| "The university has the capability to help us understand theoretical problems. They can develop and evaluate methods for overcoming problems." |
Begin with the impact of federal clean air regulations. Add one of the largest industries in Wisconsin. Throw in the university and add a governor for good measure. The result has been a recipe for success in the form of the Wisconsin Small Engine Consortium. It's a cooperative effort between the UW-Madison College of Engineering's Engine Research Center and UW-Milwaukee's College of Engineering, along with Wisconsin small engine manufacturers Briggs and Stratton Corporation of Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson Inc. of Milwaukee, Kohler Company in Kohler, Fond du Lac's Mercury Marine Division of Brunswick Corporation, Nelson Industries Inc. of Stoughton and Outboard Marine Corporation of Waukesha.
This unique research partnership, which began in 1993, is funded 50 percent by the participating companies and 50 percent by the state. It essentially began with Governor Tommy Thompson, who had become concerned about the impact of pending emission reduction regulations on a critical Wisconsin industry. "The governor was instrumental in starting the consortium--he was the instigator of the whole thing," says Sam Coates, manager of advanced engine systems at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac. "He saw the value of the small engine industry to Wisconsin in terms of employment and the economy."
The value is significant. Small engines power everything from lawn mowers to boats to motorcycles. Wisconsin is considered a major center of small engine production--it's estimated that 17,000 people are directly employed by the state's small engine industry. The consortium estimates that an additional 70,000 Wisconsinites work at companies which supply the engine manufacturers with parts, materials and services.
Left to right: Assistant Professor Jaal Ghandhi, graduate students Jeff Hoffman and Mark Casarella, and consortium members Frank McGinnity of Outboard Marine Corp. and Sam Coates of Mercury Marine with the consortium-developed Transient Spray Patternator.
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The industry is facing tremendous challenge in the form of both emission reduction regulations and traditional competition from foreign manufacturers. "Offshore companies like Yamaha, Honda and Suzuki have immense economic and engineering resources to tackle problems like noise and emissions, and approach their R&D from an automotive background," says Bill Latus, manager of applied research at Briggs and Stratton. "With new regulations, our product will need to be more durable in terms of efficiency and emissions control. We'll be highly capitalized to a more sophisticated product line, which is a big investment--we want to do it right."
Research results from the consortium's team efforts are already encouraging. One project working with four-stroke engines (the type used in lawn mowers, for example) has produced a system for studying how differences in fuel/air mixtures affect performance and emission levels. The system yields results that will help manufacturers determine the best designs for fuel metering devices like carburetors.
Another project aimed at two-stroke engines (marine engines, for example) has developed a device called the Transient Spray Patternator, which measures spray behavior in fuel injectors. It will help improve emissions because the solution to the problem of exhaust emissions in two-stroke engines likely requires direct fuel injection into the engine cylinder, says Coates. "Knowing the spray characteristics of those injectors is important to understanding the nature of combustion and developing optimal solutions to the emissions problem," he says. Once the patternator characterizes the sprays they are evaluated in the single-cylinder test engine. The information can be used in the design of multi-cylinder engines.
The patternator concept was developed by college researchers including Mechanical Engineering Professor Jay K. Martin and graduate student Jeff Hoffman. The development was carried out in facilities of the college's federally funded Engine Research Center, a U.S. Army Center of Excellence in Advanced Propulsion Systems. The design work was a cooperative effort with industry and the device was fabricated at Mercury Marine. It is being patented by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the consortium is looking for potential manufacturers.
The consortium provides a framework for researching complex subjects and sharing information that didn't exist before, says Latus. "There has to be a balance. You need to identify key problems you can share without giving away confidentiality. But the benefits are great--we wouldn't be able to spend the same level of time internally trying to understand theoretical problems as you can in the consortium atmosphere. The university has additional research capability that can supplement industry. They can identify specific problem areas and also can evaluate methods to resolve concerns.
"We believe this consortium has worked," says Latus. "We're looking to continue working together with the state and university as an industry based consortium. Hopefully as we reach required levels of emissions, there will be other opportunities for research. It might not be regulation driven--it could be competitive offshore driven.
"The university has the capability to help us understand theoretical problems. They can develop and evaluate methods for overcoming problems. With practical insight provided by industry, they can key in on variables that provide the best solutions."
--By Karen Walsh--
| For further information, please contact: |
Jay K. Martin, 608/263-9460
martin@engr.wisc.edu
Copyright 1997 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
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Date last modified: Wednesday, 19-Mar-1997 12:00:00 CST
Date created: 19-Mar-1997
