Automotive Engineering Commons^™

Supporting Us Army Next-Generation Ground Vehicle Simulation Modeling Using An Integrated Ontology Suite, Edward Louis

All Theses

The development of the US Army’s next-generation of ground vehicle systems is supported by simulations that predict vehicle performance and inform engineering design choices in the design and acquisition process. In this paper, we describe the development of an Integrated Ontology Suite to support modeling and simulation of next generation military ground vehicles. The ontology suite is intended to address model reuse challenges and increase the shared understanding of ground vehicle system simulations. It is intended to function in a Model Library structure that stores, documents, assembles, and executes vehicle simulations. The ontology suite consists of four domain ontologies: Vehicle …

Non-Destructive Terrain Evaluation And Modeling For Off-Road Autonomy, Howard Brand

All Dissertations

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in implementing intelligent robotic systems in outdoor environments. Paramount to accomplishing this objective is being able to conduct successful robotic navigation in unprepared outdoor environments. This presents unique challenges in that there is a risk of catastrophic immobilization in terrain regions which, though unoccupied, cannot provide traction support for vehicle mobility. Methods for providing prior knowledge and perception of traction support is therefore an interest and focus of research.

In the advent of ever advancing machine learning models, “learn-as-you-go” approaches have emerged as topics of interest for mobility prediction. These approaches, …

Multiple Heat Exchanger Cooling System For Automotive Applications – Design, Mathematical Modeling, And Experimental Observations, Zaker Syed

All Dissertations

The design of the automotive cooling systems has slowly evolved from engine-driven mechanical to computer-controlled electro-mechanical components. With the addition of computer-controlled variable speed actuators, cooling system architectures have been updated to maximize performance and efficiency. By switching from one large radiator to multiple smaller radiators with individual flow control valves, the heat rejection requirements may be precisely adjusted. The combination of computer regulated thermal management system should reduce power consumption while satisfying temperature control objectives. This research focuses on developing and analyzing a multi-radiator system architecture for implementation in ground transportation applications. The premise is to use a single …

Multi-Robot Symbolic Task And Motion Planning Leveraging Human Trust Models: Theory And Applications, Huanfei Zheng

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Multi-robot systems (MRS) can accomplish more complex tasks with two or more robots and have produced a broad set of applications. The presence of a human operator in an MRS can guarantee the safety of the task performing, but the human operators can be subject to heavier stress and cognitive workload in collaboration with the MRS than the single robot. It is significant for the MRS to have the provable correct task and motion planning solution for a complex task. That can reduce the human workload during supervising the task and improve the reliability of human-MRS collaboration. This dissertation relies …

Design And Development Of A Multi-Material, Cost-Competitive, Lightweight Mid-Size Sports Utility Vehicle’S Body-In-White, Amit M. Deshpande, Rushabh Rajesh Sadiwala, Nathan Brown, Sai Aditya Pradeep, Leon M. Headings, Ningxiner Zhao, Brad Losey, Ryan Hahnlen, Marcelo J. Dapino, Gang Li, Srikanth Pilla

Publications

Vehicle light-weighting has allowed automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to improve fuel efficiency, incorporate value-adding features without a weight penalty, and extract better performance. The typical body-in-white (BiW) accounts for up to 40% of the total vehicle mass, making it the focus of light-weighting efforts through a) conceptual redesign b) design optimization using state-of-the-art computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools, and c) use of advanced high strength steels (AHSS), aluminum, magnesium, and/or fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites. However, most of these light-weighting efforts have been focused on luxury/sports vehicles, with a relatively high price range and an average production of 100,000 units/year or …

Investigating Drivers’ Knowledge And Experience With The Anti-Lock Braking System (Abs) Which Led To The Development And Evaluation Of An Emergency Braking Training Exercise Using A Driving Simulator With Haptic Pedal Feedback, Lauren Mims

All Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the extent to which drivers do or do not have knowledge of and experience with the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and then to explore the development and evaluation of a driving simulator task specifically designed to address emergency braking with haptic brake pedal feedback. The anti-lock braking system (ABS) was created to help drivers in emergency braking situations by preventing skidding and loss of control due to locked wheels. Vehicles with conventional (pre-ABS) brakes required the driver to “pump” the brake pedal, or to rapidly press and release the brake pedal, during …

Modeling, Estimation, And Optimal Control Of Lithium-Ion Battery At Cell And System Level, Hamidreza Mirzaei

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Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been regarded as a crucial technology for electrifying a variety of applications, ranging from powering computers, phones, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) to being a critical part of the modern centralized and distributed power grids. Battery systems performance is governed by embedded battery management systems (BMSs). The BMS includes battery state estimation algorithms and control rules, and it acts as the brain of battery-powered systems. The purpose of this research is to address unresolved difficulties associated with control algorithms in BMSs at all levels, from single battery cells to battery packs in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).\\ …

A Novel Computationally Efficient Ai-Driven Generative Inverse Design Framework For Accelerating Topology Optimization And Designing Lattice-Infused Structures, Darshil Patel

