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The northernmost University of Technology in World-class research and education

Annual Report 2009

Centre for Automotive Systems Technologies and Testing CASTT annual report 2 2009 has been CASTT’s most successful year to date

CASTT has developed in several ways, perhaps most importantly in that a growing number of interested parties from , Europe and around the world are now gathering around CASTT and the projects that are being conducted. For example, automotive companies from India are now collaborating with CASTT. The increasing attention that CASTT is receiving in the Gothenburg region is very exciting. This shows that the automobile testing industry’s efforts to become an accepted part of the Swedish auto industry are paying off. I look forward with great anticipation to what the CASTT road map project will deliver. It is my hope that this project will provide a map for the continued development of the automobile testing industry and LTU as a bearer of knowledge within the automobile industry. CASTT is growing project-wise. We are now conducting 12 projects in collaboration with entrepreneurs and automobile companies. On the basis of this strong foundation, I look to the future with great confidence.

Jerker Delsing Chair, CASTT management group

CASTT annual report 3 CASTT takes on the challenge

Testing is a growing business segment. Greater competition, traffic-safety and environmental concerns are leading to an increased need for testing of both vehicle systems and road systems. Since 2005, CASTT has been working to promote the development of the testing industry. CASTT brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, teachers, engineers and financiers. From this environment, new offers and new, unique opportunities for testing emerge. All CASTT projects are based on concrete needs in the industry; above all, among the automotive testing companies. The testing companies and, often, their customers, participate in each project, which places high demands on confidentiality. The work is long-term and CASTT’s activities therefore involve many forms of collaboration including research, development, undergraduate studies, student projects, industry seminars, workshops, continuing education, internships, etc. Common to all projects are the strong links with the automotive testing firms’ current operations and with new business segments within the field of testing.

CASTT annual report 4 RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT

Researchers and other experts from different disciplines confidence in, and reliance on, the university. That relation- collaborate within CASTT. Every research problem we ship is now bearing fruit. At one time, the offer consisted address is complex, and a successful solution requires mostly of test tracks, workshop halls and hotels. Now, many perspectives and in-depth knowledge in many for example, for the first time, an assignment with total different areas. responsibility for testing has been commissioned by an In the research projects, we deal with specific prob- automaker. Another result of cooperation within CASTT lems, but we also publish scientific articles and describe is improved acoustical testing. To develop testing of how the results can be translated into services or prod- “squeak and rattle” in vehicles, a new sweep frequency ucts. The former provide references and credibility, not track with a washboard segment laid out according to a least with the research financiers. The latter lead to the specific pattern on the ice is being tested. The acoustical positive commercial development of the testing industry, measurements can then be refined and the results will be which results in growth and employment. traceable and comparable. The goal is more and bigger business. Since the start Now, the challenge is to prolong the testing season with in 2005, cooperation has grown, as has the industry’s climate-controlled halls and new or improved testing offers. EDUCATION

The engineering degree programme in automotive sys- The engineering programme is offered at the Luleå tems engineering at Luleå University of Technology was campus and the students’ projects and thesis projects initiated as a result of collaboration within CASTT. There are conducted at the companies. Interaction between has been, and continues to be, a great interest in this the students and companies is beneficial for both parties programme among students. Close collaboration with and contributes to the development of new expertise and firms in the industry gives the students a broad contact new concepts. There are numerous good examples of network and enables direct practical application of theo- how student projects have resulted in the commercializa- ry in their studies. The programme also has a very strong tion of products and services. research component. Graduate automotive systems In addition to undergraduate studies, directed courses engineers are an important asset for companies in this are given for industry personnel in subject areas identi- growing sector. fied by the companies.

CASTT annual report 5 Noise, Comfort Integration Ice and Friction and Emissions projects

Exhaust Emissions – Car Test 1 – Distributed Automotive Development, Tire Noise – Nokian Testing Tire Friction on Ice and Validation Intelligent Measurement Tire Friction Measurement Systems – Car Test 2 – Remote Methods Friction Noise – SAAB Vehicle Dynamics Sensor for Non-Contact Remote Vehicle Dynamics Road Characterization

Real-time Road To- Micro Event- visuali- pography Climate driven zation of Scanning Reporting Auto- measure- motive ment Systems data from vehicles

