KVhighmileage

Wrap Up

2010-04-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

The following post written by the faculty advisor:

The 2010 IMSTEA Super Mileage Challenge went well for us in spite of some weather related and illness issues. Rich had the car done with plenty of time to spare. We tested everything a couple of days ahead of time and it was all systems go. When we left on Sunday morning the weather was looking a little wet with little chance of improvement in the forecast. It continued to rain all day Sunday, which meant the cancellation of the outdoor turn and braking tests that the cars normally have to go through at tech inspection. Also, because everyone was trying to stay dry, I didn't get the chance to see many of the other cars in the competition like I normally do. Our car breezed through the inspection process with nothing needing to be worked on.

Senator Lugar made an appearance and addressed the group. It was a little hard to hear him due to the acoustics of the Vincennes University airplane hanger, but it was a nice pep talk to the group about the importance of the work the students are doing working towards the goal of reducing our country's dependence on foreign oil. As always, the nice folks at Vincennes fed all the team members with hamburgers, hot dogs and all the trimmings.

Since this was to be my last year of involvement with the high mileage project, I bought a for sale sign and taped that to the car with all the contact information prior to leaving Sunday morning. It paid off with Vincennes university buying the car at tech inspection, with the agreement being they would take possession of the car after the conclusion of the competition on Monday. That was a relief - I wouldn't even have to transport the car back home!

Monday dawned cold and rainy and our team captain was sick as a dog. I think he had a touch of food poisoning. I felt real bad for him but he toughed it out and made it through the day. IMSTEA was using a new timing and scoring system this year and had a few problems with it. The first race didn't go off until 9:00, rather than the normal 8:00. Rich got our car out in the second wave but unfortunately, he lost count of the laps and pulled in too early. We got three more runs in, or so we thought, before cutting a tire and ending our day. About that time the weather improved but we were all pretty much ready to turn the car over to Vincennes, so we posed for the team photo and called it good. We had two young ladies from the school yearbook come down with the team on Monday, so they took the official portrait for us. I'm anxious to see what they come up with when the yearbook comes out.

The results for most teams were much lower than normal this year. I'm sure the windy weather and rain were the primary culprits. Mater Dei was the big winner again with 1004.02 miles per gallon followed by Warsaw High school with 775.31. The scores dropped off considerably after that with the next ones being in the 400 range. Our official mileage was 120.94 mpg. That included a DNF score for one run that we thought was good. Our highest was about 180. Not good but there were four unlimited class cars that did not complete even one run. There were 39 schools entered.

All in all, it's been a good run. We've had some great sponsors and supporters - thanks to all of you. I've had the pleasure of working with some very fine young men and women - thanks also to you. The biggest roadblock to my continued involvement is time. The project takes a lot of my non-school time and due to other commitments, I just don't have that much time to give. Thanks everyone and remember that petroleum reserves are finite - we are going to run out. Use our resources wisely.

2010-03-30T11:06:00.000-07:00

This week we have already begun the final steps on the car's assembly. The new sprocket has been machined because the one from last year was damaged in the wreck. We have removed the axle to place the new one on. We received our Mono-Kote. This is going to be used as the outer shell of the car. It is lightweight and aerodynamic, which is perfect for this competition. Once the axle is placed back into the car, all that is needed to be done is the outer shell, rear engine cover, and the wheel covers. After this, the car is ready to be tested and improved if needed. With around a month left, we should have plenty of time to get this car ready for race day.

Making Progress

2010-03-11T08:33:00.000-08:00

Well, we are finally back to making progress on the car again. Rich has been working on it every second he can get the last few days. Our piece of aluminum finally came in and Rich has already fastenened it to the car. This piece is used as the floor of the car. We are mounting two braces for support where the most weight will be applied by the driver. Once this piece is completely installed, there are only a few details to be done. One thing we are waiting on is a piece for the axle to be machined. This piece was damaged in last years wreck. Another thing we are waiting on is the Mono-Kote we will use as the outer skin of the car. Other than these, the end of the building stage is in sight.

