Effect of regenerative braking energy on battery current balance in a parallel hybrid gasoline-electric vehicle under FTP-75 driving mode

In recent years, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) has been considered a successful technology. Especially, in case of a full HEV, the motor can drive the vehicle by itself at low velocity or assist the engine at high load. To improve the hybrid electric vehicle’s efficiency, a regenerative braking system is also applied to recover from kinetic energy. In this study, an experimental control apparatus was set up with a parallel hybrid electric vehicle mounted on a chassis dynamometer to measure ECU (engine control unit) and MCU (motor control unit) signals, including the current and state of charge in the battery. In order to analyze regenerative braking characteristics, user define braking driving cycle was introduced and carried out using different initial velocities and braking times. The FTP 75 driving cycle was then adapted under different initial SOC (state of charge) levels. The experiment data was analyzed in accordance with the vehicle velocity, battery current, instant SOC level, motor RPM, engine RPM, and then vehicle driving mode was decided. In case of braking driving cycle, it was observed that SOC were increased up to 1.5 % when the braking time and the velocidy were 6 second and 60 km/h, respectively. In addition, using the FTP 75 driving cycle, mode 1 was most frequently operated at SOC 65 conditions in phase 1. In phase 2, due to frequent stop-go hills, percentage of mode 1 was increase by 22 %. Eventually, despite of identity, it was shown that the characteristics of phase 3 differed from phase 1 due to the evanishment of the effects of initial SOCs.     

Bayesian game-theoretic approach based on 802.11p MAC protocol to alleviate beacon collision under urban VANETs

Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANETs) facilitate the broadcasting of status information among vehicles. In the IEEE 802.11p/WAVE vehicle network environment, the strict periodic beacon broadcasting of safety messages requires status advertisement to assist drivers in maintaining safety. The beacon broadcasting is required for real-time communication, and for avoiding the degradation of communication channels in high vehicular density situations. However, a periodic safety beacon in the IEEE 802.11p/WAVE standard can only transmit packets on a single channel using the MAC protocol. In high vehicular density situations, the channel becomes overloaded, thereby increasing the probability of beacon collision, and hence reducing the influx of successfully received beacons, which increases the delay. Many studies have indicated that appropriate congestion control algorithms are essential to provide efficient operation of a network. In this paper, to avoid beacon congestion, we have considered game theoretic models of wireless medium access control (MAC) where each transmitter makes individual decisions regarding their power level or transmission probability. We have evaluated the equilibrium transmission strategies of both the selfish and the cooperative user. In such a game-theoretic study, the central question is whether Bayesian Nash equilibrium (BNE) exists, and if so, whether the network operates efficiently at the equilibrium point. We proved that there exists only one BNE point in our game and validated our result using simulation. The performance of the proposed scheme is illustrated with the help of simulation results.     

Development of route information based driving control algorithm for a range-extended electric vehicle

A route information based driving control algorithm was developed for an RE-EV which consists of two motorgenerators, MG1 and MG2. A threshold power which controls the engine on/off to charge the battery was obtained by an optimization process using route information, such as the vehicle velocity and altitude. The threshold power allows the vehicle to travel to the final destination while making the final battery SOC close to SOC _low. Using the threshold power, route based control (RBC) was proposed by considering the driver’s characteristics and traffic conditions using the driving data base. In addition, a relationship between the threshold power and various initial battery SOC was obtained by off-line optimization. The performance of the RBC was evaluated by simulation and human-in-the-loop simulation (HILS) for city driving. It was found from the simulation and HILS results that the RBC achieved approximately 4 % to 12 % reduction in fuel consumption compared to the existing charge depleting/charge sustaining (CD/CS) driving control.     

Improving multi-channel wave-based V2X communication to support advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)

The advent of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication has opened the opportunity to design advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that collect information from sensors in neighboring vehicles and roadside infrastructure. IEEE and ETSI have designed network protocol standards for V2X communications. Despite the differences between the vehicular wireless communication architecture defined by ETSI and the IEEE protocol stack, the two standards have multichannel operations as a main commonality, with some channels dedicated to safety-critical applications and others to nonsafety services. Some recent studies have demonstrated that these standards might not provide sufficient channel utilization for reliable exchange of information in mid- and heavily congested scenarios. In this paper, we propose and evaluate the performance of a driver-assistance system to reduce the connectivity gaps between vehicles and roadside units (RSUs). This cooperative system of multi-service channel allocation will improve radio channel utilization. We also show that the required latency for this inter-vehicle communication can be obtained using the IEEE-WAVE standards and dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) proposed for vehicular environments. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can improve the average throughput by up to 15 % in various traffic density conditions compared with the dynamic channel allocation method.     

