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With reference to present literature, most OEMs are working on reducing product development time by around ~20%, through seamless integration of digital ecosystem and focusing on dynamic customer needs. The Systems Engineering approach focuses on functions & systems rather than components. In this approach, designers (Computer Aided Design) / analysts (Computer Aided Engineering) need to understand program requirements early to enable seamless integration. This approach also reduces the number of iterative loops between cross functions thereby reducing the development cycle time. In this paper, we have attempted to tackle a common challenge faced by Closures (Liftgate) engineering: meeting slam durability fatigue life while replicating customer normal and abusive closing behavior.

The initial presence and dynamic formation of internal voids in human body models have been subjects of discussion within the human body modeling community. The relevant physics of the human body are described and the importance of capturing this physics for modeling of internal organ interactions is demonstrated. Basic modeling concepts are discussed along with a proposal of simulation setups designed to verify model behavior in terms of volume and pressure between internal organs.

Prediction and reduction of noise/vibration at the early design stage is important for motor design. Rapid design iterations require a platform where electromagnetic, structural and acoustic solvers can communicate with each other without user scripting or interventions. Based on the platform, multiple designs in a given design space need to be analyzed by distributed high performance computers automatically. To demonstrate such a multiphysics multi-objective optimization workflow, four geometrical variables for an interior permanent magnet motor are selected for optimizing the electric and acoustic performance (Figure 1). Average torque and equivalent radiated power level (ERP) are calculated for multiple design points and response surfaces are then created for the sensitivity study and optimization.

The combustion efficiency of direct injection engines is largely dependent upon the mixing of fuel in air, thereby creating a combustible mixture. Such a process is highly dependent upon the motion of the charge in the cylinder. The shape of the intake runners and valves determines the charge motion generated within the engine. Swirl and tumble, generated along the vertical and horizontal axis respectively, govern the charge motion and hence distribution of combustible mixture. Unlike traditional parametric optimization where the parameter space has to be predetermined, adjoint optimization utilizes the gradient of objective functions obtained from a computational fluid dynamics solution to modify the shape of the original CAD geometry. During the optimization process, specific parts of the geometry can be morphed in any direction freely. The final design is a fluid volume generated as a result of such adjoint computations.

An actual trend in the automotive industry is to have global products in order to have economy of scale. This paper presents how a Belt Drive Rack EPS developed for the North American market had to be modified in order to be assembled in a Vehicle sold all around the world. Main technical challenges for achieving that goal were generated from different Architectures, whether electrical or mechanical, used in each vehicle, Packaging issues and Regional Requirements. Main features affected are Database Configuration, Electromagnetic Compatibility, Smooth Road Shake mitigation and Pull Compensation.

Trivial Principal Component method (TPC) was developed recently to model a system based on measured data. It is a statistical method that utilizes Eigen-pairs of covariance matrix obtained from the measured data. It determines linear coefficients of a model by using the trivial eigenvector corresponding to the least eigenvalue. In general, linear modeling accuracy depends on the strength of nonlinearity and interaction terms as well as measurement error. In this paper, the TPC method is extended to analyze residual (error) vector to identify significant higher order and interaction terms that contribute to the modeling error. Subsequently, these additional terms are included for constructing a robust system model. Also, an iterative TPC analysis is proposed for the first time to correct the model gradually till the least eigenvalue becomes minimum.

Driver out-of-position (OOP) tests were developed to evaluate the risk of inflation induced injury when the occupant is close to the airbag module during deployment. The Hybrid III 5th percentile female Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) measures both sternum displacement and chest acceleration through a potentiometer and accelerometers, which can be used to calculate sternum compression rate. This paper documents a study evaluating the chest accelerometers to assess punch-out loading of the chest during this test configuration. The study included ATD mechanical loading and instrumentation review. Finite element analysis was conducted using a Hybrid III - 5th percentile female ATD correlated to testing. The correlated restraint model was utilized with a Hybrid III - 50th percentile male ATD. A 50th percentile male Global Human Body Model (HBM) was then applied for enhanced anatomical review.

