Bonneville Salt Flat Alternative Fuel Racing Events in 2007
by Brent Singleton, Kent Singleton and Stan Hanel
The
In 2006, a biographical movie titled “The World’s Fastest Indian”, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, told the story of H. J. “Burt” Munro and his record-setting 1924 Indian Scout motorcycle at Bonneville Salt Flats. This motorcycle mechanic and racing enthusiast traveled all the way from
Wally Parks, a founder, guiding light, and “Father” of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) was also a leading advocate for land speed racing at
Several organizations hope to continue fostering this pioneering spirit and record-setting legacy “on the salt”, including:
---The Southern California Timing Association- Bonneville Nationals, Inc. (SCTA-
---The Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA), another active organization of international land speed racers at
---The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (
---LandRacing.Com and BonnevilleRacing.Com, two online racing communities that provide support to their members and promote the
http://www.bonnevilleracing.com
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In the picture shown above, SCTA President Jim Lattin (left) greets USFRA President Jim Burkdoll during the SCTA-
Brent and Kent Singleton are members of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) and the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA-
Their personal website is:
where they invite the world to test and tune alternative fuel vehicles, including human-powered platforms. They hope to collaborate with different organizations to create new events at the world’s most famous land speed raceway that will encourage the growth of alternative fuel racing and performance enhancement, in the same way that petroleum-powered vehicles have been improved and performance-tested on the Salt Flats for the petroleum industry.
This link on the USFRA web site shows the Electric Racing rule requirements for participation in a recent World of Speed Alternative Fuels Event at
http://www.saltflats.com/Electric%20Rules.html
Brent and Kent emphasized that these rules are a preliminary first effort to outline new alternative fuels racing events at
The land speed racing communities’ interests include conservation to preserve the
The original 159 square miles of the evaporated salt bed has now shrunk to about 26 square miles due to decades of salt mining that pumped out the liquid brine beneath the salt bed for salt processing and harvestin. Only recently has the federal Bureau of Land Management and local government started working with the local mining industry to reprocess this brine solution and reapply it back to the salt bed surface to try to conserve and expand the quality of the salt for future generations.
Even today, many racers feel that the past mining efforts under the salt bed have caused erosion in the quality of the salt over the years. The racing organizations have been able to work with the Bureau of Land Management to give historical data and perspective on these changes.
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Brent and Kent have a long history of involvement with alternative fuel racing at
After acquiring the vehicle during an auction, the team continued to work with
For these and other environmental transportation efforts, Brent was recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and presented with a Presidential Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) in 2006 as well as a corporate-level Clean Air Excellence Award (CAEA). After graduation from high school, Brent accepted a position as a representative of the Utah Clean Cities Coalition at: http://www.utahcleancities.org/contact.htm
The Utah Clean Cities Coalition collaborates with similar organizations in other states to propose infrastructures that support a “greener” way of living for people in urban environments
The 2007 racing season at
Speed Week 2007 Highlights—Fuel Cell EVs Set Records Over 200 mph!
The premier annual event on the
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The
http://www.roadtobonneville.com/media.html
The Buckeye Bullet was driven by Roger Schroer, who is a manager of driver training at TRC, Inc., one of the world’s largest independent automotive testing facilities located in
During August 2007, the team introduced its new “Buckeye Bullet 2” streamliner during the International Speed Week competitions at Bonneville:
http://www.buckeyebullet.blogspot.com
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The Buckeye Bullet 2 (BB2) is a completely new design with more length and aerodynamic properties to accommodate a fuel cell system that now drives its powerful electric traction motor in place of the 900-volt battery pack used in the original Buckeye Bullet. The goal of this multi-year project is to exceed the 315 mph record of the Buckeye Bullet 1 and to insure the safety of the fuel cell propulsion system.
''While fuel-cell vehicles have been in production for some time, they were never imagined to reach speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour,'' said OSU adviser Giorgio Rizzoni.
