Just down the road from SAE International’s headquarters in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, Mark Sokalski has been quietly working out how to maximize piston-driven engine efficiency – with an internal combustion engine mechanism that doesn’t follow the norm.
Additive manufacturing is beginning to transform operations from early development through fulfilling requests for obsolete components, though it’s still fairly new in the high reliability world of commercial vehicles.
Caterpillar presented an onslaught of new machines—24 to be exact—at its Edwards Demonstration and Learning Center in Peoria, Ill., during its recent year-end press briefing. “More choices for customers” was a common theme across product lines.
FPT’s latest Tech Day, devoted to future propulsion innovations under the title “4.0 Powertrain Technologies,” unveiled a multi-power, multi-application modular power source concept called Cursor X, as well as various electric solutions, a hydrogen fuel cell concept chassis, and an evolution of the Cursor 13 natural gas engine.
This year brought many new challenges to the Kettering University Formula SAE team. Since the team’s previous chief engineer had left and other core members had graduated, members knew that it was going to be an uphill battle coming into this competition season. Additional challenges arose when the team decided to switch to ten-in wheels from the old, heavy thirteens that GMI2014’s predecessors wore (GMI is a reference to General Motors Institute, the former name of Kettering University). With new members coming aboard and a redesign of key parts such as the chassis, uprights, suspension, and brakes, this year tested not only the team’s engineering skills, but also its patience. A Kettering strength After completing GMI2014 and having a few days to test it, the story of the Kettering University Formula SAE team’s competition at Michigan International Speedway (MIS) began.
The WSU team found an edge over the competing designs by employing liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage to maximize station capacity and reduce capital and operating costs. Delivering hydrogen in liquid form reduces the energy used for distribution, and 80-90% of small-merchant hydrogen is delivered via cryogenic liquid tanker truck.