Car Vehicle Research Articles

Exhaust system of commercial vehicle: a review

In Automobiles like Truck, Bus, Car, and other commercial vehicles, various exhaust emission norms like Euro IV and Euro VI are considered for a non-polluted environment. This paper focuses on increasing engine and vehicle performance of commercial vehicle by reducing back-pressure and noise due to after treatment systems, considering exhaust emission norms. Back-pressure in exhaust systems is calculated with advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technologies like ANSYS Fluent, GT Power. Backpressure in the exhaust pipe is reduced by varying length, diameter, number of bends, exhaust mass flow rate and bending angle of exhaust pipe. Narrow band noise in vehicles is predicted by Large Eddy Simulation (LES). Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) converts harmful NOx to harmless N2. SCR non-linearities are calculated by CFD code CONVERGE and TRIZ method. SCR urea deposit is minimized by proper nozzle position of urea spray. Diesel and gasoline particulate filter is used to filter particulate matter in diesel and gasoline engine respectively. This research focuses on the optimization of commercial vehicle exhaust systems.

Effect of carbon black and graphene on the performance of EPDM rubber composites: A short review

Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) rubber is for major used in engineering and many technical works and its application like automobile, constructions, electronic industries, and electric and many more. Industries commonly EPDM use for making the rubber inlet/outlet hoses for car and other vehicle. EPDM rubber properties are like good weather resistance ability as well as heat ozone. The resistance of steam is outstanding. EPDM rubber commonly is used for seals in automobile area. In the present review paper, different hardness of EPDM has been discussed on the basis of mixing or adding different proportion of graphene and carbon black (CB) and other additives. Also discussed how improve the performance of EPDM using silica and graphene and titanium dioxide and other additives and synergistic effect of graphite nanotubes on EPDM nanotubes. Effect of graphene on non-polar and polar rubber matrix also discussed with mechanical behaviour of EPDM.

Drive Shaft Design and Analysis For Mini Baja

A wide variety of automobile design and racing events happening across the country to encourage the student community in the design of automobile vehicles. In this regard, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) enables a student to gain real world experience in the fields of design, analysis and manufacturing of the all-terrain vehicle by conducting such events. This paper describes about the design and analysis of drive shaft for mini BAJA vehicle that has participated in one of the national level competitions conducted by SAE. Drive shaft is one of the major components used in BAJA. The drive shaft discussed here is used to transmit the required torque from the differential to the wheels. All the components of the drive shaft were designed analytically, modeled in Solid Works and analyzed using Ansys software to ensure its safety. The main objective is to fabricate more reliable and eco-friendly drive shaft by minimizing the cost and increasing the overall performance.

Evaluating pedestrian interaction preferences with a game theoretic autonomous vehicle in virtual reality

Localisation and navigation of autonomous vehicles (AVs) in static environments are now solved problems, but how to control their interactions with other road users in mixed traffic environments, especially with pedestrians, remains an open question. Recent work has begun to apply game theory to model and control AV-pedestrian interactions as they compete for space on the road whilst trying to avoid collisions. But this game theory model has been developed only in unrealistic lab environments. To improve their realism, this study empirically examines pedestrian behaviour during road crossing in the presence of approaching autonomous vehicles in more realistic virtual reality (VR) environments. The autonomous vehicles are controlled using game theory, and this study seeks to find the best parameters for these controls to produce comfortable interactions for the pedestrians. In a first experiment, participants’ trajectories reveal a more cautious crossing behaviour in VR than in previous laboratory experiments. In two further experiments, a gradient descent approach is used to investigate participants’ preference for AV driving style. The results show that the majority of participants were not expecting the AV to stop in some scenarios, and there was no change in their crossing behaviour in two environments and with different car models suggestive of car and last-mile style vehicles. These results provide some initial estimates for game theoretic parameters needed by future AVs in their pedestrian interactions and more generally show how such parameters can be inferred from virtual reality experiments.