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On its second and final run of Speed Week 2007, the BB2 reached 201 mph with its electric motor running at 9,500 rpm in second gear. Roger Schroer was once again the driver (pictured above in helmet mask preparing to enter the cockpit). A cockpit video of his 201-mph run is available at: http://buckeyebullet2.blogspot.com/2007/08/see-what-roger-sees.html
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The Ohio State University Engineering race team has also been involved with fuel cell research efforts involving Ford Motor Company, Roush Racing and Ballard Power Systems. During Speed Week 2007, an experimental Ford Fusion 999, equipped with a fuel cell driven by two tanks of compressed hydrogen and helium-oxygen (heliox), showed that membrane fuel cell technology could drive a 770-horsepower AC electric motor to average 207 mph on the Bonneville test track over two 5-mile runs. The fuel cell was provided by Ballard Power Systems at: http://www.ballard.com
The
A fuel cell can be twice as efficient as an internal combustion engine by converting fuel directly into electrical energy without combustion and is a clean power source that emits water (H20) at the its exhaust drip pipe instead of CO2. However, because of this chemical reaction, there are also many problems to overcome before a hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle can be put into mass production for the average
--Historically, fuel cells have not worked well below the freezing temperature of water.
--Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell technology currently uses a stack of membrane “sandwiches”, where each cell “sandwich” is rated at only 1.0 to 2.0 volts. To achieve the high voltage and current necessary to drive an electric vehicle can require a stack of 100 or more cells.
--As part of the chemistry mix that converts hydrogen and oxygen gases through each PEM cell into electricity and H20, each membrane “sandwich” employs an internal coating of either platinum or palladium at the anode of the cell to act as a catalyst for the conversion process. At this stage, the catalyst causes the hydrogen atoms to split into positive hydrogen ions (protons) and negatively charged electrons. Platinum and palladium are rare, expensive materials and the world supply of these materials is limited. This lack of supply may not allow for easy scaling to mass production for EV fuel cell systems until a cheaper, more readily available catalyst is found.
--The current
This 10-minute “YouTube” video by Autoblog Green profiles the design of the Ford Fusion 999 and interviews three of Ford’s design engineers about the project at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rACx-YJXEgg
A more promising fuel cell project at Ford for a mass production electric vehicle is a modified “Edge” SUV that has been converted to a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) battery/fuel cell electric vehicle. A prototype is on the road in
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQxnRn3S4bk&mode=related&search=
No gasoline is used at all in the hybrid “Edge”. The first 25 miles can be driven using battery-powered electric only until the battery pack’s power capacity is diminished (nominal total battery range 32 miles), then the Hydrogen Fuel Cell comes on to recharge the batteries and extend the range. The vehicle can be plugged in at night to recharge the batteries directly from a 110-volt outlet at a person’s home.
Like GM’s “E-Flex” power train and chassis design for the Chevy “Volt” PHEV, Ford is also trying to design its PHEVs with the capability to employ hybrid technology from alternative fuel sources such as biodiesel or gasoline. Ford has recently announced and heavily advertised a commercial gasoline/electric hybrid version of the Mercury Mariner SUV this year.
Editor’s Note:
The authors would like to thank David Cooke of the Buckeye Bullet 2 team and Joan Slattery Wall at The Ohio State University College of Engineering for their help in fact-checking this article for OSU’s engineering department. For more information on The
The Ohio State University College of Engineering
2070 Neil Ave., 025 Hitchcock Hall
Columbus, OH 43210-1278
Phone: (614) 292-4064 Fax: (614) 292-1955
Visit News in Engineering at www.engineering.osu.edu/nie/.
Visit Mortar Board at www.mortarboard.org.
World of Speed 2007 Highlights
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During the recent World of Speed event hosted by the USFRA in September 2007, Brent Singleton competed with Electric JAWS Jr., a battery-powered drag race sled that he and Kent developed while Brent was in junior-high school. In the picture shown above,
He had become an experienced driver while honing his skills during exhibition drag races against petroleum and methanol-powered NHRA Junior Dragster racing sleds on NHRA-sanctioned 1/8th-mile drag race tracks. Electric JAWS Jr. has now been upgraded to “run on the salt” and is equipped with better gearing and power train technology to chase new land speed records in its racing class.
A recent newspaper article profiling Electric JAWS, Jr. as an experimental land speed racer along with a history of Brent’s efforts can be found in the Deseret Morning News at:
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695206731,00.html
Electric JAWS Jr. Specifications:
C. Zivan Onboard Battery Pack Charger (Part #NG-3) supports specified battery packs from 132 – 300 VDC at 2800 Watts. SB-50 Connector included for 120 or 240 VAC input. Weight 15 lbs. Nominal Cost is $965.
D. Battery Pack-- SPS15 Hawker batteries (12 each at 12 volts) = 144 volt battery pack
E. 25" Goodyear rear tires that were loaned by Gary Allen, previous president of Utah Salt Flats Racing Assoc. USFRA www.saltflats.com and known to exceed 250 mph at Bonneville.
