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Traditional vehicle air conditioning systems condition the entire cabin to a comfortable range of temperature and humidity regardless of the number of passengers in the vehicle. The A/C system is designed to have enough capacity to provide comfort for transient periods when cooling down a soaked car. Similarly for heating, the entire cabin is typically warmed up to achieve comfort. Localized heating and cooling, on the other hand, focuses on keeping the passenger comfortable by forming a micro climate around the passenger. This is more energy efficient since the system only needs to cool the person instead of the entire cabin space and cabin thermal mass. It also provides accelerated comfort for the passenger during the cooling down periods of soaked cars. Additionally, the system adapts to the number of passengers in the car, so as to not purposely condition areas that are not occupied.

Plastic air induction system (AIS) has been widely used in vehicle powertrain applications for reduced weight, cost, and improved engine performance. Physical design validation (DV) tests of an AIS, as to meet durability and reliability requirements, are usually conducted by employing the frequency domain vibration tests, either sine sweep or random vibration excitations, with a temperature cycling range typically from -40°C to 120°C. It is well known that under high vibration loading and large temperature range, the plastic components of the AIS demonstrate much higher nonlinear response behaviors as compared with metal products. In order to implement a virtual test for plastic AIS products, a practical procedure to model a nonlinear system and to simulate the frequency response of the system, is crucial. The challenge is to model the plastic AIS assembly as a function of loads and temperatures, and to evaluate the dynamic response and fatigue life in frequency domain as well.

There are numerous component applications that would benefit from localized austempering (heat treating only a portion of the component) for either improved wear properties or fatigue strength. Currently available methods for “surface austempering” of ductile iron are often expensive and not as well controlled as would be desired. This study was undertaken to find a better process. Locally Austempered Ductile Iron (LADI) is the result of those efforts. LADI is a surface hardening heat treatment process that will produce a localized case depth of an ausferrite microstructure (ADI) in a desired area of a component. This process has been jointly developed by Ajax Tocco Magnethermic Corporation (ATM) and Applied Process, Inc.- Technologies Division (AP) with support and collaboration from ThyssenKrupp Waupaca, Inc. (TKW). This paper describes the outcome of using this patent pending process (US #65/195,131).

Laser-based measurements of charge temperature and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) ratio in an homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engine are demonstrated. For this purpose, the rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy technique (CARS) was used. This technique allows temporally and locally resolved measurements in combustion environments through only two small line-of-sight optical accesses and the use of standard gasoline as a fuel. The investigated engine is a production-line four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline engine with the valve strategy modified to realize HCCI-operation. CARS-measurements were performed in motored and fired operation and the results are compared to polytropic calculations. Studies of engine speed, load, valve timing, and injection pressure were conducted showing the strong influence of charge temperature on the combustion timing.

Ultrasonic transducers are widely used in automotive and industrial applications for surround sensing. Anisotropic directivity patterns with a narrow-angled beam in the vertical plane and a wide-angled beam in the horizontal plane are needed in automotive applications particularly. Today’s ultrasonic transducers for automotive applications are mainly metal based, pot-like ultrasonic transducers. The anisotropic directivity pattern is achieved by increasing the thickness of the vibrating plate-like part of the structure locally. Composites with locally structured fiber reinforcements open up the possibility to design the dynamical behavior of components without changing its contour. Using this new dimension of design to modify the directivity pattern of sound radiating components is less examined in literature.

This paper presents an experimental technique for locating engine cooling system hot spots by using a Magnesium Borate water solution for the engine coolant. In doing so, Magnesium Borate is deposited wherever local boiling occurs thus indicating the high temperature areas. This technique was applied to a large V-8 engine and provided visual results of high temperature areas in the water jacket. Color photographs show the results, which correlate with measured metal temperatures and measured coolant flow velocities. The extension of the technique to include estimation of metal temperatures results from additional test data reported. The procedure is useful for locating unsuspected hot-spots in any passage in the engine cooling system. The severity of the temperature may be determined by knowing the Boiling Point of the solution.

