Automotive Engineering Commons^™

Virtual Analysis And Evaluation Of Roundabout Safety And Operational Features, Elisha Jackson Wankogere

Masters Theses

Roundabouts can be a solution to safety concerns present at other types of intersections. Recently in the United States, there has been an increase in conversion of problematic intersections to roundabouts to improve their safety. However, it is difficult to make these roundabouts, especially multi-lane roundabouts, safe to all ranges of users. Roundabout features such as advance warning and signage play an important role in determining driver performance as they navigate the roundabout.

This research is an effort to evaluate new and existing roundabout safety and operational features such as signs and pavement markings and how they influence performance of …

Run-Time Hev Engine-Generator Power-Speed Optimization For Fuel Consumption And Emissions Reduction, Chester Paul Rowe Ii

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

As fuel economy and emissions standards become more stringent, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) using series architectures are being increasingly explored. Due to the decoupling of the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) from the road, the primary control challenge in this architecture is the optimization of an ICE control law. A run-time Genset speed controller is presented for use during the charge-sustaining mode in a Series PHEV to find the optimal operating parameters for a conventional diesel engine coupled to an electric generator in terms of minimized fuel consumption and emissions generation. On board vehicle sensors provide real time data to …

The Perceived Benefits Of Automotive Service Excellence (Ase) Certifications For Graduates Of Four-Year Automotive Technology Programs, John Thompson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The roots of certification in America date back to guild-like associations similar to those in Europe, but did not gain industry recognition until after World War II. It is recognized as a way for an industry to elevate itself and be recognized as a stand-alone, autonomous profession, as long as there is validity in the process and impartial oversight by an accredited governing body. It is also a way for individuals to distinguish themselves from their peers by proving a technical aptitude or competence. It allows a prospective job candidate to signal to a potential employer that they have attained …

Development Of A System Architecture For Unmanned Systems Across Multiple Domains, Charles Randall Breingan Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

In the unmanned systems industry, there is no common standard for systems components, connections and relations. Such a standard is never likely to exist. Needless to say, a system needs to have the components that are required for the application, however, it is possible to abstract the common functionality out of an individual implementation. This thesis presents a universal unmanned systems architecture that collects all of the common features of an unmanned system and presents them as a set of packages and libraries that can be used in any domain of unmanned system operation. The research and design of the …

Flux-Weakening Control For Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motors Based On Z-Source Inverters, Muyang Li

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Permanent magnet synchronous machines (PMSMs) have high efficiency, high power density, high torque-to-inertia ratio, and fast dynamic response. These features make this kind of machines very attractive for electric vehicle (EV) applications. However, because of their nature, i.e., constant magnet flux provided by magnets, these machines have a narrow constant power speed range (CPSR). This limitation is a strong drawback for application of PMSMs in electric vehicles, where high speed is the top requirement. Two different approaches can extend the maximum speed under constant power: (1) Increasing a drive's output voltage, and (2) implementing flux-weakening (FW) control methods. However, a …

High Voltage Rear Electric Drivetrain Design For A Parallelthrough-The-Road Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle, Adam Garrett Fogarty

Open Access Theses

Purdue University was selected as one of 15 universities to participate in a three year Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) called EcoCar2: Plugging Into the Future. The vehicle built by the Purdue team was a Parallel-Through-The-Road Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PTTR PHEV). The vehicle utilized a B20 diesel powertrain to power the front wheels, as well as a custom electric drivetrain to power the rear wheels. Using this vehicle during the final year of the competition, the team was successful in placing 4th overall as well as 2nd in the category of Well-To-Wheel (WTW) Greenhouse Gas Emissions. A stock 2013 …

Algorithm Development And Analysis For Advanced Enginetechnologies Including Piezoelectric Fuel Injection And Variablevalve Actuation, Bradley W. Pietrzak

Open Access Theses

As vehicle emissions standards and fuel economy constraints become increasingly strict, the automotive industry must employ the use of advanced engine technologies to overcome these challenges. Fuel injection rate shaping and cylinder deactivation (CDA) are two such technologies, and both of them require the design and implementation of algorithms using various hardware and software tools.

