Non-intrusive polynomial chaos for efficient uncertainty analysis in parametric roll simulations

Monte Carlo analyses are generally considered the standard for uncertainty analysis. While accurate, these analyses can be expensive computationally. Recently, polynomial chaos has been proposed as an alternative approach to the estimation of uncertainty distributions (Hosder et al. A non-intrusive polynomial chaos method for uncertainty propagation in CFD simulations. In: 44th AIAA aerospace sciences meeting and exhibit, Reno, Nevada, 2006; Wu et al. Uncertainty analysis for parametric roll using non-intrusive polynomial chaos. In: Proceedings of the 12th international ship stability workshop, Washington, DC, USA, 2011). This approach works by representing the function as a series of orthogonal polynomials; the weights for which can be calculated via several methods. Previous studies have demonstrated the usefulness of this technique for comparatively simple systems such as parametric roll modeled by the Mathieu equation with normally distributed parameter values (Wu et al. Uncertainty analysis for parametric roll using non-intrusive polynomial chaos. In: Proceedings of the 12th international ship stability workshop, Washington, DC, USA, 2011). In the present work, a polynomial chaos method is applied to a nonlinear computational ship dynamics model with normally distributed input parameters. Test cases were selected where parametric roll was expected to potentially occur. The resulting probability distributions are compared to the results of a Monte Carlo analysis. In general, these results demonstrate good agreement between Monte Carlo simulation and polynomial chaos in the absence of capsize with significant computation gains found with polynomial chaos. Overall, we conclude that polynomial chaos is an effective tool for reducing simulation time costs when studying parametric roll, and potentially other ship dynamics phenomena, particularly in the absence of capsize-like bifurcations.     

New routes on old railways: increasing rail’s mode share within the constraints of the existing railway network

This paper describes an integrated methodology for identifying potential ‘quick wins’ for mode shift from road to passenger rail transport. Firstly, a procedure for analysing rail’s relative competitiveness in the market for passenger transport between large urban areas is developed and then applied to a UK case study. The purpose of such analysis is to allow the identification of flows where rail is currently relatively uncompetitive (in terms of journey time in particular) and to assess the reasons for this poor performance, so that the issues which suppress rail use may be addressed. In parallel, a framework, methodology and tool for the assessment of existing and potential capacity (trains, seats, TEUs, etc.) is developed for both passenger and freight traffic, to identify and address network constraints. An illustrative example of the use of these demand and capacity assessment tools is then presented, with the tools used to identify and evaluate flows where rail demand is suppressed by poor service quality and where spare capacity exists which would allow the passenger rail service to be improved without requiring significant investments in infrastructure. The effects of such improvements on demand are predicted, and the cost implications of operating such additional services are discussed. The analysis suggests that there may be significant potential for increasing rail’s mode share by providing additional inter-urban services where rail currently offers an inferior service.     

Community Severance: Where Is It Found and at What Cost?

Community severance occurs when transport infrastructure or motorised traffic divides space and people. Despite the growing awareness of its effects on the wellbeing of local communities, the problem is not usually assessed quantitatively or assigned a monetary value. This paper reviews existing practice and research on quantitative methods dealing with community severance. The problem is first decomposed into a series of questions, which are then used as a base to review the methods found in governmental guidance documents, technical reports, and academic studies. The paper ends with recommendations for the integration of severance issues into transport planning.     

Vehicle stability control system for enhancing steerabilty,lateral stability,and roll stability

The Vehicle stability control system is an active safety system designed to prevent accidents from occurring and to stabilize dynamic maneuvers of a vehicle by generating an artificial yaw moment using differential brakes. In this paper, in order to enhance vehicle steerability, lateral stability, and roll stability, each reference yaw rate is designed and combined into a target yaw rate depending on the driving situation. A yaw rate controller is designed to track the target yaw rate based on sliding mode control theory. To generate the total yaw moment required from the proposed yaw rate controller, each brake pressure is properly distributed with effective control wheel decision. Estimators are developed to identify the roll angle and body sideslip angle of a vehicle based on the simplified roll dynamics model and parameter adaptation approach. The performance of the proposed vehicle stability control system and estimation algorithms is verified with simulation results and experimental results.     

