Ryerson Supermileage Team

The Ryerson Supermileage Team is composed of a group of students from engineering and business at Ryerson University who have a passion for Supermileage cars. They design and build a Supermileage car to be competed at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Supermileage competition every summer in Marshall, Michigan. In 2007 the team won the Design Report category and came sixth overall out of 32 teams.

The Ryerson Supermileage Team applies the knowledge gained from academic studies to real life engineering applications. The Supermileage project involves many areas of engineering such as Aerodynamics, Structural Analysis, Computer Aided Design and Machining. The project also involves other areas such as Project Management, Public Education, Marketing, Accounting and Web Design.

The goal is to create and maintain an environment with as little pollution as possible. To achieve this goal, they promote sustainability, efficiency and quality in engineering applications such as car engines. In this regard, their vision and goals are aligned with many companies in the petroleum, energy, automotive and manufacturing industries.

On June 13th 2007 it was reported that 32 teams registered for the 2007 SAE Supermileage Competition, from June 7-8, in Marshall, Michigan. Ryerson's team came in sixth place overall, beating three other Canadian Universities (Laval University placed fourth) and such well-known American Universities as UCLA, Penn State, and Berkeley. First place went to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, known around the world for their skill and expertise. And the Ryerson team came in first in the Design Report category. For the 2006-07 year, the Co-captains were Donald Seto and John Chang. Other members of the team are Shawn Emran, Raees Ahmed, Jeffrey Ong, John Cia & Quoc Dinh.

History

In 2002, the Pegasus II was a prototype Supermileage vehicle set out to prove the general concept of a head-first driving position. The 2002 Ryerson team was placed 7nd with a mileage of 715mpg at the 2002 SAE Supermileage competition. In 2003, it was the team’s first attempt to improve the prototype to a competitive level. The Pegasus III was the smallest, lightest, and most aerodynamic car at the 2003 competition. The team was placed 4th with 740mpg as a result of 50mph winds that kept all collegiate teams from reaching 1000mpg at the 2003 competition. The top teams on average dropped 200-300mpg from their respective results from 2002. It was promising that the Pegasus III vehicle increased by 25mpg, which reflected the improvements.

In 2004, the Pegasus III had its engine modified with an introduction of a closed loop feedback fuel injection system. The improved vehicle, Pegasus IV once again showed its potential by keeping up with the current competition by obtaining a higher mileage per gallon than its predecessor. The Pegasus IV vehicle set its record for its own name by achieving 842mpg at the 2004 SAE Supermileage competition and placing the team 5th out of 33 teams from across North America.

From 2001-2004, the Ryerson SAE Supermileage team has developed the Pegasus IV vehicle, and 2004 seemed to have peaked, the potential of the vehicle. In 2005, the team implemented the decision of designing a brand new vehicle. The design of the Rocket I Supermileage vehicle included a light chassis and had the driver in the sitting position. This new vehicle paved the way as the prototype for a lighter chassis and body. In 2006, the Rocket I vehicle went under the redesign of continuous improvement in creating a lighter chassis and body, a better steering system, and engine system. The development of the resigned prototype resulted in the 2006 Rocket II vehicle performing better than its predecessor.

The Vehicle

All vehicles at the competition must use the same engine supplied by Briggs & Stratton (Model 091202 Type1016E1A1001). The engine is air cooled, four cycle, with a 2.61 kW (3.5 horsepower) rating at 3600 rpm. The sole source of vehicle propulsion must be from the four-cycle engine. Any inertial system, if used, must be at rest prior to the start of the performance run. The fuel used will be iso-octane so as to provide uniformity in fuel composition. Batteries can be carried in each vehicle but are limited to starting systems, ignitions & instrumentation.

The vehicle must have a minimum of three wheels contacting the ground at all times. It must have steering geometry capable of a 15.2 m (50 feet) maximum inside turning radius. The vehicle, with the qualified driver, must maintain full wheel contact with a ramp of 20 degrees (measured from horizontal) when located statically on the ramp to the following configuration: one front wheel and one rear wheel of the vehicle must contact a horizontal line on the ramp with the vehicle in full right and left turn configuration. No supporting structure or wheel contact is permitted on the ramp below the horizontal line.