http://www.newsleader.com/story/news/local/2015/04/22/power-purpose-electrifies-students-gov-school/26175091/
Young team gets jolt from building electric cars
Monique Calello April 22, 2015
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Students in the electric vehicle engineering course at Shenandoah Valley
Governor's School gather around the car they're working on at the
Fishersville campus on Sunday, April 12, 2015. (Photo: Griffin Moores/The
News Leader)
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An uninstalled stack of Lithium Ion batteries sits in the electric vehicle
that students have built as part of a course at Shenandoah Valley Governor's
School. (Photo: Griffin Moores/The News Leader)
]
FISHERSVILLE — Emily Vollmer tests the electrical wiring on a 1971 Datsun in
preparation for a competition this weekend in North Carolina. One of six
students in the electric vehicle engineering class at the Governor's School,
she clearly knows what she is doing. Her focus is sharpened by earned
expertise.
When Emily first joined the electric vehicle team, she had no knowledge
about cars or electricity. She just knew she cared about the environment and
wanted to be an engineer. Basically, Emily had to learn everything.
It was definitely stressful, Emily says. There were a lot of late nights
back at home where I would come back from this at nine o'clock and think, I
don't understand what they were talking about. I would research it and then
return the next time like, OK, I think I have a better idea, I can do this.
The students had to strip out all of the existing wiring and then start
over to create the electric cars.
Learning how to wire something was really challenging for me, Emily says.
We were trying to get all these back lights to work. It was about two
months before we could get anything to work, and when we finally did it was
just really exciting. After that we got on a roll.
“It was about two months before we could get anything to work, and when we
finally did it was just really exciting.”
Emily Vollmer, student
Now Emily builds electrical components for the cars, which include the
wiring harness that gets things like the lights, horn and wipers to work.
Benjamin Lahn works with Emily on the components and wiring system. He, too,
had no experience.
I told them I didn't know anything about cars, but I would be willing to
join if they would let me and of course they said, we welcome people with no
experience, Benjamin says.
The program was created in 1993 by Ron Perry and Jack Cross. Byron Humphries
joined the team the second year and took over the helm in its third year. An
army brat whose parents were both Virginians, Humphries attended college in
Florida and then returned to Virginia.
If we were stateside, we were in Virginia, Humphries says about moving
around as a kid.
Humphries' passion and enthusiasm is contagious. This program is a labor of
love, and it shows through the transformation demonstrated by his students
and in his upbeat, engaging demeanor. When asked what motivates him, he
says, To build powerful individuals, so they can go out to do amazing
things.
“Our Datsun has been through quite a few versions, and this is the latest.
It is incredibly fast.”
Vincent Daw, teacher
The purpose of the class is evident not just in the doing but in the
becoming. A student seems to begin the course as a curious participant, not
really knowing what to do and often leaves committed to something which is
intended to make the world a better place.
Fellow instructor Vincent Daw is as fully charged as his electric cars, and
ready to talk shop with anyone who will listen. An engineering and chemistry
teacher at the Governor's School, this is Daw's second year as an instructor
for the electric vehicle class.
Second year trying to save the world! he says as soon as he walks into the
shop. Our Datsun has been through quite a few versions, and this is the
latest. It is incredibly fast.
Daw believes the electric car is on the rebound and the future looks bright.
The lead-acid batteries are ancient technology... about 100 years old, Daw
says. The Lithium battery pack is twice the energy.
In the class, students have to take a gas car, strip out the engine,
radiator, lead-acid batteries and gas tanks and then rebuild and redesign it
with electric motors, Lithium batteries and electrical components. They have
to learn everything about designing, building, installing and testing
various systems from wiring to controllers. The team has two vehicles: a
1971 Datsun 240Z and a 1983 Porsche 911.
This is a challenging process, but we get our students thinking, Daw says.
A lot of our college prep
