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MOBILITY

ENGINEERINGTM ENGLISH QUARTERLY

Vol : 5 Issue : 1 January - March 2018 Free Distribution Lean and mean armed forces order new light-attack chopper developed by HAL

HCCI Hands-off driving is here Overcoming ’s Super Cruise, the challenges autonomous-vehicle tech overview ME Altair Ad 0318.qxp_Mobility FP 1/5/18 2:58 PM Page 1 CONTENTS Features

33 Advancing toward driverless cars 46 Electrification not a one-size- AUTOMOTIVE AUTONOMY fits-all solution OFF-HIGHWAY Autonomous-driving technology is set to revolutionize the ELECTRIFICATION auto industry. But getting to a true “driverless” future will Efforts in the off-highway industry have been under way be an iterative process based on merging numerous for decades, but electrification technology still faces individual innovations. implementation challenges. 36 Overcoming the challenges of 50 700 miles, hands-free! HCCI combustion AUTOMOTIVE ADAS AUTOMOTIVE PROPULSION GM’s Super Cruise turns Cadillac drivers into passengers in a Homogenous-charge compression ignition (HCCI) holds well-engineered first step toward greater vehicle autonomy. considerable promise to unlock new IC- efficiencies. But HCCI’s advantages bring engineering obstacles, particularly emissions control. 40 Simulation for tractor cabin vibroacoustic optimization OFF-HIGHWAY SIMULATION Cover The Indian Army and Air Foce recently ordered more than a 43 Method of identifying and dozen copies of the new Light stopping an electronically Combat Helicopter (LCH) controlled diesel engine in developed by Hindustan runaway mode OFF-HIGHWAY Aeronautics Limited. The LCH has twin turboshaft engines PROPULSION and is designed for agility, attack capability and high-alti- tude operations.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 1 CONTENTS Departments 4 Editorial 19 Technology Report 6 SAEINDIA News 19 Komatsu building AI into construction sites OFF- HIGHWAY ELECTIFICATION 6 Baja Mega Workshop, September in Coimbatore 20 PEMS intros on-the-road emissions testing to U.S., 7 SAEINDIA Skill India Initiative, October in Europe AUTOMOTIVE EMISSIONS Coimbatore 21 Who wants Afreecar? AUTOMOTIVE MOBILITY 7 Efficycle 2017, November in Phagwara 23 IAV brings variable valvetrains to heavy duty 8 EGA Two-Wheeler Hybrid Championship virtuals, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROPULSION October in Bengaluru 24 Making the case for battery-electric fleet power 8 Tractor Design Competition 2018 workshops, COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROPULSION October in 26 Improving the surface finish of additive 9 A World In Motion Regional Olympics manufactured parts AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING 10 TIFAN virtual, November in Pune 28 Thermal management plucks CAFE’s low-hanging 11 SAE International President visits New Delhi, fruit AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL MANAGEMENT Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune 30 Assessing a vehicle’s cooling system performance 15 iTEC India 2017, December in Pune OFF-HIGHWAY THERMAL MANAGEMENT 16 Automotive Engineering show, November in Chennai 32 Reconfigurable chip usage ramps up as ADAS advances AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS 17 Industry News 54 Global Vehicles 17 Army, Air Force issue RFP for HAL’s new Light Combat Helicopter 54 rethinks the flagship 17 Netradyne launches advanced ADAS solution in India 57 Toyota unveils autonomous e-commerce concept vehicle, development alliance 18 Tata Motors introduces heavy-duty Tipper range with ULTIMAAX suspension 58 Case IH Quadtrac CVX the first high-hp articulated tracked tractor to offer a CVT 60 2018 Accord: antidote for crossover fever 63 Companies Mentioned, Ad Index 64 Q&A It’s not a question of “if” batteries will work for widespread automotive use, but when and with what . United Kingdom battery researcher Prof. David Greenwood offers the latest outlook.

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EDITORIAL Bill Visnic Editorial Director [email protected] K. Venkataraj SAEINDIA Editor C. V. Raman Regulation’s role in innovation ED, MSIL [email protected] The auto industry can claim several historic bat- them with the same vigor? Equally intriguing, Arun Jaura Project Director, Michelin tles with government regulation, which largely the basic premise can be reversed: what about [email protected] began to imprint itself on the transportation innovation borne from industry-related Bala Bharadvaj MD, Boeing R & T sector in the 1960s as general awareness that is subsequently made known to regulators [email protected] broadened regarding man’s effect on the envi- who then decide to mandate it or otherwise Mathew Abraham ronment. Almost in lockstep was a growing Sr. GM, Mahindra include it in regulations? [email protected] concern about the safety of automobiles as The is an example of the Dr. Venkat Srinivas vast highway networks were built in the United first idea—government regulation hastening Vice President & Head - Engineering & Product States and Europe and speeds began to rise in automotive progress. An example of the second Development, Mahindra & Mahindra Truck and Bus Division conjunction with miles travelled. is four-wheel antilock braking systems (ABS). [email protected] In today’s U.S., one of the Trump No government or regulator told auto compa- Lindsay Brooke Editor-in-Chief Administration’s pillar promises is to throttle nies a vehicle must be able to brake without the [email protected] government over-reach that many believe has wheels locking, or be able to apply full braking Ryan Gehm Associate Editor led to excessive regulation of all manner, force while maintaining steering capability. For [email protected] including on the auto industry. So I wasn’t sur- decades, engineers understood the desirability Jennifer Shuttleworth prised when, after a particularly involved ses- for ABS and once the technology became avail- Associate Editor [email protected] sion at SAE’s seminal Government/Industry able, instituted it. Now, ABS is standard equip- Lisa Arrigo Meeting in Washington, DC in January, an engi- ment virtually worldwide and for years has Custom Electronic Products Editor neer asked me if I thought regulation has been mandated in many world markets. [email protected] helped or hindered automotive progress. So it seems obvious regulation can “help” Contributors Having just met this pleasant person, I tried automotive progress in the sense of forcing Kami Buchholz Detroit Editor to be measured with my response, lest the resources to be directed at a problem. But the Stuart Birch conversation become political rather than wonderful thing about engineers is that many European Editor mutually educational. come to their work—and often, their work-re- Jack Yamaguchi Asia Editor I pointed out that Mitch Bainwol, the presi- lated passions—from a multitude of vectors;

Steven Ashley dent and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile impetus from regulation is just one possibility. Dan Carney , the prominent U.S. trade associ- The engineers who devoted time to ABS or Terry Costlow Manufacturers Richard Gardner ation that represents a dozen auto companies, self-cancelling turn signals or the automatic John Kendall Bruce Morey noted in an earlier Government/Industry pre- transmission didn’t do so because a regulation Linda Trego Paul Weissler sentation that if proposed U.S. emissions stan- demanded it, however. They did it because of dards remain in place, tailpipe emissions from a professional ardour or the desire to create a bet- DESIGN light vehicle in 2025 will be 99% cleaner than a ter product. Lois Erlacher Creative Director vehicle from the “pre-controlled” era. My “final” answer, then, to the engineer’s initial Ray Carlson One could infer, I said, that regulation—in this question: for good and bad, it’s an increasingly Associate Art Director case, the U.S.’s seminal Clean Air Act of 1970— regulated world, so make the best of it. was directly responsible for accelerating auto- The U.S.’s President Trump is correct in SALES & motive progress in the reduction of air . emphasizing that many regulations are MARKETING The 1970 Clean Air Act certainly spurred devel- wrong-spirited and counter-productive. But it K. Venkataraj SAEINDIA opment of the catalytic converter—an innovation would be a mistake to discount the “focus” that No.1/17, Ceebros Arcade 3rd Cross Kasturba Nagar that few would suggest has been anything but regulation can inflict on research and develop- Chennai India 600 020 immensely important for society. Regulations, as ment. To me, it seems the auto industry oper- (T) 91-44-24411904 (E) [email protected] we all know, also have been the driving force ates under a generally effective blend of the behind many vital safety advances. two. But if I have to make a choice, I’ll take the Maybe the real question is this: without reg- intellectual curiosity of the individual engineer ulatory impetus, would engineers develop cer- seeking to reduce boom in a tractor cabin (see tain advances on their own and would auto story on p. 40) every time. companies and suppliers finance and deploy Bill Visnic, Editorial Director

4 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING ME BISS Ad 0318.qxp_Mobility FP 1/5/18 3:13 PM Page 1

           

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  8!        '  !              '     $#                      (    -   ! 9  4 $ SAEINDIA BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dr. R.K. Malhotra SAEINDIA President Dr. Aravind S. Bharadwaj Immediate Past President Dr. Bala Bharadvaj News Sr. Vice President & Chairman, Finance Board & Aerospace Board Mrs. Rashmi Urdwareshe Vice President & Chairperson, Baja Mega Workshop, September in Coimbatore Membership Board Mr. I.V. Rao Vice President & Chairman, Engineering Education Board Mr. Sanjay Deshpande Secretary Dr. G. Nagarajan Treasurer & Vice Chairman, Engineering Education Board Prof. Prakash Joshi Joint Secretary Dr. Arunkumar Sampath Vice President & Chairman, Automotive Board & Vice Chairman, Finance Board Mr. N. Balasubramanian Chairman, Meetings and Exposition Board Mr. P. Panda Vice Chairman, Meetings and Exposition Board Mr. Nitin Agarwal Chairman, Off-Highway Board Com. Rakesh B. Verma Vice Chairman, Off-Highway Board Mr. Prakash Sardesai Chairman, Professional Development Programs Board Dr. R. Venugopal Vice Chairman, Professional Development Programs Board Mr. Balraj Bhanot Chairman, Development Board Dr. K.P. Murthy Vice Chairman, Development Board Ms. Pamela Tikku Chairman, Section Board Mr. Sanjay Nibhandhe Vice Chairman, Section Board Mr. S. Radhakrishnan Vice Chairman, Membership Board Inauguration by Mr. K Venkataraj, DDG, SAEINDIA. Representing SAE International The BAJA SAEINDIA 2018 Mega Workshop workshop started with a session on Dr. David L. Schutt Chief Executive Officer was jointly conducted by SAEINDIA and “Steering and Suspension Design” by Mr. Mr. Murli M. Iyer Kumaraguru College of Technology (KCT), Rajeev Mokashi, Consultant, Ex. Senior Executive Advisor-Global Affairs Office of the Chief Executive Officer Coimbatore, on the college premises on Director, R&D, Gabriel India Ltd. The session September 23-24, 2017. The session was was followed by webinar on “Robust Design Presented by SAEINDIA Media, Communications and attended by students from 66 colleges all Practices” by Dr. K.C. Vora, Senior. Dy. Publications Committee over southern India. The Workshop was in- Director & Head, ARAI Academy, Pune. Mr. Dr. Sudhir Gupte augurated by the chief guest Mr. K. Vinay Mundada, Consultant, Ex. VP, R&D, Chairman Mr. Asit Kumar Barma Venkataraj, Deputy Director General, Force Motors, Pune, also joined the webinar Vice Chairman SAEINDIA. This ceremony was enlightened and presented on the topic, “Vehicle Build Mr. Vasanth Kini with the invocation and lighting lamp by Quality/Failure Analysis.” The student Member Mr. Dhananjayan the chief guest and dignitaries on the dais. design practices followed. Flaws in the Member On the first day, there were four sessions: design and how to effectively do failure Dr. Vijaykanthan Damodaran Member “Challenges of BAJA” by Mr. Mukesh Tiwari, analysis were shared through the webinar Mr. Deepak Sawkar Deputy General Manager, Mahindra Two sessions. The experts’ views were well-re- Member Mr. Jitendra Malhotra Wheelers Ltd., followed by “Vehicle ceived by the students. Member Dynamics & Overall Testing Plans” by Dr. P. The Final session of the Mega Workshop Dr. S. Selvi Parth Chattaraj, Additional Director, NATRIP; was by Mr. Sanjay Nibandhe, Deputy Director, Member Mr. T. Bharathiraja then a session on “Endurance testing” by Mr. from ARAI, Pune, on the topic, “Effectiveness Member Akhand Pratap, Project Manager, Cummins of Time & Quality Management.” The Mega Ms. Swati Milind Athavale Member India Ltd. and the final session: “Design of Design Workshop concluded with a Mr. Manohar K. Chaudhari Brake System” by Mr. K. N. Balaji, Ex-Brakes Valedictory ceremony where all the guests Member Mr. Rajesh Kumar India Ltd., who is an expert in the design of were felicitated with mementos. On behalf of Member braking systems. The day ended with a BAJA SAEINDIA, a memento was presented Mr. Saravanan Natarajan questionnaire session. to the institution; it was accepted by Dr. R. S. Member Dr. M.K. Ravishankar The second day of the Mega Design Kumar, Principal, KCT for hosting the event. Member

6 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING SAEINDIA News

SAEINDIA Skill India Initiative, October in Coimbatore The 2nd phase SAEINDIA SKILL INDIA INITIATIVE (S2I2) was knowledge-sharing and training for the students. Eight colleges launched at Sri Krishna College of Engineering and across India have already expressed Interest to host the event Technology (SKCET), Coimbatore on 27th September 2017. at their campuses to help scale-up this program in the future. The formal inauguration of the event was done through Lamp Lighting by all the dignitaries on the dais. Welcome Speech was given by Dr. R.Soundararajan, Faculty Advisor, SKCET, Coimbatore followed by Introduction Speech by Mr. K. Venkataraj, Deputy Director General, SAEINDIA. Mr. C. Pradeep, Deputy General Manager, Mahindra gave a speech about Initiatives for Skill Development and Dr. P. Ashoka Varthanan, HOD, SKCET, Coimbatore, felicitated all the digni- taries including the Chief Guest Mr. D.K.Karthikeyan, Director - Projects, Texas Ventures. The technical sessions of the 2nd phase were conducted in October 2017 at SKCET, Coimbatore. About 20 students participated, Course Module - 10 Days of classroom sessions and 7 days of industrial visit. Certification with grading to students based on assessment. Fifteen profes- sional volunteers from the imparted Dignitaries at the function.

Efficycle 2017, November in Phagwara The 17th edition of the Efficycle event electric drive motor with a maximum acceleration test, gradient-simulation was successfully conducted on motor output power of 400W. About test and drive excellence test. The teams November 1-5, 2017 at Lovely 80 teams participated in the 2017 com- finishing the respective dynamic events Professional University (LPU), Punjab. petition and the theme was “Drive in least time were winners of the individ- The event was organized by the Excellence Season.” ual dynamic events. On the final day, the SAEINDIA Northern Section (SAEINS) in Teams registered for the technical teams who cleared the technical inspec- association with Maruti Suzuki (MSIL) inspection (TI) of their vehicles, which tion were allowed to participate in a 1.5- and the International Center for included a safety check, brake test, fig- hour endurance race on a 2-km track Automotive Technology (ICAT). The ure-8 test and electric inspection. They with sharp turns and other difficulties. event was held under the convenorship also entered static events such as a The competition was followed by the of Mr. U.D. Bhangale, Sr. GM, ICAT and weight check, design evaluation, cost valedictory ceremony and various supported by co-conveners Mr. Jitendra evaluation, build-quality evaluation. In awards to the teams and individuals: Malhotra, DGM, MSIL and Dr. Reji Mathai, addition, there was an innovation round Overall Winner - Team Velociracers— Chief Research Manager, IOCL R&D. and marketing presentation round in College of Engg., Pune Efficycle teams designed and fabri- which the teams were judged by First Runner up - Team Zyklus— cated the energy-efficient, human-pow- experts from automotive industries. Galgotia’s College of Engg. & Tech., Gr. ered three-wheeled hybrid-electric Teams that passed the technical Noida vehicles, which were propelled by two inspection were able to participate in the Second Runner up - Team Reventon— drivers simultaneously, along with an dynamic events, which included the Guru Nanak Dev Engg. College, Ludhiana

Teams prepared for the endurance test. Team Efficycle 2017.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 7 SAEINDIA News

EGA Two-Wheeler Hybrid Championship virtuals, October in Bengaluru The virtual round of India’s first Two-Wheeler Hybrid competi- tion— Electrifying Green Aspirations (EGA)—for young stu- dent engineers was organized by the SAEINDIA Bengaluru Section (SAEIBS) in association with TVS Motors and was conducted on October 14, 2017 at the Institute of Quality and Leadership (IQL), TVS Motors, Bengaluru. About 19 teams were registered for the event from various colleges across Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Madhya Pradesh. The chief guest, Mr. Jayram, Dean, Institute of Quality and Leadership (IQL), inaugurated the event and in his welcome address explained to the students the benefits in participating Team EGA with one of the participating teams. in the competition. Mr. Damodaran Subramanian, Managing Director, Safran Aerospace Engineering, delivered the keynote to take part in the final event. address on the future of mobility in the aerospace domain. Mr. Vinay Harne, President of New Product Development, Experts from companies such as ASM Technologies, TVS Motor Company, graced the concluding valedictory func- -Technical Center India and TVS Motor tion and interacted with students on future technologies such Company, Kaizenat, constituted the jury. Each participating as hybrids, electric vehicles, solar energy and fuel cells. Mr. team presented its ideas to build the two-wheeler hybrid Anoop B. Srinivasan, Mr. Krishnan and Mr. K. P. Murthy, Vice vehicle by addressing recent advances in safety, efficiency and Chairman, SAEIBS, Mr. C Subramanian, Mr. Kannan of SAEIBS other challenges. Of the 19 participating teams, 12 teams were and the team of volunteers from TVS, together with Mr. selected for the final round, which was scheduled for February Rakesh D R, EGA Coordinator, Mr. Prashanth and Mr. Dhanush 2018. The selected teams were tasked to build the hardware of SAEIBS, made the event more successful.

Tractor Design Competition 2018 workshops, October in Chennai The SAEINDIA Southern Section Balaji (automotive consultant) handled (SAEISS) organized the Tractor Design a session on automotive brakes. Mr. S. Competition Workshops in October Shanmugam, Vice Chairman, SAEISS, 2017 at SRM University, Chennai and conducted a session on the manufactur- Kongu Engineering College, Erode. ing, assembly and costing aspects of Some 390 students from various col- tractors. On the second day, Mr. leges participated in both the work- Muruganantham, Siemens Pvt. Ltd. han- shops. After the formal inaugural func- dled a session on AMEsim commercial tion at both the locations, the partici- simulation software, followed by Mr. N. pants were given a brief outline about Ravikumar, B. S. Abdur Rahman the Tractor Design Competition 2018 University, who handled the fundamen- Workshop. tals of chassis. Mr. A. Armstrong, MC One of the workshop sessions. Chennai: On the first day, Mr. K. N. Member SAEISS and Mr. C. SivaKumar, event champion, along with other mem- bers, answered student questions. Mr. C. Sivakumar delivered the vote of thanks. Erode: On the first day, Dr. E. Rajasekar, Professor IRTT, Secretary SAEISS, delivered a session on tractor dynamics, followed by Mr. Karthikeyan, Chief Design Engineer, TAFE, who con- ducted a session on transmission sys- tems. The workshop’s second day saw Mr. S. Radhakrishnan, (retired) Vice- President (R&D) from Rane TRW Steering Systems Ltd, educating the par- ticipants about steering systems. Mr. C. Workshop participants. Sivakumar delivered the vote of thanks.

8 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING SAEINDIA News

A World In Motion Regional Olympics The contest full of fun and challenges for school students, A World In Motion (AWIM), has two main ingredients in its innovative hands-on physical-science curriculum designed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), USA. The AWIM program started in the U.S. and India is the second country to conduct an AWIM competition at the national level for school children. The AWIM competition encourages students to work as a team to apply scientific design concepts and explore the principles of laws of motion, inertia, force, momentum, friction, air resistance and jet propulsion to create moving vehicles such as a skimmer and balloon powered Jet-Toy cars. New Delhi: On October 24, 2017 at Mapple Emerald Hotel, Rajokri, New Delhi SAEINDIA Northern Section Testing the prepared Jet-Toy. (SAEINS) conducted AWIM Regional Olympics 2017 for the Delhi Region. More than 200 students from 23 schools across Delhi participated in the competition for both the Jet-Toy and Skimmer categories. The event was sup- ported by industry volunteers from Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and more than 80 student volunteers from the nearby colleges. The teams from Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar won the 1st prize in both the Jet-Toy and Skimmer categories. NCR Region: On October 25, 2017 at Mapple Emerald Hotel, Rajokri, New Delhi, the SAEINDIA Northern Section (SAEINS) conducted AWIM Regional Olympics 2017 for NCR Region. More than 150 students from nearly 15 Certificates presented to one of the participating teams. schools across NCR Region participated in the competition for both Jet-Toy and Regional Olympics 2017 for the Solapur gories, respectively. Skimmer categories. The event was sup- Region. More than 80 students from Haryana Region: On November 18, ported by industry volunteers from nearly 10 schools across the Solapur 2017 at Jai Parkash Mukand Lal Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and more than Region participated in the competition Innovative Engineering & Technology 40 student volunteers from the nearby for both Jet-Toy and Skimmer catego- Institute, Radaur, Yamuna Nagar, the colleges. The teams from Presidium ries. The event was supported by SAEINDIA Northern Section (SAEINS) School, Sector 57, Gurugram and Delhi industry volunteers from Automotive conducted AWIM Regional Olympics Public School, DLF City, Gurugram won Research Association of India, John 2017 for the Haryana Region. More than the 1st prize in the Jet-toy and Skimmer Deere and Eaton Technologies and 200 students from nearly 25 schools categories, respectively. more than 10 student volunteers from across the Haryana Region participated Solapur Region: On November 11, the nearby colleges. The teams from in the competition for both Jet-Toy and 2017 at Shri Siddheswar Montessori Valentine Circle School, Solapur and Skimmer categories. The event was sup- School, Solapur SAEINDIA Western Orchid School, Solapur won the 1st ported by industry volunteers from Section (SAEIWS) conducted AWIM prize in the Jet-Toy and Skimmer cate- Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. and more than

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 9 SAEINDIA News

60 student volunteers from the nearby 2017 at Shree Navchetan Andhjan from Vestas Wind Technologies Pvt Ltd, colleges. The teams from Delhi Public Mandal School, Madhapar, Bhuj, the Automotive Research Association of School, Kurukshetra and Mukand Lal SAEINDIA Western Section (SAEIWS) India, John Deere & Eaton Technologies Public School, Yamunanagar won the 1st conducted AWIM Regional Olympics and more than 150 student volunteers prize in the Jet-Toy and Skimmer cate- 2017 for the Kutch & Bhuj Region. More from the nearby colleges. The teams gories, respectively. than 48 students from six schools from Mother Theresa High School, Ahmedabad Region: On November across the Kutch & Bhuj Region partici- Kharadi, won the 1st prize in both the 25, 2017 at the plant of Vestas Wind pated in the competition for both Jet- Jet-Toy and Skimmer categories. Technologies Pvt Ltd, Ahmedabad, the Toy and Skimmer categories. The event Kolhapur Region: On December 19, SAEINDIA Western Section (SAEIWS) was supported by industry volunteers 2017 at KIT’s College of Engineering, conducted AWIM Regional Olympics from Automotive Research Association Kolhapur, the SAEINDIA Western 2017 for the Ahmedabad Region. More of India, John Deere and Eaton Section (SAEIWS) conducted AWIM than 80 students from nearly 10 Technologies and six student volunteers Regional Olympics 2017 for the schools across Ahmedabad Region par- from the nearby colleges. The teams Kolhapur Region. More than 80 stu- ticipated in the competition for both from Chanakya Academy, Bhuj and dents from nearly 10 schools across the Jet-Toy and Skimmer categories. The Army Public School, Bhuj, won the 1st Kolhapur Region participated in the event was supported by industry volun- prize in the Jet-Toy and Skimmer cate- competition for both Jet-Toy and teers from Vestas Wind Technologies gories respectively. Skimmer categories. The event was sup- Pvt Ltd, Automotive Research Pune Region: On December 17, 2017 ported by industry volunteers from IFM Association of India, John Deere and at SNBP International School, Rahatani, Electronics, Automotive Research Eaton Technologies and more than 15 Pune, the SAEINDIA Western Section Association of India, John Deere and student volunteers from the nearby col- (SAEIWS) conducted AWIM Regional Eaton Technologies and more than 15 leges. The teams from Nandej Primary Olympics 2017 for the Pune Region. student volunteers from the nearby col- School No. 1, Ahmedabad and Best More than 200 students from nearly 16 leges. The teams from SGI Residential Primary School, Ahmedabad won the schools across Pune Region partici- School, Kolhapur and New Model 1st prize in the Jet-Toy and Skimmer pated in the competition for both Jet- English School, Kolhapur, won the 1st categories, respectively. Toy and Skimmer categories. The event prize in the Jet-Toy and Skimmer cate- Kutch Region: On November 29, was supported by industry volunteers gories, respectively.

TIFAN virtual, November in Pune of the agricultural sector. Dr. Kamal Vora, Sr. Dy. Director, ARAI & Chairman, SAEINDIA Western Section (SAEIWS), shared the SAEINDIA vision for developing talent and technology in the mobility industry. He also shared the Automotive Mission Plan 2026 from the Government of India. The virtual round of competition was inaugurated by Dr. Pitam Chandra, Honorable Ex-Director, Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering (CIAE), Bhopal, as chief guest and Dr. V. M. Mayande, Honorable Ex-Vice-Chancellor and Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, as guest of Honor. Dr. Chandra shared his thoughts on the Role of young engineers in solving the challenges of the agricultural sector during his speech. In his speech, Dr. Mayande touched on TIFAN Virtuals 2017 group. India’s need for agricultural mechanization and its current challenges. On November 5, 2017, the SAEINDIA Off-Highway Board con- Students from 28 colleges across India participated in ducted the virtual round of its unique competition named Virtual TIFAN round. Most of the teams devised new innova- TIFAN (Technology Innovation Forum for Agricultural tive designs for a self-propelled onion harvester. Judges Nurturing) for engineering and agricultural engineering stu- from different industries were pleased with the thought pro- dents at Pimpri Chinchwad College of Engineering and cess from students and provided valuable suggestions for Research (PCCoE&R), Ravet, Pune. further improvements in the student designs. The shortlisted Mr. Krishnat Patil, General Manager, John Deere India and colleges after this round will go for the final round, where TIFAN convener, welcomed all the distinguished dignitaries on they must demonstrate actual machines in the field. The final stage and narrated the journey of TIFAN and its goal to was scheduled for Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri engage the talent from the country to the real-life challenges in March 2018.

10 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING SAEINDIA News

SAE International President visits New Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune

Presidents Malhotra (left) and Patton (right) deliver their speeches.