A model based approach is developed to track and trace multiple incoherent sound sources in 3D space in real time. This technology is capable of handling continuous, random, transient, impulsive, narrowband and broadband sounds over a wide frequency range (20 to 20,000 Hz). The premise of this technology is that the sound field is generated by point sources located in a free field. To locate these sound sources, iterative triangulations are used based on the signals measured by a microphone array. These signals are preprocessed through de-noising techniques to enhance signal to noise ratios (SNR). Unlike the conventional beamforming, the present technology enables one to pinpoint the exact locations of multiple incoherent sound sources simultaneously by using the Cartesian coordinates, including sources behind measurement microphones. In other words, the microphone array need not face a test object, which is required in the beamforming.

Wire shorts on an in-vehicle controller area network (CAN) impact the communication between electrical control units (ECUs), and negatively affects the vehicle control. The fault, especially the intermittent fault, is difficult to locate. In this paper, an equivalent circuit model for in-vehicle CAN bus is developed under the wire short fault scenario. The bus resistance is estimated and a resistance-distance mapping approach is proposed to locate the fault. The proposed approach is implemented in an Arduino-based embedded system and validated on a vehicle frame. The experimental results are promising. The approach presented in this paper may reduce trouble shooting time for CAN wire short faults and may enable early detection before the customer is inconvenienced.

This paper describes a new way to locate the position of the combustion process in a spark-ignited engine. This method uses a characteristic value which is calculated from indicated high pressure (Pmax). This calculation requires much less time than traditional methods and allows the on-board-management (OBM) system to predict misfire cycles, and therefore, to avoid them. The new characteristic value correlates closely to given percentages of the rate of converted energy, and has been tested using high relative air/fuel ratios (λ), high rates of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and different fuels. Use of this method in the OBM system allows extremely sensitive adjustments of ignition timing (αIG), which maximize efficiency and minimize pollutant emissions.

The location of the pelvis in the seated automobile operator is critical for proper packaging and seat comfort design. The pelvis is the skeletal structure which contains the hip joint (H-point) and ischial tuberosity (D-point). The orientation of the pelvis largely determines the curvature in the low back which is supported by lumbar supports in the seat back. A methodology has been developed that uses onboard video and pressure measurement systems to locate the pelvis. This system has been used in a mid-sized vehicle on seated operators driving the vehicle on the highway. This paper describes the methodology and the location of the pelvis in seated automobile operators.

Emergency calls made by in-vehicle systems in the event of a crash , serious incident or manually by a vehicle occupant assist in significantly reducing road deaths and injuries. But still there are more road accidents happen due to abnormality of driver and fatality rate tend to increase because of this. Drivers have a poor health issues, especially when they travel for long, they may get drowsiness and this leads to lack of concentration while driving and because of this concentration issue any serious issue can happen to the driver. This serious conditions can be totally unavoided. This invention provides the solution for contacting the people, who is known to victim very well. during emergency conditions. This may assist victim to get a immediate medical help.

Characteristics of the cylinder pressure waveform have long been considered for optimizing the operation of automotive engines. In particular, the strategy of maintaining a constant crank angle location of the peak cylinder pressure (LPP) during combustion has been predominant in the reported studies. This technique was therefore evaluated for an existing minimum fuel consumption calibration of an experimental axially stratified-charge (ASC) engine. For the ASC engine the LPP responded to spark advance and exhaust gas recirculation changes in a similar manner to that of a homogeneous-charge engine; LPP decreased with spark advance and increased with exhaust gas recirculation. However, the LPP for the predetermined minimum fuel consumption calibration of the ASC engine varied over a range of 8° to 19° after top dead center (ATDC) under steady state conditions. This is in contrast to the nearly constant 15° ATDC LPP observed by others for most homogeneous-charge engines.