Fuel injection rate shaping is one path towards cleaner and more efficient diesel engines. Piezoelectrically-actuated fuel injectors are well-suited for rate shaping operation, but are difficult to control. Control-related challenges arise primarily due to the lack of measurements available in a fuel injection system on-engine, …

Development Of Sound Quality Metrics For Gear Rattle In Diesel Engines, Brandon Sobecki

Open Access Theses

Sound quality is an important factor in the design of competitive diesel engines. The noise produced by specific components and mechanisms in the engine can play a significant role in determining the perceived quality of the overall noise and in turn the perceived quality of the engine. The goal of the present research is to characterize the sounds produced by the phenomenon known as gear rattle and to develop a model that can be used to assess gear rattle levels in a way that connects directly with human perception of rattle. Most previous work in this area has been focused …

Msu Xtreme: Minnesota State University, Mankato's Entry Into The "Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001", Scott Betcher, Allen Caldwell, Nathan Lindeman, Brian Mandelkow, Dave Maniak, Randy Rohlf, James Skuya, Dennis Swanson, Aaron Wolff, Mark Brandl, Dan Dobesh, Ryan Erickson, Jeff Gillen, Jan Smith, Jason Wilkie

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State University, Mankato’s Automotive Engineering Technology program formed a team to enter the Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001. Selections for the organization’s machine included a 2001 Polaris Edge Chassis specially outfitted with a 2000 500 cc two-stroke Polaris engine. Modifications to the snowmobile were made specifically for Clean Snowmobile Challenge 2001 events. Acceleration, emissions, cold start, noise, fuel economy/range, handling/drivability, hill climb, and static display made up the list of events featured in the competition. MSU Xtreme has modified the snowmobile in every area with special emphasis on emissions and handling. Testing and analysis of the sled’s systems brought the …

Formula-Sae Wireless Data Logger, Eric Holland

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The Formula-SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) race car requires an onboard data logger to obtain and record the performance information received from the Fuel Injection Controller. This data is needed for analyzing the engine performance of the race car. It is advantageous to have this unit transmit the data via a wireless link to a handheld monitoring tool. Having user interface, like a LCD screen and a keypad, would make the monitoring tool easy to use. Also making the monitoring tool communicate with a PC would offer the beneficial features of saving and printing data. By having the PC connectivity, …

Rad Car: Restructuring Of The Chassis And Body, Chris Hadfield, Dale Larue

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

This paper covers the project of designing and constructing the RAD Car chassis as part of the requirement for a senior design class. This paper discusses methods of redesigning and constructing a new mold section, complete chassis, and jig fixtures. Also discussed are the steps that were taken to accomplish such a project which included the feasibility of different designs, the choices for these designs, and the costs associated with manufacturing and production.

An Economic Analysis Of Small-Scale Biodiesel Production: Implementation Of Ethyl Ester Production In A Job Shop Setting, Scott Haase, Benjamin Craig

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Biodiesel is becoming a demanded consumer automotive alternative fuel used in diesel vehicles today. An emerging trend is toward small-scale biodiesel production performed by the final consumer. A limited source of commercially available production systems exists and has resulted in many systems being designed and built by the user. Preliminary research conducted by the authors has shown biodiesel to be the least-cost alternative to petroleum diesel after as few as 8 months of system use. This study examines the economic viability of building and producing biodiesel using a small-scale production system versus buying consumer petroleum diesel. During production, measurements were …

Application Of Uav In Maritime Search And Rescue Activities, Xiaojie Wang

Maritime Safety & Environment Management Dissertations (Dalian)

No abstract provided.

Execution Of A Hybrid Vehicle Controls Development Effort Utilizing Model-Based Design, Hardware-In-The-Loop Testing, Agile Scrum Methods And Requirements Engineering, Derek Simon Bonderczuk

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Modern hybrid vehicles require sophisticated supervisory control systems in order to realize competitive efficiency gains. Processes such as model-based design, HIL simulation and Agile Scrum methods can allow for quicker and less costly development of a complex product. The design of a supervisory control system for a prototype PHEV vehicle was executed with the intent of developing a mule vehicle into a 99% production ready vehicle. The control system design process was carried through from requirements definition to operating parameter optimization of utilizing model-based design, HIL simulation and the Scrum model. A prototype vehicle that has a fully functioning hybrid …

Combined Traction And Energy Recovery Motor For Electric Vehicles, James Long, Xin Wang, Claude Kansaku, Brian Moravec

TREC Final Reports

Electric vehicle manufacturers are looking for ways to optimize energy use for vehicle range extension and reduction of battery capacity. Electric motors have lower efficiencies at very low speed and high torque. This is typically at vehicle launch from standstill, at very low speeds, and during energy regeneration at lower speeds and approaching standstill. The KersTech solution is a breakthrough technology allowing supplement of the electric drive with a hydraulic drive, active in lower speeds ranges, dropping out as the electric motor takes over in its higher efficiency range of operation. The report consists of four parts. Part I presents …

Development Of Nhtsa’S Side Impact Test Procedure For Child Restraint Systems Using A Deceleration Sled : Part 2, Janet Brelin-Fornari, Sheryl Janca

Crash Safety Center Publications

This report presents the results of the continued research and development of child seat side impact tests using the deceleration sled at Kettering University’s Crash Safety Center. The objective of this test series was to gain further insight into the sensitivity of the side impact test fixture response. Test variations included speed of impact, weight of the fixture, and impact characteristics. Additionally, 20 child restraint system (CRS) specific tests were conducted using a fixed set of test parameters.

Development Of Nhtsa’S Side Impact Test Procedure For Child Restraint Systems Using A Deceleration Sled : Part 2, Janet Brelin-Fornari, Sheryl Janca

Mechanical Engineering Grants

This report presents the results of the continued research and development of child seat side impact tests using the deceleration sled at Kettering University’s Crash Safety Center. The objective of this test series was to gain further insight into the sensitivity of the side impact test fixture response. Test variations included speed of impact, weight of the fixture, and impact characteristics. Additionally, 20 child restraint system (CRS) specific tests were conducted using a fixed set of test parameters.

A Study Of The Effects Of Manufacturing Complexity On Product Quality In Mixed-Model Automotive Assembly, Kavit Ravindra Antani

All Dissertations

The objective of this research is to test the hypothesis that manufacturing complexity can reliably predict product quality in mixed-model automotive assembly.

Originally, assembly lines were developed for cost efficient mass-production of standardized products. Today, in order to respond to diversified customer needs, companies have to allow for an individualization of their products, leading to the development of the Flexible Manufacturing Systems (FMS). Assembly line balancing problems (ALBP) consist of assigning the total workload for manufacturing a product to stations of an assembly line as typically applied in the automotive industry. Precedence relationships among tasks are required to conduct partly …

No And No2 Modeling For Diesel Oxidation Catalyst At Different Thermal Aging Levels, Keqin Zhou

Open Access Theses

Different DOC modeling methods are analyzed and compared. Detailed reaction mechanisms of DOC reaction are discussed and a new NO and NO2 modeling technique is proposed. Experiments are conducted measuring downstream DOC NO and NOx . DOC out NO and NO2 concentrations are modeled as a function of DOC temperature. A robust model is built such that with the input of real time NOx and DOC temperature information, DOC-out NO and NO2 concentrations can be precisely predicted.

As is true with many catalysts, the DOC thermally ages as it operates, which reduces the thermal effectiveness level of the catalyst. This …

Development Of A Spring-Based Automotive Starter, David H. Myszka, Jonathan Lauden, Patrick Joyce, Andrew P. Murray, Christoph Gillum

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Automotive starting systems require substantial amounts of mechanical energy in a short period of time. Lead-acid batteries have historically provided that energy through a starter motor. Springs have been identified as an alternative energy storage medium and are well suited to engine-starting applications due to their ability to rapidly deliver substantial mechanical power and their long service life. This paper presents the development of a conceptual, spring-based starter. The focus of the study was to determine whether a spring of acceptable size could provide the required torque and rotational speed to start an automotive engine. Engine testing was performed on …