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Instrumentation and research have begun on Argonne's latest hybrid electric car acquisition -- the Honda Insight. Researchers will evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the hybrid car's components and control system.
Argonne transportation researchers have been heralding hybrids as one of the most promising clean, efficient car designs of the future. Hybrids use both electricity and a gasoline, diesel or an alternative fuel engine to provide power for the vehicle's operation. Most hybrids combine an electric motor and an internal combustion engine for more efficient and cleaner operation compared to conventional vehicles.
After taking the car for a spin around the site, Interim Laboratory Director Yoon Chang said the Insight, which uses a three-cylinder, 1.0 liter, 63-horsepower gasoline engine and a 15-horsepower electric motor, has "good handling and acceleration."
Harvey Drucker, associate laboratory director for Energy, Environmental Science and Technology, called the car "striking -- pretty hard to miss."
"Its remarkable performance is due to its all- aluminum and composite construction," Drucker said. "It weighs in at just over 1,800 pounds."
The two-seater resembles a blend of two Honda models, the rear a futuristic CRX and a super-sleek Civic front. Its color -- "citrus yellow metallic" -- is a head-turner. It has been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency to deliver fuel economy of 61 miles per gallon in the city, 70 mpg on the highway and meets California's ultra-low-emission vehicle standard.
Current production hybrid designs never need recharging from external sources, have much longer driving ranges than electric vehicles can provide, and are much more affordable -- the Insight lists for under $20,000. Hybrids are predicted by some industry observers to become widely available in the coming decade.
Transportation researchers will run the car through its paces in the Advanced Powertrain Test Facility (APTF) to characterize how efficient the Insight's components are and learn about its control system. Maps of the Insight's powertrain will be made -- sets of data that capture the relationships among energy consumption, power output and emissions. Engineers are collecting these data to improve computer models for designing, evaluating and controlling new hybrid vehicle designs.
The Department of Energy's Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies established the APTF at Argonne to test and validate advanced hybrid-vehicle components.
In the APTF, one of the world's few independent hybrid vehicle research facilities, the engine and electric motor are connected to a dynamometer. An Argonne-developed computer program commands the dynamometer to put the hybrid powertrain through a variety of simulated driving conditions. Those conditions range from uphill highway passing to cruising on a country road to stop-and-go morning commutes into the city.
Researchers will monitor fuel economy, performance and emissions. They will pay special attention to the state of charge of the Insight's nickel-metal-hydride batteries since their durability is a critical issue in hybrid electric vehicles. Researchers in the Chemical Technology Division are also testing batteries like those in the Insight, and the two programs are sharing information on their work.
Staff in the APTF developed a technique to test hybrid engines while still in the car using a thin torque transducer. Typically the vehicle's engine is removed and connected to a dynamometer to measure engine torque.
"Getting an engine map of a hybrid is difficult because the engine is so highly integrated with the rest of the powertrain and computer control system," said Bob Larsen (ES), director of Argonne's Center for Transportation Research. "Getting the engine to work outside of the vehicle by itself is almost impossible."
To test the engine in the vehicle, technicians encase a German-made torque transducer -- an electronic sensor only 5 inches in diameter and 1.5 inches thick -- into a housing the size of a small snare drum and squeeze it into the tight engine compartment, extending the transaxle. "To our knowledge, no one has ever used this type of transducer to measure engine torque directly in a drivetrain," said Argonne lead APTF engineer Mike Duoba (ES).
The Insight is the first hybrid electric car for sale in the United States and the second hybrid car to be fully tested at the APTF. The Toyota Prius, which has been sold in Japan since 1998 and will be available in the United States this summer, was tested in 1999 using the in-engine torque transducer.
U.S. car manufacturers are expected to be selling hybrids in the next few years. This year they introduced their Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles (PNGV) concept cars, all featuring hybrid powertrains.
APTF data is shared with Argonne's partners in the PNGV, a government-industry consortium to create an 80-mpg passenger car.
-- Evelyn Brown
Representatives of 24 educational institutions will visit Argonne-East Wednesday, April 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., to answer questions about courses, degrees and class schedules.
The "college fair" will be held in Building 202, Room B169, and is open to all Argonne employees whose work schedules permit. Information about the Argonne Educational Assistance Program and CLEP (credit for life experiences) will be provided at the fair by the Human Resources department.
Invited educational institutions include: Benedictine University, College of DuPage, College of St. Francis, Daley College, DePaul, DeVry, Elmhurst, Harper, Illinois Institute of Technology, Joliet Junior College, Keller, Lewis, Loyola, Moraine Valley, National-Louis, North Central, Northern Illinois University,Northwestern University, Northwestern Business School, Olivet Nazarene, Purdue Calumet, Robert Morris, Southern Illinois University and St. Xavier.
The Plant Facilities and Services Division and Human Resources co-host this annual event. For more information, call Karen Kroczek (PFS) at ext. 2-8764 or Charlyne Robinson (HR) at ext. 2-3410.
Students from Minooka Community High School, winners of the 2000 Argonne Rube Goldberg Machine Contest, will demonstrate their machine at Argonne-East Tuesday, April 11.
Demonstrations will be held in the Building 213 Cafeteria from noon to 1:15 p.m.
The three-member team defeated eight other Chicago-area high schools by building the wackiest machine to fill and seal a clear glass jar in 20 or more steps.
Early registration for Joliet Junior College summer classes will be offered Monday, April 10, at Argonne-East.
