Re-Engineering a 2007 Yamaha Phazer for the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2009 Northern Illinois University

Re-Engineering a 2007 Yamaha Phazer for The Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2009 Northern Illinois University Mark Baumhardt, Matt Davis, Nick Diorio, Luke Gidcumb, Mike Guinta, Jarred Hopkinson, Mason Long, Mike Mautsky, Ben Nichols, Tim Olson, Matt Potts, Wayne Richards, Nolan Scanlan, Drew Scott, Kurt Steinkamp, Andrew Timmerman, Blake VerStraete, Andrew Woodlief SAE Clean Snowmobile Team Members Dr. Federico Sciammarella Department of Mechanical Engineering ____________________________________________________________________________________ Abstract The snowmobile will be tested for improved A 2007 Yamaha Phazer has been chosen to exhaust emissions and reduction of noise as well be re-engineered to compete in the Clean as events that will challenge the snowmobile in a Snowmobile Challenge 2009. The objectives of the variety of customs. The events will take place over competition were to modify a snowmobile to a period of six days; testing fuel economy, increase its performance while lowering it’s exhaust marketability, and overall performance of the and noise emissions. Each snowmobile will be snowmobile [2]. tested and analyzed against the EPA 2012 emission standards. The design will also take rider Team History comfort, cost effectiveness, and costumer appeal The SAE Clean Snowmobile Team at into consideration. The stock Yamaha engine Northern Illinois University is currently in its second management computer was replaced with a custom year. The program started in the hands of four tuned unit in order to accommodate the rules for mechanical engineering students as a senior the 2009 competition. The exhaust system was design project. The initial idea was to convert a modified by adding a catalytic converter and a turbo snowmobile engine to run on E85, lowering its for increased performance and efficiency. All emissions. It then turned into the footing for the modifications were done to accompany the NIU SAE Clean Snowmobile team. At our requirements to run on ethanol blended fuel, or inaugural competition last year, the team performed “flex-fuel”. quite well for their rookie competition. The team placed sixth overall with individual results of: Introduction Snowmobiles have been creating winter Objective Handling: 2nd recreation opportunities for many decades. More Cost Analysis: 3rd recently the increase in snowmobiling activities has Fuel Economy: 4th raised many issues. The combustion of fossil fuels Acceleration: 4th by snowmobile engines raises environmental concerns in terms of air and noise pollution. Often The team is now one of multiple SAE snowmobiling takes place in and around affiliated teams at NIU. It is completely organized environmentally sensitive areas, such as state and and managed by the students with the assistance national parks. This negative impact on the of an advisor and the College of Engineering and environment has created new objectives for college Engineering Technology. All funds for this project students [1]. have been raised by the team from local donors, commercial sponsors, and the College. The SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2009 is an Team Objectives engineering design competition aimed to test the Reduce Exhaust Emissions capabilities of college students from different The Team’s primary objective is to lower the universities around the world. The competition exhaust emissions. A five mode test will be challenges the students to modify an existing conducted to verify that each snowmobile complies snowmobile to compete against one another. with the 2012 EPA standards. Table 1 clearly identifies each mode and corresponding categories. Mode 1 2 3 4 5 noise test, the recording of the snowmobile will be Speed, % 100 85 75 65 Idle played to a blind jury, who will then evaluate the Torque,% 100 51 33 19 0 most favorable snowmobiles for noise control. Wt. Factor, % 12 27 25 31 5 Performance Characteristics On top of producing a snowmobile that is Table 1: 5- mode emission test cycle cleaner for the environment, teams are challenged with the objective of maintaining or improving its The test results will show the quantities of performance characteristics. These characteristics CO (carbon monoxide), HC (hydrocarbons), and range from its power to control and handling. NOx (nitrogen oxides). HC+NOx can not be There are two events that will help expose the greater than 90 g/Kw-hr and CO must be lower differences in performance between each team’s than 275 g/Kw-hr [2]. The quantities of each are snowmobile. Those events are the acceleration used in formula to calculate the team’s emission and the control and handling event. The number, where the emission number (E) must acceleration event will test each snowmobile from a exceed 100. The emission number for each team standing stop to the maximum speed it can reach in will be used to calculate their final score. Below is 500 feet. The teams will take the best time of two the engine emission formula. runs, and the elapsed time must be