Development of a telematics evaluation environment based on a driving simulator and its application

For developing telematics devices, traditional development methods include the unit function test, compatibility test and T-Car, which have some limitations. Telematics devices have various functions that require accounting for the interactions among three major elements of automotive electronics: the vehicle, the device unit and driver. The KAAS (KATECH Advanced Automotive Simulator) system is a virtual-reality-based test environment designed to test and analyze the three elements in one place. One of the difficult functions when constructing such VR (Virtual Reality)-based telematics test environment is to develop a test method for the LBS (Location-Based Service) function such as a car navigation demanding the GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite signals because KAAS is in a fixed laboratory. To overcome these problems, a real-time GPS simulation system, which can be integrated with KAAS, is needed because the location of the vehicle in virtual space is determined purely by the driver’s personal intention while driving virtually. This paper presents new concepts needed to construct a VR-based telematics test environment to generate a GPS RF signal, which reflects the continuously changing vehicle location during virtual driving in real-time. To construct this system, the coordinate transform must be conducted from a rectangular coordinate system that is compatible with a virtual 3D DB that is used to construct a 3D image for KAAS using a WGS84 and a longitude-latitude coordinate system compatible with a GPS simulator. Moreover, the real-time HILS (Hardware In Loop Simulation) systems and the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) simulation system are developed to evaluate telematics devices. Finally, we show its applications and results.     

Relationship between occupant injury and the perturbation mark on the velocity indicator on a cluster panel

A perturbation mark is occasionally produced on the velocity indicator of the cluster panel of a vehicle during a vehicle collision. This mark can be used to estimate the velocity of the vehicle at the moment of the vehicle’s impact. In this study, the effect of the impact velocity and the deceleration of the vehicle on the perturbation mark were investigated, and an analysis of the driver’s injury was also conducted through a numerical pulse representation and computer simulations. Sled and pendulum tests were used to replicate the conditions that produce a perturbation mark on the velocity indicator of a cluster panel. It was verified that a higher peak acceleration is more likely than the impact velocity to cause a perturbation mark. According to the computer simulation results, a driver’s injury could be more severe at higher peak accelerations with a constant impact velocity. If a perturbation mark, which can be used to estimate the impact velocity, is found while investigating a vehicle accident, this mark reveals that the acceleration was higher than that listed in the related crash report. Therefore, the injuries of the occupants could be more serious than those expected at the reported impact velocity.     

带舭龙骨柱体的横摇阻尼的粘性流计算

文章用RANSE求解器计算在自由面上带舭龙骨二维柱体的横摇水动力系数(附加惯量和阻尼).采用有限体积法(VOF)和两相流技术在时间域内求解柱体横摇强迫振荡所扰动的带自由面粘性流场.由柱体所受到的横摇水动力矩的时间历程导出横摇水动力系数.文中所给算例与已公开发表的试验结果吻合令人满意.     

A fully coupled ship motion and sloshing analysis in various container geometries

In the present study a novel modeling approach is presented to solve the combined internal sloshing and sea-keeping problem. The model deals with interesting effects arising due to the coupled interaction between the sloshing in partially filled containers of several geometries and the ship motion. The study is very important for the liquid cargo carrier operating in rough sea or under different environmental conditions. The resulting slosh characteristics that include transient pressure variation, free surface profiles and hydrodynamic pressure over the container walls have been reported in this study. In addition, the effects of coupled ship response and sloshing on ship motion parameters have also been investigated. The equations of motion of fluid, considered inviscid, irrotational, and partially compressible, are expressed in terms of the pressure variable alone. A finite difference-based iterative time-stepping technique is employed to advance the coupled solution in the time domain. Several parameters of interest, including the container parameters, level of liquid, thrusters modeling and some important environmental factors are investigated.     

Numerical investigation of a DI diesel spray flame using a detailed chemical reaction mechanism

Emission standards have grown increasingly stricter, consequently triggering greater interest in issues surrounding environmental pollution. In particular, soot and NOx released from DI diesel vehicles is considered to be the main source of air pollution in urban environments. However, the mechanics of fuel spray formation and the influence of the operating parameters on the resulting spray flame are not yet fully understood. In this study, the original KIVA code was modified to incorporate a detailed chemical reaction mechanism involving various species and multiple reaction steps to better understand the spray characteristics. n-Heptane, C₇H₁₆, was used as the representative fuel for diesel fuel, and the reaction mechanism for this fuel was composed of 66 species and 274 elementary reaction steps. The accuracy of the predicted results was demonstrated primarily by a comparison with experimental results. The numerical prediction of a specific operating condition for the parametric investigation correlates well with the experimental results.     

