Passenger Car Model Research Articles

Exploring the Impact of Reinforcing Filler Systems on Devulcanizate Composites.

Composites revolutionize material performance, fostering innovation and efficiency in diverse sectors. Elastomer-based polymeric composites are crucial for applications requiring superior mechanical strength and durability. Widely applied in automotives, aerospace, construction, and consumer goods, they excel under extreme conditions. Composites based on recycled rubber, fortified with reinforcing fillers, represent a sustainable material innovation by repurposing discarded rubber. The integration of reinforcing agents enhances the strength and resilience of this composite, and the recycled polymeric matrix offers an eco-friendly alternative to virgin elastomers, reducing their environmental impact. Devulcanized rubber, with inherently lower mechanical properties than virgin rubber, requires enhancement of its quality for reuse in a circular economy: considerable amounts of recycled tire rubber can only be applied in new tires if the property profile comes close to the one of the virgin rubber. To achieve this, model passenger car tire and whole tire rubber granulates were transformed into elastomeric composites through optimized devulcanization and blending with additional fillers like carbon black and silica-silane. These fillers were chosen as they are commonly used in tire compounding, but they lose their reactivity during their service life and the devulcanization process. Incorporation of 20% (w/w) additional filler enhanced the strength of the devulcanizate composites by up to 15%. Additionally, increased silane concentration significantly further improved the tensile strength, Payne effect, and dispersion by enhancing the polymer-filler interaction through improved silanization. Higher silane concentrations reduced elongation at break and increased crosslink density, as it leads to a stable filler-polymer network. The optimal concentration of a silica-silane filler system for a devulcanizate was found to be 20% silica with 3% silane, showing the best property profile.

Research on the distribution of harmful substances in automotive products based on chemical quantitative

At present, China's automotive industry lacks standardized standards and testing methods for conducting harmful substance testing and evaluation of products.This article finely disassembled a passenger car model and conducted detection and analysis of harmful substances. More than 320000 materials were tested, involving 85 assembly components. This article studies six harmful substances in automotive materials, including lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated biphenyl ethers. The content of harmful substances and their distribution in different materials and components are analyzed. This article provides technical reference for conducting hazardous substance assessments in the automotive industry through data analysis. The harmful substance mainly contained in the studied automotive product is lead, which is mainly distributed in materials such as copper alloys, aluminum, steel, solder, plastics, etc. The content of mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated biphenyl ethers in automobiles is generally low.

The dispersion of various pollutants emitted from truck and passenger vehicles: a wind-tunnel study.

In recent years, investigation of the dispersion of exhaust gas from vehicles has received increasing attention in various studies using various approaches, including on-field measurements, experimental laboratory models, and software simulations. This study aimed to investigate the effects of changes in vehicle traffic conditions, fuel type used in an engine, and vehicle size on the emission and dispersion of gaseous pollutants from the exhaust pipe in a wind tunnel. The results showed that pollutant concentration decreases along the tailpipe centerline as the exhaust gas moves backward and the flow pattern changes significantly from 11.5 to 15 m/s. However, for the passenger car, the small recirculation region in the near-wake region at an inflow air velocity of 11.5 m/s carries away more particles compared to an incoming velocity of 15 m/s, resulting in lower gaseous concentrations in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The gaseous dispersion behind the truck and the car is wider for an inflow air velocity of 11 m/s, especially for NO, NO2, and SO2. The results also showed that the pollutant concentrations of the truck exhaust plume were higher than those of the passenger car in lower inflow air velocity in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The lower concentration of dispersed gaseous pollutants behind the passenger car model compared to the truck model may be attributed to the shape and height of the truck model, which can trap more particles behind the vehicle. Finally, the dispersion pattern of SO2 is almost identical to that of NO2, and the dispersion of the exhaust gas plume related to CO and NO pollutants is more prolonged than that of CO2 and NO2 particles along the tailpipe centerline. The findings of this study may help in estimating the concentration of pollutants along urban highways.