On December 4, 2017, SAEINDIA and the Federation of Indian • Plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles will play a major role in Petroleum Industry (FIPI), in association with the Automotive electrification Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and • On highways, light, medium and heavy-duty applications will Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), orga- remain primarily on diesel nized a program titled “The future of IC engines and liquid • Agriculture and construction equipment will remain on diesel fuels for transportation” at New Delhi. • IC Engines will continue to survive Dr. R.K. Malhotra, Director General, FIPI and President, The program was concluded with closing remarks from Mr. SAEINDIA, delivered the inaugural address highlighting the C.V. Raman, Senior Executive Director (Engineering) - Maruti present domination of fossil fuels in the world and India’s Suzuki India Limited and Chairman of the SAEINDIA Northern energy mix, saying this trend will continue in future. He men- Section (SAEINS). He stated that it is essential to have a long- tioned that though the share of renewables is expected to term plan that should provide for any disruption. He added increase in the energy mix, as reported by various global that the vision of the country for controlling emissions and energy agencies, renewables still will not be able to displace a transitioning to e-mobility is commendable and various tech- major share of fossil fuels from the energy mix. As per projec- nologies should be examined for achieving the ultimate objec- tions, the demand for oil in India is expected to more than tive of carbon dioxide reduction. Mr. Raman thanked the double by 2035, primarily driven by the transportation and organizers, presenters and panellists for the insightful pro- petrochemicals sectors. gram and the discussions that emerged during the session. The inaugural address was followed by a panel discussion. The panellists: Dr. Teich Christian, VP – Bosch; Dr. SSV Blue Ribbon CXO conclave, December Ramakumar, Director (R&D) – IOCL; Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head & VP (External Affairs) - Toyota Kirloskar Motors; Mr. in Chennai Ashok Taneja, Managing Director & CEO - Shriram Pistons & The SAEINDIA Automotive Board hosted the Blue Ribbon Rings and Mr. Harjeet Singh, Executive Advisor-Tech, Hero CXO Conclave on December 6, 2017 at Chennai, during the Moto Corp. Mr. Deepangshu Dev Sarmah, Editor-in-Chief, Auto visit of Mr. Doug Patton, President SAE International, to India. Tech Review, was the moderator of the session. The panel dis- The Conference was attended by 50 CXO’s from the automo- cussion was followed by a question-and-answer session in tive and IT industries. which panellists addressed questions from the audience. Mr. Patton, who is also the Executive Vice President of After the panel discussion, Mr. Doug Patton, President - Denso, delivered a detailed presentation about intelligent SAE International and Executive Vice President & Chief mobility and the transition to the future; he also went into Technology Officer - DENSO International America, was depth on cybersecurity in the connected-vehicle era. Mr. Patton invited to present on “The IC Engine – Is it dead again?” In his visualized the mobility Society image in the future touching on presentation, Mr. Patton highlighted the globally changing widespread use of IT services, the smart grid, automated driv- scenario in the field of mobility, with a push towards electrifi- ing and social control. He also identified the cyber risk in the cation. The highlights of his presentation: future and the need to embrace countermeasures to ensure • Passenger-car applications for electrified vehicles will in- proper cybersecurity. He had a short video clip highlighting this crease—with limitations factor and how cyber risk can be managed by proper safe-

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 11 SAEINDIA News

Managing Director, Accenture Technologies, Mr. Magesh Srinivasan, Global Head—Connected Cars, HCL Engineering & R&D Services; Mr. Vinod Senthil Founder & CTO of Infysec, was the Moderator. Four out of the five panellists were from the IT industry, technology-solution providers and IT-related services with particular relevance to the automotive industry. The panellists agreed that India has a long way to go in creating preparedness to face the emerging challenges in terms of connected vehicles and cybersecurity. They also felt the industry transformation will be driven by advances in information technology rather than from the automotive industry. The panel discussion was followed by an interesting and interactive question-and-answer session which brought Thought-provoking panel discussion. out the general awareness about the new domain of con- nected vehicles occupying a major space in future develop- ment of the automotive industry.

T.R. Sathyanarayanan Memorial Lecture, December in Chennai The SAEINDIA Southern Section (SAEISS) organized the International President Meet and T.R. Sathyanarayanan Memorial Lecture on December 7, 2017 at Hotel Ramada Plaza, Guindy. Mr. S. Sriraman, Chairman SAEISS welcomed Mr. Doug Patton, SAE International President and Mr. Murli Iyer, Global Executive Advisor, SAE International. Mr. S. Sriraman and Mr. Patton presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. G. Padmanabham, Dr. P. SivaKumar, Dr. A. Ramesh, Dr. V.M. Periasamy, Dr. Sivanandi Rajadurai, Dr. D.A. Subramani, Dr. V. Ganesan and Mr. S. Govindarajan in appreciation for their leadership and extraordinary contribu- tions to the society. They also presented the Automotive Champions of Chennai awards to Dr. N. Saravanan, Mr. R. Velusamy and Mr. B. Viswanath as a token of appreciation for SAE International President Doug Patton delivers his lecture. their leadership and contributions to the society. Champions of SAEISS presented their activities to the dig- nitaries, followed by the presentations shared by all the divi- guards in terms of products and production facilities. sional chairmen. Mr. T. Kasiraja, Treasurer SAEISS, gave the Dr. Wilfried Aulbur, Managing Partner at Roland Berger inaugural address for the T.R. Sathyanarayanan Memorial India, spoke on connected trucks and the effect of cyberse- Lecture by noting the achievements of Mr. T.R. curity in the Indian automobile market. As driving pro- Sathyanarayanan as MC Member of SAEISS. He introduced Mr. gresses from connected and assisted to highly and fully Patton and his lecture on “Challenges in Cybersecurity.” automated, he said the customer need for safety, security Mr. Patton started his lecture with a small potato chip and and data privacy becomes paramount. The “zombie cars” explained how the cybersecurity is affecting the sales of pota- scenario as shown in the movie “Fate of the Furious,” where toes. He then presented the background of cybersecurity and cars are turned into weapons for a cyber-terrorist attack, its implication in the automotive industries, since the automo- could become a reality in an environment where autono- tive industry is moving towards the online will have to face mous-driving capabilities are widespread. Hence, with all the such cybersecurity-related issues in future. He also gave an advantages that modern technology brings for automotive example of how a car was hacked in middle of the highway driving, the cybersecurity threats that emanate from vectors and was made to switch off its engine—all done remotely by such as internet based attacks, hardware attacks, near-field an online hacker. He also urged the automotive community to wireless attacks and sensor attacks must be taken very seri- increase its attention to the cybersecurity field. ously, Dr. Aulbur said. Mr. S. Sriraman presented the gift for Mr. Patton and Mr. The topic for the panel discussion was automotive cyberse- Murli Iyer as a token of gratitude. Mr. T.S. Soundara Rajan, son curity, threats and industry readiness. The Panellists were Ms. of the beloved T.R. Sathyanarayanan, proposed the vote of Naveena Swamy, Chief Innovative Officer IITM, Mr. Kaushik thanks and thanked Mr. Patton for his lecture. He also thanked Madhavan, Director, Frost & Sullivan, Mr. Sanjeet Srivastava, all the participants and invited all for the dinner.

12 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING SAEINDIA News

Visit to WIPRO Aerospace Division, December in Bengaluru On December 8, 2017, after landing at Bengaluru, the SAEINDIA Aero Board team, along with SAE International President Mr. Doug Patton, visited the Wipro Aerospace Division, which is close to the International airport at Bengaluru.

Blue Ribbon CXO Conclave, December in Bengaluru The SAEINDIA Automotive Board hosted the Blue Ribbon CXO Conclave on December 8, 2017 at Bengaluru, during the visit of SAE International President Mr. Doug Patton to India. WIPRO Aerospace Division visit. The Conference was attended by 57 CXOs from the automo- tive and aerospace industries. Mr. Patton made a detailed presentation about intelligent mobility and the transition to Transportation & Mobility Industry of Dassault Systemes, the future and went into depth on cybersecurity in the con- spoke about automotive OEMs around the world in helping nected-vehicle era. them in digital transformation and proving the business value Mr. Satish Sundaresan, Managing Director, Elektrobit India of applying 3DS technology to solve business uncertainties. Pvt. Ltd., spoke about the threats, current automotive industry Deploying 3DS solutions, he said, are General Motors, Toyota adoption trends, opportunities for companies and challenges Motor Company, Nissan and Honda in Japan, TATA Motors, facing the auto industry in terms of legislation. He illustrated Ashok Leyland and Volvo Eicher in India, and FAW Mold and with a live project which carried out in Germany. As automo- Die, SAIC, and Chery Auto in China. tive driving progresses from connected and assisted to highly Hence, he said, from an Indian perspective it is important and fully automated, the need of customers for safety, secu- to be prepared for cybersecurity threats, but with the current rity and data privacy becomes paramount. Hence, with all the relatively low level of penetration of connected vehicles there advantages that modern technology brings for automotive is no reason to panic. On the contrary, for Indian service pro- driving, the cybersecurity threats that emanate from vectors viders, cybersecurity is a unique opportunity to further such as internet based attacks, hardware attacks, near-field entrench themselves in global automotive supply chains. wireless attacks and sensor attacks must be taken seriously. In his opinion, India’s connectivity will be driven significantly by the commercial-vehicle market, adding that telematics appli- Seminar at Infosys, December in Mysuru cations are the name of the game. However, contrary to other On December 9, 2017, the SAEINDIA Bengaluru Section markets, India’s telematics market is dominated by aftermar- (SAEIBS) organized a seminar at Narayanamurthy Center of ket as well as entry-level (GPS-based) solutions. Excellence, Infosys, Mysuru. The seminar was composed of Mr. Shree HARSHA, Business Consulting Director, two sessions, one by SAE International President Mr. Doug

Team BRCC Bengaluru.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 13 SAEINDIA News

Event participants.

Seminar venue. to interact with AWIM school participants, volunteers and teachers. He was given a traditional welcome at the school. Later, Eaton Volunteer Mr. Kiran Patil gave them a briefing about the involvement of Eaton Volunteers and support given by the school for hosting Regional Olympics consecu- tively for the third time. Mr. Patton and Mr. Iyer were then escorted to the amphitheatre for Vedic Chants performed by school children, followed by AWIM student demonstrations of AWIM Jet-Toys and their theme presentation on the Jet- Toy. They also addressed the school children and wished them well for future endeavors. They praised the efforts of industry volunteers and teachers towards making AWIM activity worthwhile for the school children.

Eminent lecture, December in Pune The Eminent Speaker Series lecture on “The Future of IC Engines and Liquid Transport Fuels” was organized on December 12, 2017 at ARAI, Pune, which included participa- The team enjoys time with AWIM students. tion from about 60 engineers, scholars, students and faculty in the discipline of engineering. The speaker for the lecture Patton and the second by Dr. Ravi Kumar G.V.V., Associate was Mr. Doug Patton, President of SAE International and Vice President & Head, Advanced Engineering Group, Infosys. Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, DENSO Mr. Patton started his lecture on cybersecurity with expla- International America, Inc. He is responsible for climate con- nations of associated terminologies, its usage and what it is trol, engine management systems and components, engine about. He also briefed about securing for future generations electrics, safety products, cluster, navigation and body elec- and gave detailed impressions on development of the world’s tronics and small-motor engineering. first automotive cybersecurity standard. He also presented The highlights of the lecture: video of remotely hacking a vehicle as an example of the • Discussion on future improvements in the mechanical engi- cybersecurity issue. neering field Dr. Ravi Kumar gave a presentation on the holistic • Impact of electric vehicle technology improvements in field approach on industrial security–an Industry 4.0 journey. He of mechanical engineering started with industrial IOT by seeking the vision; that is, • Advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles over IC instrumented, integrated, informed, intelligent. He also spoke engines and liquid-fuel vehicles about the adoption of IoT within a fast-changing industrial • Scope to improve the IC engines and liquid-fuel-based vehicles landscape and what it means to Industry 4.0 with a holistic • Hybrid-electric vehicles approach for industrial security. He concluded with a holistic • IC engine usage trends in different market segments security concept. • Comparison of IC engine, hybrid vehicles and electric Vehicles • Next-generation variable-compression systems Mrs. Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director, ARAI & Vice President Interaction with AWIM participants, and Chair Membership Board of SAEINDIA, felicitated Mr. December in Pune Patton with a memento as a token of appreciation. Mr. On December 12, 2017, SAE International President Doug Narahari P. Wagh, Secretary, SAEIWS, proposed the vote of Patton visited S N B P International School, Rahatani, Pune, thanks for the event.

14 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING SAEINDIA News iTEC India 2017, December in Pune iTEC INDIA 2017, the country’s second International Transportation Electrification Conference, was inaugu- rated by Dr. Abhay Firodia, President, SIAM and Chairman, Force Motors Ltd. The three-day conference on December 13-15, 2017, was held at The Westin hotel in Pune and jointly orga- nized by SAEINDIA, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Industry Applications Society (IEEE IAS) and the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI). The focus of the conference was on the theme “Electric vehicle ecosystem—Resetting the future of mobility.” Present at the event were: Mr. Doug View of the event’s large attendance. Patton, President, SAE International; Mr. Murli Iyer, Executive Advisor, Global Affairs, SAE International; Dr. R. K. Malhotra, President, SAEINDIA & Director General, Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry (FIPI); Mrs. Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Chair, Steering Committee of iTEC INDIA 2017 Director, ARAI & Vice President, SAEINDIA; Dr. Tomy Sebastian, President Elect, IEEE IAS & Director of Motor Drive Systems, Halla Mechatronics, Michigan, USA; Mrs. Ujjwala Karle, Chair, Organising Committee of iTEC INDIA 2017 & General Manager, ARAI; and other members of iTEC INDIA 2017. iTEC INDIA 2017 is supported by the Department of Heavy Industry, Government of India. A display of the Team iTEC INDIA 2017 with the chief guest. latest electric vehicles highlighted the Nissan LEAF and Mahindra Reva e20, Electric Motor Drives, electric Machines, Technology, Madras; Dr. Shankar Akella, among others. The conference Sensors and Actuators, Battery and Siemens Industry Software, Chennai; addressed technical interests related to Battery management System, electric, Taro Aoyama, Toyota Kirloskar Motors the electrification in the transportation Hybrid Electric, Plug-in-hybrid vehicles, Ltd.; Mr. Greg Harris, Horiba MIRA, UK; sectors including but not limited to, Electric Vehicle System Architectures, Dr. Prabhakar Patil, Ex LG Chem, USA; electric cum hybrid vehicles, plug-in-hy- Smart grid, Electrical Infrastructure and Michael Kellar, Charin EV, AG (VW brid vehicles, railroad and off-road vehi- V2G, Fuel Cell applications in Group); Mr. Chaitan Maini, Sun Mobility; cles. iTEC INDIA 2017 also had an array Transportation, Electrical Systems and Mr. A. A. Deshpande, ARAI and Mr. of papers spanning a wide variety of Components for Sea, Undersea, Air, Rail Katsuya Inoue, Honda R&D. topics. In addition, the event comprised and Space Vehicles. The members of the panel discussion: panel discussions, short courses and The 3-day conference featured • Mr. Sumantra B. Barooah, Executive tutorials, presentations, exhibitions and 30-plus keynotes from eminent speak- Editor, Auto Car Professional ride and drives of electric vehicles. ers, including Mr. Jun Iwamoto, Chief (Moderator), About 120 technical papers were pre- Engineer, Honda R&D Co. Ltd., Japan; • Dr. Prabhakr Patil, Ex CEO, LG Chem, sented at the conference by participants Mr. Blandow Volker, Global Head, USA from different countries. E-mobility, TUV SUD, Germany; Dr. • Mr. Greg Harris, Head Commercial – The conference covered topics Guenter Fraidl, AVL, Austria; Prof. Ashok Strategic Projects & New technologies, including Power Electronics and Jhunjhunwala, Indian Institute of Horiba MIRA

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 15 SAEINDIA News

• Mr. Anup Sable, CTO, KPIT • Dr. Tapan Sahoo, Sr. Vice President, Electric vehicle ride: chief guest Maruti Suzuki India with ARAI • Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, Executive Director. Director, India Energy Storage Alliance • Mrs. Rashmi Urdhwareshe, Director, ARAI • Dr. B B Ahuja, Director – College of Engineering Pune (COEP) The event was sponsored by promi- nent organisations such as AVL, Horiba, Maruti Suzuki, Bosch, Siemens, Honda Cars India, Tata Motors Ltd., Valeo, Mathworks, Mahindra Electric, Toyota Kirloskar Motors Ltd, ABB, Infineon, KPIT, Ansys and Mercedes-Benz. Companies exhibiting at the event include ABB, Sunlectra Auto, Pako, LDRA, OPAL-RT, Hybridtronics, Altair, National Instruments, ACME, Madhura International, Map my India, Axiom, Honda Cars India, Arrow Electronics rized the three-day event. This was fol- Jindal, Vice President & Head India Pvt. Ltd., Araymond, Ador, Asia lowed by the Inauguration of Engineering (CVBU), Tata Motors. Mrs. Electric, Littelfuse Far East Pte Ltd., “E-Mobility—Center of Excellence (COE) Ujjwala Karle, Chair, Organising Tata Consultancy Services, Sinsil of ARAI” by unveiling of the corner- Committee iTEC INDIA 2017, proposed International, Greenfuel and stone by chief guest Shri. Anant Geete, the vote of thanks, followed by a visit Dynafusion. Honorable Minister for Ministry of Heavy by the chief guest to the expo and vehi- During the valedictory function, Dr. Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt. of cle-display area. Akshay Rathore, Chair, Technical India, followed by the valedictory The next (3rd) edition of iTEC INDIA Committee, iTEC INDIA 2017, summa- address by the chief guest and Dr. A.K. will be organized in 2019 in Bengaluru.

Automotive Engineering show, November in Chennai SAEINDIA, along with ACMA, organised the 11th edition of the than 75 exhibitors. Automotive Engineering Show (AES) at the Chennai Trade Thiru M.C. Sampath, Honorable Minister for Industries— Centre (CTC), Chennai from November 9-11, 2017. The show Industries, Steel Control and Special Initiatives, Government of was spread across two halls of the CTC and included more , inaugurated the event by saying, “It gives me great pleasure to be here Tamil Nadu is known for automobile manufacturing and is the earliest state to start car manufac- turing. The city Chennai has emerged as the largest exporter of automobiles in India and today, it is one of the top 10 global auto hubs. This city has an installed capacity to produce 1.42 lakh cars and about 3.61 lakh commercial vehicles every year.” He also announced a new law, “Business Facilitation Act & Rules 2017,” enacted by the government of Tamil Nadu. This law will provide an investor-friendly environment to enable the potential investors to do business with ease. This edition of AES showcased new and evolving technol- ogy trends which can be adapted to create an efficient work- ing environment on factory shop floors. The three-day exhibition also hosted daily workshops on topics such as: • Surface Engineering in Automotive Industry • Opportunities for Indian Automotive Manufacturing • An exclusive seminar on Post GST Implementation on the final day of the expo SAEINDIA display at AES 2017. The exhibition ended with more than 2500 total visitors.

16 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Industry NEWS

Army, Air Force issue RFP value imported system. The LCH’s AFCS is a digital four-axis system capable of performing control and stability augmentation for HAL’s new Light Combat and auto-pilot functions. The indigenous development of the AFCS system hardware, software and control logic is a fully Helicopter in-house effort of HAL R&D Centers, the company notes. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said that India’s Air Force and Army issued a request for proposal (RFP) for 15 of HAL’s new Light Combat Helicopter, an advanced rotary-wing Netradyne launches advanced aircraft that received its Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) last August in Bengaluru. ADAS solution in India The company said the LCH was designed and developed in Netradyne has launched an advanced driver-assistance sys- India and is derived from its Advanced Light Helicopter proj- tems (ADAS) solution trained for Indian road conditions as ect, but is extensively modified to meet the Indian Air Force part of its Driveri platform. Driveri, a four-camera, vi- requirements for light helicopter attack/combat duty. Features sion-based system mounted on the vehicle windscreen, helps that are unique to LCH include a narrow fuselage in which the fleet managers recognize positive driver performance and en- pilot and co-pilot sit in tandem, tricycle landing gear that hance driver safety for commercial vehicles. Netradyne claims improves crashworthiness, self-sealing fuel tanks, armor pro- it is the first company to launch a vision-based ADAS solution tection and low-visibility features—all of which, HAL says, specifically trained for Indian road conditions. make the “LCH lethal, agile and survivable.” Studies have shown that inattention within three seconds of an event is a major cause of accidents. In fact, this inatten- tion has been shown to lead to over 2000 fatalities in a report (“Distracted Driving in India: A Study on Mobile Phone Usage, The Light Combat Pattern & Behaviour”) from SaveLIFE Foundation shared by Helicopter demonstrates a the Government of India in 2015. countermeasure According to Netradyne, Driveri (ADAS) provides real- feature. time audio alerts in a vehicle when a collision is imminent, (image: HAL) which helps the driver to gauge and take preventive action before any accident happens. In addition, Driveri also moni- The LCH is fitted with two Shakti turboshaft engines that tors and alerts the driver for drowsiness or inattention, con- jointly develop a maximum of 1032 kW and make the ditions that can potentially lead to a collision resulting in loss advanced aircraft the first attack helicopter to land in forward of life and property. bases at Siachen, 5400 m above sea level. The helicopter’s maximum takeoff weight is 5800 kg, its top speed is 268 Netradyne’s Driveri advanced driver-assistance system provides real-time audio alerts km/h and oblique climb rate is 12 m/s. The LCH’s service ceil- to the driver in a vehicle when ing is 6.5 km and its range on internal fuel tanks is 550 km. a collision is imminent, which helps HAL lists several other distinguishing aspects of the LCH: the driver to gauge and take • Glass cockpit preventive action before any • Crashworthy bottom structure accident happens. • Canted flat panels for low radar cross-section (image: Netradyne) • Integrated Dynamic System • Hingeless main rotor and bearingless tail rotor • Anti-Resonance Isolation System “India has a very poor road safety record with over four hun- • Integrated Architecture and Display System dred thousand road accidents recorded last year. ADAS solutions • IR suppressor specifically customized for the Indian road and driving conditions • Countermeasure Dispensing System are the need of the hour and will play a significant role in making • EO pod, helmet-mounted display system and EW suite our roads safer,” said Avneesh Agrawal, Founder and CEO of • 20-mm gun, 70-mm rockets and missiles Netradyne, in a release from the company. “We believe that • Air-to-air missiles Driveri will immensely benefit the commercial vehicle segment in • Air-to-ground missiles. India. With the ADAS solution customized for the market we are Late in 2017, HAL also announced that a technology able to provide valuable insights to commercial fleet operators demonstrator of the LCH underwent its first flight with an on their most prized assets: drivers and fleet,” he added. in-house designed-and-developed Automatic Flight Control Driveri consists of multiple features that are designed to System (AFCS). “The maiden flight was flawless and flew for assist drivers. Several of these features are being adopted 20 minutes with the engagement of the system throughout,” across global markets and India is catching up to global stan- HAL said in a press release. dards of safety, according to the release. Rising global aware- The development of in-house-developed AFCS was a HAL- ness of technological advancements has led to an upsurge in funded project, the company noted, saying it will replace a high- consumer demand for such innovative technologies that can

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 17 Industry NEWS enhance safety standards. In addition to change in ride characteristics, thereby accident prevention, Driveri’s ADAS providing a unique balance of empty solution helps educate and improve ride quality and loaded stability. driver behavior and habits through reg- According to Tata, the use of rubber ular feedback and monitoring. bushes in the front and rear eliminates Equipped with Quad-HD cameras that Tata Motors’ new Construck range the need for periodic lubrication, provide a view of the road similar to the includes the PRIMA LX 3130.K 19 CuaM thereby ensuring total peace of mind driver’s perspective, Driveri uses Nvidia’s scoop tipper, the PRIMA LX 2525.K 16 and no need for periodic visits to work- Jetson TX1 TeraFLOP processor. It is capa- CuM Box tipper with ULTIMAAX shop or using expensive chassis greas- ble of one trillion calculations per second. suspension, and the PRIMA LX 3125.K 23 ing system. The unique design provides Using Netradyne’s proprietary deep learn- CuM box tipper. (image: Tata Motors) long service life and easy replacement ing algorithms for video processing and of rubber springs to reduce downtime. Nvidia’s hardware, Driveri can provide ner of Tata AutoComp Ltd.). Key features of the ULTIMAAX include: real-time safety assistance to drivers and The new range of vehicles show- • Higher payload of 250 kg (551 lb) help avoid accidents. cased included the PRIMA LX 3130.K 19 • Advanced severe-duty rubber “With GPU computing, Netradyne’s CuaM scoop tipper, PRIMA LX 2525.K 16 suspension ADAS solution will enable vehicles to CuM Box tipper with ULTIMAAX suspen- • “Outstanding” durability, according to perform extremely complex sensor sion, PRIMA LX 3125.K 23 CuM box tip- Tata fusion with a four-camera, vision-based per, SIGNA 3718.TK 24 CuM box tipper, • Ride comfort using progressive system, leading to more accuracy and SIGNA 2518.K 7 CuM Transit Mixer with springs with roll stability substantially reducing missed detec- Bogie suspension, and SIGNA 4923.S • Maximized mobility and traction tions and false alarms. With Netradyne, 14X2 CuM sideways tip trailer. • Low lifecycle costs since lubrication is we foresee to transform safety in all “We at Tata Motors are delighted to not required aspects for Indian roads,” said Vishal showcase some of our new construction • Progressive rate springs provide long Dhupar, Managing Director, Nvidia - and mining vehicles for the first time at service life and are easy to replace. South Asia, in a release statement. the EXCON 2017,” said Rajesh Kaul, Head, “For the first time in India, heavy- In addition to ADAS, the Driveri plat- Sales and Marketing, Medium & Heavy duty tipper applications have been form provides the fleet managers with a Commercial Vehicles, Tata Motors Ltd., developed with rubber bushings as comprehensive view of their driver’s commenting on the occasion in a press against metal bushings used in the con- activity through a blend of positive driv- release. “This year, our focus is on mining ventional suspension,” said Dr. ing notifications and best practice iden- and road construction industry as there is A.K.Jindal, Head–Electric Vehicles & tification in real time. This helps the a positive movement in macro-economic Defence Vehicles, Commercial Vehicle fleet managers in rewarding and provid- indicators in these segments. The prod- Engineering, Tata Motors. “This will ing proper guidance and coaching ucts on display will be equipped with reduce road shocks and improve driver opportunities to the drivers. globally renowned Cummins SCR technol- comfort thereby enhancing productivity. ogy, heavy duty ULTIMAAX Suspension Additionally, the ULTIMAAX suspension System, factory-fitted comfortable AC system will offer advantage of higher Tata Motors Signa cabins and lightweight, but stronger payload of approximately 250 kg due to tipper bodies. We are also working on var- low weight of the system over standard introduces heavy- ious aggregates like engines, axles and bogie suspension. Taking into consider- duty Tipper range suspension systems to reduce mainte- ation customer feedback and expecta- nance costs and provide a long-lasting tions, our teams worked extensively to with ULTIMAAX trouble-free operation. We will shortly tailor this suspension for the Indian off- introduce two of our new vehicles in the road terrains.” suspension market, designed to offer maximum vehi- The Tata Construck range consists of Tata Motors introduced six new vehi- cle uptime and enhanced driver comfort tippers, transit mixers, truck mounted cles from its Construck range at at a lowest cost of ownership.” cranes and concrete boom pumps engi- EXCON 2017 construction equipment The ULTIMAAX rear suspension con- neered to address tough conditions and exhibition held December 12-16, 2017 in sists of a heavy-duty beam with central endure heavy-duty cycles of the con- Bengaluru. Among the new product pivot and combination of shear springs struction and mining industry, with launches, Tata Motors introduced what and progressive springs, which are the higher productivity and profitability. The it says is the first of its kind 4th gener- main load-carrying components and are company says Tata Construck Tippers ation ULTIMAAX suspension system for made of special proprietary rubber cater to the widest range of applications the HCV heavy-duty tipper range. The material. Progressive main springs carry like road construction, irrigation, coal, ULTIMAAX suspension was developed a greater portion of the load in the vehi- iron ore, marble, stone mining, and bulk jointly by Tata Motors Ltd., along with cle. Its stiffness increases as the load material handling at port, limestone, con- Hendrickson Inc. (a joint venture part- increases without causing an abrupt crete mixture and municipal applications.

