MOMENTUM - November 2024 - 14

STUDENT GENERATION
" To be able to clearly communicate the value of the
research is something that many people struggle with, but is a
critical aspect to provide justification for funding, " said
organizer Russell " Russ " Truemner of Systems Research
Engineering, LLC. As one of the panel's original founders,
Truemner is dedicated to teaching graduate students how to
share their research so even non-engineers can understand the
importance of their work.
" Presenting that knowledge, especially on a stage, involves
a different skill set, " added co-organizer Shawn Ray of SEA,
Ltd. " Learning how to be a good presenter, and how to convey
your ideas, is critical-and it is a learned, artful, and detailed
process, involving a lot of practice. "
HOW IT WORKS
SAE COMVEC is where members of the commercial vehicle community
meet to address the most pressing issues across the on-highway, offhighway,
and defense sectors.
MEET THE PANELISTS
ALEX CZARNECKI is a Ph.D. student of mechanical engineering at
Michigan Technological University. His expected graduation is autumn 2025.
Could you describe your research for this panel?
I am part of a project that converted an off-highway material handler from conventional diesel
into a hybrid-electric prototype to demonstrate a 20% reduction in fuel consumption. My
research was focused on matching productivity between the conventional and hybrid version
to gain confidence that any measured efficiency improvements will be real. Off-highway
machines with hydraulic systems are complex to operate and need other performance
metrics in addition to vehicle speed to fully define a working cycle, so engine parameters
like torque and engine speed are typically used. In this project, the final machine was
a hybrid that can operate on battery power with the engine off, so
those metrics were no longer useful for a comprehensive working
cycle. This is why I used information about the hydraulic system to
define the productivity of the machine, a method that works for the
conventional diesel and hybrid versions. The solution was a visual aid in
the form of a screen in the cab that showed real time position of multiple
hydraulic functions and an indication of where to move them next.
What have you learned from this experience?
One of the biggest things that I have learned from this experience is how
valuable it is to be concise in engineering communication. It is easy to get
absorbed in the technical work that I am surrounded by every day and have the
need to share every detail, but having the ability to share the most important
information in a brief way is vital.
Each year, four panelists and one moderator (chosen from
previous panel participants) are selected from several key
universities. Prospective panelists go through an informal
interview, where it's determined whether their research topics
would be of interest to COMVEC attendees. Organizers also
look for enthusiasm in candidates-as well as the ability to
effectively describe their work.
Once four students are chosen, each is assigned two
organizers; these organizers provide support and guidance as
14 November 2024
MOMENTUM
PHOTOS: SAE International

MOMENTUM - November 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MOMENTUM - November 2024