The 1990 SAE Methanol Challenge: Summary of a Successful Student Design Competition

Conference · Fri Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · SAE Technical Paper Series

DOI:https://doi.org/10.4271/910570· OSTI ID:5884005

Larsen, Robert P. ^[1]; Hill, Norman W. ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

A follow-up to the 1989 Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Methanol Marathon called the Methanol Challenge was held in April 1990. One of a series of engineering student competitions using alternative fuels organized and conducted by the Center for Transportation Research at Argonne National Laboratory, the Methanol Challenge pushed the technology for dedicated M85 (85% methanol, 15% hydrocarbon fuel) methanol passenger cars to new levels. The event included complete federal exhaust emissions, cold-start and driveability, performance, and fuel economy testing. Twelve teams of student engineers from the United States and Canada competed in the Challenge using Chevrolet Corsicas donated by General Motors (GM) to the schools. The winning car, from the University of Tennessee, simultaneously demonstrated extremely low emissions, dramatically increased performance, and significantly improved fuel economy. This paper describes the goals, the conversion approaches used by the various university students, and results of the competition on emissions, cold-start, road rally performance, fuel economy, cold driveability, acceleration, maneuverability, and exhaust noise.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 5884005
• Report Number(s): ANL/CP--72154; CONF-9002115--2; ON: DE91010276
• Conference Information: Journal Name: SAE Technical Paper Series Journal Volume: 1991
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ALCOHOL FUELS
AUTOMOBILES
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COMPRESSION RATIO
COMPRESSORS
DESIGN
EMISSION
ENGINES
EQUIPMENT
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
FUEL ECONOMY
FUEL INJECTION SYSTEMS
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
FUEL SYSTEMS
FUELS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
GASOLINE
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
LIQUID FUELS
METHANOL FUELS
MODIFICATIONS
NOISE
ORGANIZING
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
START-UP
SUPERCHARGERS
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TESTING
TURBOCHARGERS
VEHICLES
WASTES