Chainless Challenge Winners

A hydraulically powered bicycle designed by M&IE students took first place in the first Parker Chainless Challenge human-hydraulic powered bicycle race, sponsored by the Parker Hannifin Corporation. The Orange and Blue team took first place in three of seven categories judged, including Manufacturability, Marketability and Cost. The bike also finished first in a 12-mile circuit race through the Cleveland, OH, MetroParks Brecksville Reservation, giving the team the highest overall score in a field of nine universities. Parker Hannifin awarded the winning team $18,000 in prize money, with $8000 going to the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and $10,000 in scholarships going to the students.

Two teams of students, co-advised by Prof. Ty Newell and Prof. Harley Johnson, worked cooperatively to design the drive train, which consisted of hydraulic pumps and a motor, during the Spring 2005 semester of MIE 470, Senior Design Project. They installed the drive train in both a standard bicycle and a recumbent bike, impressing judges with the versatility of the design.

The members of the Orange and Blue team were Aaron Foege, Kevin Knight, Thomas Korder, Leena Prasad, Michael Purfield, Blake Thrasher, Jacob Virostko and Jacqueline Vogel. Other universities competing included California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; Cleveland State University; Murray State University; Purdue University; University of Akron; University of California, Irvine; University of Cincinnati; and Western Michigan University.