Search Results

This paper focuses on a low-cost simulation of a control device that automates the operation of an existing suspension test rig. The rig has a few limitations: it must be manually controlled, the load applied cannot be specified, and the deflection must be manually measured. A suspension setup can't be checked for different road profiles, either. The proposed control system in this paper effectively automates the process of suspension spring load testing at a cost that is comparable to that of a fully automated test rig on the market, while also expanding the scope of its capabilities. SIMSCAPE was used to map simulation models of both the actual test rig and the updated test rig control system. On both rigs, the results of evaluating suspension components were simulated, and the resulting graphs were compared.

The fast dynamic response is a vital requisite for the operation of automotive drives. Various control schemes for electric vehicles (EV) have been proposed over time, and vector control is one of the popular techniques among them. Direct Torque Control (DTC) and Model Predictive Current Control (MPCC) were some of the vector control methods analyzed for their ripples in flux and torque, which in turn affect the performance of the EV is discussed in this paper. The DTC method uses the predefined voltage vector (VV) table to decide the Active voltage vector adjacent to the reference voltage vector from the table; this can also improve the flux response and torque ripple. Furthermore, the switching frequency reduction can be made by incorporating the null voltage vector in the switching sequence. The MPCC is employed for the PMSM machine model to reduce the error between the assumed reference and predicted value using the cost function by choosing one optimum vector.

Sustainable transportation has been a focus area for over a decade, and the recent pandemic-induced lockdowns have witnessed a substantial increase in the demand for fitness equipment. Several studies have proposed different techniques for harvesting energy from human motion, such as piezoelectric footwear, backpacks, and wearable lightweight systems. This research aims to develop a low-cost and efficient technique for harvesting energy from a custom-built electric bike that can be used as a stationary exercise bike. Integrating electric bicycles as exercise bikes has become a viable solution to promote physical fitness and environmental responsibility. This technical paper explores the mechanical and electrical design of e-bikes as exercise bikes and the technical considerations required to create a functional and efficient hybrid machine.

Electric vehicles (EV) require an electric motor with a better power density, greater efficiency, a wide constant power area, ease of control, and low costs. A real time control adapted electric motor design is necessary to meet these criteria. In this work, interior permanent magnet synchronous motor (IPMSM) design was created from Ansys rotating machine expert and 2D model was developed in Ansys Maxwell based on various design parameters for the rotor and stator configuration, and the electromagnetic (EM) simulations are carried out in accordance with the essential required EV characteristics. Using Ansys Twin Builder, a model was made for the drive circuit, proportional integral (PI) speed controller, speed references, rotor position detection, and space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) / sinusoidal pulse width modulation (SPWM) are used.

Controlling thermal dissipation by operating components in car batteries requires a heat management design that is of utmost importance. As a proactive cooling method, the usage of PCM (Phase Change Materials) to regulate battery module temperature is suggested. Even at lower flow rates, liquid cooling has a heat transfer coefficient that is 1.5–3 times better. The rate of global cell production has increased today from 4,000 to 100,000 cells per day. Future-proof Li (metal) battery chemistry with a 3x increase in energy density. Ineffective thermal management of the battery is the root of the issue. In order to optimise battery modules, it is important to identify likely failure modes and causes. The medium used to carry heat from the battery over its passage duration at various operating temperatures is a variety of phase-change materials. The latent heat is significant, and many vegetable fats derived from fatty acids are more effective than salt hydrates and paraffin.

This paper uses the brake control allocation method for Electric Vehicles (EVs) based on system-level vehicle Reference Point (RP) motion feedback. The RP motion control is an alternative to the standard brake torque allocation methods and results in improved vehicle stability in both longitudinal and lateral directions without requiring additional measurements beyond what is available in EVs with ABS and ESP. The proposed control law simplifies the brake torque allocation algorithm, reduces overall development time and effort, and merges most of the braking systems into one. Additionally, the measured or estimated signals required are reduced compared to the standard approach. The system-level RP measurements and references are transformed into individual wheel coordinate systems, where tracking is ensured by actuating both friction torques and electric motor regenerative torques using a proposed brake torque blending mechanism.