Effects of different interface conditions on energy absorption characteristics of Al/carbon fiber reinforced polymer hybrid structures for multiple loading conditions

AbstractThe treatment of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)–metal bond interface is very important for the practical application of CFRP‐reinforced metal structures in automobile, aviation, and other transportation vehicles. In this article, the effects of different interface connection conditions on the failure mode and energy absorption of hybrid tubes were studied by experimental and simulation methods. For this purpose, the two aspects metal surface treatment (sandblasting) and connection mode (socket, co‐curing, and secondary bonding) were used for adhesive joining. By observing the force–displacement curve, the energy absorption capacity of the hybrid tube under different interface connection conditions was quantified, and the performance was evaluated. The calculation results show that the interfacial connection conditions have different effects on the crashworthiness of the hybrid tube under different loading conditions. Among them, for axial crushing and transverse bending loads, the energy absorption characteristics of the hybrid tube can be effectively improved by sandblasting and cementing. Under the action of radial compression, although the roughness of the interface is increased by sandblasting, the energy absorption capacity is reduced rather than enhanced. In order to reveal the mechanism and make parameterized definitions of the interface characteristics, so as to effectively predict the finite element model is especially necessary. With the improvement of interface bond strength, its bearing limit distribution area also increases, and the corresponding deformation is also large, which eventually leads to more energy absorption under axial crushing and transverse bending loads. The increase in the interface connection strength has little effect on its crashworthiness under radial pressure.

A credit charging scheme incorporating carpool and carbon emissions

Although shared mobility will mitigate congestion and emissions, car trip frequencies and vehicle miles traveled are likely to rise. The tradable credit scheme (TCS) is a key tool for moderating demand and encouraging more social and environmental trips. Hence, this paper proposes a credit charging method for TCS considering carpooling strategy and carbon emissions. We introduce the credit discount coefficient and carbon emission index in determining the credit price, and explore the road network's credit distribution by using the principle of marginal cost. The results of the case study suggest that the developed scheme performs well in terms of traffic conditions, economical efficiency and carbon emissions. Considering carbon emissions and carpooling, the proposed credit charging method can serve as an effective way to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution. Moreover, the formulation of the credit charging method can provide a feasible approach for TCS design.

Performance analysis of MR damper based semi-active suspension system using optimally tuned controllers

This study assesses the dynamic performance of the semi-active quarter car vehicle under random road conditions through a new approach. The monotube MR damper is modelled using non-parametric method based on the dynamic characteristics obtained from the experiments. This model is used as the variable damper in a semi-active suspension. In order to control the vibration caused under random road excitation, an optimal sliding mode controller (SMC) is utilised. Particle swarm optimisation (PSO) is coupled to identify the parameters of the SMC. Three optimal criteria are used for determining the best sliding mode controller parameters which are later used in estimating the ride comfort and road handling of a semi-active suspension system. A comparison between the SMC, Skyhook, Ground hook and PID controller suggests that the optimal parameters with SMC have better controllability than the PID controller. SMC has also provided better controllability than the PID controller at higher road roughness.

Product Module Attribute Parameter Configuration Model considering Customer Requirements Preferences

In the process of modular product configuration, it is necessary to transform customer requirements into product module attributes (PMA) parameters. However, previous research lacks consideration about customer requirement preference in the process of this transformation. First, we use a preference graph (PG) to obtain the customer preference weight vector for the requirement node. Second, on the basis of traditional Quality Function Deployment (QFD), the method of fuzzy correlation evaluation is introduced to get the correlation value between module attributes, and the combination programming model of PMA is further obtained by synthesizing the preference weight vector. Finally, the final configuration scheme is obtained by solving the model with the genetic algorithm. By integrating the weights of the above-mentioned nodes, the similarity of the product case is obtained, and a more satisfied case of the customer is obtained. Taking the automated guided vehicle car product as an example, the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method are verified.

Climate Change, Air Pollution, and Physical Inactivity: Is Active Transportation Part of the Solution?

Active transportation is defined as self-propelled, human-powered transportation modes, such as walking and bicycling. In this article, we review the evidence that reliance on gasoline-powered transportation is contributing to global climate change, air pollution, and physical inactivity and that this is harmful to human health. Global climate change poses a major threat to human health and in the future could offset the health gains achieved over the last 100 yr. Based on hundreds of scientific studies, there is strong evidence that human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to global climate change. Climate change is associated with increased severity of storms, flooding, rising sea levels, hotter climates, and drought, all leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Along with increases in atmospheric CO2, other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5) are released by combustion engines and industry, which can lead to pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases. Also, as car ownership and vehicle miles traveled have increased, the shift toward motorized transport has contributed to physical inactivity. Each of these global challenges has resulted in, or is projected to result in, millions of premature deaths each year. One of the ways that nations can mitigate the health consequences of climate change, air pollution, and chronic diseases is through the use of active transportation. Research indicates that populations that rely heavily on active transportation enjoy better health and increased longevity. In summary, active transportation has tremendous potential to simultaneously address three global public health challenges of the 21st century.

Impact of the different vehicle fleets on PM10 pollution: Comparison between the ten most populous Italian metropolitan cities for the year 2018

The main aim of this research effort is to assess the impact of the different circulating vehicle fleets on PM10 pollution, comparing the results from the ten most populated metropolitan cities in Italy. Circulating diesel vehicles have been categorized in different groups depending on the vehicle type (car or Light Commercial Vehicle - LCV) and European emission standard. The annual mileage and the total PM10 emission for each category has been determined based on several data sources. Estimated overall annual emissions of PM10 particles have been compared with PM10 concentration measurements from distributed ground monitoring stations. A new index, named SoP (Strength of Pollution), has been defined in order to quantify the contribution of each fleet category to the overall PM10 pollution. The index has been computed for the ten most populated Italian metropolitan cities, i.e. all cities with more than 300.000 inhabits: Rome, Milan, Naples, Turin, Palermo, Genoa, Bologna, Florence, Bari and Catania. Results in terms of SoP estimates for year 2018 reveal the presence in these Italian cities of emission clusters with heterogeneous characteristics, which impose the adoption of different PM10 pollution mitigation approaches in the different cities. For example, in Naples, Catania and Palermo, Euro 0 car fleets emit a total PM10 mass which is respectively 19, 10 and 5 times the mass emitted by Euro 6 vehicles, and consequently a reduction of this fleet is desirable for pollution mitigation purposes. Conversely, in Rome, Genoa and Bari, Euro 3 and 4 car fleets emit a total PM10 mass which is 3–6 times the one emitted by Euro 6 vehicles, which calls for a reduction of these fleets. Thus, the extension to the entire national territory of the results obtained in a specific metropolitan city may be strongly misleading and produce limited effects in terms of pollution mitigation.

Design and Analysis of Bumper Beam and Energy Absorbers by Using Composite Materials

At present the production of automobile is in increasing rate especially India which is one of the largest producer and consumer of automobile. India uses wide variety of automobile like bus, car, van, truck and heavy vehicles. But India have a poor road quality and the driving facilities are less which results in severe road accident. This results in severe collisions of vehicles and it cause damage to both vehicle and passengers. Bumper is one of the key factor which helps in avoiding damage to vehicle and passengers present inside the vehicle. Thus all vehicles will have bumper for safety purpose. The bumpers are made of different type of materials to ensure safety of the passengers and to reduce the weight of the vehicle. The production of bumper in composite material results in increased safety during collision and it is cheaper and reduces the weight of vehicle. The cross-section of beam, energy absorber and its materials is designed and analyzed, with referring to the result safe and strong bumper system is discussed. When compared to current bumper, the composite bumper with energy absorber results in greater shock absorption and increased strength which increase the overall effectiveness of the bumper and its function.

Exposure to particulate matter in different private commuting modes in Salem, India

In our modern world, peoples are spending more time inside the vehicles in urban areas. This study assessed one of the critical pollutant of particulate matter PM10 (aerodynamic size ≤ 10 μm) in six private vehicles: hatchback car, sedan car, sports utility vehicle (SUV) car, multi utility vehicle (MUV) van, auto rickshaw, and motorcycle. PM pollutant in car and van transport modes evaluated under four different ventilation settings (air-conditioning (AC) ON/OFF; windows closed/open). In addition, air temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) also assessed in six vehicles. The maximum PM exposure concentration was recorded in an auto-rickshaw, which is 4.28 times higher than the national pollution criteria. PM concentration lowered to 3.73, 1.94, and 1.53 timesin hatchback, sedan and SUV transport modes, respectively while altering ventilation condition from windows open to windows closed (AC ON) settings. There is no statistical significant difference (p > 0.05) between the transport modes of auto rickshaw-SUV, motorcycle-MUV, and motorcycle-sedan. All PM, T and RH parameters were correlated in car (AC ON) and auto-rickshaw transports.

