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Computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided engineering (CAE) have made great progress in the past two decades. Casting simulation software has become an important tool for foundry engineers to produce good castings and CAD-software is used by all modern designers. Time-to-market and quality could be further improved if designer and foundry man would work closer together, more specific if CAD and CAE software would be integrated. Therefore, software has been developed to integrate design optimization and casting process simulation with finite element software for stress calculations. This software can be used as a complete virtual design and production algorithm, which consists of three steps. First, design optimization is used to create an optimal geometry. Subsequently, casting simulation software is applied to calculate a proper gating and riser system to produce a sound casting.

For upcoming applications in the automotive domain, such as safety-critical applications, high dependable communication systems are needed. FlexRay already provides high transmission speeds and a set of fault-tolerance functions. In several non-automotive industries, the Time-Triggered Architecture (TTA) has already been established as means to implement safety-critical systems. The TTA has properties that have been proven theoretically, making development of safety-critical systems easier. FlexRay can be used as communication protocol in the TTA. This paper shows how to implement additional safety functions on top of FlexRay, which provide consistent communication for use in critical hard real-time applications. The COM-Accelerator is designed to relieve the host CPU by implementing the fault-tolerant communication layer in hardware. Therefore, the host does not need to handle the data exchange itself and is able to provide higher performance to the applications.

Open tanks and exterior surfaces of process heating equipment lose heat to the surroundings via convection, radiation, and/or evaporation. A practical way of reducing heat loss is by insulating or covering the surfaces. This paper presents methods to quantify heat loss and energy savings from insulating hot surfaces and open tanks. The methods include radiation and evaporation losses, which are ignored by simplified methods. In addition, thermal mass, such as refractory, conveyor and racking equipment, acts as a heat sink and increases heating energy use in process heating applications. This paper presents lumped capacitance and finite-difference methods for estimating heat loss to thermal mass, and savings from reducing this loss. The methods described above have been incorporated in free software, and are demonstrated using case study examples. The examples demonstrate the magnitude of the potential error from using simplified methods.

Materials with Oxygen Storage Capacity (OSC) are key components in the formulation of Three Way Catalysts (TWC) for more than 2 decades. To get advanced TWC catalysts complying with the coming more severe regulations, one needs among others to increase both the thermal stability and the redox properties of OSC materials. In terms of thermal stability, Rhodia obtained in the recent years significant improvements by developing a new wet process yielding pure phase and high surface area OSC materials even after harsh ageing conditions at temperatures higher than 1100°C [1, 2]. These materials are preferred precious metals carriers [3]. This paper deals with recent progress achieved in terms of redox properties of CeO2/ZrO2 mixed oxides. Increasing the bulk oxygen mobility of the CeZr mixed oxides is of great interest specifically to increase the conversion of the pollutants under transient modes. Already described materials [4, 5 and 6] show very high oxygen availability and mobility.

We describe a Joint Boost Power Converter and Injector Valve Model that we used to help develop and optimize the Woodward ECM3, 24 channel EFI driver system. Using the joint model, we found that the adaptive algorithm used to drive the injectors would not suffer from a non-stiff bus voltage as long as we could achieve the required valve closure time. The joint model then helped us find the optimum combination of IL, L, Vbus, Cbus, Coil Current Profile and the Average Power with respect to the valve closure time constraint. In addition, we used the model to gain insight into the effect of Pull-In Current levels on the Valve Closure Locus and the valve position response when a Pre-injection pulse is added to the Main-Injection cycle.

A new exhaust system has been developed to cope with post-SULEV (Super Ultra-Low Emissions Vehicle) regulation by newly designed hardware of exhaust system. This paper will describe the various new technologies used for achieving the post-SULEV standards, such as Conicat (cone-type metal catalyst), dual-wall pipe, pipe-type metal catalyst, ultra thin wall monolith and HC trap system for the improvement of catalyst light-off time. The tested data on 2.0L SULEV vehicle indicate that Conicat(cone-type metal catalyst) and HC trap (hydrocarbon absorbing catalyst) have more positive characteristics, and are expected to show the enhanced HC reduction performance with the optimization of emission system.