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Multiscale topology optimization (TO) provides an inverse design computational framework for designing globally and locally optimized hierarchical structures. Triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS), a subclass of parametrically-driven lattice structures, exhibit unique properties such as large surface area, significant volume densities, and good strength-to-weight ratio, which makes them favorable for novel engineering applications. The recent advances in additive manufacturing and its ability to fabricate high-resolution structures have spurred interest in multiscale TO and TPMS for computationally designing finer and high-resolution designs. While multiscale TO and TPMS bring transformative opportunities in various applications, their potential for everyday use remains idle due to …

Improving The Human-Machine Interaction Of Ai Systems For System Health Monitoring, Ryan Nguyen

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System health monitoring aids in the longevity of fielded systems or products. Providing a fault diagnosis or a prognosis can evaluate a system's current health. A diagnosis is the type of issue that could lead to a system's end-of-life (EOL); a prognosis is the remaining useful life (RUL) between the current state and the EOL. Fault diagnosis and RUL prediction can be acquired through (1) physics-based methods (PbM), (2) data-driven methods (DDM), or (3) hybrid modeling methods. DDM accurately provide a fault diagnosis, but the amount of data required is significant. This study reduces the amount of required data by …

Numerical Implementation And Validation Of A Viscoelastic-Plastic Material Model For Predicting Curing Induced Residual Stresses In Adhesive Bonded Joints, Akshat Agha, Fadi Abu-Farha

Publications

One of the main challenges in the joining of multi-material components is the assessment of the nature and magnitude of the residual stresses developing in the adhesive bond during the heat curing manufacturing process. Numerical modeling of these residual stresses can provide insights for making informed decisions related to (i) material substrate properties; (ii) adhesive properties i.e., low, medium, or high stiffness; (iii) bondline geometry i.e., bondline width and bead thickness; (iv) curing cycle characteristics; and (v) fixation design i.e., type, spacing, the number of joints. This work presents a cure history-dependent viscoelastic-plastic material description for the modeling of adhesive …

Control, Decision-Making, And Learning Approaches For Connected And Autonomous Driving Systems With Humans-In-The-Loop, Fangjian Li

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By virtue of vehicular connectivity and automation, the vehicle becomes increasingly intelligent and self-driving capable. However, no matter what automation level the vehicle can achieve, humans will still be in the loop despite their roles. First, considering the manual driving car as a disturbance to the connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), a novel string stability is proposed for mixed traffic platoons consisting of both autonomous and manual driving cars to guarantee acceptable motion fluctuation and platoon safety. Furthermore, humans are naturally considered as the rider in the passenger vehicle. A human-centered cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) is designed to improve …

A Multi-Perspective Architecture Framework For Managing Multi-Fidelity Simulations Using Feature-Based Product Line Engineering, Ryan Colletti

All Dissertations

This dissertation aims to facilitate the process for generating system-level simulations using new and existing product line engineering practices within a SysML reference architecture of the simulation domain. The modern passenger vehicle is becoming increasingly complex with the addition of more software-oriented features, especially Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), leading to higher numbers of recalls. To mitigate this, the result of this research is the novel Vehicle Simulation Architecture Framework (VSAF). This dissertation presents the VSAF, its innovations, and a characterization of its scalability, applicability, and initial investment vs. incremental cost tradeoffs as compared to those of current simulation practices. …

Thermoforming Process Effects On Structural Performance Of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Parts Through A Manufacturing To Response Pathway, Madhura Limaye, Sai Aditya Pradeep, Anmol Kothari, Sushil Savla, Akshat Agha, Srikanth Pilla, Gang Li

Publications

Thermoforming process of thermoplastic-based continuous CFRP's offer a major advantage in reducing cycle times for large-scale productions, but it can also have a significant impact on the structural performance of the parts by inducing undesirable effects. This necessitates the development of an optimal manufacturing process that minimizes the introduction of undesirable factors in the structure and thereby achieves the targeted mechanical performance. This can be done by first establishing a relationship between the manufacturing process and mechanical performance and successively optimizing it to achieve the desired targets. The current study focuses on the former part, where a manufacturing-to-response (MTR) pathway …

Advanced Anti-Buckling Device Coupled With Real-Time Digital Image Correlation For Complex Cyclic Tension-Compression Testing Of Lightweight Materials, Akshat Agha, Fadi Abu-Farha

Publications

In sheet metal forming and stamping operations, modeling the behavior of sheet metal alloys for springback prediction is known to be very challenging, not only because of the complex models needed to account for kinematic hardening (such as the Yoshida-Uemori Model) but more importantly because of the experimental limitations of our ability to perform the complex tests needed to calibrate such models. For instance, reliable monotonic uniaxial compression tests and then cyclic tension-followed-by-compression tests are essential for characterizing the response of the material under those loading conditions, providing quantitative evaluation of the Bauschinger Effect and tension/compression asymmetry in the material, …