Direct yaw moment control and power consumption of in-wheel motor vehicle in steady-state turning

Driving force distribution control is one of the characteristic performance aspects of in-wheel motor vehicles and various methods have been developed to control direct yaw moment while turning. However, while these controls significantly enhance vehicle dynamic performance, the additional power required to control vehicle motion still remains to be clarified. This paper constructed new formulae of the mechanism by which direct yaw moment alters the cornering resistance and mechanical power of all wheels based on a simple bicycle model, including the electric loss of the motors and the inverters. These formulation results were validated by an actual test vehicle equipped with in-wheel motors in steady-state turning. The validated theory was also applied to a comparison of several different driving force distribution mechanisms from the standpoint of innate mechanical power.     

A new lost time estimation method for right‐turn traffic in Japan considering signal phasing and sneakers

Precise estimation of the capacity for right‐turn traffic (comparable to left‐turn traffic in the USA) is of great importance to determine signal phasing schemes at signalized intersections in Japan, where the left‐hand driving rule is valid. However, in most signal timing procedures across the world, the lost time of right‐turn traffic is simply determined by the duration of intergreen intervals and thus lacks considerations of various signal phasing and driver behavior. Meanwhile, sneakers per cycle are usually applied to account for the number of drivers completing right turns during the effective red portion of the clearance‐and‐change intervals. As a result, an initial cycle length must be hypothesized in order to assess the total number of sneakers within the analysis period. Consequently, a time‐consuming iterative calculation process often becomes necessary. Therefore, the present study aims to develop a new lost time estimation method for right‐turn traffic to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks. Lost times of right‐turn traffic under three conventional phasing plans are theoretically formulated on the basis of a time–space diagram and shock‐wave theory. The new method is validated using field data, with case studies of its application in the signal timing procedure. Results indicated that the proposed method is capable of offering more accurate estimation than conventional approaches, which leads to shorter cycle length and simplifies signal timing process by eliminating an iterative check to determine the number of sneakers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Development of a renewable energy system utilizing vortex induced vibration of a cylinder and principle of leverage aiming for application in deep sea

This study carried out an experiment to develop a renewable energy system utilizing vortex induced vibration (VIV) that can drive generators even in weak flow conditions. In our experimental setup, the translation motions of a cylinder undergoing VIV and a linear-type generator (coil and magnet) are connected through a rotational machinery, which enables us to apply the principle of leverage, leading to power generation even by small excitation force acting on the cylinder. The measurement shows that the present system performs optimally under the lock-in and upper branch conditions, and that there exists an optimum length of the lever of electromagnetic moment on a center of the rotation. Efficiencies of primary (from flows to the VIV) and secondary (from the VIV to electricity) energy conversions are estimated to show that the primary one is not enough high. We thus propose a few directions to improve it.     

Vehicle dynamics integrated control for four-wheel-distributed steering and four-wheel-distributed traction/braking systems

In this article, vehicle dynamics integrated control algorithm using an on-line non-linear optimization method is proposed for 4-wheel-distributed steering and 4-wheel-distributed traction/braking systems. The proposed distribution algorithm minimizes work load of each tire, which is controlled to become the same value. The global optimality of the convergent solution of the recursive algorithm can be proved by extension to convex problems. This implies that theoretical limited performance of vehicle dynamics integrated control is clarified. Furthermore, the effect of this vehicle dynamics control for the 4-wheel-distributed steering and 4-wheel-distributed traction/braking systems is demonstrated by simulation to compare with the combination of the various actuators.     

Model for dynamic behavior of the crankshaft of an air cooled diesel engine subjected to severe functioning

The dynamic behavior of the engine organs in severe conditions is complicated to identify. In this paper, the dynamic behavior of the crankshaft of the diesel engine Deutz F8L413 direct injection-type air cooled in the severe operating conditions is investigated in a 3D global model. The maximum operating characteristics of the engine are experimentally measured on a bench test equipped with a hydraulic brake. The most stressed areas of the crankshaft are determined by numerical simulations. In addition, an analysis of the fatigue behavior of the crankshaft is carried out by using two fatigues criteria. The efficiency of the model is demonstrated by comparing between the numerical results and the experimental data obtained with the natural modes of vibration test.