We have developed a Pd-intelligent catalyst with a self-regenerative function that is realized by the passage of Pd through consecutive solid solution and segregation states in and out of a perovskite crystal, and commercialized it for the first time in the world [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9]. In this study, we investigated the self-regenerative function of Rh as an alternative for Pd, in two types of Rh-perovskite (LaFeRhO3 and CaTiRhO3), and found that a CaTiRhO3 perovskite has an excellent capacity for the self-regenerative function of Rh. In a LaFeRhO3 perovskite with a composition similar to the Pd-perovskite (LaFePdO3), Rh was fixed so stably in the perovskite structure that it hardly segregated from the perovskite even in high temperature reduction atmospheres. However, in the CaTiRhO3 perovskite, with its A2+B4+O3 formula, the amount of Rh that actually segregated increased greatly in reduction atmospheres.

Global environmental consideration is now one of the essential components in automotive design. This concern needs be addressed not only by aftertreatment systems but also engine control technologies. In this paper, we will present an efficient emission control system that has been designed based upon the combination of advanced engine control and catalyst technologies. The system has successfully achieved the stringent US ULEV2 emission regulations and the vehicle installed with this system has been commercialized in the marketplace. In this system, the advanced fuel control system was able to facilitate quick light-off of the catalyst so that the cold start emission could be minimized. The engine A/F control is so precise that the catalyst can use the material which is most effective at the stoichiometric point.

The Hydra-Matic 6L80 is General Motors first model of a new, four-variant, rear wheel drive (RWD) six speed automatic transmission family. The four variants are the 6L45, 6L50, 6L80 and 6L90. The new, high performance 6L80 will debut in 2006 model year performance vehicles, including the Chevrolet Corvette C6 and new Cadillac STS-V and XLR-V. By 2007, GM expects to use the RWD six speed family in as many as 25 different car, truck and SUV models in RWD, 4WD and all-wheel drive configurations. While the Hydra-Matic RWD six-speed family was designed with four variants, the built in modularity requires only two different basic diameters of parts and “flexing” on part width (length) depending on specific torque requirements. This built in modular design enables a tremendous amount of part sharing and part scaling. Modularity minimizes engineering resources, improves investment and piece cost, speed to market and allows for a wide bandwidth of vehicle and engine applications.

BMW VALVETRONIC technology is able to maintain the most important measures to reduce emissions. The further optimized charge movement created by VALVETRONIC stabilizes the combustion in the catalyst heating mode with extremely retarded ignition timing. When the engine is warm the high residual gas tolerance ensures very low Engine-Out NOx emissions and at the same time a low level of hydrocarbons. The atomization of fuel droplets due to high flow velocity in the valve gap area leads to improved mixture formation and reduced wall wetting. Engine-Out HC emissions in a cold engine are therefore reduced. Combined, the emission measures achieve robust and efficient emission control. In combination with additional after-treatment like secondary air system and catalysts using high cell density VALVETRONIC engines form an excellent base for SULEV emission regulations without neglecting the typical BMW claim of efficient dynamics.

Toyota Motor Corporation has developed a new six-speed automatic transaxle (U660E) for Front Wheel Drive (FWD) vehicles. Component parts of U660E are completely redesigned. By combining an innovative gear train which Toyota originally invented and newer technologies, U660E has achieved outstanding fuel economy, smooth and quick shift performance and quietness in a lightweight package among Automatic Transaxles (AT) with similar torque capacity.

In the past few years, the demands for more complex system development and the ever-increasing requirement for hardware and software improvements have increased the need for a virtual embedded system where the hardware, microcontroller and software co-exist at the simulation level. This paper discusses the implementation of an approach that allows the full simulation of the embedded system. In the scope of this paper the definition of an embedded system refers to the electro-mechanical plant, the microcontroller, the peripherals and the software. The sensors and actuators are developed with a conservative type simulator such as Saber from Synopsys. The microcontroller and the attached peripherals are developed and modeled with the Comet environment from VaST. The microcontroller simulator is instruction cycle accurate. We are describing an innovative concept that will allow co-simulation between the two simulators.

Harmonization of systems and parts leads to platform strategies as already known for years in the automotive industry. With respect to Electrical and Electronic Distribution Systems (EEDS), the investigations are aiming at electrical systems and components, e.g. Electronic Control Units (ECU), sensors, actuators, switches and connectors, to be used as carry-over parts for increasing the volume, the quality and thus reducing cost. Common architectures are going through changes during their lifecycle. New functions are integrated due to customer needs or for upgrading. To achieve the most efficient way of integration, various factors have to be considered. Factors are e.g. fusing concept, wire routing (topology) and communication network. To handle these and other factors, only processes with an appropriate level of software support are able to provide accurate and reliable results.

