The Geometrical Contact between Track and Wheelset

In previous publications the author has described a so-called first-order theory for the motion of a railway vehicle wheelset on a tangent track. In the present report the geometrical aspect of this theory is further evaluated and a method for solving the constraint equations between the coordinates of the wheelset is indicated.     

Power Requirements for Vehicle Suspension Systems

This paper attempts to analyze the power requirements of a vehicle due solely to its suspension system, neglecting the important powers associated with air and rolling resistance. Power requirements for active and passive suspensions are compared using the simplest possible mathematical model. A mass in a gravity field moves at constant velocity over a surface and is supported by a point contact on the surface by a massless but otherwise arbitrary suspension system. It is shown that the average propulsive power required is equal to the average power lost in the suspension. In the limit cases of very stiff or very soft suspensions this power vanishes. Passive suspensions require no other power, but active suspensions may require significant extra power from the prime mover to generate the suspension forces.     

Haptic steering support for driving near the vehicle’s handling limits; skid-pad case

Current vehicle dynamic control systems from simple yaw control to high-end active steering support systems are designed to primarily actuate on the vehicle itself, rather than stimulate the driver to adapt his/her inputs for better vehicle control. The driver though dictates the vehicle’s motion, and centralizing him/her in the control loop is hypothesized to promote safety and driving pleasure. Exploring the above statement, the goal of this study is to develop and evaluate a haptic steering support when driving near the vehicle’s handling limits (Haptic Support Near the Limits; HSNL). The support aims to promote the driver’s perception of the vehicle’s behaviour and handling capacity (the vehicle’s internal model) by providing haptic (torque) cues on the steering wheel. The HSNL has been evaluated in (a) driving simulator tests and (b) tests with a vehicle (Opel Astra G/B) equipped with a variable steering feedback torque system. Drivers attempted to achieve maximum velocity while trying to retain control in a circular skid-pad. In the simulator (a) 25 subjects drove a vehicle model parameterised as the Astra on a dry skid-pad while in (b) 17 subjects drove the real Astra on a wet skid-pad. Both the driving simulator and the real vehicle tests led to the conclusion that the HSNL assisted subjects to drive closer to the designated path while achieving effectively the same speed. With the HSNL the drivers operated the tires in smaller slip angles and hence avoided saturation of the front wheels’ lateral forces and excessive understeer. Finally, the HSNL reduced their mental and physical demand.     

Evaluation and visualization of stratified ultra-lean combustion characteristics in a spray-guided type gasoline direct-injection engine

To comply with reinforced emission regulations for harmful exhaust gases, including carbon dioxide (CO₂) emitted as a greenhouse gas, improved technologies for reducing CO₂ and fuel consumption are being developed. Stable lean combustion, which has the advantage of improved fuel economy and reduced emission levels, can be achieved using a sprayguided-type direct-injection (DI) combustion system. The system comprises a centrally mounted injector and closely positioned spark plugs, which ensure the combustion reliability of a stratified mixture under ultra-lean conditions. The aim of this study is to investigate the combustion and emission characteristics of a lean-burn gasoline DI engine. At an excess air ratio of 4.0, approximately 23% improvement in fuel economy was achieved through optimal event timing, which was delayed for injection and advanced for ignition, compared to that under stoichiometric conditions, while NO_x and HC emissions increased. The combustion characteristics of a stratified mixture in a spray-guided-type DI system were similar to those in DI diesel engines, resulting in smoke generation and difficulty in three-way catalystutilization. Although a different operating strategy might decrease fuel consumption, it will not be helpful in reducing NO_x and smoke emissions; therefore, alternatives should be pursued to achieve compliance with emission regulations.     

Road boundary detection and tracking for structured and unstructured roads using a 2D lidar sensor

Road boundaries can give useful information for evaluating safe vehicle paths in intelligent vehicles. Much previous research has studied road boundary detection, using different types of sensors such as vision, radar, and lidar. Lidar sensors, in particular, show advantages for road boundary extraction including high resolution and wide field of view. However, none of the previous studies examined the problem of detecting road boundaries when roads could be either structured or unstructured. In this study, we developed a road boundary detection and tracking algorithm using lidar sensing for both structured and unstructured roads. The algorithm extracts road features as line segments in polar coordinates relative to the lidar sensor. The extracted road features are then tracked with respect to a vehicle’s local coordinates using a nearest neighbor filter. The proposed algorithm accurately detected the road boundaries regardless of the road type.     

