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The Stuttgart Driving Simulator currently under construction at the University of Stuttgart makes out the main component of the University's new automotive research platform. The facility will be one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The simulator is based on a powerful eight axes motion system to realistically recreate the linear and rotary motion as perceived by the driver during a real trip. To add further value to the driving simulator, it is designed to house a real vehicle which can be easily exchanged - from small passenger cars up to large luxury sedan vehicles as well as SUVs. To assure a sound testing environment, the driving simulator features a realistic graphical and acoustic representation of the vehicle environment such as roadway, environment, and traffic. This is achieved through a complex surround visualization system with very high level of detail as well as an advanced spatial acoustic noise generator.

Although several mathematical models of the response of the human body to an impact environment have been developed, their acceptance as research, development, and design tools among the various groups involved in the field of automotive safety has been limited because of a lack of confidence in their ability to predict real events. A primary reason for this is the limited number of correlation and validation studies which have been conducted. However, orderly procedures and user aids are now being developed which should encourage the validation process and enhance the status of crash victim simulators.

The authors present and discuss the results obtained from combined road and laboratory tests made to determine the amount of power required to maintain a given car speed. The specifications of the car and its engine are stated and the variable-ratio rocker-arm of the engine is illustrated and its advantages explained, together with those of the valve-timing. The subject of manifold gas-velocity is treated in some detail, inclusive of a diagram showing the hot-spot or vaporizing device that was used. The test data are reduced to curve form, eight charts being shown. The curves include those for brake horsepower, indicated horsepower, comparative performance, performance at different throttle-openings and at different loads, fuel consumption and indicated thermal efficiencies.

THIS paper is a report of tests performed in 1956 by the Camshaft and Valve Tappet Wear Croup of the Coordinating Research Council. Cam and tappet wear, spading, and scuffing were studied as functions of valve-gear design, metallurgy, lubricant properties, and type of operation. Some of the results announced by the Croup are: 1. Oil composition had considerable effect on cam and tappet wear when chilled-cast-iron or steel tappets were used, and on the spalling of the former. 2. Only chilled-cast-iron tappets showed appreciable spalling tendency. 3. Tappet scuffing was more dependent on metallurgy-design than on oil composition. 4. Tappet spading tendency seemed to be related to the rate of wear.

The computational tool VAM-LIFE is developed for the complete analysis of the EM field distribution inside and outside lightning struck aircraft and the evaluation of the indirect effects induced in the onboard wiring system. The VAM-LIFE tool is composed by five computational blocks, which allow to merge: the procedure for the definition of the equivalent digital model of the aircraft; the finite-difference time-domain procedure for the calculation of the EM field distribution; the transmission-line nodal-analysis procedure in frequency-domain for the calculation of the induced effects. The most relevant aspects of VAM-LIFE are described and numerical applications are shown. The tool is approved by the Italian Aeronautic Authority for lightning indirect effect certification of the C-27J aircraft.

The VAN protocol (Vehicle Area Network) is an I.S.O standard (11519-3) specially designed to match automotive network demands with its multi-architecture capability for both low and high speed. VAN controllers range from the low cost remote I/O port to the multi-channel micro-controller peripheral. VAN is an open protocol, specification and/or design of VAN interface or product family is free from any exploitation right. To secure the correct implementation of the protocol in dedicated circuits, a complete validation methodology has been set up from the specification to the actual component through comprehensive simulations.

This paper describes the structural evaluation of a van production chassis frame, a light weight frame design and four other modified production frames. Static structural properties were determined by a combination of laboratory joint stiffness measurements and a finite element model incorporating empirical stiffness values. The finite element analysis results are compared to laboratory frame bending and torsion measurements.