 MSU center co-sponsors 2001 Clean Snowmobile Challenge
JACKSON, WYO.--As snowmobiles careen through the snow-covered valleys of Grand Teton National Park, engineers monitor their every move, testing noise and emission pollution. The quest for cleaner, quieter snowmobiles is in high gear, and MSU's Peaks to Prairies Center is supporting that search. The Society of Automotive Engineer's 2001 Clean Snowmobile Challenge, a design competition, was held recently in and around Jackson, Wyo. Thirteen schools entered the competition, sponsored in part by a $10,000 grant from the EPA Region 8 Peaks to Prairies Center, a Montana State University Extension service program that serves as a clearinghouse for pollution prevention information. Snowmobiling in sensitive areas like national parks is a hotly debated issue. Contest participants competed to develop the quietest snowmobile that significantly reduced emissions of unburned hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, and oxides of nitrogen (Nox). In addition, designs had to be easy and inexpensive enough for an outfitter to use and still give an exciting and enjoyable ride. The team from the University of Waterloo (Ontario) won first place, with first-time participants from Kettering University in Flint, Mich coming in a close second. Last year's winners from the University of Buffalo finished third. Sleds were powered by both 2-stroke and 4-stroke engines. All the sleds had to undergo rigorous emissions and noise pollution testing. Snowmobiles in the contest created up to 97 percent fewer emissions and 75 percent less decibels than a control sled. Results have suggested that 4-stroke engines, which have a more complete combustion, may be the way of the future. "We were pleased to be a sponsor (along with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency) of the emissions testing for the event," says Laura Estes, program coordinator for the Peaks to Prairies program. "Emissions testing is expensive, so data has previously been scarce. The results we obtained are good, hard data and show how emissions can be reduced by different methods. The Snowmobile Challenge was an invaluable opportunity to test a number of ideas at one time." Competition categories included oral presentation, acceleration, handling, design on paper, static display and a 100-mile endurance run. Event organizers were pleased at the large turnout of contestants and the interest shown by snowmobile manufacturers. "All participants strove to maintain performance and make retrofits cost-effective, so it really fits the Extension mission of helping get new technology into the hands of the people who can put it to work --the outfitters, shops and snowmobilers," says Estes, adding that it would be great to see a Montana school participating next year. Steve Yaeger of the Society of Automotive Engineers, is happy that snowmobile manufacturers have taken an active interest in the results of the competition. He feels that if the incentive is there - for instance, if national parks continue to restrict unmodified snowmobiles - they will start to manufacture at least some sleds using the new, more environmentally-friendly designs tested at the competition. For more information about the race, contact Laura Estes at (406) 994-3451 or Steve Yaeger at (724) 772-4068. Visit the Peaks to Prairies Center at: http://www.peakstoprairies.org
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