Dynamic analysis of seatbelt systems with anti-inertial release mechanisms

In order to prevent the uncontrolled release of seatbelt buckles due to high acceleration caused by pretensioners, anti-g buckles that have pendulum-shaped g-masses to block the releasing motion are commonly adopted in seatbelt systems. However, even with the wide applications of anti-g buckles, the underlying operational principles of anti-g buckles have yet to be investigated. This work studies conditions for the engagement of the g-mass to prevent inertial release, and conditions for maintaining a blocked state under very high acceleration. Using a multibody model of an anti-g buckle, the effects of various design parameters on the performance of the anti-g buckle have been examined. It turns out that design variables associated with the geometry of the g-mass and its contacting surface configuration play important roles. In order to account for the dynamic interaction between driver and seatbelt, a multibody model of a seatbelt system is combined with a dummy model to form a single dynamic system. Using the measured displacement of the buckle during the explosion of a pretensioner as the driving condition for simulation, dynamic analysis of the seatbelt with driver interaction has been carried out. Through comparison with measured and computed accelerations of webbing, which shows good agreement, the validity of the model has been demonstrated. The dynamic model for seatbelt and driver can be used as a design tool for the development of anti-g buckles.     

Effect of structural variables on automotive body bumper impact beam

Increasing fuel economy has been a central issue in the development of new cars, and one of the important strategies to improve fuel economy is to decrease vehicle weight. In order to obtain this goal, researchers have sought to make bumpers lighter without sacrificing strength, ability to absorb impact, or passenger safety. In this study, the effects of structural variables on the torsional stiffness of a body bumper impact beam were analyzed for possible weight reduction. To this end, the effects of variation of section height, increase of impact beam thickness and the addition of stays in a bumper impact beam were carefully investigated and compared. Among these, the most effective way to increase the torsional stiffness of the bumper impact beam was found to be increasing the section height. In addition, the potential for overall weight reduction of the impact beam was examined by comparing the crash capability of a bumper using conventional steels with that of high-strength steel (boron steel) with a tensile strength of 1.5 GPa. This analysis could serve as a guide to design for optimal bumper impact beam development.     

Excitation force analysis of a powertrain based on CAE technology

The excitation force of a powertrain is one of major sources of interior noise in a vehicle. This paper presents a novel approach to predict the interior noise caused by the vibration of the powertrain by using the hybrid TPA (transfer path analysis) method. Although the traditional transfer path analysis (TPA) is useful for the identification of powertrain noise sources, it is difficult to modify the structure of a powertrain by using experiments for the reduction of vibration and noise. In order to solve this problem, the vibration of the powertrain in a vehicle is numerically analyzed by using the finite element method (FEM). The vibration of the other parts of the vehicle is investigated by using experiments based on vibrato-acoustic transfer function (VATF) analysis. These two methods are combined for the prediction of interior noise caused by a powertrain. Throughout this research, two papers are presented. This paper presents a simulation of the excitation force of the powertrain exciting the vehicle body based on numerical simulation. The other paper presents a prediction of interior noise based on the hybrid TPA, which uses the VATF of the car body and the excitation force predicted in this paper.     

Effect of intake valve swirl on fuel-gas mixing and subsequent combustion in a CAI engine

A fully three-dimensional model was used to investigate the optimal value for intake valve lift in a CAI engine. Uniform mixing in the engine is a key parameter that affects the auto-ignition reliability and thermal efficiency. The method of intake of the air supply often determines the uniformity (or quality) of the fuel-air mixture. In this paper, four strategies were applied for controlling the swirl intensity of intake air. The variation of the intake valve lift induces different swirling and tumbling intensities. Both experimental data and 1D WAVE software (Ricardo, Co.) were coupled with the 3D model to provide pressure and temperature boundary conditions. The initial condition of the EGR mass fraction was also provided by the 1D model. The benchmark scenario (Case 1) was considered as a valve lift with 2 mm for all intake valves. We found that an intake valve lift of 6 mm with the other intake valve closed (i.e., Case 5) yielded the largest swirling (helical motion in the axial direction) and tumbling, which in turn rendered optimal fuel-gas mixing. We also found that fuel distribution affected the auto-ignition sites (or spot). The better the mixing, the greater the gas temperature and combustion efficiency achieved, as seen in Case 5. The NOx level, however, was increased due to the gas temperature. The optimal operating condition is selected from the viewpoints of environmental protection and combustion efficiency.     

Fatigue design approach for the spot-welded T-type member using a simulated single spot-welded joint

In order to develop a fatigue design method for actual railroad car and commercial vehicle body structures using the fatigue data of simulated single spot-welded lap joints, we first analyzed the stress distribution and evaluated fatigue strength of spot-welded T-type members that are the components of actual railroad car and commercial vehicle body structures. Next, fatigue design approach of these members using the fatigue data of single spot-welded lap joints was investigated. From our results, we found that, even though there was a quantitative difference of fatigue strength between the single spot-welded joint and the actual members over the same number of fatigue cycles, through the use of appropriate correction, the fatigue design criterion of actual spot-welded members, such as those used in railroad car and commercial vehicle body, can be predicted using the fatigue strength of single spot-welded joint.