Current generation automobiles are controlled by electronic modules for performing various functions. These electronic modules have numerous semiconductor devices mounted on printed circuit boards. Solders are generally used as thermal interface material between surface mount devices and printed circuit boards (PCB) for efficient heat transfer. In the manufacturing stage, voids are formed in solders during reflow process due to outgassing phenomenon. The presence of these voids in solder for power packages with exposed pads impedes heat flow and can increase the device temperature. Therefore it is imperative to understand the effect of solder voids on thermal characteristics of semiconductor devices. But the solder void pattern will vary drastically during mass manufacturing. Replicating the exact solder void pattern and doing detail simulation to predict the device temperature for each manufactured module is not practical.

The die wear up to 80,800 hits on a prog-die setup for bare DP1180 steel was investigated in real production condition. In total, 31 die inserts with the combination of 11 die materials and 9 coatings were evaluated. The analytical results of die service life for each insert were provided by examining the evolution of surface wear on inserts and formed parts. The moments of appearance of die defects, propagation of die defects, and catastrophic failure were determined. Moreover, the surface roughness of the formed parts for each die insert was characterized using Wyko NT110 machine. The objectives of the current study are to evaluate the die durability of various tooling materials and coatings for flange operations on bare DP 1180 steel and update OEM tooling standards based on the experimental results. The current study provides the guidance for the die material and coating selections in large volume production for next generation AHSSs.

Health Ready Components are essential to unlocking the potential of Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) as it relates to real-time diagnosis and prognosis in order to achieve lower maintenance costs, greater asset availability, reliability and safety. IVHM results in reduced maintenance costs by providing more accurate fault isolation and repair guidance. IVHM results in greater asset availability, reliability and safety by recommending preventative maintenance and by identifying anomalous behavior indicative of degraded functionality prior to detection of the fault by other detection mechanisms. The cost, complexity and effectiveness of the IVHM system design, deployment and support depend, to a great extent, on the degree to which components and subsystems provide the run-time data needed by IVHM and the design time semantic data to allow IVHM to interpret those messages.

Delphi is developing a new combustion technology called Gasoline Direct-injection Compression Ignition (GDCI), which has shown promise for substantially improving fuel economy. This new technology is able to reuse some of the controls common to traditional spark ignition (SI) engines; however, it also requires several new sensors and actuators, some of which are not common to traditional SI engines. Since this is new technology development, the required hardware set has continued to evolve over the course of the project. In order to support this development work, a highly capable and flexible electronic control system is necessary. Integrating all of the necessary functions into a single controller, or two, would require significant up-front controller hardware development, and would limit the adaptability of the electronic controls to the evolving requirements for GDCI.

RACam [1] is an Active Safety product designed and manufactured at Delphi and is part of their ADAS portfolio. It combines two sensors - Electronically Scanned RADAR and Camera in a single package. RADAR and Vision fusion data is used to realize safety critical systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) and Automatic Headlight Control (AHL). Figure 1 RACam Front View. With an increase in Active Safety features in the automotive market there is also a corresponding increase in the complexity of the hardware which supports these safety features. Delphi’s hardware design for Active Safety has evolved over the years. In Delphi’s RACam product there are a number of critical components required in order to realize RADAR and Vision in a single package. RACam is also equipped with a fan and heater to improve the operating temperature range.

General Motors has developed an all-new Ecotec 1.5 L range extender engine for use in the 2016 next generation Voltec propulsion system. This engine is part of a new Ecotec family of small displacement gasoline engines introduced in the 2015 model year. Major enhancements over the range extender engine in the current generation Voltec propulsion system include the adoption of direct injection (DI), cooled external exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), and a high 12.5:1 geometric compression ratio (CR). Additional enhancements include the adoption of high-authority phasers on both the intake and exhaust camshafts, and an integrated exhaust manifold (IEM). The combination of DI with cooled EGR has enabled significant thermal efficiency gains over the 1.4 L range extender engine in the current generation Voltec propulsion system at high engine loads.

Bond wires are used in automotive electronic modules to carry current from external harness to components where flexibility under thermal cyclic loading is very essential between PCB (Printed Circuit Board) and connectors. They are very thin wires (few μm) made up of gold, aluminum or copper and have to undergo mechanical reliability to withstand extreme mechanical and thermal loads during different vehicle operation scenarios. Thermal reliability of bond wire is to make sure that it can withstand prescribed electric current under given boundary conditions without fusing thereby retaining electronic module's functionality. While carrying current, bond wire by virtue of its nature resists electric current flow and generates heat also called as joule heating. Joule heating is proportional to current flow and electrical resistance and if not handled properly can lead to thermal run away conditions.

The introduction of new safety critical features using software-intensive systems presents a growing challenge to hazard analysis and requirements development. These systems are rich in feature content and can interact with other vehicle systems in complex ways, making the early development of proper requirements critical. Catching potential problems as early as possible is essential because the cost increases exponentially the longer problems remain undetected. However, in practice these problems are often subtle and can remain undetected until integration, testing, production, or even later, when the cost of fixing them is the highest. In this paper, a new technique is demonstrated to perform a hazard analysis in parallel with system and requirements development. The proposed model-based technique begins during early development when design uncertainty is highest and is refined iteratively as development progresses to drive the requirements and necessary design features.

Balancing the fill sequence of multiple cavities in a rubber injection mold is desirable for efficient cure rates, optimized cure times, and consistent quality of all molded parts. The reality is that most rubber injection molds do not provide a consistent uniform balanced fill sequence for all the cavities in the mold - even if the runner and cavity layout is geometrically balanced. A new runner design technique, named “The Vanturi Effect”, is disclosed to help address the inherent deficiencies of traditional runner and cavity layouts in order to achieve a more balanced fill sequence. Comparative analysis of molded runner samples reveals a significant and positive improvement in runner and cavity fill balancing when the Vanturi Effect is integrated into the runner design.

An important goal for CFD simulation in engine design is to be able to predict the combustion behavior as operating conditions are varied and as hardware is modified. Such predictive capability allows virtual prototyping and optimization of design parameters. For low-temperature combustion conditions, such as with high rates of exhaust-gas recirculation, reliable and accurate predictions have been elusive. Soot has been particularly difficult to predict, due to the dependence of soot formation on the fuel composition and the kinetics detail of the fuel combustion. Soot evolution in diesel engines is impacted by fuel and chemistry effects, as well as by spray dynamics and turbulence. In this work, we present a systematic approach to accurately simulate combustion and emissions in a high-performance BMW diesel engine. This approach has been tested and validated against experimental data for a wide range of operating conditions.

New regulations such as CAFE are pushing OEMs to look for options to increase vehicle mileage. Increasing combustion efficiency, alternate fuels and weight reductions are front runners in this quest. Due to limited scope of improvement in first two options, weight reduction is considered as more feasible option. Composite materials have long been used in Aerospace-aviation industries for weight reduction. So, usage of composite materials is gaining popularity in automotive industry also. Composite manufacturing is still an expensive and time consuming procedure, so virtual prototyping is being used to evaluate design, very early in the product cycle, to reduce physical prototype testing. In this paper we have tried to demonstrate how designers can easily analyze automotive components using virtual prototyping. Starting from CAD, general workflow of composite structure modeling to optimization is discussed.

This paper discusses observability of the vehicle states using different sensor configurations as well as fault-tolerant estimation of these states. The optimality of the sensor configurations is assessed through different observability measures and by using a 3-DOF linear vehicle model that incorporates yaw, roll and lateral motions of the vehicle. The most optimal sensor configuration is adopted and an observer is designed to estimate the states of the vehicle handling dynamics. Robustness of the observer against sensor failure is investigated. A fault-tolerant adaptive estimation algorithm is developed to mitigate any possible faults arising from the sensor failures. Effectiveness of the proposed fault-tolerant estimation scheme is demonstrated through numerical analysis and CarSim simulation.

Model-Based Development processes in the automotive industry typically use high-level modeling languages to build the reference models of embedded controllers. One can use formal verification tools to exhaustively verify these design models against their requirements, ensuring high quality models and a reduction in the cost and effort of functional testing. However, there is a gap, in terms of processes and tools, between the informal requirements and the formal specifications required by the verification tools. In this paper, we propose an approach that tries to bridge this gap by (i) identifying the verifiable requirements through a categorization process, (ii) providing a set of templates to easily express the verifiable requirements, and (iii) generating monitors that can be used as specifications in design verification tools. We demonstrate our approach using the Simulink Design Verifier tool for design verification of Simulink/Stateflow models.