Active coolant control strategies in automotive engines

The coolant flow rate in conventional cooling systems in automotive engines is subject to the mechanical water pump speed, and high efficiency in terms of fuel economy and exhaust emission is not possible given this limitation. A new technology must be developed for engine cooling systems. The electronic water pump is used as a substitute for the mechanical water pump in new engine cooling systems. The new cooling system provides more flexible control of the coolant flow rate and engine temperature, which previously relied strongly on engine driving conditions such as load and speed. In this study, the feasibility of two new cooling strategies was investigated using a simulation model that was validated with temperatures measured in a diesel engine. Results revealed that active coolant control using an electronic water pump and valves substantially contributed to a reduction of coolant warm-up time during cold engine starts. Harmful emissions and fuel consumption are expected to decrease as a result of a reduction in warm-up time.     

Performance characteristics of a supplementary stack-cooling system for fuel-cell vehicles using a carbon dioxide air-conditioning unit

In fuel-cell-powered vehicles, the fuel-cell system requires a thermal-management subsystem to dissipate heat released during the reaction of hydrogen with oxygen. When the stack generates power at a high rate, a large amount of heat is also generated. If cooling by the radiator is insufficient, a supplementary stack-cooling system is needed to maintain a safe operating temperature. In this study, the performance of a CO₂ air-conditioning unit for stack cooling was investigated under various conditions, and the relationship between cabin cooling and stack cooling was also studied. The coefficient of performance (COP) increased from 1.9 to 2.4, with an increase in cabin-air inlet flow rate from 0 to 8 m³/min. When the air-conditioning unit was turned off, the cooling capacity of the stack cooler was increased; correspondingly, as the cabin-cooling capacity was increased, that of the stack cooler decreased. With an increase in ambient-air inlet temperature from 38°C to 45°C, the COP decreased by 24%. Additionally, both the stack-cooling capacity and cabin-cooling capacity were decreased by about 12% and 16%, respectively, due to reduced heat transfer in the gas cooler as the ambient air inlet temperature was increased. It is expected that the experimental results can serve as a resource in designing a stack-cooling system using a CO₂ air-conditioning unit to enhance stack power generation and efficiency.     

Development of the Sungkyunkwan University Driving Simulator (SKUD) for Human-Machine Interface studies of Car Navigation Systems

Driving simulators are useful tools that can be used not only to test the components of future cars, but also to evaluate the telematics service and HMI (Human-Machine Interface). However, driving simulators that are currently available cannot be implemented to test and evaluate a real commercial telematics service system because the GPS (Global Positioning System), which contains basic functional support for the telematics module, does not work in the VR (virtual reality) environment. A driving simulator, together with the GPS simulator, can be used to study the HMI to evaluate commercial CNS (Car Navigation Systems). In this paper, Sungkyunkwan University Driving Simulator (SKUD) is developed with a GPS simulator that is able to emulate GPS satellite signals and includes the NMEA-0183 protocol and RS232C communication standards. Furthermore, using the SKUD, the HMI of the real commercial CNS could be investigated with driver workload assessment methods.     

Accelerated life prediction of fillet-type,gas-welded joints

In this paper, in order to save time and cost for the fatigue design and to develop the optimum approaches for accelerated life prediction of the fillet gas welded joints, the (Δσ)_R − N_f relationship was obtained from actual fatigue test data, including welding residual stress. Based on these results, the (Δσ_a)_R − (N_f)_ALP relationship derived from the method of statistical probability analysis was compared with the actual fatigue test data. From the result, the optimum statistical distribution for the accelerated life prediction was analyzed to be the lognormal distribution for the fillet-type, gas-welded joint. The mean accuracy of the accelerated life prediction was assessed to be 85∼95% of the actual test life at the 95% reliability level and ±15% standard deviation. Therefore, it is expected that the accelerated life prediction will provide a useful method for determining the criterion for fatigue design and for predicting a specific target life.     

Effect of cetane enhancer on spray and combustion characteristics of compressed ignition type LPG fuel

This research investigated the spray and combustion characteristics of compressed ignition type LPG fuel when a cetane number enhancing additive was applied to a constant volume chamber. Because LPG has a lower cetane number, DTBP and alpha olefin were added to the LPG (100% butane) to enhance the cetane number and viscosity. By adding the cetane enhancer, stable combustion over the wide range of the ambient conditions was possible as well. According to the blending rates of DTBP and alpha olefin, various proportions of LPG blended fuels were obtained. In a constant volume chamber, a high speed digital camera was also employed to visualize the combustion characteristics of LPG fuel. The combustion pressures and heat-release rates of the LPG blends were also compared at various ambient pressures. As the results of measurements of exhaust emissions, CO and HC were reduced considerably, but CO₂ was increased by blending LPG with DTBP and alpha olefin.     