Analysis of the used passenger car market in Ukraine

The paper analyzes the used car market in Ukraine for the period 2017-2023. The author provides information on the volumes and structure of the used car market, analyzes the number of used cars sold from primary imports and re-registrations. It was found that the secondary car market has shown a rapid growth in the period from 2017 to 2023. In 2022, 69.37% more used cars were sold than in 2017. The share of imported cars in the used car market increased from 9.82% in 2017 to 37.75% in 2022. At the same time, the share of used passenger cars with re-registrations decreased from 90.18% in 2017 to 62.25% in 2022. The author collected statistics for the TOP-20 brands of used passenger cars according to the data of the websites "PLANETAVTO", "AUTO.RIA" and «RST» and analyzed 620 models of passenger cars by their sales volumes from May 2021 to May 2023. The paper calculated the growth rates of sales of the most popular used passenger cars in 2022-2021 and 2023-2022. According to the results of the study, the leaders of the Ukrainian used passenger car market were Volkswagen, Renault, VAZ and Skoda. The author studied the most popular models of used passenger cars, including Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Octavia, Volkswagen Golf, Ford Focus and Renault Megane, among others. It was found that the most popular types of bodywork for used passenger cars are sedans, hatchbacks and crossovers. Among the different types of passenger car classes, the most popular are mid-range and comfort class cars. The author pays special attention to environmentally friendly used passenger cars. The number of electric cars and hybrid models sold in 2021-2023 is 98,794 units, which is 7.81% of the total volume of sales of used passenger cars. The most popular models of used electric cars are Nissan Leaf, Volkswagen E-Golf, Chevrolet Bolt EV, and BMW i3. The most popular used hybrids are Toyota Camry, Hyundai Tucson, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Qashqai. The author analyzed the factors that influence the development of the used passenger car market, including: changes in the economy, rising fuel prices, the introduction of new technologies in the automotive industry, the availability of loans and interest rates, the growing awareness of ecology and environmental standards, changes in legal norms and political decisions related to the automotive industry.

Optimization of Car Use Time for Different Maintenance and Repair Scenarios Based on Life Cycle Assessment

New propulsion technologies and the development of electromobility increase the environmental efficiency of the transport sector. However, the current structure of car fleets with a large number of old cars with worse environmental parameters undermines the benefits of technological progress in the automotive industry. Older cars may require a more extensive service, involving a thorough overhaul, repair or even replacement of many parts. The result of using additional resources is a deterioration of environmental performance. This study considers various maintenance and repair scenarios and focuses on the use phase using the example of the popular Ford Focus passenger car model. The life cycle optimization model was used for environmental assessment, which determines the optimal duration of the car use phase, accounting for detailed service information and the type and environmental efficiency class of the different fuel versions. This model can be an effective tool for car fleet management and car replacement policy. Detailed life cycle inventories of 40 Ford Focus II diesel and petrol cars that represent all maintenance and repairs are the inputs to the life cycle optimization model. The inventory data were provided by the Ford Service Center in Szczecin (Poland), which regularly serviced the cars with a mileage of up to 200,000 km. Inventory at other stages of the cars’ life cycles was modeled using Ecoinvent data. The results show that by considering these vehicle servicing aspects on the basis of more detailed data, impact assessments are better represented compared to other studies. Depending on the replacement policy, the contribution of vehicle maintenance and repair can account for almost half of the cumulative life cycle burdens.

РАСЧЕТНО-ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНАЯ ОЦЕНКА ПРОЧНОСТИ ПАССАЖИРСКОГО ЭКСКУРСИОННОГО ОБЗОРНОГО ВАГОНА МОДЕЛИ 61-941

Experiment-calculated evaluation of the strength of the load-bearing body metal structure of a passenger observation car model 61-941 is done. The car is designed for tourist and sightseeing passenger trips. The project is created on the basis of a serial passenger car model 61-4179 as part of the capital repairs by Tambov Railway Car Repair Plant VRM. In accordance with the design andengineering specification, the body of the base car was significantly modernized, new planning solutions were applied for the internal equipment of the car, the frame of the car body was strengthened. Some theoretical studies using the finite element method were carried out to assess the compliance of the observation car model 61-941 with regulatory requirements. The strength and stability of the body metal structure is evaluated. At the second stage, full-scale tests of the car were carried out in static and dynamic conditions with longitudinal collisions. Additional attention is paid to the attachment points of passenger seats to the elements of the car body. The analysis of the results of theoretical and experimental studies shows their satisfactory compliance with the requirements of regulatory documents required for passenger car bodies.