18 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Report

OFF-HIGHWAY ELECTRIFICATION Komatsu building AI into construction sites Construction sites remain one of the more dangerous workplaces due to the presence of heavy machinery, uneven terrain and continuous activity. To help alleviate some of these issues, Komatsu, one of the world’s leading manufactur- ers of construction and mining equip- ment, is bringing artificial intelligence (AI) to the work site. The company is taking the next step in its SmartConstruction initiative to improve worker’s safety along with increasing productivity. To achieve these improvements, Komatsu has partnered with Nvidia to leverage their AI technologies in this One of the key challenges that Komatsu and Nvidia face is monitoring real-time data of workers and heavy machinery on the job site. (image: Komatsu) new environment. Nvidia is well-known for its medical, robotics and automotive partnerships. However, the construction of workplace injury and the nation’s Komatsu machines provide real-time industry brings a new set of challenges severe labor shortage due to its aging data to update the driver on any rapidly for the tech company with its constantly population,” continued Clayton. changing operating condition—one of changing terrain and heavy machine “However, construction and mining the key challenges of implementing this capabilities. AI is central to reducing worldwide all face the same fundamen- technology. these issues. tal challenges in safety, efficiency and In addition to the platform technol- “Modern AI turns out to be a very site management.” ogy, SkyCatch will provide drones to flexible and adaptable technology that According to a spokesperson for gather and map 3D images for visualiz- can be applied to many industries, Komatsu, the company will expand ing the terrain. OPTiM, an IoT manage- even if the use cases are very differ- these technologies to other markets ment-software company, will provide an ent,” said Jesse Clayton, Nvidia Senior based on their experience with this ini- application to identify individuals and Manager of Product for Intelligent tial deployment. machinery collected from the surveil- Machines. “You can argue that occupa- Komatsu will utilize the Nvidia Jetson lance cameras. Both of these companies tional safety for construction and min- platform for AI computing. Jetson are members of Nvidia’s Inception ing is somewhat similar to automotive, works with Nvidia cloud technology to Program for AI startups. but the machines and the environ- power a 360-degree view of a Komatsu “We’ll start integrating Nvidia GPUs ments behave very differently.” construction site. The credit-card sized into our construction sites,” said Yuichi The first implementation of these platform will be able to identify people Iwamoto, senior executive officer, chief technologies will be in Japan. “Japan and machines nearby to prevent colli- technology officer at Komatsu. “By can stand to benefit from this because sions and accidents. Cameras in the leveraging Nvidia’s experience in image processing, virtualization and AI, we can further transform construction areas into jobsites of the future.” Komatsu is championing these new technologies as the next step in its SmartConstruction initiative for improved worksite safety and effi- ciency. The initiative encourages devel- opment of technologies that will improve worker safety along with improving operational efficiencies. Facets of the program include intelli- gent machine products, intelligent Cameras in the Komatsu machines provide real-time data to update the driver on any training services, worksite data solu- rapidly changing operating condition—one of the key challenges of implementing tions and jobsite setup services. this technology. (image: Komatsu) Matthew Borst

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 19 TECHNOLOGY Report

AUTOMOTIVE EMISSIONS PEMS intros on-the-road emissions testing to U.S., Europe more recently in Detroit. “The drivers are trained to drive in a manner that mimics ‘average’ driving. Because we’re collecting sec- ond-by-second data, we can audit to determine if the drivers did in fact drive at average speeds, follow the desig- nated route and perform typical braking and acceleration,” said Molden. Repeatable and verifiable driving routes are important to Emission Analytics’ overall testing methodology. “We’re using PEMS to create a real- world label,” Molden explained. “The EQUA Index is not a certification. It’s not policing of regulations. It’s testing for grades of comparison rather than a pass or fail.” The index is being touted as a guide for consumers, legislators, and automak- ers. And on an over-arching basis, the index recognizes good engineering work. Emissions Analytics has tested more than 500 vehicles in the U.S. via the tailpipe- “Vehicle makers should look at emis- attached PEMS equipment (shown). Most tests involve combustion-engine vehicles, sions and mpg testing as an environ- but an increasing number of electrified and even fuel-cell vehicles are undergoing road mental and fuel-saving benefit that tests to compare their electrical efficiencies. (image: Kami Buchholz) goes beyond doing just the minimum required to achieve regulatory certifica- A newly-launched North American data- Booker, Ph.D, Chief Technical Officer of tion,” Molden suggested. base for the first time provides online Saline, MI-based Sensors, Inc., a global Since its inception in 2011, Emissions users with vehicle-to-vehicle compari- PEMS supplier. Analytics has relied on PEMS for its sons of greenhouse-gas emissions and The U.S. EPA now uses PEMS and on-road vehicle testing. Each vehicle real-world fuel economy. other tools to characterize in-use emis- test covers 100 miles (161 km) of city As the largest industry database of sions and to screen for high off-cycle (55%) and highway (45%) driving in a real-world vehicle emissions and fuel emissions that could indicate an emis- specific temperature range between 5°C consumption, Emission Analytics’ new sions defeat device or other compliance and 25°C. The Sensors, Inc.-supplied EQUA Index (http://usa.equaindex.com) concern, according to agency spokes- PEMS equipment has reduced in pack- is based on a standardized test regime person Nancy Grantham. PEMS and age size and weight, now at 220 lb (100 for vehicles fitted with a Portable real-world test tools are used with lab kg), in recent years. Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) data for certification testing prior to “You can do your best to simulate at the tailpipe. issuing certificates of conformity. real-world driving in a lab, but it isn’t “The lab is great for doing defined, The EPA isn’t creating an in-use con- the same as real-world driving,” said very repeatable tests. But lab-based formity factor for PEMS testing, Grantham Molden. Any driving scenario that puts tests don’t measure the vehicle’s real added. It currently is using PEMS and a load on an engine impacts mpg and road experience and real-world driving other real-world test data to confirm that emissions numbers—and artificially provides vital performance metrics,” real-world emissions results are consis- recreating various road conditions on a Nick Molden, Founder and CEO of U.K.- tent with official lab-test results. chassis dynamometer is a difficult based Emissions Analytics, said during a undertaking, especially for simulating Mobility Engineering interview. Repeatable and verifiable hill climbing. PEMS achieved a milestone in Emissions Analytics has tested more There have been widespread September 2017 as the testing method than 1600 light-duty passenger vehi- instances in Europe of the rolling-resis- became a cornerstone of Europe’s new- cles over the past six years in Europe tance in lab testing being less than what ly-enhanced vehicle-certification pro- and the privately-owned company be- it would be on a road, according to cess. “In order to sell a new light-duty gan its North American testing in 2013. Molden. Less rolling resistance means vehicle, you need to do the test-cell A team of four drivers have tested better mpg and lower emissions. “What measurements, which has always been more than 500 vehicles in the U.S., was being done was technically legal, the case, as well as perform real-world, ranging from subcompact cars to one- but roller settings are the Achilles heel on-road emissions tests,” said David ton pickup trucks, in Los Angeles and of lab testing,” he noted.

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GPS is a key AUTOMOTIVE MOBILITY For Emissions Analytics tests, a vehi- cle is fitted with a PEMS that con- Who wants Afreecar? nects to the tailpipe, a GPS system Game-changing ideas come to engineers and a mini-weather station to capture in countless places and circumstances. the air temperature, pressure, and For Dr. Chris Borroni-Bird, it was in a tiny humidity. “We’re not relying on any of village in Mali. The year was 2009, and Dr. the onboard vehicle systems, not Borroni-Bird, then director of GM’s EN-V even for vehicle speed and accelera- program for the 2010 Shanghai World tion, as we’re using the GPS. The GPS Expo, was on a typical vacation: working also provides the altitude, so we can on clean-power and clean-cooking initia- measure the gradient of the road,” tives in sub-Saharan Africa. said Molden. This EQUA Index label shows the CO2 “I noticed some solar panels donated On-road testing adds a layer of rating for a 2017 sedan. (image: by BP which were being used by the protection from emissions cheating. Emissions Analytics) village’s resident entrepreneur to charge “The VW defeat device is a good lead-acid batteries, the type used in example of what can be done to x-axis and acceleration on a y-axis, a cars,” he recalled. “The guy would then ‘game’ predictable, known lab testing. user can see the specific operation lease the fully-charged batteries out to It’s much harder to defeat on-road combinations that elicit emission peaks villagers who needed electricity.” testing,” he said. or fuel-burn peaks. During his ten days working in the

Fuel economy, as well as CO2, CO, The connection between fuel econ- village, Dr. Borroni-Bird witnessed three

NO, and NO2 numbers, are addressed omy and GHG emissions is undeniable. use cases for the batteries. One provided via a testing process that covers By measuring the carbon gases at the cheap LED lighting, enabling the local many parameters, including the use tailpipe and knowing the chemical com- work day to be extended without using of air conditioning (North America’s position of the fuel in the tank, one can kerosene lamps. Another battery appli- index has a 50% longer A/C load accurately calculate the gallons burned cation was for grinding corn. A third use during testing compared to using the carbon-balance method. was to pump water from deep in the European-tested vehicles). “That’s how in our testing we calculate ground; the village’s fetid-gray well For comparative purposes, the mpg without cutting into the fuel line or water was undrinkable. EQUA Index uses the same base meth- using the CAN bus,” Molden said. Another piece of the idea came odology. Emissions Analytics also does A tailpipe emissions analysis of a while Dr. Borroni-Bird was walking 10 specific studies, however, where the vehicle driven in the real world also can miles to the next village—a typical trip base methodology has an additional dissuade tampering attempts. Vehicles for millions who cannot afford powered consideration, such as cold-weather tested by VW during the infamous vehicles. “Then it hit me—what might testing and steep-gradient testing. “Dieselgate” scandal had 10% higher work here is a simple and cheap bat- Customized reports are possible with mpg than if they’d been in compliance, tery-powered vehicle that could be the PEMS-focused testing. with low CO2 emissions, but at the price charged with solar panels, which are Knowing the instantaneous emis- of very high NOx emissions. increasingly inexpensive. Such a vehicle sions and fuel burn as well as the “So unless you have all the numbers could provide both transport and elec- vehicle speed, road grade and alti- lined up side-by-side from the same tric power to Africa’s poor. Transport, tude enables engineers to model the test, on the same car, on the same day, no matter how humble, enables eco- dynamic characteristics of the vehi- you have a fragmented system that is nomic development,” he said. cle. Those characteristics can be weak for manipulation,” Molden used to create emission maps. For explained. Personal mobility, mobile power instance, by showing speed on an Kami Buchholz The incumbent means of personal mo- bility in sub-Saharan Africa are costly and inefficient. Walking is limited to distances of under 10 miles and a pay- load of about 10 kg. Oxen and other typical beasts of burden have greater A ‘mini-weather capacity but can cost $200—and re- station’ is attached quire food. Small motorcycles offer to an Emissions greater range and payload capability Analytics test car to but can cost $2,000 to purchase and provide air require regular fueling. So what sort of temperature, ‘new’ vehicle would work best? pressure, and humidity readings A small electric 3- or 4-wheeled ‘golf during on-road test cart’ might be too large, heavy and drives. (image: costly, he calculated. And it might lack Kami Buchholz) the 5-to-10 miles (8 to 16 km) range

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 21 TECHNOLOGY Report

Simplicity and low-cost, robust construction are vital to the solar e-trailer/bike combo as a sustainable concept, as this rendering shows. The roof’s angle of incidence is designed to be adjustable so that the solar cells can best optimize the sun’s energy. (image: Chris Borroni-Bird)

Dr. Chris Borroni-Bird retired as Qualcomm’s VP of Strategic Development in 2016 to focus on global sustainable- mobility solutions. At GM he led development of the EN-V, Autonomy and other advanced concepts. In the 1990s he led Chrysler’s gasoline fuel-cell project. He holds over 40 patents, many on the ‘skateboard’ platform concept, and is co- author of Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century, with Dr. Larry Burns and the late Prof. Bill Mitchell, published by MIT Press.

The proof-of-concept solar-trailer rigs could deliver reasonable e-trailer built by prototyping specialists 50-100-mile (80-160 km) daily operation. Pratt & Miller. Marketable vehicles may be He sees similar multi-use opportunities offered in both kit form and as ready-to-use for the mobile power system in the cities fully assembled units. (image: Chris Borroni-Bird) of Africa and those of other continents. With support from the university and needed for a typical rural African duty ports the small solar-cell array. It would automotive prototype specialists Pratt & cycle. But a small, lightweight trailer provide supplemental motive power to Miller, he helped finance a proof-of-con- coupled to a bicycle, would combine the the bike rider when traveling up hills, cept trailer developed and built by Pratt & rider’s pedal power with a battery and and serve as a mobile electric-power Miller, as shown in the photo above. But a electric motor. This ‘e-trailer’ would unit for charging phones, pumping marketable unit needs to be lighter, less have a roof covered with solar panels to water, milling grain, running small refrig- costly and more robust. charge the battery. The battery would erators—and hauling. power a small electric motor which During Africa’s planting season, peo- Locally sourced components would in turn drive the trailer wheels ple can’t easily access fertilizer. Villagers To achieve favorable economics that through a chain and sprockets. often walk up to 15 miles (24 km) per stimulate local manufacture, the solar The 3 kW·h of energy that 100 kg (220 day to buy a 50-kg (110-lb) bag of fertil- e-trailer solution must be very low cost lb) of lead-acid batteries can store on a izer and carry it back home. and robust to generate profit. When solar-powered electric trailer can deliver a “Entrepreneurs with the bike-trailer integrated with a cellphone, which are minimum 30 km (almost 19 mi) daily system which I’ve dubbed ‘Afreecar’—a ubiquitous in Africa, the Afreecar con- range to allow inter-village travel, Dr. play on the word Africa—could ride to cept becomes “a low-cost, locally made Borroni-Bird calculates. He realizes that the distribution center, pick up three ‘hub’ that can transform lives and create heavy lead-acid batteries will be most bags of fertilizer,” he envisioned. “They’d a vibrant manufacturing and service widely available and affordable until sec- haul it back to their villages and get paid economy,” he said. ondary use of lithium battery pack mod- by the farmers. More food could thus be The vehicle or hub might be owned ules from EVs become a viable approach. grown and it could be transported to and operated by the same company that The solar e-trailer could be built from market much, much easier.” makes or distributes it, or by an entre- a kit that utilizes some ‘repurposed’ Researchers at the University of preneur who buys or leases the vehicle items—bicycle or scooter wheels, for Michigan who did early work with Dr. from the company. In either case, the example—and locally-harvested materi- Borroni-Bird have modeled a typical operator generates revenue by providing als for the frame, axle and roof that sup- rural-Africa duty cycle in which bike-and- mobility, electric power and wireless

22 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Report communications—and perhaps by mone- COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROPULSION tizing data generated by the service. “The cell phone is an important tool in IAV brings variable valvetrains to the solar e-trailer concept,” Dr. Borroni- Bird explained. “Besides providing direct heavy duty operator communications, the phone’s GPS map would provide route informa- tion, battery monitoring, and even inform the rider of the optimum angle to set the solar-panel roof in relation to the sun at any given time of day. It could offer pre- dictive maintenance and data analytics.” Readers who admire Dr. Borroni- Bird’s idea will ask, “What’s to keep this idea from being co-opted by others?” He concedes that “there is no competi- tive advantage in the hardware—it has SlideCam works through a to become a commodity if the vision is magnetic pin actuator that operates on a shifting to be realized.” gate. It engages fast More detailed analysis and planning enough to switch between is required for creating a sustainable profiles in the time business model. “Local communities that the closes and around the world could take the stan- opens. Only one actuator dardized electrical kit, produced in scale is necessary per camshaft for all cylinders of an perhaps in Taiwan or China, and provided engine, whether it is by company or foundation for integration three, four, or six into whatever version of the vehicle is cylinders, according to developed locally. Let those communities the company. (image IAV) figure that out, using a reference design and specifications,” he said. Dr. Borroni-Bird also believes “it would Variable valve actuation, especially tim- lobes, according to Robert Dolan, be a good idea to provide complete vehi- ing, has been readily available for light Director, Commercial Vehicle and cles, but the foundation is the electric sys- passenger engines for years. Problems Government Programs, which can vary tem. Some [local operators] may make in introducing the technology to timing or lift or both. “It is a switchable the solar trailer for bikes; others may cut heavy-duty diesel engines include the system, with two settings on the hot up a motorbike and make a 3-wheeler or vastly different thermodynamics at play side and two settings on the cold side,” golf cart,” he surmised. and the durability required. With al- he explained. “That allows, for example, Versions of the solar e-trailer for devel- ready high compression ratios, clear- a Miller cycle and a retarder function.” oped markets might also include a low ance between the piston and valve in One device produces two benefits. speed autonomy kit, such as for MIT diesels can be an issue. Since a diesel is Using it to produce a Miller cycle opera- Media Lab’s Persuasive Electric Vehicle typically unthrottled, it is more difficult tion makes combustion more efficient, (https://www.media.mit.edu/galleries/ to improve efficiency compared to a meaning better fuel economy. The other persuasive-electric-vehicle/). gasoline engine. Constant switching in is improving aftertreatment. What are the next steps? Dr. Borroni- engines that run continuously means SlideCam’s ability to open the Bird now has a half-time appointment building reliable gadgets that can run exhaust valve earlier when needed at MIT Media Lab in the City Science for thousands of hours. means it can hold the temperature of Group, directed by Kent Larson. However, with the continued push the aftertreatment devices at a higher At MIT, Chris is keen to study com- for both fuel efficiency and criterion temperature without lowering combus- munity needs and to develop a rugged emissions control, IAV thinks it is time tion process efficiency. Standard tech- “solar e-trailer” prototype that pulls all for heavy-duty applications to consider niques with fixed include these ideas together. He hopes to it. An engine with a fixed valve lift and post-injection of fuel during low load secure support to build the electric kit timing must balance high-speed engine operation, which can entrain fuel and consisting of the battery, motor, con- performance and low-speed fuel econ- lead to more frequent oil changes, as troller and solar panel. omy. Low speed and cold start exhaust well as impacting fuel efficiency. Those interested in collaborating can temperatures also affect aftertreatment Dolan reports that IAV is currently contact Dr. Borroni-Bird at MIT Media devices, especially important as regula- working with an on-highway OEM to Lab. There also was an exhibit at tory pressures continue. transfer the technology through a pat- January’s 2018 North American The IAV SlideCam system, available ent arrangement. “It could also see International Auto Show. under licensing agreement from the off-highway utility as well,” he said. Lindsay Brooke company, toggles between two cam Bruce Morey

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 23 TECHNOLOGY Report

COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROPULSION Making the case for battery-electric fleet power

The Proterra Catalyst E2 max set a world record of 1,101.2 miles on a single charge with 660 kW·h of energy storage. That September 2017 feat occurred at the Navistar Proving Grounds in New Carlisle, IN. In an urban setting with passengers and the HVAC system operating, the E2 achieves approximately 200 miles per charge. (image: Proterra)

Battery-electric power is drawing more Electrifying transit buses Burlingame, CA-based Proterra. and more applications to commercial While electric public transportation bus- As the newest bus in the product and heavy-duty fleets as the zero-emis- es still reflect relatively small numbers, lineup, the Catalyst E2 claims the lon- sion technology edges closer to a tip- substantial growth is projected around gest driving range of any electric tran- ping point. the world. sit bus, the company claims. The “We’re not at critical mass in any In India, for example, the goal is to vehicle’s LG Chem developed Li-ion market yet with battery-electric,” said have 300,000 electric transit buses by cells are housed in a liquid-cooled bat- Rick Herndon, Chief Executive Officer of 2030. “India’s electric mass transit wants tery pack with an energy density of Voltabox of Texas Inc., a manufacturer are driven by a government initiative 160 W·h/kg and 260 W·h/L, regarded of Li-ion battery systems. aimed at reducing fossil fuel consump- as the highest in the heavy-duty indus- One market undergoing dramatic tion,” said Adrian Schaffer, Senior Vice try. E2’s energy storage system change is commuter buses. “All the big President of Sales and Business accounts for approximately 20% of the players recognize they have to have Development for Longmont, CO-based vehicle’s curb weight: 29,850 to 33,060 electric, especially for municipal appli- UQM Technologies. “There are opportuni- lb (13,540 to 15,000 kg). cations,” he said. Herndon and other ties in India and other regions; I think the “Because of where our battery packs technology experts spoke with Mobility key is to start thinking about how we cre- are packaged, there’s a low center of Engineering during The Battery Show ate partnerships to grow the battery-elec- gravity. That means improved perfor- and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle tric market.” mance. The bus has better handling for Technology conferences in Novi, MI. More than 800 electric transit buses the driver because the battery pack are in-service or on-order throughout weight is in the center, under floor the U.S. as of September 2017, accord- between the axles, rather than in the ing to Fred Silver, Vice President of rear of the bus,” Horvat said. CALSTART, a non-profit organization headquartered in Pasadena, CA. “We’re pretty much covering the waterfront when it comes to the different kinds of bus platforms available in the U.S.,” said Silver, noting that the electric products range from microbus to dou- ble-decker transit buses. Proterra’s Catalyst portfolio—the FC, XR and E2 Series—of 40-ft (12-m) elec- tric buses reflects different curb weights Navitas Systems’ Starlifter 48-V Li-ion and driving ranges. “The innovative part battery that’s used for sit-down forklift is that all of our Catalyst buses use the applications and the counterweight (in same physical space for the battery green). The counterweight is necessary so the Li-ion battery’s weight is akin to packs, so there’s not a unique under- that of the heavier lead-acid battery it body for each bus,” said Dr. Gary A Starlifter battery pack in-use on a Toyota replaces. (image: Navitas Systems) Horvat, Chief Technology Officer for forklift. (image: Navitas Systems)

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An underbody view of the Proterra E2 shows the battery packs. (image: Proterra)

XALT Energy’s modular battery packs in a 7-series string, 80 kW·h total energy, can be used for electric transit bus applications. (image: XALT Energy) Depending on the type of cell, the energy storage in the 90-V battery sub- XALT Energy’s pack ranges from 7104 to 11,482 kW·h. ability for lead-acid chemistry to react modular sub-pack is “If an operator wants to change from and provide energy slows down. So as configurable from 7.1 to 11.4 a short-run bus with frequent stops to a the temperature falls, like in a food distri- kW·h. (image: XALT Energy) long-range bus, it’s just a swap out of bution warehouse, there’s more runtime the battery core. We update the volt- available with a Li-ion battery-powered Battery pack modularity age, the curves, and the calibrations and forklift,” Ovan said. Battery pack modularity is viewed as an the pack is ready to go with the same In a “sit-down” Class 1 forklift applica- essential element to accommodate the cables, same connectors, same mount- tion, a lead-acid battery can weigh up to inevitable changes in technology, ac- ing locations, same battery manage- 4000 lb (1814 kg), about double that of cording to Martin Klein, Vice President ment system,” said Klein, noting that Li-ion batteries. Lead-acid batteries also of Engineering for Midland, MI-based the pack is designed to last for 12 years. require about eight hours of charging time, XALT Energy. XALT’s available remote monitoring much longer than the fast-charging time “Heavy-duty fleet managers want to system can detect problems during for Li-ion. It also takes about eight hours know year-over-year that the same base in-vehicle operation. “In one example, for lead-acid batteries to cool down before product can be updated,” said Klein. “The we noticed that a customer’s cell string a return to service. In short, the drawbacks ability for an operator to upgrade as soon was down. We called them before they associated with lead-acid have opened the as new technology, including cell and knew of the problem,” Klein said, citing door for Li-ion batteries. controls, comes online is very important.” a loose vehicle connector as the culprit. “Eventually you’ll see the forklift man- XALT Energy’s battery sub-pack pro- “Real-time monitoring can pinpoint ufacturers take advantage of the fact vides an easy-to-install solution for its issues quickly and that’s important, that a Li-ion battery is smaller and customer base, which includes heavy- especially for new entrants into the lighter weight,” said Ovan, noting that a duty trucks, construction vehicles, and electric vehicle market.” change in battery chemistry can elicit transit buses. “Our sub-pack has a cast new forklift designs that reduce the pos- aluminum enclosure, and that’s import- Forklifts ripe for Li-ion sibility of tipping, rolling, and other vehi- ant as the large format batteries are For electric forklift applications, lead-acid cle instabilities. “You can lower the undergoing heavy usage with some batteries remain the popular choice, ac- center of gravity if you’ve relaxed the buses on 18-hour drive cycle schedules cording to Mil Ovan, President and Chief lead-acid battery box constraint because on a daily basis,” Klein said. Marketing Officer of Woodridge, IL- you can put the energy storage where The cast-aluminum enclosure headquartered Navitas Systems. “The you want,” he said. enables bolt-on features, reducing the forklift market is the largest non-automo- Proponents of battery-electric appli- overall parts count. Inside-the-pack tive market by dollar volume for lead-ac- cations say the technology is absolutely considerations include cell tabs welded id batteries, representing about $2 billion ready. “So now the discussion needs to to the bus bars, and direct liquid cooling a year in North America,” said Ovan. be about commercial viability to deter- of the cell face. “We don’t use passive It’s a meaty market of opportunity mine where the value proposition is cooling plates because that would add that Ovan and others say is ripe for within the market segments around the mass to the pack and such plates are Li-ion battery technology. globe,” said Herndon. much less efficient,” said Klein. “As the temperature plummets, the Kami Buchholz

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AEROSPACE MANUFACTURING Improving the surface finish of additive manufactured parts the shape of the design. The build then proceeds with a new layer of metal powder which is then melted, such that the component is built up in a layer by layer fashion. This layer manufacturing approach means that more complex parts can be produced compared with traditional processes. One of the benefits of AM for manufacturers is that increased com- plexity generally doesn’t have a detri- mental impact on the cost of the process. Parts treated with the new Figure 1: Left top: AM part resolution at 500 microns. technology are more cost-effective than Left bottom: Treated part resolution at 500 microns. machined parts as they can increase in Middle: AM part without treatment. Right: AM part geometric complexity without increas- treated with new immersion process. ing the cost of build (Figure 2). AM allows component designers to have greater design freedom, knowing Cost against complexity that the end result will be more repre- sentative of the final design than is pos- sible with traditional processes. The use of AM is on the rise in every sector, including medical and automo- tive, because of the versatility of creat-

ost ing bespoke designs, one-off C prototypes, or complex components that cannot be machined. But without the correct finish, these components may fail at the early assessment stage in an industry that tests and re-tests to the breaking point. Complexity The aerospace and defense industry has adopted AM, though it needed time to collate data and carry out strin- machined almbrite gent tests before it was confident the Figure 2: Improved performance. components could withstand the oper- ating conditions they would be sub- South West Metal Finishing has been poor finish of AM components. They are jected to. Everything had to be tried working on an additive manufacturing often rough or porous, with semi- and tested and then tested again. Now surface treatment process for the last melted powder particles. That can obvi- the processes are considered safe three years and believes it could be the ously affect the performance of the enough, they must make sure the finish future choice of aircraft manufacturers component, which is detrimental when of these components fulfills the neces- around the world, such as the likes of you’re making an aircraft. sary requirements. Safran, UTC Aerospace and Airbus. AM uses various techniques to con- The highly skilled team developing Almbrite™ is a chemical immersion struct a three-dimensional object this technology knows the testing, time process designed to modify and including direct energy deposition and and effort it takes to achieve approval enhance the surface of additive manu- powder bed fusion processes. AM is a certificates in aerospace and are fully factured (AM) parts by removing for- process in which a component is built accredited with NADCAP, ISO 9100, eign object debris whilst smoothing and up in discreet layers by using a high-en- ISO9001 and ISO14001, holding approv- brightening the surface of a part, as ergy heat source to fuse powders. The als for all the major UK tier one suppli- illustrated in Figure 1. processes are driven by data from com- ers. AM surface treatment is being Aerospace and defense manufactur- puter aided designs (CAD) which are taken to the next level and many of the ers have been searching for a surface then sliced into individual layers. In issues currently facing those using treatment solution since additive manu- some cases, fine metal powders are additive manufacturing in the aero- facturing started to be used. One of the deposited on top of a build platform space industry are being addressed. challenges regularly encountered is the and the energy beam is used to melt This innovative surface treatment pro-

26 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Report

Figure 4: Support structure removal.