Effect of various LPG supply systems on exhaust particle emission in spark-ignited combustion engine

The particle size distribution and particle number (PN) concentration emitted by internal combustion engine are a subject of significant environmental concern because of their adverse health effects and environmental impact. This subject has recently attracted the attention of the Particle Measurement Programme (PMP). In 2007, the UN-ECE GRPE PMP proposed a new method to measure particle emissions in the diluted exhaust of automotive engines and a regulation limit (<6.0×10¹¹ #/km, number of particles). The specific PN regulation of spark-ignited combustion engine will be regulated starting on September 1, 2014 (EURO 6). In this study, three types of LPG supply systems (a mixer system and a multi-point injection system with gas-phase or liquid-phase LPG fuel) were used for a comparison of the particulate emission characteristics, including the nano-sized particle number density. Each of the three LPG vehicles with various LPG injection systems contained a multi-cylinder engine with same displacement volumes of 2,000 cm³ and a three-way catalytic converter. The test fuel that was used in this study for the spark-ignited combustion engine was n-butane basis LPG fuel, which is primarily used for taxi vehicles in Korea. The characteristics of nano-particle size distribution and number concentration of particle sizes ranging from 20 to 1,000 nm (aerodynamic diameter) that were emitted from the three LPG vehicles with various LPG supply systems were investigated by using a condensation particle counter (CPC), which is recommended by the PMP under both the NEDC and FTP-75 test modes on a chassis dynamometer. The experimental results indicate that the PN emission characteristics that were obtained by the CPC system using the PMP procedure are sufficiently reliable compared to other regulated emissions. Additionally, the sources of PN emissions in ascending order of magnitude are as follows: mixer type, gas-phase LPG injection (LPGi) and liquid-phase LPG injection (LPLi) passenger vehicles. The liquid-phase LPG injection system produced relatively large particle sizes and number concentrations compared to the gaseous system, regardless of the vehicle driving cycle. This phenomenon can be explained by unburned micro-fuel droplets that were generated due to a relatively short homogeneous fuel-air mixture duration in the engine intake manifold. Also the particle number emissions from the LPG vehicle were influenced by the vehicle driving cycle.     

Performance evaluation of slim low-risk-deployment dual-type passenger airbag system with dispersed inflation pressure

Motor vehicle passenger airbags have been proven to be effective for reducing the possibility of passenger injury during a crash. However, the inflation of the airbag sometimes causes serious injury when a passenger is positioned close to the airbag. The United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 208 requires the use of a low-riskdeployment (LRD) passenger airbag system. This paper proposes a newly developed airbag system comprising two slim airbags mounted on the instrument panel. A series of tests were conducted using the FMVSS 208 test procedures to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system. It was found that the system not only satisfied the injury criteria of FMVSS 208, but was also effective for protecting passengers of all sizes.     

Circuit racing,track texture,temperature and rubber friction

ABSTRACT

Some general observations relating to tyre shear forces and road surfaces are followed by more specific considerations from circuit racing. The discussion then focuses on the mechanics of rubber friction. The classical experiments of Grosch are outlined and the interpretations that can be put on them are discussed. The interpretations involve rubber viscoelasticity, so that the vibration properties of rubber need to be considered. Adhesion and deformation mechanisms for energy dissipation at the interface between rubber and road and in the rubber itself are highlighted. The enquiry is concentrated on energy loss by deformation or hysteresis subsequently. Persson's deformation theory is outlined and the material properties necessary to apply the theory to Grosch's experiments are discussed. Predictions of the friction coefficient relating to one particular rubber compound and a rough surface are made using the theory and these are compared with the appropriate results from Grosch. Predictions from Persson's theory of the influence of nominal contact pressure on the friction coefficient are also examined. The extent of the agreement between theory and experiment is discussed. It is concluded that there is value in the theory but that it is far from complete. There is considerable scope for further research on the mechanics of rubber friction.     

Analysis of automotive disc brake squeal considering damping and design modifications for pads and a disc

The squeal noise occurring from the disc brakes of passenger cars has been analyzed by using the complex eigenvalue method numerically. The contact between a disc and two pads was analytically modeled as many linear springs and dampers in an effort to develop the improved equation of motion derived on the basis of Lagrange’s equation and the assumed mode method. The finite element modal analysis results for disc brake components constitute an eigenvalue matrix in the analytical equation of motion. The complex eigenvalue analyses based on the equations of motion are able to examine the dynamic instability of a brake system, which is an onset of squeal, by considering the disc rotational effect. Numerical analyses showed that the modes unstable in an undamped analysis became stable in a damped case, which illustrates the important effect of damping on the squeal instability in a brake squeal simulation. Then several modified brake models were suggested and investigated how effectively they suppressed the occurrence of squeal noise. The brake parts such as a pad chamfer and a disc vane were modified and the influence of pad chamfer and vane shapes on squeal occurrence was proved to be significant. The numerical results showed that proper structural modification of a disc brake system can suppress the brake squeal to some extent.     

Design and simuation of a vehicle test bed based on intelligent transport systems

As growing demand of vehicle safety system, especially regarding intelligent transport systems (ITS), automotive manufacturers are focusing more on driving safety and efficient transportation for vehicle users. Many safety systems have been launched in the market recently so, it is important to evaluate the vehicle safety systems and ITS. The ITS based intelligent vehicle test bed was constructed to meet the growing demand of test and verification for such ADAS and ITS systems. First, this paper describes in detail concept of the test-bed. This test-bed is carefully designed to meet the requirements of ISO/TC204 standards. In order to verify the design of the test-bed, virtual test with driving siulator was processed on a virtual test tracks. This test-bed will be used to conduct testing on various ITS and ADAS technologies, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane departure warning system (LDWS), cooperative intersection warning system as well as rollover stability control (RSC) and electronic stability control (ESC), etc.