Modeling and Simulation of Pure Electric Passenger Vehicle Based on MATLAB and AVL CRUISE

In this paper, the vehicle control strategy of pure electric passenger vehicle is designed in MATLAB/simulink, and the driving control strategy and the braking recovery mode control strategy modeling and Simulation are analyzed in detail. The model of the pure electric passenger car is built in AVL CRUISE software, and the parameters of the pure electric passenger car, driving motor, power battery, car tire and other modules are set, and then the established modules are connected. The results show that the drive control strategy of pure electric passenger vehicle does have its unique practicability and superiority.

Is the Transition to Electric Passenger Cars Sustainable? A Life Cycle Perspective

Compared to conventional passenger cars, the hybrid and electric alternatives include electric motors and large batteries; the use of clean energy, reduced operation emissions, and decreasing purchase prices can represent solid reasons for their market adoption. The feasibility of the transition to electric cars is analyzed herein in terms of the costs, main pollutants, and energy consumption of compact to large-sized cars. In this regard, the proposed life cycle assessment methodology evaluates the pollution and energetic impacts of the current passenger car models with a weight varying from 1.6 to 1.8 tons, depending on the car type, for a complete life cycle. The life cycle emissions and energy consumption are also determined through simulation in order to validate the estimated values for the considered powertrains. This study has shown that a transition to current full-electric passenger cars, based on a European and United States energy mix, is not currently sustainable in terms of energy consumption. The complete life cycle values are similar for the tested conventional and full-electric passenger cars, ranging from 5 to 5.2 MJ/km. By comparison, the hybrid alternatives and full-electric cars based solely on renewable energy present lower energy consumption, ranging from 3.32 to 4.62 MJ/km. At the same time, the hybrid alternatives and conventional cars provide relevant benefits in life cycle costs: 20–25% lower than full-electric cars. In terms of life cycle emissions, the tested full-electric cars based on renewables show a noticeable reduction in greenhouse gases and in other relevant pollutants: 37% and 62%, respectively, lower than that of conventional cars.

Corrosion resistance evaluation model for automobile

Based on corrosion big data and user demand, this paper provides a passenger car corrosion resistance evaluation model with strong practicability, operability, and good discrimination. Considering the three dimensions of time, the number of problems, and severity, the corrosion resistance of the whole vehicle is comprehensively evaluated through appearance, function (primary evaluation index), and coating scratch (bonus item), to reflect the advantages and disadvantages of automobile corrosion resistance with quantitative score value. It aims to provide a yardstick for evaluating the corrosion resistance of automobile products and technical support for reasonably improving the anti-corrosion quality of automotive products and help the industry effectively control the corrosion problems of passenger cars.

Failure analysis of overdrive gear of passenger car gearbox fabricated from powder metallurgy

In this paper, investigations into the premature failure of gearbox overdrive gears were done in three passenger car models. The premature failure occurred when a replaced gear model was used instead of the original gear. A series of experiments were carried out on gears made by two manufacturers, including failed gear after an average operation of 100,000 km and gear with partial failure but usable with an average operation of 200,000 km. Numerical and experimental results showed that sharp hardness slope (reduction of 300 HV in 0.15 mm), high porosity, and Hertz stress distribution of about 90% of the allowable contact stress σHa are the factors affecting premature failure. In addition, replacement gear samples with low density compared to original gear have low yield and ultimate strength due to high porosity and interconnected structure of pores. Pores with sharp corners act as the initiation points of the cracks, resulting in final fracture.

