www.autotechreview.com June 2014 | Volume 3 | Issue 6 Now, Also available on
It’s on 14 Interview Rafiq Somani, Country Sales Manager, ANSYS India
18 technology foresight Electronic Vehicle Identification: Towards Enabling Intelligent Transportation System in India
60 new Vehicle Triumph Speed Triple — Technology Legacy Retained
two-wheelers — perspectives on future technology Powered by MM Auto_New_ with new logo.indd 1 24-04-2014 10:11:38 Editorial
NEED FOR SPEED!
Dear Reader,
The election jamboree of India has finally culminated with Narendra Modi taking over as the nation’s 15th Prime Minister, with a mandate that gives him a great chance to bring about the “change” Indians are seeking. How much he succeeds will be judged over time, as he has himself sought to come out with a report card five years hence.
Nonetheless, he seems to have set the right priorities for a turnaround India so desperately needs – remove hurdles for growth, contain inflation, ensure swift policy roll-outs and make the bureaucracy accountable. Infrastructure, education, health, energy and water are the major thrust areas that have been identified. How the overall Indian economy progresses would certainly depend on the rightful implementation of measures in all these areas, and more.
Once considered a sunshine sector of the Indian economy, the automotive industry is in urgent need of policies that help regain its lost mojo. There is a glimmer of hope among most insiders we have spoken to. But these are early days, and what steps are envisaged for the industry would help form any further opinion on its likely revitalisation. The following is not an exhaustive, but indicative, list of our expectation from PM Modi and his team:
1. On taxation: Retain the existing excise duty structure for the time being; earliest implementation of GST. 2. On finance: lower interest rates for vehicle financing to benefit customers. 3. On infrastructure: reinvigorate road construction – both highways and rural roads; build more ports to encourage exports; ensure adequate power. 4. On transportation: boost transportation options in both urban and rural areas; build inter-modal connectivity in urban areas; introduce new forms of transportation technologies to decongest cities. 5. On energy: assign utmost importance to alternative fuels across bio, solar, gas and electric platforms. 6. On labour laws: renegotiate the archaic labour laws that exist in the country. 7. On R&D: provide aggressive R&D push towards viable, greener, sustainable automotive technologies. Offer long-term incentives to encourage investments on research. 8. On collaboration: build a robust government-industry-academia collaboration to further our capabilities in science and technology.
Here’s hoping policy making catches speed, sooner.
Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Editor-in-Chief New Delhi, June 2014
@deepangshu autotechreview.com June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 1 Cover Story two-wheeler — perspectives on future technology
24, 30, 36, 40, 42 | The numbers India generates for two-wheeler sales as the global leader are mind- boggling and equally interesting is the wide mix of two-wheelers found here. All segments of two- wheelers, right from 75 cc mopeds to hyper bikes, sell and continue to grow as well. At the same time, from a global perspective, companies in this space are investing in future technologies such as fuel cells and active safety. In this issue, Auto Tech Review takes a look at the key trends and technical developments in the two-wheeler space, both in India and outside.
guest commentary
12 Indian Forging Industry Seeks Opportunities in Non-Auto Sector Asheet Pasricha, President, Association of Indian Forging Industry
INTERVIEW
14 “Followers Complain, Leaders Create Competitive Advantages” Rafiq Somani , Country Sales Manager, ANSYS India Ducati 821
2 contents
NEWS Cover Story SHOPFLoOR
4 Interactions 24 Air-Cooled Fuel Cell System 56 Prayag Polytech – Fuelling Growth 10 News In Hybrid Scooter with Local Technology Kengo Ikeya, Toru Eguchi, Kazuhiko Mizutani, Tohru Ohta New vehicle technology foresight 30 Historical Perspective of BMW 60 Triumph Speed Triple — 18 Electronic Vehicle Identification: Motorrad One-Cylinder Engines Technology Legacy Retained Towards Enabling Intelligent Wolfgang Mattes, Josef Miritsch Transportation System in India DECODING TECHNOLOGY 36 Adaptive Xenon Headlamp for Motorcycles 64 Mobility for the Masses Hubert Schuhleitner, Erwin Mosch Arun Jaura
40 Small Engine Starter Kit for Better Performance Efficiency others Johannes Huchzermeier 01 Editorial 42 Harley-Davidson Street 750 — 03 Imprint Small on Price, Big on Tech Arpit Mahendra
Technology
46 Optimising Piezoelectric Energy Harvester in Car Tyres Nandita Roche
50 Mercedes-Benz S-Class — Setting Future in Motion
follow us on @autotechreview1 Cover Figure © BMW Motorrad
Imprint
Editorial & Business Office: Editor-in-Chief: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Publisher & Managing Director: Springer India Pvt Ltd [email protected] / @deepangshu Sanjiv Goswami 7th Floor | Vijaya Building | 17, Barakhamba Road Principal Correspondent: Arpit Mahendra For Editorial Contribution, write to the Editor-in-Chief at New Delhi – 110001 | India [email protected] / @arpitmahendra3 [email protected] + 91 11 4575 5888 (P) | +91 11 4575 5889 (F)
Senior Correspondent: Naveen Arul (Bangalore) For Advertisements, write to Deputy Manager – Ad Sales at Auto Tech Review (ATR) is a monthly magazine focussed on automotive technology, and appears 12 times a year. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessar- [email protected] / @naveenarul [email protected] ily those of Springer India Pvt Ltd. No part of this magazine can be reproduced in any form, including photocopies and information retrieval systems, without the prior written permis- sion of the publisher. Springer India Pvt Ltd Limited reserves the right to use the informa- Deputy Manager – Ad Sales: Sudeep Kumar For Subscription orders and reader registrations, tion published herein in any manner whatsoever. [email protected] please visit www.autotechreview.com Printed and Published by Sanjiv Goswami on behalf of Springer India Pvt Ltd. Printed at Gokul Offset, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase – I, New Delhi and published at Springer India Senior Executive – Ad Sales: Pramodh R (Bangalore) Or, contact Deputy Manager – Ad Sales at Pvt Ltd, 7th Floor, Vijaya Building, 17, Barakhamba Road, New Delhi. [email protected] [email protected] ©2013, Auto Tech Review
Manager – Events: Chanakya Mehta [email protected]
Design & Production: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay [email protected] INTERACTION SOGEFI-MNR
SOGEFI-MNR | DAWNING UPON A NEW ERA OF COLLECTIVE GROWTH
Early in April this year, two Indian subsidiaries of technology in the Indian market, and that is a very three critical areas of innovation – materials, inte- the Sogefi Group merged as a part of the Italian healthy sign for the future. gration and processes. The primary material in fil- company’s global strategy of integrating its indus- Sogefi first entered India through a 60:40 joint tration is paper, and obviously, there are different trial businesses, technologies and people in the venture with the Manepally family in Bangalore in kinds of papers that can be utilised and are being engine systems business sector. Sogefi-MNR Filtra- November, 2008. SystèmesMoteurs, on the other experimented with. The group is also focussed on tion India, a joint venture between Sogefi and Ban- hand, was a 100 % subsidiary of Sogefi. becoming a system integrator by combining differ- galore-based MNR Filtration, has now been merged The merger meanwhile, was brought about ent products and technologies. The third aspect is with SystèmesMoteurs India to form a new entity to ensure the best synergies between the two processes, including the welding process of plas- called Sogefi-MNR Engine Systems India. companies that would lead to a larger product tics, for instance. Fiocchi confirmed the group has This new company would aim at capitalising portfolio and introduction of newer technologies multiple patents on welding systems. on the success achieved in the filtration business in India. Sogefi owns 70 % stake in the newly In the filtration area particularly, the primary by both partners, and try and replicate that in the formed company, with the Manepally family direction is towards reducing fuel consumption and engine air management and air cooling segments. holding the rest. weight. Replacing metal with plastics has helped Headquartered in Milan, Italy, Sogefi is a leading “With the right mix of products, right customers reach most of the desired objectives for Sogefi, and global supplier of filtration systems, flexible sus- in right places, and having plants in the right loca- its customers. In North America, for example, most pension components, air management and engine tions, you can play a bigger game,” said Fiocchi. of the OEMs were using steel for their oil cartridge, cooling systems. In 2011, Sogefi had acquired Naturally, it also allows access to each other’s cus- and Sogefi has been successful in helping two of SystèmesMoteurs. tomer base across vehicle verticals. Sogefi current- the big three OEMs to move to plastic. Fiocchi ex- “This JV has worked beautifully for both of us ly has business footprint in 21 countries across four plained, “That has resulted not just in cost saving, because we have access to the best technology in continents, with 43 production sites and 17 sales but weight reduction and better efficiency as well. Europe and we couple that with our frugal engi- offices. Ford in North America, and JLR in Europe For us, that has created a whole new market, which neering mindset, which is required in a cost-sensi- are its biggest customers in those markets. was primarily a steel market.” tive market like India,” said Narayan Manepally Air intake manifolds in India used to be (R), Director, Sogefi-MNR Filtration India. React- INNOVATION – PLASTIC OVER METAL majorly made of aluminium, but acceptability of ing to this, Guglielmo Fiocchi (C), CEO, Sogefi plastic as a replacement for aluminium is gradu- Group said although there are discussions about For a group that invests close to three per cent of ally increasing in the Indian market. Manepally cost and service, there’s much more demand for its annual revenues in R&D, Sogefi is focussed on informed that the company has now created a
4 www.autotechreview.com state-of-the-art manifold for a customer that spans across multiple platforms. One mould or die arranged differently can actually supply to three different platforms, he noted, leading to re- duction in tooling cost as well. Even diesel fuel filters have undergone the plastic treatment, and are modular. Effectively, the diesel fuel filters made by the company can be ac- commodated in various platforms of the customer. However, plastics also bring about certain chal- lenges and complications. In the case of engines that run on biofuels, one has to take into account conductivity of plastic, said Manepally. The company has substantial knowledge and experi- ence of the Brazilian market, which has a sizeable ethanol penetration, and can very well replicate that in the Indian market, as and when demanded. A lot of new engines in the market today have that water go into the engine. Our diesel fuel happened in the area of filtration in the two-wheel- oil filter modules that perform cooling, filtration filters have two ports, and as the water starts er sector is the change from foam to paper, in- and oil management inside one product. Sogefi building up and touches the ports, it senses and formed Prakash. Foam used to be the dominant has successfully replaced metal with plastic in sends a signal to the ECU for the water to be material for filters for the last 25 years, but in the this case as well. This wasn’t easy, said Fiocchi, drained out.” Some larger vehicles today have an last two years, the whole business has moved to considering engineers had to not just deal with auto drain technology as well, he noted. paper. Prakash said the next three years would lead high pressure, but also pulsation. Electronics also play a large role in ensuring to something even better, without particularly As a whole, almost 80 % of its products in adequate and precise heating of diesel as a fuel, giving out details. India today are made with plastic, said Rohit especially when it is cold, because overheating Prakash (L), Chief Executive Officer, Sogefi MNR may lead to a fire. CONCLUSION Filtration India. He added that through all these The group acknowledges the fact that one of innovations, the company has been able to bring the best places to develop electronics is Bangalore, India is already a large market for the group, but down the total cost of ownership for the customers. and sometime in the future, there is every possibili- the potential of growth in the future is much ty of a centre of excellence for electronics coming bigger, said Fiocchi. Manepally echoed his ROLE OF ELECTRONICS IN FILTRATION up in the city that could potentially supply to the thoughts, saying Indian consumers are increas- rest of the world. In addition, Fiocchi said, India ingly demanding more technology and features in There is little doubt that almost every single part will remain the centre for development of two- their vehicles, and the real growth story for the of the automobile will be touched by electronics in wheeler technologies for the Sogefi Group. “We company is yet to come. In the next three years, some form or the other in years to come. The won’t have any development in two-wheeler tech- the company would likely double its revenues from diesel fuel filter for instance, has multiple nologies anywhere else in the world,” he confirmed. the current figure of ` 160 cr plus, while also in- sensors in it. Manepally explained, “Be it any- The two-wheeler sector, creasing manpower from the current 500 to about where in the world, diesel would have some meanwhile, is extremely 800 by that time. As a market, India contributes amount of water in it and you cannot let critical for the group. A 1.5 % to the over € 1.3 bn Sogefi Group. major transition that has The group has four plants currently – two in Bangalore, and one each in Pune and Delhi – and the new company would continue to use these fa- cilities. There is no immediate plan to invest in a new plant, clarified Fiocchi, but incremental in- vestments would continue to be made in extend- ing production lines, as well as on modernising the existing production sites. The automotive market is a complex game, but more complex the game is, the better it is for a company like us, concluded Fiocchi.
Text: Deepangshu Dev Sarmah Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay
autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 5 INTERACTION TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES, DSK HYOSUNG
TRIUMPH MOTORCYCLES | AFTER IMPRESSIVE DEBUT, FOCUS NOW ON expansion
Triumph Motorcycles was late to enter the Indian pected to go up to about 1,000 and to 1,500 in the market for a number of reasons known widely. year after that, translating into a growth in the When it did enter the market though, it did it with region of about 50 % per annum. The dealership a big bang; launching 10 motorcycles across mul- count too is planned to go up to 13 by next year. tiple segments in one go. Right at the launch, the Triumph isn’t planning to leave any stones un- British bike maker announced that it will carry out turned in its quest to establish itself as a high- local assembly of seven models at its plant in end motorcycle company in the country. The Manesar, Haryana. In order to know how things company already has established the Rider Asso- have turned out to be since the launch in Novem- ciation of Triumph, which will organise long-dis- ber 2013, we had a quick chat with Vimal Sumbly, tance rides for its consumers and offering better Managing Director, Triumph Motorcycles India. consumer engagement in turn. In order to offer an unmatched motorcycle BUSINESS SO FAR buying experience, Triumph India’s stores are based on its world store concept, thereby offering It’s been a few months since Triumph launched its Indian consumers the same level of experience as products in India and Sumbly told us that the going offered in other markets. Sumbly told us the has been good till now. By mid-May, Triumph had unique things at these stores would include easy received bookings for over 375 motorcycles, making access for potential buyers to test ride motorcy- it the fastest growing super premium motorcycle cles and configure their bike using tablets in the brand in India. Sumbly said this has become possi- store itself. We’ve already seen that customisation ble due to the two-pronged strategy formulated by is gaining popularity in India and given the wide the company before the launch. range of customisation Triumph offers on an The first strategy was to focus on products, already wide range of products, it should see good and the company fulfilled that by launching 10 traction from such a genre of buyers. segment, the numbers in the mid-size segment products at one go. That gave Triumph another In- are huge. dia-first distinction. The company is now working PRODUCTION & UPCOMING PRODUCTS Talking of the 250 cc motorcycle sketch shown extensively on the second parameter of developing at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy, he acknowl- a network, and is in line with realising its plan of India is presently the second market after Brazil edged the presence of a 250 cc market in India, having eight dealerships by end of June, 2014. Of for Triumph to have CKD assembly operations, but refused to commit whether Triumph’s ‘global’ these, six are already operational and a new deal- highlighting the focus being laid upon the market product would make it to the Indian market. ership would’ve opened up in New Delhi by the by the British company. In addition to the Manesar Global media is rife with speculations that the time you read this issue. plant, the company owns a piece of land in Karna- 250 cc product could well be made in India, with Owing to the focus on these areas, Sumbly taka as well. Sumbly told us that the market has possible exports to other countries as well. expects to close the year (June 2013 – July 2014) huge potential and while the company’s preroga- Despite the Indian automotive industry going at about 500 units. Next year, this number is ex- tive right now is to develop the super-premium through a downturn, two-wheelers are the only sector posting growth. Within this sector, the 250 cc and above segment is also growing at a rapid pace, offering good numbers for the participating players. Sumbly told us that the Manesar plant will continue to assemble super-premium bikes with no plans of localisation or exports. In essence, we have one of the best markets for 250 cc motorcycles in the world, a product in development phase, an empty piece of land with the company and high-growth targets. Connect the dots, and it becomes clear that Triumph will soon enter the 250 cc – 500 cc space through the Triumph showcased local manufacturing route. the sketch of a 250 cc motorcycle at the EICMA show in Milan, Italy Text: Arpit Mahendra
6 www.autotechreview.com DSK HYOSUNG | GROWTH THROUGH NEW PRODUCTS, LOCAL MANUFACTURING
The Indian superbike market is one that has These products would be manufactured at been growing steadily, and DSK Hyosung has the company’s upcoming plant in Maharash- contributed small, yet steady numbers over the tra’s Satara district, 150 km away from Pune. last couple of years. The company plans to roll Spread over an area of 85 acre, the plant is ex- out a number of new motorcycles into the pected to be operational by 2015 end, with market in the near future, while still maintain- products rolling out from 2016. It will have an ing the superbike tag on its products. We spoke initial yearly production capacity of 100,000 to Shivapada Ray, Chief Operating Officer, motorcycles, which Ray says can be easily up- DSK Hyosung, who told us about the perfor- graded to 300,000 motorcycles per year. Invest- mance of DSK Hyosung, new facility and prod- ments of ` 300-400 cr is being made in the ucts, among other things. plant, which will also house a R&D centre and testing facilities, informed Ray. Housing for NEW PRODUCTS & PLANT employees will also be constructed within this 85 acre property. Established in 2012, DSK Hyosung is a joint Once operational, the facility would also venture between the DSK Group and Hyosung, manufacture two motorcycles specifically de- which is part of S&T Motors, Korea. At the Auto signed for India. Ray did not divulge any at its Pune plant. Ray said 60 % of its sales Expo in New Delhi earlier this year, the details of these models, but we expect these come from the 250 cc segment, and the rest company had unveiled a number of motorcycles motorcycles to be in the 150 cc range with from the 650 cc segment. In FY14, the company it plans to launch in India. Two of them – GD almost 80 % localisation. Other DSK Hyosung sold over 1,800 motorcycles, an achievement 250 N and GD 250 R – will roll out by the end models have about 30-40 % local content, con- Ray is proud of, considering the fact that its of 2014, and will be the company’s first single- firmed Ray. At a later date, exports would also closest competitor also recorded sales of cylinder offering in the country. In fact, the GD be undertaken from the plant to all of Hyo- similar numbers for the same period. 250 series is Hyosung’s first ever single-cylin- sung’s markets worldwide. DSK Hyosung has DSK Hyosung currently has 36 dealerships der engine motorcycles globally. already begun the process of acquiring suppli- across India, which the company targets to in- The company will follow this up by launch- ers for its future products in India, thereby crease to 50 by the end of the year. Meanwhile, ing the RT 250 D single-cylinder Scrambler in making it convenient once the plant is fully Ray confirmed the company has no intention of the beginning of 2015. Besides these models, functional, Ray said. entering the commuter bike segment. DSK Hyosung also has plans of launching a The company has made changes to its com- new double-cylinder cruiser and a double-cyl- CURRENT PERFORMANCE plete range and introduced new products, inder super sport bike in years to come. Inter- keeping the requirements of Indian conditions estingly, the company is eyeing the 250 cc to DSK Hyosung cur- in mind. This is done with the help of the tech- 700 cc motorcycle segment to create its niche, rently assembles nical team in Korea, which gets regular feed- Ray said. CKD kits from Korea back from their Indian counterparts, Ray said. He added that the acceptance level of feedback has been exceptionally high. From a technology standpoint, he said the company will continue to manufacture motorcy- cles only featuring electronic fuel injection technology. This will remain the norm even in the case of DSK Hyosung beginning to produce 150 cc bikes. One major industry stand- ardisation that the company is looking forward to is the change in the Indian driving cycle to international driving cycles, which Ray said, is expected to add on to the experience value of motorcycles under the superbike tag.