Max Stress against Cycles to failure [Ti6AI4V] Machined 1.6Ra [almbrite] 3.2Ra [almbrite] Support [almbrite] As built ess r Max St

Figure 3: No geometric constraints. Sheffield University’s Formula 1 team optimised rocker arms for their vehicle’s Cycles suspension system, treated with the new technology for Figure 5: Max stress tested against cycles to failure comparing optimum performance. machined parts and treated parts’ performance. cess greatly improves the finish of com- quality of AM aerospace components polyether ether keytone (PEEK), a ponents made using additive ten-fold. thermoplastic polymer used widely in manufacturing, by chemically removing Almbrite can enhance surface quality engineering, as well as aluminium material from each surface to achieve regardless of the complexity of a com- alloys are in development. The surface the final condition required. ponent’s geometry (Figure 3). This treatment process is also being looked Research and development began on complements AM designed compo- at for application on nickel-based the AM treatment project in 2014. It has nents, which use either traditional or alloys in the future. taken a long time to fully develop, but topology optimized approaches, where Titanium and aluminium alloys are there was significant demand for this conventional treatments are unable or the primary metallics used for manu- type of post processing. Large aero- too costly to be used. facturing in the aerospace and defense space manufacturers using additive An AM part’s topology describes the industry currently. Aircrafts are also manufacturing presented the need for a way in which its geometrical properties made up of a huge range of polymers; more refined and enhanced surface fin- and measurements are interrelated and high performance polymer PEEK is ish on their AM parts. Both commercial arranged. As AM is increasingly adopted highly valued in aerospace manufactur- and technical challenges were overcome by big players in the aerospace and ing. Nickel-based alloys are primarily before launching Almbrite as a produc- defense industry, the complimentary used in the engines and mechanical tion capable finishing solution. This is a and innovative treatment similarly has systems of aircraft, and this is where fantastic opportunity for the aerospace the potential to generate substantial the technology is branching out to in industry to really push the quality and interest among top manufacturers. the future. finish of AM parts being used to build Almbrite is a chemical immersion pro- The material on which Almbrite is aircraft in the market today and going cess; the immersion bath used during the being used does impact the treatment’s forward. treatment is changed, or refreshed, chemical compositions, however, the So, how exactly does it work? The depending on throughput. If many AM process requires a chemical reaction to surface treatment process essentially parts need their surfaces treated in a cer- occur when treating either Titanium or refines the surface of the component by tain period to a high level of material PEEK thermoplastic polymers, which chemically removing material from each removal, the bath will need to be replen- removes the unwanted material from surface to achieve a surface roughness ished regularly. The level of material the component surface. of below 3.2 microns, whilst enhancing removal during the ALM surface treat- In metal additive manufacturing, edge and feature definition. ment process is controlled using a com- support structures are used to help For reference, metal AM parts tend bination of process parameters. The transfer heat away from the part as new to have an average roughness between immersion times required during the fused powder layers are added whilst 10 to 30 microns depending upon the treatment process are the same regard- helping to hold the part’s shape as it AM process used. This means that the less of component size; however they do forms. Until now, metal AM has lacked technology can reduce the roughness of vary depending upon materials. an efficient way to remove supports an AM part by up to 88%. It could also This technology is currently being after the build is complete. In fact, sup- be argued that the innovative surface used to finish components made of ports have often been removed with treatment could almost increase the titanium alloys whilst applications on hand tools—e.g., hammer and chisel—

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 27 TECHNOLOGY Report which is a bit primitive considering the AUTOMOTIVE THERMAL MANAGEMENT advanced technology involved in the aerospace industry. Thermal management plucks CAFE’s However, the new surface treatment process dissolves supports used in the AM low-hanging fruit process, removing the need to machine away or manually remove support struc- tures, as illustrated in Figure 4. This is hugely beneficial as manually removing supports constrains the geometric free- dom of the part, restricting the design possibilities of aerospace components. Further advantages include improv- ing surface related material properties such as fatigue strength (Figure 5) and fracture toughness, whilst offering a controlled, cost efficient and repeatable treatment. The process can be used for any type of part, but a significant advantage is that it is also suitable for internal surfaces where a high-quality finish can be achieved. The surface treatment technology is currently being used on hydraulic aerospace compo- nents such as pumps, gears, pipes and filters whilst development of application Thermal upgrades’ estimated effect on fuel economy and cost per 1% improvement. on more complex mechanical parts is (image: ITB Group) underway. Additionally, the shiny, bright, aesthetically pleasing finish that is pro- Thermal management systems may offer from passenger cars to light trucks and duced means that it is being used on the most “bang for the buck” in the SUVs has tightened the margins, and interiors such as gear sticks and dash- quest to improve vehicle efficiency and forced high use of retained and/or pur- boards. There is a broad scope of thus meet stringent U.S. Corporate chased CAFE credits. Fines paid by diverse applications in the future of AM Average Fuel Economy standards. OEMs during the 2010-14 period include surface treatment. Although some of the “low-hanging $46.2 million by Jaguar ; The application possibilities of this fruit” in this area has been picked, oppor- $28.2 million by Daimler; $17.4 million, innovative surface treatment technology tunities still exist to further improve ther- Volvo; $4.8 million, , and $3.6 are endless. With high-level skill and pre- mal management before engineers must million Fiat Chrysler (FCA). cision engineering experience, AM is now shift to more costly investments. FCA, with its 2015 sales concentrated being used to produce a vast range of This was the widely-expressed belief in Jeep and Ram trucks, also used 33.4 components. These are usually small by speakers at the 2017 SAE Thermal million credits and was projected to use scale, mechanical parts due to the stage Management Systems Symposium, led 62.0 million for 2016. The amounts it at which AM is at in its technological by a keynote from Sean Osborne, direc- spent to accumulate the needed credits development. Aerospace manufacturers tor of the ITB Group, a consulting firm is confidential. are looking at building larger structural specializing in the subject. Cost of installing new technology aircraft parts with AM such as stringers or The need for improvement becomes has to be balanced against buying wing sections as the capabilities expand. urgent in 2018. That’s because when the credits. FCA was the first U.S. maker to It’s key that AM can replace manufactur- 2019 model year begins, the NHTSA raises go across the board with R-1234yf, a ing processes for components that are the penalty for missing the CAFE target, low-global-warming refrigerant that already in use, to speed up production from the present $5.50 per 0.1 mpg short- when used carries significant credits time and optimize performance without fall. Initially the new penalty was set at $14 (13.8 g CO2 for cars, 17.2 g for trucks). having to redesign the parts. Whilst AM per 0.1 mpg, but the industry was granted To stimulate sales, the Chrysler took its time to be adopted by the aero- a review, based on claims of negative eco- Pacifica plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is space industry due to the strenuous test- nomic impact and objection to the way an cheaper in transaction prices than the ing involved, Almbrite is already being inflationary adjustment to CAFE was gasoline-only model for the most popu- rapidly accepted by aerospace and applied. Environmental groups are fight- lar configurations. FCA has yet to install defense manufacturers. ing the review delay. direct fuel injection on its high-volume This article was written by James Bradbury, 3.6-L V6, but it has a system fully engi- Lead Researcher, South West Metal Finishing Market shift to trucks, SUVs an issue neered and ready to deploy when its (Exeter, UK). For more information, visit To date, automakers have met the CAFE use is more cost-effective. http://info.hotims.com/65858-503 standards, but the shifting of the market

28 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Report

Flow , heat recovery For conventional powertrains the low- est-hanging “fruit” to date, according to ITB’s Osborne, consists of such fea- tures as high compression ratio, liq- uid-cooled EGR, idle stop-start, low-friction lubricants and active grill shutters. Of the energy produced by the engine, 26% is diverted to the cool- ing system and 32% to the exhaust, according to Jaguar Land Rover esti- mates based on the NEDC—New European Drive Cycle. Other opportu- nities in the thermal management area are focuses of attention. BMW has been using a duty-cy- cle-controlled electric water pump for more energy-efficient cooling on its gasoline engines for several years. But coolant flow valves may be a less-ex- pensive alternative for engines with complex coolant flow patterns based on temperatures in the cylinder block vs. head(s) and ambient temperatures. Further, recent research by Bosch, in its TMSS presentation, indicated a flow Thermo-acoustic system uses helium as the working fluid. A tuned acoustic ductwork valve system also could contribute to carries amplified thermally-generated heat waves to the generator module to produce range extension in battery electric vehi- work. (image: Tenneco/CSEG) cles (BEVs). Using the GT Suite from Gamma Technologies, a Bosch team projected that recovering heat from electronics, along with a heat pump, could increase BEV range by perhaps 25 km (16 mi) by avoiding re-use of a bat- tery heater to enhance battery capacity. This approach also was seen as less expensive than adding battery kW·h capacity in cold ambient. Although exhaust heat recovery seems likely to be among the higher-cost systems available, two already are in use on U.S. market Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq/Kia Niro hybrids. They’re basic sys- tems, with a heat exchanger in the exhaust transferring heat to engine cool- ant for faster warmup. In the Niro/Ioniq split system, early heating of the block reduces engine friction, increasing use of the all-elec- tric mode. So fuel economy in the EPA city cycle was increased up to 7%, claims Kia for the Niro. This is much BMW’s electric water pump provides energy-efficient cooling on four-cylinder gasoline engines. (image: Paul Weissler) more than 1% estimated for such a sys- tem by a Tenneco/Computational Science Experts Group (CSEG) of warmup and an average of 19% heat as hybrid assist devices. research team led by Tenneco’s Dr. capture over the entire cycle. One is the “TEG” (thermo-electric Dipanka Sahoo. It indicates selection of Other systems the Tenneco team also generator), which uses exhaust heat to the right application is key. evaluated converting exhaust heat into provide the high temperature of a tem- The Tenneco/CSEG estimate is based mechanical work or electricity, which perature differential that produces elec- on 85% effectiveness in the first 250 s can reduce load and/or serve tricity from a solid-state device that is

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 29 TECHNOLOGY Report the reverse of the Peltier effect used for OFF-HIGHWAY THERMAL MANAGEMENT cooled-heated seats. The thermo-elec- tric materials are rare-earth type, not Assessing a vehicle’s cooling system inexpensive (particularly those with performance higher efficiency). However, work in nanotechnology could improve effi- ciency and minimize need for rare-earth substances, both in TEG and Peltier applications, the Tenneco team believes. Fuel economy improvement was pro- jected at 0.7%.

Thermo-acoustic potential evaluated The thermo-acoustic traveling wave sys- tem also was evaluated. It uses a pair JLG relies on CFD of heat exchangers (one hot from ab- analyses when sorbing exhaust heat, one cold). A po- developing new rous medium called the regenerator, in engine bay between, establishes a temperature gra- installations, including that for dient between the two, using helium as the JLG 1500AJP a working fluid. This results in an oscil- Ultra Boom, lating gas flow, generating sound shown. (image: (acoustic) waves that are amplified and JLG Industries) flow through a tuned duct into a me- chanical device (a generator/power Off-highway OEMs historically have uti- for more than five years, when developing transducer) to produce useful mechani- lized simple 1-Dimensional analyses (ei- new engine bay installations. The intro- cal work or convert to electricity. ther themselves or through their cooling duction of so many new engine variants, The device can be compact and system suppliers) to predict the cooling including hybrid drives and global emis- requires no rare earth or other exotic performance of each vehicle’s engine sions legislation variants, has driven the materials. In itself it has no moving system. These analyses produce a low need to get it right the first time while parts. And although its fuel economy accuracy rate, which often results in late managing even more variables. improvement was calculated at just design changes leading to delays in the The example described here is an 0.45% on an EPA city cycle, the TA overall project. extract from the analysis performed on device develops high power on the To improve this situation, manufac- a JLG 1500AJP Ultra Boom, launched highway cycle, and including that the turers have a tool at their disposal in in 2016. improvement was 2.7%. computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Organic Rankine cycle was cited as Using inputs of temperatures, flows, CFD reveals design inefficiencies another choice, but because it results restrictions, heat transfer ability of cool- There are often multiple coolers that in larger-size systems the Tenneco ers, and 3-Dimensional models of vehi- make up a system. Each of these cool- group said it had more likely applica- cle architecture, a 3D prediction of the ers must work together to provide the tion in trucks. It’s somewhat akin to an cooling performance can be achieved. required level of performance for each A/C system, using an evaporator to The 3D prediction results in an overall part of the system. By making sure that capture heat and build pressure on a systems design with a higher success each cooler is balanced with the proper working fluid (a refrigerant). Then it rate during validation. airflow, preheat temperatures and more, releases the pressure through an JLG has been routinely using CFD soft- the desired performance of the system expansion device that performs ware tools from industry-leading suppliers will be achieved. mechanical work. Residual heat is rejected through a condenser. Available data led the Tenneco researchers to develop fuel economy numbers modeling a Class 8 truck, in which three steady-state operating con- Previous predictions ditions were investigated. Heat recover- from 1D analyses ies were 56%, 59% and 64%, provided a less-than- accumulations of 67.7 kW, 84.9 kW and desirable first-test success rate, closer to 121.9 kW of energy, with conversion effi- 70% on average. CFD ciencies of 11-13%, and fuel economy has jumped that average improvements of 3.6-4.1%. rate up to 90%. (image: Paul Weissler JLG Industries)

30 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY Report

By utilizing CFD in the early stages of the design process, engineers can iterate in a soft environment to achieve the desired performance. By doing so, the team can avoid changes in the vali- dation portion of the design cycle which are common when using 1D analyses. Once an initial design of the cooling system has been created, it is time to use the CFD tool to analyze the efficiency of each individual cooler. In this specific case, the internal temperatures and cooler flows (constants, liquids and air) versus the heat exchanger efficiencies (con- stants) are mapped as a heat rejection from the system to the vehicle’s environ- Engineers determined via CFD that the ment based on the external cooler flows engine liquid cooler needed to be made (air), which the CFD tool is simulating. For the initial cooling system design, two smaller while the engine charge air CFD revealed the following about the of the systems were performing cooler needed to be larger. Also, the initial design of the cooling system: optimally but the engine charge air location of the hydraulic oil cooler was • Engine liquid coolant was being cooler was below the requirement. changed to balance the airflow correctly. cooled to 110% of the requirement (image: JLG Industries) (image: JLG Industries) • Engine charge air was being cooled to only 75% of the requirement cooled to 101% of the requirement provided a less-than-desirable first-test • Vehicle hydraulics were being cooled • Engine charge air was being cooled to success rate, closer to 70% on average. to 109% of the requirement. 109% of the requirement Typically the errors occurred in overall While two of the systems were per- • Vehicle hydraulics were being cooled airflow, air inlet and outlet orifices and forming optimally, the engine charge air to 110% of the requirement. the split between hydraulic, engine cooler was below the requirement. Each of the cooling systems were coolant and transmission oil in the cool- Based on the design, it was determined shown to be sufficient and able to per- er stack. CFD has jumped that average that the engine liquid cooler needed to form to the requirements of the vehi- success rate up to 90%. Despite this be made smaller while the engine cle’s overall system. With this drastic increase in success, vehicle vali- charge air cooler needed to be larger. information from the simulation, the dation needs to be completed to con- Even though the hydraulic oil cooler project continued. Later, an actual vehi- firm the results of the CFD simulation was performing above the requirement, cle validation confirmed the positive and analysis and all aspects of a vehi- the size did not need to be changed. results from this simulation. cle’s cooling system. However, its location in front of the At JLG, the use of CFD to ensure other two coolers was changed to bal- Future challenges and optimized cooling performance will ance the airflow correctly. opportunities continue to evolve, with Stage Once each of the changes was final- CFD is not a replacement for the physi- legislation introducing new components ized, a second run-through using the cal testing of applications. In the access with distinct thermal requirements, such CFD tool was completed. It resulted in industry, it is certainly an improvement as diesel particulate filters (DPFs). Also the following: to the original 1D analyses that were evolving are the varieties of power sys- • Engine liquid coolant was being being provided. Previous predictions tems, such as hybrid drives and their associated components, such as clutches, electronic controllers and charging systems. In conjunction with the continued development in power systems are related analyses such as noise and vibra- tion, where the analysis of energy, air- flows and pressures can be simulated and analyzed. In the future, new manu- facturing processes, such as additive manufacturing and 3D printing, provide new opportunities to optimize compo- nents’ forms for fluid flow characteristics. Brian Barkley, Senior Chief Engineer, JLG Cooling system performance on the JLG 1500AJP Ultra Boom was significantly Industries, Inc., wrote this article for improved through the use of CFD software tools. (image: JLG Industries) SAE’s Truck & Off-Highway Engineering.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 31 TECHNOLOGY Report

AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS Reconfigurable chip usage ramps up as ADAS advances

Audi uses a number of sensors in its zFAS piloted driving system on the new A8, so FPGAs are used to make it easier to configure connections. (image: )

Reconfigurable processors have seen processor and a basic CPU. cessors will help foster communications growing use in rapidly-changing infotain- “Audi is our first adoption in an between humans. ment systems and are expanding into ad- ADAS system with a heterogenous “In a big SUV, smart microphones in vanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). approach,” said Michael Hendricks, the headliner can figure out who’s The role of field-programmable gate ar- Senior Director of Intel’s Automotive talking and send their voice through the rays (FPGAs) and other customizable pro- Programable Solutions Group. “ADAS speakers,” Roddy said. “These chips let cessors is expected to develop further and autonomy are moving so rapidly, them layer in this level of functionality.” with the emergence of autonomy, where there’s a major breakthrough every Safety and infotainment are primary the vagaries of artificial intelligence three months. It’s difficult for an ASIC drivers behind expectations of contin- makes customization more important. developer to hit the bulls eye. FPGAs ued solid growth for automotive ICs. As vehicle OEMs make software bring a lot of assets and give develop- IHS Markit expects the automotive more of a differentiator, devices that ers more flexibility to adapt.” semiconductor market from $32.1 billion make it simple to alter hardware to Expectations of strong growth is in 2016 to $34.4 billion in 2017, slightly match changes in algorithms and soft- attracting other FPGA suppliers like outpacing 7% growth from 2015 to 2016. ware are becoming more practical. In a Xilinx. Reconfigurable devices make it Long-term expectations are fueling growing number of systems, changes simpler for design teams to alter hard- major changes in the automotive chip in software can improve performance ware late in development cycles while world. Intel acquired Altera, which makes significantly. Sometimes, performance also letting them configure control mod- FPGAs. It also acquired Mobileye, maker of can be further improved by altering the ules that can be used in various models. vision processors. Qualcomm is in the pro- programming structure. For example, some ADAS systems may cess of acquiring NXP Semiconductors, “Algorithms change rapidly, have more sensors than others. which last year purchased Freescale researchers can find 2% better perfor- “With an FPGA, you can tailor the Semiconductors. Citigroup predicts that mance, but they can’t do that if they I/O, setting the right number of LVDS Nvidia, once a small player in vehicles, will can’t change the hardware,” said Steve and CAN connections, for example,” hit $1 billion in automotive in fiscal 2018 Roddy, Senior Group Director, Tensilica Hendricks noted. “FPGAs offer a sea of after seeing revenue rise 52% in fiscal 2017. Marketing at Cadence. “They need a logic gates so both hardware and soft- Though newer companies like Nvidia programmable solution that has the ware can be programmed so algorithms and Cadence are focusing on automotive computing horsepower they need.” and hardware are optimized.” applications, traditional suppliers have The 2018 ’s zFAS piloted driv- Customizable hardware was once maintained the bulk of the market. NXP, ing highlights the growing role of recon- used primarily for development, with Infineon, Renesas, STMicroelectronics figurable hardware, as well as the ASICs or specialized processors used in and Texas Instruments were the largest demanding computing requirements of production. But that limitation faded as automotive suppliers in 2016, according electronic controls that make life or death radios transformed into infotainment to Semicast Research. Robert Bosch, On driving decisions. An Intel Cyclone V systems. These devices are seeing more Semiconductor, Microchip Technology, FPGA that has dual ARM cores augments widespread usage in infotainment as Toshiba and Rohm Semiconductor Audi’s control module, which also users demand more features and func- rounded out the top 10. employs an Nvidia GPU, a Mobileye vision tions. In large vehicles, customized pro- Terry Costlow

32 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Advancing toward driverless cars AUTONOMY FEATURE Autonomous-driving Fig.1: Early technology is set to driverless car revolutionize the auto (Google Car) industry. But getting to a true “driverless” future will be an iterative process based on merging numerous individual innovations.

Introduction in which the car drives is done in real time, as opposed to using the One of the most prominent recent develop- “delta” approach Google initiated, starting with pre-mapped routes ments in the automotive industry is the intro- and terrain information. The following sections cover some innovative duction of autonomous “driverless” technology, autonomous-vehicle technologies and illustrates auto manufacturers’ which is sure to create a revolution in the trans- incremental approach to developing self-driving vehicles. portation sector. Although it remains early in the Lane-change assist: This driver-assistance system typically consists of development and commercialization process, two radar units invisibly mounted in the corners of the rear bumper. One several factors can be identified for consider- sensor operates as system master, the second unit is configured as slave. ation before adopting driverless technology. Using an onboard data link, the input signal of both radars is combined in An autonomous vehicle (widely referred to a data-fusion tracking algorithm. This feature has been in volume pro- as a “driverless” vehicle, “self-driving” vehicle duction since 2006 and is used by nearly every major automaker. or “robotic” or “robo” vehicle) can sense its Parking assist: Fully-assisted parking-aid technology now is avail- environment and navigate without human able from Ford and many other manufacturers. It can automatically input. Many types of autonomous vehicles are park vehicles in tight spaces and park in both perpendicular and angled being developed by nearly every major auto- parking spaces, which is particularly useful in tightly-congested streets maker, but as of early 2017, automated cars and parking areas in Europe and Asia. permitted on public roads were not yet fully This technology uses ultrasonic sensors to scan for an open parking autonomous: they all require a human driver space at speeds as high as 19 mph. When the system identifies a suit- at the wheel who is ready at a moment’s able parking place, it alerts the driver, who can stay in the car or get notice to take control of the vehicle. out and use a remote to finish the parking job. The car then backs itself Autonomous vehicles employ a variety of into the parking space. techniques and technologies to detect their Adaptive cruise control: Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is an “intelligent” surroundings, including radar, lidar, global-posi- form of cruise control that automatically adjusts vehicle speed to keep pace tioning system (GPS) odometry and machine with the vehicle in front. A small radar unit behind the grille or behind the vision. Advanced control systems interpret the front bumper measures the distance to leading traffic and maintains a pre- sensory information to identify appropriate selected following distance. If not using radar, some ACC systems employ a navigation paths, as well as obstacles and rele- laser and others use an optical system based on stereoscopic cameras. ACC vant signage. Autonomous vehicles have is ideal for stop-and-go traffic and congesting commuting situations that high-powered processing systems that can can swing abruptly from 60 mph cruising to a standstill. Regardless of the analyse sensory data to distinguish between technology, ACC works in any light conditions, but its abilities can be ham- vehicles using the road, which is very useful in pered by heavy rain, fog or snow. In an autonomous vehicle, ACC needs to planning a path to the desired destination. track not only the vehicle directly in front, but also the vehicles in adjacent lanes in the event a lane change becomes necessary. Technologies in autonomous Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication: In 2014, the Obama vehicles Administration announced that it planned to actively advance V2V com- Currently, auto manufacturers are focused on munications technology. With V2V, vehicles exchange information with advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) other vehicles, transferring data and alerting drivers to potential colli- features that expect a driver to take charge sions and other hazards. Vehicles also “talk” to infrastructure of all man- when “self-driving” is not appropriate. The ner: sensors on signs, stoplights and even sensors embedded in the roads intent is to enhance the driving experience in to get traffic updates and rerouting alerts. The system will permit the the automobile and remove the “stress” as- vehicle to communicate with homes, offices and smart devices, acting as pect of driving—but only during limited con- a digital assistant, gathering information needed throughout the day. ditions and situations. Mapping of the terrain Vehicle-to-vehicle communications data includes speed, location,

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 33 XXXXXXXXXXAdvancing toward driverless cars

and direction of travel, braking and loss of stability. The mode of wire- less transmission could be dedicated short-range communications (DSRC), a standard set forth by bodies like FCC and ISO, a cellular com- munications network such as upcoming 5G or satellite-based. Sometimes DSRC is described as a Wi-Fi network because one of the possible frequency of 5.9GHz, the same frequency used by Wi-Fi. But it is more accurate to say that DSRC is “Wi-Fi-like.” The range is up to 300 meters for about ten seconds at highway speeds (not three sec- onds as some reports say). The V@V concept is envisioned as a mesh network, meaning every node (vehicle, smart traffic signal, etc.) could send, capture and retransmit signals. Five to ten “hops” on the network Fig. 2: Lane assistance. could gather traffic conditions from a mile ahead—enough time for even the most distracted driver to react. Shipping: Autonomous vehicles will have a Benefits of Autonomous Cars huge impact on the land-shipping industry. A Safety: Of all transportation problems, safety issues have the most seri- primary transport mode for goods on land is ous impact on daily life. Traffic accidents also have colossal negative by freight trucks; currently, all of trucks are effects on economy. Vehicular travel currently is the most deadly form driven by an employee of a trucking company. of transportation, with more than a million annual deaths worldwide. If the trucks were driverless, a person to move Implementation of autonomous vehicles is projected to greatly reduce the vehicle from one point to another is no the number of crashes, since 90% of traffic accidents are caused by hu- longer needed and the truck can drive to the man error. Intelligent safety systems currently in use already have prov- destination without having to stop for any- en their success in helping drivers avoid accidents. thing other than fuel. Full autonomy theoreti- Traffic congestion: With the introduction of fully autonomous vehi- cally would save trucking companies an cles, traffic flow theoretically would be drastically altered. In the early enormous amount of money, but it also would stages of implementation to the highway system, there would be a put thousands out of jobs. These people combination of autonomously-driven vehicles and human-controlled would have to find and learn a new profession. vehicles and this could cause some confusion and problems concerning Taxi services: Another sector that would be motorists’ reaction to driverless vehicles and how well the autonomous strongly affected by autonomous driving is vehicles can integrate into traffic flow. The autonomous vehicles pre- taxi services. The business is based solely on sumably would be programmed to strictly follow all traffic laws, while driving someone who does not have a vehicle human drivers have the choice to break the law. or does not want to drive. This type of service As time progresses and autonomous vehicles become more com- could reduce the number of vehicles on the mon, traffic would become far less congested; vehicles should be able road because not everyone would have to own to seamlessly merge into moving traffic and then exit the highway just a car and an autonomous vehicle could be as easily. With the reduction of traffic, there is a chance that there could requested only when needed. be economic improvements. Also, with less stop-and-go traffic, average Taxis also drive around cities and wait in fuel economy would be improved. busy areas for a request for transportation. A Fuel economy: Autonomous vehicles will eliminate ineffective brak- taxi service comprised completely of autono- ing and acceleration, operating at an optimum performance level in mous vehicles could address many inefficien- order to achieve best-possible fuel efficiency. If the fuel efficiency gain cies of the current system. Autonomous taxis from autonomous vehicles were even 1% better, the result would be bil- could wait in designated areas, reducing urban lions of dollars of savings. It also is possible to obtain increased fuel congestion. The need for a human in the ser- efficiency from the implementation of autonomous safety systems. vice goes away completely and is another Time Costs: The phrase “time is money” is true for most situations in example of a potential large degree of unem- modern life and the monetary value of time is increasing every day. Using ployment attributed to autonomous vehicles. automated vehicles could save a considerable amount of time in an indi- Public transportation: In most forms of pub- vidual’s life, particularly if the person resides in a busy city. Even if the time lic transportation, a human is at the controls savings were not considered as having monetary value, having more time Whether it is on a bus, in a train, subway, for leisure activities would improve quality of life. Reducing the amount streetcar, or shuttle, there is a person sitting in time lost on the road also will enable people to be on time and with more the driver’s seat, controlling the vehicle’s energy, resulting in a significant improvement in work efficiency. actions. For rail-based transportation, “driving” is a simpler process more involved with acceler- Autonomy applications ating and decelerating the train from and into Defense: Automated navigation systems with real-time decision-mak- stops; there is no concern over keeping in a ing capability makes autonomous capability attractive for warfield and lane or avoiding other vehicles. However, driv- other military applications. ing a bus, for example, is a more-complex task,

34 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING AUTONOMY FEATURE

Fig. 3: Parking assistance for parallel parking. watch the actions of other drivers and pedestri- ans making critical judgements at every stop. The early stages of autonomy implementation for most modes of public transportation most likely would keep the driver behind the wheel as a safeguard in case there is a problem with the Fig. 4: Vehicle-to-vehicle communication. system. The driver also would be needed in the adoption phase to instill public trust. caused by traffic congestion. Implementation of autonomous cars will Intelligent transportation: Intelligent trans- allow vehicles to be able to use the roads more efficiently, thus saving port systems vary in technologies applied, space and time. Factors such as narrow lanes will no longer be an is- from basic management systems such as vehi- sue—and most traffic problems will be avoided to a great extent by the cle navigation, traffic signal control systems, help of this new technology. container-management systems, variable Smooth traffic flow is at the top of the wish list for countless trans- message signs, automatic license-plate recog- portation officials and research indicates that traffic patterns will be nition or speed cameras to monitor and to more predictable and less problematic with the integration of autono- more advanced applications that integrate live mous vehicles. Auto manufacturers already are using various driver-as- data and feedback from a number of other sist systems and the trend is expanding. As a result, these early sources, such as parking guidance, weather “co-pilot” ADAS systems are expected to gradually evolve to autopilots. information bridge de-icing systems. All developments indicate that one day, the intelligent vehicle will be Additionally, predictive techniques being a part of our daily lives, but it is difficult to predict when. The most developed to allow advanced modelling and important factor is whether the public sector will be proactive in taking comparison with historical baseline data; this advantage of this capability, determining if the benefits will come technology will be a revolutionary step in sooner rather than later. Since current ADAS technologies are quite intelligent transportation. similar to the systems that are used in autonomous-vehicle prototypes, they are regarded as the transition elements on the way to the imple- Challenges for self-driving mentation of fully autonomous vehicles. vehicles • The equipment and technologies used are Conclusion costly Currently, various technologies can assist in creating autonomous vehi- • Safe use of complex artificial intelligence soft- cle systems. Items such as GPS, automated cruise control and ware as the “brain” of the driverless vehicle lane-keeping assistance are available to consumers right now. The com- • Changing road conditions and infrastructure bination of these technologies and other systems such as cam- will require instantaneous decisions from the era-based lane analysis, automated steering and brake-actuation sys- autonomous system tems and the hardware and software necessary to control all of the • Professional drivers will become unemployed components will comprise what becomes a fully autonomous system. • Consumer concern about the safety of driv- An overriding issue: winning an individual’s trust to allow a computer erless vehicles to drive the vehicle. To address this, there must be extensive and robust • Software reliability research and testing to assure a near-foolproof final product. The prod- • Limitations of artificial intelligence in chaotic uct will not be accepted instantly, but will over time as the systems environments become more widely used and the benefits become clear. The imple- • Susceptibility of the vehicle’s sensing and mentation of autonomous vehicles also presents the problem of replac- navigation systems to different types of ing humans with machines that can do the work for them. There will weather or deliberate interference, including not be an instant change, but it will become more prevalent as autono- jamming and cyber-attack. mous vehicles are integrated into society. • Autonomous vehicles likely will require very high-quality, specialised maps to operate Author: Mr. Kishore Rangarajan, Assistant Professor in the Dept. properly of Automobile Engineering, Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu. Future scope The transition to an automated transportation structure will address many current problems

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 35 Overcoming the challenges of HCCI COMBUSTION Homogenous-charge compression ignition (HCCI) holds considerable promise to unlock new IC-engine efficiencies. But HCCI’s advantages bring engineering obstacles, particularly emissions control.

Fig. 1: Comparison of SI, CI and HCCI combustion.

he internal-combustion (IC) engine, as a prime mover in the teenth century, “hot bulb” engines operated industrial, power and transportation sectors, has simplified with HCCI-like combustion. the lifestyle of humans. It has revolutionized the automotive HCCI engines use homogeneous fuel and air Tsector and the subsequent exponential growth of the auto- mixture—as in the SI engines—and employ high motive population helped create wealth—but also caused pollu- compression ratios to allow the mixture to tion-related issues. auto-ignite, as does a diesel engine. HCCI com- The environmental impact of harmful tailpipe emissions and bustion involves the auto ignition, by compres- ever-tightening emission regulations is enticing researchers and auto sion, of the homogeneous air-fuel mixture that manufacturers to develop engines that would significantly reduce emis- is prepared either inside the combustion cham- sions—without a performance compromise. Over the years, researchers ber or inducted into it. Essentially, an HCCI have tackled these issues by adopting alternative fuels, advanced after- engine works on the principle of having a treatment devices or modifications in engine design. dilute, premixed charge that reacts and burns In terms of engine design, homogeneous-charge compression-igni- volumetrically, without the aid of spark, tion engines (HCCI) give hope to researchers as an advanced combus- throughout the cylinder as it is compressed by tion technology to meet the stringent emission norms. HCCI engines the piston; this particular characteristic of an combine the best features of spark ignition (SI) and compression igni- HCCI engine facilitates its operation with lean tion (CI) engines. Recently, studies are concentrated on realizing mixtures at low temperatures. HCCI’s potential while addressing its challenges for production-vehi- This lean-mixture operating capability cle applications. reduces the Indicated Specific Fuel In HCCI engines, once a conducive environment prevails inside the Consumption (ISFC) to a considerable extent, combustion chamber, the mixture burns volumetrically in the absence while low-temperature combustion is respon- of spark. Research revealed that HCCI reduces both NOx and sible for very low NOx (a roughly 90-98% Particulate Matter (PM) emissions simultaneously and researchers are reduction). Meanwhile, brake thermal effi- focusing on experimental as well as computational methods to make ciency for an HCCI engine is comparable to HCCI a viable option for future engines. that of conventional CI engines and much The HCCI concept, however, is not a modern finding. In the late nine- superior to SI engines.

36 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE PROPULSION FEATURE

Fig. 2: Limitations of HCCI engine.

Challenges associated with HCCI engines Though HCCI engines have many attractive features, they also suffer from some limita- tions. Many researchers have reported the challenges/limitations of HCCI engines as shown in Fig. 2. It is observed that researchers have adopted different methods to achieve HCCI combustion and the resultant low soot and NOx emissions. It appears there are two meth- ods to enable an engine run in HCCI mode through premix and injection techniques. The classification of methods to achieve HCCI mode of combustion can be seen in Fig. 3: Classification of Fig. 3. methods to achieve HCCI Many researchers opt for the injection mode of combustion. mode, as it requires nominal modifications to existing engines. But there are questions about this method, as it is difficult to deter- mine if the charge inside the combustion chamber is completely homogeneous under different conditions. For high-speed engines, technique incorporated by various researchers to help achieve HCCI this method is not suitable. Generally, ideal combustion. With this process, some proportion of exhaust gas is homogenous conditions cannot be achieved retained in the combustion chamber itself, using the heat energy asso- with this method. ciated with the retained (i.e. recirculated) exhaust gasses to vaporize Some researchers advance the injection the fuel injected in to the combustion chamber. This fuel vaporization timing—called early injection—to inject the facilitates the homogeneous mixture formation desired for homoge- fuel much sooner than would be normal, neous combustion; EGR can be classified as “external” or “internal.” encouraging the fuel to mix completely with By controlling the EGR and backpressure exhaust valve, external the intake air. The early injection of fuel also EGR can be achieved. By altering the valve overlap period, internal EGR provides more time for the air-fuel mixture can be generated. Control of NOx emission ignition timing and burn formation process before it is auto-ignited. rates also can be achieved with EGR techniques. The extra time gained by fuel and air pro- The effects of EGR on HCCI combustion are a preheating effect—an motes better homogeneous mixture formation increase in the temperature of the inlet charge with the EGR addition; than in conventional engines. This method a dilution effect—substantial reduction in oxygen concentration; a ensures homogeneous mixture formation heat-capacity effect—higher heat capacity of CO2 and H2O vapor under low and moderate speeds, but at higher obtained with the introduction of hot EGR that increases the total engine speeds this method will not serve the heat capacity of the air-fuel mixture and EGR leading to a tempera- purpose of developing a homogeneous mix- ture depression of gas at the end of compression ; and a chemi- ture, while improper early injection timing cal effect—participation of constituents of EGR in the chemical leads to overloading of bearings; incomplete reactions during combustion, affecting the reaction rates in the com- combustion will be a result. bustion chamber. Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is one Despite the advantages of low NOx emissions, low specific fuel

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 37 Overcoming the challenges of HCCI COMBUSTION

Fig. 4: Comparison of maximum piston work obtained by Fig. 5: Comparison of lowest NOx emissions obtained by conventional CI and HCCI modes with swirl ratio 1. conventional CI and HCCI modes with swirl ratio 4. consumption and high engine efficiencies, HCCI engines suffer from ISFC is higher compared with conventional the problem of combustion phasing control at high loads and high engines and there are increased HC emis- engine speeds. In IC engines, (VVT) is nothing sions. A few researchers have achieved HCCI but adjusting the valve lift timing event to improve engine perfor- combustion using the external-mixture strat- mance and reduce fuel usage or emissions; control of combustion egy. But many researchers have tried to phasing and emissions in HCCI engines also can be realized with the achieve HCCI and its resultant low NOx and application of VVT. soot emissions, but have encountered high The compression ratio of the engine can be altered without any HC and CO emissions. Engine performance modifications to the engine geometry by incorporating the VVT tech- can be improved by varying geometrical and nique of late intake valve closure (IVC) times. Late Intake Valve Closing operating parameters and emissions can be (LIVC) helps decrease temperatures during compression and delay igni- mitigated by utilizing these adjustments, as tion, thus increasing the high-load capacity of the HCCI engine. well as adopting EGR, swirl and other operat- Negative valve overlapping is a widely-used recompression valve strat- ing methods. egy employing negative valve overlap (NVO) to trap varying amounts The authors did use the premixed mode to of hot residual gasses, providing an indirect form of ignition and com- achieve HCCI combustion and did extensive bustion phasing control. numerical analysis. The present work deals There are typical techniques of valve timing adjustments and each with a development of an in-house model in C has its own range of effects on the performance of the engine, as well Object-Oriented Programming Language as on CO, UHC, and NOx emissions. (C++) to achieve near-HCCI conditions by The premixed method is gaining the attention of researchers as a varying injection timing and EGR. Though the way to achieve ideal HCCI combustion under all engine running condi- model could well predict the in-cylinder pres- tions. The premixed mode of HCCI combustion is achieved via external sures and temperatures, it could not account mixture-formation in which a fuel vaporizer is used to vaporize the fuel; for parameters such as the simultaneous the mixture of fuel vapor and air then enters the combustion chamber, effect of swirl, turbulent kinetic energy, piston where it is compressed. As there is no sparkplug, the design is such bowl geometry and other variables. that the temperatures attained because of compression lead to auto-ig- As HCCI combustion is volumetric in nature, nition of the charge, much like a diesel engine. Thus HCCI engines to analyze the effect of these parameters it is attain the advantages of both SI and CI engines. quite essential to adopt a multidimensional The use of high compression ratios facilitates use of very lean mix- model. For this purpose, Extended Coherent tures—thereby low Indicated Specific Fuel Consumption (ISFCs) are Flame Model having three Zones (ECFM-3Z) possible with HCCI engines. The use of a very lean premixed charge combustion model developed in Solver for leads to low-temperature volumetric combustion and low NOx and Turbulent flow in Arbitrary Regions – soot emissions. Computational Dynamics (STAR-CD) is These lower temperatures also are responsible for high CO and HC employed. Thus, a systematic computational emissions because they inhibit the oxidation of CO and HC. There also study was carried out by employing a pre- are problems associated with external mixture formation techniques: mixed-charge concept for achieving HCCI and

38 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE PROPULSION FEATURE

Fig. 6: Optimum tradeoff achieved between NOx emissions and Fig. 7: Optimum tradeoff achieved between NOx emissions and piston work for different parameters -1. piston work for different parameters –2. for examining the effect of compression ratio difficulties such as emissions increase, a decrease in piston work and (CR), swirl, combustion chamber geometry, poor load-bearing capacity and auto-ignition. The combined influence boost pressure, ignition quality of fuel and of equivalence ratio and swirl improved the engine performance and other parameters on the performance as well reduced emissions to a considerable extent. Load-bearing capability as emissions of an HCCI engine. was improved by employing boost pressure. An increase of 151.00% in The model is validated with the data of two piston work was observed with increase in boost pressure from 1 bar to different engines available in literature. It is 2 bar with swirl ratio 1. A total of 11.12% reduction in NOx emissions with observed that ECFM-3Z combustion model, swirl ratio 4 and 42.59% increase in CO emissions with swirl ratio 1 have with modifications incorporated, has well pre- resulted with increase in boost pressure from 1 bar to 2 bar. dicted the characteristics of HCCI engine. See Fig. 4 for a comparison of maximum piston work obtained by Moreover, the modified model is found to be conventional CI and HCCI modes with swirl ratio 1. insensitive to engine geometry. It was found that low compression ratio with high swirl for an Also, the computational study established equivalence ratio of 0.46 and reentrant angle of 24˚ is found to be that the combination of swirl and any other optimal among the different parameters studied. For swirl ratio parameter would overcome certain challenges beyond 4, it resulted in combustion irregularities and enhanced wall- associated with realization of HCCI. heat transfer losses. Extensive numerical experiments were con- The premixed technique is effective in achieving HCCI with induc- ducted and performance is predicted in terms tion-induced swirl. By adopting the strategy, it resulted in low HC and of piston work, turbulent kinetic energy, CO emissions and low NOx emissions. The study revealed that there Velocity Magnitude (VM) and emissions NOx, exists a tradeoff between NOx emissions and piston work and Figures 6

HC, CO, CO2 for the chosen engine configura- and 7 show the tradeoff curves for different input parameters at an tion. Simulation results revealed that induc- optimum value for the swirl ratios 1 to 4. tion-induced swirl motion has significant effect on HCCI engine performance and emis- sions as Turbulent Kinetic Energy (TKE) and VM increased with increase in swirl intensity. Decrease in piston work, in-cylinder pressures and temperatures, CO2 and NOx emissions were obtained with increase in swirl ratio. With increase in swirl ratio, an increase in wall heat transfer losses and CO emissions also Authors: Dr. T. Karthikeya Sharma, faculty in the Department of Mechanical developed. Efficient, effective combustion and Engineering, NIT, Warangal, India. He received his Ph.D degree from NIT, Warangal, reduction of emissions were observed by in 2016, and M. Tech in R & AC from the JNTU, Anantapur, India in 2011. His main research interests are CFD, IC engines, HCCI combustion, heat transfer, refrigeration enhancing the air motion inside the combus- and air conditioning. Dr. G. Amba Prasad Rao is a Professor in the Dept. of Mechanical tion chamber with optimized piston-bowl Engineering, NIT, Warangal, India. His total teaching experience is 25 years. His areas shape and geometry. of interest are IC Engines, alternative fuels, emissions and engine simulation. Dr. K. Madhu Murthy is a professor in the Dept, of Mechanical Engineering, NIT Warangal, It was observed that the combined effect of India. His total teaching experience is 30 Years. His areas of Interests are IC engines, swirl and other input parameters subdue the alternative fuels, industrial management and engine simulation.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 39 SIMULATION FOR TRACTOR CABIN VIBROACOUSTIC OPTIMIZATION

Figure 2: Noise-generation sources.

Figure 1: Measured driver-perceived noise level, left side. should be identified and verified as early as possible in the body design to avoid design change in late stages of the project development; oth- Abstract erwise, cost is high and timing is very tight to incorporate the required In recent years, tractor operators have indicated structure modification. a preference to drive more comfortable tractors. The aim of this study in the field of noise and vibration is to develop The high noise and vibration levels to which a simulation methodology for predicting in-cabin booming noise and to drivers of agricultural tractors often are exposed correlate with experimental results. The established process will be for long periods have a significant role in driver used for any new projects to aid in reducing development time. fatigue and also may lead to substantial hearing impairment and other health problems. Problem Description Therefore, it is essential for an optimal cabin Interior booming was identified in a prototype vehicle in stationary design to have time- and cost-effective analysis condition and at certain vehicle speeds. Figure 1 shows the tested inte- tools for the assessment of the noise and vibra- rior noises. The booming peaks appear at 75 Hz, and the sound pres- tion characteristics of various design alterna- sure level at the driver ear is 12 dB (A) higher than the target. Through tives at both the early design stages and the considerable testing and analysis, the structure-borne sound is con- prototype testing phase. Engine excitation is firmed as the major contributor to booming. transferred through the cabin suspension to the The frequency spectrum is measured in the driver’s left ear, as body and then resonates with the body struc- shown in Figure 1. tural mode. According to analysis of the body From the frequency data in Figure 1, the peak can be seen at 75 Hz. panel contribution, the biggest contributor to To study the causes and mechanism of the booming, the “source-trans- booming is the floor. If the floor is modified, the fer path-response” method is used, including BIW (Body-In-White) stiffness at the interface is increased and the modal analysis, noise transfer function testing and analysis, acoustic coupling between the floor mode and engine cavity modal, panel vibration contribution, etc. excitation frequency is avoided—and interior Booming noise source-path-receiver identification: With any NVH booming is significantly reduced. problem, booming noise can be represented by a source-path-receiver model reads as Introduction The automobile body, as a carrier of many other systems and components, consists of Where Y (f) stands for the cab sound response, H1 (f) is the transfer beams, pillars and various panels. The body is function between the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) acquisition locations subjected to various dynamic loads such as and the cab frame, F1 (f) is the force generated from the engine, engine excitation and road excitation. These exhaust, transmission, etc. excitations transfer energy to the body panels Where Y (f) stands for the cab sound response, H1 (f) is the transfer (such as front and rear windshields, roof, floor, function between the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) acquisition locations etc.) through the body beams and pillars. The and the cab frame, F1 (f) is the force generated from the engine, excited panels radiate sound to the passenger exhaust, transmission, etc. compartment or are coupled with the body acoustic cavity modes, inducing interior Root-cause analysis booming. This booming is a low-frequency Analysis of excitation sources: To identify the excitation sources that noise that typically makes occupants uncom- generate booming, interior sounds are tested at different vehicle speeds, fortable. Therefore, in the early stage of the with the corresponding engine speeds and second-order excitations re- body development, the booming attenuation corded simultaneously. When the vehicle is stationary, the engine speed

40 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING OFF-HIGHWAY SIMULATION FEATURE

Figure 4: Structure finite element model.

properties, modal analysis was performed in the frequency range between 0 and 200 Hz. Figure 3: The procedure for coupled acoustic field The cabin structure mode shapes are shown in dynamic response analysis. Figure 5. The modal shape at 61.2 Hz has rela- tively high amplitude for the front glass and modal shape at 75.6 Hz has high amplitude at the floor, as shown in Figure 5. The body structural dynamic characteris- tics, including resonant frequencies and vibra- tion modes, can be obtained by BIW modal test and analysis. The engine excitation fre- quency 75 Hz is very close to the body modal frequency of 75.6Hz, so the excitation easily is 2250 rpm and the corresponding second-order excitation frequency is induces the body to vibrate. A comparison of 75 Hz, which matches the booming frequency; the engine excitation is modal frequency between the simulation generating the booming. result and the experimental result was per- The road excitation frequency can be calculated as: formed to verify the accuracy of the model. Table 1 shows that the modal frequency of simulation is similar with the result of experi- ment. The comparison proves the mass, inertia Where N is an integer 1, 2, 3 ..., V is the vehicle speed, L is the gap and stiffness matrices of the established struc- between the road surface excitation strips. The road excitation fre- ture finite element model are consistent with quency is typically between 20Hz and 100Hz. The gap of the tested the actual tractor cabin. road is 0.3m, so the 1st order road excitation frequencies corresponding Cavity model analysis: For the cavity to the speed of min 15 km/h and max 60 km/h are 13.8 Hz and 55.5 Hz. model established by FEM, the material of the So, road excitation frequency is not the root cause of booming at 75 Hz. acoustic medium is air with a density of 1.225 From the above testing results and analysis, the booming can be con- kg/m3, a sound velocity of 340 m/s. After firmed to be from engine excitation rather than road excitation. defining the fluid material and the property of Coupled acoustic dynamic response analysis method: It is vital to acoustic model, the modal analysis was per- understand the acoustic prediction from the structure vibration analy- formed in the frequency range of 0-500 Hz. sis. The coupled methods used to predict the interior noise of tractor The results show that the cavity modal has a cabin are FEM-FEM. The fundamental purpose for the below method is total of 6 orders before 200 Hz. Considering to develop the ability to predict the numerical solutions of sound power the first and second harmonics of the engine and sound pressure of a structure model. The procedure for coupled (2250 rpm/4 cylinders) firing frequency, which acoustic filed dynamic response analysis is illustrated in Figure 3. were calculated as 75 Hz and 150 Hz, this result confirms they do not coincide with Modeling and modal analysis for the tractor cabin acoustic modes of the cabin. Structure finite element model: To predict the interior noise of a tractor Body-panel contribution analysis: From the cabin, a finite element model (FEM) of a full tractor cabin was established above analysis, the body panel modes at 75 Hz based on finite element method. In this model, solid and shell were used being excited by the engine excitation can be as element types. The structure finite element model is shown in Figure 4. confirmed as the cause for the interior boom- Structure model analysis: To guarantee the accuracy of the structure ing. In order to identify each panel’s contribu- model, after determining the element types and identifying material tion, the panel contribution must be processed.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 41 SIMULATION FOR OFF-HIGHWAY SIMULATION FEATURE TRACTOR CABIN VIBROACOUSTIC OPTIMIZATION

Figure 5. Structure mode shapes of cabin.

