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Having, by now, introduced several new vehicles that comply with FMVSS 202a, manufacturers are reporting an increased number of complaints from consumers who find that the head restraint is too close; negatively affecting their posture. It is speculated that one of the reasons that head restraints meeting the new requirement are problematic is that the FMVSS backset measurement is performed at a back angle that is more reclined than the back angle most drivers choose and the back angle at which the seat / vehicle was designed. The objective of this paper is to confirm this hypothesis and elaborate on implications for regulatory compliance in FMVSS 202a.

Active regeneration systems for cleaning diesel exhaust can operate at extremely high temperatures up to 1000°C. The extremely high temperatures create a unique challenge for the design of regeneration structural components near their melting temperatures. In this paper, the preparation of the sheet specimens and the test set-up based on induction heating for sheet specimens are first presented. Tensile test data at room temperature, 500, 700, 900 and 1100°C are then presented. The yield strength and tensile strength were observed to decrease with decreasing strain rate in tests conducted at 900 and 1100°C but no strain rate dependence was observed in the elastic properties for tests conducted below 900°C. The stress-life relations for under cyclic loading at 700 and 1100°C with and without hold time are then investigated. The fatigue test data show that the hold time at the maximum stress strongly affects the stress-life relation at high temperatures.

The efforts of the ISO “Test Variability Task Force” have been aimed at improving the understanding and at reducing brake dynamometer test variability during performance testing. In addition, dynamometer test results have been compared and correlated to vehicle testing. Even though there is already a vast amount of anecdotal evidence confirming the fact that different procedures generate different friction coefficients on the same brake corner, the availability of supporting data to the industry has been elusive up to this point. To overcome this issue, this paper focuses on assessing friction levels, friction coefficient sensitivity, and repeatability under ECE, GB, ISO, JASO, and SAE laboratory friction evaluation tests.

A task group within the SAE Automotive Corrosion and Protection (ACAP) Committee continues to pursue the goal of establishing a standard test method for in-laboratory cosmetic corrosion evaluations of finished aluminum auto body panels. The program is a cooperative effort with OEM, supplier, and consultant participation and is supported in part by USAMP (AMD 309) and the U.S. Department of Energy. Numerous laboratory corrosion test environments have been used to evaluate the performance of painted aluminum closure panels, but correlations between laboratory test results and in-service performance have not been established. The primary objective of this project is to identify an accelerated laboratory test method that correlates with in-service performance. In this paper the type, extent, and chemical nature of cosmetic corrosion observed in the on-vehicle exposures are compared with those from some of the commonly used laboratory tests

The ISO TC22/SWG2 - Brake Lining Committee established a task force to determine and analyze root causes for variability during dynamometer brake performance testing. SAE paper 2010-01-1697 “Brake Dynamometer Test Variability - Analysis of Root Causes” [1] presents the findings from the phases 1 and 2 of the “Test Variability Project.” The task force was created to address the issue of test variability and to establish possible ways to improve test-to-test and lab-to-lab correlation. This paper presents the findings from phase 3 of this effort-description of factors influencing test variability based on DOE study. This phase concentrated on both qualitative and quantitative description of the factors influencing friction coefficient measurements during dynamometer testing.

As vehicle fuel economy continues to grow in importance, the ability to accurately measure the level of efficiency on all driveline components is required. A standardized test procedure enables manufacturers and suppliers to measure component losses consistently and provides data to make comparisons. In addition, the procedure offers a reliable process to assess enablers for efficiency improvements. Previous published studies have outlined the development of a comprehensive test procedure to measure transfer case speed-dependent parasitic losses at key speed, load, and environmental conditions. This paper will take the same basic approach for the Power Transfer Units (PTUs) used on Front Wheel Drive (FWD) based All Wheel Drive (AWD) vehicles. Factors included in the assessment include single and multi-stage PTUs, fluid levels, break-in process, and temperature effects.

In this paper, the development of random vibration testing schedules for durability design verification of engine mounted products is presented, based on the equivalent fatigue damage concept and the 95th-percentile customer engine usage data for 150,000 miles. Development of the 95th-percentile customer usage profile is first discussed. Following that, the field engine excitation and engine duty cycle definition is introduced. By using a simplified transfer function of a single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) system subjected to a base excitation, the response acceleration and stress PSDs are related to the input excitation in PSD, which is the equivalent fatigue damage concept. Also, the narrow-band fatigue damage spectrum (FDS) is calculated in terms of the input excitation PSD based on the Miner linear damage rule, the Rayleigh statistical distribution for stress amplitude, a material's S-N curve, and the Miles approximate solution.