The RT 250 D Scrambler is scheduled for launch in early 2015 Text: Naveen Arul
autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 7 INTERACTION Bosch
RBEI | ELECTRONICS CAN TRANSFORM INDIAN TWO-WHEELER MARKET
can be made possible by the presence of the ECU scenario, it’s not possible to make this system in discussion, as electronics open up a wide array based on cabled operation solely, he added. In the of function integration possibilities. Even func- next five years or so, Shenoy expects about 10 % tions such as the side-stand indicator can be of the bikes to be equipped with ABS, reflecting paired to the ECU, improving safety further. the kind of large volumes that can be achieved. Talking of addressing the needs of the com- muter segment, Shenoy said that the company is SUB-SYSTEM LEVEL BENEFITS still working on concepts for bikes below 150 cc. He added that there is no immediate interest or As electronic content in two-wheelers goes up, ongoing project with any two-wheeler manufac- there will be numerous features beyond safety and turer, as the fuel-efficiency difference between efficiency, which can be integrated into the carburettor and fuel-injection isn’t too high, vehicle to offer a better riding experience. One making it hard to add cost in such a price-sensi- such area is connectivity, which can benefit sig- tive segment. However, as emission norms get nificantly from the usage of smartphones. In four- stringent, fuel injection will gain importance due wheelers, machine-to-machine connectivity can to its advantage in that area. He added that it be used for prognosis instead of diagnosis. As When the industry undergoes a downturn, we have might take another four to five years before we technology evolves, two-wheelers too stand to seen how mature suppliers make best use of the start seeing wide acceptance of fuel injection benefit from this, he added. He added that some- phase by investing in newer technologies and instead of carburettors. thing as simple as an E-clutch can offer the con- products. Bosch, the largest supplier in the auto- Elaborating further on the company’s safety venience of not operating the clutch in traffic and motive world, has always been in the forefront of developments, he told us about the world’s small- saving additional fuel as well. Various engine technology innovation. In India, one area that est ABS system developed by Bosch for motorcy- maps to suit rider’s preferences are also a present hasn’t had the right amount of focus till the cles. The system in discussion can work with a technical reality. recent past, be it from manufacturers or the cus- front disc and rear drum set-up, limiting its use The two-wheeler landscape of India could tomers, is that of safety. We spoke to RK Shenoy, on front-disc equipped vehicles only. With the witness a huge change in the coming years, and Senior VP, Robert Bosch Engineering and Busi- front disc brake gaining popularity in the Indian to start with, engines should be upgraded to ness Solutions to understand the kind of work market, he believes there’s good potential for the support electronics, especially given the exper- being done by his team for two-wheeler safety, as technology in the long-term. tise prevalent on frugal engineering in India, well as other important areas. The cost challenge with this system is that in Shenoy concluded. order to balance between the different braking NEW & FUTURE PRODUCTS abilities and nature of the disc and the drum, it needs certain amount of hydraulics. In the present Text: Arpit Mahendra One of the newest products to be launched by the company is the second-generation ECU for motor- cycles, which is aimed at improving fuel-efficien- cy. Electronic control along with the new fuel in- jection system can monitor the system better and enhance the engine timing to improve overall effi- ciency, Shenoy said. He told us that the main focus for them is to bring down the cost of this unit, making it acces- sible to more buyers. Presently, the KTM motorcy- cles in India are using this ECU and injectors from Bosch. While efficiency is one side of the equa- tion, the new unit also aids safety in two-wheelers significantly, he added. A two-wheeler being prone to falling over is exposed to the chances of fuel leakage, leading to potentially dangerous implications. A tilt-sensor in such a situation can determine if the vehicle has fallen and cut-off the fuel accordingly. This Bosch recently introduced an electronically-controlled fuel injection system
8 www.autotechreview.com
News MISCELLANEOUS
delphi | New Diesel Audi | New-Generation 3L TDI ‘Clean Diesel’ Common Rail System Engines showcased launched Audi AG recently showcased its new generation of part of the company’s technology mix for the mo- 3 l TDI, V6 ‘clean diesel’ engines that are Euro 6 bility of tomorrow. He added that Audi has contin- compliant, at the 35th Vienna Motor Symposium. ued to perfect this technology over several The company claims this new generation diesel decades and believe there is still potential for in- engine features innovative solutions in many creasing efficiency in the future too. fields of technology, including efficiency. Audi The Vienna Motor Symposium offers an excel- also presented a new seven-speed dual clutch lent stage for technologies, said Dr Stefan transmission for models with longitudinal engines Knirsch, Head of Engine Development, Audi. “We and front wheel drive at the symposium. The new can present our innovations and discuss them S tronic transmission that Audi developed is here with experts from all around the world,” Dr claimed to offer higher efficiency than the exist- Knirsch said. Delphi Automotive PLC has developed a new family ing model, reducing CO2 emissions by as much of Diesel Common Rail systems, including diesel as 10 gm/km. solenoid injectors, fuel pumps, Engine Control Audi offers the turbocharged V6 engines in Units (ECU) and rails, for light and medium-duty two versions, one producing 218 hp and the other applications. These systems were showcased at 272 hp of power, with torque at 600 Nm, depend- the 35th annual International Vienna Motor Sym- ing on the model. The new engine has features posium, and are slated to be launched this year in like optimisation of piston rings & pins for a new engine of a top European car manufacturer. minimal friction, separate coolant loops for the This new system family offers improved per- crankcase and newly designed cylinder heads. The formance with injection pressure increased up to V6 diesel engine also has an updated turbocharg- 2,500 bar, leakage reduction and increased mul- er and fully variable load oil pump. Also, as an in- tiple injection optimisation, the company stated. dustry first, a NOX storage catalytic converter has These innovations translate into better injection been combined with a diesel particulate filter & control and better combustion, therefore reducing SCR injection in a single assembly. fuel consumption, CO2 and other emissions, Prof Rupert Stadler, Chairman, Board of Man- Delphi added. agement, AUDI AG, said TDI engines are a central Delphi has resorted to a modular approach for its common rail systems, which allows robust design with a range of performance matching different engine needs. The system bosch | Hybrid Batteries To Store Wind consists of integrated and innovative features Power developed that claim offer new perspectives to diesel engine design and performance. Bosch will supply a hybrid battery made up of Bosch also designs and supplies the complete “With Delphi’s approach, the OEMs won’t lithium-ion and vanadium redox flow components system, and operates it using specially developed need to modify their engines to fit Delphi to save electricity generated at a community wind electronic controls and corresponding software. systems, said John Fuerst, President, Diesel farm in the municipality of Braderup, Germany. The two different batteries have their own Systems, Delphi. The modular approach will help Bosch hybrid battery will store wind power when special benefits. The lithium-ion energy storage engine manufacturers integrate technologies in grids are overloaded. The benefit of being able to unit has a capacity of two MWh and an output of their engine family with the possibility of opti- store wind power is that it can be used at a later two MW, and Bosch buys these lithium-ion batter- mising injection performance in the same envi- stage when winds are weaker. ies from Sony. The other vanadium redox flow ronment, Fuerst added. These systems will meet battery has a capacity of one MWh and a peak increasingly strict emissions standards, while output of 325 KW, which Bosch buys from the maintaining performance levels that consumers Nuremberg-based Vanadis Power GmbH. expect, Fuerst said. “With this concept, we are expanding the Other advantages of this new family of range of possible applications for our storage Diesel Common Rail System include weight re- systems,” said Cordelia Thielitz, Heads, Stationary duction, and hydraulic, mechanical and electrical Storage Business, Bosch. Storage systems of this efficiency. Since it will be a modular component, kind also make it possible to cut back on the ex- it will also be cost-effective and flexible, the pansion of power grids, which has been the company noted. source of conflict in many places, Thielitz said.
10 www.autotechreview.com wabco | Advanced AMT Technologies for commercial vehicles
WABCO recently demonstrated its OptiDrive system, advanced automated manual transmis- sion (AMT) technology for trucks and buses, at its test track in Chennai. WABCO’s AMT systems are available from five-speed to 16-speed applica- tions, including its breakthrough OptiDrive modular AMT system, the company said. The Op- tiDrive AMT technology is claimed to combine the comfort and ease of an automatic transmission with the efficiency of a manual transmission. WABCO says its OptiDrive system offers advan- tages of increased fuel economy of up to 5 % for trucks and buses. The OptiDrive technology auto- matically engages the vehicle’s clutch and gear shift actuation, taking into account driver opera- tion, engine torque, vehicle load and road inclina- tion. This results in optimised gear shifting, which increases fuel economy up to 5 % on average. The company said this system also frees drivers from frequent shifting, reducing their stress and fatigue, WABCO’s AMT solutions are also claimed to reduce fleets, said P Kaniappan, Managing Director, while allowing drivers to further concentrate on wear on transmission components, lowering the WABCO India. He added that the company has traffic conditions, improving safety. overall maintenance cost of vehicles, and opti- been working on AMT programs with major com- The OptiDrive system is claimed to be a break- mised gear-shifting results in reduced emissions. mercial vehicle manufacturers for their truck and through in AMT technology as it is engineered as a WABCO expects to satisfy growing market bus platforms in India. “We believe the industry modular system, which reduces development time demand and expand its base of customers for could benefit greatly from adopting this technolo- by 50 % for vehicle and transmission makers. AMT systems in India, which includes OEMs and gy more broadly,” Kaniappan said.
DENSO | Develops Low Cost Fuel Injection System For Small Motorcycles
DENSO Corporation, leading global automotive fuel economy and environmental performance as plemented by technologies including a tempera- supplier, has developed a new electronic fuel in- conventional fuel injection systems, enabling re- ture estimation control that integrates a thermis- jection (FI) system for small motorcycles that does duction in costs, DENSO said. tor into an electronic control unit and a fuel me- not use a throttle position sensor or engine tem- In recent years, smaller motorcycles up to 150 tering control to determine acceleration and de- perature sensor. This new FI system is called DIET- cc have also begun to apply electronic FI systems celeration. FI, and stands for DENSO Intelligent Economical in emerging markets, like China and India. To DIET-FI is currently manufactured by Technology-Fuel Injection. DIET-FI uses newly de- address this trend, DENSO identified a low-cost Gongcheng DENSO Co Ltd, a group company of veloped control technologies that ensure the same fuel injection system that would deliver similar DENSO Corp that manufactures motorcycle com- fuel economy and environmental per- ponents and supplies it to Wuyang-Honda Motors formance as conventional systems but Co Ltd in Guangzhou. with fewer components. DENSO believes the widespread application of DENSO’s DIET-FI system has a few FI systems to small motorcycles will require components lesser than conventional smaller components, simpler systems, fewer com- systems. Components like throttle po- ponents, and lower cost compared with four- sition sensor, intake air temperature wheelers and large motorcycles. There has been sensor, engine temperature sensor an increase of models in the Indian motorcycle and ISC idle speed control step motor segment featuring FI systems, and this seems to were eliminated by developing control be a way of the future. With systems like DENSO’s technologies through extensive re- DIET-FI, smaller commuter motorcycle makers may search. These components were sup- begin using FI systems as a regular feature.
autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 11 Guest commentary
Asheet Pasricha President, Association of Indian Forging Industry
INDIAN FORGING INDUSTRY SEEKS OPPORTUNITIES IN NON-AUTO SECTOR
The Indian forging industry, as a part of the manufacturing sec- % over the same period. tor, has played a significant role in the Indian economy, with an 1 Projection for auto and non-auto segmentation is de- estimated size of around ` 20,200 cr in FY13. Of this, approxi- rived based on data shared by respondents and industry ex- mately ` 4,500 cr was attributed to exports in the same period. pert opinion. AIFI commissioned an industry survey that was As elsewhere in the world, the industry is still heavily dependent conducted amongst identified members and non-members. on the automobile industry with demand for forgings essentially Out of the sample size of 500-odd forging units, 419 entities originating from commercial vehicles, and other four-wheelers. participated. The figures shared above are based on the re- The impact of the global economic slowdown on the Indian sponses shared by 419 units. automobile sector has led to decrease in demand on one hand, and on the other, the cost of major inputs like power, steel, fuel and skilled manpower has spiralled. The forging industry’s woes CURRENT CHALLENGES have been in the public domain with the Association of Indian Forging Industry (AIFI) seeking assistance from the government In the current situation, there are several inherent cyclical chal- and intervention as required. lenges that the industry faces, primarily as a result of being de- What has emerged as startling are the findings of the survey pendent on the automobile sector. Few pertinent ones include commissioned by the Association – the adverse effects of the eco- the following: nomic slowdown on the automotive industry have directly trans- :: Input price: The main raw material for the forging industry is lated into over forging 100 units shutting down over the last cou- steel, while the other major cost heads are energy and con- ple of years. sumables. One major challenge that has been impacting the As per the survey, the automotive sector’s current off take of industry is the unstable price of steel and rising price of fuel about 61 % of the forging sales, is expected to fall to about 59 % and power. This has made business unviable as the burden of by 2016-17 (1), while the non-automotive sector, which currently rising prices cannot be passed on to customers. buys about 39 % is expected to increase its off take to about 41 :: Market exposure: Despite having improved product quality
12 www.autotechreview.com 1 Projection for auto and non-auto segmentation of forging companies
and standards matching global norms, many forging units thereby increasing the operational cost. And finally, cost of have not been able to bag substantial orders from OEMs the end product leads to lowering of competitiveness in the abroad. Some of the steps that could help these companies global market. reach out to buyers in the export markets include information :: Skilled manpower: Although manpower cost accounts for sharing by Indian consulates abroad, creating opportunities almost 8 % - 10 % of the total production cost, the industry for participation in trade shows at a discounted price and par- faces a dearth of skilled manpower. To address this issue, the ticipation in buyer-seller meets, events and gathering of mar- Association of Indian Forging Industry has been undertaking a ket intelligence. college-connect initiative wherein engineering colleges are :: Government policies and market competitiveness: Lack of being approached to work closely with AIFI to produce indus- adequate support from the government, related to duties and try-ready talent. The pilot project in Pune led to the successful taxes for forging units. The Indian forging industry is at a dis- signing of a memorandum with the College of Engineering, advantage globally because international competitors like Pune to develop an industry specific curriculum. China, Thailand and Pakistan are in a position to supply forged components at lower costs. This is mainly due to sub- stantial subsidies and rebates offered by their governments, DIVERSIFICATION: THE FUTURE OF FORGING? which makes business for Indian forging unviable, especially when catering to global customers that acquire products from In order to de-risk and reduce its dependence on the automotive multiple sources. The industry has been reaching out to the sector, the Indian forging industry is consciously making efforts Indian government to consider similar incentives that will towards upgrading technologies and diversifying product range to boost trade by reviewing its taxation policies, export rebate on expand its customer base to emerging sectors including aero- forged goods, etc., and make the industry competitive. space, energy, oil & gas, heavy engine parts, defence, construc- :: Finance related issues: Availability of finance for expansion tion equipment, power generation, transmission and distribution. of operations and technology up-gradation is a key challenge At the same time, the industry is increasingly tapping op- for forging units in the SME Sector. The industry has been portunities arising out of the growing trend among global au- requesting that the government create programmes to increase tomotive OEMs to outsource components from manufacturers awareness among SMEs about the need for getting credit wor- in low-cost countries. As a result, the Indian forging industry thiness rating implemented and also about availability of low has been making significant contributions to the country’s cost institutional equity capital and risk capital funds to aid growing exports. the expansion plans of such SMEs. By 2020, the Indian forging industry is expected to grow at :: Inability to have dedicated R&D, testing and design capa- CAGR of 8 % to reach a production of 35.1 lakh MT from the bility: Indian forging products are at par with the required current 21.1 lakh MT. The expectation of the industry, like the global standards. However, the technological and design rest of the country hinges on the hope that with good and stable expertise and knowledge rests with a limited few large and governance, strong policy reforms, coupled with an improvement very large units in India. The remaining medium and small in the overall economic sentiment, will finally see a revival in the scale units do not have the financial strength to invest in dedi- Indian economy. cated R&D centres and technological upgrades or the capabili- ties to design products end-to-end and test them. :: Power: Power is a vital component of any forging operation. Power shortage as well as high unit rates charged to industry is a major concern for many forging units across the country. Read this article on Lack of adequate power supply leads to the usage of gensets, www.autotechreview.com autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 13 interview ANSYS
“FOLLOWERS COMPLAIN, LEADERS CREATE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES”
Rapidly changing and increasingly tightening legislations, inclining raw material & input costs, short- er development cycles and downsizing without compromising performance are some of the factors affecting automotive manufacturers presently. In order to combat these challenges, simulation comes across as a handy tool, allowing companies to bypass the process of making prototypes, find- ing flaws and going back to the drawing board again. Rafiq Somani, Country Sales Manager, ANSYS India tells us why getting it right first time is becoming important, and more.