Communication and Support Systems Development

CASTT creates RINGS ON THE WATER

CASTT is an abbreviation of the Centre for Automotive and with the I2 project, which is building a demo environ- Systems Technologies and Testing. The centre started with ment based on wireless infrastructure along a highway. a mandate to develop the automotive testing industry in CASTT is the foundation from which the testing industry Norrbotten. CASTT has become an international platform can initiate and co-finance research and development for competence development and cooperation, and has projects that will eventually lead to more and bigger business. won the confidence and commitment of the industry. The ambition is for CASTT to be made a permanent research centre after its second operating period, 2008-2010. FINANCIER The projects are based on the needs of the partner com- panies. Automotive testing companies participate in the FINANCIER projects and their customers are sometimes also involved. Each project includes interaction with the undergraduate FINANCIER CASTT BASIC FUNDING programme for automotive systems engineers. FINANCIER Via CASTT, the automotive testing industry gains access to other resources. We work closely with, for example, Test Site Sweden, which is creating a national test arena for ve- hicle safety, with the Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre (SHC), CASTT annual report 6 GOTHENBURG (TSS and SHC)

Jokkmokk

Arjeplog (SPGA) ÄLVSBYN Luleå (Luleå University of Technology) Some automative manufacturers MALÅ and system and Fällfors component suppliers active in the winter test region:

o Borg Wagner o Bosch Public authorities Luleå University o Bridgeston Test service providers: and clusters: of Technology: o Continental Teves o Arctic Falls AB o Hägglund & o City of Luleå o Division of Civil o GKN Driveline (Älvsbyn) Granström and Environmental o County o Haldex Arctic Track AB () Engineering o Administrative Board o Hyundai Mobis (Arvidsjaur) o IceMakers AB of Norrbotten o Division of Computer o Knorr Bremse o (Arjeplog) o Municipality of Aided Design o Magna Powertrain Hundspanns-resor o Ice-Track AB Arjeplog o Department of o Mando (Arjeplog) (Arvidsjaur) o Municipality of Computer Science o Arjeplog Test o Test Area Arvidsjaur and Electrical o Pirelli Engineering Management AB (Kiruna) o Municipality of o TRW Automotive (Arjeplog) o Lapice AB (Malå) Göteborg o Division of Functional o Unicia Jecs Product Development o Cartest AB (Arjeplog) o Car Test o Municipality of o BMW Division of Machine o Cold Climate (Arjeplog & Arvidsjaur) Jokkmokk o o Ferrari Technology Elements o Mats Holmström HB o Municipality of Malå o Fiat (Arvidsjaur) o Division of Sound (Arvidsjaur) o Municipality of o Ford o Colmis Proving and Vibration o Skellefteå Drive Skellefteå o General Motors Ground (Arjeplog) Center (Fällfors) o Project I2 – The o Municipality of Intelligent Inland o Land Rover o Continental Teves o Tjintokk AB (Arjeplog) Älvsbyn (Arvidsjaur) Road. (CDT, Centre o Porsche o UB:s Alltjänst AB o SHC Swedish Hybrid for Distance Spanning Galtis AB (Arjeplog) o PSA o (Arvidsjaur) Vehicle Centre Technology and o Renault o SPGA (Swedish CASTT, Center for Proving Ground Automotive System o SAAB Association) Technology and o Scania Testing) CASTT TSS Test Site o Volvo o annual Sweden o VW-group report 7 CASTT annual report 8 Trainee electric cars and cold climate

e jakob hultkvist, trainee, arctic falls F

performance, charging and more. The guide will make “I’m glad I got this chance,” the measurement results from electric cars comparable says Jakob Hultkvist, a trainee at the testing company to those obtained from fossil-fuel vehicles and will be Arctic Falls. Contact with the company was established available to all testing companies,” says Jakob Hultkvist. via CASTT when Jakob did his thesis project. Jakob will soon perform a number of tests for a “I’m working with different things during my trainee year, newly-established manufacturer of electric cars. The but much of what I do is related to electric cars,” explains assignment is a spin-off from the testing methodology Jakob Hultkvist. project. Testing of electric cars under cold-climate conditions “By investing in this development project, Arctic is a relatively new area. Here, among other things, Jakob Falls has been in at the start, at a time when more and works with method development. more electric cars are being introduced. Trainees are an “It is a project with Test Site Sweden, where we important resource for ventures such as this.” are putting together a sort of test guide that shows Whether the trainee period will lead to employment what, how and why we should measure to get correct remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: both Jakob information in areas such as safety, energy use, and the company have benefitted immensely.

CASTT annual report 9 Test service provider IceMakers AB

e lars sundström, icemakers F

As a full service winter test supplier to the automotive companies to offer new service packages which, in turn, industry, we continuously need to adapt to its changing requires greater engineering expertise and access to conditions. The increased complexity of the technical more advanced equipment. systems in vehicles, e.g. active safety systems integration Working within the CASTT network, we are assured of various electronic systems, new types of energy and access to automotive know-how from Luleå University fuel systems etc., leads to new demands on our tracks of Technology and CASTT’s international partners. We and also on our other facilities such as workshops. work with both undergraduate and graduate students, as Also, the automotive industry is under tough financial well as with senior researchers and consultants in various pressure and, with shortened lead times, the industry is projects. Participating in research projects keeps us at outsourcing more operations to the winter test providers. the technological forefront of automotive testing and This leads to further opportunities for the testing development – now and in the future.

CASTT annual report 10 GOOD examples

All objects start to oscillate at a certain frequency. Interior components and structures in cars are no exception, and when they start to vibrate, the phenomenon is referred to in the auto industry as “squeak and rattle”. In testing, the difficulty is to determine when the noise first becomes audible and the location of its source. A good example of the power of collaboration is that researchers and students from LTU have been able to develop a new test method together with Icemakers. The innovation is a sweep frequency track. By creating a washboard of plywood strips placed at successively narrower intervals, researchers can analyze sound recordings and thereby determine exactly where and when different sounds are produced in the car at different temperatures. The wash- board can also be frozen into the ice, if necessary. The method, which is new for winter testing facilities, is now being refined and will be tested by an automaker. Continuing education is a concrete example of know- ledge dissemination. Via CASTT, Luleå University of Technology offers a course in materials and vehicles in winter climate conditions. The course, which will be offered annually, was commissioned by Swedish Armed Forces Technical School and the Armed Forces winter unit in Boden. Another example is a course in measurement techniques for both automotive testing companies and stu- dents in the automotive systems engineering programme. A major industry conference has been held in Arvidsjaur two years running. Within a short time it has become a national forum for the automotive testing industry, the vehicle industry, universities, local municipalities, Vinnova and others with an interest in vehicle testing. This is now an annual event at which research results and current CASTT projects are presented. annual report 11 CASTT annual report 12 Projects

Remote Vehicle Dynamics Distributed automotive development, This project explores new ways of using vehicle dynam- testing and validation ics during winter testing, with the goal to enable new or In this project, technology and methods are developed developed services for service providers and thus render that enable vehicle testing and validation to be performed testing more effective for the automotive industry. In gen- in a distributed fashion, using wireless communication eral, service providers want to get closer to their custom- networks. This includes technology for remote diagnos- ers in the value chain to provide new or extended servic- tics, wireless software download and wireless measure- es. Service providers find the use of remote technologies, ment data acquisition. Geographical positioning systems such as fleet management, an important part of their for fleet management of test vehicles have also been service, especially with respect to the safety of test drivers developed. Moreover, tools and methods for distributed and overall safety on the test tracks. As well, according collaborative automotive development using audio, video to the automotive industry, the possibility of replaying the and data sharing techniques are studied in the context of last run in a 3D environment from logged data in the car automotive testing and validation. enhances these services. The use of steering robots dur- The tools and technologies developed in the project ing winter testing can allow for repeatable and standar- are being tested at proving grounds using WLAN com- dized testing. However, the studies performed in this munication technology and on public roads using GPRS project show that the views of companies vary greatly, and 3G networks. Since automotive testing facilities are indicating that further research towards standardized commonly located in remote rural areas, due to the need winter testing is necessary. Work to enhance a fleet for extreme climate conditions and privacy, it is important management solution and a pre-study of using steering to improve the interaction between developers at auto- robots has been initialized. In addition, a pre-study of a motive development sites and test engineers at the prov- drivability measurement system has been conducted with ing grounds. great success. We believe that, in future, vehicle testing A specific focus is placed on testing and validating will be standardized even further when the service pro- electric and hybrid cars through a collaborative effort vider conducts more testing. Hence, tools and methods with the Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre. Project partners must be developed to meet this demand. are Volvo Car Corporation, Alkit Communications AB, e contact: mikael nybacka F Swedish Hybrid Vehicle Centre, Test Site Sweden and Arctic Falls AB. e contact: Lennart karlsson F

CASTT annual report 13 Reactive programming of event-driven Roadgrip in winter road conditions automotive systems The design of safe and reliable non-studded winter tires The project goal is to improve the testing process of is challenging due to an inadequate understanding of software-based automotive systems through: the involved grip phenomena. There are also gaps in our • Targeting the testing to functionality, i.e. testing the knowledge of how different winter road conditions affect function to be implemented, instead of struggling with grip. This research project consists of three parts: road- errors (bugs) in code implementation. grip studies, winter tire rubber characteristics and the characterization of winter road surfaces. Equipment and • Eliminating hard-to-find software errors, such as mem- methods to test roadgrip of tires on ice, snow and slush ory leakages and pointer errors. have been developed. The contact area between ice We also strive to improve the product development and tire has been studied directly by optical means and phase through synchronous simulation in Simulink, where indirectly for pressure distribution to understand the slip running all embedded software together with a simula- phenomena. By using different casting techniques, it is tion model of the vehicle’s electronics and dynamics can possible to measure ice topography with high resolution. validate the functionality. The project encompasses the Close collaboration with the Swedish Road Administra- development of Timber tools, a framework to specify, tion has resulted in a suggestion for a method descrip- simulate and analyze the timely behaviour of embedded tion on roadgrip tests for production units on the Swed- software. ish road system. e contact: Jan van Deventer F e contact: niclas engström F

Real Time Analysis of Data from Wireless Friction-induced, cold-related noise Sensor networks in Automotive Testing in automobiles This project focuses on wireless sensor technology and This research project has three main focus areas: its applications in automotive testing. A wireless sensor • A detailed investigation of the climate influence on the is used to collect data such as temperatures and acceler- excitation mechanisms of friction-induced noise from ation in real time from vehicles. The sensor is connected seal surfaces. via Bluetooth to a data collection system installed in • Development of a prediction model based on theoreti- a vehicle. The data collection unit can perform certain cal modelling verified through experiments. processing on the collected data, and then upload the data to a portal, where it can be further processed and • Development of a quick and reliable measurement accessed by the automotive engineers. The data can method that can detect transient squeak and rumble also be visualized in real time for quick, on-line analysis. sources inside a car. The benefit of using wireless sensors in automotive The intention is for trained test car personnel or auto- testing is that it makes it easier to set up a test car with- motive personnel to use this method. Saab/GME, out bothering about a lot of wires for the sensors. For Vinnova and CASTT co-finance the project, which is run instance, in climate testing, about thirty temperature sen- by the Division of Sound & Vibration in cooperation with sors are commonly used, which implies a lot of cabling the Division of Machine Elements and Experimental unless wireless sensors are used. The technology devel- Mechanics at LTU. The project is being conducted at oped in this project is coordinated with the technology LTU, Colmis, Icemakers, Saab and at GME’s research development performed in the project “Distributed auto- facility in Russelsheim. motive development, testing and validation”. e contact: anders ågren F e contact: Lennart karlsson F

CASTT annual report 14 CASTT annual report 15 Measurement, identification, assessment Another important contribution in this project is the and modelling of winter tire noise inside development and refinement of the Timber tool suite. The passenger cars aim is to provide methodologies and tools that improve productivity and shorten development time. A further The noise caused by studded winter tires is normally innovative aspect is the development of automatic more annoying than from ordinary tires. Tire noise inside traction-control methods for wheel loaders and haulers. the car is a product of the generated tire noise and its structural and airborne transfer paths into the car interior. e contact: per lindgren F The annoyance that the driver may experience from the tires is not only a product of the level of the sound, but also the sound’s character and the situation in which it is Demonstration of multigas exhaust produced. This sound quality aspect is also vital to the measurements total experienced quality of the tire. The project partners The project is a demonstration and investigation project are the Division of Sound & Vibration at LTU and Nokian in which methodology and equipment for field measure- Tyres, Finland. ments of regulated engine emissions are investigated. The project aims to build up the necessary knowledge A survey and some marketing research are also being for tire sound optimization to create tires that are per- done to determine the level of interest in exhaust emis- ceived as more silent and more comfortable. The project sion tests in the region. The project is run in cooperation comprises development of methods for subjective and with ETC, Piteå, a commercial partner with expertise in objective measurements of tire loudness and annoyance, exhaust emission measurements. ETC has invested in development of methods for auralization of interior vehicle equipment that will be used to test emissions for auto- tire sound, knowledge about sound quality methodology motive companies. A demonstration measurement series on tires and examination of the couplings between the was carried out on cold-start exhausts from several resulting cabin noise, the noise transfer paths and the automobiles. noise excitation by tires. The project is run in cooperation Arctic Falls and Mercedes AMG initiated the project, with Icemakers as the test track provider. A test series which is run by the Division of Sound & Vibration in with five nominally identical cars and a number of tires has cooperation with ETC. Icemakers have also expressed been conducted, as well as a series of laboratory tests. an interest in presenting this service to their customers.

