Automotive Engineering Commons^™

Significance Of The Vehicle Front Design And Gait Postures On Traumatic Brain Injuries Sustained By Different Pedestrian Populations During Car-To-Pedestrian Collisions (Cpcs) - A Computational Approach, Thava Kalishwara Kumar Gunasekaran

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

With the increasing prevalence of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in road traffic accidents (RTAs), it was identified that the shape of the vehicle's front end and pedestrian postures prior to impact significantly influence pedestrian head injuries. However, the effect of vehicle front shape parameters and gait postures on TBIs sustained in car-to-pedestrian collisions (CPCs) has yet to be quantified. This study used a computational approach to analyze the effect of vehicle shape parameters and pedestrian gait postures on pedestrian TBI risks across a diverse pedestrian population with varying body sizes. Our findings indicate that vehicle shape parameter such as BLEH …

Geometric State Observers For Autonomous Navigation Systems, Miaomiao Wang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The development of reliable state estimation algorithms for autonomous navigation systems is of great interest in the control and robotics communities. This thesis studies the state estimation problem for autonomous navigation systems. The first part of this thesis is devoted to the pose estimation on the Special Euclidean group $\SE(3)$. A generic globally exponentially stable hybrid estimation scheme for pose (orientation and position) and velocity-bias estimation on $\SE(3)\times \mathbb{R}^6$ is proposed. Moreover, an explicit hybrid observer, using inertial and landmark position measurements, is provided.

The second part of this thesis is devoted to the problem of simultaneous estimation of the …

Mechanical Characterization And Shear Test Comparison For Continuous-Fiber Polymer Composites, Matthew Crossan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

As fiber-reinforced composites continue to be used in a wide-range of high performance structures, more detailed understanding and accurate prediction of stress-strain behaviour is necessary to improving designs and reducing costs. This thesis compares the experimental behaviour of a continuous fiber polymer composite of carbon fiber and epoxy resin using Digital Image Correlation to analytical and theoretical predictions. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of shear testing methods reveals the advantages and limitations of different testing standards. Finally, the limitations of the Iosipescu Shear test (ASTM 5379) fixture to break high-strain-to-failure composites in comparison to the V-notched Rail Shear Fixture (ASTM 7078) …

Development Of A Laser-Based Technique For The Assessment Of High Quality Automotive Surfaces, Navraj Heer

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The quality of painted surfaces plays an important role in the overall aesthetics of the automotive products. Although a number of quantitative techniques have been developed for this particular type of quality assessment, the solutions proposed so far remain costly and proprietary such that industry continues to rely primarily on qualitative, error-prone human evaluations. To address this, the primary objective of this thesis was to explore the possibility to develop a laser-based technique for the non-tactile quantification of defects in reflective painted surfaces. For this purpose, analytical solutions were formulated to predict the reflection of a laser beam from a …

Automotive Inductive Position Sensor, Lingmin Shao

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Inductive angular position sensors (IAPS) are widely used for high accuracy and low cost angular position sensing in harsh automotive environments, such as suspension height sensor and throttle body position sensor. These sensors ensure high resolution and long lifetime due to their contactless sensing mode and their simple structure. Furthermore, they are suitable for wider application areas. For instance, they can be miniaturized to fit into a compact packaging space, or be adopted to measure the relative angle of multiple rotating targets for the purposes of torque sensing. In this work, a detailed SIMULINK model of an IAPS is first …

Parametric Design, Modeling, And Optical Evaluation Of Retroreflective Prismatic Structures, Sama Hussein

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Retroreflectors (RR) are defined as passive optical structures that redirect incident light to its originating source. Specific types of retroreflectors called inverted cubes (ICs) function through total internal reflection (TIR) and are used in various applications such as measurement tools, traffic signs and automotive rear and side lighting. This thesis aims to model, analyze, fabricate and study a novel type of IC retroreflectors called right triangular prism (RTP). A parametric approach is used to model existing IC geometries from a generic unit cube and is then implemented to model the novel RTP geometry. Those elements are then tested by optical …

The Effect Of Cutting Blade Geometry And Material On Carbon Fiber Severing As Used In High-Volume Production Of Composites, Michael Francis Anthony Adamovsky

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Automotive manufacturers have started to actively look into weight savings options for mass production of vehicles that meet new government regulations. Falling prices of carbon fibers have made carbon fiber composites a promising material to be used. The study has focused on the fiber-severing unit incorporated in a high-volume composite production line in an attempt to better define the impact of blade geometry and material on the wear as experienced while cutting carbon fiber. A method to quantify the effect of usage on the cutting ability of a blade has been developed, as well as methods to measure blade wear. …