As the Country Sales Manager, ANSYS India, Rafiq Somani is two years. Somani completed his education from Bombay University, responsible for driving the growth of the company’s sales across where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. industries, including automotive, industrial, aerospace & defence, Thereon, he completed his Masters in Marketing Management from consumer and infrastructure. Prior to ANSYS, he worked with PTC the same university. Beyond his work, Somani takes deep interest in as the Country Sales Manager, since 1996. He also worked with Tata contributing towards social causes and is presently the Chairman of Consultancy Services for three years and Minicomp Computers for the Aga Khan Education Service India, an AKDN NGO.
14 www.autotechreview.com ATR _ ANSYS recently acquired Space processes by going back to our customers netic physics together and deliver opti- Claim. Help us understand the benefits of and understanding their processes. By rec- mised results. This is where a lot of devel- this acquisition and what impact would ommending the suitable and best prac- opment is happening for the two-wheelers this have on the Indian operations? tices, we’re helping them enhance the already at the drawing board level. RAFIQ SOMANI _ The key philosophy for efficiency of their simulation processes. In ANSYS is simulation-based product addition, we’re training people to ensure Simulation usually leads to lower physical development and our effort in respect to that the industry benefits from adequately testing. What kind of development can we present times is to offer customers with skilled people, maximising the benefits of see in this space in the coming years? the option of front-loading computer- our solutions. I’m already talking to a lot of customers, aided engineering (CAE) in the initial who want to get the product right in the design-cycle. This leads to shorter and Although more in numbers, two-wheelers first go. I think we’ve already come to a more cost-effective development cycles. have lagged four-wheelers in adopting stage where virtual prototyping can help Space Claim is one of the fastest and electronics. Do you see an opportunity in people get the product right in one go. most direct modelling technologies avail- this space? The relation of virtual testing with physi- able, making it a good fit for us. This will As consumers demand more features, cal prototypes though depends on factors help engineers to achieve higher quality even two-wheelers are increasingly look- such as cost of prototypes due to nature in shorter durations. ing at usage of technologies such as of product and legislation, wherein certain An example highlighting the benefits mechatronics. Now, this cannot be amount of physical testing is mandatory. of front-loading CAE in the design process achieved by simply stuffing more and For example, the Red Bull F1 car uses is the concept of Hyper Loop. This is a more electronics into a two-wheeler, and about 80,000 parts and even if they futuristic tube transportation system, embedded software will also play a role in achieve a 99.9 % correct geometry and driven by compressed air, allowing a dis- my opinion. One thing that applies to all analysis, 80 parts going wrong could have tance of 570 km or that between San vehicles and aerospace as well is that severe implications, especially when Fransisco to Los Angeles to be covered in those times have gone when one could do speeds regularly goes in excess of 300 35-odd minutes. Although there is no pro- simulation or CAE in isolation. The struc- km/h. Add to it the fact that the exhaust totype, passengers in the Hyper Loop will ture, flow of the fluid and electronics temperature can go beyond the melting be able to travel at speeds of about 1,200 today are coupled together in a way that point of aluminium and you can imagine km/h. There is no detailed design done the functioning of one impacts that of the how important it becomes for them to get on this, and there is no prototype but other two. For example, the heat radiation things right in the first go. Also, since F1 using ANSYS computational fluid dynam- of the vehicle, usage pattern, road condi- cars need to be developed in very short ics (CFD) technology, the design has been tions and other factors will have a direct cycles compared with road cars, there is optimised virtually to make it safe for pas- impact on the performance of the elec- hardly any chance of physical testing for sengers to travel. I don’t know when and tronics. In that respect, ANSYS is the only all systems. if this will become a reality but it’s the company to offer solutions, which can As I mentioned earlier, the cost of the power of front-loading CAE in the design couple structural, fluid and electromag- prototype also makes a significant differ- process, which has made it possible to conceptualise the Hyper Loop. Given the profile of the business we’re generating in India, Space Claim has a good potential, especially since the mar- ket is becoming a hub for a lot of high- end designing.
How are you doing things differently in India, given the unique requirements of the market? In India, we’re trying to give our custom- ers a 360o solution involving people, product and process. We’ve taken global solutions and tweaked them keeping in mind the kind of work Indian companies primarily do. This results in a more direct positive impact on the customers’ opera- tions. An example of such fine-tuning is for companies operating in the space of turbomachinery, which is quite common in India. On the process side, we’re con- ducting people training and automating Front-loading CAE in the design process can empower future concepts autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 15 interview ANSYS
are companies, especially those with sec- ond-generation leaders, who want to take their company to the next level. Rather than complaining about things beyond their control, they focus on taking a leap in their capabilities and create a competi- tive advantage for themselves. Bharat Forge, for example, is using CAE tools to come up with forged parts that are lighter, stronger and can be devel- oped in a shorter span of time. This abil- ity allows it to better compete with global forging competitors, especially those from China, Eastern Europe and the US. Such competitive advantage combined with the frugal engineering capabilities of Indian companies can lead to innovative and cost-effective solutions. This is one way how we can offset China’s mass-manufac- Simulation will not replace physical testing but will help in getting the design right at first go turing advantage to an extent. There are Indian companies, which come up to us and say that they want us ence since someone developing a compli- many predictions in a very wide range. to help them become global majors. Cus- cated system wouldn’t want too many Also, this increase would depend on the tomers are now understanding the value prototypes due to their high cost. Physical kind of disruptive technologies that make being offered to them and are willing to testing is emphasised quite a lot histori- their way through. Technologies such as pay accordingly. cally in the auto industry, and we do not 3D printing and mobile phones have see a stage where simulation could spell already changed the overall scenario and How much does the automotive business the end of physical testing but it’ll cer- the effect of any such new technology can account for in the Indian revenues? tainly help people get their designs right only be a guess right now. The key We only disclose global numbers, wherein the first time and save time and money. parameter many people are tracking in automotive industry accounts for about In cases of mandatory testing too, the battery space today is power per unit 15 % of our revenue, which continues to simulation imparts a strong confidence of weight and size. In the last decade or grow. In India though, the share is much that the product will deliver the desired so, the progress in this area has been higher since in India, automotive custom- results in the first go, when tested in the quite consistent and the predictions ers set the benchmark for many other laboratory. Also, areas such as NVH and would lie with the battery makers. But industries in terms of CAD & CAE. The emissions are relatively new and not they surely are using a lot of ANSYS tools remaining of our business comes from everything can be done through physi- to make this happen. industrial segment, followed by aerospace cal prototypes, making it important to I’ll give you an example of motors, in & defence. use simulation. terms of how small incremental efficiency gains too can make a large difference. Please tell us more about the role being Talking of electric vehicles and batteries, About 45 % of the world’s industrial elec- played by your R&D centre in Pune. and their design to maximise cooling and tricity is consumed by electric motors and We’re doing some critical work from our performance, what kind of progress has overall, about two-thirds of the world’s centres in Pune, Noida and Bangalore, ANSYS made in the recent past? electricity is consumed by different form and it is not just quality analysis. Our This is a very relevant question in the pre- of motors. You can imagine now what Indian engineers are working hand-in- sent scenario, and within this space our impact a small gain of even one per cent, glove with their colleagues from the US, customers globally are using our tools to made using our tools, would have. making Indian R&D extremely important roll out more efficient products on param- for all the products you see from us in the eters such as weight, cooling etc. The So after all this, how has the response market. The Indian R&D operations are parameters within this space are very been from Indian companies? the second-largest for the company out- complex and vast, making it hard to touch I see here two clearly distinguished cus- side of the US and does core engineering upon it in short. tomer profiles. One is where the compa- for us. We already have about 200 engi- nies are complaining about the increasing neers in India and continue to expand. Would you like to put a number to the competitiveness, regulations and other increase in efficiency of batteries in the parameters. These companies are mostly coming years? followers and I hope they change their Text: Arpit Mahendra It’s hard to put a number since there are outlook soon. On the other hand, there Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay
16 www.autotechreview.com
Technology foresight its
Electronic Vehicle Identification: Towards Enabling Intelligent Transportation System in India
18 www.autotechreview.com autHors INTRODUCTION prospects of using this technology particu- larly as an improved alternative of smart The backbone of any economy, a safe, number plates, and further as a critical environmentally-friendly, energy-efficient constituent of the overall ITS implementa- and comfortable transportation system is tion scheme in future. essential for economic growth. In this regard, a significant role can be played by Arghya Sardar Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION is Scientist E & Head, which offers multiple applications and a TECHNOLOGIES Transportation Division at TIFAC, Department of Science & host of technology choices. In India, ITS Technology, Government of India. implementation has still been at a very The following points highlight the con- nascent stage, with only a few cities ventional methods of vehicle implementing some of the basic ITS tech- identification: nologies, but in an isolated manner. At 1. Sensors detect a vehicle: Various types the same time, enforcement of traffic of sensors, including sub-surface sen- safety, regulations and discipline has been sors like loop detectors, roadside sen- a major concern on Indian roads, and var- sors like laser beams, and overhead PROF PRABHAT RANJAN ious measures are being attempted to sensors like infra-red beams, can be is Executive Director at TIFAC, improve it. used. The sensors trigger the other Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. Recently, use of high security smart vehicle identification systems and pro- number plates for vehicles has been a vide inputs for counting the number of major issue. The Supreme Court has axles, classification of the vehicle. The directed the states to switch to such regis- number of vehicles crossing a point is tration plates, but ready availability of also counted. smart number plates has been a major 2. A picture of the license plate is taken challenge for immediate switchover. by the closed circuit television (CCTV) These registration plates are made of spe- cameras on overhead gantries. cial materials with a retro-reflective sheet, 3. The picture is read by the Optical Char- and feature special markings and a holo- acter Recognition (OCR) software gram. There are, however, a few problems 4. The plate number is checked against a associated with such plates – a damaged database to identify the owner associ- plate can only be fixed at the RTO office, ated with the vehicle. and they are to be fixed in the presence of Enforcement of some standard of license the RTO officials only. plate design is of utmost importance. The Against the backdrop of such an on- greatest difficulty of license plate identifi- going issue of enforcement of security reg- cation/ recognition using OCR is the vary- ulations that require identification of the ing fonts and designs used in license vehicle, it is pertinent to examine the plates. The advantage, on the contrary, is potential solutions from the overall con- that this method provides a visual evi- text of intelligent transportation system. dence of the violation. EVI can simplify Apart from number plates, there have the process of identifying a vehicle. The been some other conventional methods of data is stored in an electronic format in a vehicle identification for different applica- secure data storage element in the vehicle, tions, like vehicle access control. Such which can be communicated wirelessly to options include normal proximity control a reader. cards, barcode and magnetic strip cards. The disadvantage of these options is that the driver needs to lean out of their win- INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION dows towards the reader. In many con- SYSTEM texts this may cause a bottleneck in regu- lar traffic flow. Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Electronic Vehicle Identification (EVI), plays a crucial role in implementation of also called Automatic Vehicle Identifica- many traffic-related technologies. Broadly, tion (AVI), offers an effective solution to ITS applications can be classified into four this problem. Moreover, EVI also enables categories, 1. EVI can be an effective various ITS implementations. In this arti- building block for various ITS applica- cle, we take a look at the EVI technolo- tions. At present, many countries have gies, their present status and trends, and implemented EVI for electronic toll collec- autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 19 Technology foresight its
tags per second. Storage capacity of passive RFID tags is few bits to 1 kb, and the read range is also shorter (4 inch to 15 feet). These are usually write-once read-many (WORM)/ read-only tags that cost around 25 cents to a few dollars. Passive tags draw power from the interrogator field, and consist of three parts: an antenna, a semiconductor chip attached to the antenna, and some form of encapsulation. Energy from the tag reader is captured by the antenna either through magnetic induction or elec- tromagnetic wave capture. Then the tag ID is transmitted through a process coor- Electronic Vehicle Identification has been implemented by many countries for electronic toll collection dinated by the chip. In terms of range, RFID can be classi- fied into near field communication (NFC) tion (ETC). It is possible to extend these efficient use of the road infrastructure. For and Far Field RFID Communication. NFC to include other applications as well. EVI a fleet manager, EVI systems enable faster is a new short-range high frequency wire- could be at the core of applications like decision making by providing accurate, less communication technology that parking lot access control system for static up-to-minute information, high-speed allows a bidirectional communication and or moving vehicles (free-flow), automated communication, and powerful analysis an exchange of data between devices over systems of vehicle authorisation, and fleet features. This also helps the fleet manag- a distance of about 5-10 cm. In case of management, among others. ers to enhance productivity, increase transportation applications, Near Field The advantages of the EVI system are value of service and drive down the cost. RFID communication can be useful for identification from a distance, at a high applications like payment and ticketing speed, and without the requirement of a for public transit travellers. It uses Fara- line of sight. This makes EVI highly prom- RFID FOR EVI day's principle of magnetic induction as ising for improving many ITS applications the basis of near field coupling between that involve vehicle access control, crime The radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader and tag. The range of the magnetic prevention (prevention vehicle theft), to technology uses electromagnetic or elec- induction approximates to c/2πf, thus the detect stolen vehicles, electronic toll col- trostatic coupling between RFID tags and range decreases with increased frequency. lection or complex traffic control. It can a reader in the RF portion of the electro- Moreover, the magnetic field drops as a also be used to suggest routes for drivers, magnetic spectrum to transmit signals. function of 1/r3, where r is the separation to improve traffic management (such as The reader contains a digital signal pro- between the tag and the reader. Thus, traffic signal coordination), and to moni- cessor, network processor, radio and NFC is not suitable for applications that tor fleets of trucks, buses, and taxis, etc. power supply. RFID tags could be active require identification of moving vehicles. Further, enforcement of speed regulations or passive, depending on whether energy RFID tags based on far-field emissions and prevention of jumping of signals are source is embedded into the tag or not. capture EM waves propagating from a also possible with EVI. Based on frequency, they are further clas- dipole antenna attached to the reader. EVI helps to maintain the traffic flow sified into low frequency (LF – 125 to 135 There is a smaller dipole antenna in the and avoid congestion. It will enable Hz), high frequency (HF – 13.56 Mz), tag that receives the energy as an alternat- dynamic fees for electronic toll collection, ultra high frequency (UHF – 433 MHz and ing potential difference appearing across wherein higher fees may be charged dur- 868-956 MHz) and microwave (2.4 GHz). the arms of the dipole. A diode can rectify ing rush hours. This will result into more RFID readers can typically read 100-300 this potential and link to a capacitor. This way, energy is accumulated in a capacitor, which is used to power the electronics. A technique called back scattering is used to Road Safety Speed limit enforcement, collision avoidance transmit the information to the reader. Payment Services Toll collection, parking fees Use of passive RFID technology in vehicle Identification and ITS applications Enforcement Speed limit checking, checking of vehicle and driver license, has the following advantages: it is low checking of weight allowed on the vehicle cost, has reduced device footage and Navigation and Modeling Providing drivers with suitable information of their routes, building doesn’t require a battery. RFID tags traffic model to help transportation authorities for better planning attached to objects turn them into mobile by continuously extracting real data about traffic status network of nodes. This network of nodes 1 Broad categories of ITS applications can be used to track and trigger events to
20 www.autotechreview.com Class Tags for vehicle identification. To date, active transponders operating Class 0 Is a factory programmed read-only tag in the UHF and microwave ranges have Class 1 It is a passive, read only, backscatter, write-once read many (WARM) tag been employed. However, passive tran-
Class 2 Has a user memory and encryption. Is a passive field-programmable tag sponders can be more compact, and are available at significantly lower costs. Class 3 It is semi-passive backscatter tag that has a user memory and encryption Moreover, they are more durable and
Class 4 It is an active tag that utilises built in battery as source of power to run the environmentally friendly, since passive microchip circuit transponders do not require a battery. Then again, the determining requirement Class 5 Is a very active tag that is able to communicate with the above five tags or any other device in toll collection and traffic control is hav- ing a read range of 5 m (16.4 ft) and 2 Classification of RFID tags Source: Saed Samadi, 2013 beyond, as well as readability at speeds of up to 250 km/h (155 m/h). Embedded RFID has already found help implementation of ITS applications. battery stored energy can support finite applications in the field of automobile. By Potential applications of RFID in the field number of read operations, thus making embedding RFID tags containing the of intelligent transportation cover a wide its lifetime dependent on the battery information to unlock and start an auto- range, including improved driving safety, energy storage. But in modern vehicles, mobile directly into plastic key fobs, an reduce vehicle collisions, and even help the source of power exists and it may be effective measure to prevent steal of an reduce vehicle emissions. possible to power active tags. However, automobile has been implemented by One limitation of the passive RFID active RFID technology is much expensive automobile manufacturers. Such keys are based systems is the range. Applications as compared to passive ones. There are much more difficult to duplicate. like speed limit enforcement require a also semi-active or battery-assisted pas- long range of coverage on the road (~100 sive tags, which use thin batteries and m) that cannot be achieved with passive provide greater range (less than active) OTHER EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: RFID. Conventional passive RFID technol- and require less power from reader. DEDICATED SHORT RANGE ogy is also not suitable for speeds over 80 The features of the various RFID tags COMMUNICATION km/h and in wet conditions. are summarised in 2. In case of active tags, the energy The dedicated short range communication either comes from a connected powered (DSRC) technology is being developed by infrastructure, or from battery embed- NEW TRENDS IN RFID the auto industry for vehicle-to-vehicle ded within the tag. Active tags have IDENTIFICATION (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) higher storage capacities (512 kb), but communication. DSRC is a short range are comparatively expensive at around $ At present, most implementations wireless protocol. Wireless local area net- 50-250. The read range is about 300 ft, involve passive technology. The use of work (WLAN) protocol was modified to and typically can be rewritten by the RF passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID be suitable for harsh automotive environ- interrogator. Long range RFID with read tags was considered to be problematic in ment, high level of mobility of the nodes, range of 15 to 500 ft (4.6 to 150 m) is proximity to metal, since UHF radio multipath, and environmental dynamics also available. waves bounce off metallic objects. caused by the vehicles and pedestrians. In case of battery integrated tags, the Recent tests have shown that the read Compared to other wireless communi- ranges of UHF tags mounted to metal can cation technologies, DSRC technology has match those of smart labels used within many advantages. DSRC is considered the other environments. Even greater read most promising technology to be used in ranges can be achieved if the metal struc- EVI application, as it opens the door to ture itself is used, for example, through a many applications in ITS field. The 5.7 to slot antenna design within the metal sur- 5.9 GHz range of the radio spectrum has face – a method that could be called in- been specified by the international tele- metal RFID. communications union radio standards The BIBA Institute, at the University of subcommittee (ITU-R) for industrial, sci- Bremen, working together with JH Tön- entific, and medical (ISM) uses. njes EAST GmbH & Co (a developer and The primary motivation of applying manufacturer of license plates) and Kath- DSRC is to enable collision prevention rein Sachsen GmbH (an RFID reader and applications. Due to its low latency, the antenna supplier), has developed and DSRC technology can be used effectively tested new passive RFID license plates for V2V and V2I applications by alerting that outperform smart labels on wind- driver and avoiding crashes in the follow- RFID tags could either be active or passive shields, as well as on-metal passive tags ing situations: autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 21 Technology foresight its
area network (WLAN) and its wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE) evolutions (IEEE802.11P and IEEE P1609), Bluetooth wireless personal area network (WPAN), mm-Wave, infrared and radio frequency identification (RFID). In addition, many sensing technologies such as radar, imaging and video process- ing will be integrated into the CALM architecture. Most of the communication technologies in the CALM family are bor- rowed from other mature applications, except DSRC.
