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The goals set forth by the UT Austin Challenge X
team are to:
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Incorporate technologies that
increase energy efficiency and reduce fossil energy consumption and
emissions on the basis of on a total fuel cycle (well-to-wheels
analysis)
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Significantly reduce tailpipe
emissions and greenhouse gases
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Increase pump-to-wheels fuel economy
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Maintain or exceed consumer
acceptability in the areas of performance, utility, and safety.
In achieving these goals, the team has replaced the stock 3.4L gasoline
engine with a 1.9L diesel engine that
runs off of a 20% blend of biodiesel. The engine encompasses a modified intake and EGR system to burn
biodiesel at
a very high compression ratio with the assistance from turbocharger boost. The high compression ratio means greater
efficiency. Also increasing the efficiency, the engine can run with
less throttling than a typical gasoline engine due to displacement of
air by the very high exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate. The UT
ChallengeX team has created
its' own engine controls, to calibrate and optimize engine mapping.
UT is the only team to attempt an efficiency increase through modification
of the engine and its controls.
In addition to designing and developing
a more efficient engine we have incorporated a state of the art
alternator/starter system which was introduced on the 2007 Saturn Vue
Greenline. The 5kw Belt-Driven Alternator/Starter (BAS) is estimated to increase combined fuel economy by 9%, based off of
computer models. BAS allows for burning of fuel only when
necessary. This technology is now being incorporated into the next
generation hybrid power-train system by General Motors.
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