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In response to global climate change, there is a widespread push to reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector. For the difficult to decarbonize heavy-duty (HD) vehicle sector, lower carbon intensity fuels can offer a low-cost, near-term solution for CO2 reduction. The use of natural gas can provide such an alternative for HD vehicles while the increasing availability of renewable natural gas affords the opportunity for much deeper reductions in net-CO2 emissions. With this in consideration, the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory launched the Natural Gas Vehicle Research and Development Project to stimulate advancements in technology and availability of natural gas vehicles. As part of this program, Southwest Research Institute developed a hybrid-electric medium-HD vehicle (class 6) to demonstrate a substantial CO2 reduction over the baseline diesel vehicle and ultra-low NOx emissions.

Trained human raters have been used by organizations such as the Coordinating Research Council (CRC) to assess the vehicle driveability performance effect of fuel volatility. CRC conducts workshops to test fuel effects and their impact on vehicle driveability. CRC commissioned Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) to develop a “Trick Car” vehicle that could trigger malfunctions on-demand that mimic driveability events. This vehicle has been used to train novice personnel on the CRC Driveability Procedure E-28-94. While largely effective, even well-trained human raters can be inconsistent with other raters. Further, CRC rater workshop programs used to train and calibrate raters are infrequent, and there are a limited number of available trained raters. The goal of this program was to augment or substitute human raters with an electronic driveability sensing system.

Typical two-site storage-based SCR plant models in literature consider NH3 stored in the first site to participate in NH3 storage, NOx conversion and second site to only participate in NH3 storage passively. This paper focuses on quantifying the impact of stored NH3 in the second site on the overall NOx conversion for an ultra-low NOx system due to intra site NH3 mass transfer. Accounting for this intra site mass transfer leads to better prediction of SCR out NH3 thus ensuring compliance with NH3 coverage targets and improved dosing characteristics of the controller that is critical to achieving ultra-low NOx standard. The stored NH3 in the second site undergoes mass transfer to the first site during temperature ramps encountered in a transient cycle that leads to increased NOx conversion in conditions where the dosing is switched off. The resultant NH3 coverage fraction prediction is critical in dosing control of SCR.

The size and distribution of a vehicle’s tailpipe particulate emissions can have a strong impact on human health, especially if the particles are small enough to enter the human respiratory system. Gasoline direct injection (GDI) has been adopted widely to meet stringent fuel economy and CO2 regulations across the globe for recent engine architectures. However, the introduction of GDI has led to challenges concerning the particulate matter (PM) and particle number (PN) emissions from such engines. This study aimed to compare the particulate emissions of three SI combustion strategies: conventional SI, conventional stoichiometric low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (LP-EGR), and Dedicated-EGR (D-EGR) at four specific test conditions. It was shown that the engine-out PM/PN for both the EGR strategies was lower than the conventional SI combustion under normal operating conditions. The test conditions were chosen to represent the WLTC test conditions.

SCR-on-filter, or SCRoF, is an emerging technology for different market segments and vehicle applications. The technology enables simultaneous particulate matter trapping and NOX reduction, and provides thermal management and aftertreatment packaging benefits. However, there is little information detailing the lubricant derived exposure effects on functional SCR performance. A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of various oil consumption pathways on a light duty DOC and SCRoF aftertreatment system. This aftertreatment system was aged utilizing an engine test bench modified to enable increased oil consumption rates via three unique oil consumption pathways. The components were characterized for functional SCR performance, ash morphology, and ash deposition characteristics. This included utilizing techniques, such as SEM / EDS, to evaluate the ash structures and quantify the ash elemental composition.

Conventional methods for determining automotive powertrain efficiency include (1) component-level testing, such as engine dynamometer, transmission stand or axle stand testing, (2) simulations based on component level test data and (3) vehicle-level testing, such as chassis dynamometer or on-road testing. This paper focuses on vehicle-level testing to show where energy is lost throughout a complete vehicle powertrain. This approach captures all physical effects of a vehicle driving in real-world conditions, including torque converter lockup strategies, transmission shifting, engine control strategies and inherent mechanical efficiency of the components. A modern rear-wheel drive light duty pickup truck was instrumented and tested on a chassis dynamometer. Power was measured at the engine crankshaft output, the rear driveshaft and at the dynamometer.