CONCLUSION
NFC is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that allows a bidirectional communi- Vehicle population on Indian roads is cation and an exchange of data between devices over a distance of about 5-10 cm increasingly exponentially. Even then, in terms of vehicle penetration per 1,000 people, India is way behind many coun- :: Veering close to the edge of the road; tions such as collision avoidance. The tries. This signifies that the growth of :: Vehicles suddenly stopped ahead; OBU can be embedded and connected vehicle population will potentially con- :: Collision paths during merging; with other electronic systems of the vehi- tinue. On the other hand, there will be :: The presence of nearby communica- cle via in-vehicle networking such as con- some limit of enhancing road infrastruc- tions devices and vehicles; and troller area network (CAN) and FlexRay. ture. In such a situation, ITS will become :: Sharp curves or slippery patches of Apart from collision avoidance, other more and more relevant. Thus, traffic roadway ahead. potential application of DSRC includes related measures should be planned keep- With the use of DSRC, it is also possible travel plan, traffic management, naviga- ing in view the future role of ITS. to implement solutions for convenience tion, fleet and asset management, envi- As compared to conventional systems V2I services like e-parking and toll pay- ronment monitoring, logistics, congestion of vehicle identification, electronic vehi- ment. DSRC can play an effective role in and emission reduction, toll collection, cle identification has the advantage of providing better traffic and travel condi- smart parking and emergency services. opening up doors for ITS applications. In tion information by transmitting anony- Apart from this, a wide range of other future, the CALM standards may be most mous information from electronic sensors location-based services are possible. relevant for ITS implementations, and in vehicles. The effectiveness of this tech- accordingly, DSRC could be the long- nology is highly dependent on coopera- term solution for electronic vehicle iden- tive standards for interoperability. How- COMMUNICATIONS ACCESS FOR tification. However, the DSRC technology ever, the current DSRC solutions are not LAND MOBILES is still evolving and RFID can provide an fully field-proven. There are significant effective interim solution. This will ena- DSRC-related social and technical chal- The International Organization for Stand- ble gradual implementation of ITS solu- lenges that have to be dealt with, before ardization (ISO) TC204 WG16 is develop- tions, and prepare ground for future tran- large-scale deployment. ing a family of international standards sition to DSRC technology, and standards The core design aspects of DSRC are and architecture on Communications like CALM. covered in a suite of standards called Access for Land Mobiles (CALM). It is Wireless Access in Vehicular Environment expected that the future CALM system (WAVE). There are two classes of devices will make use of a wide range of technol- in a WAVE system: on-board unit (OBU) ogies, including satellite, cellular (GSM, Read this article on and roadside unit (RSU). They can be 3G and 4G/ WiMAX), Wi-Fi wireless local www.autotechreview.com compared to the mobile station (MS) and base station (BS) in the cellular systems respectively. The OBUs and RSUs enable Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) is an auto V2V and V2I communications. The OBU nomous organisation set up in 1988 under the Department of Science & Technology to in a vehicle normally communicates with look ahead in technologies, assess the technology trajectories, and support technology other OBUs within the radio coverage area innovation by network actions in select technology areas of national importance. directly. This direct V2V communication reduces the message latency, which is an Send in your feedback to [email protected] essential requirement for safety applica-
22 www.autotechreview.com A step forward in Technologies for Wire Harness Manufacturing
THE WAY TO MAKE IT THE WAY TO MAKE IT FUTURISTIC FUTURISTIC Are you considering alternate materials for reducing weight / cost of the wire harness? Are you looking for Fakra Connector Crimping solutions for Infotainment circuits? Komax Automation India Pvt. Ltd. offers a wide range of automated and intelligent wire processing solutions for all major applications in automotive, electronics, white goods industry and many more.… We are well equipped to offer solutions for the upcoming challenges in wire harness manufacturing industry like smaller cross section wires, miniature terminals & housings, aluminium wire processing, Fakra connector crimping and related higher quality demands … New Technologies & Focus on Quality
Aluminimum wire applicati ons Small wire gauge applicati ons Fakra Crimping Soluti ons
TECHNOLOGIES
• Cutting and stripping of Alu- • Bench top stripping solutions • Semi–Automatic Solution with minium battery cable • Automatic cutting, stripping & small foot print from SLE – Komax India Products • Ultrasonic welding of Aluminium crimping of 0.13 mm sq with SL Compact system battery cable several new quality tools on • Fully automatic crimping • Komax AG, Switzerland • Benchtop crimping solutions for Automatic Conductor Detector, machine Alpha 355 S and Automatic Wire Cutting, Stripping & battery cables Strip Quality Check, Digital Alpha 356 Crimping Machine Microscope etc. • MecalSrl, Italy • Benchtop crimping solutions Crimping Presses & Applicators
• WDT ToolTech, Switzerland Pneumatic Crimping Presses
• Z+F, Germany Wire Strippers, Ferrules, Ferrules Crimper & Hand Tools
• Schunk, Germany Ultrasonic Splice Welding Machines
• TSK, Germany Wire Harness Tester & Test Tables
• SLE, Germany Crimp Laboratory &Quality Tools
• Komax Japan K. K. Wire & Coaxial Cable Stripping m/c
• Boewe, Germany Automatic Conductor Detector (ACD) Strip Quality Check (SQC) Shielded Cable brushing & twisting
Komax Automation India Pvt. Ltd. Gurgaon (Head Office): Phone: +91 124 4599 100 e-mail: [email protected] Bangalore (Branch Office): Phone: +91 80 4115 0963 e-mail: [email protected] Pune (Branch Office): Phone: +91 20 2711 0207 e-mail: [email protected] www.komax.in
23_Komex_ATR_June'14.indd 1 30-05-2014 15:24:24 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS AIR-COOLED FUEL CELL SYSTEM IN HYBRID SCOOTER
The Burgman fuel cell scooter (Burgman FCS) of Suzuki Motor Corporation is a hybrid scooter, which is equipped with a compact and air-cooled fuel cell system, jointly developed with Intelligent Energy Ltd. The scooter has been tested in a fleet testing programme supported by the UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) since February 2010, to evaluate the vehicle’s performance and find any powertrain related issues arising from road and traffic conditions.
24 www.autotechreview.com Authors VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS connects to the battery and motor con- troller via an electrical circuit consisting The hybrid electric scooter Burgman FCS, of the field effect transistor (FET) 1 (a), drives a traction motor with elec- switch. During deceleration or when tric power supplied from both the fuel cell travelling downhill, the regeneration and the battery. ① (b) shows the vehicle’s energy from the motor controller is cap- major specifications. Further features are: tured by the battery, and while idling KENGO IKEYA is Assistant Manager in the Research :: Simple, small and light weight air- the battery is recharged by the fuel cell. & Development Planning Dept. cooled fuel cell system; Hydrogen refuelling of the tank is Project 1 at Suzuki Motor Corporation :: Robust chassis structure utilising the done via the hydrogen receptacle, which in Hamamatsu (Japan). original framework of the petrol based is positioned in front of the rider’s seat. scooter; Two pressure regulators reduce the high- :: Practical driving range by incorporat- pressure hydrogen from the hydrogen ing a 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen tank to 50 kPA (gage) before supplied to storage; the fuel cell system. The power control :: Suitable power distribution between unit, which is positioned in front of the the fuel cell and the lithium-ion bat- fuel cell system, supplies the output TORU EGUCHI is Assistant Manager in the Research tery; and power of the fuel cell to the motor con- & Development Planning Dept. :: Rapid system start-up realised by the troller, and then drives the in-wheel Project 1 at Suzuki Motor Corporation simple fuel cell’s ability to respond motor which is installed in the swing in Hamamatsu (Japan). over a wide range of conditions. arm of the rear wheel. In front of the fuel cell system under the seat, the lith- ium-ion battery is installed, which func- VEHICLE SYSTEM AND tions as the energy buffer to assist the PARTS LAYOUT power supply during acceleration and to capture the regenerative power during The fuel cell system is connected to the deceleration. The acceleration perfor- KAZUHIKO MIZUTANI is Assistant Manager in the Research motor controller in parallel with the bat- mance from the stop was adjusted to & Development Planning Dept. tery via the power control unit, 2 (a). that of a 50 cc class motorcycle for rea- Project 2 at Suzuki Motor Corporation In the power control unit, the fuel cell sons of safety and fuel economy. in Hamamatu (Japan).
a)
TOHRU OHTA is Manager in the Research & Development Planning Dept. Project 1 at Suzuki Motor Corporation in Hamamatsu (Japan).
b)
Overall length 2055 mm Overall width 725 mm Overall height 1240 mm Weight 170 kg Motor AC synchronous motor Fuel cell PEFC (air-cooled, 1.6 kW) Fuel storage Pressurised hydrogen tank (70 MPa) Battery Li-ion battery (0.5 kWh, 7 Ah) Range 350 km (@ 30 km/h) Top speed 63 km/h
❶ Outline features of the vehicle with technical specifications a) fuel cell scooter, Burgman FCS, b) specifications of the vehicle autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 25 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
the air-cooled fuel cell system, which lim- its the BOP (Balance Of Plant) require- ment to a minimum extent could make the total system lighter and more compact than the equivalent water-cooled system. In addition, the air-cooled fuel cell sys- tem does not require any water cooling components, resulting in a drastic reduc- tion of the BOP. 4 (a) and ④ (c) show the appearance and the major specifica- tions of the air-cooled fuel cell system. Via the air filter on the fuel cell stack, the air is supplied by the low pressure blower fans installed beneath them. No pollut- ants or toxic substances are produced, and generated water is exhausted in the form of water vapour. However, though having only low pressure blower fans is one of the biggest advantages, the thermal management of the stack was one of the key issues. To realise enough low pressure drop of the exhaust system, the duct was designed to have the maximum sectional area at the rear end of the vehicle, ④ (b). ❷ Vehicle system and parts layout: a) system diagram of the vehicle, b) hydrogen system layout HYDROGEN AND HIGH-VOLTAGE SAFETY CONCEPT
Hydrogen is a combustible gas, which PRINCIPLE OF THE AIR-COOLED to the fuel, and to achieve high effi- could be ignited in the presence of an FUEL CELL SYSTEM ciency, a high-purity compressed hydro- ignition source when it is mixed with air gen fuel is required. in the concentration of 4 to 75 %, and The fuel cell generates electric energy 3 (a) shows the system diagram of an therefore requires utmost care in han- from the chemical reaction between the air-cooled fuel cell system, whereas ③ (b) dling. However, because of its nature oxygen in the air and the hydrogen shows an example of a water-cooled sys- such as its low specific gravity and an stored in the tank. Generally, and under tem commonly used for fuel cell automo- extremely high diffusivity, hydrogen consideration of size, weight, operational biles. It can be clearly seen that the air- could be easily diffused and diluted in temperature and quick system starts, the cooled system is extremely simple com- the air even in the remote chance of a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell (PEFC) is pared with the water-cooled system. For leakage. The following design guidelines employed for vehicle use. With regards smaller power systems below several kW, were considered:
❸ Fuel system diagram: a) air-cooled fuel cell system, b) water-cooled fuel cell system
26 www.autotechreview.com :: Prevent hydrogen leakage by protect- WHOLE VEHICLE TYPE FLEET TESTING RESULTS ing the high-pressure hydrogen parts, APPROVAL (WVTA) including the hydrogen tank with the Since February 2010, the vehicle has been robust chassis frame; In order to popularise fuel cell two- taking part in a fleet testing programme in :: Detect hydrogen leakage and close the wheelers, it is important to acquire live Loughborough, UK, supported by the UK main shut-off valve of the hydrogen data in the real world and in the various Technology Strategy Board. The objectives tank; and different road conditions and traffic situ- of the fleet testing are data collection and :: Avoid spaces in which hydrogen gas ations, not only on the proving grounds analysis of the vehicle driving perfor- could accumulate. under limited conditions. For this to mance and fuel economy, as well as the In addition, two hydrogen detector sen- happen, it is necessary to get vehicle detection and subsequent investigation of sors are equipped at the highest point certification to allow fuel cell two- the countermeasures for any powertrain under the seat and above the main shut- wheelers to run on public roads. Up to related issues. off valve, ② (b). These sensors have two now, since the regulations for the fuel ❺ (a) shows an example of the actual levels of detection; initial warning fol- cell motorcycles are neither sufficiently running data – the output voltage of the lowed by shutdown. In case either of the developed domestically nor internation- fuel cell system (V_FC), the output power hydrogen sensors detects a hydrogen leak- ally, each vehicle needs to be certified from the fuel cell system (P_FC), the out- age, a warning signal on the dashboard one by one as a single vehicle approval. put and input power of the battery (P_ informs the rider at the warning level, Considering that Europe would be BATT), the input voltage of the motor while at the shutdown level the hydrogen one of the most important and promis- controller (V_MC), and the consumed shutoff valve closes and the vehicle sys- ing markets for fuel cell vehicles, Euro- power of the motor controller (P_MC). tem shuts down safely. pean WVTA was set as the target. Fol- The fuel cell output power, being In case of a tip-over of the vehicle, lowing the regulations/standards listed dependent on the bus voltage, increases which is one of the biggest concerns for below, in March 2011, the vehicle as the bus voltage drops following the two-wheelers, the hydrogen shutoff valve obtained WVTA; the first time for any increase of the power request from the closes as a result of a signal from the tip- fuel cell vehicle in the world: motor. The fuel cell continues generating over sensor installed at the front part of :: Electric traction system and vehicle power even without any power request the vehicle. The hydrogen storage and system: EU directive 2002/24/EC; from the motor, and keeps charging the supply system met EU regulation (EC) :: Fuel cell system: IEC 62282-2; and battery. The diagram also shows that the No 79/2009, and the design was also :: Fuel storage and supply system: EU fuel cell could cut the peak power of the based on the safety requirements of regulation (EC) No 79/2009. battery by operating relatively constantly. Attachment 100, the Japanese domestic technical regulation for four-wheeled fuel cell automobiles, considering the specific structures of two-wheeled vehicles. With respect to crash safety, a sled a) b) test of the hydrogen storage tank mounted on the vehicle chassis frame was conducted following the requirements described in the above EU regulation. So far, vehicle regulations on high-voltage safety for fuel cell motorcycles have neither been fully developed domestically nor internationally. Therefore, the vehicle system has been designed to meet the safety aspects, and offer protection c) against direct and indirect contact as Supplier Intelligent Energy Ltd. well as isolation resistance, following Type PEFC (polymer electrolyte fuel cell) the requirements of Attachment 101, the Cooling Air-cooled system previous domestic technical regulation Output power 1.6 kW (net) on high-voltage safety of four wheel fuel Supply pressure 50 kPa G cell automobiles. System efficiency 50 % (LHV) In addition, it meets the ECE regula- Sound level < 62 dB @ 1 m tion No 100, which covers high-voltage Hydrogen ultilisation > 98 % safety of four-wheeled electric vehicles. The air-cooled system adopted this time Standards IEC 62282-2 offers the advantage of not having risks ❹ Air-cooled fuel cell system: a) photograph, b) exhaust duct design of the fuel cell system, of electric leakage. c) specification of the fuel cell system autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 27 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
a) 7000 90 ⑤ (b) shows the efficiency data, which V_FC V_MC 6000 80 were calculated from the measured fuel cell system power output, when operating 5000 70 the system at maximum continuous
4000 60 power. This clearly demonstrates that the P_MC BOP consumption is quite low even at 3000 50 maximum power, resulting in excellent system efficiency. In addition, it can be 2000 40 oltage [V] Power [W] V seen that the power losses of the power 1000 30 electronics in the power control unit P_FC remain negligibly small. The tank 0 20 employed this time is small with an inter- -1000 10 nal volume of only 11.2 l, 6 (b). P_BATT The diagram in ⑥ (a) shows data of -2000 0 the hydrogen filling and displays the 010203040 50 60 70 80 change of the tank internal pressure (P_ Time [s] Tank) and the temperature (T_Tank) dur- b) ing refuelling from 0 to 70 MPa at 20 °C Hydrogen consumption 3150 W ambient. T_amb represents the actual
Stack output power 1745 W measured ambient temperature. It takes approximately 400 s to reach 70 MPa, and BOP power 103 W at the same time, the tank internal tem- System output power 1603 W perature reaches approximately 75 °C at
Stack efficiency 55.4 % the end. Although this is lower than the maximum allowable temperature of the System efficiency 50.9 % tank (85 °C), it was confirmed from the ❺ Lessons learnt from the fleet testing: a) example of the power distribution, data that pre-cool technology, which cools b) fuel cell system efficiency at maximum continuous power hydrogen at the hydrogen station side before dispensing, would be required con- sidering a higher ambient temperature as well as faster refuelling. a) 80
70 SUMMARY
60 Achieving thermal management of the air- T_Tank 50 cooled fuel cell system requires cooling air with a high flow rate. To meet this P_Tank 40 requirement, a sophisticated ducting design minimising the pressure drop was
emperature [°C] 30 Pressure [MPa]
T one of the most important design factors 20 to be considered. The following results could be obtained from the data: 10 :: With an extremely low power con- T_amb sumption of the BOP, the air-cooled 0 -100 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 fuel cell system achieves high system Time [s] efficiency; and :: Even in case of a small hydrogen tank, b) hydrogen pre-cooling is essential to
Supplier Lincoln Composites, Inc. achieve high-speed refuelling at a high atmospheric temperature. Pressure 70 MPa
Internal volume 11.2 l REFERENCE [1] http://www.globalsuzuki.com/ Usable hydrogen 440 g globalnews/2011/0309.html
Regulation EU Regulation (EC) No 79/2009 certified
❻ Lessons learnt from the fleet testing: a) hydrogen tank refueling testing data, Read this article on b) specification of the hydrogen tank www.autotechreview.com
28 www.autotechreview.com
Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF BMW MOTORRAD ONE-CYLINDER ENGINES
It was not long after the Boxer that BMW Motorrad began producing one-cylinder engines. Eighty two years later, in 2007, the BMW G 450 X, an all-terrain bike designed as a competition enduro, represented the latest state of technology in the field of one-cylinder development.