no more than 12 seconds [2]. Also, all snowmobiles will compete ⎡ (HC + NOx) −10⎤ ⎡ ⎛ CO ⎞⎤ in a timed control and handling event. This event E = ⎢1− ⎥ ×100 + ⎢1− ⎜ ⎟⎥ ×100 ≥ 100 ⎣ 150 ⎦ ⎣ ⎝ 400 ⎠⎦ will assess the maneuverability of each snowmobile by having them complete two individual laps on a Figure 1: Engine Emission Formula slalom style course. The best lap time will be recorded. Furthermore, there are other objectives Fuel Economy In addition to the emission test, the fuel including cost effectiveness, cold start, rider economy and endurance of the snowmobile is an comfort, the design paper, and design presentation important team objective. Each team will compete that each team will be judged on. Each objective is in an endurance event that will require the equally important to the design of a snowmobile, snowmobile to operate on a groomed trail for 100 especially the conversion to E85 for the Clean miles. Every snowmobile will follow and maintain Snowmobile Challenge 2009. progress of the assigned trail judge. The trail judge can also disqualify a team from the event if the Conversion to Ethanol Blended Fuel snowmobile does not maintain the set pace of 30 The Clean Snowmobile Challenge brings a mph to 45 mph. The teams that complete the different and new engineering objective each year. endurance event will initially receive 100 points, This year’s challenge is to convert a snowmobile and then be awarded addition points for their engine to run on “Flex-Fuel”, or an ethanol blended energy consumption compared to the rest of the fuel. field [2]. Background Information on E85 E85 has been growing in popularity in the Noise Reduction The noise emitted from a snowmobile can past few years, and is becoming more readily be substantial at times. This objective for the team available in many areas. Since E85 is relatively was to reduce or eliminate as much noise from the new to the public, there are many myths that can snowmobile as possible. There will be two types of cause confusion. E85 is a mixture of 85% ethanol tests that are performed; objective and subjective and 15% gasoline. This alcohol fuel blend has the noise tests. The objective test is a SAE procedure highest oxygen content of any publicly available J192 sound pressure test set by that the fuel, and the reason it burns cleaner than regular International Snowmobile Manufacturers octane gasoline [3]. Also, E85 contains 80% less Association. Each snowmobile cannot produce to gum forming compounds than unleaded gasoline. an excessive degree of 78dBA [2]. Passing this It reduces the carbon buildup in the engine which test will present an opportunity for the subjective can hurt performance and exhaust emissions. noise test. During the process of the subjective 2 There are many benefits when using E85 Snowmobile Design that out-weigh the benefits of unleaded gasoline. Snowmobile Selection The largest benefit is that it is considerably better The NIU Clean Snowmobile team members for the environment. As E85 is burned, it emits met and discussed possible candidates that would tailpipe emissions that contain far less climate allow for success in multiple categories; exhaust altering greenhouse gases. It also has a much noise, exhaust emission, power-weight ratio, fuel higher octane rating than unleaded gasoline, efficiency, and ability with ethanol based fuels. The usually 100 to 105 octane. The fuel allows final decision was made on the 499cc Yamaha advanced timing for increase in performance. Phazer. The snowmobile is one of the lightest on Adjusting for higher compression will lead to the market today, and has the smallest length track greater efficiency and lower emissions. Since E85 offered, allowing it to maintain its slim unique is a renewable resource, it will reduce the nature. dependency for oil from other countries as well. The Phazer engine is a parallel twin, odd Flex-Fuel Conversion in Snowmobiles fire, four-stroke motor with Electronic Fuel Injection. To comprehend the requirements for the Being a four-stroke with a high compression ratio of conversion to flex-fuel, there must be an 12.5:1, it will allow for easy conversion to ethanol understanding of the conversion to E85. The fuel [1]. As stated briefly before, ethanol based fuel conversion to E85 itself is not very complicated. requires a higher compression ratio to provide Since E85 is lower in energy content when sufficient ignition to the higher octane ratings of the compared to gasoline, it requires approximately ethanol. Since the engine operates with the 30% more fuel to produce the same air to fuel ratio Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI), a MegaSquirt ECU [3]. The fuel system must have the capabilities to was used in order to adjust fuel curves, timing, and supply this added fuel. This requires a fuel pump make decisions based on the output of an inline that produces a higher pressure and larger volume. alcohol sensor. Being able to adjust the fuel curve Also, for fuel injected operations, the injectors will is a crucial requirement, since CSC 2009 will require modifications (i.e.

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