Some University students are buying blue books and scantrons in preparation for finals, but 12 engineering students are drawing up plans to create the first mobile hybrid bio-diesel demonstrator.The Tiger Truck is the final project for these engineering students’ 2009-2010 senior capstone design course, said Mike Murphy, mechanical engineering professor and adviser for the project.The 12 students will deconstruct a fire truck and convert it into a mobile lab that will travel to local schools and public events to fry food and use the use waste vegetable oil as bio-diesel to run the truck, said Blake Andermann, mechanical engineering senior.Mechanical engineering and biological engineering students will work together on the project in hopes of building a truck that will draw attention and promote environmentally conscience behavior, he said.”We wanted to do something that would be beneficial not only to the University but also to people in general to really make an impact,” Andermann said.The truck, which was a fully functional fire truck, was donated by the Dularge Fire Department in Dularge, La., said Scotty Verret, mechanical engineering senior.The fire truck is a perfect match because the frame was made for heavy-duty application, Andermann said.The team removed the firefighting equipment to install a fryer in the back, Andermann said.The truck will be able to drive to public events to demonstrate the use of waste vegetable oil as a fuel.”It is a completely contained unit that’s self-supporting,” he said. “All you have to do is fry some food, and you’re on your way.”The team will also convert the truck into a hybrid.”It’s not going to run just off the bio-diesel,” Andermann said. “It’s also going to generate its own electricity … almost like a Prius.”The estimated budget for the Tiger Truck is between $25,000 and $35,000, but the team is hoping to receive donations for the project, Andermann said.There are 14 groups of engineering students working on projects for this year’s course, Murphy said.Murphy said 12 of the 14 senior projects this year are funded externally.Companies have patented 14 final engineering projects in the last 10 years, he said.”The truck is probably the most complicated [project] anyone is trying to do,” Murphy said. “A bio-diesel hybrid for a student team is going to be a challenge.”The team will present its plans for the project at the beginning of December, and construction on the truck will start during the spring semester, Andermann said.The final project is due May 20, but the team would like to finish the truck for Earth Day demonstrations on April 22, he said.”It’s something everyone can learn from,” he said. “Bio-diesel isn’t science fiction. It’s a reality you can actually use in everyday life to get away from petroleum-based products.”The projects will be graded on quality of presentation and design by a panel of local engineers, Verret said.”If it doesn’t work, neither do our degrees,” Andermann said.—————Contact Kristen M’lissa Rowlett at [email protected]