Effect of Compression Ratio on Performance and Emission Characteristics of Dual Spark Plug Ignition Engine Fueled With n-Butanol as Additive Fuel

Renewable energy called normal-butanol is a possible alternative fuel for automobile vehicles like some other possible fuel such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquid petroleum gas (LPG), ethanol, and methanol. Bio-butanol or normal-butanol is also a meritable energy source to substitute for regular fossil fuels. The normal-butanol has recently started to use as a possible substitute fuel to regular fuels for internal combustion engines to attain eco-friendly and capital benefits. As compared to regular energy sources in internal combustion engines, normal-butanol has some benefits, so it shows the potential to decrease tailpipe emission andan increase in positive network delivery. The current work carried out to investigate the performance and emission characteristics of dual spark plug ignition engine fuelled with normal-butanol as additive fuel by adopting 10:1 and 10.5:1compression ratios. The experimental results reveal that when compared between 10:1 and 10.5:1 compression ratios, brake power (BP) is increased by 3.5% and 3.2% for normal-Butanol 35 (nB35) blend and energy efficiency increased by 2.72% and 2.14% for nB35 blend at a part and full load for 10.5:1 compression ratio. The n-butanol create a greater impact on tailpipe emissions that the carbon monoxide (CO) decreased by 32%, 29%, and hydrocarbon (HC) reduced by 2.38% and 2.22% for nB35 blend at a part and full load condition respectively. The experimental results on dual spark ignition engine using n-butanol as additive fuel by varying compression ratioreveals that n-butanol can be a suitable replacement energy source for the automobile sector in the nearest future.

Indirect health monitoring of bridges using Tikhonov regularization scheme and signal averaging technique

This paper presents a novel damage identification technique for bridges based on the dynamic response of a moving vehicle. A quarter car vehicle model instrumented with two accelerometers and an inertial profilometer is used for this purpose. The method involves the coupling of Tikhonov regularization scheme with signal averaging technique to handle the problem of measurement noise and road roughness. In the first stage, a damage-dependent road roughness profile is estimated from measured acceleration response by minimizing a Tikhonov regularized least squares cost function. The second stage involves the minimization of the profile roughness residual function that depends on the location and magnitude of damage. This objective function compares the roughness profile computed from the first stage and that measured by the inertial profilometer. It is proved that efficient damage detection ensues from considering multiple runs of the vehicle and choosing the appropriate regularization parameter. The present study considers various aspects, such as the uniqueness of results, robustness of results to measurement noise, effect of modelling error, effect of vehicle speed, and uncertainty in estimation. Numerical results show that the approach is capable of detecting the magnitude as well as the location of damage. In addition, the problem of road roughness and measurement noise is handled competently.

Economic Analysis of a Transport Company in the Aspect of Car Vehicle Operation

The article describes the issues of transport of bulk materials. The knowledge of this process has a key impact on the rational planning of transport tasks. It is necessary to have knowledge about the transport services market and the competition that exists in it. In order to achieve a competitive advantage on the market, enterprises should analyze data on the implementation of transport tasks on an ongoing basis. It is also important that the costs incurred from the conducted activity are minimized, while increasing the quality of services and taking into account the sustainable development of the enterprise. The study analyzes data from a few selected motor vehicles in the period of 3 years of operation, coming from an enterprise specializing in the transport of bulk materials. Moreover, a global sensitivity analysis was performed based on a neural model describing the impact of the analyzed factors on the company’s profit. The results show that the most important factors influencing the company’s profit are the fuel consumption of individual vehicles, the driver (driving style) and the month (average temperature, weather conditions).

An empirical study of vehicle to infrastructure communications - An intense learning of smart infrastructure for safety and mobility

Vehicle-to-Infrastructure (V2I) communication is a communication framework for wireless sharing of data between vehicles. V2I connectivity is usually used in wireless technology as a bi-directional communication through a system of hardware, software and firmware to support systems like lane signs, road signs and lighting systems. V2I provides a broad range of protection, mobility and environmental benefits by collecting and sharing so much of the data. Automobile vehicles that have long been a dream come true. It's time to build an effective and safe autonomous vehicle that allows everyone to take part in this market. In order to make this revolution possible, the automotive ecosystem also needs to change. This will improve transport safety and quality and will offer infotainment in new flexible systems. In this chapter, huge potential efforts are made to study the complete intensive insights of V2I with the detail of how V2I made a contribution to communication. In the end, this chapter also highlights applications for V2I-driven wireless technology. The performance of the V2I involved in the study were evaluated by using different measures related to running time, data rate and resource management.

