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Powertrain Systems development is facing unprecedented challenges driven by the convergence of many factors: increasing government regulations for tailpipe emissions, diagnostics and fuel economy, increased competition, shorter development cycles, and tighter program budgets. Using telematics and information technology to automate the evaluation of a system�s robustness enables engineers to focus their time on problem areas during their normal development process and launch with quality. This presentation will use real world examples to detail how this methodology was jointly applied by Control-Tec and Ford Motor Company to identify and improve the system performance of Ford�s Air-Fuel Imbalance Monitor before production. Presenter Bill Leisenring, Control-Tec LLC

Sensing exhaust gas temperature is a key component in diesel after treatment systems for both control and diagnostics. Accuracy varies significantly depending upon the sensing technology and implementation in the system. Prior published work has demonstrated that resistance based temperature sensors are not able to achieve the system accuracy required for advanced diagnostics over the life of the emission system. This presentation will show that it is feasible to achieve better than �10�C end of life system accuracy by means of active thermocouple technology. Results from tests at Michigan Technological University will be used to illustrate diagnostic uncertainty related to the application of temperature sensors and a specific DOC/DPF example will be used to show the benefits of accurate temperature based diagnostics. Presenter D. P. Culbertson, Watlow Gordon

These advanced checks have resulted in development of many new diagnostic monitors, of varying types, and a whole new internal software infrastructure to handle tracking, reporting, and self-verification of OBD related items. Due to this amplified complexity and the consequences surrounding a shortfall in meeting regulatory requirements, efficient and thorough validation of the OBD system in the powertrain control software is critical. Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulation provides the environment in which the needed efficiency and thoroughness for validating the OBD system can be achieved. A HIL simulation environment consisting of engine, aftertreatment, and basic vehicle models can be employed, providing the ability for software developers, calibration engineers, OBD experts, and test engineers to examine and validate both facets of OBD software: diagnostic monitors and diagnostic infrastructure (i.e., fault memory management).

We report here results from first year of the BMW MINI E deployment. BMW deployed 450 MINI E?s to North America. Nearly 50% were leased by households in Los Angeles and the New York area. PH&EV Center researchers surveyed MINI E drivers throughout their year with the vehicles, focusing on the experiences of 50 households who volunteered for more detailed interviews. We report here their experiences with driving electric vehicles, adaptions to daily range limitations, and using electricity as a fuel. Presenter Thomas Turrentine, Univ. of California-Davis

Career development is no longer something you focus on in your twenties and are set for life, it is ongoing and constant. New technologies, globalization and the world-wide competition for jobs demand that we continue to grow our skills and knowledge throughout our life. This session will provide you with tools to help you meet this demand as an engineering professional. Participants will create a personal mission statement and set career goals, identify the best way to research new opportunities and build their network while also crafting a personal brand with consistent messaging. Organizer Martha Schanno, SAE International Panelist Caryn Mateer, Transformational Leaders Intl. Kathleen Riley, Transformational Leaders Intl.

When vehicles share certain information wirelessly via Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC), they enable a new layer of electronic vehicle safety that, when needed, can generate warnings to drivers and even initiate automatic preventive actions. Vehicle location and velocity provided by Global Navigation Systems (GNSS), including GPS, are key in allowing vehicle path estimation. GNSS is effective in accurately determining a vehicle's location coordinates in most driving environments, but its performance suffers from obstructions in dense urban environments. To combat this, augmentations to GNSS are being contemplated and tested. This testing has been typically done using a reference GNSS system complimented by expensive military-grade inertial sensors, which can still fail to provide adequate reference performance in certain environments.

ECOtality North America, in partnership with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Nissan North America, General Motors, and over 40 government, electric utility, and private organizations, has launched a large-scale demonstration of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This demonstration, called The EV Project, will deploy more than 15,000 level 2 and DC fast chargers in private residence, commercial, and public locations in seven market areas in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington state, and Washington, D.C. The EV Project will also include a total of 5,700 Nissan Leaf battery electric vehicles and 2,600 Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicles, operated by consumers and fleets in each of the market areas. This demonstration, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy�s (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program, represents the largest ever deployment of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure.