoline-powered onboard generator. The vehicle will also be capable of recharging, while stationary, from an outlet connected to the electricity grid.

The final entry will likely be a series hybrid, a car that will only use the power from the electric motor for propulsion. The combustion engine will only be used to generate power and recharge the batteries, which will then give power to the electric motor to drive the car. The vehicle will also feature a very aerodynamic, low drag design to minimize the energy lost to air drag at higher speeds.

The Cornell AXP Team is currently planning to compete in the mainstream class of the competition, which requires that the final submission be a 4-wheel, 4-passenger design.

[edit] Team Structure

The Cornell AXP Team
The Cornell AXP Team

The Cornell Automotive X-Prize Team is made up of over 70 students from many different educational backgrounds, some of which include engineering, architecture, design and environmental analysis, and business. This multi-disciplinary group is organized into several teams, including Chassis, Electrical Components, Mechanical Components, Design, Information Management, Business Administration, and Business Plan.[3]

[edit] Chassis Team

The function of the Chassis Team is to engineer the external architecture and components of the vehicle, including the frame, body, and suspension. The team must also ensure that all dimensions are compliant with motor vehicle laws and that the vehicle achieves an adequate crash test rating.[4]

The team’s main challenge is to maximize aerodynamic efficiency while integrating the mechanical and electrical components that the other teams are designing. For the Chassis Team, coordination with the other AXP engineers will be essential as they work towards selecting the best frame structure and suspension systems for the vehicle.[4]

[edit] Electrical Components Team

The function of the Electrical Components Team is to help choose and develop electric motors, batteries, and power electronics, as well as to create logical and efficient interfaces between them and the engine. Its engineers are challenged to balance the car's performance and the passenger comfort with maximum electrical efficiency. [4]

In order to optimize the electrical efficiency of the vehicle, the team performs extensive research and development on all of the component technologies related to the car's electrical system. These components and systems include battery packs, motors/controllers, regenerative braking systems, engine control units, as well as eco-feedback schemes (mpg and emissions read-outs).[4]

[edit] Mechanical Components Team

The function of the Mechanical Components Team is to develop a light and efficient drive train as well as to simulate the dynamic performance of the vehicle. The team is focusing on getting the most efficiency and performance out of several areas, and has split into subgroups to maximize its potential to innovate in the following areas: Engine, Transmission, Brakes, Regeneration, and HVAC. For example, the engine team is looking at a variety of engines on the market and evaluating which can be optimized for use in the X-Prize Competition, as well as exactly how they might be modified to make them even more efficient.[4]

[edit] Design Team

The function of the Design Team is to perform a critical balancing act, weighing exterior style, aerodynamics, and interior space against the restrictions that the vehicle’s other components might impose. They work closely with the entire AXP team, and are responsible for creating conceptual designs of the car that can be tested for safety and aerodynamic properties. They will select a final concept design, which they will then develop further into a feasibly-marketable vehicle that can be brought to market in the near-term. The Design Team includes students from several of Cornell’s colleges, which brings a diverse skill set to all of their important responsibilities.[4]

[edit] Information Management Team

The function of the Information Management Team is to provide the rest of the team with efficient systems of communication as well as to provide a portal for the general public to easily learn about our team's efforts. They have accomplished these goals using several web-based, cutting edge systems: a Twiki system, an Eventum system, and a Silverstripe system.[4]

The Twiki software provides a central platform for keeping agendas, research, reports, weekly updates, calendars, and other team documents. The Eventum system is used for task-tracking, and enables sub-team leaders to keep track of the tasks assigned to each team member, as well as the status of each of these tasks. Both Eventum and Twiki promote collaboration by maintaining open communications throughout the team organization. The Silverstripe software is a web-based Content Management System (CMS) that is being used to efficiently add and maintain the digital content found on Cornell AXP's public website.[4]

[edit] Business Administration Team

The function of the Business Administration Team is to deal primarily with the sponsorship, publicity, and operational needs of the team. The publicity sub-team is essential for co-ordinating media relations and involvement in public events. The operations sub-team manages and organizes the team office and lab spaces, and plans team social events. The sponsorship sub-team is responsible for providing budgeting, purchasing, and product acquisition support, as well as finding new team sponsors, maintaining good relationships with current sponsors, and recruiting new team members.[4] The team was also instrumental in acquiring Exide Technologies, however the terms of this deal and the change in ownership are still being discussed.

[edit] Business Plan Team

The function of the Business Plan Team is to identify a target market for the final vehicle, intelligently price it, and create a system for producing, distributing, and servicing the vehicle with the goal of bringing to market at least 10,000 units per year. The team is made up of several Johnson Graduate School of Management students who have experience in supply-chain management, consulting, and corporate finance.[4]

[edit] Sponsorship

The support of sponsors allows Cornell students, both undergraduate and graduate, to get hands-on experience building a car that could change the automotive industry, thus enhancing their educational experience at Cornell. Cornell University provides the team with faculty time, laboratory space, and testing facilities. However, Cornell AXP's design and production budget comes directly from private and corporate donations.[4]

[edit] Current Sponsors

[edit] Ultimate-102 Level

Sponsors in the Ultimate-102 category have contributed at least $25,000. [6]

[edit] Premium-92 Level

Sponsors in the Premium-92 category have donated anywhere from $7,500 to $24,999.[6]

[edit] Plus-89 Level

Sponsors in the Plus-89 category have contributed from $2,500 to $7,499. [6]

[edit] Media Sponsor

[edit] Blog Articles

  • 5/21/2008 - Last-Minute Mods Get Cornell’s Auto X Prize Mule in Test Rally for Real-World MPG Clues - "Cornell AXP unleashed the team's mule car on the open road for the first time recently, participating in the 2008 Green Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The 60-mile road rally, now in its fourth year, is a showcase for alternative-energy vehicles and was the team’s first stop en route to the race for the Automotive X Prize..."[7]
  • 5/15/2008 - Cornell Auto X Prize Team Hacks Metro Geo Chassis for 100-mpg Hybrid - "Electric power generation may be the most complex and innovative aspect of building a hybrid for the Automotive X Prize, but a solid foundation to support all that battery weight is just as important. As Cornell’s Popular Mechanics-sponsored AXP team integrated electrical components into its Geo Metro mule, the car’s chassis has received a complete overhaul as well..."[8]
  • 4/07/2008 - PM-Sponsored Cornell Auto X Prize Squad Builds Mega-Efficient Drivetrain - "With just one semester of school before X Prize qualification rounds begin, a flurry of work by different groups within the Cornell AXP team is progressing here simultaneously. We ordered supplies for transforming our Geo Metro into a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle after our last update, and with much of our hardware in house, we’ve begun work on the mule—and its modified drivetrain..."[9]
  • 2/21/08 - PM's Huge Auto X Prize Team Tests Geo Metro, Set to Buy Off-the-Shelf Plug-In Parts - "In our last update, we announced that the Cornell team had selected a Geo Metro as our mule car for the Automotive X-Prize. Picking the right ride was an important step in developing our plug-in hybrid entry, but over the next semester the real hands-on work gets interesting..."[10]
  • 11/09/07 - PM's Auto X Prize Team Picks Geo Metro to Go Electric at 100 MPG - "After months of planning and analysis, the goals of our Automotive X-Prize team (now more than 70 people strong) are finally taking shape—the shape of a Geo Metro, to be exact. Based on analysis done by our various experts here at Cornell, we decided over the summer to create a mainstream, four-passenger, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV)..."[2]
  • 10/03/07 - PM’s Auto X Prize Kids Zip Toward 100 MPG With a Plug-in Car - "It’s been an exciting past few weeks for the Cornell Automotive X-Prize Team. Not only have we gotten a few new team members and a new office, but we’ve chosen the type of alt-energy car we’ll be trying to take 100 miles—and beyond—on a single gallon of fuel..."[3]
  • 8/19/07 - Cornell Students Seek 100-mpg Auto X Prize (and PM Sponsors Them) - "Whether you’ve got a crossover vehicle or a hot rod, one thing’s for certain: You love your car. But dependency on foreign oil and the consequences of global warming have cast a pall on vehicle ownership..."[11]

[edit] External Links

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Of 31 organizations trying to build a 100-mpg car, only one is a university: Cornell (HTML). Cornell Chronicle Online. Retrieved on 2007-09-10.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l The Cornell Advantage (PDF). Cornell AXP. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
  3. ^ Cornell AXP - Home (HTML). Cornell AXP. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
  4. ^ a b c Cornell AXP - Sponsors (HTML). Cornell AXP. Retrieved on 2008-03-19.