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The crush performance of lightweight composite automotive structures varies significantly between static and dynamic test conditions. This paper discusses the development of a new dynamic testing facility that can be used to characterize crash performance at high loads and constant speed. Previous research results from the Energy Management Working Group (EMWG) of the Automotive Composites Consortium (ACC) showed that the static crush resistance of composite tubes can be significantly greater than dynamic crush results at speeds greater than 2 m/s. The new testing facility will provide the unique capability to crush structures at high loads in the intermediate velocity range. A novel machine control system was designed and projections of the machine performance indicate its compliance with the desired test tolerances. The test machine will be part of a national user facility at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and will be available for use in the summer of 2002.

Controlled Auto-Ignition (CAI) combustion has been achieved in a production type 4-stroke multi-cylinder gasoline engine. The engine was based on a Ford 1.7L Zetec-SE 16V engine with a compression ratio of 10.3, using substantially standard components modified only in design dimensions to control the gas exchange process in order to significantly increase the trapped residuals. The engine was also equipped with Variable Cam Timing (VCT) on both the intake and exhaust camshafts. It was found that the largely increased trapped residuals alone were sufficient to achieve CAI in this engine and with VCT, a range of loads between 0.5 and 4 bar BMEP and engine speeds between 1000 and 3500 rpm were mapped for CAI fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. The measured CAI results were compared with those of Spark Ignition (SI) combustion in the same engine but with standard camshafts at the same speeds and loads.

As automotive manufacturers continue to increase their use of thermoplastics for interior and exterior components, there is a likelihood of squeaks due to material contacts. To address this issue, Ford's Body Chassis NVH Squeak and Rattle Prevention Engineering Department has developed a tester that can measure friction, and any accompanying audible sound, as a function of sliding velocity, normal load, surface roughness, and environmental factors. The Ford team has been using the tester to address manufacturing plant issues and to develop a database of polymeric material pairings that will be used as a guide for current and future designs to eliminate potential noise concerns. Based upon the database, along with a physical property analysis of the various plastic (viscoelastic) materials used in the interior, we are in the process of developing an analytical model which will be a tool to predict frictional behavior.

The P2000 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle developed by Ford Motor Company is the first full-performance, full-size passenger fuel cell vehicle in the world. This development process has resulted in a vehicle with performance that matches some of today's vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. The powertrain in Ford's P2000 FCEV lightweight aluminum vehicle consists of an Ecostar electric motor/transaxle and a fuel cell system developed with XCELLSiS-The Fuel Cell Engine Company (formerly dbb Fuel Cell Engines, Inc.). Ballard's Mark 700 series fuel cell stack is a main component in the fuel cell system. To support this new FCEV, Ford has constructed the first North American hydrogen refueling station capable of dispensing gaseous and liquid hydrogen. On-going research and development is progressing to optimize fuel cell vehicle performance and refueling techniques.

In 1998, the United States Field Trial was chartered by the United States Council for Automotive Research/Vehicle Recycling Partnership with the objective of evaluating the feasibility of collecting and recycling automotive polymers from domestic end-of-life Vehicles (ELVs). Although ELVs are among the most widely recycled consumer products, 15-25% of their total mass must nevertheless be disposed of with no material recovery; the majority of this remainder is polymeric. Concerns regarding vehicle abandonment risks and disposal practices have resulted in the legislated treatment of ELVs in Western Europe, and in the emergence of attendant material recycling schemes. These schemes support quantitatively optimized material collection, but do not appear to be sustainable under the free-market economic conditions prevalent in North America.

From 1995 to 1997, the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) conducted a cold-start driveability program to evaluate the behavior of lower volatility fuels at cold, intermediate, and warm ambient temperatures. The program used 135 vehicles to evaluate 87 hydrocarbon, MTBE blended, and ethanol blended fuels. Evaporative driveability index equations (EDIs) were developed using the test design fuel variables (E158°F, E200°F, E300°F), and three other variable sets: (E158°F, E250°F, E330°F), (T10, T50, T90), and (E70°C, E100°C, E140°C). The models that best fit the data contained oxygenate offsets. Overall, the best indices are the E70°C, E100°C, E140°C equation and the DI equation with offsets.

