Technical Paper
Colorado State University Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2002
2002-10-21
2002-01-2758
A student design team at Colorado State University (CSU) has developed an innovative snowmobile to compete in the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2002 competition. The team selected a 600cc two-stroke cycle engine (Arctic Cat ZRT600) due to its favorable power/weight ratio. In order to reduce emissions, the team adapted the engine to operate with direct in-cylinder fuel injection, using the Orbital Combustion Process (OCP) air-assisted fuel injection system. This conversion required that the team design and cast new heads for the engine. The direct-injection system reduced carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by 70% and total hydrocarbon (THC) emissions by 90%. An oxidation catalyst was placed in the engine's silencer to oxidize the remaining CO and hydrocarbons. The combination of direct injection and oxidation catalyst reduced both CO and THC by over 99%. In order to reduce noise, the team switched from the use of three expansion chambers (i.e.