The promising D-EGR gasoline engine results achieved in the test cell, and then in a vehicle demonstration have led to exploration of further possible applications. A study has been conducted to explore the use of D-EGR gasoline engines as a lower cost replacement for medium duty diesel engines in trucks and construction equipment. However, medium duty diesel engines have larger displacement, and tend to require high torque at lower engine speeds than their automobile counterparts. Transmission and final drive gearing can be utilized to operate the engine at higher speeds, but this penalizes life-to-overhaul. It is therefore important to ensure that D-EGR combustion system performance can be maintained with a larger cylinder bore, and with high specific output at relatively low engine speeds.

SAE Recommended Practice J1540 [1] specifies test procedures to map transmission efficiency and parasitic losses in a manual transmission. The procedure comprises two parts. The first compares input and output torque over a range of speed to determine efficiency. The second measures parasitic losses at zero input torque over a range of speed. As specified in J1540, efficiency of transmissions is routinely measured on a test-stand under steady torque and speed [2] [3]. While such testing is useful to compare different transmissions, it is unclear whether the “in-use” efficiency of a given transmission is the same as that measured on the stand. A vehicular transmission is usually mated to a reciprocating combustion engine producing significant torque and speed fluctuations at the crankshaft. It is thus a valid question whether the efficiency under such pulsating conditions is the same as that under steady conditions.

Transmission spin loss has significant influence on the vehicle fuel economy. Transmission output chain may contribute up to 10~15% of the total spin loss. However, the chain spin loss information is not well documented. An experimental study was carried out with several transmission output chains and simulated transmission environment in a testing box. The studies build the bases for the chain spin loss modeling and depicted the influences of the speed, the sprocket sizes, the oil levels, the viscosity, the temperatures and the baffle. The kriging method was employed for the parameter sensitivity study. A closed form of empirical model was developed. Good correlation was achieved.

Injury Risk Curves are developed from cadaver data for sternal deflections produced by anterior, distributed chest loads for a 25, 45, 55, 65 and 75 year-old Small Female, Mid-Size Male and Large Male based on the variations of bone strengths with age. These curves show that the risk of AIS ≥ 3 thoracic injury increases with the age of the person. This observation is consistent with NASS data of frontal accidents which shows that older unbelted drivers have a higher risk of AIS ≥ 3 chest injury than younger drivers.

The human thermal comfort, which has been a subject of extensive research, is a principal objective of the automotive climate control system. Applying the results of research studies to the practical problems require quantitative information of the thermal environment in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The exposure to solar radiation is known to alter the thermal environment in the passenger compartment. A photovoltaic-cell based sensor is commonly used in the automotive climate control system to measure the solar radiation exposure of the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The erroneous information from a sensor however can cause thermal discomfort to the occupants. The erroneous measurement can be due to physical or environmental parameters. Shading of a solar sensor due to the opaque vehicle body elements is one such environmental parameter that is known to give incorrect measurement.

The vehicle air-conditioning system has significant impact on fuel economy and range of electric vehicles. Improving the fuel economy of vehicles therefore demand for energy efficient climate control systems. Also the emissions regulations motivate the reduced use of fuel for vehicle's cabin climate control. Solar heat gain of the passenger compartment by greenhouse effect is generally treated as the peak thermal load of the climate control system. Although the use of advanced glazing is considered first to reduce solar heat gain other means such as ventilation of parked car and recirculation of cabin air also have impetus for reducing the climate control loads.

In addition to the thermal comfort of the vehicle occupants, their safety by ensuring adequate visibility is an objective of the automotive climate control system. An integrated dew point and glass temperature sensor is widely used among several other technologies to detect risk of fog formation on the cabin side (or inner) surface of the windshield. The erroneous information from a sensor such as the measurement lag can cause imperfect visibility due to the delayed response of the climate control system. Also the high value, low cost vehicles may not have this sensor due to its high cost. A differential equation based model of the cabin air humidity is proposed to calculate in real-time specific humidity of the passenger compartment air. The specific humidity is used along with the windshield surface temperature to determine relative humidity of air and therefore, the risk of fog formation on the interior surface of a windshield.

