Categories
2017-2018

FREE EVENT – Formula SAE Racing

Correction: Wed.-Sat., May 9-12, 2018
Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, MI 

Details here

About Formula SAE® Series

In 1981, SAE International (formerly known as Society of Automotive Engineers) developed and managed the first Formula SAE® (FSAE®) student competition with assistance of Ron Matthews, Professor at University of Texas. SAE International operated the only Formula SAE competition for 17 years before its partnership with IMeche (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) in England where the brand “Formula Student” was developed. Since its inception, Formula SAE has expanded and includes many spin-off events. In the North America there are three competitions managed by SAE International one in Michigan, California and Ontario, Canada. Internationally, the expansion of Formula SAE/Formula Student brand has exploded to over 20 competitions currently hosted by engineering societies or private business.

The Formula SAE competitions challenge teams of university undergraduate and graduate students to conceive, design, fabricate, develop and compete with small, formula style vehicles. The competition is an engineering education competition that requires performance demonstration of vehicles in a series of events, both off track and on track against the clock. Each competition gives teams the chance to demonstrate their creativity and engineering skills in comparison to teams from other universities around the world.

Teams are to assume that they work for an engineering firm that is designing, fabricating, testing and demonstrating a prototype vehicle. The vehicle should have high performance and be sufficiently durable to successfully complete all the event at the Formula SAE competitions. Each student team design will be judged and evaluated again other competing designs in a series of Static and Dynamic events to determine the vehicle that best meets the design goals and profitably built and marketed.

Formula SAE promotes careers and excellence in engineering as it encompasses all aspects of the automotive industry including research, design, manufacturing, testing, developing, marketing, management and finances.

In 2006, Dartmouth College (partnered with SAE International) created the fuel alternative event Formula Hybrid using Formula SAE cars with gasoline-electric hybrid power plants.

In 2013, Formula SAE saw the implementation of battery electric class to the portfolio already containing internal combustion gasoline.

Categories
2017-2018

2018 Chevrolet Bolt EV Event

Timothy M. Grewe,General Director, Electrification, General Motors
Program Chair: Mark Pope
Monday, 16-Apr-2018

Holiday Inn, Flint, MI 

Tim is the General Director, Electrification for General Motors. His responsibilities include the design, development, and certification of multiple Hybrid and Electric products including the Chevrolet Bolt EV.

Tim will be discussing GM’s Electrification vision, describe the Chevrolet Bolt’s product development, and identify the individual engineering skills required to be globally competitive in electrification technology.

Tim received a BSEE from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a MSEE from Syracuse University.

Categories
2017-2018

Collegiate Chapter Projects

Presentation Competition
Speaker: SAE Collegiate Members
Program Chair: Mark Pope
Thursday, 22-Feb-2018

Bavarian Inn Lodge Conference Center, Frankenmuth, MI 

Please join us as we observe “National Engineers Week” with a banquet and technical program featuring presentations by students from Central Michigan University, Kettering University, Saginaw Valley State University, and The Kettering University AutoDrive Challenge Team.

The students are members of SAE Collegiate Chapter project teams which compete in the SAE Collegiate Design Series http://students.sae.org/cds/ The design series has grown from a national competition to an international competition featuring students from Asia, Europe, North and South America.

During this year’s banquet, the teams present will compete for the annual “SAE Collegiate Cup” presented by the Mid-Michigan Section. This event’s competition will be judged based upon the quality of the oral presentation of the team’s “Design Series” project.

Tim Turvey

GM Global Vice President of Customer Care & Aftersales

Tim has extensive global knowledge and experience with wholly owned, joint venture and alliance partners throughout the world. He has broad experience in sales, aftersales and marketing. Tim began his GM career in 1983 with Buick.
An Illinois native, Tim has been a “car guy” since purchasing his first vehicle when he was nine and accumulating more than a dozen by the time he was sixteen. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Categories
2017-2018

GM Performance and Racing Center

GM Facility Tour
Speaker: 
Program Chair: Dale Stephan
2-Nov-2017
GM Global Propulsion Systems Performance and Racing Center
N Glenwood Ave, 
Pontiac, MI 48340

Time 1:00 PM

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Tasked with complete racing engine design and validation, the Performance and Racing Center’s capabilities include:

  • Design release
  • Full CNC machining
  • Engine build
  • Electronics and telematics
  • Dyno validation
  • Calibration

The new center helps GM develop powertrains with the right combination of performance, durability and efficiency to help drivers and teams win races and championships. The racing engines under development at the new center include:

  • NASCAR “R07” – A unique 358-cubic-inch V-8 engine designed and developed exclusively for NASCAR Sprint Cup racing.
  • IndyCar 2.2L Twin-Turbo V-6 – A technical marvel that uses a pair of high-boost-producing turbochargers to help extract about 700 horsepower from the small-displacement, direct-injected V-6.
  • NHRA COPO Camaro V-8 engines – Racers competing with a new 2016 COPO Camaro in NHRA’s Stock and Super Stock eliminator classes can select from supercharged and naturally aspirated LS- and LT-family engines.
  • Corvette Racing 5.5L V-8 – Based on the production LT engine family, the naturally aspirated and all-aluminum 5.5L V-8 engine is used by the Corvette Racing C7.R team.
  • Cadillac ATSV.R Twin Turbo – A racing engine based on the production model’s 3.6L twin-turbo engine.