Two-stroke gasoline engines are known to benefit from using in-cylinder fuel injection which improves their ability to meet the strict fuel economy and exhaust emissions requirements. A conventional method of in-cylinder fuel injection involves application of plunger-type positive displacement pumps. Two-stroke engines are usually smaller and lighter than their 4-stroke counterparts of equal power and need a pump that should also be small and light and, preferably, simple in construction. Because a 2-stroke engine fires every crankshaft revolution, its fuel injection pump must run at crankshaft speed (twice the speed of a 4-stroke engine pump). An electronically controlled fuel injection system has been designed to satisfy the needs of a small automotive 2-stroke engine capable of running at speeds of up to 6000 rpm.

Ford is introducing the first high volume domestically designed and produced overhead camshaft V-8 engine As the first entry of a family of V-8 engines, the 4.6L 2 valve per cylinder engine was created to replace Ford's work-horse small block V-8 family of pushrod engines. That family of engines was first produced in 1962 in a 221 cu. in. version and have since evolved into the 302 cu. in. (5.0L) engine which previously powered the Town Car. Design goals of the engine family were: Higher horsepower output combined with reduced engine displacement Improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions Reduced noise and vibration Advanced technology Precision manufacturing Improved quality and durability Program Execution was accomplished by extensive use of teamwork processes, including Cross Functional Teams (CFTs) among Design Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Suppliers, Purchasing and Vehicle Engineering.

A highly controlled six-vehicle crash test program was conducted to provide an estimate of the test-to-test variability of the NHTSA-proposed passenger car dynamic side impact test procedure. The results of this program showed that the rear seat test dummy response measurements are especially sensitive to various parameters of the test procedure. This paper provides estimates of front and rear seated SID dummy response measurement variability in four-door, 1990 Ford Taurus vehicles. Conclusions and recommendations from this controlled crash test program are made to provide guidance to help reduce the test-to-test variability of the test dummy responses.

Over the past several years a task group within the SAE Automotive Corrosion and Protection (ACAP) Committee has conducted extensive on-vehicle field testing and numerous accelerated lab tests with the goal of establishing a standard accelerated test method for cosmetic corrosion evaluations of finished aluminum auto body panels. This project has been a cooperative effort with OEM, supplier, and consultant participation and was also supported in part by DOE through USAMP (AMD 309). The focus of this project has been the identification of a standardized accelerated cosmetic corrosion test that exhibits the same appearance, severity, and type of corrosion products that are exhibited on identical painted aluminum panels exposed to service relevant environments. Multi-year service relevant exposures were conducted by mounting panels on-vehicles in multiple locations in the US and Canada.

The first set of SAE J2643 Standard Reference Elastomers (SRE) was developed in 2004. It was composed of a group of 10 compounds covering multiple elastomer families. Since then, more advanced materials from many elastomer families have been introduced to the automotive industry. The purpose of this study is to add a few more reference compounds to SAE J2643, to enhance the portfolio on FKM, AEM and ACM to reflect advancements in elastomer technology, and make it suitable for a variety of fluids, such as transmission fluid and engine oil. Fourteen standard elastomer compounds were involved in this study, covering various materials currently used in automotive powertrain static and dynamic sealing applications. Participants include OEMs, major rubber manufacturers, a fluid additive company and an independent lab. Manufacturers of each test compound provided formulations, designated ingredients from defined sources, and detailed mixing and molding procedures.

Since 2000, an Aluminum Cosmetic Corrosion task group within the SAE Automotive Corrosion and Protection (ACAP) Committee has existed. The task group has pursued the goal of establishing a standard test method for in-laboratory cosmetic corrosion evaluations of finished aluminum auto body panels. A cooperative program uniting OEM, supplier, and consultants has been created and has been supported in part by USAMP (AMD 309) and the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to this committee's formation, numerous laboratory corrosion test environments have been used to evaluate the performance of painted aluminum closure panels. However, correlations between these laboratory test results and in-service performance have not been established. Thus, the primary objective of this task group's project was to identify an accelerated laboratory test method that correlates well with in-service performance.

