Welcome!

Race to WIN!

The Alternative Energy Racing Organization is a student group of the University of Vermont IEEE that works for the advocacy, research, and development of alternative-energy drive systems.

Our primary focus is Project GreenSpeed, an effort to build a race car for entry in the annual International Formula-Hybrid competition sponsored by IEEE and SAE. For us, it is an opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of non-traditional drive-systems for mobility engineering and get to drive fast at the same time.

We are committed to finding smart solutions using technology to the problems we face because of a dependence on non-renewable energy sources.

Welcome, please take a look around, and be sure to contact us with any questions or comments.

Recent News

2008

November 12

Things have been moving along quickly for AERO over the past month or so. We have been meeting with several of our Sponsors from last year such as Yancey Martel and Dave Bister from Triangle MetalFab, who have generously offered us a space to work over the holiday break, as well as commiting to fabrication of some of our critical drive-train components. We greatly appreciate their continued enthusiasm for our project. Several AERO members attended a manufacturing convention in Massachusetts last week and we are happy to have met with several companies such as Greene Rubber Company, SSI Manufacturing, and Sherbrooke Gear Works, all of whom have expressed interest in working with our club. The new suspension is on the car and works great. We have had some issues with the accumulator that pushed our driving date back, but it looks like we are getting close to having the all of the updated systems reinstalled in last years car and it should be doing laps very shortly.

October 14

To begin, we'd like to thank Hazelett's Strip Casing for cutting some revised bellcranks for us with their water-jet machine. We hope to have them on the car as soon as possible, as the rear suspension facelift is long overdue. In other news, AERO and MiniBaja have just set up our brand new computer workstation. We are very excited to have all our engineering software running at top speed down in our shop. Our new outreach manager is currently revamping the sponsorship campaign, and we look forward to expanding our relationships with local businesses throughout the coming months. Brian and Thatcher made a presentation about AERO at the Vermont Space Grant Consortium, Award Ceremony on the 7th. We'd like to thank the Vermont Space Grant for their continued support.

September 29

The Electrical team has been making a lot of headway with our revised control system. We have a lot of new members interested in the control and power electronics systems, and we should have a preliminary control system in the car by the beginning of December. On the mechanical end, the rear suspension has been redesigned and fabrications will begin shortly. The new mechanical members have been busy reverse engineering components for our new hybrid drive-train and creating models in SolidWorks. We have also been preparing for several upcoming PR events.

September 22

Since our last update, we have made enormous headway. Veterans of AERO attended several activity fairs around campus, and we are pleased to have over a dozen excited new members. We hosted a BBQ on the 11th so that newcomers could familiarize themselves with the project as well as get their hands dirty disassembling the car for service. Since then meeting attendance has doubled from last year, and spirits are high. On the mechanical end, the frame is currently at Hazelett's Strip Casing where it will be sandblasted and painted (Thanks again to Charlie Dykes and Rick Hayden). We have just about finished reverse engineering the internal components of the Honda engine, and we have a preliminary model of our revised hybrid assembly built in Solidworks. We have also purchased a brand new engine that we will be using in this year's car. Meanwhile the electrical team has been getting aquainted with our new battery bank, as well as overhauling our control systems (more on that coming soon).

August 21

AERO has been busy. On Aug 9th Greenspeed went to the Stowe Antique car show, which was a great success. On Aug 14th Greenspeed made a debuted at Thunder Road in Barre Vermont. Brian Leach drove the car around the track during intermission while Prof. Hines and Chris Farmer talked about AERO and Greenspeed over the loudspeakers. This was the first full throttle test of the Gas motor and the car was fast. Possibly fast enough to have won last year’s competition and that’s only half of the cars available power. The batteries were out of the car being serviced so the electric motor was just free spinning... The battery pack was given a major face lift by our newest sponsor www.evdrive.com - thank you Bob Simpson, the pack looks fantastic. Photos of this pack will be released in September. The electronics on the car are being totally redone using a variety of different components but the underlying concept of its operation will stay the same. School starts again September 2nd and a majority of our members will be back in action working on the teardown of the car. We're giving the frame a paint job, new suspension linkages, and a few other tweaks. A new web site is on the way as well as a sponsorship mailing list that will be used to invite our sponsors to key AERO events.

June 9

The 2009 fundraising effort has begun and the team is gearing up for a road demonstration of the car on June 28th. It will be on the UVM campus and all are welcome to attend. On another note a time lapse video the work shop at Loudon NH during the competition is available here: Loudon NH 2008 video

May 7

The AERO team has just returned from the Formula Hybrid Competition in Loudon. Due to technical difficulties, we were unable to run our car, however we are very proud to have been presented with Best Hybrid-in-Progress, Chrysler's Best Hybrid System Engineering Award, and the Thayer School Dean's Award: Most Innovative Design. We are very excited for our successes, and look forward to getting started on Gen 2. Results from the race can be seen here. The University has released an official story on the car here.

April 10

The majority of the suspension components are welded on the frame. We are aiming to have the car sitting on its own wheels by early next week.

April 7

Thatcher returned from Acrylic Designs Incorporated today with our custom made accumulator enclosure. The batteries slide in perfectly! Many thanks to Max and the rest of ADI for their support.

March 28

We tested the coupled engine system under electrical power. The hybrid drive unit was successfully reved to 1000 RPM. The motor was drawing up to 50 amps.

March 26

Completed assembly of one of the battery strings.