Additionally, the high-performance crate engines and crate powertrain systems offered by Chevrolet Performance are developed at the new facility.

GM3

Facility highlights include:

Engine assembly – There are 10 all-new engine build bays – eight in the Engine Build room and two in the prep area to facilitate quicker transfer to dyno testing and other validation areas. Each 120-square-foot bay has an air drop for powered tools and access to an overhead crane for easy loading on the build stands. Builders also use specialized tools such as programmable torque wrenches to help ensure consistency with the engines. Additional specialty tools at their disposal include a Cam Doctor for precise camshaft evaluations and a ROMER Arm coordinate measuring machine.

Machining – Engineers and builders also have access to over 30 machining tools, offering complete machining capability for cylinder blocks, cylinder heads, fuel rails and engine components, comparable to the racing industry’s best racing shops. The equipment roster includes nine CNC machines that can transform designs right into new components – including a new Hurco five-axis machine. The staff also has access to a 3D printer for constructing new or modified components, as well as laser scanners to help ensure the powertrain parts meet the high degree of dimensional accuracy demanded for the rigors of racing.

GM2

Engine testing – There are four state of the art AVL engine dynamometer cells dedicated to the Performance and Racing Center: 

  • Two gas-powered engine dynos
  • A gas-powered driveline dyno
  • A new electric driveline dyno

The engine dynos are similar to those used to develop GM’s production engines, but rated for the high output of racing engines. The gas and electric driveline dynos are firsts for GM Powertrain’s campus and are used to test axle differentials for NASCAR and IndyCar. The drive input capability for each is more than 1,000 hp and approximately 560 lb-ft of torque, while the drive output capability is approximately 885 hp and 2,500 lb-ft of torque.

Calibration – An electronics lab is used for the design, assembly and calibration of custom control systems that drive most of the racing and performance engines. Engineers are also able to make calibration changes in the dyno cells. In fact, the dynos can use telemetry data from the race cars’ control systems to replay an engine’s entire race, which can help with development of new engines and calibration changes for existing ones.

Categories
2017-2018

Building America’s Sports Car

AFS Hosted Meeting
Speaker: Kai Spande, GM Plant Manager
Program Chair: Dale Stephan
2-Nov-2017
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth
Frankenmuth, MI 

Categories
2017-2018

Fuel Cell Development

AFS-ASM-SAE Joint Meeting
Speaker: Sara Stabenow

5-Oct-2017
Zehnder’s of Frankenmuth
Town Hall (downstairs), 
Frankenmuth, MI 

6:00 PM Social Hour
7:00 PM Dinner
8:00 PM Program

Sara Stabenow was recently featured in a Design News Article on 15 engineers who are transforming the auto industry. She joined GM as a summer intern at the Casting Development and Validation Center, then moved into Transmission and Hybrid Materials Engineering after completing her BS and MS in Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University in 2002. Sara helped develop GM’s electric motor manufacturing processes before joining the fuel cell program in 2013. She is currently the program manager for the Fuel Cell Product Execution Team and Technology Collaboration. 

Presentation Abstract 

After seven years of on-road experience with a fleet of Chevrolet Equinoxes that amassed more than 3 million miles, General Motors is literally branching out – as in military branches – to explore fuel cell applications on land, sea and air. Two demonstration programs – the Chevrolet Colorado-based ZH2 fuel cell electric vehicle demonstrator for the Army and the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) for the Navy – are under way. The possibility of aerospace applications for fuel cells are drawing near. 

GM and Honda in January announced Fuel Cell Manufacturing, a joint venture that will mass produce fuel cell systems around 2020 that will be used by the two companies in distinct products. The new system will be more powerful and compact, while using dramatically less platinum and other precious metals than the system that powered the 119 Equinoxes in the Project Driveway program, 

Fuel cells address two major automotive energy and environmental challenges: petroleum use and carbon dioxide and other polluting emissions. While most hydrogen today comes as a byproduct of natural gas, because hydrogen is so plentiful, it can come from renewable sources including wind and solar and be stored for later use. 

Categories
2017-2018

The Lingenfelter Collection with Bill Owen

Bill Owen presents 1989 Pontiac Trans Am
Speaker: Bill Owen

11-Sep-2017
5:00pm – 7:30pm Tour, 7:45pm Program
The Lingenfelter Collection 7819 Lochlin Drive, Brighton, Michigan

The Lingenfelter Collection

What started out as five cars packed into a modest three-car garage has grown into a huge, beautiful collection of unique cars in a 40,000 square foot space. While the collection is not open to the public, it is available for corporate and charity events. Ken Lingenfelter supports the American Cancer Society with moneys from tour events. Do not miss this opportunity to visit the Lingenfelter Collection and meet Ken .
Among the many Classic, Custom, Exotic, and Unique automobiles Ken has in his collection is a 1989 Pontiac Turbo Trans Am Indy 500 Pace car.

