Michael R. Seal is founder, former director of the Vehicle Research Institute (VRI), and faculty emeritus at Western Washington University, "very possibly the best school in the country for total car design," according to Robert Cumberford, automotive design editor of Automobile magazine.
Among current projects for Seal, his students and staff are Viking 29, a ground-up designed two-seater which runs on Thermophotovoltaic (TPV or "Midnight Sun"®) generators; Viking 23, a sporty two-seater powered by electric power and reformulated gasoline; Viking 25, a production Neon converted to electric/CNG propulsion; Viking 27, a Chrysler minivan converted to propane; and Viking 28, a Formula SAE (Society of Automobile Engineers) autocross racer. In May 1998, Viking 23 took first place in the hybrid/electric class in the American Tour de Sol, a road competition for alternative fuel vehicles running from New York City to Washington, D.C.
In concert with industry partner, JX Crystals of Issaquah, Washington, and with $5 million in funding from the U.S. departments of Defense and Energy, the VRI has been developing a TPV-powered vehicle since 1994. The "Midnight Sun" generator uses solar cells to convert methane to near-zero emission energy for military and civilian use.
Since 1971, Dr. Seal, his students and staff have been designing and building award-winning experimental vehicles known for fuel economy and safety. He emphasizes hands-on, practical understanding in his lab. Students gain experience in everything from designing to fabricating parts to testing the actual product – including experimental engines for leading automakers such as Chrysler and Subaru. Radical engineering design, Dr. Seal says, is what he likes best. His students agree and have a proud record in competitions: Viking 21 received two top DOE awards at the 1994 Disneyland Clean Air Road Rally and placed first in the 1993 Tour de Sol in New England. It also won its class, and had the best time, in the Pike’s Peak Solar Electric Challenge. Viking XX, a solar vehicle, was first in the two-person class and fifth overall in the 1990 World Solar Challenge through 1,900 miles of Australian Outback after capturing second place in the GM Sunrayce USA. In 1991, Viking XX followed with a first in the California Clean Air Race.
In 1996, the SAE named Dr. Seal one of the nation’s 10 best faculty advisers. In 1990, he was one of five Washington citizens the Seattle Times cited for their contributions to science. He also received the 1983 Ralph Teetor Outstanding Engineering Educator Award from the International Society of Automotive Engineers.
A technology educator by training and an automotive hobbyist since his youth, he holds a D.Ed. from Texas A&M University, an M.Ed. from Western, and a B.Ed. from the University of British Columbia. He and his wife, Eileen, are originally from Vancouver, B.C. After more than 20 years as his volunteer assistant, Mrs. Seal – who wrote the DOD and DOE grant proposals – became a part-time paid VRI staff member in 1994. In their "spare time," they sail on Bellingham Bay.
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