Effect of the front and rear weight distribution ratio of a Formula car during maximum-speed cornering on a circuit

Because Formula cars are lighter than ordinary cars, the optimal settings for this type of car are thought to be different from those of a ordinary car. The front and rear weight distribution ratio of a vehicle is an important parameter that exerts a significant influence on critical cornering. The tendency of a ordinary car to under-steer during critical cornering is determined by the front and rear weight distribution ratio of the vehicle. Specifically, when the front of an ordinary FR (front-engine, rear wheel drive) vehicle is slightly heavier than the rear, the car tends to understeer during critical cornering. However, the optimal weight distribution ratio for critical cornering is not obvious for a formula car because of its lightness. This observation was investigated using a driving course similar to a real driving course to perform a maximum speed cornering simulations. It was found that a front to rear weight distribution ratio of 40:60 resulted in the fastest lap time. This ratio also gave the best results in the maximum-speed driving experiment performed using a driving simulator. Moreover, the maximum lateral acceleration during turning, the driving force, and the load movement of the inside and outside wheels was calculated using experimental driving force data and the concept of a tire friction circle. As a result, driving mechanics have been determined for a vehicle having a front/rear weight distribution ratio of 40:60 while traveling at maximum speed.     

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.     

Analysis of disc brake instability due to friction-induced vibration using a distributed parameter model

This paper deals with friction-induced vibration of a disc brake system with a constant friction coefficient. A linear, lumped, and distributed parameter model to represent the floating caliper disc brake system is proposed. The complex eigenvalues are used to investigate the dynamic stability, and, in order to verify simulations which are based on the theoretical model, an experimental modal test and dynamometer test are performed. The comparison of experimental and theoretical results shows good agreement, and the analysis indicates that modal coupling due to friction forces is responsible for disc brake squeal. Also, squeal type instability is investigated, using a parametric analysis. This indicates which parameters have influence on the propensity of brake squealing. This is helpful for validating the analysis model and establishing confidence in the experimental results of the modified system. These results may also be useful during system development or diagnostic analysis.     

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.     

New nonlinear bushing model for general excitations using Bouc-Wen hysteretic model

Because the characteristics of rubber bushing significantly affect the accuracy of vehicle dynamics simulations, they should be accurately modeled in the vehicle suspension model. In this paper, a new nonlinear bushing model for automotive bushing components is developed to improve the accuracy of vehicle dynamics analysis. Bushing components were first tested to capture the nonlinear and hysteretic behavior of typical elements by using a MTS 3-axis elastomer tester. A simple Bouc-Wen hysteretic differential model was modified to generate a more precise rubber bushing model. A sine wave, step input, and random excitations are imposed on the bushing. The ADAMS program is used to calculate sensitivity and the VisualDOC program is employed to find the optimal parameters for the bushing model. An error function is designed to find optimal parameters of the model. Parameter identification is carried out to satisfy the static and dynamic characteristics due to sine and step excitation inputs. It was proved that the proposed model could predict the bushing forces under sine, step, and random inputs well. The errors are within 10% in the overall range. To show the validity of the proposed model, a numerical example was also carried out. Because the bushing forces due to random excitation input show good agreement with experiments, the proposed bushing model is available in the vehicle dynamics simulation.     

Fatigue life prediction based on the rainflow cycle counting method for the end beam of a freight car bogie

This paper presents a system for treating of the actual measured data for load histories. The approach consists of two steps: stress analysis and fatigue damage prediction. Finite element analysis is conducted for the component in question to obtain detailed stress-strain responses. A significant number of failures occurred in a brake end beam which led to economic losses and disruption of service. The cracks appeared to be fatigue cracks caused by the dynamic load produced in the loaded bogie frame. Strain gauge data were analyzed, and fatigue cycles were calculated from this data. Rainflow cycle counting was used to estimate cumulative damage of the end beam under in-service loading conditions. The fatigue life calculated with the rainflow cycle counting method, the P-S-N curve, and the modified Miner’s rule agreed well with actual fatigue life within an error range of 2.7%~31%.