F. Power train gear ratio 2.4 to 1
During World of Speed, Brent made three runs over a two-day period to chase his goal of 136 mph. The first run was encouraging, reaching 118 mph according to the team’s onboard GPS during the fastest point of the timed trial.
“Electric JAWS Jr. ran so strong on the qualifying run that we were confident of our 136 mph goal the very next run,” said
Qualifying/Calibration Run:
Segment Time Speed
2/10 mile 1.12021 80.34208
1/2 mile 0.86677 103.83377
1 mile 0.62949 108.50040
Electrathon
World of Speed’s Alternative Fuels racing program also initiated an Electrathon America EV racing competition on the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Electrathon
A 44-page handbook of construction rules and regulations is available as a free download in “.pdf” file format from this site: http://www.electrathonamerica.org/handbooks/handbook_07_08.pdf
Many of the specifications in the handbook outline standard safety requirements for design and construction of the Electrathon vehicles, emphasizing the necessary protection needed for racers during extreme cases of vehicle rollover while traveling at speeds in excess of 50 mph. These requirements include details of rollbar, brakes, padding and cockpit design that include the relative location of the driver’s helmet within the racing platform. These requirements and guidelines were very helpful during the rigorous technical inspection performed by USFRA officials prior to the Bonneville Electrathon event.
Electrathon vehicles are limited to carrying 67 pounds of sealed lead acid (
There are three sanctioned racing divisions within the Electrathon America organization- “High School”, “College” and “Open” divisions.
Most of the initial volunteer organizational work to establish Electrathon
Electrathon
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During World of Speed, the USFRA allowed rule modifications to enable Electrathon racers to compete over a one-mile track and showcase their fastest vehicle designs for speed and performance instead of range. The Electrathon vehicles were still limited to 67 pounds of sealed lead acid batteries. However, the World of Speed competition encouraged upgrades to motor horsepower and to higher electrical current draw from the batteries through the motor speed controller to see just how fast these vehicles could travel.
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Kirk Swaney and Shane Harris both brought their three-wheel Electrathon vehicles and support teams to the
Kirk’s red and black T-555 Electrathon racer placed first against Shane’s green and black T-105 racer, driven by high school student and co-designer Daniel Diaz. The T-555 “set the bar” at 89.4 mph with a “come from behind” victory over the other team’s 86-mph time. However, Shane and Daniel’s T-105 racer was only able to safely complete during two runs due to a faulty shutoff switch that caused a spinout and damage to the vehicle frame after the first run. Driver Daniel Diaz felt that the T-105 vehicle reached peak speeds of 90 mph on the track but was actually slowing down when it entered the “speed trap” that recorded the timed trial run of 86 mph. Both racing teams felt that 100-mph record times will be achievable by Electrathon racers, possibly as soon as next year.
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Kirk Swaney became involved with Electrathon competitions while leading a CAD drafting group at Hewlett-Packard Corporation (HP) in
His T-555 red and black Electrathon racer utilized 18 Enersys™ batteries to create a 36-volt battery pack weighing 66 lbs. that drove a 6-hp (continuous) Etek™ electric motor with the aid of a Curtis™ 750-amp motor speed controller. The vehicle was constructed to be very low to the ground but also lightweight, using a two-layer carbon fiber shell that was reinforced with balsa wood in its center. The total vehicle weight was 177 lbs. Kirk reached 89.4 mph on the best of five runs, the maximum number of attempts allowed during the competition. A chronicle of his racing configuration choices for gearing of his chain drive system after each run, with each resulting time slip record is shown at the “World Record” web link on his web site at: http://www.destinyparts.com/Bonneville_2007.html
His record-setting third run was recorded by a camera mounted to the top of the Electrathon vehicle canopy as well as sideline videos taken by fellow Electrathon builder, Shane Harris, from the ground at: http://www.destinyparts.com/Bonneville_2007.html
Shane Harris hails from
Shane’s approach to Electrathon racing originated from his interest in designing and building human-powered transportation, including recumbent bicycles and hand-powered bicycles for paraplegics. He taught as a volunteer in a local high school’s Industrial Arts class in
As a bicycle racer, himself, Shane had personally tested his own bicycle designs during land speed racing competitions with the International Human Powered Vehicle Association (IHPVA) that stages annual human-powered races near the town of
http://www.ihpva.org/IHPVA/ihpvarules.html
The races are usually held on a stretch of Highway 305 that is blocked off for the event. It is located 14 miles south of
Racers with human-powered designs are now exceeding 80-mph land speed records.