30 www.autotechreview.com authors THE BEGINNING level of 8.8 kW (12 hp) at 3,500 rpm to 10 kW (14 hp) at 4,200 rpm. Dipl.-Ing. Wolfgang Mattes In September 1925, BMW launched its This was followed in 1936 by the R3, is Head of Powertrain at one-cylinder range alongside the Boxer whose engine size was reduced to 305 cc BMW Motorrad. series, with the R 39, 1. This was not by reducing the bore to 68 mm, with a conceived as a touring model but as a power output of 8 kW (11 hp). The R 35 Dipl.-Ing. Josef Miritsch highly sports-oriented motorcycle, came out one year later, based on the is Head of Model Lines 1 at BMW Motorrad. designed from the start to be deployed in engine of the R4, with an 84 mm stroke, motor racing events. Its vertical one-cyl- 72 mm bore and engine size of 342 cc. inder engine with longitudinal crankshaft Its power output of 10 kW (14 hp) was at had a cubic capacity of 247 cc, derived the same level as the R4, but with a from the square bore-stroke ratio of 68 somewhat higher nominal engine speed mm to 68 mm that would be retained for of 4,500 rpm. several decades. In 1937, BMW Motorrad introduced The high-performance, aluminium- the R 20, a 200 cc model whose one-cyl- cast OHV cylinder head was borrowed inder engine had been completely reengi- from the R 37 sporting Boxer, and the 110 neered, although it still retained the kg 250 cc motorcycle could attain a max- essential constructional features of the imum speed of 100 km/h with its 4.8 kW previous OHV one-cylinder. It was suc- (6.5 hp) at 4,000 rpm. What is remarka- ceeded only one year later by the broadly ble from a technical point of view is that similar R 23, which was however mar- the engine casing and cylinder were pro- keted as a 250 cc model. What was duced in a single piece. Besides the remarkable about this motorcycle was its flanged, hand-operated, three-speed gear- extremely smooth-surfaced and modern- box and the shaft drive to the rear wheel, looking engine casing, compared with the R 39 also featured an outside shoe the somewhat jagged appearance of the brake on the shaft drive, previously the previous models. reserve of racing models. This successful The precise engine size of the 200 cc sporty configuration and powerful engine model was 192 cc, resulting from a bore helped Sepp Stelzer to gain the title of x stroke of 60 x 68 mm; the 247 cc of the German Champion in the 250 cc class in 250 cc model had the same stroke but a the year of its launch, 1925. bore of 68 mm. While the R 20 generated In 1931, BMW Motorrad introduced 5.9 kW (8 hp), the R 23 managed as the R2, a model that was especially much as 7.4 kW (10 hp), both measured designed to comply with the regulations at a nominal engine speed of 5,400 rpm. for motorcycles up to 200 cc. Since April These two motorcycles, which were now 1, 1928, riders of this class of bike were already being produced with a three- exempt from paying road tax and needed no licence. Again, the engine was a verti- cal, longitudinal OHV cylinder design, with a bore of 63 mm and stroke of 64 mm. The manual three-speed gearbox and shaft drive were already known from the R 37. The power output generated by the engine with a compression ratio of 6.7:1 was initially 4.4 kW (6 hp) at 3,500 rpm, rising to 5.9 kW (8 hp) at 4,500 rpm in 1934. An addition to the middle-class range came in 1932 in the form of the R4, based on the R2, with an engine size of 384 cc, the product of a 78 mm bore and 84 mm stroke. Initially launched with three-speed hand gear changing, the OHV engine appeared in 1933 with a four-speed gearbox, the first BMW motorcycle to be equipped with such a feature. Power output rose from its initial 1 BMW R 39 cylinder autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 31 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
speed foot operated gearbox, were the last pre-war one-cylinder motorcycles produced by BMW Motorrad.
FIRST POST-WAR MODEL
It was ten years later, in March 1948 that the next new one-cylinder BMW – the R 24 – would celebrate its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. It was essen- tially based on the R 23, but now with four speed foot gear changing. The main differences to the engine of the R 23 were the larger air intake, reinforced crank drive, and split valve cover with bracket retainer. It was followed two years later by the R 25, also with a power output of 8.8 kW (12 hp) and an engine compression ratio that had been reduced from 6.75:1 to 6.5:1; on the other hand it now had a 24 mm carbu- rettor instead of 22 mm, 2. With a bore and stroke of 68 mm, the classic bore/stroke proportions remained; this was also the case with the successor models, the R 25/2 and R 25/3. Optimisa- tions had been applied in particular to the intake length and the dimensions of the silencer. With 9.6 kW (13 hp) at 5,800 rpm, the R 25/3 turned in a respectable top speed of 119 km/h, and at 47,700 units produced, it was one of the most successful BMW Motorrad models of all. BMW Motorrad landed a further major success in 1956 with the R 26, 3, which on the drive side was still based on the proven R 25 engineering, but now com- bined with the new full-swing chassis. Moreover, BMW Motorrad strengthened the model by adding to its power availa- 2 BMW R 25 engine bility. Equipped with 11 kW (15 hp) at 6,400 rpm, the proven 247 cc OHV one- REVIVAL IN THE 90S road. Its liquid-cooled, one-cylinder cylinder, now fed by a 26 mm large carbu- engine was an extremely compact con- rettor, managed a proud top speed of 128 It was not until 27 years later, in 1993, struction with transverse crankshaft, km/h. The R 27, which succeeded it and that BMW Motorrad revived the subject two overhead camshafts and four was built between 1960 and 1966, raised of one-cylinder motorcycle engines. valves, 4. Its 100 mm bore and 83 mm this level slightly to 130 km/h, marking Although the focus at that time had stroke resulted in an engine size of 652 the pinnacle of the development of the been on increasingly large-engined cc. With a compression ratio of 9.7:1, OHV one-cylinder generation from BMW motorcycles, BMW began to take new the engine generated an output of 35 Motorrad. Its engine had a compression market trends into consideration that kW (48 hp) at 6,500 rpm. The mixture ratio of 8.2:1 with a power output of 13 opened up new opportunities and preparation was controlled by two con- kW (18 hp) and a 1,000 rpm higher nomi- requirements for light, one-cylinder stant-pressure carburettors each with a nal engine speed of 7,400 rpm. BMW motorcycles with good road dynamics. separate intake channel and an inlet of Motorrad responded to the increasing This gave rise to the so-called “Fun- 33 mm. demands for more rider comfort by duro” or F 650 – a motorcycle designed The F 650 was the first BMW Motor- mounting the engine in silent blocks, as a combination between off-road rad in which not a shaft drive but a which absorbed undesirable vibrations. endure machine and a fun bike for the roller chain was employed in the sec-
32 www.autotechreview.com 3 BMW R 26 engine (sectional drawing)
ondary drive. Also, for the first time in BMW Motorrad was launched in 1999 in speed performances. the history of BMW Motorrad, the five- the form of the BMW Motorrad C1 At the beginning of the new millen- speed gearbox was integrated in the scooter. Its one-cylinder four-cycle engine nium, BMW made a further addition to engine casing. A wet clutch provided was a transverse unit with a size of either the one-cylinder segment, in the form of the traction between the engine and the 125 cc or 176 cc and horizontal cylinder. the F 650 GS, the successor to the F 650. gearbox. The result was a considerably The special features of the engine, which Its engine design was borrowed from lighter and more compact construction. was of swing arm design, were its four the former basic construction, to which Moreover, it was no longer necessary to valve engineering, electronic fuel injec- an electronic fuel injector was added for provide separate oil for the gearbox. tion, catalytic converter and CVT (contin- a more contemporary method of fuel With a top speed of 163 km/h and uously variable transmission) fuel trans- mixture preparation. With a generated plenty of torque, the F 650 weighed only mission. The 125 cc engine had a com- output of 37 kW (50 hp), it also had 189 kg with a full tank, was equipped pression ratio of 13:1 and a power output increased power capabilities. By 2004, with an electric starter and cut an of 11 kW (15 hp), while the larger one- ongoing model development of this dual extremely dynamic figure out on coun- cylinder with 176 cc offered 13 kW (18 ignition model resulted in an engine try roads. hp). With top speeds of 100 and 112 km/h with a catalytic converter, 5. This A hitherto unknown drive concept at respectively, they both turned in similar engine currently produces a power out- autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 33 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
4 BMW F 650 one-cylinder engine 5 BMW F 650 GS three-way catalytic converter
put of 35 kW (48 hp) in the G 650 GS. struction took into account special ing fluctuations in the sag of the sec- requirements with respect to low vehicle ondary chain. Moreover, this construc- weight as well as the regulations of the tion enabled swing arms of very long PROVISIONAL PEAK FIM (Fédération Internationale Motocy- dimensions, which was very beneficial OF DEVELOPMENT cliste), which had set a limit to engine to the traction. size of 450 cc. The coaxial alignment of swing arm The provisional peak of one-cylinder This limit was exhausted as efficiently pivot and drive sprocket was realised with development at BMW Motorrad came in as possible with an engine size of exactly the aid of a hollow gearbox drive shaft, 2007 with the G 450 X. The engine con- 449.5 cc. With a bore of 98 mm and a through which the swing arm axle was 59.6 mm stroke, the fed. The multiple-disc wet clutch was engine featured a very mounted directly on the crankshaft to short stroke distance, favour the engine casing’s narrow con- which permitted the struction in the vicinity of the swing accommodation of gener- pivot, and the primary drive was therefore ously proportioned tita- fitted with an intermediate shaft. As a nium valves. These were result of the intermediate shaft, the crank- activated by way of two shaft now rotated in the opposite direc- overhead camshafts via tion – in this model, backwards. finger followers on the In the road-licensed version, the com- inlet side and bucket tap- petition model had a compression ratio of pets on the outlet side, 12.0:1 plus electronic fuel injection, over- 6. run fuel cut-off, and a catalytic converter, Of particular techni- with a power output of 30 kW (41 hp) at cal interest was the liq- 7,000 rpm. A power output of 38 kW (52 uid-cooled engine with hp) was generated by changing the length five-speed gearbox inte- of the exhaust and employing modified grated in the basic con- engine management. struction, in which a coaxial swing pivot had been implemented for the purpose of prevent- Read this article on 6 BMW G 450 X crank drive and valve train www.autotechreview.com
34 www.autotechreview.com YOUR PARTNER IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
TYROLIT in India +91 80 23121811 | [email protected]
A Company of the SWAROVSKI Group www.tyrolit.com Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS ADAPTIVE XENON HEADLAMP FOR MOTORCYCLES
Some years back, Zizala Lichtsysteme developed an adaptive headlight for BMW Motorrad based on a Xenon projector system, with a moveable lens for correcting the pitch. The inclined position will be compensated by a movable mirror that aims the plane of the dipped beam in all situations. This system is the first system of its kind in volume production. The adaptive light system creates visibility and safety.
authors
MAG. HUBERT SCHUHLEITNER is CEO of the ZKW group [Zizala Lichtsysteme in Wieselburg (Austria) and other international locations in Slovakia, China, Czech Republic and India.]. PROBLEM DESCRIPTION headlamp no longer illuminates the road- way in front of the motorcycle in an opti- A principle problem is encountered in mum fashion. A straightforward way to the case of single-track motor vehicles, remedy this problem is to embed the as they are driven around curves due to entire illumination system into a gimbal- the inclination of the motorcycle. As a mounted assembly, which corrects all rule, the headlamp is rigidly connected movements of the motorcycle. ING. ERWIN MOSCH to the motorcycle. The inclination angle Such a mounting is expensive and is Project Manager at of the illumination device is practically awkward, since the entire headlight must Zizala Lichtsysteme GmbH in Wieselburg (Austria). the same as of the motorcycle itself. be swung, when driving around a curve. Therefore, in curves and at corners, the One must move a relatively large mass,
36 www.autotechreview.com the movement becomes slow, and further- module with a movable mirror. The con- and to have a better way to point the light more, much structural space is required. ventional projection headlight system onto the mirror above it. Another solution uses a rotating optical comprises a light source (for example To be able to use a mirror with small fibre image converter [1]. This approach is HID), the main reflector, a tilt-able lens dimensions, it is advantageous when the very complex and corrects only the angu- and a bezel for the purpose of forming a swing axis extends close to the reflection lar position of the light beam pattern in dipped-beam light distribution. The HID surface. The distance between the lens the horizontal plane. module directs light upwards at an angle and the mirror should be as short as pos- At Zizala Lichtsysteme, an illumination of approximately 45°. A mirror diverts the sible to reduce the image size of the bezel device for single-track motor vehicles was light distribution straight forward at the on the reflection surface. The projection invented by means of which one can legal required lowering of 1 % (0.57°), 3. system must be compact, so that a lens compensate the angle of roll depending As the vehicle moves in a straight line, with short focal length can be used. The on the direction of the turn and the curve the propagation direction of the light dis- light module comprises two optical ele- rating. Inherent to the system this steera- tribution, the optical axis of the light ments, which invert the image. The light ble beam pattern functions as “curved module and the swing axis of the mirror module bezel must be mounted upside light”. The cut-off of the lower-beam will lie in a vertical plane. As a rule, this down. Therefore, the Xenon HID lamp is headlamp stays level [2]. Additionally, this vertical plane is identical with the longitu- also mounted in such a way that the new system corrects movements of the dinal mid-plane of the motorcycle. The ceramic tube of the lead wire lies above motorcycle in the vertical plane, which is rotation axis of the lens is perpendicular the arc. This special installation position parallel with the course. Therefore pitch- to this longitudinal mid-plane. of the HID lamp (Philips D1S) has little ing movements due to change of velocity Illumination is particularly good when impact on luminous flux (approximately (slowdowns & speedups) and different the angle of the mirror swing axis corre- 100 lm decrease). loading conditions do not influence the sponds roughly to half the angle that is quality of the light distribution. formed by the optical axis of the light The dipped beam stays high enough module with the longitudinal axis of the FUNCTIONAL LAYOUT OF THE for good vision without dazzling vehicle. A typical value for the angle ADAPTIVE XENON HEADLIGHT oncoming drivers. This first ever adaptive between the optical axis of the light mod- Xenon headlight was implemented in the ule and the longitudinal vehicle axis is Level sensors at the front and rear suspen- BMW K1600 GT/GTL motorcycle, which 45°. This is the best choice for this angle, sion provide data for permanent headlight is available on the market since the as it requires little structural space in levelling. A stepper motor tilts the lens spring of 2011. order to achieve an optimum light distri- and corrects the angle of pitch. Due to the bution. The HID lamp is fitted in the pitch compensation, the headlight sheds reflector in a mounting position of 10° up. light in the optimum pre-set area when SYSTEM DESCRIPTION This position was chosen to save space the motorcycle is travelling straight ahead,
The adaptive headlight is based on a Xenon projector system using a Philips ① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥ D1S HID-lamp, 1. The rolled position is compensated by a movable mirror. A thin mirror plate is mounted in a holder. This mirror is pivot-mounted in the base body of the module. A stepper motor is the sec- ond bearing point and rotates the mirror in either direction. Therefore, bank angle corrections of approximately 25° are pos- sible. The pitch angle is compensated by a movable lens. The glass lens tilts about an axis, which lies in focal point plane. A lin- ear actuator dislocates the lens holder in such a way that the translational displace- 2 ment tilts the lens up or down. shows ⑦ ⑧ ⑨ ⑩ ⑪ ⑫ ⑬ ⑭ ⑮ the technical data of the adaptive corner- ing light for motorbikes. ① Lamp holder ⑥ Adapter mirror ⑪ Bold ② Xenon D1S ⑦ Steppermotor 2 ⑫ Adapter lens ③ Steppermotor 1 ⑧ Adapter motor ⑬ Lens OPTICAL PATH ④ Modul base ⑨ Reflector ⑭ Cover ⑤ Bolt ⑩ Beam diaphragm ⑮ Mirror This special illumination device consists of a centrally positioned HID projection 1 Exploided view of the headlight autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 37 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
The new adaptive cornering light for motorbikes from ZKW – Facts & Figures regardless of load condition and riding
Presentation 17 September 2010 state caused by speed changes. On-board solid state gyros measure the Time under development Four years linear acceleration factors and the angular Automotive partner BMW speeds of rotation in respect to natural axis. The electronic control unit deter- First used October 2010 mines the on-going banking angle of the First used in BMW K1600 motorcycle. A stepper motor turns the movable mirror around the swing axis Innovation The world’s first adaptive cornering lights for motorbikes with roll and tilt angle compensation and compensates the roll angle. In addi- tion to pitch compensation, the light of Improvements to safety : Compensating for the dipping and raising of the headlamp provided by when braking and accelerating the dipped-beam is also balanced in rela- : Compensating for the tilt of the headlamp when cornering tion to the banking angle. This results in Result The light-dark line on the carriageway always stays straight significantly improved illumination of the for a decisive improvement in driving safety. road, when cornering and therefore an Light source Xenon projection module enormous increase in active riding safety. At right-hand turns the glare impact on Luminosity 3200 lm oncoming traffic is eliminated. A special Drive and control technology : Two electric motors for headlamp range adjustment and roll setting of the swing angle of the mirror in the headlamp module angle drive provides a tourist solution, 4. : Two control units + sensors (for tile recognition, installed in the vehicle) for the pivoting and Xenon module Lamps in the headlamp module : Xenon bulb for the roll/tilt angle : Two halogen lamps for the high beam LIGHT BEAM CORRECTION : Two LEDs with heat sinks for the position light DURING TURNING Design : Polycarbonate cover with two decorative lines : Two design elements, printed onto the mirror mount by Corresponding to the inclination angle of means of gravure printing : Additional trim, painted the motorcycle, the mirror is swung in the : The typical BMW light rings with LED power supply are used direction opposite to the bank of the for the position light motorcycle. The rotation angle of the mir- Power supply 12 V standard via the on-board electronics ror amounts to approximately 55 % of the inclinations angle. Therefore, this new 2 Technical data adaptive headlight system keeps the cut- off in the correct horizontal position par- allel to the road, independent of the driv- ing condition of the motorcycle. Through the combined movements of the lens and mirror, changes occur in the imaging behaviour of the beam aperture. In dependence of bank and pitch angle, different areas of the mirror are illumi- nated. One should consider that the cor- rections of all of the movements are nei- ther independent nor linear functions. The inclined position of the motorcycle induces a “natural” bending light, because the emission centre moves to left or right. The centre of the light distribu- tion moves in left-hand turns towards the left curb side and vice versa, 5. The max- imum lateral movement is 9° at a bank angle of 25°. Additionally, change of velocity (accel- eration and braking) causes additive pitching movements of the motorcycle. Different loading conditions are also con- sidered. The lens tilts accordingly, so that the cut-off is lifted to the correct horizon- 3 Path of beam tal position.
38 www.autotechreview.com Projection module with movable lens for headlight leveling
Movable mirror for compensation of bank angle when cornering
5 Movement of the light distribution 4 Adaptive headlight function for a left-hand turn
The adaptive Xenon headlight system ELECTRONIC SYSTEM is to find parameters for the algorithm, actively equalises all these movements which allows the system to move the and functions as an automatic headlamp The horizontal inclination adjustment sys- stepper motors very fast to the target posi- levelling device. Therefore, the active and tem uses several electronic devices: tion without jerking light/dark boundary passive safety of motorcyclists is :: A sensor cluster; of the low-beam light distribution. enhanced. The light beam correction in :: Two level sensors; The HID ballast and the electric power summary: :: A motorcycle ECU; and supply of the other lamps are standard :: Bank angle correction in curves: the :: A headlamp ECU and two stepper components as used in car applications. moveable mirror rotates the cut-off as motors. The LED module for position lamps con- a function of the bank angle of the The output of the sensor cluster, consist- sists of a heat sink and a driver unit motorcycle; ing of three angle rate sensors and two including a chip LED as light-source. The :: Pitch angle correction because of speed acceleration sensors, is used by the motor- driver unit is a simple step-up-converter change: the moveable lens corrects cycle ECU for the computation of the with protective elements to avoid damage these pitch actions; and inclination angle of the motorcycle. Two due to reverse current or over voltage. :: The legal requirement for Xenon level sensors, one on the front wheel and The stepper motors are commercially headlight modules of range adjust- one on the rear wheel, are used to meas- available motors for levelling and AHL in ment is also achieved by means of the ure the average amount of suspension. automotive applications. movable lens. These two values are used to determine the current pitch angle. References The signals of the level sensors, the [1] Novakovskiy, G.; Koroleva, Y. E.; Konyukhov, V.V.; Markov, N.; Miras, J.-P.: Motorcycle Head- ILLUMINATION ENGINEERING DETAILS computed inclination angle and some lamp with Dynamic Light Beam Position Adjuster other signals, such as the motorcycle’s in the Course of Turning. ISAL2005: Vol. 11, Sym- The light module is a classical projector speed, are fed into the headlamp posium Darmstadt University of Technology, pp. type system with two half-shell reflectors. electronic control unit to calculate the 944(C2) [2] Adaptive Hauptscheinwerfer-Patentschriften: The lower part produces a broad light dis- target position of the headlamps AT500893A1\B1, DE102005046037A1\B4, tribution. The upper part concentrates actuators. Therefore, an algorithm US20060083014A1, JP2006168710AA light into the centre. The system uses a electronically rebuilds the mechanical lens with short back focal length and dependence of the motorcycle roll and small lens-diameter in order to retain a pitches angles and computes the great numerical aperture. A particular necessary angles for the lens and mirror challenge was to reduce shadowing to keep the cut-off horizontal and the effects of the glass plunger and the range of illumination constant. ceramic isolation tube of the HID lamp. This algorithm calculates not only the The mirror is made of thin sheet metal position but also the optimal speed of the Alanoid to minimise the mass, which stepper motors to reach the target position Read this article on must rotate. in an appropriate time. The difficulty here www.autotechreview.com autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 39 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS SMALL ENGINE STARTER KIT FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE EFFICIENCY
German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies offers a broad portfolio of products for small en- gines. Utilising a variety of these products it is possible to develop complete engine management systems. The Small Engine Starter Kit, discussed in this article, enables for rapid adaption of small engines to new legislations requirements and higher performance efficiency.
2 Engine management system IC
Authors INTRODUCTION few minutes. An USB interface for con- nection to PC and hardware is also The reference design of the Small Engine included in the package. Starter Kit, 1, developed by Infineon, The XC2000 microcontroller family offers a very high level of flexibility and offers the required performance for the adaptability for various small engines. control of electrified small engine man- The kit includes an engine control unit agement systems. On the reference JOHANNES HUCHZERMEIER is Product Marketing Manager (ECU), wiring harness and the necessary board, the XC2764 is used in a 100 pin at Infineon driver software. LQFP (Low Profile Quad Flat) package, Developed by Mectronik in Italy, the while for mass production the XC2733 initial software that comes with the represents an even more cost-efficient small engine starter kit enables for solution, which on tops offers 40 % immediate use with very little effort on space saving due to its smaller LQFP electronically-controlled one-cylinder package with 64 pins. combustion engines. There is a standard There is a need for “power interfaces” connector on the board, which ensures as the output currents of microcontrollers the connection to the engine loads in a are limited to a few mA only. Injectors, O2
40 www.autotechreview.com active sensors assuming the safety con- cept of the ECU design allows for it, 3. A K-line transceiver, which fulfils the ISO 9141 standard, completes the features of the TLE8080. This communication channel offers the possibility of a diagno- sis in a garage during maintenance or fail- ure analysis – supporting to a large extent state-of-the-art on-board diagnose rules. The reference board also comprises the following components: 1 Reference design of the small engine starter kit :: TLE4253 Tracker: The Small Engine Starter Kit also contains a tracker, the TLE4253. A tracker is a voltage regula- heaters or other inductive loads, however, the fuel emissions. Also, the two relay tor that follows and stabilises the input require currents up to about 2-3 A. There- drivers, main and delay switch, are sup- voltage at the output. The stable out- fore, actuators are driven from power ported from the TLE8080. put voltage is typically required for products that are optimised for the cur- The outputs of the TLE8080 already active sensors such as air pressure, rent requirements. have all main protection functionality – camshaft position, air intake and short circuit and over temperature. It also engine temperature. The TLE4253 is includes diagnostics functions for short especially robust against short circuit, TLE8080 – ONE CHIP circuit, which is communicated via SPI to when overvoltage is up to 40 V and ENGINE MANAGEMENT the microcontroller. The TLE8080 includes has a voltage limit and an over temper- a conditioning circuit to convert the ana- ature protection circuit. The TLE8080EM, 2, is an engine man- logue output signal of a magnetic sensor :: Additional loads with currents up to agement system IC, which includes basic to digital logic levels that are required at 5A can be handled using the BTS3410, functionality to support one-cylinder com- microcontroller inputs. Price competitive a device protected against short circuit bustion engines with focus on the Elec- magnet sensors are frequently used in and over temperature. tronic Fuel Injection (EFI) technology. small engines to measure the engine revo- :: The pressure sensor KP254 is also part The TLE8080 supports currents from lutions or the camshaft position. of the reference design and placed 350 mA for relays and up to 2.6 A for There is a 5V voltage regulator with directly on the board. It measures the larger inductive loads. There is also an watchdog and reset function integrated to barometric pressure. The KP254 deliv- output channel for resistive loads up to the device as well, that safely supplies the ers data to calculate and control the 3A. It has three output driver stages for microcontroller and the ECU at 250 mA. correct quantity of petrol to be injected injectors, malfunction indication lamps There is even sufficient current capability in the cylinder. and canister purge valves for improving for direct supply of one or two additional :: The air-petrol mixture, meanwhile, can be precisely set for the optimal opera- tion condition of the engine speed, especially during idle condition by Supply means of the stepper motor driver IGBT 5.0V ± 2% TLE8444. The TLE8444 communicates (IGN) 250mA with the micro directly utilising two flags for the diagnosis. Watchdog Reset Stepper Motor CONCLUSION Driver SPI XC2000 8-bit/16-bit With the development and production of VR-sensor µC this board Infineon has again demon- Interface LS Switch strated its commitment to developing energy efficient solutions with leading K -Line 1.1Ω; 3.0A MIL/Res ISO9141 edge products.
LS Switch LS Switch LS Switch LS Switch
0.6Ω; 2.6A 0.6Ω; 2.6A 3.3Ω; 0.35A 3.3Ω; 0.35A Solenoid Solenoid Relay Relay 3 ECU design of the Read this article on TLE8080 TLE 8080 www.autotechreview.com autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 41 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
42 www.autotechreview.com HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET 750 — SMALL ON PRICE, BIG ON TECH
Harley-Davidson (HD) created a stir across the global automotive industry when it unveiled the Street 750 and 500, the first motorcycles from the iconic brand in about 12 years. Not only was it an all-new motorcycle, but an all-new powertrain, and more importantly an all-new segment and positioning for the company since it started out from a garage more than 110 years ago. This article highlights the technology behind the new motorcycle and checks if it has the proper Harley-Davidson DNA, and if HD got it’s crowd-sourcing (built on feedback from people) right.
INTRODUCTION sche. The V-twin engine develops 60 Nm engine can now rev higher and is better of torque at 4,000 rpm and has a com- balanced. Also, a bore of 85 mm along So why did an iconic company need to pression ratio of 11:1. with a stroke of 66 mm means that the venture into the uncharted territories of Unlike the air-cooled engines of the engine is an oversquare unit instead of urban motorcycles? Quite simply, the larger cruisers, this new engine features a the undersquare units found on other HD larger and expensive models would never liquid-cooling system, helping counter the bikes. As a result of this change, the make HD a major two-wheeler player in heat build-up in traffic. While the system engine is further helped to operate at emerging markets. The complexities of does manage to keep the engine cooler higher revs, aiding to the street credentials emerging markets demanded that the than the air-cooled units, heat emanating of the bike. company develop dedicated products for from the V-twin can be bothersome in Another benefit from this new archi- markets like India. Making this task chal- stop-go traffic. The consolation is that tecture is the higher compactness of the lenging is the fact that markets like India things cool down rapidly once an open engine and the ability to be positioned have turned plans from best of the com- stretch of road is available. lower, allowing for a lower seating. From panies upside down in the past, owing to Another unique thing about the engine low-down, there is ample torque available its unique customer requirements. is that it’s a 60° V-twin instead of the and the higher rev limit of about 8,000 A growing young Indian population, usual 45° angle and has a single overhead rpm helps manoeuvrability in traffic. and the fact that majority of them with camshaft with four valves. The direct ben- Power flows in smoothly right through the buying power for such motorcycles, efit of this change in angle is that the rev range, tapering off only close to the resides in urban areas led HD to design a smaller, cost-effective product. So, does the new Street 750 have it to make HD a more affordable brand in India, while retaining its core DNA? This article analy- ses the technical direction adopted by the company with the new product.
POWERTRAIN
The crux of any HD motorcycle has tradi- tionally been its engine. The bike is pow- ered by a 749 cc Revolution X engine, developed especially to overcome the technical challenges faced in an urban environment. The engine is architecturally somewhat similar to the one found in the V-Rod, designed in collaboration with Por- The 749 cc Revolution X is the first new engine from HD in more than a decade autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 43 Cover Story TWO–WHEELERS
limiter, hitting which can be quite easy to ride for new riders, precisely the con- higher ground clearance adds to the and frequent. The absence of a tachome- sumer in HD’s crosshair. urban credentials of the motorcycle, while ter though doesn’t help. The engine and exhaust note is unlike the wide and low handlebars further aid Use of modern technology improves what a trademark Harley engine would manoeuvrability. As a result of these the performance of the motorcycle, which sound. What one gets instead is a smooth changes, the rider triangle (rider hips to can be ridden fast in varied conditions. and suppressed sound even when revved handlebars to rider feet) on the Street 750 Speed of 100 km/h can be achieved in hard. Like any other HD, the Street 750 is compact, leading to easy movement of under five second, and we did manage to comes with a rich customisation list, of the steering. touch a speedo indicated 175 km/h. which the Screamin Eagle exhaust should A wheelbase of 1,535 mm seems apt Despite all the new character, the engine be a remedy. However, the new exhaust for this bike as it handles speeds beyond befriends cruising with ease and long might increase the decibels, yet the 150 km/h too with ease. The suspension stints at about 130 km/h should be easy, soundtrack would still not be similar to set-up is pretty much what one would minus the inconvenient wind blast. The what traditional HD bikes sound. expect of a bike of this sort as it offers a motor operates smoothly, with well-con- firm ride but soaks up most regular sized trolled vibrations. potholes with ease. The chassis and sus- The six-speed transmission offers CHASSIS pension set-up along with raised clear- smooth shifts throughout and the gear ance for the bike and exhaust lend the ratios too are perfectly matched to the The Street 750 has been spawned from a Street 750 with higher lean clearance engine’s characteristics. The ratios and new platform and hence features an all- through corners. the engine’s power delivery are designed new lighter and narrower frame, aimed at to offer usable performance over a range, enhancing agility. The suspension offers rather than offering it only in a small more travel and should help counter the OUTLOOK bracket. This makes the motorcycle easy irregular road conditions in India better. A When HD announced a price of ` 4.1 lakh, ex-showroom for the Street 750, almost everyone was pleasantly shocked. Some amount of cost cutting was expected, and it’s quite evident on the Street 750. Heavy localisation of compo- nents has helped curb cost, but that has also led to some amount of compromise on the premium feel HD riders are used to. The amount of visible wiring, weld spots on the frame and plastic quality of the switchgear are below expectations. Adding further to the misses is the absence of a pass switch, tachometer and even a fuel gauge. A small warning light though notifies of depleting fuel reserves in the 13 l fuel tank. There is no switch available to turn off the headlamp, which means it’s a direct connection and stays on all the time. Another missing piece of equipment is ABS, which should’ve been included, given the price positioning. In a nutshell, from a distance, the Street 750 looks upmarket and appealing but the cost-cutting becomes evident when mov- ing closer to the bike. The Street 750 is a critical model for HD, both in India and internationally. From a technical perspective, they seem to have got it almost right. The powertrain and chassis technology used in the Street 750 signify a new and much required technically modern path. Of course, there are bits which leave room for improve-
A lighter and narrow frame with a long wheelbase and straight handlebars reflect the focus on ment, but most of those will not affect the adding urban credentials.
44 www.autotechreview.com problems soon, especially the brakes. The other talking point is whether the Street 750 is a proper Harley-Davidson going by the heritage it holds. From a technology standpoint, the Street 750 is a proper Harley-Davidson. Whatever has changed is clearly an adoption of modern technology. This is critical for a motorcy- cle to succeed in emerging markets as technology in these markets rightly defines value. As a business case, the Street 750 seems to be a trump of aces for HD and the key reason for it is the advancement of technology at the right time in the right region.
(For more details, read our review of the Street 750 on our website.) A 60° angle of the engine allows for a low saddle height
riding experience, which is quite brilliant! Both the rear brake pedal and the front The two components which hold back lever need hard application to bring the the potential of the chassis and power- bike to a stop and with the kind of accel- Text: Arpit Mahendra train are the brakes and the MRF eration the Street 750 offers, the brakes Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay Nylogrip tyres. Equipped with a single need a look into. The second bit is the disc with a floating two-piston calliper, tyres, which do their job well on a dry the Street 750 has decent braking power day but do not fare well in wet condi- Read this article on but it lacks feedback almost entirely. tions. Hopefully, HD will sort out these www.autotechreview.com
www.autotechreview.com June 2014 | Volume 3 | Issue 6 NOW, ALSO AVAILABLE ON
It’s on 14 INTERVIEW Rafiq Somani, Country Sales Manager, ANSYS India
18 TECHNOLOGY FORESIGHT Electronic Vehicle Identification: Towards Enabling Intelligent Transportation System in India
60 NEW VEHICLE Triumph Speed Triple — Technology Legacy Retained
TWO-WHEELERS —
PERSPECTIVE ON FUTURE TECHNOLOGY POWERED BY EACH
AUTO TECH REVIEW | SPRINGER INDIA PVT. LTD., 7th Floor, Vijaya Building, 17 Barakhamba Road, New Delhi – 110001. Ph: +91 11 45755888 | Fax: +91 11 45755889 Advertising: [email protected] | Editorial: [email protected] | Subscriptions: [email protected] Reach us at: www.autotechreview.com Technology MODELLING OPTIMISing PIEZOELECTRIC ENERGY HARVESTER IN CAR TYRES
The desire to get rid of batteries and power lines motivates a wide range of research. In the quest for systems that are energy autonomous, the concept of energy harvesting attracts much attention. Combine this idea with operation at the micro level and the ‘what if’ scenarios be even more enticing. For researchers at Siemens Cor- porate Technology in Munich, there was a strong attraction for exploring the potential of an energy harvesting MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) generator.
Author
NANDITA ROCHE is Marketing Manager at COMSOL, Bangalore (India).