Fatigue strength assessment including welding residual stress of spot welded joints subjected to cross-tension loads

This paper presents a method to assess of fatigue strength for resistance spot welded joints, which incorporates welding residual stress effects. To achieve this, first, a non-linear finite element analysis (FEA) was performed to simulate the spot-welding process. To validate the FEA results, the numerically calculated welding residual stresses of spot welds were then compared with experimental results measured by X-ray diffraction method. The residual stress distributions showed good agreement between calculations and experiments. To evaluate the effects of welding residual stress on the fatigue design criterion of resistance spot welded joints subjected to cross-tension load, the stress amplitude (σ_a-res) taking into account welding residual stress at a spot weld was proposed based on a modified Goodman equation incorporating the residual stress effect. Using the stress amplitude σ_a-res at the nugget edge of a spot weld, the ΔP ? N_f relations obtained as the fatigue test results for spot welded joints were systematically rearranged to the σ_a-res ? N_f relation. It was found that the proposed stress amplitude (σ_a-res) provides more reasonable and accurate fatigue design criterion of spot welded joints subjected to cross-tension load.     

Nanoparticle emission characteristics and reduction strategies by boost pressure control and injection strategies in a passenger diesel engine

This research attempted to analyze nanoparticles and other harmful exhaust emissions in accordance with injection strategies and air-fuel ratio (AFR) changes for small diesel engines. The emission characteristics were analyzed in the medium-speed condition, which is the main driving range of a diesel engine. In the case of particulate matter (PM), the number of particles was measured, analyzed, and compared to identify the correlation and emission characteristics of nanoparticles by using a dilution device and condensation particle counter (CPC), which are international standards for particle measurement recommended by the Particulate Measurement Programme (PMP). The engine torque tended to be reduced as pilot injections were added, and the torque was increased by the increased boost pressure, but reduced by the exhaust pressure increase in a part of the low-load range. The number of nanoparticles was not influenced greatly by the change in AFR, but the reduction effect on the PM weight was great depending on the boost pressure increase. In addition, the number of nanoparticles tended to increase as the fuel injection timing became closer to TDC in all conditions, and its difference became larger with an increase in AFR. In addition, in the case of the pilot injection, nanoparticle emission showed similar characteristics depending on the main injection timing, but it was increased by advanced injection timing when performing the main injection only, and the number of the nanoparticles increased as pilot injections were added. Last, the optimal conditions for EMS calibration were analyzed by selecting the conditions of torque reduction and NOx increase within 5 % from all of the engine operating conditions; optimized conditions are presented.     

Adaptive neuron control using an integrated error approach with application to active suspensions

This paper proposes a new neuron control strategy for an active vehicle suspension system, with the emphasis on the study of multivariable and uncertain suspension characteristics. The novelty of this strategy is in the use of integrated error, which consists of multiple output errors in the regulated plant. By combining the integrated error approach with the traditional neuron control (TNC), integrated error neuron control (IENC) is presented. It provides a direct control to the multiple outputs of the control plant simultaneously. Taking a quarter-car model as an example, the proposed control strategy is applied and comparative simulations are carried out with various vehicle parameters and road input conditions. Simulation results prove the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed IENC method. In addition, the newly proposed neuron scheme provides a simple yet efficient new possibility for the control of a class of uncertain multivariable systems similar to an active vehicle suspension.     

Comparison of HC species from diesel combustion modes and characterization of a heat-up doc formulation

This study summarizes engine speed and load effects on HC species emissions from premixed charge compression ignition (PCI) and conventional diesel combustion, and it evaluates diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) formulations on a gas flow reactor for the purpose of diesel particulate filter regeneration or lean NO_x trap desulfation. HC emissions are sampled simultaneously by a Tedlar bag for light HC species and by a Tenax TA™ adsorption trap for semi-volatile HC species, and they are analyzed by gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. The bulk temperature and residence time during combustion are key parameters that are important for understanding the effects of speed and load on engine-out HC emissions. The degree of post-flame oxidation is higher in PCI than in conventional combustion, and it is increased for PCI with a higher speed and load, as indicated by a lower fuel alkanes/THC ratio, a higher alkenes/fuel alkanes ratio, and a higher methane/THC ratio. Ethene and n-undecane are two representative HC species, and they are used as a surrogate mixture in the gas flow reactor to simulate PCI and conventional combustion with in-cylinder post fuel injection. Among the three DOC formulations tested, the catalyst with constituent precious metals of platinum and palladium (PtPd) showed the best light-off performance, followed by PtPd with an addition of cerium dioxide (PtPd+CeO₂), and platinum (Pt), regardless of exhaust compositions. Conventional combustion exhaust composition shows a lower light-off temperature than that of PCI, regardless of catalyst formulation.