2010-02-17T07:33:00.000-08:00

Well, we are finally back into the swing of things. Now that all the paper work is completed and we received our acceptance letter, we have resumed work on the car. The past couple of weeks Rich has made a few adjustments. He has modified the rear end design of the previous year. The rear end is just sheet metal that comes to a point in the back to help the car be more aerodynamic. It also has a hole in the back for the exhaust so it does not fill up the engine compartment.

Today he is working on mounting the side view mirrors to the car. IMSTEA requires the mirrors to be a minimum of 7 square inches for each mirror and a mirror on each side of the car. Hopefully he will have the mounting plates fabricated by the end of the day and maybe even have them mounted to the car.

The sheet metal for the floor is ordered and Mr. Mengel is working on machining a piece for the drive train. We still need one new tire and then other than putting on the Mono-Kote covering, the car should be pretty close to done.

End of The Semester

2009-12-22T09:30:00.000-08:00

The past week has been pretty hectic with the end of semester finals and all, so it has been hard trying to find time to come up with a post. Now the finals are done and it is the last day before break.

Recently Rich got all the wiring run and ready to be hooked up. We have pretty much finished the proposal with the exception of the drawings but those should be completed by the time we come back from break. Once we come back we'll be working diligently to finish the car, so Happy Holidays!

Tail Section

2009-12-03T19:22:00.001-08:00

This week we made some pretty decent progress. We have the fire extinguisher hose to direct it into the engine compartment ready to be put in. The past couple of days Rich has laid out the design of the rear engine cover. We laid it out using cardboard in order to get the basic shape of it. We are designing it so that it will be aerodynamic as well as removable to make servicing the engine easier. As of right now, we have our minds set on constructing it out of fiberglass. We also have a couple of people working on our proposal and our design drawings. These are pretty well finished but they need a few revisions to make them more professional looking.

Gas Tank & Fire Extinguisher Mounts

2009-11-25T15:42:00.000-08:00

Because it was a short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we didn't get a lot done but Rich got the gas tank mount made and installed. The tank has to be easily removed by the inspectors at the competition. Rich and I also figured out where to mount the fire extinguisher and he got the bracket made and welded on for it. The extinguisher is mounted so that if there is a fire in the engine compartment, all the driver has to do is pull the pin and squeeze the handle. The dry chemical powder goes through a hose and comes out a nozzle aimed at the engine and carburetor. Mr. Mengel is going to pick up the hose this weekend for us.

Trying It On For Size

2009-11-14T14:42:00.000-08:00

This past week we have shown progress. Now that the rear of the canopy is in place, Rich fastened the windshield on the car. As shown in the picture, I laid in the car to make sure visibility was good. It also helps that I am significantly bigger than Tyler, our driver, so me being able to fit insures he will fit comfortably. Since Tyler is not in our class, it is hard to get exact measurements, however, we will make do. Our drafters are making progress on our drawings, as well as Sam who is writing our proposal.

Update

2009-11-08T18:57:00.000-08:00

These past couple of weeks we have done more on the paperwork than on the actual car. This is important though, without the paper work we cannot compete. Our proposal is due January 22nd. Sam is working on this now, since he did it last year, it should be easiest for him. In the meantime, Dillon is working on the CAD drawings for the proposal.

Right now Rich is working on some sheet metal. He is making a firewall and when we get another sheet of aluminum, he'll finish the floor. In the meantime, he will continue to make parts like the gas tank mount.

Car Update

2009-10-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the chance to write the past couple of weeks because of computer access issues. Rich has gotten a lot of work done on the car these past two weeks. He has cut up the old canopy and made it fit to our car. All we have to do to that is get the Lexan to cover it.

This car overall will look pretty close to the one last year minus the one wheel in the back design. It will now be a regular four wheel car design.