INTRODUCTION research to the world. Siemens, together with their partner Continental AG, began The research team at Siemens was look- work on an application with clear com- ing to develop platform technologies for mercial potential. the future rather than specific products. Their goal was to design a Micro Elec- However, they were also looking for a tro-Mechanical System (MEMS) generator way to showcase the value of their that was as small, light and strong as pos-
46 www.autotechreview.com OPTIMISing PIEZOELECTRIC ENERGY HARVESTER IN CAR TYRES
1 TPMS mounting options — on the rim or on the inner lining of the tyre 2 Schematic of the piezoelectric MEMS generator energy harvester
sible with enough energy to power a sys- cantilever, as such a shape enables a uni- this case prevented using this method of tem under a range of conditions. They form stress distribution in the surface excitation. Researchers had to adopt an chose to design a microgenerator for an direction. Typical cantilever designs have unconventional approach and avoid mass innovative Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sys- substantial mass and are heavy with a and its concentration. This resulted in a tem (TPMS) driven by motion. concentrated weight at the tip. While this more serious problem as the damping Because TPMS are traditionally pow- is fine for the conventional method of became more critical. ered by batteries, they tend to be mounted continually exciting a cantilever at its nat- The big question for the Siemens team on the wheel rim. With no reliance on a ural frequency, the high dynamic forces of was how to optimise the design of the battery, such a system could be placed inside the tyre and would be in a position to measure much more than pressure, 1. It could monitor temperature, friction, wear and torque; assist with optimal tracking and engine control; and convey all this critical information wirelessly. It would also be maintenance free, low cost and environmentally friendly. Yet, locating the device within the tyre requires that the assembly be extremely robust and able to withstand gravitational acceleration up to 2,500 g. Moreover, in 3 2d fluid-Structure order to avoid tyre imbalance it would interaction simulation showing the resulting have to be very light, and in terms of velocity field caused by operational life it would need to match feeding mechanical that of a tyre, a minimum of eight years. cantilever energy into the disordered kinetic energy of the surrounding gas FROM MECHANICAL STRESS INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
Mounted to one spot on the inside of a tyre, a piezoelectric microgenerator would be able to harvest energy from the com- pression created each time that particular area of the tyre touched the ground, 2. The cantilever was designed to incorpo- rate a thin film of self-polarised piezoelec- tric ceramic material with a silicon carrier layer, which provides mechanical stability and stores harvested mechanical energy. 4 2d simulations of The cantilever is made of two materials fluid-structure and electrical energy is transferred interaction on a through the circuit from the cantilever. cantilever’s deflection at a gas pressure of 1 bar The team had settled on a triangular for varied carrier design for the spring-loaded piezoelectric thickness
autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 47 Technology MODELLING
5 3d fluid-Structure interaction simulation showing the deflection 6 3d simulations of fluid-structure interaction on a cantilever’s deflection as a of the triangular cantilever. function of gas pressure with a carrier thickness of 250 µm
cantilever in order to minimise damping. thickness, where they were able to con- it takes three people four months to do It appeared that air damping was the firm quantitatively that increasing the one technological run, which typically dominant effect, and the aerodynamic thickness of the cantilever led to an consists of one batch of up to 25 wafers. profile was a critical parameter. While the improvement in the damping behaviour One run usually results in a couple of cantilever area was limited to 100 mm2, of the MEMS harvester, 5 & 6. complete prototypes, depending on lay- the layer thicknesses were design parame- out. Testing takes a further two months. ters that could be freely changed. In particular, the extra expense of a clean Suitable parameters were needed to OPTIMISING CANTILEVER SIZE room infrastructure results in develop- ensure that the mechanical oscillation AND SHAPE ment costs of more than € 100,000 for a would continue for as long as possible single prototype run over six months. In and transfer as much of the mechanical to The Siemens team used COMSOL Mul- contrast, you can measure a 2D simula- the electrical domain. What the research tiphysics to numerically describe the tion in hours and a 3D simulation in days. team needed was a numerical tool to behaviour of the structure and this ena- In that sort of time it is easy to simulate determine the optimal structure and bled them to conduct research in the labo- the performance of up to 2,000 different ensure that enough energy was being pro- ratory. In order to compare the simulated prototypes within COMSOL Multiphysics. duced, 3 & 4. behaviour with experiments, the cantile- ver was periodically excited and the gen- erated piezoelectric voltage was recorded. FLUID AND STRUCTURE: Comparison of the simulation with AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP physical testing revealed that the overall damping behaviour was actually higher. Identifying the transfer of mechanical The obvious explanation was that they energy to the surrounding air being criti- were losing energy because of intrinsic cal, the team first conducted a Fluid- losses in the material. The researchers Structure Interaction (FSI) analysis of the then assumed an accepted value for this cantilever. The team started off with static internal damping and after taking these simulations and this gave them some ini- correction factors into account, they got tial values. This was followed by a time the same results. This was reconfirma- dependant analysis, which allowed them tion that the simulation process with to see a range of physical effects and COMSOL was reliable and they could understand the impact of the surrounding continue to investigate the performance air on the damping of the cantilever. of the cantilever using different parame- Members of the team went on to con- ter values. The team was then able to duct a 3D FSI simulation and to consider move onto optimising system component the cantilever deflection as a function of and system integration. external pressure and carrier thickness. The use of COMSOL was critical to the They examined the maximum stress development of the physical prototypes. Read this article on required for initial deflection at each According to Dr Ingo Kuehne at Siemens, www.autotechreview.com
48 www.autotechreview.com National Conference on Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable E-mobility in India
Friday, August 1, 2014 | Hotel Le Meridien, Windsor Place, Janpath, New Delhi
The Sustainable Technology Development Committee (STDC) of ACMA has been proactively working towards creating awareness with its stakeholders to reduce carbon footprint in the automotive sector through interactive forums and platforms to inculcate best practices within the sector and leverage knowledge that exists across borders in the industry.
The committee with the backdrop of National Mission on Electric Mobility (NMEM), announced in 2013 by the Prime Minister, has decided to organize a conference on ‘Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable E-mobility in India’
In 2013, the fi rst National Conference was held on “Minimizing Carbon Footprint for Sustainable Growth”, which saw over 90 participants and 15 experts brainstorming innovative ways of reducing carbon foot prints.
OBJECTIVE ATTENDEES
The conference aims to maintain a continued focus in aligning the OEMs, Tier 1 and 2, policy makers, academia and mindset towards building a robust business model for e-Mobility, consultants will be present at this knowledge sharing discuss systems integration challenges and opportunities, platform and deliberate on the current state, future techno-commercial aspects and close with a high powered panel opportunities, challenges and mechanisms to discussion. The conference will witness the congregation of several collaborate in growing a sustainable environment. experts and present an ideal platform for exchange of ideas by national and international attendees.
Knowledge Partner Domain Partner Media Partner Book Your Seats Now
For further details please contact: ABOUT ACMA: MS. POOJA SHARMA, The Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) is the apex body representing the interest of the Indian Auto Component Industry. Its active involvement in trade promotion, technology up-gradation, Assistant Director, ACMA quality enhancement and collection & dissemination of information has made it a vital catalyst for this industry’s Ph: 01126160315; development. ACMA’s charter is to develop a globally competitive Indian auto component Industry and strengthen E-mail : [email protected] its role in national economic development as also promote business through international alliances. ACMA is an ISO 9001:2008 certifi ed Association.
Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India 6th Floor, The Capital Court, Olof Palme Marg, Munirka, New Delhi – 110067; Ph: 26160315; Fax: 26160317; website: www.acma.in
49_ACMA-eMobility_ATR_June'14.indd 1 30-05-2014 14:57:07 Technology VEHICLE MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS — SETTING FUTURE IN MOTION
Each time a major car model undergoes a generation change, there are plenty of expectations, more in line with the character of the vehicle in discussion. The unique thing about the Mercedes-Benz S-Class undergoing this process is that the world looks forward to the next generation of technologies for the decade or so. The new S Class was recently launched in India and we had a chance to take a look at some of the unique technologies it offers.
50 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION
In India, Mercedes-Benz offers two vari- ants of the S Class, the S 500 and the S 350, of which we got a chance to sample the former. Widely claimed to be the best car in the world, the new S Class brings a host of global-first technologies to the table. In India though, some of these have been done away with, partly due to legis- lation and the rest due to market need assessment. Our feature highlights some of these trend-setting technologies.
COMFORT The wraparound concept offers impeccable quality and layout of new-age controls
The S Class is meant to be chauffeur- driven and hence we take up the subject open phone keypad along with a rotary the overall powertrain helps the new of comfort first, for which Mercedes engi- dial with push functionality to input user S-Class claim the title of the most efficient neers have introduced many new technol- commands. The system works smoothly car in its segment. ogies. The rear seat can now be equipped and offers seamless access to all controls. with the Chauffeur Package, which allows for the front side seat to be moved an LIGHTWEIGHTING additional 77 mm from its standard maxi- EFFICIENCY mum forward position. This increases the That the S-Class’ weight has remained legroom drastically over what already is While the powertrain of the S-Class is almost the same since the 220 series in one of the best available legroom, and an optimised for efficiency, the aerodynamics 1990s, despite the massive increase in electrically sliding footboard supports too needs a special mention considering electronics since then, is in itself a testi- legs, when stretched. the size of the vehicle. With a drag coeffi- mony of the lightweight engineering being Another feature adding non-function- cient of just 0.24, the new S-Class takes applied at Mercedes-Benz. The key reason ally but aesthetically to the cabin’s com- the leading spot in its segment in this for this is the increasing use of aluminium fort is the ambience lighting, which runs area. Additionally, aeroacoustic optimisa- along with geometrical optimisation and across the cabin under the wood trim. tion measures on the S-Class ensure that newer joining technologies. All these Programmable for change in brightness even at high-speeds the cabin is insulated result in the new S-Class weighing about across seven colours, the ambience light- from wind noise or rain drops hitting the 100 kg lesser than its predecessor, while ing adds a fresh and warm touch to the car’s windshield. offering an increased torsional stiffness of cabin when desired. The lighting in and Powering the car we drove, was a 40.5 k Nm/ degree over the earlier mod- outside this car itself is a global first as 4,663 cc V8 bi-turbo unit, developing 455 el’s 27.5 k Nm. the S Class is the first car in the world to hp and 700 Nm of torque. The engine, have no bulbs and only LEDs, almost 500 owing to numerous changes is more pow- of them. The interior alone has about erful than its predecessor, whilst offering SAFETY 300 of these, while 56 illuminate the higher efficiency, both in terms of fuel road ahead and the remaining adorn the consumption and emissions. Paired to a The S-Class introduced airbags to the rear section. 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission, world, so naturally, expectations in the Coming back to the rear seats, one can electrically adjust the length, height, incli- nation and cushion depth, translating into a perfect seating position for most of the people. Other features include the seat heating function and foldable tables, which transform the cabin of the S Class into a mobile office. The COMAND (Cockpit Management and Data) system has been updated to offer more functionalities than earlier, with the new input methods being one of the key changes. One now gets a flip-to- The cabin of the S-Class offers enough features and comfort to create a business-conducive environment autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 51 Technology VEHICLE
deceleration of the occupants, thereby sig- nificantly reducing the chances of injuries during a frontal crash. All these features are complemented by the usual passive safety kit, expected in this segment. One feature that misses out though is that of the beltbag system, available on international variants. This technology embeds an inflatable system in the rear seatbelt, which deploys on col- lision, further improving the safety of occupants in the rear seats by dissipating the forces better.
ROUND-UP
Elegant, proportionate, subtle and classy are some of the adjectives defining the S-Class styling The Mercedes-Benz S-Class with its understated yet elegant styling, class-lead- ing luxury features and business-focussed rear seats make it a delightful buy for cus- tomers in this segment. With the world- first technologies it introduces, its novelty factor is unmatched by its competitors for now. Our time spent with the vehicle revealed that the new S-Class hasn’t lost any of its traditional characteristics, which put it at the top of the super luxury seg- ment globally. It has only introduced mul- LED headlamps, night vision & 360° view make the S-Class extremely safe to drive tiple technologies that its German compet- itors will be able to match only with their next generation models, which are still safety department is always high from a km/h and issues an audible and visual some time away. new model. The new S-Class like its pre- warning if required. In addition, one can Although we sampled the S 500, we decessors once again brings forth futuris- opt for the Night View Assist Plus, which expect the S 350 to sell better in India, tic technologies but more importantly this transforms the instrument cluster display notwithstanding the fact that the S 500’s time these technologies offer a window into a night vision display. This allows powertrain was almost perfect. Seen from view of what autonomous driving could drivers to see the road ahead beyond the vehicle’s positioning perspective, the be. Unfortunately, some of these technolo- what their normal vision could and spot S-Class drives and goes around exactly gies haven’t been introduced in India, due any upcoming objects or living beings. how a potential consumer would want it to our legislation and traffic limitations. Knowing so in advance can help the to. Once again, the new Mercedes-Benz These include the MAGIC BODY CON- driver react timely and avoid an accident S-Class shows us the technologies masses TROL, which detects road bumps in at night. will see in their cars in about five to seven advance using radar and cameras and An interesting new inclusion is the years in a smaller form. For those who prepares suspension in advance to deal PRE-SAFE PLUS, which can sense a rear- can afford to spend ` 1.36 cr, ex-show- with the undulation. This results in the end collision and prompt the existing room, Mumbai, the future of automobiles cabin being almost unsettled even when PRE-Safe technology to initiate occupant is yours to experience today! the car goes over a bump. Since the protection measures. Further is the sys- Mercedes-Benz claims the S-Class to radar frequency of the S- Class interferes tem’s ability to apply brakes, when sta- be the best car in the world, which we with that of the Indian defence forces, it tionary, in order to prevent secondary cannot testify but can assure you that this hasn’t been launched in India. In addi- accidents arising from the rear-end is definitely the best ever made by them tion, the absence of the radar monitoring impact. This not only reduces the damage from a technical perspective. also takes away some more safety and to the occupant car but other vehicles semi-autonomous driving technologies around as well. Adding to this portfolio is Text & Photo: Arpit Mahendra away from the package. the PRE-SAFE Impulse, which pulls the What one gets in India is the ATTEN- front-seat occupants away from the TION ASSIST, which monitors a driver’s impact’s direction using the seat belts. Read this article on attention level between 60 km/h and 200 This process begins before a substantial www.autotechreview.com
52 www.autotechreview.com rd.springer.com
Springer for Research & Development Automotive Content Collection Results Matter. Choose Springer.
Keeping the automotive community up-to-speed with high quality, timely information Content Springer Content Solutions are an ideal resource for corporate clients, providing simple Solutions access to a comprehensive library of information in a single location with Springer’s industry leading tools and features.
The Automotive Content Collection includes more than 28000 eBooks with comprehensive range of authoritative content covering current topics in automotive sciences across six key areas: engineering, automation, quality and optimization, manufacturing and materials, waste management and other related fields.
Key subject areas of interest include: • Material Science • Engineering • Chemistry • Computer Science • Physics • Mathematics
Please contact us at “[email protected]” EVENTS THAT STIMULATE YOUR GREY CELLS...
India
Conclave 2014 “energy storage for transportation: what lies ahead”
DATE: NOVEMBER 14, 2014 VENUE: THE PARK, NEW DELHI
Honouring India’s Best in Technology Excellence
Validation Knowledge Partner Partner
NOVEMBER, 2014 NEW DELHI
For more details, please contact to: Mr Chanakya Mehta | [email protected] | +91-9899922297
54_ATR Event.indd 1 02-06-2014 10:16:44 & Presents SEMINAR ON FUNCTIONAL SAFETY STANDARD — ISO 26262
In Association With
Supported By Associate Sponsor Knowledge Partner
“Bridging the Gap Between the Standard & Its Implementation in India”
AGENDA SPEAKERS (9:00 am to 5:00 pm) • Mr Rob Millar, Managing Director, R&D Vehicle Inaugural Session Systems Ltd (RDVS) ISO 26262 – The Current Reality (Global and Local Perspectives) • Mr Francis Foo, Marketing Director, In neon Technologies Asia Paci c Pte Ltd ::::: ::::: Session 1 • Mr C S Venkatraman, Consultant Advisor, Tata Catching Up with Changing Norms – Suppliers’ Perspective Motors ::::: ::::: • Dr Rani Mukherjee, Sr. Manager, Funtional Safety Session 2 Robert Bosch Engineering & Business Solutions (RBEI) OEMs – Adapting to the Growing Needs of ISO 26262 • Mr In-Hwan Kim, Team Manager, VCA Korea ::::: ::::: Panel Discussion • Mr Kapil Kumar, Solution Architect, KPIT “ISO 26262 in the Automotive Industry – Improving • Dr Madhusudan Joshi, Sr Manager, iCAT Functional Safety to Reduce Legal Liability” • Volkswagen India (name awaited) • TVS Motor Company (name awaited)...
DATE : JUNE 20, 2014 | VENUE : iCAT, IMT Manesar (NCR) For registration please contact: Mr Chanakya Mehta at [email protected] / +91-98-999-222-97
55_26262_ATR_June'14.indd 55 30-05-2014 20:14:09 SHOPFLOOR PRAYAG POLYTECH
PRAYAG POLYTECH – FUELLING GROWTH WITH LOCAL TECHNOLOGY
In less than two decades of its existence, Prayag Polytech has turned out to be a leading exporter white & black colour and additive masterbatches from India to more than 70 countries. The company’s compounded annual growth through the last five years has been in excess of 50 %. Making it unique is the fact that the company re- lies almost entirely on exports, while having a fully indigenous R&D set-up. We visited the company’s plant in Bhiwadi, Rajasthan to find the story behind the above mentioned achievements.
56 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION
Prayag Polytech manufactures master- batches for colouring objects used in industries such as food & industrial packaging, textiles, automotive, con- sumer goods and healthcare. These are essentially colour granules, which are used for giving colour to automotive parts such as dashboards, mudguards, and bumpers, etc. during the injection- moulding process. As a group, the company presently has three facilities, of which the Bhiwadi plant is the largest in terms of size and capacity. The facility houses R&D and testing set- ups to complement the production lines. as a surprise to us as we knew that this At the plant we got to meet RK Aggar- plant works 24 x 7 x 365 with three shifts. wal, Managing Director, Prayag Poly- The company’s business across industries tech, who gave us a brief on the compa- is based primarily on exports, with the ny’s performance and future plans. This domestic market being small for now but story yet again highlights the intensely growing year-on-year. complex technology requirements Our visit started with the R&D centre, involved in the development of processes which isn’t too large but is equipped with as unseen as colouring of various modern machines and processes. The sub-assemblies. company claims to have the experience of matching over 10,000 shades along with having developed the ability to develop R&D, PRODUCTION customised shades for various materials. Finding more about the machines and the The Bhiwadi plant is spread across an roughly 40 engineers area of over 9,000 sq m in the RIICO that enabled such Industrial Area of Bhiwadi. Entering the achievements, plant, it takes barely a few seconds to we first saw a realise that this is a unit with abundant spectropho- work as workers and forklifts make their tometer. This way through the area. This doesn’t come machine is
Analysis of material qualities is done through advanced and automated machines autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 57 SHOPFLOOR PRAYAG POLYTECH
Regular checks at various stages of development and production ensure higher quality used for precise colour-matching and is installed machines. check colour by making plastic films of automated, making it quicker and more Moving on, we came across a Friction the required colour. The set-up here pri- consistent in terms of accuracy. We were Tester, which checks for friction on vari- marily consisted of machines aimed at then shown the Fourier Transform Infra- ous applications such as the dashboard. checking for quality and consistency red (FTIR), which is used for checking the Then there was a Universal Tensile from the production at random and pre- quality consistency of the raw material Machine, mainly used to check product ceding production as well. We then coming into the plant. strength of the polymer used. A Suntest moved to one of the largest machines in Further up, there was a Thermal CPS can further check the stability of the the R&D and testing set-up – the Spin Gravimetric Analysis machine, which colour used, when exposed to sunlight Boy. This automated machine is used to analyses the quantity of decomposition by simulating similar environment. create threads, which are then used in of material, when exposed to a range of The six Melt Flow Index machines at various products, including seatbelts. temperature. Using this tool, engineers the plant are used to check the extru- The trial section has machines simi- are able to monitor the material givea- sion rate of flow of material, after which lar to those in production, but much way details under a specific tempera- it is sent for moisture analysis. Hereon, smaller in size. Also known as ture. Next up was the Differential Scan- a muffle furnace comes into play, which extruder, this machine is particularly ning Calorimetre, a thermal analysis burns the material to check for parame- interesting. Once the coloured material apparatus, which measures how physi- ters such as quality and performance by has been fed into the machine, it is cal properties of a material change with creating temperature upto 900° C. There heated till it turns into a thick liquid, change in temperature against time. In were other ovens too, which can be which is channeled through multiple simpler words, the machine allows for used for moisture analysis by manual pores into a tray of water. This instant determination of melting point of a control for multiple parts in one go. cooling causes the liquid to solidify in material through an automated process. Moving onto the testing area, we first the form a wire, which is then pulled The same process can be done manually saw a few Blown Film Machines & from the water and passed over rollers, as well at the lab through some other Injection-Moulded machines, used to right into a cutter. Here the wire is turned into granules, which in the form of finished products are packed and made ready for dispatch. The production set-up consists of about 20 extruder machines, with capacities ranging between five to 24 tonnes per day. Daily production right now accounts for about 80 tonne cur- rently, with scope for further increase, when required. Building further on the high automation used at the plant, overhead suction tubes allow operators to feed packets with required quantities of these granules. An interesting thing we noticed was that the area making white granules has its own quality check set-up. This has been done to ensure quicker flow of information and Capable of creating temperatures up to 900° C, the furnace checks for quality and performance of the material feedback, helping efficiency.
58 www.autotechreview.com The manufacturing of granules is done by passing molten material through water, creating wires and cutting them further
BUSINESS of the primary reasons the company has tional in about two months from now. been able to maintain a CAGR of over 50 Furthermore, the company has bought Prayag Polytech left us impressed with % over the past five years or so. Hence, land in Dahej, Gujarat for setting up a the kind of advanced technology and the company intends to continue with its new plant. The area of the land here is production processes used, more so by focus on exports unless the Indian manu- about 110,000 sq m, much larger than that the fact that all of this technology and facturing industry undergoes a radical of the other three plants combined, hint- capability has been developed indige- change in payment habits, putting them ing at the quantum of the expansion nously. The company doesn’t have any at par with their counterparts from the being planned. foreign technology collaborations and developed markets. The longer payment plans to depend on and further improve cycles prevalent in India across industries its own abilities, highlighting its confi- leads to slower cash flow, he said. In the OUTLOOK dence on its technology. automotive sector the company is a tier2 Adding to the appreciation of the supplier to Honda Motorcycle & Scooter With the activities we witnessed during efforts made for technology is the fact India (HMSI). our visit, and going by the plans shared that the company exports about 80 % of Prayag registered annual revenues of by Aggarwal, Prayag Polytech surely its production, including global automo- about ` 300 cr in FY14, and the present seems to have a busy order book. The fact tive suppliers across multiple industries. year is expected to close with an incre- that most of these orders are for exports That the company is comfortably meet- ment of about 25 %, said Aggarwal. He highlights the globally synchronised tech- ing the stringent standards in developed refused to comment on a long-term finan- nology of the company. This has become markets and plans to keep its business cial goal but mentioned that the company possible due to continuous and generous that way, speaks a lot about its techni- has an aggressive expansion plan and investment of resources, time and thought cal capabilities. should continue to grow at a healthy rate into R&D. Aggarwal pointed out that minimal in the coming years. In fact, a new plant Our visit to the plant and the interac- dependence on Indian companies is one close to the existing one will be opera- tion with the senior management once again highlights the underlying potential for small and medium enterprises, pro- vided they invest adequately in technol- ogy development. In the past we have witnessed that small companies, when independent in terms of technology, fare better in global business and Prayag Poly- tech further underlines our belief. With the kind of technology possessed and the expansion plans in place, it only seems to be a matter of time before the company has to further enlarge its growth plans.
Text: Arpit Mahendra Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay
Read this article on High automation at the plant ensures that human intervention is mainly used for feeding commands www.autotechreview.com autotechreview June 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 6 59 NEW VEHICLE Triumph
TRIUMPH SPEED TRIPLE — TECHNOLOGY LEGACY RETAINED
Launched in 1994, the Speed Triple is presently one of the best sellers of the Hinckley-based Triumph Motorcy- cles. Now, the same motorcycle that gave birth to the streetfighter segment is being assembled at Triumph’s plant in Manesar, Haryana. We got astride the Speed Triple on Indian roads to understand the technology that made it a global success and to find out how effective that is in India.
60 www.autotechreview.com INTRODUCTION
The Speed Triple is a motorcycle unlike any other, not just in terms of styling but the overall approach it has got from the engineers. When Triumph updated the original model in 2011, the most sig- nificant change came across as the replacement of the twin-round head lamps with bug-eyed angular units. While many criticised the styling change, customers stood through the time and the bike continues to be one of best-sellers of the iconic British com- pany. Such a strong acceptance despite the lack of instantly likable looks point towards impressive technology, which competitors find hard to match. Minus the huge saree-guard, the Speed Triple's side profile is muscular and impressive
DESIGN maintain a sporty stance throughout. POWERTRAIN One has to admit that even when Pretty much every design element of the quirky, British designs in cars and Speed Triple is unconventional, which is The Speed Triple is one of the easiest motorcycles are widely regarded as also its strength. The only bit that looks litre-class motorcycles to ride but great impressive. The Speed Triple continues conventional, ironically, doesn’t look fun at the same time, primarily due to its in the same fashion, especially with its too good and that is the rear section. engine behaviour. The engine is an in- front design. The bug-eyed headlamps The elongated plastic rear panel housing line three-cylinder 1,050 cc liquid-cooled along with a small wind-reflector give the tail and indicator lamps looks out of unit, developing a little above 133 hp the Speed Triple a look that cannot be place and brings in a sense of ordinari- and 111 Nm of torque. DOHC coupled confused with any other motorcycle in ness on a bike, which otherwise looks with four valves atop each of the three the world. The design might not be spectacularly special. cylinders aid the combustion chamber. pretty but offers a head turner effect. On closer inspection, one finds that The engine starts off on a loud and The bike looks more like an alien material quality is of top order and it’s firm note and settles into a pleasant machine with a unique character and hard to find even a cable-tie or a bracket hum. Given the Speed Triple’s position- aggression, all of which make for a great of ordinary quality. The switches, han- ing as an urban motorcycle, the engine presence on the road. The neatly fitted dlebar, paint, instrument cluster and is tuned to offer more performance low- engine within a blacked out twin-spar everything else around reflect quality of down and in the mid-range. Owing to frame and the rising lines up to the rear craftsmanship standards. the availability of ample low-down torque, the bike pulls cleanly in 6th gear from about 55 km/h too. The low-down and mid-range power band allow for lesser gearshifts in traffic and quicker passes. The motorcycle, in fact, is so easy to ride that below 3,000 rpm it’s hard to guess the kind of power being reined in. Throttle past about 3,000 rpm and the Speed Triple is a completely dif- ferent motorcycle. Past this mark, an array of nice-look- ing blue lights flash to indicate an upshift, which minus the aesthetic appreciation can be ignored on an empty stretch of road. The motorcycle willingly pulls power-wheelies, partly owing to the sharp throttle response, with the first gear alone allowing for a The ability to putter along in traffic and zoom past 200 km/h with ease makes the engine enjoyable to lilve with top speed of about 100 km/h. Since the autotechreview May 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 5 61 NEW VEHICLE Triumph
posture to be sporty yet straight-for- ward, offering easy manoeuvres and comfortable long rides. Once moving, the Speed Triple imme- diately seems to lose weight like most litre-class motorcycles. The straight han- dlebar and high seating position provide a commanding view and good control over the bike. The front is extremely light to handle, primarily due to the sharp 22.8o rake and the short 1,435 mm wheelbase and 90.9 mm trail. The kit also includes 43mm diameter Showa upside down forks upfront and a cen- trally mounted, adjustable single rear shocker at the rear. The brakes comprise of a 320 mm dual-disc set-up with Brem- bo’s four-piston radial callipers at the front and a 255 mm single disc at the A light frame and lower unsprung weight allows for a fun-filled and sharp handling rear with ABS as standard. Lightweight cast aluminium wheels lower the unsprung weight, the effect of which is gear ratios are aimed at urban riding testing, and accelerated all the way to a welcome when leaning into and straight- and not track, power starts tapering off top speed of 210 km/h before the road ening out of corners. closer to the redline of 11,000 rpm. ran out. Triumph claims a top speed in A key feature of the package is the Between 4,000 and 10,000 rpm though, excess of 230 km/h, which looks easily single-sided swingarm made out of alu- performance is potent yet controllable, achievable on the right stretch of road. minium, coupled with a chain adjuster. bringing us to the highlight of the Speed Rounding up the powertrain is the The stiff set-up of the swingarm and the Triple. This is one motorcycle that can three-in-two exhaust, which sounds chassis enable for good handling, right be used every day for practical reasons impressive once past about 6,000 rpm. up to a level where one won’t be disap- unlike many other motorcycles, which Closer to the red line too, the sound is pointed on a track day too. The low han- constantly need to be revved hard to brilliantly pleasant and authoritative. dlebars, rear-set and high foot pegs along stay in the power band. with a supportive seat enable quick rider A key reason for this balance is the body movement on tight courses. advanced fuel-injection system and the DYNAMICS The front end is impressively commu- intelligent mapping by Triumph engi- nicative, sending through precise feed- neers. The six-speed gearbox deserves a When Triumph updated the Speed Triple back to the rider over varied surfaces special mention for the smooth shifts in 2011, it introduced an all-new frame and situations. This helps in getting used throughout the range. Finding the neu- aimed at providing more forward weight to the dynamics quickly and in turn tral too never takes more than a gentle distribution in favour of sharper han- entering at and carrying through corners dab. A dash to 100 km/h of speed from dling and better front-end feel. Astride a lot more speed than visuals of the bike a standstill came up in 3.8 s during our the Speed Triple, one finds the riding might suggest. Of special mention is the way in which the suspension and brakes work during sudden braking, translating into controlled dive and excellent bite from the brakes. The ABS unit works brilliantly well, ensuring the rear wheel doesn’t get locked up too easily. The overall compo- sure of the bike is so good that while braking hard from about 150 km/h, the rear end stuck to its line with very little sideways movement. This is also due to the balanced weight distribution and sticky Metzeler tyres on the bike. The short wheelbase and low-down responsive engine also means that pull- Unconventional looks is the Speed Triple's DNA. Just that the plastic rear looks out of place ing up wheelies is mostly a non-inten-
62 www.autotechreview.com Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx xxxx xxxxxx Xxxxxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From a rider's perspective, the Speed Triple is a winner, as it hardly gives any reason to have doubts
tional act, when riding hard. The overall offer the rider an unparalleled riding combination provides a rider with a experience, whether on the limit or machine with impressive performance in negotiating the ills of traffic. all areas. Even in terms of features, the The only negative we could find was Speed Triple is generously loaded as it the way the rear looks and we’re also comes with a LCD information display told that the pillion seat isn’t too com- housing digital speedometer, fuel gauge, fortable. Nonetheless, we weren’t able trip meter, analogue tachometer, lap to put that claim to test given the short- timer and service interval notification. age of time. The Speed Triple does exactly what the rider intends with no excess intervention from electronics but ROUND-UP adequate safety all round. Given the fact that the motorcycle retails at an ex- The Speed Triple, after a day of rigorous showroom price of ` 10.4 lakh in Delhi, riding and looking into its technologies, one is hard pressed to find a reason left us mightily impressed. Being a against the high VFM it offers. The naked motorcycle, the Speed Triple has Speed Triple may not be the perfect a small visual footprint for the rider’s litre-class motorcycle around but every- vision and is so engaging that in no thing else, it surely is! time it gradually disappears beneath the rider, compounding the feeling of glid- ing over the road. Naked motorcycles have a different Text: Arpit Mahendra charm and the Speed Triple epitomises Photo: Bharat Bhushan Upadhyay it, even when pit against more powerful competitors. That mainly is down to the strong and versatile character of the machine, stemming out of the technolo-
An array of blue lights indicating upshift is a nice gies used. It is also down to the way Read this article on touch to the information console these technologies come together to www.autotechreview.com autotechreview May 2014 Volume 3 | Issue 5 63 DECODING TECHNOLOGY
MOBILITY FOR THE MASSES
DR ARUN JAURA Two-wheelers date back to the early Close to 1.3 mn two-wheelers, not Managing Director and Founder, TRAKTION Management Services 19th century, when the first means of counting bicycles, were sold last month Private Limited (TRAKTION) transport making use of two wheels and the numbers only seem to be grow- arranged consecutively, the bicycle, was ing every month in India. Parking, stor- on the road. Archives actually show age, and traffic issues in crowded cities, sketches of two-wheelers from a student along with the easy driving position and significant foreign partners. From of Leonardo da Vinci in 1493. Bicycles make them a popular form of urban being the basic mobility mode, two- are the greenest mobility mode that transportation in developing nations. In wheelers have moved up the value chain move through pedal power and create addition, joint ventures with foreign in technology, fuel economy and safety. traction via a chain drive for the rider. manufacturers have helped local OEMs The after sales service model is a critical Bicycle evolution saw motorised ver- leverage innovation in technology and piece to the customers and OEMs have sions, tandem styles, single and multi- processes using game changing ideas. stepped up to meet that expectation by speed, cross country, recreational and The pace of change and competitive two- offering service at the customers’ door- even wellness products. wheeler landscape are such that to not step, thus helping improve penetration of In the motorised world of two-wheel- innovate will almost inevitably result in this mobility mode in rural country side. ers, since early 20th century, there have stagnation and decline. LPG and electric two-wheelers are been invaluable innovations as speed, catching up with consumers, and inter- handling, safety and fuel economy have estingly, technology has been integrated become priorities in customer wants, EVOLUTION OF TECHNOLOGY in making fuel cell two-wheelers as well. needs and aspirations. Today, electric scooters are commonly Two-wheelers form a critical pillar in Over the years, technologies for the available products in super markets. As the mobility ecosphere due to the multi- two- and four-stroke engines have the speed and range requirements are tude of perspectives and customer aspi- changed immensely. Depending on the not highly demanding, the battery and rations – styling, fuel economy, safety, capacity, they are either air-cooled or motor sizing is efficient to keep the cost recyclability, tyres, braking technology, liquid-cooled, and have Overhead Con- of an electric two-wheeler competitive. engine types and sizing, emission trols or Dual Overhead Control valves. The advantage of cost reduction is obvi- norms, financing models, showroom Available with turbochargers or super- ous and harnessed by deploying such layout, after sales-service and compo- chargers, engines have moved away technologies in two-wheelers due to the nent logistics. from carburettors to fuel injection sys- economies of scale. tems. Engines have been developed for multi fuel capability. Transmissions too have evolved – CONCLUSION they are either manual or variomatic today, after the initial CVTs. The change Two-wheelers are integrated in our daily from kick start technology to keyless lives, have provided freedom of mobil- one-touch-start two-wheelers has helped ity to the masses and helped brighten in the growth of a customer base of the socioeconomic fabric, since individ- women and senior citizens. uals can reach to multiple sources of Mopeds, scooters, motorcycles, off- livelihood. The automotive fraternity road bikes and cult bikes are available to has seen a steep change in the last dec- meet customer aspirations and market ade in technology, skill sets, employ- segments across different regions. The ment and most importantly a sustained range has different engine sizes and growth in manufacturing. As the two- technologies, and fuel economy offer- wheeler market grows, it must remain ings. The features and gizmos have competitive, and must continue inno- increased magically due to competition vating for sustainability.
empowering through knowledge www.traktion.biz 27916a1_Layout 1 5/15/14 7:17 AM Page 1
MathWorks | INDIA MATLAB EXPO 2014 10 July, NIMHANS Convention Centre, Bangalore 15 July, The Westin, Pune
matlabexpo.in
PO WER E D WIT H ELECTRICITY, GAS,
AND AUTOMATICALLY-GENERATED CODE.
THAT’S MODEL-BA SED DESIGN.
To create a two-mode hybrid powertrain, engineers at GM used models to continuously verify their design, test prototypes, and automatically generate the embedded code. The result: a breakthrough HEV, delivered on time. To learn more, visit mathworks.in/mbd
©2014 The MathWorks, Inc.
MathWorks India Private Limited ©2014 The MathWorks, Inc. 9th Floor, ‘B’ Wing, Etamin Block, Prestige Technology Park II Marathahalli – Sarjapur Ring Road, Bangalore – 560103, Karnataka Tel. +91-80-6632 6000 Email: [email protected] For career opportunities visit: www.mathworks.in/company/jobs
Client Name: The Mathworks Cosmos Communications 718.482.1800 1 Q1 Q2 REQ #: 051614A C M Y K js Title: MBD_GM_IN_EXPO_210X279 27916a1 05.16.14 133 9 Full Page 4/c Size: 210mm x 279mm
This Advertisement prepared by: Magnitude 9.6 345 W. 13th Street New York, NY 10014 240-362-7079 [email protected]