An experimental study on emission characteristics in compression ignition engine with silver and zinc coated catalytic converter

Effect of harmful emission like oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and smoke (or) particulate matter (PM) from automobile vehicles to the environment become an addressable topic nowadays. In general NOx and smoke levels are slightly higher in diesel engine compared to petrol engine due to excess Oxygen (O2) supply, high in-cylinder temperature & improper mixing (Heterogeneous mixture) of fuel & air. These emissions are normally controlling by either combustion or by after treatment process. To control these emissions in after treatment process, three-way catalytic converter coated with noble materials like platinum, palladium & rhodium is used in diesel as well as petrol engines. In this present work, various emission characteristics were studied in single cylinder, water cooled, four stroke direct injection diesel engine with and without silver & zinc coated catalytic converter. Experimental results shown that diesel engine with silver (Ag) & zinc (Zn) coated catalytic converter provide 70% of reduction in NOx, 60% of reduction in CO, 55% of reduction in HC and 40% of reduction in CO2 emissions respectively at the exhaust pipe in full load condition compared with conventional diesel engine.

Human-Centered AI to Support an Adaptive Management of Human-Machine Transitions with Vehicle Automation

This article is about the Human-Centered Design (HCD), development and evaluation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm aiming to support an adaptive management of Human-Machine Transition (HMT) between car drivers and vehicle automation. The general principle of this algorithm is to monitor (1) the drivers’ behaviors and (2) the situational criticality to manage in real time the Human-Machine Interactions (HMI). This Human-Centered AI (HCAI) approach was designed from real drivers’ needs, difficulties and errors observed at the wheel of an instrumented car. Then, the HCAI algorithm was integrated into demonstrators of Advanced Driving Aid Systems (ADAS) implemented on a driving simulator (dedicated to highway driving or to urban intersection crossing). Finally, user tests were carried out to support their evaluation from the end-users point of view. Thirty participants were invited to practically experience these ADAS supported by the HCAI algorithm. To increase the scope of this evaluation, driving simulator experiments were implemented among three groups of 10 participants, corresponding to three highly contrasted profiles of end-users, having respectively a positive, neutral or reluctant attitude towards vehicle automation. After having introduced the research context and presented the HCAI algorithm designed to contextually manage HMT with vehicle automation, the main results collected among these three profiles of future potential end users are presented. In brief, main findings confirm the efficiency and the effectiveness of the HCAI algorithm, its benefits regarding drivers’ satisfaction, and the high levels of acceptance, perceived utility, usability and attractiveness of this new type of “adaptive vehicle automation”.

A Comparative Analysis of SIMC-PID with Other Conventional Techniques for Automobile Vehicle Air Conditioning System Control

Decreasing the thermal increase inside vehicles and safeguarding suitable vehicular temperature levels may result in improved vehicle fuel economy, reliability and passenger comfort. However, getting suitable techniques to attain this has been a great challenge to the system engineers. Although, the use of conventional techniques have proffered a great insight in solving the problem of temperature control in air conditioning system, however, they suffered from inefficient and non-lasting solution to the heat generated within the cabin walls. Thus, in this present paper, a Simple Internal Model Control based Proportional Integral Derivative (SIMC-PID) controller for automobile vehicle temperature is proposed. The SIMC method is based on the internal model control (IMC) theory and proposes a simple methodology for the tuning of the PI and PID industrial controllers. The suggested approach is compared with the conventional tuning methods such as Zeigler-Nichols, Cohen-Coon and Chien-Hrones-Reswick based on energy conservation and mass balance principles. Results obtained showed that the proposed SIMC-PID method could be of great significance in controlling the air-conditioning system temperature compared with the conventional tuning techniques.

The Study of Plate Number Recognition for Parking Security System

Car Plate Number Recognition System is an important platform that can be used to identify a car vehicle identity. The Recognition System is based on image processing techniques and computer vision. A webcam is used to capture an image of the car plate number from different distance, and the identification is conducted through four processes of stages: Image Acquisition Pre-processing, Extraction, Segmentation, and Character Recognition. The Acquisition Pre-processing stage is extracted the region of interest of the image. The image is captured by live video of the webcam, then converted to grayscale and binary image. The Extraction stage is extracted the plate number characters from binary image using a connected components method. In the Segmentation stage is done by implementing horizontal projection as well as moving average filter. Lastly, in the Character Recognition, is used to identify the segmented characters of the plate number using optical character recognition. The proposed method is worked well for Malaysian's private cars plate number, and can be implemented in car park system to increase level of security of the system by confirming the bar code of the parking ticket and the plate number of the car at the incoming and outgoing gates.