How the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences supports the mobility industry

South Carolina’s business-friendly environment and its strong history of advanced manufacturing has positioned the state as a major player in the future of vehicles and the batteries that power many of them. The College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences has supported the industry through innovative research and educational experiences that shape the future workforce. While the number of projects is numerous, IDEAS caught up with two faculty members working on the cutting-edge of the transformation. The work of Robert Prucka and Kapil Chalil Madathil demonstrates the breadth and variety of Clemson’s work in the field and its focus on supporting industry needs.

Surprising EV capabilities

Clemson’s automotive engineering faculty and students have years of experience with electric vehicles, partly through the Deep Orange program.

As part of the program, students work with industry sponsors to design and build prototype vehicles from the ground up. Deep Orange 6, unveiled in 2016, was the first in the program to run on electricity only but not the last.

Some of the features of Deep Orange vehicles underscore the surprising benefits of EVs, said Prucka, the Alan Kulwicki Professor of Motorsports Engineering.

Deep Orange 15, for example, is a hybrid-electric rescue vehicle that could be used to run a rescue scene, providing amenities such as heat, air conditioning and lights in the aftermath of a natural disaster. A future vehicle could also include a water-purification system, Prucka said.

Deep Orange 15 also has one motor on each of the four wheels, opening new possibilities for research, he said.

“What could we do in safety situations?” Prucka asked. “How do you use this new capability to better control the vehicle? Can I take corners faster? Can I brake faster? Can I avoid accidents now that I have this new level of control of the vehicle?”

Supporting the workforce’s transition

Chalil Madathil, the Wilfred P. Tiencken Professor of Industrial and Civil Engineering, has led the creation of about 500 digital learning tools to support electric vehicle manufacturing and service. They include, for example, a simulation of a high-voltage shutdown in battery-powered electric vehicles.

Each of the tools is designed to teach skills that industry partners identified as important. The tools are arranged in lessons, which are then packaged into modules that are available for use in a wide range of settings, including high schools and two-year and four-year colleges.

The tools could also address one of the biggest areas of need– helping on-the-job workers update the skills needed to transition from internal-combustion vehicles to those that run on batteries.

Chalil Madathil, who is also the technology director of the Clemson University Center for Workforce Development, said he is working with a leading professional society to develop a plan for national distribution and the creation of credentials in both electric vehicle manufacturing and service sectors.

The tools were developed in collaboration with Trident Technical College, Greenville Technical College, Piedmont Technical College and Spartanburg Community College, with funding from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program.