Table 1. The comparison of modal frequency between simulation result and experimental result.

The interior sound pressure is related to each panel’s vibration and its sound radiation. For a particular booming frequency, the panel contribution analysis can be used to find the contribution of each panel to the interior sound pressure. Figure 7 shows the relevant panels’ contribution relating to the 75 Hz inte- rior booming. The major contribution panel is the front floor panel, followed by side glass and front glass. So, floor is the major noise contributor at 75 Hz. The structural modifica- tions need to be done to shift the frequency. Figure 7: Result of panel contribution analysis at 75 Hz. Cab structural simulation and solution evaluation: FEA based structural modal analy- floor. There is also recommendation to change the side and front win- sis was performed on the cab. The floor panel dow glasses to thicker laminated glasses and increase welding points mode at 75.6 Hz matches well with the mode on the roof to fully bond the two roof layers also was proposed. After at 75.4 Hz from modal test. One easy way to these changes were made in FEA, the tractor cabin was simulated and stiffen the floor is to add ribs and to add more the result is shown in Figure 9. Clearly, the simple and low-cost changes welding locations; FEA results show that add- on the cab structure eliminated the booming noise and lowered the ing beads and additional welds stiffened the sound pressure levels by 8∼10dB at the booming frequencies. floor and increased the floor mode frequency from 75.6Hz to 102.5 Hz. The floor mode vibra- Summary tion amplitude is reduced and not matching Both experimental and FE structural modal techniques were leveraged to engine excitation and acoustic cavity modes. identify the root causes of the booming noise of a cabin and evaluate the Booming noise reduction solutions and potential solutions before the prototype was produced. Modal techniques results: For preliminary countermeasure test were convenient to apply and useful to identify the structural/acoustical and FE analysis, ribs are added to the floor natural frequencies of a tractor cabin. The tests results were used to identi- panel and increased welding locations on the fy potential structural problems and validate FE models, which were then used to evaluate potential solutions and gain insight to the test results.

This article is adapted from SAE technical paper 2017-01-1847, authored by Shaik Mohammad Asif Basha (Senior Member), V. Ravindran (Principal Member), and P. Nageshwar Rao (Chief Technology Officer) of Tractor and Farm Equipment Limited (TAFE), Chennai. He received Master’s degree in Automotive Engineering from Coventry University, UK. The key responsibility is to develop new process and techniques in NVH Simulation and handle critical advance engineering projects. Automotive NVH professional with more Figure 9. SPL comparison for base and modified than 7 years of experience and gained expertise in Finite Element Analysis for CAE NVH model in cabin Simulations and hands on experience in NVH Testing in automotive industry.

42 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Method of identifying OFF-HIGHWAY PROPULSION FEATURE and stopping an electronically controlled diesel engine in RUNAWAY MODE Fig. 1: Runaway locomotive engine at Kansas Abstract (courtesy RailPictures.Net - Image Copyright © Zach Pumphrey). A diesel engine is said to be in runaway mode when it runs out of con- trol using an external fuel source and the operator cannot shut down the engine using conventional methods. During runaway, the engine Diesel 210°C damage can range from minor to catastrophic and this can cause enor- mous damage to the environment due to a lack of emissions control Lube Oil 365°C under these circumstances. In addition, an organization can incur finan- Methane 580°C cial losses due to loss of an entire engine and/or engine components. In engine applications such as power generation in an oil refinery, oil Propane 470°C mist can enter the intake stream of the engine and cause an engine Butane 405°C runaway. In some OHW (Off-Highway) and CV applications, the oil sep- arator is connected to the intake system to have closed-loop crankcase Table 1: Auto-ignition temperature of various fuels. breathing system where in the engine oil may enter the combustion chamber through intake and the engine enters runaway mode. In sce- turning off the engine ignition switch or fuel narios where the turbocharger piston rings fail due to high pressure dif- system, injection cut-off from the ECU, disen- ference, the oil used for lubrication of the turbocharger bearings enters gaging engine load, etc). Consequences of the intake through the turbo compressor, resulting in engine runaway engine runaway can range from minor engine until the oil in the crankcase sump is completely consumed. damage to engine explosion, causing cata- In literature, one of the methods to detect a runaway condition is to strophic damage to the equipment and sur- check if the engine speed reaches unsafe values. It is also possible to rounding facilities and/or death or injuries to detect a runaway condition based on current acceleration time and personnel. compare the same with the safe thresholds. Both these methods are The causes of runaway on a modern diesel not fast enough for runaway detection as they need to wait for a engine: threshold violation to determine a runaway mode. In this paper, a • Suction of engine lubrication oil via the method is proposed to improve the response time of the runaway crankcase breathers due to excess oil in the detection system in electronically controlled engine applications. oil sump The intention of the proposed method is to ensure very fast detec- • Leak of engine lubrication oil into the cylin- tion of the runaway condition and shutting off the engine using elec- der due to wearing out of oil seal rings on tronically-controlled actuators, thereby saving the engine and engine the turbocharger and/or piston rings components. • Sufficient concentration of flammable gas such as butane, propane, etc. available in the air. Introduction To address the issue of diesel engine run- Safety in diesel engine control is given the highest priority to avoid away, several international standards have both damage to equipment as well as death or injury to operating per- been put into place. EN 1834 - 1971 requires sonnel. The need is for precise control of the diesel fuel and intake air that all vehicular and stationary diesel engines to ensure that the energy released from the fuel is safe and identify working in a hazardous area must have an air when the energy released is potentially unsafe. intake shut-off valve to prevent the engine A vast number of diesel engines are used in the petrochemical and runaway condition. ISO 3046-6:1990 standard oil and gas industry for day-to-day operations. In such industries, there requires that an over-speed protection device is a possibility of leak of flammable hydrocarbons and this will pose a be installed on engine to prevent engine run- serious hazard to both the diesel engine and personnel. A diesel engine away. EEMUA-107 requires the use of air intake runaway can be described as a situation where the engine runs out of shutdown valve with flame arrestor for diesel control from an external fuel source (such as oil mist in the charge air) engines operating in potentially flammable and the engine cannot be shut down using conventional methods (i.e. atmosphere.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 43 XXXXXXXXXXMethod of identifying and stopping an electronically controlled diesel engine in RUNAWAY MODE Compare Di­-Time-Stamp 1 Di­-Time-Stamp 1

Di­-Time-Stamp 2 Di­-Time-Stamp 2

Compare 1

Sample-Time-Stamps 0.8 1

0.6 0.8

0.4 0.6

0.2 Signal sensed by ECU Software from VR Sensor (-) from Software ECU Signal sensed by 0.4

0 4.965 4.97 4.975 4.98 4.985 4.99 4.995 50.2 Time (s) VR Sensor (-) from Software ECU Speed sensed by

0 Fig. 2: Typical engine speed signal sensed by the ECU. 4.9 4.91 4.92 4.93 4.94 4.95 4.96 4.97 4.98 4.99 5 Time (s)

The well-known and accepted procedure to shut down Fig. 3: Computation of Diff-Time-Stamp and comparison with previous 360° values. an engine in runaway is to provide effective charge-air control. Several manufacturers provide different types of charge air intake shut-off valves with local, remote and strategy in vehicular engines is to determine the fuel automatic shut-down capability. While it is known how to injected and thereby calculate the estimated operating shut down a runaway engine, the real problem with an engine speed and the current accelerator pedal position. If engine in runaway is that there is no way of knowing how the engine speed deviates beyond a certain threshold then fast the engine will run and how close one can get to it to injections are cut-off. However, in the runaway case, injec- shut it down. For automatic control, it is imperative that tion cut-off will not stop the engine. In addition, before the , or ECU, is able to correctly identify injections are cut, it is possible that engine components a runaway condition in the shortest possible time and take have been damaged. necessary action to prevent runaway. For an engine running in a constant-speed mode, it is Engine speed determination very easy to identify a runaway condition. If the engine The ECUs used for engine control make use of the variable speed were to increase beyond a certain threshold over its reluctance sensor and a toothed wheel (also referred to as desired speed, the over-speed protection valve can be wheel) to determine the speed of the engine. The closed and shut down the engine. However, there have wheel generally used comprises of (60-2) teeth which are been several recently-reported incidents in which vehicular spaced 6° apart. The wheel is normally mounted on the engines entered a runaway condition. In fact, it has been engine . As the wheel rotates, it changes the re- reported that in the drilling industry, 75% of explosions luctance experienced by the sensor. This varying reluc- involved a vehicular engine. A vehicular engine is not run- tance, produces a voltage which when sampled and fil- ning in a constant-speed mode and is designed for all tered by the ECU would appear as shown in Fig. 2. Each manner of engine transients; the control logic normally pulse on the ECU signal is a representation of the tooth on used for stationary engines is not applicable. the crank wheel. In this paper, we propose a control logic to identify a vehic- For computing the engine speed, the normal procedure ular engine runaway. The logic can be very easily realized adopted by the ECU is to sample each rising and/or falling using the existing sensors on the engine, the throttle valve and edge of the signal and determine from the time at sam- the ECU. It will be shown that within two-three engine rota- pling the angle of rotation of the wheel. From the rate of tions, it will be possible to detect a runaway condition. change of the angle, the engine speed is computed.

Runaway identification Time-stamp processing The auto-ignition temperature of the various fuels is indicat- As the crankshaft rotates, the timer value at each rising ed in table 1. As seen from that table, it is clear that combus- and/or falling edge can be stored. For simplicity, only the tion of diesel will cause ignition of the second fuel in the rising edge is considered here. Since there are 58 rising combustion chamber. As the second fuel has less oxygen edges before the gap (two missing teeth), an array of size available, combustion of the same would result in the pro- 58 can be used to store all the 58 timer values. This infor- duction of a large quantity of unburned hydrocarbons or mation is critical for identification of a runaway condition. soot. A typical engine under runaway is shown in Fig. 1. At a speed of 4000 rpm, for example, there is one revo- Delay in identification of runaway by an operator would lution every 15 ms. At this speed, we are getting a timer be sufficient to destroy the components of the engine and value input into the array every 250 µs. Once all the 58 the engine itself. For the ECU software to detect and take timer samples have been entered, the operating system necessary actions, at present there exists no control logic for (OS) can be notified via an interrupt to process the data. vehicular engines. The normally-adopted engine monitoring This will typically happen once every 15 ms, which is not

44 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING OFF-HIGHWAY PROPULSION FEATURE

0.8 22 First Cycle First Cycle Second Cycle Second Cycle Third Cycle Third Cycle 20 0.6 Fourth Cycle Fourth Cycle Fifth Cycle 18 Sixth Cycle Seventh Cycle 0.4 16 0.2 14

0 12

10 -0.2

8 -0.4

Percentage Change in Di-Time-Sample (%) Change in Di-Time-Sample Percentage 6 Percentage Change in Di-Time-Sample (%) Change in Di-Time-Sample Percentage -0.6 4

-0.8 2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Di-Time-Sample (-) Di-Time-Sample (-) Fig. 4: Diff-Time-Stamp comparison at idle speed. Fig. 6: Diff-Time-Stamps during acceleration of a common-rail diesel engine.

28 Normal demanding on the processor. The storage of these sam- Runaway ple-time stamps is shown in Fig. 3. 26

Once all the 58 sample time stamps are available, the 24

OS can compute the difference in time stamps between 22 successive teeth. This time value is indicated as Diff-Time- Stamp in Fig. 3. These timer values can be compared with 20 the timer values from the previous rotation as shown. 18

If the engine were to be running at a constant speed of 16 Percentage Change in Di-Time-Sample (%) Change in Di-Time-Sample Percentage

765 rpm (idle speed), then the difference in time stamps 14 per rotation when compared to the previous rotation 12 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 would be as shown in Fig. 4. Di-Time-Sample (-) Current speed-governors for modern common-rail die- sel engines can hold the engine speed with an accuracy of Fig. 8: Comparison of Diff-Time-Stamps between normal and runaway case for the first two rotations during acceleration. ± 10 rpm. The data in figure 4 was processed at an engine speed that was varying. Even with constant fluctuation in engine speed, it is observed that Diff-Time-Stamp does not Control logic change by a large percentage for a fixed engine speed. From Fig. 6, a calibratable map (2-D table) can be devel- If the engine were to be accelerating, then the variation oped with one axis as injected fuel quantity. The average in Diff-Time-Stamps between successive rotations (per value of Diff-Time-Stamps per cycle can be stored up sev- engine cycle) is shown in Fig. 6. As one can see, the first en engine rotations. When an increase in fuel quantity is cycle has the maximum change in the diff-time stamp and detected by the software, it can compute the diff-time by the time the seventh cycle is reached, the change is stamps for each cycle. The computed values can be com- almost a straight line approaching zero as steady-state pared with the calibrated values and checked if the values engine speed is being reached. are above the limits specified by calibration. If the values Now considering the case where just as the engine are greater than the limits and they have exceeded the accelerates, it starts burning the “rogue” fuel. Again, the threshold specified, then a signal can be sent to over- first cycle has the maximum change and by seventh cycle speed protection valve to close the intake. Using this ap- the change is almost a straight line. In the runaway case, in proach, it is possible to shut down the engine in the case the seventh cycle, the engine speed is nearly 20% than that of a runaway scenario within two to three engine rotations. in the normal case. In both cases, same fueling quantity was injected in the engine. Both cases were studied for 0.4 Summary/Conclusions seconds from the instant of acceleration. From the above control logic, it can be observed that it is pos- If a comparison now is made between the normal case sible to detect runaway mode of an electronically-controlled and runaway case in terms of diff-time stamp per cycle, diesel engine within three engine rotations and stop the en- then it would appear as shown in Fig. 8 and 9 (not gine by either closing the intake or exhaust flap, thus saving included in this article). the engine and its vital components from a potential damage. In the runaway case, it is observed that for the first cycle Hence, the authors claim that this method can be the Diff-Time-Stamps are over 20% (by average) above the deployed to all diesel engine applications, both vehicular normal case and by cycle four it is about 14% above the and large diesel engines in the oil and gas industry and normal case. other stationary applications. Using the Diff-Time-Stamps, it is possible to clearly dis- This article was adapted from SAE technical paper 2013-01-2735, authored by Niranjan Mariyanna DGM and Rohit Chakravarthy of the tinguish between a runaway engine and an engine under Technical Engineering Section - Powertrain Customer Projects, Robert normal operation. Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Limited.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 45 ELECTRIFICATION not a one-size-fits-all solution

The 988K XE, the first wheel loader from Caterpillar with a high-efficiency electric drive system, offers a range of bucket capacities from 6.2 to 17 yd3 (4.7 to 13 m3). Rated standard and high lift payload for the loader reaches 12.5 tons (11.3 tonnes) when working with face material and 16 tons (14.5 tonnes) with loose material. (image: Caterpillar)

Efforts in the off-highway industry have been under way for decades, but the technology still faces implementation challenges. by Jennifer Shuttleworth

ome electrification efforts in the off-highway industry have been areas and attainment zones near ports; green quite successful, yet others still need either time to catch on or may initiatives are driving early adoption of electric just flat-out not be suited for electrification. It is not an across-the- vehicles,” he said. board solution, nor does it necessarily need to be one. Economics is another driver. “Battery costs STalking with several industry experts, they generally agree: the are beginning to drop as demand increases,” movement to electrification in off-highway equipment is driven by sev- Thomas said. “However, incentives/subsidies to eral factors and there are different considerations. Emissions regula- offset vehicle and infrastructure costs are likely tions, air quality concerns, performance, cost and economics. There are to be needed to continue to drive adoption.” also different value propositions to consider for the various segments “Overall, the established on-highway bene- of the industry. fit of improved fuel economy from hybrid Government mandates are forcing changes. “But, underlying these solutions also applies to the off-highway mar- are three big drivers—environmental needs, costs and performance,” ket to a degree,” Almond said. Oerlikon Fairfield’s Robert Kress, business development director, told As far as cost considerations are concerned, Mobility Engineering. The relative importance and influence of each in the price of gas or diesel is often compared to off-highway applications is dependent of the operating conditions what is touted as the low operating costs of encountered by the machines. electric. “But, I also believe the manufacturers According to Darren Almond, John Deere Power Systems’ (JDPS) ultimately hope to lower costs by simplifying manager of drivetrain product planning, each segment of the off-high- the vehicle designs, for example, by removing way market presents different value propositions for vehicle hybrid or full many components found in traditional IC vehi- electrification solutions. Take, for instance, the underground hard rock cles,” Kress said. mining market. This segment may turn to electrification to eliminate all There also is the short-term potential to engine exhaust, avoiding the costly process of ventilating mines. hybridize some vehicles, allowing for smaller “Other segments, like vehicles that move containers at ports, may be internal combustion (IC) engines that fall below motivated by emissions regulations and zero-emissions zones to pursue the threshold where additional expenses for electrification,” Almond said. emission controls are avoided. Cummins Inc.’s Vinoo Thomas, director of electrification business devel- Kress opined that performance can be a fac- opment, agrees. “One of the main drivers to electrification of off-highway tor that probably gets the least consideration. equipment is carbon emissions and general air-quality concerns in urban “But, in certain situations, electric vehicles have

46 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING OFF-HIGHWAY ELECTRIFICATION FEATURE

a better performance ‘feel.’ Elon Musk has already demonstrated that electric passenger vehicles, and now trucks, offer impressive acceleration,” he said. With off-highway equip- ment, some hybrid designs can supplement the energy needs during peak duty cycles to create a better performance.

A compact electric drive system At Agritechnica 2017 in November, Oerlikon Fairfield introduced a new electric drive sys- tem for off-highway vehicles. The company worked on the system with Ashwoods Electric Motors, a company in which OF has a minority investment. The system integrates an Oerlikon Fairfield Torque Hub planetary drive with the Ashwoods-produced interior John Deere’s 644K Hybrid permanent magnet (IPM) motor to create an Wheel Loader with integrated ultra-compact drive. electric powertrain solution. “With the battery-operated vehicle market- “It is not by accident that John Deere selected a wheel place, certainly efficiency is king; everyone is loader as the first production looking to do more with less,” Kress said. “The application for electrification two real sweet spots of this motor are greater because of the nature of its efficiency and smaller package size.” work cycle,” said JDPS’s Darren Almond. (image: John Deere) With the IPM motor’s smaller size, it is also lighter. It is one-third the weight of a typical incumbent induction motor for the same rated “There’s an opportunity to create customized output. Depending on the application, “that can electrification solutions for individual segments, be a very big deal to OEMs as they’re trying to build their battery-operated vehicles,” he said. resulting in a wide variety of solution types.” It offers about two-thirds more motor space. - Darren Almond, JDPS The company claims the unit is so compact that it enables vehicle manufacturers to pro- Hurdles to electrification vide a steerable four-wheel-drive configura- Electrification has been successfully used in material handling applica- tion where previously there was not enough tions, as the industry experts Mobility Engineering talked with detailed. space to offer this possibility. The nature of the work lends itself to electrification: the enclosed envi- The complete unit can deliver 4000 N·m ronment with a limited range and manageable infrastructure. (2950 lb·ft) of drive torque and 5600 N·m (4130 Implementation of the technology faces challenges in other off-high- lb·ft) of braking torque, yet the motor is up to way equipment due to issues such as battery technology, cost and 30% smaller and lighter than current production weight of electrification, getting the market to accept something new, solutions that use larger brushed DC or induc- as well as electrical system component costs. tion motors coupled to a planetary gearbox. The “Additionally, the price of the equipment has to offer acceptable Oerlikon Fairfield/Ashwoods Electric Motors ROI,” Cummins’ Thomas said. “Without subsidies it could be challeng- solution provides a triple planetary ratio in the ing to implement electrified equipment economically.” Companies length of the standard double-planetary design. interested in moving toward electrified equipment will need to be Combining the two technologies with an inte- able to identify available subsidies and be able to apply for and be grated electric parking brake has enabled the awarded them. elimination of several duplicated or redundant According to JDPS’ Almond, components and systems for the off-road components. For example, a common shaft can implementation of electrification are in their early stages. On-highway be used for motor, brake and transmission, sav- electrification solutions don’t require as much power or durability than ing weight, cost and package space. what is needed for off-highway applications—the requirements and value “Smaller product envelopes free the equip- propositions of which are so varied that developing a singular solution ment designers to utilize space more effi- becomes very challenging. ciently,” Kress said. Areas reserved formerly to “Because of this, there is an opportunity to create customized elec- contain the motors/drives can now be utilized trification solutions for individual segments, resulting in a wide variety more productively for other purposes—e.g., of solution types. This is what makes electrification very exciting right cabling, controllers, etc. now,” Almond said.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 47 ELECTRIFICATION not a one-size-fits-all solution

Oerlikon Fairfield’s interior permanent magnet (IPM) motor produced by Ashwoods Electric Motors (left) is one-third the size and weight of induction motors, providing a large increase in available space in this materials handling application (below), at basically the same price point. (images: Oerlikon Fairfield)

Overcoming hurdles Battery technology has and will continue to advance. Supply chains will gradually reduce their price points, “but it may take another 10-15 years,” Kress offered. According to Thomas, lithium-ion battery prices need to continue to drop to a level that allows for reasonable payback without the use of incentives. “There are various market studies that predict that the turning point for electric-vehicle adoption will occur when batteries are equal or better than diesel engines in terms of cost, and energy in the wheel loader cycle often occurs estimates show that could be anywhere from 5 to 10 years out,” he said. precisely when hydraulics are required. The According to Almond, one of the keys to success in overcoming hybrid system allows for the transfer of that these hurdles is to account for the entire system solution. “John Deere braking energy to hydraulic energy via the seeks to offer integrated solutions that address the interfaces electric drive components. between the electrical generator and/or motors, power electronics “Other applications are continually being and mechanical interfaces. Because we have already done the devel- investigated to meet our customer’s needs,” opment work to manage these interfaces, the end users can have con- Almond said. fidence in the fact that all this new technology on their machines will simply work,” he said. New electric-drive wheel loader “Furthermore, advances in battery, power electronic, generator and At a recent press event, Caterpillar revealed its motor, and drivetrain technology are being made every week,” he offered. first electric drive wheel loader. The new 988K XE offers 25% greater overall efficiency and up to Promising candidates 10% more productivity in load-and-carry applica- Material handling applications have a long history of use of electrification. tions than the standard Cat 988K loader. It is also Lift trucks have been battery powered since the late 1960s. “Since then up to 49% more efficient for truck loading. other applications of material handling have adopted electrification,” The 988K XE, which is a new addition to the Thomas told Mobility Engineering. “Most of the sites are static or have a 50-ton (45-tonne) loader lineup, is 90% identi- limited (fixed) range. In other words, the equipment doesn’t have to go cal to the 988K. Featuring switched reluctance outside of its normal ecosystem.” and more than four years of testing in a range However, Thomas says it is becoming apparent that many different of applications, the C18 ACERT engine, types of applications are experimenting with electrification. “Many mechanical dropbox, driveline and axles from OEMs are seeing the high level of interest in electrified equipment and the 988K remain in the electric drive machine. want to be seen as an early adopter—or, at least, be viewed as evalu- “We still leveraged the C18 engine that we ating it,” he said. Acceptance of electric applications will be different have on the 988K, but we took the generator, by customer and region depending on their initiatives. inverter and motor for our powertrain. So the One of the unique advantages of an electric system is the ability to torque inverter and transmission came out,” recycle braking energy. Thus, applications that tend to change direc- Todd Tuntland, Caterpillar product application tion or repeatedly go through a stop/start cycle are the ones acting as specialist, told media at the press event in early adopters of electrification. Peoria, IL. He explained that effectively this is “This is why the first applications of electric hybrid technology in a transmission replacement. John Deere equipment is for wheel loaders,” Almond said. The braking The XE is said to be easier to operate. It has a

48 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING OFF-HIGHWAY ELECTRIFICATION FEATURE

Oerlikon Fairfield’s Torque Hub planetary drive integrates with the IPM motor produced by Ashwoods Electric Motor to create an ultra-compact drive solution. (image: Oerlikon Fairfield) variable speed motor and no longer has gears. Directional changes are very smooth. Operators can control ground speed with virtual gears. “You don’t have to pull clutches to shift any- Cummins revealed the Aeos 1, the fully electric Class 7 Urban Hauler electric vehicle concept truck, in August 2017. (image: Cummins Inc.) more,” Tuntland said. “So when you’re operating this machine, compared to the mechanical drive, it’s much quicker and it’s very smooth.” Hybrids best? Headed to production in March at Cat’s Despite the electrification movement in the off-highway market, don’t Decatur, IL plant, the 988K XE is targeted for dismiss the IC engine’s value particularly when coupled with an inte- applications such as haulage fleet up to 70-ton grated hybrid system. (64-tonne) trucks, truck loading (shot rock) up “I believe it is important to recognize that the IC engine is not going to 840 tons (760 tonnes), and load-and-carry away anytime soon,” Kress told ME. “There is still a lot of room to improve up to 660 tons (600 tonnes). the efficiency of these engines, and these advances will slow the adoption The electric-drive wheel loader uses 40% of electric-only systems in some off-highway applications.” less powertrain oil and offers extended oil That said, operating conditions for the application probably have the change intervals of 2000 hours (1000 more greatest influence on the type of electric system. than the 988K). “As an example, with a road construction site, unless operators have “We are going to target applications likely the ability to charge machines in remote locations, fully electric vehicles north of 2500 hours; that’s because the pay- are difficult to operate effectively due to charging dependency,” back on the XE will be very attractive for cus- Thomas said. “But, a hybrid application could work well in these unde- tomers,” Tuntland said. “They need the veloped locations or work sites.” production and they’re conscious about the Thomas explained that diesel will play a strong role in many of efficiency—the tons per gallon.” Cummins’ markets for years to come, and the company will continue to Tuntland claimed that for 2500 hours “at cur- invest in those technologies accordingly. “With that in mind, we con- rent fuel prices, depending on where you’re at in tinue to invest in a variety of technologies to provide our customers the world, you would be in that two- to four- with a broad portfolio of powertrain solutions that meet their needs,” year payback. The 2500 is hours per year for the he said. Having invested in electrification technologies for more than 10 end user, so obviously the more you run it, the years, Cummins has produced several hybrid and fully-electric demon- higher the fuel price, the bigger the payback.” stration vehicles. In August 2017, the company unveiled the Aeos 1 fully Caterpillar claims greenhouse gas (GHG) electric Class 7 Urban Hauler EV concept truck. reductions on the 988K XE are equivalent to “Duty cycle plays a big role in determining the electric system, as it one year of electricity use for nearly 10 homes forces the vehicle manufacturer to think more about how the vehicle and equivalent to 13.5 passenger cars driven works within the larger production system. This is especially true when for one year. considering battery technology, as the total energy usage of a daily Whether Caterpillar will bring the electric work cycle needs to be considered,” Almond said. drive to other classes or machines remains to “If a vehicle can work for eight hours, then sit around for 16 and can be seen. “We’re always evaluating ways to be plugged into a wall—that may influence the type of technology,” reduce cost-per-ton for our customers.” Almond detailed. “If it has to run 24/7—how you’re dealing with the Tuntland said. “So it’s certainly something for energy management really has an influence on what type of electric us to consider going forward.” system needs to be employed.”