Multi-body modelling and ride comfort analysis of a seated occupant under whole-body vibration

Seated occupants of any on/off-road vehicle are continuously exposed to undue low-frequency mechanical whole-body vibration (WBV) owing to the vibration conveyed from seat and backrest because occupants need to compromise with comfort and safety, leading to several musculoskeletal disorders and injuries in the body. Pain in the lumbar region is one of the most common problems that develop because of force transmitted from the backrest. Thus, consideration of backrest is highly essential while developing a biomechanical model for ride comfort analysis. For this purpose, a 20 degrees-of-freedom (dofs) biomechanical model has been proposed with a backrest to analyse cross-coupled segmental transmissibility. The interconnection between different segments of mass and backrest are modelled using eight linearized (direct as well as cross-coupled) stiffness and damping parameters. Biomechanical model parameters are estimated and optimized through a multi-objective firefly algorithm by minimizing the sum of squares error difference between analytical results and experimental segmental transmissibility published in the literature. Subsequently, ride comfort analysis is performed by integrating the proposed model with 7-dofs passenger car model. For different body segments, simulated results are obtained in terms of vertical accelerations and compared with ride comfort standards as per ISO 2631-1:1997. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis (±20% variation in mass, stiffness and damping) is performed to enhance the ride comfort of the occupant. The findings suggest that designers must focus on the pelvis, lower and upper back regions to improve the ride comfort of the occupants. The concepts and ideas outlined in this article are directly applicable in making human dummies, car suspension and seat design in the industry.

Державні публічні закупівлі легкових автомобілів в Україні

The article presents the most popular models of passenger cars among authorities, institutions and organizations. The author provides information on the volume of purchases and total costs of cars of different brands and autobody types by authorities, institutions and organizations from January to October 2022. It is found that the largest number of passenger cars was purchased by law enforcement agencies, health care institutions, housing and communal services enterprises, and the State administration bodies. The most popular models were Renault Duster, Renault Express, Toyota RAV4, Renault Sandero Stepway Life+, Haval Jolion. The most popular were: among crossovers – the Renault Duster, among sedans – Peugeot 301, among the SUV – Toyota RAV4, among the hatchbacks – Renault Sandero Stepway Life+, among the station-wagons – ?koda Superb and Renaut Megan, among the vans – Fiat Doblo Combi Mahi, among the minivans – Renault Express, among the minibuses – Mercedes-Benz sprinter 313. Renault cars are most demanded. The most popular autobody types are crossover, hatchback and SUV. Sedans are popular in law enforcement agencies, health care facilities, housing and communal services. Crossovers are most in demand in law enforcement agencies, health care institutions, and the State administrations. Hatchbacks are in demand in law enforcement and healthcare facilities. The SUVs are of greatest popularity in law enforcement agencies, housing and communal services enterprises, and the State administrations. The main buyer of the vans are the State administrations, health care institutions, and housing and communal services enterprises. Minivans are used by law enforcement agencies and housing and communal services enterprises. The author estimates that in 2022, through the Prozorro public procurement website, government agencies spent UAH 234.003 million on the purchase of passenger cars.

A Method of Analyzing the Residual Values of Low-Emission Vehicles Based on a Selected Expert Method Taking into Account Stochastic Operational Parameters

