The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, June 3; 1981-Page 5
New car being developed
MADISON, Wis. (UPI)-Two researchers at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison say they are on the
verge of engineering a car capable of traveling 100
miles on a gallon of gasoline.
The key to the experiment is a yariable speed tran-
smission, a system of belts and pulleys that con-
tinuously change their "gear ratio" as driving con-
ditions dictate.
Andre Frank and Norman Beachley say the
variable speed transmission would allow the engine
to run at a speed which produces the most efficient
power.
"WITH TODAY'S cars, in order to reduce power
you have to throttle-down the engine," Frank said.
"This wastes gas because the engine isn't operating
most efficiently.
Frank said the accelerator pedal in a car with a
variable speed transmission would be attached to the
transmission instead of the engine. The driver would
change gear ratios as well as speed up the engine by
pushing the pedal.
"This is a rather drastic change in philosophy,"
Local
hikers
prepare
to trek
Divide
(Continued from Page 5)
doing it," Clarke said. "Lots of times
we'll want to quit.
One supporter of the trek has been the
University's Center for Fitness and
Sports Research, which has donated a
testing and training program to the
project. "They're all in excellent
physical condition," said Fred Gar-
man, project associate at the center.
THE CENTER has given the hikers
stress tests and advice on nutrition and
physical training. It plans to conduct a
follow-up test after the hike to deter- Salmo
mine the hikers' bodily changes as a The C
result of the trek, and will possibly
examine the hikers' conditions mid-trip
in Colorado.
The group will rest for five days in
Colorado before continuing the hike. S
Clarke said, "Our biggest problems will
be weather and terrain. Animals are
usually not a big problem." He said
they may run into overflowing rivers
and, if it rains near the desert, mud.
AN OUTWARD HOUND graduate,-
Kahn, 21, also described what the trip
will be like. "It's going to be a tough
trip. We're going to be wet and cold, but
there'll be sunshine and wildflowers,
too." The native Ann Arborite has
taken a year's leave from his sculpture
studies at Northern Michigan Univer-
sity to make the trip.
The fourth hiker, Stewart Merritt, 23, D
graduated in May with a computer
science degree from the University. He
is also a veteran hiker, and has taken
month-long hikes before, but "nothing
like this," Merritt said.
Kahn and the other hikers felt the trip D
will be a turning point in their lives. "It
will make a tremendous impact on my
life,"Kahn laid.---------- ..-
Maybe capable
of 100 mp
Frank says. "You're driving the transmission rather
than the engine."
THE VARIABLE SPEED transmission is not new.
Every snowmobile has one. But adapting it to
automobiles is novel. Frank said he and his students
were concentrating on developing one durable
enough for cars.
Once perfected, the transmission will cut a car's
gasoline consumption by 20 to 30 percent, but Frank
wants to increase the car's fuel economy by putting a
flywheel between the engine and transmission.
THAT, FRANK SAID, will leta 3,000-pound car run
50 miles per gallon and a lightweight car 100 miles.
per gallon.
Frank said the engine will drive the flywheel and
the flywheel will power the car. Once the flywheel
reaches a certain speed, the engine will stop and start
again only when needed.
"The transmission is the key," Frank said. "If we
can build a durable variable speed transmission, ad-
ding the flywheel will be relatively easy."
FRANK SAID THE car most likely will be built in
Japan .because a Japanese auto company has been
supporting the research since U.S. Department of
Energy research funds were cut unexpectedly this
year.
He said a major domestic company "has been
playing around" with the transmissions." But he said
domestic companies were more conservative than
the Japanese firms and reluctant to support research
on such an unorthodox concept.
I
Making waves
on fishermen block the entrance to San Francisco Bay to protest a federal-order cutting short the salmon season.
oast Guard later cleared a path for the freighter without incident.
I]o
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