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 49 700 MILES, hands-free!

Super Cruise is a significant step forward in making customers comfortable with hands-free highway driving under limited operating conditions. Note green lighted bar on upper wheel rim. (image: GM)

GM’s Super Cruise turns Cadillac drivers into passengers in a well- engineered first step toward greater vehicle autonomy. by Lindsay Brooke

wo sunny days in late September, a state-of-the-art luxury se- tial automation.” This means the CT6 drove dan, and good company make for a potentially great road trip. itself under human supervision most of the But this one was special. way, handing off to us to pilot when required. T “Pretty remarkable that we’ve already driven about 500 GM’s flagship sedan is the first to feature miles without either of us touching the steering wheel; I’m impressed,” I Super Cruise, best described as an automated noted to co-driver Sam Abuelsamid, as we headed southbound from driver-assistance package. Demonstrated five Chicago, on Interstate 57 in Illinois. years ago, the system was slated for 2016 Sam, a former electronic systems engineer-turned-journalist, analyst launch. But GM wisely pushed the “pause” and magazine columnist, concurred. “It appears this is the vehicle to button after the company’s tragic, multi-bil- have if you want to reduce the driving workload over long distances,” lion-dollar ignition switch recall and a traffic he offered. fatality involving Tesla’s erroneously named We covered another 200 miles (321 km) of hands-free operation Autopilot. Various YouTube videos of ludicrous before re-taking the wheel of the 2018 Cadillac CT6 as we neared our Tesla drivers climbing into their cars’ back Memphis, Tennessee destination. Of the 900 miles (1450 km) we’d trav- seats during Autopilot operation also caused eled since leaving Cleveland, Ohio the previous day, more than 75% GM engineers and safety experts to move were handled by GM’s new Super Cruise technology. In terms of the Super Cruise forward more cautiously. SAE automated-driving levels, Super Cruise operates at Level 2, or “par- By summer 2017 the system had been fully

50 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE ADAS FEATURE

Super Cruise-equipped CT6s incorporate three cameras and five radar sensors, in addition to map data and significant data-fusion capability. (image: GM)

developed and validated and was readied for mph (145 km/h) while in Super Cruise mode. the CT6 application. To demonstrate its confi- With the driver’s hands off the wheel, the vehicle consistently fol- dence in Super Cruise, GM invited media to lows lane markings and stays centered, even when the lines are faded drive a small fleet of CT6s from New York to and non-existent, such as on fresh asphalt. Sam and I each “drove” for Los Angeles, in three waves of roughly 1,000 intervals of an hour or more without touching the steering wheel. miles each. Sam and I chose the second wave Passing other vehicles does require the driver to press the throttle on the Cleveland-Chicago-Memphis leg. Most pedal but Super Cruise then resumes operation when the pedal returns. of our journey was on U.S. interstate highways Pressing the button after manual braking also re-engages the system. and multi-lane divided state freeways because Primary hardware includes three exterior cameras; one is for- currently they are the only types of roads for ward-looking and mounted in the rearview-mirror module. The other which Super Cruise is operationally mapped. two are located on the exterior mirror housings. There are also five radar sensors, one a forward-looking long-range unit and the others Benchmark driver monitoring short range/side-looking, mounted in the front and rear corners. After GM engineers and human-machine interface entering a tunnel, Super Cruise remains engaged for up to 0.6 mi (1 km) designers created a system that is easy and in- at which point dead reckoning takes over. tuitive to operate. Press a marked button on the Another vital element is Super Cruise’s Driver Attention Monitor. Its left steering wheel spoke, center the vehicle in performance is benchmark: Infrared emitters in the light bar within the the lane, and an icon will appear in the cluster steering wheel rim project thousands of invisible points of light onto the signaling that the system is ready for use. Press driver’s face, which are then captured by a small, almost unnoticed cam- the button again and the icon turns green, as era located on the steering column. The system monitors position and does a light bar inset into the upper radius of movement of the driver’s head, face and eyes—are you looking forward the steering wheel—Super Cruise is thus en- and attentive to the road ahead? Are your eyes closing due to sleepi- gaged and the CT6 steers itself along the high- ness? Behind our dark sunglasses, Sam and I each tried to “trick” the sys- way at speeds up to an “official” 80 mph (129 tem by fluttering our eyelids and rolling our eyes but it was never fooled. km/h), although a few journos said they saw 90 Super Cruise will require some CT6 owners to adapt. The time it permits

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 51 700 MILES, hands-free!

GM partnered with mapping specialist Ushr to create hi-res 3D maps of North America’s divided highways. (image: GM)

the driver to scan the mirrors or select an HVAC setting is mere seconds, Bolio, the Vehicle Performance Manager who and is speed-dependent. It won’t let you ogle that passing in the accompanied our media wave. He said the opposite lanes or check out that cool old barn along the roadside before it sensor array and the system controller are all starts to escalate driver intervention, as explained below. sourced from GM’s regular ADAS component Sam and I agreed that the overall quality of GM’s sensor fusion and vendors. System software was developed in calibrations, based on our perception of how smoothly Super Cruise house and Trimble supplied Super Cruise’s keeps lane, handles curves and brakes itself, is superior to any SAE GPS that’s accurate to 2 m (6.5 ft). Level 1 vehicle we’ve tested to date. There is no lidar; GM enlisted Atlanta-based Maximum sensing-distance capability is 2500 m (1.5 mi), noted Robb Ushr (formerly part of GeoDigital) to digitally

Super Cruise ‘invention on the critical path’ Before leaving Chicago in the CT6 on Day 2 of set of algorithms. It’s a whole new ballgame of our 900-mile Super Cruise test, Mobility integration and sensor fusion. So we took the Engineering spoke with Vehicle Performance extra development time, and GM leadership Manager Robb Bolio about the program: supported us, to get it totally right. We did the software—every algorithm was Q: Why did GM decide to rethink the initial created by our team at GM. We want to own this Super Cruise program and err on the side of technology. We work with suppliers on the sen- conservative functionality? sors and processors but we drove the process Obviously there’s the safety piece and that in- and we want to own the IP, the software. The cludes validating our mapping to ensure the way it’s tied together on these key technologies system is right. We want Super Cruise to be is very important to us. available to the driver all the time, but to be a robust and safe system we recognized it can’t Q: When the program began, did you ap- be available all the time. proach it from a cohesive systems-integration This is new invention on the critical path. It’s perspective, even though it’s more complicat- how GM is doing business now. The integration ed to define all the pieces from the start? piece is dear to my heart; my team did the first- Yes. When you work with suppliers the specs gen Volt, the Spark EV and the Bolt change as you go. We’re learning on the fly; we EV. They were all critical-path programs in may have a set of requirements that are de- which we had to be comfortable with moving fined but two months later we decide to fast and making late changes. change it. Owning the software allows us to Super Cruise as a system is made up of many Super Cruise Vehicle Performance iterate quickly without driving a lot of cost. It’s pieces—adaptive cruise control, lane-centering Manager Robb Bolio is a veteran of GM’s difficult when you’re inventing to know what control, the driver monitoring system, the ‘virtu- fast-paced hybrid and EV programs. the car’s going to be like when you’re done. al path’ the car follows that is a very complex (image: Lindsay Brooke) LB

52 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING AUTOMOTIVE ADAS FEATURE

map more than 160,000 miles (257,500 km) of Tiny camera mounted divided highways in the U.S. and Canada. The on the CT6 steering resulting precise, high-definition 3D maps are column provides a the heart of the Super Cruise software. precise view of the “It ‘geofences’ the highway,” Bolio noted. driver’s head and eye movements for Super “No back-road, town or urban capability at Cruise operation. this point.” The map data “provide accurate Note green ‘steering details of road curvature, trajectory and anno- wheel’ icon in cluster tations,” he said, and will be over-the-air signifying system is engaged. (image: updated for customers at Cadillac dealers ini- Lindsay Brooke) tially. During the 900-mi trek, our car remained consistently centered and faithful in most cases where lanes merge or end; a few times it did attempt to exit a couple off-ramps for a split second before snapping back into the intended lane.

Here, you take the wheel If you’ve been distracted for five seconds, the driver monitor begins a steady and rapid warning escalation to regain your attention. The green Super Cruise icon on the cluster and the light bar on the wheel begin flashing and audible chimes in. There’s also a driver-select haptic seat “buzz” pioneered by Cadillac that’s quite effective in jogging your attention. Less than five seconds later, if the driver hasn’t re- sponded the flashing lights turn red and the audible and haptics heighten. Another five seconds without driver response (the car must “feel” driver contact via capacitive sensors in the steering wheel rim) and Super Cruise begins to slow the car’s speed toward a stop—which it will also do, smack dab in the lane. Bolio explained that GM research concluded that stopping in the road is safer than on the shoulder, which often doesn’t exist. As the car decelerates, it also shuts off the Super Cruise function until the next time the It also doesn’t read speed-limit signs like the Mercedes-Benz system in driver cycles the ignition switch. During a full the E-Class, nor will it transit through a cordon of Jersey barriers in vehicle stop, the system calls OnStar for help construction zones. In at least one hands-free situation with me behind and alerts first responders if emergency medi- the wheel, our CT6 handed control back to me abruptly a few feet cal care is required. after entering a single-lane-with-concrete-barriers construction zone. By design, GM’s Super Cruise as employed And we media types on the second-wave drive complained that in the 2018 CT6 has what some may consider the system stubbornly would not engage as we departed Cleveland, to be limitations. Others, however, including when the bright morning sun was behind us. Bolio was aware of this me, will applaud them as well-reasoned con- issue, explaining that infrared wavelengths contained in the sunlight servative steps toward the “higher” levels of entering the car at specific angles can foil the emitters in the driv- SAE autonomy. That the five-second limit er-monitoring system. The monitoring camera then cannot “see” the requires driver attention and minimal head driver’s face and so will not engage Super Cruise until the sun rays and eye movement proved not to be relaxing entering the car diminish. on a 900-mile journey. In fact, I found my typi- As a system, Super Cruise by my estimate may cost GM $400, a fig- cal sense of highway-driving alertness to be ure Cadillac will easily recoup in its $5000 option pricing. The system is heightened considerably. The driver must be standard on Premium-trim CT6 models. Dealer sales staff are advised prepared to take back control at any time. to give test-drives only when the sun is high in the sky. Super Cruise currently will not change Competitors, however, are already lined up at Cadillac dealers to lanes—that’s a manual task left to the human. order Super Cruise-equipped cars for their teardown and analysis.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 53 Global VEHICLES

Toyota rethinks the flagship pushed forward for the desired longer dash-to-front-axle aesthetic and the rears moved back for a gain of 2.2 in (56 mm) more rear-seat legroom.

New HMI, lower H-point Sumptuous interiors have been a pillar of the luxury reputation and the new LS offers a lot to catch the eye. But there’s also plenty of technology. A standard 8-in driver information display and a 12.3-in- 2018 Lexus LS500 F Sport in profile shows new GA-L platform stance on 123-in wide (312-mm) infotainment screen are wheebase. Overall length is 206.1-in. (image: Ron Sessions) arrayed across the center of the dash, with a 24-in-wide head-up display option- al. Images shown in the HUD include vehi- cle speed, gear selected, road signs, safe- ty system notifications for such things as front cross traffic warnings and pedestri- an alerts as well as navigation information about upcoming turns. Between driver and shifter is the new remote-touch interface. It now works less like a computer mouse and more like a smartphone with swipe and pinch control. Standard Lexus Enform Wi-Fi ushers in-car internet connectivity to up to five devices courtesy of Verizon 4G LTE service and an optional 23-speaker Mark Levinson surround-sound system brings 16 channels and 2400 watts of auditory immersion. But the most striking aspect of the Black-out treatment on F Sport models plays down the massiveness of the new LS500 new LS is its craftsmanship and attention grill. (image: Ron Sessions) to detail, or takumi, something Asahi-san feels is central to Lexus “moving from a Toyota has engineered a complete Design,” picking up the Lexus family brand to a luxury lifestyle road-to-roof redo of its flagship Lexus ‘spindle’ grille theme and developing a brand.” Interior occupants are cocooned LS sedan, dropping the V8 engine in longer, more muscular exterior form. with soft-touch surfaces and generous- favor of a twin-turbo V6, adding Lowering the hood by 1.2 in (30.5 mm), ly-padded contact points. The sides of the Aisin’s new 10-speed planetary auto- the decklid by 1.6 in (40.6 mm) and console and armchair-caliber door arm- matic and retaining a hybrid-electric dropping the roof 0.6 in (15 mm) ver- rests are backlit with small LEDs and powertrain option—and that’s just the sus the 2017 LS helps the new version appear to be free standing from the beginning. The 2018 model marks the look more ground-hugging as well. doors. Available interior upgrades in the fifth generation of the luxury sedan The 2018 LS500 shares Toyota’s new Executive Package include door trim with that rocked the luxury-sedan estab- GA-L global luxury platform with the handmade origami-like cloth pleats and lishment almost 30 years ago. While recently-launched LC coupe. There’s interior trim-panel pieces fashioned from the LS has represented less than 2% of now just one wheelbase (123.0 in/3124 hand-cut flame- or herringbone-pattern the brand’s U.S. sales in recent years, mm) offered and the new car’s 206.1-in wood. Intricate laser-cut and polished its significance to Toyota exceeds its (5232-mm) overall length exceeds by an Kiriko glass is also available. sheer numbers. inch (25.4 mm) that of last year’s Nestle into one of the highly-support- Chief Engineer Toshio Asahi and his long-wheelbase LS460L. Among com- ive and all-day comfortable multi-adjust- team began work on the new LS500 petitors, the new LS is sized between able front buckets and you may notice a and hybrid LS500h in late 2011. One the slightly more-abbreviated Cadillac lower H-point than in the previous key goal was to attract a younger CT6 and fractionally longer Mercedes- model. The seats impart a lower cen- buyer with what Asahi calls “Brave Benz S-Class. The LS’s front wheels are ter-of-gravity perception that’s central to

54 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Global VEHICLES the new LS’s sportier feel. A new access mode (available with the optional air suspension) raises the car 30 mm (1.2 in) for ingress and 10 mm (.39 in) for egress—part of the Omotenashi tradition of Japanese hospitality, Lexus says.

An F Sport for the LS According to Asahi, Lexus studies dis- covered a change in the priorities of LS buyers. Previous owners were focused on status, whereas new customers were seeking something more experiential. In short, make the LS more of a driver’s car, beginning with a stiffer body struc- ture. Engineers greatly increased use of high-strength steel in combination with aluminum fenders and door, hood and decklid outer panels, as well as cast-alu- minum strut towers. There’s also exten- sive application of structural adhe- Toyota’s latest large car body structure remains steel-intensive. (image: Lexus) sives—something Toyota was late to adopt—and laser screw welding for in- creased panel joint rigidity. The new car Sport-tuned air suspension of the LS500 F Sport features is about 430 lb/195 kg heavier than the active front and rear 4277-lb/1940-kg model it replaces. stabilizers, active rear Steering accuracy is improved cour- suspension. tesy of double ball-jointed upper and (image: Lexus) lower control arms in the front suspen- sion. Toe-control links in the rear add lateral stiffness for greater linearity in response to steering input, Asahi noted. Standard on the new LS is an adaptive variable suspension (multilink front, 5-link rear with optional air springs) fea- turing active damping. The system’s lin- ear-solenoid actuators have 650 different settings to respond to inputs from G-force, yaw-rate and vehi- cle-speed sensors. As a result, body con- trol proved exemplary over swells, sharp dips and bumpy sections of road during Mobility Engineering’s test drive. has a hollow-chamber rim section to the 3.5-L V6 Lexus used for years in And despite exclusive use of run-flat absorb road noise. other models. Along with the pair of tires on 19- or 20-in alloy wheels, Also new for 2018 is an F Sport pack- turbos integrated into the exhaust man- impact harshness over rough stretches age which adds larger front and rear ifolds there is much new technology of pavement meets expectations of brake rotors, more-powerful calipers here: electronic wastegates, dual VVTi this segment. All but one wheel design (six pistons front, four rear) plus intelligent variable valve timing, Denso optional summer tires. The active rear 4ST direct fuel injection combined with steering, an LS feature since 2012, pro- port injection and high-flow, laser-clad vides greater high-speed stability and intake valve seats first detailed by improved low- and mid-speed steering Toyota in a 1992 SAE Technical paper response, engineers said. (http://papers.sae.org/920571/). The 416 hp (310 kW) of the new V6— New powertrain, hybrid rated on 95 RON premium unleaded fuel— The 2018 model is the first Lexus LS tops that of last year’s 4.6-L V8 by 30 hp without a V8 under the hood. In its (22 kW), and there’s an extra 75 lb·ft (102 place is Toyota’s all-new long-stroke N·m) available from 1600 to 4800 rpm. Cluster details on the 2018 LS500. (100 mm) V35A-FTS twin-turbocharged For rear-drive models, 0-to-60 mph accel- (image: Lexus) 3.5-L DOHC V6 that shares nothing with eration improves to a claimed 4.6 s, about

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 55 Global VEHICLES

LS500 cockpit. (image: Lexus) CAD view of the new V35A-FTS V6 highlighting intercooler and turbo packaging. (image: Lexus)

1.5 s quicker than the 2017 car. Turbo lag is programming predicts what gear is step-shift feel and no real “rubber band” practically nil and midrange part-throttle needed for a given situation so well that sensation during brisk acceleration. And tip-in delivers satisfying thrust that mini- the driver can concentrate on steering, because the 2018 LS500h uses a more mizes downshifting. A high-flow exhaust accelerating and braking. compact lithium-ion battery, it offers adds some voice, while active noise con- Available all-wheel drive makes the LS considerably more trunk space than last trol works through the car’s audio speak- usable year-round in cold climates. Its year’s LS600h with NiMH battery. ers to quell unwanted low-frequency Torsen limited-slip differential can send A plug-in hybrid is not available yet; booming when cruising at low rpm. as much as 48% of drive torque to the Toyota feels the U.S. charging infrastruc- Augmenting the V6 is a new wide-ra- front wheels. On dry roads, it can send ture remains insufficient. Rear-drive mod- tio version of Aisin’s AWR10L65 up to 69% of torque to the rear wheels. els get a 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway 10-speed ‘Direct Shift’ planetary auto- Lexus expects as much as 35% of LS EPA label with a 600-mile (966 km) range; matic shared with the LC500 coupe. sales will be AWD models. AWD hybrids drop 2-3 mpg from that. (See http://papers.sae.org/2017-01- Being a Toyota product, of course The new LS goes on sale in February 1099/.) It’s fitted with a lower first gear there’s a hybrid version. The LS500h 2018. Base price in the U.S. had not for quicker acceleration and taller top offers a combined output of 354 hp (264 been announced as this article went to gears for relaxed cruising and improved kW) produced by the 3.5-L Atkinson press, due to exchange-rate variables. highway fuel economy. Standard steer- cycle V6 (8GR-FXS) and two electric But Lexus expects to bring the Tahara- ing-wheel paddle shifters enable manual motors. The system now is a “multi- built flagship in at around $75,000 USD. shift control; except for aggressive back- stage” design with powerflow working Fully optioned examples are anticipated road blasts or steep mountain down- through a CVT and 4-speed planetary to top $100,000. grades the 10-speed automatic’s gearset. The result is a more natural Ron Sessions

LS safety and semi-autonomous driving Toyota engineers define the auto- the wheel every few seconds or it mated driving capabilities in the signs off after flashing a visible latest Lexus LS as an extension of warning and sounding a chime. its safety systems, not a liberating Moving the LS a bit further into SAE Level 2 semi-autonomous the semi-autonomous driving arena experience. The standard 2018 is an optional Advanced Safety Safety Suite + uses a 77-GHz for- Package with stereo front-facing ward-facing radar and a monocular cameras, side-scanning forward camera that enables all-speed dy- radar and a vehicle follow capability namic cruise control with full stop. that Lexus says works up to a speed The system includes Pre- of 110 mph (177 km/h). The Collision with pedestrian detection side-scanning front radar operates and emergency braking, lane-de- up to 164 ft (50 m) in both direc- parture alert and lane-keeping. The tions to help prevent or mitigate The Lane Trace Assist feature can “trace” the path of the vehicle latter does a decent job of keeping collisions at intersections. A Lane driving ahead and follow mild curves in the road when lines are the vehicle from wandering over Trace Assist feature can “trace” the not present. (image: Lexus) brightly painted and well-main- path of the vehicle driving ahead tained lane markers, as long as the and even follow mild curves in the Steering Assist component. In this, time—but only if it can stay within road isn’t too curvy, and imparts road when white or yellow lines are the stereo cameras can detect the the lane. However, ASA doesn’t not-too-aggressive correcting not present. direction a pedestrian is moving work for larger objects, such as a torque to the steering wheel. But Chief Engineer Asahi is most and will attempt to steer around the truck backing into a traffic lane. lane-keeping still wants hands on enthusiastic about the new Active person if the car can’t be braked in RS

56 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Global VEHICLES Toyota unveils autonomous e-commerce concept vehicle, development alliance

Toyota sees the battery-electric, fully autonomous e-Palette as a modular and scalable solution for mobility business and services. (image: Toyota) Three sizes of e-Palette are intended to provide flexibility for potential purchasers or lessees. (image: Toyota)

Toyota used the 2018 Consumer Alliance launch partners “will collaborate unveiling, “demonstrating our continued Electronics Show (CES) to reveal an on vehicle planning, application concepts expansion beyond traditional cars and all-new, battery-electric commercial and vehicle verification activities.” trucks to the creation of new values— vehicle targeted for emerging e-com- Toyota is developing the e-Palette including services—for customers.” merce and mobility business applica- because it intends to be a key supplier Toyota said it plans to conduct feasi- tions. The pod-like e-Palette vehicle is of mobility hardware and services, bility testing of the e-Palette Concept in designed to employ certain Toyota- including collection and distribution of various places around the world, includ- developed foundation technologies but the “big data” widely expected to be a ing the United States, starting in “the to also be flexible enough to allow key revenue stream for MaaS compa- early 2020s.” But the company appar- companies purchasing or leasing the nies. Toyota president and member of ently intends to showcase functional vehicle to apply their own or a pre- the board of directors Akio Toyoda indi- e-Palette vehicles at the 2020 Olympic ferred automated-driving system. cated the e-Palette and its accompany- and Paralympic Games in Tokyo. In addition, the e-Palette, which is ing development alliance mark a intended to be built in three different watershed for the company’s automak- Three sizes, spectrum of sizes, also is the centerpiece of a new ing business: potential uses mobility-as-a-service (MaaS) develop- “This announcement marks a major The electric e-Palette concept revealed ment alliance Toyota formed with initial step forward in our evolution towards at CES 2018 is the largest of what is partners Amazon, Didi, , Pizza Hut sustainable mobility,” Toyoda said in envisioned as a three-size lineup of and Uber. Toyota said the e-Palette release issued during the CES 2018 autonomous vehicles with lengths varying from 4 m (13.1 ft) to 7 m (23 ft). The e-Palette Concept revealed at CES was 4800 mm long, 2000 mm wide and 2250 mm high. The company said e-Palette’s flat and barrier-free interior and low floor mean almost any imagin- able interior configuration could be fitted, such as a passenger-carrying ride-share layout or a mobile hotel room. The design also is intended to enable quick transition between interi- or layouts. Equally important, Toyota said that although the vehicle’s “foundation” con- trols incorporate the company’s “Guardian” safety-oriented architecture, The e-Palette’s controls design employs the company’s Guardian safety architecture but it designed the e-Palette to allow poten- allows flexibility for the end-user to overlay Guardian with a preferred automated- tial customers to use their preferred driving control system. (image: Toyota) automated-driving controls, with the

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 57 Global VEHICLES Case IH Quadtrac CVX the first high-hp articulated tracked tractor to offer a CVT

The e-Palette design is intended to provide flexibility for a variety of potential uses, as well as quick transition between interior configurations. (image: Toyota)