Increasing the market share of low-emission vehicles in relation to individual mobility is one of the main postulates of modern transport policy. In the discussion on low-emission and the new structure of the car fleet, the role of new vehicles is emphasized above all, ignoring the importance of the secondary market. In recent years, both in Poland and in other European Union countries, there has been a noticeable dynamic development of electromobility implementation processes in urban areas, the initial effect of which is increasing market accessibility to commercial vehicles with electric EV/BEV, hybrid HEV/PHEV and fuel cell powered FCEV. As in the case of vehicles powered by conventional ICEV fuels, also in relation to those defined as low-emission, their residual value is lost along with the operational process. Information on this variable is important both for the owner of a newly purchased vehicle, which after the period of its operation will decide to sell it as well as to the future buyer. The scientific aim of the study is to analyze the residual values of selected vehicle models from the primary and secondary market, with particular emphasis on stochastic operational phenomena. The subject of the research is to obtain extensive knowledge on the achieved changes in the residual values of low-emission vehicles in relation to ICEVs. For this purpose, a comparative analysis of the commercial program, data approximated from auction portals and own numerical modeling tool based on a neural network was performed. The research sample included, among others, selected models of passenger cars, the purchase offer of which included the choice of a drive unit powered by conventional and low-emission fuels. The use of this method allowed to answer the question whether low-emission vehicles are characterized by a greater or lesser loss of value in relation to conventionally powered vehicles ICEV.

ASSESSMENT CARTS STRENGTH INDICATORS WAGONS WITH EXPIRED SERVICE LIFE

Currently, a significant number of units of specialized cars of 1520 mm gauge in Ukraine has a service life that exceeds that assigned by the manufacturer. At the same time, many years of experience in diagnosing and analyzing the operation of carts of these cars by specialized organizations, shows that their technical condition after long operation shows that the specified service life specified in the technical conditions in most cases far from the limit. This is largely due to the significant margin of safety, which is laid down in the design, and the peculiarities of the operation of a particular type of car. The paper considers the issues of assessing the operation of such cars on the example of the carriage of the weighing car, bogie model 18-102, and the carriage of the passenger car model KVZ-TsNII used in the track economy for transportation of workers. The average daily mileage of such cars is 60-70 percent less than the average mileage that is laid down when calculating the service life assigned by the manufacturer. The evaluation and methods of determining the strength of the frames of carriages of special cars are performed. Conclusions are made based on the results of the analysis of the strength of the carriages of special cars.

Design for crash safety of electric heavy quadricycle structure

An electric small four-wheeler, categorized by the European Union as L7e so-called heavy quadricycle or microcar, is one of the solutions to eco-friendly and sustainable mobility for personal transport. Nonetheless, quadricycles typically do not offer the equivalent passive safety as larger passenger car models, in case of accidents, owing to the lack of energy absorption in the vehicle’s structure. This paper presents a proposed heavy quadricycle structure using plain weave carbon fibre-reinforced polymer in the passenger cell and aluminium alloy 6061-T6 in the crumple zone. The behaviors of electric heavy quadricycles under impact are simulated in accordance with the test guidelines of European New Car Assessment Programme using a non-linear finite element analysis via LS-DYNA to examine structural crashworthiness and characteristics. A full-frontal crash with a rigid wall at 30 km/h to 50 km/h shows that the front crush box, longerons and subframes in the crumple zone can efficiently absorb energy from a frontal crash up to 54.8%. The maximum damage in the structure occurs at the joints of the A-pillars and side beams to the front panel. Whilst the occupant safety space is safe under side collision by a 1350-kg moving deformable barrier at 50 km/h speed. However, the quadricycle tends to experience overturns from a side crash due to the vehicle’s lightweight and high center of gravity. Finally, suggestions for crashworthiness improvements to the composite passenger cell are provided based on the attained damage mechanism under a crash.

Matching and Analysis of Ethanol Engine and Transmission System of Light Passenger Car

In the process of the matching of ethanol engine and transmission system with a new light passenger car, it is found that the traditional theory formula is complex, and with long time of debugging process and low accuracy. By using Cruise software, the performance simulation model of passenger car is built, simulation tasks are established. Different matching scheme is set up and the simulation calculation of power performance and fuel economy are carried on. The comprehensive evaluation system of index weight is established by analyzing the simulation results. According to the index weight and the simulation result, a better set of combining scheme for vehicle with comprehensive performance indicators can be obtained.

