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Kettering University's entry in the 2003 Clean Snowmobile Challenge entails the installation of a fuel injected four-stroke engine into a conventional snowmobile chassis. Exhaust emissions are minimized through the use of a catalytic converter and an electronically controlled closed-loop fuel injection system, which also maximizes fuel economy. Noise emissions are minimized by the use of a specifically designed engine silencing system and several chassis treatments. Emissions tests run during the SAE collegiate design event revealed that a snowmobile designed by Kettering University produces lower unburned hydrocarbon (1.5 to 7 times less), carbon monoxide (1.5 to 7 times less), and oxides of nitrogen (and 5 to 23 times less) levels than the average automobile driven in Yellowstone National Park. The Kettering University entry also boasted acceleration performance better than the late-model 500 cc two-stroke snowmobile used as a control snowmobile in the Clean Snowmobile testing.

A vehicle’s performance and fuel economy plays an important role in obtaining a larger market share in the segment. This can be best achieved by optimizing the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Aerodynamics can be improved by altering the bodylines on a vehicle. Its drag coefficient can be maintained at a minimum value by properly designing various component profiles. The stability of a vehicle and Passenger comfort are affected by wind noise that is related to the aerodynamics of a vehicle. To study the effects of the above-mentioned parameters, the vehicle is tested inside a wind tunnel. In this paper, the authors study the body profile for different vehicles and analyze them using Computational Fluid Dynamics software - FLUENT. To study the influence of different body profiles on drag coefficient, 3 different vehicle segments are considered.

Kettering University's entry in the 2002 Clean Snowmobile Challenge involves the installation of a fuel injected four-stroke engine into a conventional snowmobile chassis. Exhaust emissions are minimized through the use of a catalytic converter and an electronically controlled closed-loop fuel injection system, which also maximizes fuel economy. Noise emissions are minimized by the use of a specifically designed engine silencing system and several chassis treatments. Emissions tests run during the SAE collegiate design event revealed that a snowmobile designed by Kettering University produces lower unburned hydrocarbon (1.5 to 7 times less), carbon monoxide (1.5 to 7 times less), and oxides of nitrogen (and 5 to 23 times less) levels than the average automobile driven in Yellowstone National Park. The Kettering University entry also boasted acceleration performance better than the late-model 500 cc two-stroke snowmobile used as a control snowmobile in the Clean Snowmobile testing.

Kettering University's Clean Snowmobile Challenge student design team has developed a new robust and innovative snowmobile for the 2005 competition. This snowmobile dramatically reduces exhaust and noise emissions and improves fuel economy compared with a conventional snowmobile. Kettering University has utilized a modified snowmobile in-line four cylinder, four-stroke, engine. The team added an electronically-controlled fuel-injection system with oxygen sensor feedback to this engine. This engine has been installed into a 2003 Yamaha RX-1 snowmobile chassis. Exhaust emissions have been further minimized through the use of a customized catalytic converter and an electronically controlled closed-loop fuel injection system. A newly designed and tuned exhaust as well as several chassis treatments have aided in minimizing noise emissions.