Guardian system acting “as a safety net to help ensure appropriate operation.” The Case IH Quadtrac and Steiger CVX range are the first high-horsepower articulated Gil Pratt, who leads the Toyota tracked tractors available with CVT technology. The flagship 540 CVX is shown in Research Institute (TRI) where much of action. (image: Case IH) the company’s autonomous-vehicle development takes place, told reporters The most significant upgrade to Case On the 540 CVX, the smaller turbocharger immediately following the e-Palette’s IH’s Quadtrac and Steiger articulated delivers low-rpm responsiveness, while CES introduction, “At TRI, we are tracked tractors for 2018 is a new the second, larger unit provides maximum unafraid of competition. If somebody CVXDrive transmission supplied by ZF, boost at high rpm. Each turbocharger has wants to use a certain (automated driv- the first such application of a continu- its own cooling system to provide 30% ing-controls) suite, they can still use ously-variable transmission (CVT) in the faster response under load. e-Palette.” segment, the company claims. CVT de- Maximum power is achieved at 1900 velopment for Case IH’s mid-power rpm, and maximum torque of 2607 N·m Services emphasis tractors dates back 17 years; the compa- (1923 lb·ft) at 1400 rpm. The tractor has An equally intriguing calling card for ny decided that now is the right time to a diesel capacity of 1230 L (325 gal) and e-Palette is Toyota’s Mobility Services bring the technology and its benefits to a DEF (AdBlue) tank that holds 322 L Platform (MSPF) to advance a suite of the top end of the tractor market. (85 gal). connected-vehicle services and data A range of three Case IH Quadtrac The Quadtrac 470 CVX and 500 CVX logging for e-Palette users: “The new CVX models—470, 500 and 540 CVX— have respective maximum power out- alliance will create a broad-based eco- will complement the existing line of five puts of 525 hp and 558 hp. system of hardware and software sup- models with the standard powershift The FPT engineering team adapts port designed to help a range of com- transmission. The CVT—a ZF ECCOM 6.0 the engine setting to suit the CVT’s panies utilize advanced mobility tech- transmission—is also available on five attributes, said Diego Rotti, product nology to better serve customers,” Steiger models: the 370, 420, 470, 500 marketing manager for off-road engines Toyota said in a release. and 540. The new machines had a at FPT Industrial. “There is some tailor- Zach Hicks, CEO and president of prominent spot in Case IH’s booth at ing in the engine, and it depends on the Toyota Connected, told reporters, the recent Agritechnica event in application,” he explained. “The match- “That’s why we brought in a variety of Hanover, Germany. ing of engine performance with CVT’s partners – to help us develop it.” “At 613 peak horsepower, the 540 CVX, gear management is optimized, Launched in 2016, the MSPF is which is the flagship in the Quadtrac CVX because torque output needs to be Toyota’s framework for connected-vehi- range, offers the highest available power adapted compared to the standard cle applications, providing a full suite of of any CVT tractor,” Vincent Hazenberg, stepped transmission.” services to support MaaS, ranging from product marketing director for Case IH in The engines meet Stage IV/Tier 4 Final vehicle leasing and insurance to fleet Europe, Middle East and Africa, said emissions legislation through the use of and big-data management. during a pre-Agritechnica demonstration the Hi-eSCR system, which is a mainte- Apart from the planned deployment for media of the tractor’s performance on nance-free SCR-only solution. To meet at the 2020 Olympics, Toyota officials a farm in Slovakia. Stage V limits, coming in 2019 or 2020 provided no definitive timeline for when Quadtrac CVX tractors are powered by depending on power range, FPT Industrial e-Palette vehicles might be in series an electronically-controlled 12.9-L Cursor decided not to just add a diesel particulate production or which, if any, of the exist- 13 six-cylinder engine from sister company filter (DPF) to its current solution. Instead, ing development partners would deploy FPT Industrial, with a single-stage turbo- its second-generation Hi-eSCR2 will inte- the vehicles in public use. charger on the two smaller tractors and a grate a particulate filter into the SCR unit Bill Visnic two-stage turbocharger in the 540 model. with no change in layout or volume,

58 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Global VEHICLES

The CVT features four mechanical ranges, with automated range-changing under full draft load. The first time 100% mechanical power transfer takes place is below 10 km/h (6 mph), matching heavy draft application requirements. Four multi-plate wet clutch packs, mounted on the four planetary gear sets, change the ranges without power interruption, with equal clutch speeds guaranteeing smooth shifting without clutch wear. The hydrostatic pump and hydro- static motor are a single unit, with no high-pressure pipes between pump and motor. A variable swash plate on The ZF ECCOM 6.0 CVT, suitable for large the pump creates different speeds tractors up to 650 hp, features four and allows the fixed hydrostatic mechanical ranges, with automated range- motor to be operated in both direc- changing under full draft load. (image: ZF) tions. An example of this is the Active Quadtrac CVX models feature a revised Hold Control (AHC) feature, where Multicontroller armrest that incorporates according to Rotti. Moreover, the system the hydrostatic motor eliminates the the dual throttle for minimum/maximum will still be for life and regeneration-free, input speed from the engine. AHC speed settings, and a slightly different as with the current Stage IV/Tier 4 Final allows the tractor to remain static Multicontroller joystick more suited to CVT operation. (image: Ryan Gehm) technology, he added. when stopped on a hill, without the On the Quadtrac and Steiger trac- operator applying the foot or hand tors, there is “basically no difference” brake. The park brake is automatically works in parallel with the shuttle lever between EU and U.S. market products, applied after 45 seconds. on the left of the steering column, for according to Hans-Werner Eder, In place of the foot throttle found direction changes without releasing Quadtrac product marketing manager. on tractors with the powershift trans- the steering wheel. The Eco Drive The only differences for Europe are road mission, Quadtrac CVX models are dual-hand throttle allows the setting lights, decals and signs are according to fitted with a drive pedal that controls of minimum and maximum engine EU law, he said. the tractor’s ground speed when in speeds to minimize fuel use, and the automatic mode. In manual mode, the engine droop function, which deter- CVT details foot pedal acts as a conventional foot mines the engine speed down to The CVXDrive transmission in the throttle. The Multicontroller also incor- which the rpm can drop under load. Quadtrac 470, 500 and 540 CVX models porates a power shuttle switch, which “CVX can bring a wide range of offers a number of benefits that result in engine, fuel and work advantages to increased productivity with faster cycle Quadtrac owners’ businesses,” said times and maximum fuel efficiency, ac- Eder. “They include reduced engine cording to Hazenberg. Ease-of-use par- speed to optimize fuel efficiency, ticularly for inexperienced operators is and, for those operating PTO- one of those benefits, as is reduced op- powered equipment, enhanced oper- erator fatigue. Performance enhance- ation through the achievement of ments include faster acceleration to field uninterrupted peak power via step- or road speed, full power availability at less speed progression.” low ground speeds for special applica- tions/implements, and full hydraulic flow Operating systems and in-cab availability at low ground speeds, for updates applications such as drilling/planting. One of the key operating systems for Providing stepless travel from stand- Quadtrac CVX tractors is Automatic still up to 40 km/h (25 mph), and 0-18 Productivity Management (APM), which km/h (11 mph) in reverse, CVXDrive is designed to ensure the most efficient allows three target speeds to be stored, operation of the machine, whether the adjustable via the thumbwheel and but- operator or owner’s target is minimum tons on the armrest-mounted fuel use or maximum output. Multicontroller. The transmission incor- “CVX can bring a wide range of engine, APM coordinates the engine and porates a kick-down feature that ensures fuel and work advantages to Quadtrac transmission with the Multicontroller maximum acceleration, and 40 km/h is owners’ businesses,” said Hans-Werner and drive pedal, automatically reducing achieved at just 1640 rpm. Eder. (image: Ryan Gehm) engine speed to the minimum required

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 59 Global VEHICLES Honda 2018 Accord: antidote for crossover fever

The FPT Industrial team did some “tailoring” to the Cursor 13 engine to better match it to the CVT, said FPT’s The 2018 Honda Accord’s overall length is slightly reduced but wheelbase is extended Diego Rotti. (image: Ryan Gehm) by 2.16 in. (image: Honda) for the tractor’s workload. The tractor can Honda engineers aren’t saying it in so can be remembered for this nameplate, also be operated in manual mode, with- many words, but one could construe the the primary competitive set is shrinking, out APM, with the transmission controlled tenth-generation 2018 Accord sedan as as the domestic automakers scurry to via the Multicontroller and the engine being purposely developed as the “an- blanket the truck and SUV segments at speed via the foot or hand throttle. ti-crossover.” At a time when most of the the expense of sedan body styles. The variable-displacement pump developed world is indicating a prefer- One fly in the ointment: Accord’s that supplies the key hydraulic require- ence for the high-seating-position, chief rival, the Toyota Camry, also is all- ments is a pressure- and flow-compen- high-center-of-gravity handling of cross- new for 2018 and also happens to be sating type, providing 216 L/min (57 overs and SUVs, the all-new Accord is quite good. But the latest Camry gal/min) of oil flow (with 428 L/min [113 lower, situates its driver lower and has a doesn’t offer turbocharged engines— gal/min] an option). The system oper- new, stiffer chassis that’s oriented to- and certainly not a manual transmission. ates at a pressure of 210 bar (3045 psi), wards increased driver involvement. supplying up to eight remote valves. In other words, attributes that aren’t Man-maximum, machine- The valves and the 8949-kg-capacity strong points for most current main- minimum rear linkage are controlled electronically stream crossovers, the body style that Drop into the new Accord and that’s via the Multicontroller armrest. for several years has nibbled at the mid- practically the first thing you notice—it’s Introduction of the CVXDrive transmis- size sedan segment’s longtime domi- a drop. The new hip point is about 1 in sion prompted a few new features to be nance. So as if to reward those who (25 mm) lower than before and overall added to the established Surveyor cab. continue to choose a midsize car—still height also is down by 0.6 in (15 mm)— The slightly-revised Multicontroller armrest roughly two million buyers in the U.S. all part of Honda’s current “man-maxi- incorporates the dual throttle for mini- last year—the new Accord seems delib- mum, machine-minimum” design brief mum/maximum speed settings, and a erately designed to be everything an that sees the car’s overall length slightly slightly different Multicontroller joystick is SUV isn’t. reduced while the wheelbase is hiked by better suited to the operation of the CVT. You can get the most-powerful vari- 2.16 in (55 mm) and interior volume Information is still displayed in Case ant of the car with a manual transmis- plumped by 2.5 ft3. IH’s pillar display in the right-hand sion, for heaven’s sake. Factor in the quite noticeably thin A-post. This shows engine speed, trans- The 2018 Accord is, declared A-pillars (about 20% narrower) moved mission forward and reverse target American Honda’s Ray Mikicuik, assis- rearward by an almost-remarkable 4 in speeds, currently-engaged target speed, tant vice president, Honda auto sales, (100 mm) and you’re left with the per- actual ground speed, a park brake/neu- “the most radical re-imagining of the ception the new Accord has a longer tral/forward/reverse indicator, and which Accord—ever.” hood and occupants sit further back. speed will be selected if the direction is Chances for success seem promising, The effect “gives more of a rear-drive reversed. Also shown on the display are even if the sedan market is “losing” to proportion impression,” said chief engi- the fuel and DEF tank levels. crossovers: not only is the tenth-gener- neer and Global Development Leader Ryan Gehm ation Accord as resolved a package as Junji Yamano—even if 60% of the new

60 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Global VEHICLES

The Accord’s all-new platform comprises a body-in-white that’s up to The 2018 Accord’s architecture incorporates new front and rear 5% lighter and has improved suspension design. (image: Honda) rigidity. (image: Honda)

Accord’s weight still resides on the front driven axles. Rear-seat legroom is where occupants will enjoy most of the wheelbase expansion, where there’s now 2 in (50 mm) more legroom. Trunk space is up almost 1 ft3 for the conven- tionally-propelled 2018 Accords and a full 3.2 ft3 for the Accord Hybrid, where trunk space now is identical to the non-hybrid models thanks to the new platform’s repositioning of the lithium-ion battery pack under the rear seat. “The biggest thing we wanted to do” with the Accord’s new architecture, Yamano told Mobility Engineering, “was extend the wheelbase.” But without a reduction in overall length, “it would have gotten really big for a D-segment vehi- cle.” So the front overhang was reduced and the A-pillars moved rearward by that whopping 4 in. The A-pillars were able to be made so thin by using high- strength steel with a unique cross-section, said Yamano; 29% of the body-in-white now is ultra-high-strength steel, the most ever for a mass-produced Honda. And well more than half of the new body structure is high-strength steel of 440 MPa or better. The secondary benefit of all this HSS is weight reduction: Honda said the 2018 Accord is 110 to 176 lb (50 to 80 kg) lighter, depending on trim level. Honda’s also begun slapping around more body adhesive than ever before and it’s helped the new Accord increase bending and torsional rigidity by a respective 24% and 32%. The 2.0-L turbocharged 4-cyl. generates 252 hp and replaces Honda’s 3.5-L V6 as the Accord’s upgrade engine. (image: Honda) Underpinning the body structure is a new Macpherson strut front suspension mounted to a solidly-mounted alumi- num front subframe. Rear suspension is a multi-link design Hybrid employs Honda’s effective and efficient 2-motor setup. attached by an isolated subframe. Yamano and Tetsuya The 1.5-L 4-cylinder has dual Variable Timing Control Miyahara, chief engineer, body and chassis, said the front sus- valvegear, SAE rated at 192 hp (143 kW) at 5500 rpm and 192 pension’s new L-arm design markedly improves resistance to lb·ft (260 N·m) from 1500 to 5000 rpm. It replaces the base lateral forces coming from the tires when cornering. The new Accord’s normally-aspirated 2.4-L and by comparison is a dis- rear-suspension layout now attaches the trailing arm to the tinct upgrade in general liveliness and urge. As with most body rather than the subframe—delivering a pleasing and small-displacement turbocharged engines, that urge tapers at dynamics-enhancing “passive self-steer” according to higher road speeds, but it’s a small price to pay for the 30 mpg Miyahara, while simultaneously improving ride comfort. city/38 mpg highway rating achieved in this spacious sedan. An optional new adaptive-damper system—a segment Generating an SAE-rated 252 hp (188 kW) at 6500 rpm first—can adjust damping force every 1/500 s. and 273 lb·ft (370 N·m) from 1500 to 4000 rpm, the 2.0-L is an eye-opener from a standstill and pulls majestically in nearly No V6, no problem every situation. Yamano smiled when asked if V6s are relics— Long a holdout regarding turbocharging, Honda’s been all-in even if the chief competition retains a V6 in the lineup for its with recent model launches and the 2018 Accord follows the newly-redesigned midsize sedan. trend with two turbocharged and direct-injected 4-cylinder “I don’t want to disrespect the V6,” he said. “We still use it in gasoline engines that displace either 1.5-L or 2.0-L; the Accord various models. I think there are ‘best solutions’ in all categories.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 61 Global VEHICLES

hybrid powertrain brings no such issues. Under its hood is a 2.0-L Atkinson-cycle 4-cyl. that Honda said surpasses 40% thermal efficiency; the engine works in conjunction with the dual electric motors, the first for any production hybrid to use non-rare-earth magnets. A new twist is a driver-selectable choice of regenerative-braking intensity via steer- ing-wheel paddles.

Superior interior The tenth-generation Accord cockpit seems to mirror much of the design in- tent of the exterior: there’s deliberately more than meets the eye, as the simple and sweeping dashboard lines and streamlined instrument-panel and con- The new Accord’s front suspension trols dispel any perception of feature brings an L-arm design claimed to overload. The Honda Sensing driver-as- improve stability and responses. sist suite (lane-keeping assist, adaptive (image: Honda) cruise control, automatic braking road-departure mitigation and, for the There still is a place for high-displace- etary automatic (a front-drive sedan new Accord, traffic-sign recognition) ment V6s” in larger vehicles, he contends, first, Honda asserts) is paired with now is standard, as is a slick new infor- but “I really think the low-end torque of 2.0-L engine and its superb perfor- mation display for it all. turbo engines contributes a lot to the mance and general deportment are The all-new HMI incorporates a acceleration experience.” alone enough to convince a buyer to 7-inch TFT driver’s meter and 8-inch Another contributor to the 2018 choose the Accord’s upgrade engine. touchscreen infotainment interface Accord’s acceleration experience is the The 10-speed has a 68% wider ratio that’s augmented by actual volume and keen choice of transmissions. Yes, spread, including a 43% lower first gear tuning rotary knobs. Both 1.5-L and Virginia, Honda still believes in manuals and 17% taller , compared to 2.0-L Touring models feature a new 6-in and both of the Accord’s new turbo the outgoing Accord’s 6-speed auto- driver’s HUD (head-up display) with engines can be coupled with a 6-speed matic—and it manages all the ratios selectable information, including speed, manual transmission. The 2.0-L gets the with stunning effectiveness. engine rpm, turn-by-turn navigation, same crisp and willing short-throw job Honda’s redesigned continuous- and traffic-sign recognition. Available used in the new Civic Type R. ly-variable transmission (CVT) is the connected-car technologies include Manual-gearbox midsize sedans are automatic that comes with the 1.5-L wireless device charging, automatic a last gasp of fresh air when the world engine; it offers an 11% lower ratio com- Bluetooth phone pairing with Near Field can’t talk of anything other than cars pared to the outgoing unit for improved Communication (NFC) technology, 4G driving themselves—but the reality is launch performance. It’s one of the LTE in-car Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi-enabled that nearly everyone will choose an best-operating, least-cantankerous over-the-air system updates. automatic. Honda’s new 10-speed plan- CVTs in volume production and is far Honda says it is the first OEM to from a medieval torture include NFC capability in a production device, but the 10-speed model. The NFC chip enables the user of automatic is equally effi- Android and Apple smartphones to tap ciency-enhancing and its the small NFC tag—marked by an oddly refinement is so advanced distracting “N” scrawled on the passen- that one wonders how far ger-side dash—to instantly pair the phone the variable-cost of the with the Accord’s Bluetooth connection. 10AT would need to be cut Honda invested $267 million to to justify obsoleting the upgrade its assembly plant in Marysville, otherwise-commendable Ohio, to build the 2018 Accord, a figure CVT. For now, however, it’s that included several new production worth noting that Honda’s processes incidental to the car’s new early projections see the architecture. The 1.5-L and 2.0-L models CVT generating nearly hit showrooms by the end of November, 10% better fuel economy and the Accord Hybrid goes on sale in Chief engineer and Global Development Leader Junji than the 6-speed manual. early 2018. Yamano with the all-new 2018 Accord. (image: Bill Visnic) Meanwhile, the new Bill Visnic

62 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING COMPANIES MENTIONED

ABB...... 16 Ex-Brakes India...... 6 Kumaraguru College of Technology.....35 Sensors...... 20 Accenture Technologies...... 12 Faraday Battery Institution...... 64 Lexus...... 54 Sheffield University...... 27 ACME...... 16 FAW Mold and Die...... 13 LG Chem...... 15, 24 Shriram Pistons & Rings...... 11 Ador...... 16 Ferrari...... 52 Littelfuse Far East...... 16 Siemens...... 8, 15 Airbus...... 26 Fiat Chrysler Automobiles...... 28 Madhura International...... 16 Sinsil International...... 16 Aisin...... 54 Force Motors...... 6, 15 Mahindra...... 7, 15 SkyCatch...... 19 Alliance of Automobile Ford...... 33 Mahindra Electric...... 16 South West Metal Finishing...... 26 Manufacturers...... 4 FPT Industrial...... 58 Mahindra Two Wheelers...... 6 STMicroelectronics...... 32 Altair...... 16 Freescale...... 32 Map my India...... 16 Sunlectra Auto...... 16 Altera...... 32 Frost & Sullivan...... 12 Mark Levinson...... 54 Sun Mobility...... 15 Amazon...... 57 Gabriel India...... 6 Maruti Suzuki...... 7, 16 Tata AutoComp...... 18 Ansys...... 16 Gamma Technologies...... 29 Maruti Suzuki India...... 9, 11 Tata Consultancy Services...... 16 Araymond...... 16 General Motors...... 8, 13, 21, 50 Mathworks...... 16 Tata Motors...... 13, 16, 18 Arrow Electronics India...... 16 GeoDigital...... 52 Mazda...... 57 Tenneco...... 29 Ashok Leyland...... 13 Google...... 33 Mercedes-Benz...... 16, 53, 54 Tesla...... 50 Ashwoods Electric Motors...... 47 Greenfuel...... 16 Microchip Technology...... 32 Texas Instruments...... 32 Asia Electric...... 16 Halla Mechatronics...... 15 MIT Media Lab...... 23 Texas Ventures...... 7 ASM Technologies...... 8 HCL Engineering & R&D Services...... 12 Mobileye...... 32 Torsen...... 56 Audi...... 32 Hendrickson...... 18 National Instruments...... 16 Toshiba...... 32 Automotive Research Association Hero Moto...... 11 Navitas Systems...... 25 Toyota...... 13, 29, 54, 56, 57, 60 of India...... 9, 10 Hindustan Aeronautics Limited...... 17 Netradyne...... 17 Toyota Kirloskar Motors...... 11, 15 AVL...... 15 Honda...... 13, 15, 60 Newcastle University...... 64 Tractor and Farm Equipment...... 42 Axiom...... 16 Honda Cars India...... 16 NHTSA...... 28 Trimble...... 52 BMW...... 29 Horiba...... 15 Nissan...... 13, 15 TUV...... 15 Bosch...... 11, 16, 29 Hybridtronics...... 16 NIT...... 39 TVS Motors...... 8 BP ...... 21 Hyundai...... 29 Nvidia...... 18, 19, 32 Uber...... 57 Cadence...... 32 IAV...... 23 NXP Semiconductors...... 32 University College London...... 64 Cadillac...... 50, 54 IFM Electronics...... 10 Oerlikon Fairfield...... 46 University of Cambridge...... 64 CALSTART...... 24 IHS Markit...... 32 On Semiconductor...... 32 University of Michigan...... 22 Case IH...... 58 IITM...... 12 OPAL...... 16 University of Oxford...... 64 Caterpillar...... 48 College...... 64 OPTiM...... 19 University of Southampton...... 64 Charin EV...... 15 Indian Air Force...... 17 Pako...... 16 University of Warwick...... 64 Chery Auto...... 13 Infineon...... 16, 32 Pizza Hut...... 57 UQM Technologies...... 24 Chevrolet...... 52 Infosys...... 13 Porsche...... 28 U.S. EPA...... 20 Chrysler...... 28 Infysec...... 12 Pratt & Miller...... 22 Ushr...... 52 Citigroup...... 32 Intel...... 32 Proterra...... 24 UTC Aerospace...... 26 Computational Science International Center for Qualcomm...... 32 Valeo...... 16 Experts Group...... 29 Automotive Technology...... 7 Ram...... 28 Verizon...... 54 Cummins...... 18, 46 IOCL...... 7, 11 Rane TRW Steering Systems...... 8 Vestas Wind Technologies...... 10 Cummins India...... 6 ITB Group...... 28 Renesas...... 32 Volkswagen...... 21 Daimler...... 28 Jaguar Land Rover...... 28 Robert Bosch...... 32 Voltabox of Texas...... 24 Dassault Systemes...... 13 Jeep...... 28 Robert Bosch Engineering...... 45 Volvo...... 28 Denso...... 11, 55 JLG...... 30 Rohm Semiconductor...... 32 Volvo Eicher...... 13 Didi...... 57 JNTU...... 39 Roland Berger India...... 12 Wipro...... 13 Dynafusion...... 16 John Deere...... 9 SAE International...... 9, 11, 13, 28, 50, 55, 56 XALT Energy...... 25 Eaton...... 14 John Deere India...... 10 Safran...... 26 Xilinx...... 32 Eaton Technologies...... 9 John Deere Power Systems...... 46 Safran Aerospace Engineering...... 8 ZF ...... 58 Elektrobit India...... 13 Kia...... 29 SAIC...... 13 Emission Analytics...... 20 Komatsu...... 19 Semicast...... 32

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MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2018 63 Q&A

The first tranche of research areas covered will be battery deg- radation, multi-scale modelling, solid-state batteries and recy- cling/circular economy.

From a public perspective, lack of energy density, high cost, excessive weight and recharging time remain the negative aspects of electric-vehicle use; are you confident that these Prof. David Greenwood says of can all be successfully and satisfactorily addressed? future battery development: We are continually seeing rapid improvements in lithium-ion “We are going to need new battery technologies which are used in electric vehicles to- alternatives to deliver a day. For example, volumetric energy density has doubled in step-change.” the last 15 years, and costs have fallen by a factor of four within the last 5-10 years. The challenge is that new technologies, which are emerging at a ‘proof-of-concept’ stage, will take at least eight to Addressing ten years to make it to the commercial market as fully-vali- dated, industrially-manufactured products. The chemistries we are using in electric vehicles today were developed in labs in the ‘grand previous decades. Commercial batteries are the result of a long-term development process to optimize and validate them challenge’ of for industrial scale manufacturing for specific applications. Does lithium-ion technology have the development potential to solve near- to medium-term battery challenges—and what battery research of the fuel cell? Lithium-ion batteries are broadly accepted to be the automo- Research universities are playing an increasingly vital role in tive chemistry of choice for the next eight to ten years due to advanced automotive battery R&D and manufacturing capa- existing production maturity and the R&D needs of other fu- bility. Among several new partnerships in Europe is the ture alternatives. British government’s investment in the multi-faceted There is still much we can do to optimize lithium-ion for auto- Faraday Battery Challenge, which provides links between motive applications, such as new formats and structures of cells, leading universities and the auto industry. new material additions such as silicon composites, or improved Helping to meet that Challenge is the recently announced prediction of how batteries age and degrade over time. However, Faraday Battery Institution, created to co-ordinate U.K. aca- again, the cell materials are only part of this story. demic research in partnership with industry. The Institution brings together seven U.K. universities to accelerate fundamental If lithium-ion cannot meet the industry’s long term EV needs, research in the development of battery technologies, including what battery high energy density alternatives could be devel- the University of Warwick, Imperial College, London; University oped in the medium to long term? College London; University of Cambridge; University of Oxford; Lithium-sulfur is demonstrating high gravimetric energy density Newcastle University; and the University of Southampton. in some applications today, but retains issues with safety, cycle David Greenwood, Professor of Advanced Propulsion life and volumetric energy density. Systems at the University of Warwick’s Manufacturing Solid-state batteries are also being investigated and could Group, recently spoke with SAE European editor Stuart Birch offer improved safety and energy density but currently, manufac- about the new organization. turing methods would prove too expensive for most applications. It is important to note that alternatives will need to offer The Institution is set to explore “novel approaches” to battery more than an improvement in energy density. There are some development; what are these likely to be and which would be alternatives, such as lithium air, which demonstrate very high the salient areas? energy density, but may not have the power density which is The central principle of the Faraday Institution is ‘application-in- going to be required for automotive applications. spired fundamental research’. This means the right science and We may see a situation where different solutions are devel- technology experts working together on the future advances that oped for different automotive markets, depending on whether are going to drive innovation towards commercial application. they are aimed at premium or low cost, or whether range is a The initial focus for this investment is the automotive industry, defining factor. Sodium-ion is an example of another chemis- which has an urgent need for low carbon solutions, but other try which is already being demonstrated in market applica- sectors, such as grid, marine, and aerospace, are likely to grow. tions. It offers a lower cost alternative to lithium-ion. It could The Faraday Institution will work on research programs be an ideal solution for some applications where this is the developed from grand challenges set by industry, so a focus will primary factor as opposed to maximized energy density, e.g. be on the biggest research issues that are inhibiting progress. very low-cost or light-duty vehicles.

64 MARCH 2018 MOBILITY ENGINEERING Published by K.Venkataraj. Printed by S.Arumugam on behalf of SAEINDIA. Printed at Hitech Offset (P) Ltd, 11, Srinivasa Nagar Main Road, Koyambedu, Chennai – 600 107. Published from SAEINDIA, 1/17, 3rd Cross, Kasturba Nagar, Adyar, Chennai – 600 020. Editor K.Venkataraj. ME SAE Mobilus Ad 0318.qxp_Mobility FP 1/5/18 3:19 PM Page 1 ME COMSOL Ad 0318.qxp_Mobility FP 1/15/18 1:41 PM Page 1

RNI No. TNENG/2014/55684

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Visualization of coolant fluid temperature and streamlines in the cooling channels of an inside a four-cylinder engine.

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