Sensitivity analysis for reducing critical responses at the axle shaft of a lightweight vehicle

Critical responses are frequently detected at the coupled torsional beam axle (CTBA) of a lightweight vehicle. However, the freedom to modify the design of the axle shaft is limited because the suspension system must satisfy other vehicle requirements such as steering performance. Conventional sensitivity analysis cannot provide practical information about the resonant behavior because the analysis only identifies the contribution of the axle shaft to the behavior. This paper presents a novel sensitivity analysis based on transmissibility ratios (TRs). The vehicle components other than the axle shaft that can be modified to control the critical spectra are identified using acceleration responses. A multi-body vehicle model is constructed to simulate the proposed design modifications, and the simulation results show that the vibration of the axle shaft is considerably reduced by the modifications. Because the TRs on the CTBA are effectively minimized through the modified design strategy, the resonant response from the axle shaft can be controlled efficiently.     

Robust detection of preceding vehicles in crowded traffic conditions

This paper introduces an adaptive scheme for robustly detecting multiple preceding vehicles in crowded traffic conditions. The scheme focuses on issues frequently observed in the interpretation of traffic scenes recorded by cameras installed in vehicles: stable extraction of features and accurate classification in spite of the vehicle??s constant vibrations and dynamic changes in the distance between vehicles. To address these issues, we introduce the concept of integral features and a method of utilizing the scene geometry information. Each of the simple attributes, such as edges, shadows, and symmetry, is compiled in the window confined by the scene geometry to improve the expressiveness and robustness of the extracted features. The scene geometry information that is then estimated from the perspective view is extensively utilized in constituent system components, including not only feature extraction/integration but also neural network-based classification and distance-adaptive clustering. In addition, employing the Kalman filter along with a confidence measure makes the detection and tracking of potential vehicles robust. Experimental results prove that the system employing the proposed scheme detects and tracks multiple vehicles more effectively, even in crowded traffic conditions, with a lower rate of false positives.     

Simulation of a powertrain system for the diesel hybrid electric bus

The plug-in hybrid electric bus (HEB) is designed to overcome the vulnerable driving range and performance limitations of a purely electric vehicle (EV) and have an improved fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions than those of a conventional bus and convention HEBs. The control strategy of the plug-in parallel HEB??s complicated connected propulsion system is one of the most significant factors for achieving a higher fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions than those of the HEV. The proposed powertrain control strategy has flexibility in adapting to the battery??s state of charge (SOC), exhaust emissions, classified driving patterns, driving conditions, and engine temperature. Simulation is required to model hybrid powertrain systems and test and develop powertrain control strategies for the plug-in parallel HEB. This paper describes the simulation analysis tools, powertrain components?? models and modifications, simulation procedure, and simulation results.     

Roof strength performance improvement enablers

Before 2009, rollover in vehicle accidents had not been significantly studied not only because its rate is lower than other types of accidents but also because it had been easy to meet the rollover regulation, the FMVSS 216 Roof Crush Resistance target. The regulation only requires that the strength-to-weight ratio (SWR) be 1.5, i.e., it was acceptable when the roof could withstand a force of only 1.5 times the vehicle??s weight. In other words, rollover is not considered an important safety factor. However, presently, the situation has completely changed. Rollover is now considered a key safety factor. Recently, the number of rollover incidences has been increasing, reaching as much as the number of front, side and rear accidents. Furthermore, the IIHS has begun to require that the roof must withstand a force of 4.0 times the vehicle??s weight, a more severe restriction than FMVSS. To satisfy this requirement, many manufacturers, universities and institutes are studying the topic. This paper focuses on changing the body structure to minimize injury to the occupant when rollover occurs and help rollover safety performance become excellent. This paper draws on a simple analysis that is based on general factors: changes in the material, the addition of welds and additional reinforcements. The best result will be determined, as described by this paper.     

Fault detection and diagnosis of the electromechanical brake based on observer and parity space

In the future, the conventional hydraulic brake system in automobiles will be removed and replaced by an electrically operated brake system called brake-by-wire. The brake-by-wire units, such as the EMB (Electro-Mechanical Brake), provide better braking performance by directly controlling the brake motor and are environmentally friendly because they do not use hydraulic fluid. For implementation of the EMB systems, reliable and robust fault detection and diagnosis methods become increasingly important. In this study, a sensor fault diagnosis method is proposed with parity space and observer approaches to detect faults in the motor current sensor, speed (or position) sensor and clamping force sensor. The proposed method is verified through a closed-loop simulation using Matlab/Simulink, and the simulation result is compared with the HILS bench test results.