This paper describes advances in variable speed supercharging, including benefits for both fuel economy and low speed torque improvement. This work is an extension of the work described in SAE Paper 2012-01-0704 [8]. Using test stand data and state-of-the-art vehicle simulation software, a NuVinci continuously variable planetary (CVP) transmission driving an Eaton R410 supercharger on a 2.2 liter diesel was compared to the same base engine/vehicle with a turbocharger to calculate vehicle fuel economy. The diesel engine was tuned for Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions. Results are presented using several standard drive cycles. A Ford Mustang equipped with a 4.6 liter SI engine and prototype variable speed supercharger has also been constructed and tested, showing low speed torque increases of up to 30%. Dynamometer test results from this effort are presented. The combined results illustrate the promise of variable speed supercharging as a viable option for the next generation of engines.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts will be used to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from internal combustion engines in a number of applications [1,2,3,4]. Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI)® performed an Internal Research & Development project to study SCR catalyst thermal deactivation. The study included a V/W/TiO2 formulation, a Cu-zeolite formulation and an Fe-zeolite formulation. This work describes NOx timed response to ammonia (NH3) transients as a function of thermal aging time and temperature. It has been proposed that the response time of NOx emissions to NH3 transients, effected by changes in diesel emissions fluid (DEF) injection rate, could be used as an on-board diagnostic (OBD) metric. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of this OBD approach.

The effects of downspeeding and supercharging a passenger car diesel engine were studied through laboratory investigation and vehicle simulation. Changes in the engine operating range, transmission gearing, and shift schedule resulted in improved fuel consumption relative to the baseline turbocharged vehicle while maintaining performance and drivability metrics. A shift schedule optimization technique resulted in fuel economy gains of up to 12% along with a corresponding reduction in transmission shift frequency of up to 55% relative to the baseline turbocharged configuration. First gear acceleration, top gear passing, and 0-60 mph acceleration of the baseline turbocharged vehicle were retained for the downsped supercharged configuration.

Selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts will be used to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emissions from internal combustion engines in a number of applications. Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI)® performed an Internal Research & Development project to study SCR catalyst thermal deactivation. The study included a V/W/TiO₂ formulation, a Cu-zeolite formulation and an Fe-zeolite formulation. This work describes NOx timed response to ammonia (NH₃) transients as a function of thermal aging time and temperature. It has been proposed that the response time of NOx emissions to NH₃ transients, effected by changes in diesel emissions fluid (DEF) injection rate, could be used as an on-board diagnostic (OBD) metric. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and practicality of this OBD approach.

A simulation framework with a validated system model capable of estimating fuel consumption is a valuable tool in analysis and design of the hybrid vehicles. In particular, the framework can be used for (1) benchmarking the fuel economy achievable from alternate hybrid powertrain technologies, (2) investigating sensitivity of fuel savings with respect to design parameters (for example, component sizing), and (3) evaluating the performance of various supervisory control algorithms for energy management. This paper describes such a simulation framework that can be used to predict fuel economy of series hydraulic hybrid vehicle for any specified driver demand schedule (drive cycle), developed in MATLAB/Simulink. The key components of the series hydraulic hybrid vehicle are modeled using a combination of first principles and empirical data. A simplified driver model is included to follow the specified drive cycle.

Southwest Research Institute developed an Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) capable of navigating in urban environments. The paper first gives an overview of hardware and software onboard the vehicle. The systems onboard are classified into perception, intelligence, and command and control modules to mimic a human driver. Perception deals with sensing from the world and translating it into situation awareness. This awareness is then fed into intelligence modules. Intelligence modules take inputs from the user to understand the need to navigate from its current location to another destination and, then, generate a path between them on urban, drivable surfaces using its internal urban database. Situational awareness helps intelligence to update the path in real time by avoiding any static/moving obstacles while following traffic rules.

The US Army is currently seeking to reduce fuel consumption by utilizing fuel efficient lubricants in its ground vehicle fleet. An additional desire is for a lubricant which would consist of an all-season (arctic to desert), fuel efficient, multifunctional Single Common Powertrain Lubricant (SCPL) with extended drain capabilities. To quantify the fuel efficiency impact of a SCPL type fluid in the engine and transmission, current MIL-PRF-46167D arctic engine oil was used in place of MIL-PRF-2104G 15W-40 oil and SAE J1321 Fuel Consumption In-Service testing was conducted. Additionally, synthetic SAE 75W-140 gear oil was evaluated in the axles of the vehicles in place of an SAE J2360 80W-90 oil. The test vehicles used for the study were three M1083A1 5-Ton Cargo vehicles from the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV).