Testing

Honeywell, DuPont defend R-1234yf; Ford backs refrigerant studies Daimler's decision to halt use of the new refrigerant on safety concerns leads to a product defense by joint-venture suppliers Honeywell and DuPont, citing SAE studies and their own tests. Although GM is the only U.S. maker with R-1234yf cars, Ford also backs the refrigerant's use. Read full story

E.J. Bowman solution facilitates ethanol fuels testing When trying to simulate vehicle cycles accurately on a test rig, it is essential that the fluid temperatures and warm-up profiles are precisely represented; design of the heat exchanger is critical. Now, ethanol testing makes new demands, but Bowman has a solution. Read full story

A new approach to Li-ion battery modeling The new approach of researchers at Battery Design LLC and CD-adapco avoids the limitations of the standard approach by resolving the structure of the electrode and explicitly modeling the transport of lithium in the electrolyte and solid phases. Read full story

Shortening crash safety testing MESSRING's compact safety test sled system saves floor space. Read full story

Simulation and uncertainty at Caterpillar With a broad product range and competitive pressures, Caterpillar is increasingly relying on CAE simulation to enhance product development. One of its simulation managers is seeing the advent of stochastic simulation to further enhance that development. Read full story

Rethinking lead-acid for mild- and micro-hybrids After years in lithium-ion battery development—and fed up over material costs that remain punishingly high—Subash Dhar decided the original automotive battery chemistry still has big potential for hybrid vehicles. Read full story

Cars converse in largest-ever on-road ITS test project The U.S. government, via several of its transportation-related agencies, is sponsoring the project, which it claims is the largest-ever road test of connected-vehicle crash-avoidance technologies. Read full story

Synopsys enhances virtual prototyping tool for embedded software development The new release of Virtualizer improves modeling productivity through a new model authoring feature and IP specification import function. Read full story

Choosing the right tube joint seal for HFO-1234yf refrigerant compatibility One of the many system components of concern to OEMs and aftermarket service providers is the elastomeric seals used at the different joints in automotive air-conditioning. One critical aspect of seal performance is permeation, and the material compatibility issues likely to arise in relation to it, due to the new refrigeration chemistry. Read full story