Improvement of engine fuel efficiency through the use of low friction engine oils is a major task in engine lubrication research. This friction reduction can be achieved by improving the rheological characteristics and elastohydrodynamic (EHD) properties of engine oils, and by controlling boundary chemical interactions between oil-based additives and lubricated components in the engine. In order to achieve minimal frictional power loss under all lubrication regimes, engine tribological systems must be designed to effectively use advanced lubricant technology, material and surface modifications. This paper presents results of cooperative research addressing opportunities for minimizing friction through extension of hydrodynamic lubrication regime in lubricated components using various formulation approaches. A set of experimental oils has been evaluated using laboratory test rigs that simulate hydrodynamic, EHD, mixed and boundary lubrication.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effects that higher fluid injection pressures and nozzle geometry have on compound fuel injector nozzle performance. Higher pressures are shown to significantly reduce droplet size, increase the discharge coefficient and reduce the overall size of a nozzle spray. It is also shown that the geometry has a significant effect on nozzle performance, and it can be manipulated to give a desired spray shape.

The headlamp beam pattern development process contains both subjective and objective evaluations. The subjective evaluation, communication between the customer and the engineer, was developed in previous work [1][2]. This paper presents exploratory models used in the identification of objective photometric variables of a beam pattern that relate to the subjective impression of the beam pattern. Additional research will allow use of the photometric variables and their selected ranges for designing and evaluating beam patterns to achieve improved customer pleasing beam pattern driving experiences.

This paper proposes to utilize the Automobiles Entertainment Audio and Cellular Phone Systems as an information terminal to access the Information Super Highway better known as the WorldWide Web. As society moves to an ever increasing information based technology, there will be an ever expanding need to provide new ways and means of allowing access to the data on the WorldWide Web and Internet from many various locations and at a variety of different times. The authors recognize that rather large amounts of data and research have conducted and presented relative to obtaining information from and across the WorldWide Web. Additionally much work has been expended in the development of enhanced Driver Information Systems within the Automotive Industry.

This paper summarizes some of the research which has been carried out at Ford Motor Co. in the area of NOx traps. Results from a large body of experimental work are reviewed and used to provide insight into the fundamental processes which govern NOx trap performance. In particular, the key parameters which control thermal durability and sulfur poisoning of the NOx trap are discussed in detail. In addition, a theoretical model of the NOx trap is described and used in the analysis and interpretation of the experimental results.

The pulse flame combustor was adapted by researchers at Ford Motor Company in the early 1970s in order to produce exhaust gas simulating the combustion products of the internal combustion engine for the evaluation of automotive catalysts. Over the years, the pulse flame combustor has found application in a wide variety of research oriented tasks associated with automotive catalysts and emissions. More recent research and development efforts which have resulted due to elevated demands toward lower vehicle emission levels have prompted continuing refinements of the apparatus and effected innovative approaches to the study of emerging automotive catalyst and emission control issues with the pulse flame combustor. This report provides an overview of the operation and design evolution of the pulse flame combustor. In addition, recent applications of this laboratory device for studying automotive catalysts, alternative fuels, and other automotive emission control topics are reviewed.

This paper presents a description of intelligent sensor-based manufacturing, reviews previous research in this area, and identifies control system requirements necessary to support successful application of this technology. Current production control systems inhibit the successful implementation of advanced manufacturing control technologies. It is often difficult, if not impossible, to integrate new sensing technologies and advanced control algorithms with existing control platforms. To address this difficulty, hardware and software needs to support intelligent sensor-based manufacturing are discussed.

While evaluating the BIOSID advanced side impact dummy in full scale crash tests, we noticed higher than expected abdominal rib deflections. This finding led to a search to determine whether these deflections were an artifact of the dummy or whether the dummy was indicating that some portion of the vehicle side, in the area of the armrest, was laterally stronger than expected. Many armrests/trim panels were procured and both quasi-statically and dynamically tested using newly-devised test procedures. A team was formed to evaluate armrest/trim panel construction and to develop a biomechanically-based laboratory test procedure to help determine the effects of design and material changes. This team continues to function and a spin-off team is seeking to develop analytical predictive tools to allow speedier development of armrest/trim panels attuned to the new test procedure.

