Industry participation and student involvement have put Ohio State’s Center for Automotive Research on the cutting edge of automotive science since 1991.

More than 300 undergraduate students along with several graduate students and advisers work all year with CAR to improve auto makers’ products and test their designs in international competitions.

CAR, supported by industry and government grants and contracts, conducts research in automotive electronics systems, heavy duty vehicles, intelligent transportation, vibration, dynamics and powertrain technologies.

CAR is also involved in developing hydrogen and electric powertrain technologies, said Giorgio Rizzoni, CAR director and professor of mechanical and electrical engineering.

Among several other projects, the center is currently testing a hydrogen-powered golf cart, a smaller version of the automobile hybrid design.

“Full sized hydrogen fuel cells are incredibly expensive,” said Shawn Midlam-Mohler, a senior research associate. “The golf cart is just like a car, but we can use a smaller fuel cell at one-tenth the cost.”

Midlam-Mohler also said that most of CAR engineers’ time is spent analyzing data.

“We’ll spend six months setting up a research project, two weeks testing it and another six months studying the results,” he said.

The center is located in a 35,000-square-foot facility on Kinnear Road, which boasts several dynamometers used to measure power and torque put out by an engine, combustion laboratories, a hybrid-electric propulsion research facility and a sound-proof garage.

With support from Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, both engineering and non-engineering students can participate in one of four competitions housed at CAR, Rizzoni said.

The Buckeye Bullet team, a CAR student project which sent a 4,000-pound electric-powered car to a speed of more than 300 mph, broke the world land-speed record for an electric-powered automobile.

Mini Baja, a competition which OSU has participated in since 1979, is an undergraduate project aimed at designing and fabricating an all-terrain vehicle.

Formula Buckeyes, a Formula SAE project team, designs, builds and races a small Indy-style race car.

Challenge X is a competition to students to create the most fuel-efficient, environment-friendly vehicle. Students integrate advanced technology such as electric motors into an existing car.

“It’s very uncommon for a university automotive research facility to have so many undergraduate student volunteers,” Rizzoni said.

All of the projects are housed at the center, which provides a valuable resource for learning undergraduates, said Brian Schoeny, Formula Buckeyes’ team leader and a senior in mechanical engineering.

CAR also provides testing facilities, office space, faculty advising and industry contacts for the teams, said Courtney Coburn, Challenge X team leader.

All four teams are looking for non-engineering students to participate in some aspect of the project. Teams are judged not only on vehicle performance, but also business presentations, design concepts and project costs.

Matthew Brinkman, OSU’s off-road Mini Baja team leader and a senior in mechanical engineering, said the team currently has both a business and a psychology student on the team.

“At one point the team’s captain was a nursing major,” Brinkman said. “Go figure.”

Midlam-Mohler also said the teams have a strong need for individuals interested in business, marketing, or public relations, as well as those with an interest in vehicles or alternative energy.

“Even if you don’t know anything about cars, it’s a great learning experience,” Midlam-Mohler said. “You’ll learn so much just by hanging around.”