Rich has also welded the frame all together because most of the joints were just tack welded together. He has cut a piece of aluminum for the flooring near the nose but he still needs to rivet it in, though.

Mr. Mengel has received a copy of the rules from IMSTEA, so we will be reviewing those to make sure there hasn't been any changes for this year that will affect our car design. We will also be starting on our drawings and the write up for our proposal.

Battery Box

2009-09-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

Now that the steering is all set up, Rich has been trying to find other things to work on. This week he found a place to mount up the battery. It should work but if it comes in contact with the firewall it will need to be moved later on. Next we will focus on fabricating the flooring of the car. It will probably be the same idea as last years.

Mr. Mengel also has sent in our letter of intent. So if we do figure out a team and get this car in working condition, we will be in the competition.

2009-09-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

This week there has not been much work on the car due to it being progress report week and everyone trying to get their grades in. The past two days though, Rich has done some work. He has fully welded the shackles on that hold the wheels. Mr. Mengel has also machined up the tie rods to the correct length. He is going to take the steering column home this weekend and put it on the lathe to make it nice and smooth since Rich has welded it together. Today we decided to see how it looks and threw the wheels on. And it looks awesome if you ask me. So slowly but surely we will have this car done.

We also have been talking to our new principal and are trying to get his interest in our program so that we will have better luck in participating this year. So we will try to get more work done this coming week and there should be another post next Friday.

2009-08-31T12:55:00.000-07:00

Now that it's the second week of school and things are starting to get back to the norm I, Joey, have resumed the posting job. The past week and a half Rich has been working almost every day on the car. As you can see we have mounted up the tie rods. This form of steering should be a lot safer and easier to use than last year's experiment. Rich has been doing almost all of the TIG welding on the car, but in our vocational welding class, others have started to show their colors. So he might have some competition soon. Nonetheless, he is the main part of this team and has done the most work.

So now that I am back to posting, look for a new post once a week

2009-08-23T15:44:00.000-07:00

School has started once again, so Joey will soon be taking over the blog.

The photo shows the tie rods for the front steering. I machined those and the steering shaft over the weekend. Rich has been pecking away at things and the car is starting to take shape. When the steering is completed, it will be a rolling chassis and we'll be able to get a good idea of how things are going to work. We can then hook up the wiring and brake and it should be pretty close to being a runner.

Look for Joey to start posting on a fairly regular basis and follow along as we build our new car.

Front Axles

2009-08-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

We tacked the front axles on tonight. As you can see, we spared no expense in fixturing them up. Rich drilled a hole in a piece of 2x4 at the proper height, squared the 2x4 off the table and I tacked them on. Next week we can weld them up and start on the steering shaft and tie rods.

School will be starting soon so I'll need to figure out what the plan is going to be for the team. As long as Rich keeps after it, we'll have a car. He's going to be in my Vocational Welding class and he's already planning on working on his TIG welding skills right away so he can weld parts on the car. You gotta love that. I'll have to see what Joey's schedule is this fall. Hopefully, he can resume posting here once a week or so.

Just for the record, we now have two official followers. We'll have to do something with the car just to keep our loyal followers. Thanks for the support, by the way.

Machine Work

2009-07-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Since the KV High Mileage Team has one official follower, I figured an update was in order.

The top picture shows the steering pieces ready to be welded up. After the aluminum bits are welded together and to the car, we can weld the front axles on and tabs to fasten the tie rods to.

The bottom photo shows the axle in place with the sprocket, flywheel and brake disc mounted up. I machined the key slots in the axle the other day so I can stay ahead of Rich, who is coming in on Open Shop Night to work on the car. He's going to be the driving force behind keeping this project going. He's also turning out to be a pretty good fabricator. That's one of the real pluses of this project. Lots of engineering that you have to be able to build and keep within the budget.

So we're making a little progress. When school resumes, we'll have to see what we're going to do about a team and if I can find some help to run this project.

Video Award

2009-06-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact school is out for the summer, this post is being written by the faculty advisor.