Shane cited the inspiration for his approach to aerodynamic design from conversations he enjoyed with Georgi Georgiev, a world-renowned sculptor from
Shane Harris personally launched an Electrathon racing program as part of his students’ high school Industrial Arts class in
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Daniel Diaz was one of these students and is now attending
David Dymaxion, an EV builder and
Electric Bar Stool Racing
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The USFRA’s World of Speed 2007 racing classes included several fun, novelty racing events, including Electric Bar Stool Racing at: http://www.saltflats.com/barstool.html
According to USFRA rules, a motorized bar stool must be built around a real bar stool and is limited to one 12-volt battery as its power source driving an electric motor on wheels that have a maximum height of 10 inches. There are two classes of competition-- the “Lakester” class and the “Streamliner” class.
During World of Speed 2003, the Ice Cream/Soda “No Fuel Barstool” was driven by owner Rob Spencer to establish a world record of 43.019 mph in the "Lakester” class over a 2/10-mile track.
The electric bar stool is owned by the Spencer family, including Rob’s wife, Debra, and son, Kaden, who also serve as the barstool’s pit crew. During World of Speed 2007, Rob Spencer drove the environmentally-friendly barstool in the "Lakester” class to a new world record of 48.400 mph over the 2/10-mile track.
Brent Singleton has been collaborating with the Spencers for about a year to improve the barstool’s racing performance and is planning to drive the vehicle during next year’s World of Speed 2008. He dug into his own pocket to finance some engineering modification “tricks” and also enlisted help from Dennis Berube to rebuild the series-wound electric starter motor on the bar stool to increase its speed and torque. Dennis Berube has set many EV world records for electric dragsters, including bracket racing competitions against
David Dymaxion also documented the World of Speed 2007 electric barstool racing EVent, including video at: http://www.explodingdinosaurs.com/saltflats/2007worldofspeed/barstool/
Looking Ahead to World of Speed 2008
Brent and Kent Singleton are looking forward to World of Speed 2008 and are hoping to expand the number of events that feature alternative fuels racing. They have actively recruited the help of Rick Vesco, head of Team Vesco, who owns the record-setting Turbinator streamliner. With Rick as crew chief and his brother Don Vesco as driver, the team set a land speed record of 458 mph for a wheel-driven vehicle during Speed Week 2001 that still stands today. During its record-setting run, the Turbinator was powered by a helicopter diesel turbine engine.
Rick is willing to work with collaborating industries to convert the Turbinator’s engine to run on biofuels and chase new land speed records for these alternative fuel sources during future competitions. The Singletons, as Alternative Fuel Event Coordinators at Bonneville, have consulted with Team Vesco about plans for their proposed biofuels efforts since 2001. For more information about the proposed Team Vesco biofuels project, contact: Brent@saltflats.com
The Dieselmax racing team from the
http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/driving/features/article2277715.ece
Solar-Powered EV Racing
Brent and Kent Singleton are also hoping to institute solar EV racing competitions during World of Speed by recruiting solar-powered EV racing teams from college campuses. During the 1990s, many universities participated in solar power research for automotive applications, particularly with annual SunRayce competitions and other international events. A brief history of this event can be found at the National Renewable Energy Labs (NREL) web site at:
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/23830.pdf
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Solar cell electrical power yields and efficiencies have been improving in recent years. A revival in student solar engineering competitions could help push this technology forward again as well as help educate the next generation of automotive designers and engineers about alternative fuel systems integration.
SCTA-
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The
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They were welcomed by a school bus full of
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After the timed run, they proudly displayed their “time slip” showing speeds exceeding 60 mph while carrying a full load of passengers.
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Roger Schroer (shown above with Brent and UCCC students) again attempted to better the timed five-mile runs he had set with the Buckeye Bullet 2 during Speed Week. He was successful in driving the BB2 above 220 mph. However, despite his best efforts, the
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For questions about next year’s upcoming Alternative Fuels racing events, contact Brent and Kent Singleton by email: Brent@saltflats.com
Brent and Kent would like to invite all EV enthusiasts to visit the Bonneville Salt Flats to support Alternative Fuels Racing events and also consider the opportunity to race their own electric vehicles on the same international land speed raceway as Burt Munro’s “World’s Fastest Indian”.
The authors would also like to wish all these pioneering