The method of communication between the customer and the engineer has been refined to further improve the headlight beam pattern development process. The refinements included: a) reduction of word pairs used for semantic differential scaling and b) use of shortened questionnaire on night-roadway viewing zones. The added benefit of the new questionnaire method allows the engineer to evaluate the customer responses of the beam pattern within specific areas on the road scene. A statistical technique called factor analysis has been used to evaluate and to reduce the large number of semantic differential word pairs used in the previous work by Jack, O'Day and Bhise (1). A comparison of the two questionnaire forms used in the evaluation surveys was completed based on an evaluation of beam patterns in a dynamic drive situation.

Automotive use of thermoplastic polymers has grown significantly within the last 10 years. At the same time that societal environmental expectations have increased and resulted in greater demand for the recycling of all materials. Efforts in recycling continue to be explored among the automotive community in planning for the recycling of the plastics being used in current products. Automotive manufacturers and their raw material suppliers are investigating technologies and processes that create the opportunity to produce viable outlets for recycled materials into both their original and other applications. The success of these efforts encouraged the investigation and development of a process to recycle post consumer bumpers as well.

The LDH (Limiting Dome Height Test) is widely used at Ford Motor Co. stamping plants laboratories to monitor the formability of incoming sheet materials. Although the LDH test is very easy to implement and interpret, variability of the results and poor reproducibility between laboratories limit its acceptance. In this investigation, some of the causes of variability and differences between plant laboratories are discussed. Much of the experimental work was done at plant laboratories and the results are directly applicable to quality control (QC) machines. It was found that the binder force and the binder shape have a big influence on the results, and they should be carefully controlled. The binder cleaning procedure is also relevant to the test variability. Punch temperature has a much greater influence on QC machines than on research machines and a method for controlling the punch temperature in QC machines is presented.

Analytical procedures for the speciation of hydrocarbons and oxygenates (ethers, aldehydes, ketones and alcohols) in vehicle evaporative and tailpipe exhaust emissions have been improved for Phase II studies of the Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program (AQIRP). One gas chromatograph (GC) was used for measurement of C1-C4 species and a second GC for C4-C12 species. Detection limits for this technique are 0.005 ppm C or 0.1 mg/mile exhaust emission level at a chromatographic signal-to-noise ratio of 3/1, a ten-fold improvement over the Phase I technique. The Phase I library was modified to include additional species for a total of 154 species. A 23-component gas standard was used to establish a calibration scale for automated computer identification of species. This method identifies 95±3% of the total hydrocarbon mass measured by GC for a typical exhaust sample. Solid adsorbent cartridges or impingers were used to collect aldehydes and ketones.

A number of advancements have been made in the coulometric sulfur trace instrumental technique for the real-time measurement of engine oil economy. These advancements include modification of the coulometric cell to improve reliability and reproducibility. The instrument has been interfaced with a microcomputer for instrument control as well as data acquisition, storage, and analysis. Studies were undertaken which demonstrate sufficient sensitivity and linearity for determination of engine oil economy at levels better than 10,000 miles/quart. Applications to steady-state engine oil consumption mapping and to instantaneous oil consumption during transient engine cycling are described. These instruments are being produced by an outside supplier for use in various company locations in both the engine production and engine research environments.

Analytical methods for determining individual aldehyde, ketone, and alcohol emissions from gasoline-, methanol-, and variable-fueled vehicles are described. These methods were used in the Auto/Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program to provide emission data for comparison of individual reformulated fuels, individual vehicles, and for air modeling studies. The emission samples are collected in impingers which contain either 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine solution for the aldehydes and ketones or deionized water for the alcohols. Subsequent analyses by liquid chromatography for the aldehydes and ketones and gas chromatography for the alcohols utilize autoinjectors and computerized data systems which permit high sample throughput with minimal operator intervention. The quality control procedures developed and interlaboratory comparisons conducted as part of this program are also described.