In spite of the fact we crashed the car, we managed to win third prize in the video contest. We've got another plaque to hang on the wall and a little inspiration to go along with it. The video was done pretty much exclusively by Blake, so the credit and the thanks go out to him.

We're going to try to get some work done on the car this summer. When school starts this fall, I'll take stock of the situation and see if I can find some help so the project can continue. If we do in fact get something done, I'll post updates occasionally.

Have a wonderful summer and thanks again to all of our sponsors.

Video Competition

2009-05-27T12:56:00.000-07:00

This year we entered IMSTEA's video competition. They require a small commercial type video that shows what the super mileage competition consists of. Ours is more of a documentary type that shows us in different steps of the process.

Bitter Sweet Ending

2009-04-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

Well we finished our car in time. Unfortunately the Friday before the competition we took it out on our track at school and did some test runs. Due to the experimental steering it posed some problems. In the middle of the turn the driver had some problems and broke causing him to lose control and the car rolled. It was a possibility to fix the damage before race day, but the risk of it breaking again was too high.

So we decided to go down to the competition as spectators. We had a fun time looking at all the other awesome designs and getting ideas for the upcoming year. Right now we have decided to flip the car around and make it four wheels instead of the three. We have started already on taking it apart and laying it out.

It was disappointing not being able to compete this year, but it was better than risking our driver and the other drivers health. We gained a lot of information from studying others designs. So if we are able to get an adviser to run this program at our school next year, then we will be able to have a better car.

Here are a few pictures that we took as inspiration.

Final Stages

2009-04-14T12:54:00.000-07:00

The car is finally looking good. It is now in its final stages of completion. With less than two weeks until race day, it is a relief. There are a few minor things that are still to be worked on. The one major step is the outer shell. We are going to use mono-coat which is a clear plastic type material that can be stretched over the framework of the car. This will hopefully add some aerodynamics to the cars design.

The steering wheel.

The rear steering hook-up.

The front frame.

Catching Up

2009-04-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

We were not able to get the car moving under its own power before spring break, so we are working diligently in order to get it done. We have begun running the wires and mounting the switches that are required for the competition, including and exterior shut-off switch. We also are constructing the sheet metal floor. And configuring a place that is easily accessible for the fire extinguisher. Another thing we are playing close attention to is the steering, because there were a few tweaks that were needed in order to get it working good. A couple of us have predicted that it should be running and drivable by Wednesday next week.

Shaping Up

2009-03-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

We are now working on the main body. We have laid out the front framework on which the plastic coating will form on. We also have laid out the "hood" of the car. We are hoping to get the car running and in working condition before spring break which starts after school on Friday the 27th of March. We have to make a few tweaks to the steering in order to get it in reliable working condition.

In the Works

2009-02-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

We are in the process of hooking up the steering cables and pulleys. We are working very diligently on trying to get the car at least operational before our spring break which is in about 4 weeks. The purpose of getting it operational so early is in order to have plenty of testing time just in case some problems occur. We have to make sure we get all the kinks worked out before race day, which is April 27th. If you would like more information about the competition you can click this link to go to a site that gives details about IMSTEA's comeptition: http://www.doe.state.in.us/octe/technologyed/SuperMileageChallenge.html

Framework

2009-02-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

We are still continuing to work on the frame of our vehicle. We have placed the sprocket and other components on the drive axle and have it in place. we also have the side rails of the frame in place and welded on. We also have put the firewall in place. This is to keep the driver from accessing the engine. We just started working on calculations for the steering. Using rear wheel steering with cables and pulleys, this step takes a lot of consideration.

Short Week

2009-01-27T12:54:00.000-08:00

Work continues at KV, we have sent our proposal in on time. Currently we are working on the frame and the drive train. We are figuring out the positions of the sprocket, brake, etc. on the drive axle. This week we haven't been able to do much because there was a presentation yesterday and the rest of the week the school has scheduled stuff in place of the time we use to work on the car. So next week we will continue were we left off in the picture that is shown.