In recent decades, significant technological advances have made cruise control systems safer, more automated, and available in more driving scenarios. However, comparatively little progress has been made in optimizing vehicle efficiency while in cruise control. In this paper, two distinct strategies are proposed to deliver efficiency benefits in cruise control by leveraging flexibility around the driver’s requested set speed, and road information that is available on-board in many new vehicles. In today’s cruise control systems, substantial energy is wasted by rigidly controlling to a single set speed regardless of the terrain or road conditions. Introducing even a small allowable “error band” around the set speed can allow the propulsion system to operate in a pseudo-steady state manner across most terrain. As long as the vehicle can remain in the allowed speed window, it can maintain a roughly constant load, traveling slower up hills and faster down hills.

Rotary valve technology can provide increased flow area and higher discharge coefficients than conventional poppet valves for internal combustion engines. This increase in intake charging efficiency can improve the power density of four-stroke internal combustion engines, particularly at high engine speeds, where flow is choked through conventional poppet valves. In this work, the valvetrain of a light duty single cylinder spark ignition engine was replaced with a rotary valve train. The impact of this valvetrain conversion on performance and emissions was evaluated by comparing spark timing sweeps with lambda ranging from 0.8 to 1.1 at wide open throttle. The results indicated that the rotary valvetrain increased the amount of air trapped at intake valve closing and resulted in a significantly faster burn duration than the conventional valvetrain.

An innovative on-board diesel burner driven by a rotating gliding arc plasma has been developed for thermal management of diesel catalysts. The unique features of the burner, such as abnormally fast ignition process, removal of black carbons deposited on the parts of the burner, extended flammability limits, have been revealed through various burner and engine lab tests. After these basic tests, intensive field tests have been conducted to evaluate the practical feasibility of the burner. In the field tests, about 200 sets of the burner and DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) have been installed in various kinds of low speed heavy-duty (HD) vehicles, which are vehicles for towing airplane, mixer (Ready-Mixed Concrete) cars, cargo trucks operated in military bases. The field tests show that all of the filters and burners have been operated for more than 4 years without maintenance problems.

For modern vehicle development, on-board vehicle Mass and road Gradient Estimation (MGE) can offer great benefit to many sub-systems on the vehicle, such as vehicle control system, transmission control system, and active safety system etc. However, there are still several challenges that need to be solved. Firstly, thanks to good accuracy, reliability, and robustness, regression analysis-based approaches: Recursive Least Squares (RLS) and Kalman Filter (KF) are very popular for MGE, but the trade-off between estimator’s accuracy and converge time is challenging. Furthermore, depending on vehicle and powertrain types, the implementation of MGE function could be very different. It is desired to have a structured approach for various vehicle applications’ MGE development. Lastly, good reliability of MGE does not always satisfy for complicated real-world driving maneuvers and road conditions.

The On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) system can detect problems with the vehicle’s engine, transmission, and emissions control systems to generate error codes that can pinpoint the source of the problem. However, there are several wear and tear parts (air filter, oil filter, batteries, engine oil, belt/chain, clutch, gear tooth) that are not diagnosed but replaced often or periodically in motorcycles/ power sports applications. Traditionally there is a lack of availability of in-field and on-board assistive tools to diagnose vehicle health for 2wheelers. An alert system that informs the riders about health and remaining useful life of their motorcycle can help schedule part replacements, ensuring they are always trip-ready and have a stress-free ownership and service experience. This information can also aid in the correct assessment during warranty claims.

Increasingly stringent regulations on engine emissions require strict control of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in diesel engines. Feedback control systems coupled with virtual sensors for real-time NOx readings have shown to be effective solutions for managing emissions. The authors of this paper propose a machine learning approach for developing a virtual NOx sensor implemented on an Engine Control Unit (ECU) of a YANMAR diesel engine. A Random Forest model was trained on data comprising Ramped Modal Cycles (RMCs) and Non-Road Transient Cycles (NRTCs) with a focus on robustness with respect to engine-to-engine variability in ECU sensor reading. Despite strong constraints imposed on the complexity of the model due to the limited computing power of the ECU, good prediction performance was obtained on both cycles (????2 = 1.0 on RMCs and ????2 = 0.967 on NRTCs).

To improve the fuel economy, we developed a turbo-charged spark ignition engine combined with a low pressure loop EGR system. A negative pressure control valve has been applied to achieve high EGR ratio in wide engine operation condition. In this paper, a new developed model-based control system for low pressure loop EGR with a negative pressure control valve will be described.

