MOMENTUM - February 2024 - 19

STUDENT GENERATION
THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSINPLATTEVILLE'S
SAE Clean Snowmobile team
competes in the SAE Clean Snowmobile
Challenge every year; this year's event will be
held March 7-9, 2024, in Houghton, MI. The goal
of the competition is to design and build
snowmobiles to be cleaner, quieter, and more
efficient. UW-Platteville's nickname is the
" Pioneers, " and we channel that energy into
everything we do, pioneering our way into the
future of snowmobiles.
Currently, UW-Platteville competes with
two snowmobiles and is the only school to do
so. Competing with two sleds requires time
and dedication, especially for a team of our
size. We are one of the smallest schools to
compete, which presents its own unique
benefits and challenges. We spend countless
hours planning and preparing for the
competition, and it shows: the team won backto-back
overall spark ignition (SI)
championships the last two years, as well as
first place in the sound division. In 2023, the
diesel snowmobile took second in the
compression ignition (CI) class, as well as first
place in the sound division.
UW-Platteville's SI snowmobile is based on
the 2020 Yamaha Sidewinder platform.
Throughout the years, the team has
shoehorned a Ford 1.0L EcoBoost out of a car
into the sled. Currently, our team is working to
reduce noise, create self-deploying ice
scratchers, program auto start-stop,
manufacture a gear, and update the electronics
enclosure. Along with this, we are
experimenting with different clutching and
tuning to increase fuel economy and decrease
tailpipe emissions, all while keeping the sled
fun to ride for the average person.
UW-Platteville's CI sled consists of a 2022
Yamaha VK540 chassis with a Kubota D902
diesel. The biggest goal for this year is to
create an active regeneration system for the
diesel particulate filter (DPF). This system will
improve the reliability and rideability of this
machine by allowing the sled to clean the DPF
while driving. Progress has been made with
clutch tuning by adjusting the secondary
clutch to put more load on the engine and take
advantage of the low-end torque. We plan to
perform further testing and adjustments once
the snow flies, along with testing the newly
developed electronic throttle to reduce thumb
fatigue while driving.
Beyond competing, professional success is
also important to the team. SAE connects many
MOMENTUM
February 2024 19
ABOVE: UW-Platteville
is speeding towards the
2024 competition
season. Will they take
home overall top class
again?
LEFT: Cade Klefstad,
captain of the UWPlatteville's
Clean
Snowmobile team.
BELOW: A close up of
one of the team's two
snowmobiles. UWPlatteville
is the only
team to compete with
two sleds.
PHOTOS: SAE International
https://www.sae.org/attend/student-events/sae-clean-snowmobile-challenge https://www.sae.org/attend/student-events/sae-clean-snowmobile-challenge
MOMENTUM - February 2024

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