To elucidate the processes controlling the auto-ignition timing and overall combustion duration in homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines, the distribution of the auto-ignition sites, in both space and time, was studied. The auto-ignition locations were investigated using optical diagnosis of HCCI combustion, based on laser induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of formaldehyde in an optical engine with fully variable valve actuation. This engine was operated in two different modes of HCCI. In the first, auto-ignition temperatures were reached by heating the inlet air, while in the second, residual mass from the previous combustion cycle was trapped using a negative valve overlap. The fuel was introduced directly into the combustion chamber in both approaches. To complement these experiments, 3-D numerical modeling of the gas exchange and compression stroke events was done for both HCCI-generating approaches.

A human engineering survey of the control/display arrangements in 1969 passenger automobiles was conducted under contract to the National Highway Safety Bureau. Survey rationale, methodology, and preliminary findings are presented. Marked variability was noted between various control/display arrangements and certain important driver compartment dimensions. This and other findings suggest need for development of human engineering design criteria against which to base future design standards for the driver-vehicle interface.

The development of real-time integrated wireless communications and remote monitoring abilities for mobile workers and vehicles provides access to these still-unrealized markets. In this business model, opportunities exist for companies that provide the means of moving content to support cost savings and optimization of a business customer's operations. This paper examines these opportunities, the technology that makes them viable business opportunities, and real-world examples of how content in the business market is being leveraged today.

A Location-Aware Adaptive Vehicle Dynamics System (LAAVDS) is developed to assist the driver in maintaining vehicle handling capabilities through various driving maneuvers. An integral part of this System is an Intervention Strategy that uses a novel measure of handling capability, the Performance Margin, to assess the need to intervene. Through this strategy, the driver's commands are modulated to affect desired changes to the Performance Margin in a manner that is minimally intrusive to the driver's control authority. Real-time implementation requires the development of computationally efficient predictive vehicle models. This work develops one means to alter the future vehicle states: modulating the driver's brake commands. This control strategy must be considered in relationship to changes in the throttle commands. Three key elements of this strategy are developed in this work.

One seminal question that faces a vehicle's driver (either human or computer) is predicting the capability of the vehicle as it encounters upcoming terrain. A Location-Aware Adaptive Vehicle Dynamics (LAAVD) System is developed to assist the driver in maintaining vehicle handling capabilities through various driving maneuvers. In contrast to current active safety systems, this system is predictive rather than reactive. This work provides the conceptual groundwork for the proposed system. The LAAVD System employs a predictor-corrector method in which the driver's input commands (throttle, brake, steering) and upcoming driving environment (terrain, traffic, weather) are predicted. An Intervention Strategy uses a novel measure of handling capability, the Performance Margin, to assess the need to intervene. The driver's throttle and brake control are modulated to affect desired changes to the Performance Margin in a manner that is minimally intrusive to the driver's control authority.

A Location-Aware Adaptive Vehicle Dynamics System (LAAVDS) is developed to assist the driver in maintaining vehicle handling capabilities through various driving maneuvers. An Intervention Strategy uses a novel measure of handling capability, the Performance Margin, to assess the need to intervene. The driver's commands are modulated to affect desired changes to the Performance Margin in a manner that is minimally intrusive to the driver's control authority. Real-time implementation requires the development of computationally efficient predictive vehicle models which is the focus of this work. This work develops one means to alter the future vehicle states: modulating the driver's throttle commands. First, changes to the longitudinal force are translated to changes in engine torque based on the current operating state (torque and speed) of the engine.

A new integral disc brake with an automatically adjusted parking mechanism has been developed which is based on the principle of a collar locking onto a shaft under an eccentric load. This mechanism is inherently self-adjusting and load insensitive. The resultant caliper offers good bleedability, serviceability, reliability, efficiency and flexibility to chassis designers.

The Mechanical Diode (MD) one way clutch is a positive locking mechanism. During lock up, steel struts are interposed between locking features on the facing surfaces of two disks. The movement of struts into a lock position as a shaft motion reversal is attempted is of interest in assessing the reliability of the one-way clutch. This paper presents the results of a study which predicts strut movement into lock position by examining the forces on the strut at each stage of the locking action and the response of the strut mass and surrounding fluid to these forces. Locking action is found to occur in a few microseconds with typical component sizes and lubricants.