To address the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) control problem of air-path system in the combustion mode switching process of diesel engine, the transient control strategy of air-path system needs to be studied. A universal sliding mode controller suitable for all operating conditions was proposed to control the intake state during the transient combustion mode switching process. Therefore, the structure of the MIMO controller was greatly simplified. At the same time, a control-oriented numerical model was established to test the control system performance. It shows that the novel controller can effectively control the transient intake state, especially during the mode switching process.

In this paper, semi-active MR main suspension system based on system controller design to minimize pitch motion linked with MR-controlled seat suspension by considering driver’s biodynamics is investigated. According to a fixed footprint tire model, the transmitted tire force is determined. The linear-quadratic Gaussian (LQG) system controller is able to enhance ride comfort by adjusting damping forces based on an evaluation of body vibration from the dynamic responses. The controlled damping forces are tracked by the signum function controllers to evaluate the supply voltages for the front and rear MR dampers. Based on the sprung mass acceleration level and its derivative as the inputs, the optimal type-2 (T-2) fuzzy seat system controller is designed to regulate the controlled seat MR damper force.

Bicycle-drawn cargo trailers with an electric drive to enable the transportation of high cargo loads are used as part of the last-mile logistics. Depending on the load, the total mass of a trailer can vary between approx. 50 and 250 kg, potentially more than the mass of the towing bicycle. This can result in major changes in acceleration and braking behavior of the overall system. While existing systems are designed primarily to provide sufficient power, improvements are needed in the powertrain control system in terms of driver safety and comfort. Hence, we propose a novel prototype that allows measurement of the tensile force in the drawbar which can subsequently be used to design a superior control system. In this context, a sinusoidal force input from the cyclist to the trailer according to the cadence of the cyclist is observed. The novelty of this research is to analyze whether torque impulses of the cyclist can be reduced with the help of Model Predictive Control (MPC).

The transport of goods and people by sea, today, must meet the need to reduce the consumption of fuel oil. In addition, it has to ensure operational reliability and vessel availability, to reduce maintenance costs and comply with emission legislation. To this end, it is necessary to apply a marine engine combustion control system already widely used in engines for land transport. This will allow the ship's engines to operate reliably and in compliance with the best performance for which it was designed. The combustion control could also ensure a more balanced operation of the cylinders and reduce the torsional vibrations of the entire engine, as well as the management of the engine according to the adopted fuel: diesel, dual fuel, methanol, ammonia. Generally, the control of combustion in engines is carried out through the use of pressure sensors that face directly into the combustion chamber.

There is a growing need for low-emissions concepts due to stricter emission regulations, more stringent homologation cycles, and the possibility of a ban on new engines by 2035. Of particular concern are the conditions during a cold start, when the Three-Way Catalyst is not yet heated to its light-off temperature. During this period, the catalyst remains inactive, thereby failing to convert pollutants. Reducing the time needed to reach this temperature is crucial to comply with the more stringent emissions standards. The post oxidation by means of secondary air injection, illustrated in this work, is a possible solution to reduce the time needed to reach the above-mentioned temperature. The strategy consists of injecting air into the exhaust manifold via secondary air injectors to oxidize unburned fuel that comes from a rich combustion within the cylinder.

The current electrification trend involving hybrid and electric vehicles requires accurate tools to evaluate performance and reliability of electric powertrains’ control systems. Thanks to Hardware in the Loop (HiL) technique, verification, validation and virtual calibration of Electronic Control Systems can be performed without physical plants, addressing the need of frontloading, cost and time reduction of new vehicles control systems development. However, HiL applications with power electronics controllers brings several concerns due to the extremely low timestep needed for accurate simulation of electromagnetic phenomena, making FPGA-based simulation the only option. Moreover, thermal aspects of electric motors are very important from the control perspective as complex thermal management control strategies are implemented to improve the efficiency and to prevent overheating that can cause permanent damage to the electrical machine.

For metrological traceability of pressure sensors, static calibration procedures are standard. If these sensors are used in dynamic systems, unexpected phenomena or deviations occur in the recorded signal characteristics. By setting up a dynamic pressure calibration facility, it is possible to investigate this dynamic behavior and learn about the interactions between sensor and investigated system. To be able to identify the disturbing influences and interactions occurring during calibration and in subsequent measurement use, it is necessary to increase the existing understanding of the system. In the context of the contribution, the calibration procedure used, its properties such as repeatability, reproducibility as well as the system interaction of the influencing variables are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the effects of varying gas content in the calibration medium, its influence on the system and on the observed phenomena occurring.