Back To Work

2009-01-12T12:57:00.000-08:00

Well we have returned to school from Christmas break and have returned to work on the car. The last day before break we were able to mount the wheels onto the main frame in order to get it rolling. Mostly for bragging rights just to get one of our goals completed. Even though we were able to get the wheels on, we had to take them back off so we can mount the brake, sprocket, etc. onto the axle.

Another requirement for this challenge is to have a written proposal on the design of our car. It is supposed to be postmarked by this Friday. We have finished it, but the snow days at the end of the semester set us back a lot. The proposal is the proof that we are finding math calculations on the car. We had to figure out aspects such as rolling resistance, aerodynamic calculations, and properties such as that.

Pieces

2008-12-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Well, we have completed the axle holder and are in the process of positioning it so it can be welded onto the frame. Also, we have the rear steering mount machined and ready to be welded into place. We would have had the axle holder in place already but there was a small measurement problem which resulted in it not being square on the frame.

Also to keep the shape of the mono coat outer covering, we are using a steam-bent piece of wood to round out the front. This also improves the aerodynamics of the car.

Completed Front Axle Holder

It's Coming Along

2008-12-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

The front axle holder is coming along quickly. We have it all laid out and tacked, awaiting approval so we can weld it. The rear steering is also coming together nicely too. Today we are tacking on a piece to the steering holder.

Front Axle Holder

Ranks

2008-11-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

This week we have made progress on the front drive axle, rear wheel, and steering components. We have made the main support of the front axle. This will serve as the base and reinforcement for the axle braces. Also we have put the bearings and other components on the steering fork. I would also just like to introduce, more formally, the major players on our team.

Team Captain-Walter

Co-Captain/Designer-Dillon

Newsletter Editor and Photographer-Lauren

Website Editor-Joey

Drafter-Brey

Progress

2008-11-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

Construction continues in the KV shop. As of right now we have laid out our front drive axle and we are working on the braces to mount it to the frame. In order to mount it to the frame we have to lay out the whole sub-frame. We plan on making this sub-frame out of 1/4" aluminum angle pieces. This sub-frame will also serve as our mount for the braces we will lay the mono coat over. Our crew leader, Walter Wians, is also our best TIG welder. The pictures below show the drive axle laid in place behind the motor and shows Walter welding together part of the sub-frame.

Construction

2008-10-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well we have been working fairly diligently this past week. Once we figured out how to start, we started to layout the steering components and front axles. Today we actually have started to weld, so construction has officially began. We have laid out the main steering parts but have not calculated where exactly they will be placed. Either way progress is being made so we are happy. Also we are still looking for sponsors, so if you know of anyone that would like to be one please contact jmengel@kv.k12.in.us, thank you.

Steering

Engine

Front Axle

Part Being Welded

Disassembly

2008-10-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

As of this week the team has started the steps of building. We have drawn up a few sketches and ideas of what we are trying to accomplish. We also have started disassembling last years car in order to improve from it. Our main idea is to use the old frame bar from the old car and build up from there.
New ideas for this year include: rear-wheel steering, front-wheel drive, and mainly Lexan, which is a clear and lightweight plastic coating. We are hoping to have great success with this new layout, so wish us luck!

Starting Up

2008-09-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Kankakee Valley is starting their car that will compete in the I.M.S.T.E.A. Super Mileage Competition. This competition challenges high school students to design and build a car that will get as many miles per gallon as possible. Not only are they challenged on making the car work, but they have to figure the math that is involved in making it work.
So far we have created the main design and begun collecting money in order to start fabrication. This year we have high expectations. KV's highest mpg rating was 470.88. Our goal this year is 750 mpg. Last year the winner of the competition had over 1000 mpg!
Through out our design and building process we will be posting blogs to keep the public and our sponsors up to date. Thanks for all of your support.

Here are few pictures of past cars. However, we are planning on a totally different design this year.