e contact: anders ågren F e contact: mikael nybacka F

Reactive programming of event-driven Microclimate results automotive systems The project has been conducted in close collabora- Our goal is to improve the testing process of software- tion between industry (test entrepreneurs and SMEs), based automotive systems through: and researchers and students at LTU. The project has • targeting the testing to functionality; i.e., testing the resulted in a prototype system allowing sensor data to function to be implemented instead of struggling with be collected (from both mobile and stationary weather bugs in the code implementation; stations), stored in a database for processing, and pre- • eliminating hard-to-find software errors such as memo- sented to end users. Technology for both stationary and ry leakages and pointer errors, etc. mobile weather stations has been developed in close collaboration with Rajd Systech and is now in a phase We also strive to improve the product development of testing. In addition, we have conducted a number of phase through synchronous simulation in Simulink, where trials for tailoring weather forecasts for the local car test the functionality can be validated by running all the em- entrepreneurs. These first trials aid our understanding of bedded software together with a simulation model of the the customers’ demands and serve as basis for develop- vehicle’s electronics and dynamics. ing future business opportunities for both technology and The main and most innovative goal of this project is the service providers, as well as for the customers. CASTT development of a holistic, model-based design approach annual for embedded real-time control systems. e contact: per lindgren F report 16 Sensor for Non-contact Road Friction Characterization The aim of the project is to use optical methods to char- acterize winter road conditions that can be used by the automotive and automobile testing companies. Different phases of water (ice, snow and their mixes) have different resonance frequencies, and it has been shown that these differences are greatest at near infrared wavelengths (1-2 µm). Hence, a sensor with three different laser wave- lengths in this span has been developed and tested on real winter roads. The results show that it is possible to distinguish between different road conditions like snow, ice and water on an asphalt road. Further, to determine the surface roughness, a model of light reflection from soils has been applied on the back reflections from as- phalt, resulting in a measure of the roughness, which is an important parameter to correctly determine road fric- tion. In parallel, a stereo camera vision system is under development in order to get an image of the surface topography. Ideas have also been evoked to combine the results from the surface measurements with additional informa- tion in order to determine the road friction more accu- rately. Such additional information could be, for example, the temperature and whether there is water, snow or ice on the road. e contact: mikael sjödahl F

e The projects are conducted in collaboration WITH the testing companies F Arctic Falls, ATM, Cartest, Colmis and Icemakers

e CONTACTS F

Jan van Deventer E-mail: [email protected] phone: +46 920 491336

Niclas Engström Mikael NyBacka E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] phone: +46 920 492381 phone: +46 920 491698

Lennart Karlsson Mikael Sjödahl E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] phone: +46 920 491279 phone: +46 920 491220

Per Lindgren Anders Ågren E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] CASTT phone: +46 920 491092 phone: +46 920 491683 annual report 17 Economy

Financial statement CASTT 2005-2009

Income SEK `000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 TOTAL LTU funding 1 610 6 110 8 086 6 504 7 019 22 310 Private companies 260 455 284 890 999 Private foundations 368 45 443 413 Other governmental funding 50 2 083 1 972 2 133 Projects, own funding efforts 2 096 TOTAL 1 610 6 370 8 959 8 916 12 420 25 855

Expenditures SEK `000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 TOTAL Personnel costs 590 4 557 6 296 7 170 10 006 18 613 External services 415 1 205 1 153 1 380 1 189 4 153 Equipment 2 148 255 199 51 604 Travel 56 250 423 344 545 1 073 Other costs 18 167 320 166 629 671 TOTAL 1 081 6 327 8 447 9 259 12 420 25 114

Result 529 43 512 -343 0 741

CASTT annual report 18 board and DIRECTORS

CASTT is run by a management committee and a group of activity leaders. In addition to executing tasks assigned by the management committee, the activity leaders communicate with project owners, test-service providers and other members of the cooperative network.

CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Prof. Jerker Delsing Lars Holmgren Jerry Johansson Prof. Lennart Karlsson Luleå University of SPGA, Managing Director Arvidsjaur Luleå University of Technology ATM AB Municipal commissioner Technology E-mail: E-mail: E-mail: E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] jerry.johansson@ [email protected] arvidsjaur.se

ACTIVITY LEADERS PROJECT PARTICIPANTS

Members of each research and development project are listed in the Project portfolio section of this annual report.

Dr. Peter Jeppsson Prof. Anders Ågren Luleå University of Luleå University of Technology Technology E-mail: E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]

CASTT annual report 19 pl a n sj u · photo: L ars Holmgren, R oger Johnsson, Kent N orberg, P er ettersson and others · print: L uleå Grafiska 10-06/300

Read more about our projects at www.ltu.se/castt

CASTT Centre for Automotive Systems Technologies and Testing

Luleå University of Technology SE-971 87 Luleå, SWEDEN phone: +46 (0)920 49 10 00 www.ltu.se/castt