March 05

The center differential rapid prototype model is complete. After placing it in the car, the drive chain turned it without a problem.

March 01

Our list of safety equipment has been checked off. Seeing the harness on the seat is exciting and makes race day seem close.

February 29

THE WEDDING NIGHT! The nuptial assembly has been completed and everything fits. This has been a long time in the works--congratulations to the ME team for all their hard work.

February 25

The ICE to controller circuit testing complete. Final board layouts due within three weeks.

February 24

Laser cut tabs and suspension jigs in from the good folks at NSA Industries in Lyndonville. Thank you!

February 20

The last weld on the chassis envelope was made this afternoon. All that's left are various mounting tabs and a few miscellaneous tubes without finalized position. It looks very cool.

January 27

Initial test cells ordered for accumulator design. In particular, charging characteristics will be studied.

January 20

The chassis build begins. It should take about five weeks to complete.

January 17

Brian visited Lyndonville today for CNC bending of the tubing members. Many thanks to NSA Industries for their generosity and enthusiasm. Thatcher and Brian picked up the Jig Table from Hazelett's later that evening. The table looks awesome and we can't thank Peter Rowan, Charle Dykes, and everyone else involved enough for finishing it two days after we made the phone call.

January 14

NSA Industries in Lyndonville, VT has volunteered their time and CNC tube-bending facilities for the production of all bent members in the GreenSpeed Frame. Hazelett Strip Casting also donated time on their large CNC Mill to drill a bolt pattern and square the edges of the new Jig Table.

January 01 - 12

Mechanical team continued design work, focusing on the front and rear suspension and steering. The team has finalized the chassis for Generation 1-L, and is ready for construction.

January 01

Happy New Year!

2007

December 14

Thatcher and Brian visited Triangle Metal Fab in Milton today. Triangle, a full service fabrication facility, has taken interest in assisting AERO with some remaining fabrication challenges. Laser-Cut suspension tabs, CNC milled suspension bellcranks and a custom center differential housing are the most likely to be completed with Triangle's assistance. Thanks to Yancy Martle and Dave Bister for meeting with us, and thanks to Laurel Zeno at NASA Vermont Space Grant Consortium for helping to arrange the meeting.

December 12

Picked up clutch reinforcement part from UVM's Instrumentation and Model Facility. Many thanks to the folks at IMF for donating over 6 hours of their machining time to our project. Because of their generosity, we are right on schedule with the fabrication of our Nuptial Assembly.

December 10

Vermont Space Grant Consortium made a generous donation. Thank you! Also, Ms. Laurel Zeno attended this week's meeting. Thank you for your support and interest, Ms. Zeno!

December 05

The differentials and Polaris parts arrived today.

November 30

The AC24 arrived today.

November 28

We finished the Nuptial Housing today. It's pretty cool. Two nuptial parts remain: The mounting plate for the AC24 and the reinforcement piece.

November 12

Team Roster updated. Guests from Hazelett joined in on tonight's weekly meeting, thank you for your support!

November 08

Clutch Spacer Plate and E-Drive Ring Gear completed. New CNC machine has cut part fabrication time drasticly, with impressive tolerances to match.

November 06

Fabrication of GreenSpeed officially started. Hybrid-drive fabrication begins.

October 29

Microstrain made a generous donation. Thank you!

October 10

AERO Wiki is fully implemented. AERO members can login here. A CEMS account is required.

October 8

Generation 1-J chassis along with mockup of key elements has been completed.

September 27

Mechanical team is satisfied with fit of latest clutch reinforcement prototype; first part will be machined of wax withing the next two weeks.
With help of experts at Bearing Specialties in Williston, selection of proper clutch support bearings has been made. Changes have been made in Solidworks model to accomodate components.

September 24

Team members Andrew Laing and Brian Leach present Project Greenspeed to the Vermont Space Grant Consortium.

UVM College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences features AERO on CEMS website

September 22

Project Greenspeed featured in Burlington Free Press "UVM AERO club builds Formula hybrid race car"

September 17

Clutch modification continues and computer aided design analysis of parts yields excellent results. Proposed machining process is refined.

September 12

Bike tear-down is complete. First clutch reinforcement part has been rapid prototyped. Having the part 3D printed allows us to check the part for fit and function prior to machining it out of aluminum.

September 8

Precise reverse engineering of clutch components has begun.

September 7

AZURE Dynamics motor package is decided upon. Research has verified that no clearance issues will develop with the Electric Motor output shaft.

September 5

AERO leaders set up a table at the Student Government Association Club Fair. Many new students took interest.

August 30

Bike tear-down has begun.
List of desired All Wheel Drive parts has been made.

August 27

Classes have begun! Gen-1 chassis H has been drawn. Either version H or I will be rendition on which the car is built.

August 19

A suspension design has been agreed upon and design work has begun.

July 22

The Mother Ship sees the light. Reuters article.

June - July

Work continues on chassis revisions. Chassis iterations A through E have been drawn.

June 27

Ronald Brand, a retired power engineering executive from Clinton Corners, NY, recently made a five year, $25,000 commitment to AERO's success. Thank you Mr. Brand!

June 16

Gen-1 chassis A is completely drawn. It will be reviewed by recent Mechanical Engineering graduates.

May 10

Technical Manager Brian Leach (ME 2010) conducted informal tests of ICE and remarked, It's got a ton of power right through the torque curve.