Today's advanced technology engines have a high content of electronic actuation requiring sophisticated real-time embedded software sensing and control. To enable research on such engines, a system with a flexible engine control unit (ECU) that can be rapidly configured and programmed is desired. Such a system is being used in the Advanced Internal Combustion Engine (AICE) Laboratories at Michigan Tech University (MTU) for research on a multi-cylinder spark-ignited gasoline, a high pressure common rail diesel and a single cylinder alternative fuels research engine. The system combines a production ECU with a software development system utilizing Mathworks Simulink/Stateflow © modeling tools. The interface in the Simulink modeling environment includes a library of modeling and interface blocks to the production Operating System (OS), Low Level Drivers (LLD) and CAN-based calibration tool.

A physics-based simulation program developed by IAV is used to calibrate the torque structure and cylinder charge calculation in the electronic control unit of SI engines. The model calculates both the charge cycle and combustion phase based on flow mechanics and a fractal combustion model. Once the air mass in the charge cycle has been computed, a fractal combustion model is used for the ongoing calculation of cylinder pressure and temperature. The progression of cylinder pressure over the high and low-pressure phases also provides information on engine torque. Following the engine-specific calibration of the model using elemental geometric information and reduced test bench measurements, the physical engine properties can be simulated over the operating cycle. The calibrated model allows simulations to be carried out at all operating points and the results to be treated as virtual test bench measurements.

The prototype solid particle counting system (SPCS) has been used to study solid particle emission from gasoline and diesel vehicles. As recommended by the PMP draft proposal, exhaust is diluted by a Constant Volume Sampler (CVS). The SPCS takes the sample from the CVS tunnel. Transient test cycles such as EPA FTP 75, EPA HWFET (EPA Highway Fuel Economy Cycle), and NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) were tested. The repeatability of the instrument was evaluated on the diesel vehicle for three continuous days. The instrument exhibits good repeatability. The differences for the EPA ftp 75, the EPA HWFET, and the NEDC in three continuous tests are ± 3.5%. The instrument is very sensitive as well and detects the driving differences. A large number of solid particles are found during the hard acceleration from both the gasoline and the diesel vehicles. Solid particle emissions decrease quickly at deceleration and when vehicles approach constant speed.

A prototype solid particle counting system (SPCS) has been developed in Horiba. It measures the engine exhaust solid particle number emissions in real-time. The instrument is designed to follow the recommendation in the PMP proposal for solid particle number emissions measurement on Light-duty diesel vehicles. Two wide range continuous diluters, which were developed during this project, have been used as cold and hot diluters, respectively. The accuracy of the dilution ratio is normally ± 4% for the designed range. The instrument has low particle losses, and exhibits over 95% penetration for solid particles. The new instrument has functions such as, normal measurement, dilution ratio control, daily calibration for condensation particle counter (CPC), etc. These functions have been automated to make the instrument's operation simple.

This article main has discussed the design and the manufacturing of integrating Local Interconnect Network (LIN) and the Adaptive Front-lighting System (AFS); in the headlamp controller part we have applied the LIN2.0 Single-Master/Multi-Slave framework. In this experiment we use the host controller as Master's node, and the right & left headlamps and the auxiliary angle lamp to play the Slave duty. In addition, sensors installed in the car's system include the steering-wheel turning angle using the Controller-Area-Network (CAN2.0) interface and the automobile's horizontal sensing signal. Therefore, the main controller of headlamp is the gateway of CAN and LIN, applied to exchange information between the different networks.

This paper aims for a seamless development process for automotive body network system development with model-based approach. It also describes a generic software architecture that provides clear-boundaries between the software components and that can also act as a guide for each development phase. The CASE tool Statemate is used for feature behavioral modeling and verification. NodeAllocator builds the ECU models by mapping the behavioral model and physical network architecture. The virtual prototypes and the basic bus communication information are created and validated using software in loop simulation. The validated functional models are refined for implementation models and MicroC is used for application task code, OS design and software integration.

For many racing teams the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as a design tool could mean a very expensive investment. CFD analysis of the complex separated flows associated with a race car would typically require extensive resources. Through the design of aerodynamics for a Formula SAE race car, this paper illustrates the use of less extensive CFD along with the wind tunnel as a tool that reduces design time. Various meshing techniques are analyzed that do not require extensive computational resources and are fairly simple to implement. The results obtained from these methods are compared to experimental results from wind tunnel tests. For the design of wings the results show that the coefficient of lift can be predicted fairly accurately to within 10% of the experimental value, but the coefficient of drag is not predicted very well. It is also shown that the design of an effective aerodynamics package can be accomplished with these fairly simple techniques.