The Speaker 

William “Bill” Owen
A graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in Mechanical Engineering worked for General Motors at the Buick Motor Div. and later at GM Powertrain. Bill now manages his racing business Owen Engine Development. Bill was inducted into the Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009. He is an accomplished NHRA Drag Race drive and engine builder. He has won numerous NHRA events and was a Division #3 Points Champion. Presently he is a tuner/consultant with Big Stuff 3 EFI systems assisting professional Drag Racing Teams. 

In his presentation, Bill will tell the REAL story behind the creation of the 1989 20th Anniversary Pontiac Turbo Trans Am. The story of bringing the TTA to production is a tale filled with road blocks and creative engineering. Not only was there only a small budget to work with but GM Corporate politics tried to block the release of a Buick powered Pontiac Trans Am. 

Bill Owen, the Buick engineer, who directed and assisted the merging of the Buick engine with the Pontiac Trans Am chassis will reveal what makes the 20th Anniversary Turbo TA so special. It is a complete mechanical package, and not just some tape stripes. Starting with the engine, Pontiac borrowed Buick’s 3.8 liter (231cid) V6 turbo power-plant from the fabled 1986-87 Grand National. Some difference exists between the TTA motor and the GN version. Different heads were necessary in order to squeeze the motor between the strut towers. These heads, adapted from the transverse FWD version of the 3.8 liter motor, have the added benefit of improved exhaust flow and combustion chamber design. Subsequently, different pistons were required in order to maintain combustion chamber volume. Other changes to the TTA motor are a cross-drilled crankshaft, larger 12 fin/inch in place of the GN’s 10 fin/inch design, specially-designed , a higher-pressure Bosch 237 fuel pressure regulator, and a recalibrated engine control GNX-style intercooler stainless exhaust headers module. 

Categories
2017-2018

2017-18 Back to the Bricks – MidMichigan SAE Presents the Harlow H Curtice Award

Recognizing the best Buick or Chevrolet
Speaker: Bernard Santavy
Program Chair: Bill Owen
Sat. 19-Aug-17
Back to the Bricks

The Mid-Michigan Section of the SAE International will again present the Harlow H. Curtice Hometown Memorial Trophy at the 13th Annual Back to the Bricks® celebration in Flint, Michigan on August 19, 2017. The award will be presented to either the Buick or Chevrolet that Harlow Curtice would most likely enjoy driving.

The winning car for the Harlow H. Curtice Hometown Memorial Trophy will be selected from the cars on display at Back to the Bricks® on Saturday, August 19th by a team of engineers representing the Mid-Michigan Section of SAE (an international professional society for engineers in the mobility industry).

The award will be presented to the winning car owner at the Saginaw Street Central Lot during the afternoon programs.

Harlow H. Curtice, a long time Flint resident and civic supporter, retired as General Motors 11th President on August 31, 1958.

Curtice (nicknamed “Red” for his shock of red hair), is generally remembered fondly — a real achievement for an executive in a field known for its extraordinarily competitive nature. Even in the controversial book “On a Clear Day You Can See General Motors,” which chronicles John Z. DeLorean’s time with GM, Curtice is described as, “warm, flamboyant, exciting,” and as “a man whose mere presence would command attention and stop conversations when he walked into a room” (ref. http://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/parentinfo/success/2002/tungsten/homepage.htm)

Harlow Curtice began his General Motors Career at the AC Spark Plug Division in early 1915. He was named General Manager of AC in 1929. He became General Manager of Buick in 1934 and was named Executive Vice President of General Motors in September, 1949. It was in this position that he approved the 1953 Buick V-8 engine and the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette for production in Flint.

Curtice was elected President of GM on February 3, 1953. During his tenure as President, Curtice championed V-8 engines, including the Buick “Nail-head” and the Chevrolet “Small Block,” automatic transmissions, power steering and brakes, GM’s Fuel Injection, and air-conditioning.

The GM Motoramas and the Parade of Progress were signature marketing programs under Harlow Curtice’s purview. He also presided over the dedication of the General Motors Technical Center in May, 1956 and GM’s 50th Anniversary in September, 1958.

In keeping with the vision of Harlow Curtice, the vehicle selected for this Award will feature a combination of the classic design features of the production car with upgrades that enhance the vehicle as do concept cars produced by auto manufacturers.

To enter your car for Award selection please text a photo and contact information to (810) 265-8365. For more information, please contact Bernard Santavy (810) 635-7848 or email saemidmichsec@cs.com. Visit our website www.midmichigansae.org and www.sae.org to learn about SAE Int.

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