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This paper describes the equivalent temperature based on the mesh-free simulation proposed by the previous papers (Part1 and Part2) under the transient heating condition in a 3D-CAD vehicle cabin including the thermal manikin which takes into account the clothing shape. For this purpose, firstly, the experiments of vehicle cabin measuring for the thermal environment including the equivalent temperature are carried out under the transient heating condition. Then, the calculated results of the thermal environment in the vehicle cabin are compared with time series experimental data under the transient condition. They correspond to the experiments including transient changes well. The transient calculated equivalent temperature of thermal manikin is also compared with experiments. As a result, since it is difficult to control the thermal manikin ideally in the experiment, it is difficult to compare the transient behavior.

This paper describes a method for evaluating the equivalent temperature in vehicle cabins based on the new international standard ISO 14505-4, published in 2021. ISO 14505-4 defines two simulation methods to determine a thermal comfort index “equivalent temperature.” One method uses a numerical thermal manikin, and the other uses thermal factors to calculate. This study discusses the latter method to validate its accuracy, identify the key points to consider, and examine its advantages and disadvantages. First, the definition of equivalent temperature and the equation to calculate the equivalent temperature using thermal factors, such as air temperature, radiant temperature, solar radiation, and air velocity, are explained. In addition, the experiments and simulation methods are described.

This study focused on European NCAP activities of introducing a new head protection evaluation procedure, as proposed by BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute - GERMANY). Various kinds of E-bikes are available in the market, ranging from E-bikes that have a small motor to assist the rider’s pedal-power i.e., pedelecs to somewhat more powerful E-bikes which is similar to a moped-style scooter. This paper focused on identifying the factors influencing bicyclist head kinematics during bicycle vs. passenger vehicle (PV) collisions at the intersection. Two AM50 bicyclist FE models are developed using i) GHBMC Human Body Model (HBM) and ii) WorldSID (WS) side impact dummy. Head kinematics of bicyclists of pedal-assist E-bike and normal bike were compared using CAE simulation. It is found that the vehicle’s impact velocity, type of bicycle, the mass of E-bike and bicycle traveling speed will influence the head kinematics.

A side impact is one of the severest crash configurations among real-world accidents. In the US market, even though most vehicles have achieved top ratings in crash performance assessment programs in recent years, there has hardly been any sign of a decline in side-impact fatalities for the last few years, according to statistics retrieved from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System. In response to this trend, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is planning to introduce a new test protocol for side impact assessment. One of the points to be clarified in current side impact tests is whether the present side moving deformable barrier (MDB), which includes the barrier face and cart, faithfully reproduces a real-world car-to-car crash.

In the previous paper (Part 1), measurements of equivalent temperature (teq) using a clothed thermal manikin and modeling of the clothed thermal manikin for teq simulation were discussed. In this paper (Part 2), the outline of the proposed mesh-free simulation method is described and comparisons between teq in the calculations and measurements under summer cooling with solar radiation and winter heating without solar radiation conditions in a vehicle cabin are discussed. The key factors for evaluating teq on each body segment of the clothed thermal manikin under cooling and heating conditions are also discussed. In the mesh-free simulation, even if there is a hole or an unnecessary shape on the CAD model, only a group of points whose density is controlled in the simulation area is generated without modifying the CAD model. Therefore, the fluid mesh required by conventional CFD code is not required, and the analysis load is significantly reduced.

The present paper is Part 1 of two consecutive studies. Part 1 describes three subjects: definition of the equivalent temperature (teq), measurements of teq using a clothed thermal manikin in a vehicle cabin, and modeling of the clothed thermal manikin for teq simulation. After defining teq, a method for measuring teq with a clothed thermal manikin was examined. Two techniques were proposed in this study: the definition of “the total heat transfer coefficient between the skin surface and the environment in a standard environment (hcal)” based on the thermal insulation of clothing (Icl), and a method of measuring Icl in consideration of the area factor (fcl), which indicates the ratio of the clothing surface to the manikin surface area. Then, teq was measured in an actual vehicle cabin by the proposed method under two conditions: a summer cooling condition with solar radiation and a winter heating condition without solar radiation.

In total, 865 intersection car-to-car crashes (NASS-CDS CY 2004-2014) are analyzed in detail to determine the injury level outcome based on different crash factors, such as delta-V, age, airbag deployment, number of events, impact locations (F,Y,P,Z,D,B-regions based on CDC codes), amount of compartment intrusion and impact angle. A multivariate logistic regression test was performed to predict the probability of MAIS3+ serious injuries using lateral delta-V, location of maximum deformation from B-PLR, age (0: <60/1: ≥60 years), number of events (0: single/ 1: multiple), intrusion (0: <16cm/ 1: ≥16cm), side airbag deployment (yes/no) and direction of impact (0: 9/ 1: 10 o’clock). It is found that direction of impact is one of the significant (p<0.05) parameters and 10 o’clock angle impact has more influence than 9 o’clock perpendicular lateral impact. Frequency of AIS3+ injuries was high in Y-region impact cases.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory is tasked by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the use of the NEXRAD polarimetric radars* for the remote sensing of icing conditions hazardous to aircraft. A critical aspect of the investigation concerns validation that has relied upon commercial airline icing pilot reports and a dedicated campaign of in situ flights in winter storms. During the month of February in 2012 and 2013, the Convair-580 aircraft operated by the National Research Council of Canada was used for in situ validation of snowstorm characteristics under simultaneous observation by NEXRAD radars in Cleveland, Ohio and Buffalo, New York. The most anisotropic and easily distinguished winter targets to dual pol radar are ice crystals.

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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have both developed crash test methodologies to address frontal collisions in which the vehicle's primary front structure is either partially engaged or not engaged at all. IIHS addresses Small Overlap crashes, cases in which the vehicle's primary front energy absorbing structure is not engaged, using a rigid static barrier with an overlap of 25% of the vehicle's width at an impact angle of 0°. The Institute's Moderate Overlap partially engages the vehicle's primary front energy absorbing structure using a deformable static barrier with 40% overlap at a 0° impact angle. The NHTSA has developed two research test methods which use a common moving deformable barrier impacting the vehicle with 20% overlap at a 7° impact angle and 35% overlap at a 15° impact angle respectively.

This paper presents a new methodology for the safety assessment of complex software intensive systems such as is envisioned for the coming major upgrade of the air traffic management system known as NextGen. This methodology is based on a new, more inclusive model of accident causation called Systems Theoretic Accident Model and Process (STAMP) [1]. STAMP includes not just the standard component failure mechanisms but also the new ways that software and humans contribute to accidents in complex systems. A new hazard analysis method, called Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), is built on this theoretical foundation. The STPA is based on systems theory rather than reliability theory; it treats safety as a control problem rather than a failure problem with interactive and possibly nested control loops that may include humans. In this methodology, safety is assured by closed loop control of safety parameters.

Evaluations of dummy injury readings obtained in regulatory crash tests and new car assessment program tests provide indices for the development of crash safety performance in the process of developing new vehicles. Based on these indices, vehicle body structures and occupant restraint systems are designed to meet the required occupant injury criteria. There are many types of regulatory tests and new car assessment program tests that are conducted to evaluate vehicle safety performance in side impacts. Factoring all of the multiple test configurations into the development of new vehicles requires advanced design capabilities based on a good understanding of the mechanisms producing dummy injury readings. In recent years, advances in computer-aided engineering (CAE) tools and computer processing power have made it possible to run simulations of occupant restraint systems such as side airbags and seatbelts.

The progress of computer technology and CAE methodology makes it possible to simulate dummy injury readings in vehicle crash simulations. Dummy neck injuries are generally more difficult to simulate than injuries to other regions such as the head or chest. Accordingly, improving the accuracy of dummy neck injury data is a major concern in frontal occupant safety simulations. This paper describes the use of an advanced airbag modeling methodology to improve the accuracy of dummy neck injury readings. First, the following items incorporated in the advanced airbag model are explained. (1) The Finite Point Method (FPM) is used to simulate the flow of gas. (2) A folding model is applied to simulate the folded condition. (3) The fabric material properties used in the simulation take into account anisotropy in the fiber directions and the nonlinear, hysteresis characteristics of stiffness.

The aim of this study was to explore if fingernail delamination injury following EMU glove use may be caused by compression-induced blood flow occlusion in the finger. During compression tests, finger blood flow decreased more than 60%, however this occurred more rapidly for finger pad compression (4 N) than for fingertips (10 N). A pressure bulb compression test resulted in 50% and 45% decreased blood flow at 100 mmHg and 200 mmHg, respectively. These results indicate that the finger pad pressure required to articulate stiff gloves is more likely to contribute to injury than the fingertip pressure associated with tight fitting gloves.

In order to reduce traffic accidents and ease traffic congestion utilizing ITS (Intelligent Transportation System), a large-scale FOT (Field Operational Test) involving 2,000 ordinary drivers was launched in October 2006 in the city of Yokohama in Kanagawa, Japan. The test is slated to continue through March 2009. Target applications include Intersection Collision Avoidance using V-I (Vehicle-to-Infrastructure) communication, ISA (Intelligent Speed Advisory) using digital maps in the vehicle navigation system, and the probe system, which provides detailed traffic information. In this paper, the progress of this FOT will be introduced.

The probability or risk of traffic accidents must be estimated quantitatively in order to implement effective traffic safety measures. In this study, various statistical data and probability theory were used to examine a method for predicting the risk of crossing-collisions, representing a typical type of accident at intersections in Japan. Crossing-collisions are caused by a variety of factors, including the road geometry and traffic environment at intersections and the awareness and intentions of the drivers of the striking and struck vehicles. Bayes' theorem was applied to find the accident probability of each factor separately. Specifically, the probability of various factors being present at the time of a crossing-collision was estimated on the basis of traffic accident data and observation survey data.

Analyses were performed using field data for belted drivers of light vehicles in frontal crashes to examine the frequency and severity of frontal crashes with narrow objects. This study examined the distribution of injuries by body region, crash severity, and single- versus multiple-vehicle crashes for narrow object and all other crashes. Factors influencing injuries in different types of frontal crashes were identified, and risk of injury to belted drivers in narrow object crashes versus other frontal crashes was examined. A detailed review of about 400 NASS cases involving narrow object crashes was also performed. Results indicate frontal crashes involving impact with poles, posts, or trees are relatively infrequent. Overall, the fatal risk for belted drivers is lower in narrow object crashes than in other types of frontal crashes.

The authors have proposed a new method to identify the important information which links to the basic principle of the design's physical behavior by using CAE technology, and this method was named as CAP (Computer-Aided Principle).This method can help the engineers to grasp the basic physical characteristic that governs the first-order behavior. In this study, the authors applied CAP to the simulations of the design of frontal crash phenomena, which are difficult to understand because of the problem of strong nonlinearity, and explored the possibilities for using CAP. The correlative physical parameters thus obtained can help designers to understand the essence of the phenomena involved.

This paper reviews the relevant literature on the effects of sulfated ash, phosphorus, and sulfur on DPF, LNT, and SCR catalysts. Exhaust backpressure increase due to DPF ash accumulation, as well as the rate at which ash is consumed from the sump, were the most studied lubricant-derived DPF effects. Based on several studies, a doubling of backpressure can be estimated to occur within 270,000 to 490,000 km when using a 1.0% sulfated ash oil. Postmortem DPF analysis and exhaust gas measurements revealed that approximately 35% to 65% less ash was lost from the sump than was expected based on bulk oil consumption estimates. Despite significant effects from lubricant sulfur and phosphorus, loss of LNT NOX reduction efficiency is dominated by fuel sulfur effects. Phosphorus has been determined to have a mild poisoning effect on SCR catalysts. The extent of the effect that lubricant phosphorus and sulfur have on DOCs remains unclear, however, it appears to be minor.

In a previous study, we developed and validated a new driving posture focused on biomechanical loads for physical fatigue reduction in static long-term sitting. In this study, the posture was evaluated in dynamic long-term driving condition by qualitative and quantitative measurements. The results showed physical fatigue of the new posture was halved in comparison with the one of the conventional posture in same car by subjective evaluations. Physiological indices had same tendency with subjective evaluations. From the results, we extracted seven physiological indices as good measures of physical fatigue while driving. Therefore, fatigue reduction of the new posture was qualitatively validated by physiological measurements.