Road surface influence on electric vehicle noise emission at urban speed

Abstract Considering the relative quietness of electric motors, tyre/road interaction has become the prominent source of noise emission from Electric Vehicles (EVs). This study deals with the potential influence of the road surface on EV noise emission, especially in urban area. A pass-by noise measurement campaign has been carried out on a reference test track, involving six different road surfaces and five electric passenger car models in different vehicle segments. The immunity of sound recordings to background noise was considered with care. The overall and spectral pass-by noise levels have been analysed as a function of the vehicle speed for each couple of road surface and EV model. It was found that the type of EV has few influence on the noise classification of the road surfaces at 50 km/h. However, the noise level difference between the quietest and the loudest road surface depends on the EV model, with an average close to 6 dBA, showing the potential effect of the road surface on noise reduction in the context of growing EV fleet in urban area. The perspective based on an average passenger EV in a future French or European electric fleet is addressed.

Assessment of the impact on the railway track of a special purpose passenger car model 61-934

In this work, theoretical studies have been carried out in order to assess the strength of structural elements of the track superstructure from the impact of a special-purpose passenger carriage. The assessment of the impact of the wagon on the railway track was carried out according to the stresses in the edges of the rail base, stresses in the main area of the subgrade and the stability of the track against lateral shear. The calculations showed that the strength and stability of the structural elements of the track superstructure as a result of the impact on it of a special-purpose passenger carriage model 61-934 meets the regulatory requirements.

A Model for Estimating Passenger-Car Carbon Emissions that Accounts for Uphill, Downhill and Flat Roads

The geometric longitudinal slope line of a given road significantly effects the carbon emissions of vehicles traversing it. This study was conducted to explore the carbon emission rules of passenger cars on various highway slopes. The law of conservation of mechanical energy, the first law of thermodynamics and the vehicle longitudinal dynamics theory were utilized to determine the influence of slope design indicators on fuel consumption. The energy conversion, fuel consumption, and carbon emission models of passenger cars on a flat straight road, uphill road, and downhill road sections were derived accordingly. Two types of passenger cars were selected for analysis. A field test was carried out to verify the proposed model where the vehicle maintained a cruise speed on flat straight road, uphill road and downhill road with equal gradient and mileage, and continuous longitudinal slope to gather fuel consumption data. The proposed model showed strong accuracy and a maximum error of 9.97%. The main factor affecting the vehicle’s carbon emissions on the continuous longitudinal slope was found to be the average gradient. For a round-trip longitudinal slope with a small gradient, the main factor affecting the vehicle’s carbon emissions is speed: higher speed results in higher carbon emissions. The results of this study are likely to provide the data for support and a workable reference for the low-carbon highway design and operation.

A Comprehensive Analysis for the Heterogeneous Effects on Driver Injury Severity in Single-Vehicle Passenger Car and SUV Rollover Crashes

In road traffic crashes, although rollover crashes account for a relatively low proportion, those result in a high fatality rate. The present study performed random parameters ordered logit models to examine risk factors as well as their heterogeneous effects on driver injury severity in single-vehicle passenger car and SUV rollover crashes. Crash data for the empirical analysis were extracted from Texas Crash Record Information System (CRIS) database during the year 2016. Model estimation results show that six variables (male drivers, drivers’ age, airbag deployment, failure to drive in single lane, speed limit, and rural area) were found to produce normally distributed parameters in passenger car model, while nine parameters (male drivers, safety belt use, airbag deployment, drug or alcohol use, failure to drive in single lane, improper evasive action, vehicle model year, friday, and rural area) in SUV model were found to be normally distributed. Several other factors with fixed parameters were found to be associated with driver injury severity in single-vehicle passenger car or SUV rollover crashes, most notably: ejection or partial ejection, turning left, intersection, August, adverse weather conditions, and night with light. These variables were significant in both models; most variables have stronger effects on nonincapacitating injury and serious injury outcomes in SUV than in passenger car rollover crashes. These findings provide a deep insight into causality nature and factor involved in driver injury severity in single-vehicle passenger car and SUV rollover crashes and are also helpful for transport agencies to determine appropriate countermeasures aimed at mitigating injuries sustained by drivers in single-vehicle rollover crashes.