College representatives will be available in the Human Resources office in Building 201 from noon to 4 p.m. to register students for summer classes. Employees must bring completed and approved educational assistance forms (ANL-89) to the registration.
Call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410 for more information.
A representative from Fidelity Investments, Inc. will visit Argonne-West in coming weeks for individual consultations on asset allocations, retirement planning and transfers of assets.
Dates will be: April 24 and 25, May 11, 12, 30 and 31, and June 21. For an appointment, call 1-800-642-7131 and identify yourself as an Argonne employee in Idaho.
A representative from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company ("MetLife") will visit Argonne-East on Tuesday, April 4, Tuesday, April 11 and Tuesday, April 25, to meet with individual employees for insurance comparisons and quotes for the "METPAY" group automobile and homeowners insurance program.
To schedule an appointment, call (630) 810-0346, ext. 143. Before each appointment, employees should fax their auto policy renewal statements to Craig Riddick at (630) 810-1628.
Auditions for the Argonne Variety Show will be held Tuesday, April 4, in Argonne-East's Building 362 Auditorium.
Employees who can sing, dance, act or play a musical instrument are needed.
The show will be held Thursday, May 18, at 7 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 362 Auditorium. Rehearsal and ticket information will appear in a futureArgonne News.
For more information, contact Jessie McHenry (OPA) at ext. 2-5545.
Human Resources has scheduled classes in presentations, leadership and meeting facilitation in April.
"Presentation
Excellence" (HR532) helps improve presentation delivery
by providing techniques to improve one's confidence,
organization and effectiveness. Thursday and Friday, April
13-14, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Building 212, Room A157.
"Leadership
and Motivation" (HR641) will help participants
understand leadership and how to encourage employee
motivation. Thursday, April 20, from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. in
Building 201, Room 190.
"Facilitating
Effective Meetings" (HR636) focuses on a six-step
meeting process and group facilitation techniques to help
build consensus, handle conflict and keep meetings on
target. Wednesday, April 26, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. in
Building 201, Room 274.
To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative. Call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410 for more information orvisit the HR Web site.
Argonne's Division of Unscientific Heuristics (DUH) has created a list of science phrases and their definitions to help laypersons understand the sometimes-mysterious language of scientists.
"It
has long been known" - I didn't look up the original
reference.
"While
it has not been possible to provide definite answers to the
questions" - An unsuccessful experiment, but I still
hope to get it published.
"Three
of the samples were chosen for detailed study" - The
other results didn't make any sense.
"Typical
results are shown" - This is the prettiest graph.
"These
results will be in a subsequent report" - I might get
around to this sometime, if pushed or funded.
"In
my experience" - Once.
"In
case after case" - Twice.
"In
a series of cases" - Thrice.
"It
is believed that" - I think.
"It
is generally believed that" - A couple of others think
so, too.
"Correct
within an order of magnitude" - Wrong.
"A
statistically-oriented projection of the significance of
these findings" - A guess.
"A
careful analysis of obtainable data" - Three pages of
notes were obliterated when I knocked over a glass of beer.
"It
is clear that much additional work will be required before a
complete understanding of this phenomenon occurs" - I
don't understand it.
"After
additional study by my colleagues" - They don't
understand it either.
"Thanks
are due to Joe Blotz for assistance with the experiment and
to Cindy Adams for valuable discussions" - Mr. Blotz
did the work and Ms. Adams explained to me what it meant.
March Service Awards:
Shirley F. Laidler (ERA).
Frances R. Clark (TD), Victor L. Davidson (PFS), Donald D. Grube (BIO), Richard J. Prien (ASD).
Thomas S. Whitlock (IPD).
Michael E. Bartos (OCF), Eddie Davis (TD), Eugene E. Gezik (PFS), Raymond Michael Miller (ER), Jerome W. Rathke (CMT), Dorathea A. Seymour (DIS), Jean A. Verklan (RA).
William G. Brown (PFS), Thomas M. Burt (RA), Janice M. Coble (MSD), Teresita D. Mendoza (OCF), Robert L. Parks (OD), Bryan C. Smith (ED), Donald G. Sutter (PFS), Yvette N. Woell (IPD).
Calvin Morgan (ED), Kurt C. Picel (EA), Branko Ruscic (CHM), Dennis D. Tussing (ECT).
Mariska J.G. Absil-Mills (DIS), Anita C. Alamillo (CMT), Christine Anderson (OD), Michael J. Bristol (RPS), Rogelio Camacho (PFS), Janet M. Carothers (CMT), Loren R. Flatten (OD), Bryan L. Forsmann (ED), Efim Gluskin (XFD), William D. Gropp (MCS), William H. Hannum (OTD), Mary Kay Jakovich (AOD), Jon V. Jones (OD), Sandra S. Landers (HR), Thomas K. Mack (ED), Gregory J. Mitchell (OD), Karen M. Neumann (PFS), Leslie A. Nieves (DIS), Jean R. Slater (DIS), James R. Spindler (IPNS), Eugene F. Ulas (PFS), Patrick L. Wilkey (ES), Paul J. Wolf (OD).
Guo-Ren Bai (MSD), Karen Byrum (HEP), Nick A. Carbaugh (ESH), Kelly Hansen (PFS), Melanie Johnson (HR), Hubert Ley (RA), John A. Schlueter (CHM), Todd Teel (ECT).
