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The benefits introduced by the replacement of conventional centrifugal pumps with volumetric machines for Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) cooling were experimentally and theoretically proven in literature. In particular, Sliding Rotary Vane Pumps (SVRPs) ensure to achieve an interesting reduction of ICEs fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Despite volumetric pumps are a reference technology for ICE lubrication oil circuits, the application in ICE cooling systems still not represent a ready-to-market solution. Particularly challenging is the case of Heavy-Duty ICE due to the wide operating range the pump covers in terms of flow rate delivered. Generally, SVRPs are designed to operate at high speeds to reduce machine dimensions and, consequently, the weight. Nevertheless, speed increase could lead to a severe penalization of pump performance since the growth of the friction losses.

In recent years, with the development of computing infrastructure and methods, the potential of numerical methods to reasonably predict aerodynamic noise in turbocharger compressors of heavy-duty diesel engines has increased. However, aerodynamic acoustic modeling of complex geometries and flow systems is currently immature, mainly due to the greater challenges in accurately characterizing turbulent viscous flows. Therefore, recent advances in aerodynamic noise calculations for automotive turbocharger compressors were reviewed and a quantitative study of the effects for turbulence models (Shear-Stress Transport (SST) and Detached Eddy Simulation (DES)) and time-steps (2° and 4°) in numerical simulations on the performance and acoustic prediction of a compressor under various conditions were investigated.

The new idea discussed in this paper pertains to the carrier mechanism for spare wheels in heavy commercial vehicles. Typically, these vehicles are equipped with a spare wheel carrier featuring a rope mechanism for loading and unloading the spare wheel. The conventional placement of this system is on the side of the frame/chassis or within the limits of the side member. However, the tire-changing process in this system is often arduous, time-consuming, and requires significant effort. The proposed invention addresses these challenges by repositioning the spare wheel to a vertical orientation, facilitating easier access to its bolts and simplifying the removal process from the mountings. Furthermore, the innovation incorporates a three-way actuation system (Air Actuated, Electric motor-driven, or Hydraulic cylinder actuated mechanisms), thereby reducing the need for manual effort and enhancing driver comfort.

Lightweight design is a key factor in general engineering design practice, however, it often conflicts with fatigue durability. This paper presents a way for improving the effectiveness of fatigue performance dominated optimization, demonstrated through a case study on suspension brackets for heavy-duty vehicles. This case study is based on random load data collected from fatigue durability tests in proving grounds, and fatigue failures of the heavy-duty vehicle suspension brackets were observed and recorded during the tests. Multi-objective fatigue optimization was introduced by employing multiaxial time-domain fatigue analysis under random loads combined with the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II with archives.

Heavy vehicles such as construction machinery generally require a large traction force. For this reason, axle components are equipped with a final reduction gear to provide a structure that can generate a large traction force. Basic analysis of vertical load, horizontal load (traction force), centrifugal force, and torsional torque applied to the wheels of heavy vehicles such as construction machinery and industrial vehicles, as well as actual working load analysis during actual operations, were conducted and compiled into a load analysis diagram. The loosening tendency of wheel bolts and nuts that fasten the wheel under actual working load was measured, and the loosening analysis method was presented. The causes of wheel fall-off accidents in heavy trucks, which have recently become a problem, were examined. Wheel bolts are generally tightened by the calibrated wrench method using a torque wrench.

Catalytic converters have been considered as an integral part of the vehicle powertrain for over a decade now, their application along with the engines increased significantly with the constant evolution of emission standards. Recent regulations keep a strict control on the major four pollutants of engine exhaust gas, i.e., Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Hydrocarbons (HC) & Particulate Matter (PM), which demands a highly efficient aftertreatment system. Efforts are continuously being made to downsize the engine for better fuel economy and low emissions, this puts additional requirement of designing a compact aftertreatment system equipped with Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR). Compact catalytic converters experience larger vibration force transferred from the vehicle and hence the durability of the product is significantly impacted.

Nowadays, Bismuth (Bi) is being applied as an overlay material for engine bearings instead of Lead (Pb) which is an environmentally harmful material. Bi overlay has already been a solid performer in some automotive engine sectors due to its superior load carrying capacity and good robustness characteristic which are necessary to maintain its longevity during the lifetime of engines. The replacement is also seen on relatively larger size engines, such as Trucks and Off-highway heavy duty applications. Basically, these applications require higher power output than passenger cars, and the expected component lifecycle becomes longer. Though Bi has similar material characteristic to traditional Pb, it becomes challenging for the material alone to satisfy these requirements. Polymer overlay is known for its superior anti-wear performance and longer lifetime due to less adhesion against a steel counterpart than metallic materials (included Bi).

The current battery carrier for commercial vehicles is made of steel and is designed to hold two batteries weighing approximately 80 kg to 100 kg. However, this battery carrier faces several issues including corrosion, chemical reactivity, high maintenance requirements and its heavy weight. To tackle these challenges, a fiber-reinforced composite battery carrier is designed and developed specifically for commercial vehicles. The objective is to identify a solution that can meet the performance requirements of both static and dynamic loading, thereby reducing the overall weight. The proposed composite battery carrier offers a lightweight design, requires minimal maintenance, possesses high tensile strength and stiffness and is corrosion and chemical resistant. Furthermore, it provides the flexibility to integrate battery cover locking arrangements for added convenience and security.

Threaded joints are considered the most basic of components. Although in use for over a century, significant problems still exist with their usage. Wheel bolt loosening in overloaded segments such as HD tippers and high-speed intercity buses poses a safety challenge for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Wheel nut loosening is a notable cause of service, fretting, and cracks in the mating components; contributing a significant chunk of warranty cost to the company. The need of the hour is to reinforce these joints while keeping resources at bay. This paper establishes a methodology for the evaluation and design of a safe wheel bolt joint interface including key parameters such as embedding, axial forces, and shear forces. It is necessary to obtain the minimum preload requirement for a wheel bolt joint to hold the clamped surfaces intact, which if not maintained otherwise would cause relative movement, play, shear load onto the bolt, and eventually failure.

Creating a 3-dimensional environment using imagery from small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS, or unmanned aerial vehicles -UAVs, or colloquially, drones) has grown in popularity recently in accident reconstruction. In this process, ground control points are placed at an accident scene and an sUAS is flown over an accident site and a series of overlapping, high resolution images are taken of the site. Those images and ground control points are then loaded onto a computer and processed using photogrammetric software to create a 3-dimensional point cloud or mesh of the site, which then can be used as a tool for recreating an accident scene. Many software packages have been created to perform these tasks, and in this paper, the authors examine RealityCapture, a newer photogrammetric software, to evaluate its accuracy for the use in accident reconstruction. It is the authors’ experience that RealityCapture may at times produce point clouds with less noise that other software packages.