The purpose of his paper is to further the understanding of NVH test techniques for hybrid electric powertrains. It addresses dynamometer testing specifically. Due to the nature of the hybrid electric function, which includes situations when the engine is not running as well as different ratios of torque for power component combinations, typical testing methods are not adequate. Hybrid electric testing requires unique test conditions, dyno control, instrumentation and analysis. This paper attempts to establish some test standards directed specifically to the data needs of hybrid electric power trains.

Novel testing procedures and analytical methodologies to assess the performance of hybrid electric vehicle batteries have been developed. Tests include both characterization and cycle life and/or calendar life, and have been designed for both Power Assist and Dual Mode applications. Analytical procedures include a battery scaling methodology, the calculation of pulse resistance, pulse power, available energy, and differential capacity, and the modeling of calendar- and cycle-life data. Representative performance data and examples of the application of the analytical methodologies including resistance growth, power fade, and cycle- and calendar-life modeling for hybrid electric vehicle batteries are presented.

The increasing competitiveness in the automobile market has resulted in the incorporation by the manufacturers of certain features in newer cars that are deemed highly desirable by the customer. Among such features that require improvement is the thermal comfort of passengers' within the cabin. Thermal comfort is in increasing demand from motorists bound to cover more mileage driving cars than ever before. As a result, car makers are striving for improved climate conditions inside the car to meet passenger demand for more comfortable trips. The need to improve the climatic comfort within the vehicle is critical not only to passengers' comfort but also to their safety. However, to make progress in this area, a good understanding of the airflow behaviour within the vehicle interior is required. This paper, reports on a novel idea of control the air movement within the cabin by forcibly removing the air from strategically positioned vents.

The evaluation of the performance benefits of solar load reducing glazings using production vehicles is key to the establishment of the product cost/benefit ratio. Climatic windtunnels normally used to evaluate heat gain and vehicle cooldown can not provide true solar simulation. Comparative testing using a test car and a control vehicle must therefore be conducted outside in uncontrollable ambient conditions. The subject paper deals with the development of a testing methodology capable of quantifying thermal performance differences, as low as 5%, resulting from component differences, including glazings. The procedure described includes the use of B & K Thermal Comfort Meters to standardize the refrigeration system performance and to evaluate the rate of vehicle interior cooldown. Data taken during summer test programs in the Southwest for evaluation of heat absorbing glazings will be reviewed.

A number of advancements have been made in the coulometric sulfur trace instrumental technique for the real-time measurement of engine oil economy. These advancements include modification of the coulometric cell to improve reliability and reproducibility. The instrument has been interfaced with a microcomputer for instrument control as well as data acquisition, storage, and analysis. Studies were undertaken which demonstrate sufficient sensitivity and linearity for determination of engine oil economy at levels better than 10,000 miles/quart. Applications to steady-state engine oil consumption mapping and to instantaneous oil consumption during transient engine cycling are described. These instruments are being produced by an outside supplier for use in various company locations in both the engine production and engine research environments.

A running loss test procedure has been developed which integrates a point-source collection method to measure fuel evaporative running loss from vehicles during their operation on the chassis dynamometer. The point-source method is part of a complete running loss test procedure which employs the combination of site-specific collection devices on the vehicle, and a sampling pump with sampling lines. Fugitive fuel vapor is drawn into these collectors which have been matched to characteristics of the vehicle and the test cell. The composite vapor sample is routed to a collection bag through an adaptation of the ordinary constant volume dilution system typically used for vehicle exhaust gas sampling. Analysis of the contents of such bags provides an accurate measure of the mass and species of running loss collected during each of three LA-4* driving cycles. Other running loss sampling methods were considered by the Auto-Oil Air Quality Improvement Research Program (AQIRP or Program).

Most people still remember the introduction of the IBM PC in 1981 and the first Microsoft Windows operating system in 1985. These were the pioneering technologies that started a revolution in automotive test equipment in the service bay. What was once a purely mechanical garage environment where information was published annually in large paper manuals has evolved into a highly technical computing environment. Today vehicle networks link onboard vehicle control systems with diagnostic systems and updated service information is published daily over the Internet. A lot has changed over the last twenty years, and manufacturers of diagnostic test equipment are learning to deal with the constantly evolving computing platforms and host operating systems. This paper traces the history of automotive diagnostic equipment at Ford Motor Company and shares some of the hard lessons learned from the early systems.