Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- With new emissions laws for diesel engines coming in 2009, engineers are faced with the task of how to make diesel emissions cleaner. A group of University of Wisconsin-Platteville students are collaborating with Miniature Precision Components Inc. of Walworth, to help solve this problem.

Eric Wittwer, James Newman, Amy Hor, Ben Tredinnick and Peter Hedlund are working with urea solution as a means to decrease toxic emissions. Urea has ammonia in it, which cancels out NOX pollutants. The challenge for the group is how to get the urea into the catalectic converter of the engine and prevent the solution from freezing in cold weather. Currently, all liquids and parts of an engine have to be able to stand temperatures of negative 40 degrees fahrenheit. The group's goal is to develop a system that keeps the urea solution thawed for use even after the vehicle is idle for three days.

Working on the project has taught the group about teamwork and researching a problem that may not always have a specific solution. These are things that they feel they may apply in their future careers.

"Throughout our academic careers, we are given problems with a specific solutions. This is more open ended. It's a different way of thinking and approaching a problem,"said Tredinnick.

Added Wittwer, "In engineering, you may have to invent something. In order to accomplish a task, you have to know what to do and how to apply your research."

Since using urea solution to decrease toxic emissions is a relatively new idea, the group has had to rely on their own research, past experience and help from their client and professors. The group said that Brent Ertl of Miniature Precision Components Inc. was especially helpful in providing materials, information and direction to the team. Help with the chemistry of the project came from James Hamilton, professor of physical chemistry at UWP, who lent the group equipment and answered any questions they had. Hal Evensen, UWP associate professor of engineering physics, served as the group's advisor, giving them advice on teamwork and motivating them to keep moving forward with the project.

Each member of the group had slightly different reasons for attending UWP. They like the small class sizes, the engineering program and the faculty.

"On multiple occasions, I've asked another professor that I haven't had for class for help and in almost every instance, they were far more helpful than I needed them to be," said Hedlund.

All the students anticipate graduating in engineering physics in May 2008. Wittwer plans on earning an emphasis in electrical power with a physics minor and is the son of John and Kathryn Wittwer of Lake Mills. Tredinnick will have MEMS and nanotechnology minor and is the son of Anne and Bill Tredinnick of DeForest. Newman will have a controls emphasis and is the son of Jay and Mary Jo Newman of Argyle. Hor is the daughter of Hor Tek Lip and Kee Siew of Alor Star, Kedah, Malaysia. Hedlund is the son of Randy and Wendy Hedlund of DePere.

Contact: Hal Evensen, assistant professor of physics, (608) 342-1531, evensenh@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu