Development Of New Vehicles Research Articles

Changes in Mechanical Properties and Microstructure after Quasi-Static and Dynamic Tensile Loading

Dual phase (DP), interstitial free (IF) and advanced high strength low alloy steel (HSLA)sheets have been successfully used for different components of car body. DP and HSLA are used ascrash resistant and IF as cover or “skin” of car body. The development of new vehicles nowadays isbeing driven by the need to simultaneously reduce mass and increase of passenger and pedestriansafety as well as costs saving through cold forming instead of hot forming. Limited publishedinformation is available on the changes in microstructure of these steel grades at different highstrain rates [1-3].This paper deals with changes of mechanical properties, microstructure and fractography of threesteel grades, which were tested at quasi static (10-3 s-1) and high strain rate (3000 s-1). Themicrostructures were characterized in terms of ferrite grain size, aspect ratio of ferrite andelongation of constituent phases. Deformed and undeformed specimens were compared to assess thechanges in the microstructure. The fracture appearance analysis indicates that the fracture patternunder high strain rates is mainly ductile, regardless of steel grades. The microstructure changessignificantly during the deformation process under both quasi-static and dynamic tension in allinvestigated steels. The plastic deformation in ferrite dominates in this process.

Links between subjective assessments and objective metrics for steering, and evaluation of driver ratings

During the development of new vehicles, finding correlation links between subjective assessments (SA) and objective metrics (OM) is an important part of the vehicle evaluation process. Studying different correlation links is important in that the knowledge gained can be used at the front end of development, during testing and when creating new systems. Both SA from expert drivers using a rating scale of 1–10 and OM from different tests measured by a steering robot were collected using standard testing protocols at an automotive manufacturer. The driver ratings were evaluated and the correlations were analysed using regression analysis and neural networks through a case study approach. Links were identified and were compared with related research.

Thermal Modeling of Disc Brake Rotor in Frictional Contact

Safety aspect in automotive engineering has been considered as a number one priority in development of new vehicle. Each single system has been studied and developed in order to meet safety requirement. Instead of having air bag, good suspension systems, good handling and safe cornering, there is one most critical system in the vehicle which is brake systems. The objective of this work is to investigate and analyze the temperature distribution of rotor disc during braking operation using ANSYS Multiphysics. The work uses the finite element analysis techniques to predict the temperature distribution on the full and ventilated brake disc and to identify the critical temperature of the rotor. The analysis also gives us, the heat flux distribution for the two discs.

Integrated Solutions for Noise & Vibration Control in Vehicles

A strong issue on the development of new vehicles is the weight reduction, required for the reduction of the fuel consumption and the CO2 emissions. The current vehicles have already a structure optimised to have low weight without reducing the required performances. However, there are some components of the structure that can be further reduced in weight still matching the resistance, crash and fatigue performances, but giving a poor performance in terms of noise and vibrations and increasing both the structure-borne and air-borne sound transmission.In the European FP7 project Green City Car, flexible, integrated passive and active solutions are developed permitting noise and vibration attenuation in vehicles equipped with the next generation of highly fuel-efficient two- or three cylinder internal combustion engines (ICE). Among others, shunted piezoelectric patches and electro-magnetic actuation as well as smart Helmholtz resonators are considered. Additionally, dedicated active noise control systems for the control of broadband rolling noise are developed. Besides, Green City Car addresses and implements novel damping materials and acoustic treatments as well as design approaches for tyres which are an important acoustic source for exterior and interior noise. This holistic approach should lead to a reduction in noise and vibrations levels in the order of 10 dB(A) and more measurable in the city car provided (not on component level). Currently, Green City Car finished its second year and first results are presented and discussed in this paper.

Development of a semi-empirical program for predicting the braking performance of a passenger vehicle

Since the invention of automobiles, the need to know the braking performance of vehicles has been acknowledged. However, because there are numerous design variables as well as nonlinearities in the braking system, it is difficult to predict the performance accurately. In this paper, a computational program is developed to estimate the braking performance numerically. This synthetic braking performance program accounts for pedal force, pedal travel and deceleration of braking parts, such as master cylinder, booster, valve, brake pad, rotor, and hoses. To improve the accuracy of program, a semi-empirical model of a braking system is introduced by using the empirical test data of pad compression, hose expansion and the friction coefficient between the pad and rotor. The accuracy of the estimation is evaluated by comparing it to the actual vehicle test results. The developed program is easy for the brake system engineers to manipulate and it can be used in the development of new vehicles by incorporating the graphical presentations.

Barriers to Glaucoma Drug Delivery

Topical medications remain the mainstay of glaucoma treatment. This review will aim to cover the pharmacokinetics of topically applied drops, the ocular barriers to drug delivery, and the role of ophthalmic drug formulation in enhancing drug delivery to the target tissue while minimizing side effects and increasing patient compliance. Recent advances in surgical techniques, therapeutic approaches, and material sciences have produced exciting new therapies for ocular diseases. The development of new vehicles and drug formulations that require less patient compliance is also discussed, as are the routes of drug delivery for neuroprotection.

New Materials and Construction Methods for Multi-Material-Design, Lightweight Construction and Modularity in Future Vehicle Concepts

Besides reducing fuel consumption, the chief motivating factor behind the development of new vehicle structures is the desire to decrease climate-affecting emissions. One approach to addressing this involves reducing the vehicle mass and, as such, the various strategies relating to lightweight construction. Various methods of lightweight construction are used as a basis for deriving the technically relevant criteria for designs and material concepts. The work conducted in this field today centres around the synthesis of construction method and material development with the objective of devising a multi-material-design [1, 2]. Modularisation is an economic approach aimed at shaping the diversification of the vehicle concepts and implementing this effectively [3]. As a result of hybrid and later fuel cell drives, the requirements on the vehicle concepts will continue to grow in future. Modularisation also sometimes opposes the striving for a high level of integration. The modular lightweight concept of the DLR aims at designing powertrain evolutions in a scalable and cost-efficient manner and in a way that retains the concept flexibility or, in some cases, even increases this. These approaches lead to the strategy known as “hybrid3”. This strategy not only involves matching different materials and various construction methods with each other, but also taking account of the integration of functional effects. This entails, for example, optimising the design of thin-walled structural components in terms of their vibratory or acoustic properties with structure- integrated, active materials. Further examples of the approach with “hybrid3” effects could be selectable surfaces or integrated energy conversion. The various development directions are depicted in the form of a roadmap and discussed on the basis of forward-looking examples from the field of vehicle construction.

Innovative capacity maintenance by automakers in a product development outsourcing scenario: the case of VW in Brazil

This paper attempts to discuss how automotive firms could benefit from New Product Development outsourcing, without hollowing out their knowledge base, analysing which variables would have significant impact on maintenance of firm Innovative Capacity. A multiple cases study was conducted about the development of new vehicles in Brazil. The main conclusion suggests that Brazilian automakers are, so far, with current industry and product architecture structure, being able to maintain their Innovative Capacity even with initiatives of outsourcing NPD and also showed the contribution of each one of the variables found in literature and empiric research.

Better Optimization of Nonlinear Uncertain Systems (BONUS) for Vehicle Structural Design

With the continuous improvement of computational performance, vehicle structural design has been addressed using computational methods, resulting in more efficient development of new vehicles. Most simulation-based optimization approaches generate deterministic optimal designs without considering variability effects in modeling, simulation, and/or manufacturing. One of the main reasons for this omission is due to the fact that the computing time of a single crash analysis for vehicle structural design still requires significant computing time using a state-of-the-art computer. This calls for the development and implementation of an efficient optimization under uncertainty method. In this paper, a new integrated stochastic optimization method, which combines the advantages of metamodeling techniques and Better Optimization of Nonlinear Uncertain Systems (BONUS), is developed for vehicle side impact design. Nonlinear metamodels are built by using a stepwise regression method to replace the expensive computational model and BONUS is employed to obtain optimal designs under uncertainty. A benchmark problem for vehicle safety design is used to demonstrate the method. The main goal of this case study is to maintain or enhance the vehicle side impact test performance while minimizing the vehicle weight under various uncertainties.

Collaborative new product development in a multi-customer context: challenges for Western auto component suppliers

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in the role of suppliers in the development of new vehicles. The reasons for this are not difficult to see - at the end of the 1980s Japanese auto makers were able to develop new models more quickly, and with fewer engineering hours, than their Western counterparts. Extensive involvement of suppliers in the development process has been put forward as one explanation of this. It is significant that high supplier involvement in product development appears to have evolved furthest in Japan, where many car makers enjoy close relations with their keiretsu suppliers. Attaining similar levels of involvement in the West in environments characterised by independent suppliers and competitive bidding poses many challenges. This paper examines the ways in which suppliers are responding to these challenges. The paper describes the role of component makers in new product development, based on interviews with 16 automotive component makers and two car makers in the UK. The data confirm that Western car makers are indeed making greater demands on the product development capabilities of suppliers, but at the same time as exerting severe cost-down pressure. One response to this on the part of the suppliers has been the adoption of internal organisational structures based around customer-focused teams. These address the need for suppliers to be customer responsive, but can create problems for suppliers in terms of internal integration and capability development.

Development of emulsion type new vehicle for soft gelatin capsule. I. Selection of surfactants for development of new vehicle and its physicochemical properties.

Screening of surfactants was carried out to develop an oil in water (o/w) emulsion type new vehicle for a soft gelatin capsule (SGC), using polyethyleneglycol 400 (PEG 400) as hydrophilic phase and medium chain triglyceride (Miglyol 810), propyleneglycol dicaprylate (Sefsol 228) or soybean oil as hydrophobic phase (PEG 400: hydrophobic phase: surfactant = 87:10:3) and by means of simple homogenization. Polyoxyethylene (20) cetylether (BC-20TX), which can form homogeneous and viscous white gels using the above hydrophilic and hydrophobic phase combination, was selected as a model surfactant for developing the new vehicle. Using Miglyol 810 as hydrophobic phase, a model new vehicle formulation (PEG 400:water:Miglyol 810: BC-20TX = 77:10:10:3) was prepared, and its physicochemical properties were evaluated. The particle size distribution of the new vehicle, after diluting about 3000 times with water, ranged from about 0.5 to 50 microns. Furthermore, the new vehicle had thixotropic property at room temperature (about 25 degrees C) and temperature-dependent gel-sol transforming property with the transformation temperature of about 37 degrees C. These properties meet the requirement for encapsulation of the new vehicle in SGC and suggest that it can be expected to form the o/w emulsion state in the aqueous environment in the stomach. The rheological properties would also make it advantageous for use in other dosage forms such as suppository, cataplasm or liniment.

Use of advanced composite materials in marine vehicles

The use of advanced composite materials is now limited to only a small portion of the total marine use of glass fibre reinforced plastics. Since marine transportation is looking at higher speeds with the development of new vehicle forms other than the displacement type, there is a great demand to reduce structural weight for pursuing lighter marine structure. However, most empirical approaches to substitute composites for conventional metal structures have not resulted in a significant weight reduction even with the partial use of advanced composite materials. Design from first principles will give a greater chance to optimize advanced composite materials for lightest marine structure.