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Ford Motor Company is introducing “EcoBoost” gasoline turbocharged direct injection (GTDI) engine technology in the 2010 Lincoln MKS. A logical enhancement of EcoBoost technology is the use of E85 for knock mitigation. The subject of this paper is the optimal use of E85 by using two fuel systems in the same EcoBoost engine: port fuel injection (PFI) of gasoline and direct injection (DI) of E85. Gasoline PFI is used for starting and light-medium load operation, while E85 DI is used only as required during high load operation to avoid knock. Direct injection of E85 (a commercially available blend of ∼85% ethanol and ∼15% gasoline) is extremely effective in suppressing knock, due to ethanol's high inherent octane and its high heat of vaporization, which results in substantial cooling of the charge. As a result, the compression ratio (CR) can be increased and higher boost levels can be used.

High-strength aluminum alloys such as 7075 can be formed using advanced manufacturing methods such as hot stamping. Hot stamping utilizes an elevated temperature blank and the high pressure stamping contact of the forming die to simultaneously quench and form the sheet. However, changes in the thermal history induced by hot stamping may increase this alloy’s stress corrosion cracking (SCC) susceptibility, a common corrosion concern of 7000 series alloys. This work applied the breaking load method for SCC evaluation of hot stamped AA7075-T6 B-pillar panels that had been artificially aged by two different artificial aging practices (one-step and two-step). The breaking load strength of the specimens provided quantitative data that was used to compare the effects of tensile load, duration, alloy, and heat treatment on SCC behavior.

The automotive industry is subject to stringent regulations in emissions and growing customer demands for better fuel consumption and vehicle performance. Engine calibration, a process that optimizes engine performance by tuning engine controls (actuators), becomes challenging nowadays due to significant increase of complexity of modern engines. The traditional sweep-based engine calibration method is no longer sustainable. To tackle the challenge, this work considers two powerful global optimization methods: genetic algorithm (GA) and Bayesian optimization for steady-state engine calibration for single speed-load point. GA is a branch of meta-heuristic methods that has shown a great potential on solving difficult problems in automotive engineering. Bayesian optimization is an efficient global optimization method that solves problems with computationally expensive testing such as hyperparameter tuning in deep neural network (DNN), engine testing, etc.

Auto-manufacturers are under increasing pressure to develop powertrain systems for automotive vehicles, which are more efficient regarding fuel consumption, less polluting and still keep high performance levels. Hybrid electrical vehicles (HEV) are considered the most promising technology in sight, considering a time horizon of more ore less twenty years. HEVs combine benefits of electrical vehicles, such zero emission, low noise and high torques at low velocities and advantages of conventional vehicles, such as large autonomy, great reliability and high levels of performance. This paper is focused on the major elements of an HEV powertrain: electrical motors, internal combustion engine (ICE) and batteries, which are described. The paper also presents a comparison of two possible HEV configurations: series and parallel. The mathematical model of a small hybrid vehicle is developed using software ADVISOR.

In this study, tests were performed with modified tires at the right rear location on a solid rear axle sport utility vehicle to compare the vehicle inputs from both: (1) tire tread belt detachments staged by circumferentially cut tires, and (2) a tire tread detachment staged by distressing a tire in a laboratory environment. The forces and moments that transfer through the road wheel were measured at the right and left rear wheel locations using wheel force transducers; displacements were measured between the rear axle and the frame at the shock absorber mounting locations, ride height displacements were measured at the four corners of the vehicle, and accelerations were measured on the rear axle. Onboard vehicle accelerations and velocities were measured as well. The data shows that the tire tread belt detachments prepared by circumferentially cut tires and distressed tires have similar inputs to the vehicle.

The newly developed Sequence VIB engine dynamometer test for measuring the ability of engine oils to improve engine fuel efficiency was designed as an improvement on its predecessor, the Sequence VIA test. The Sequence VIB test features an additional, extended oil aging to correspond to aging of engine oils in certification vehicles and in customer use, and a new set of boundary/mixed and hydrodynamic lubrication stages to better represent a wider range of engines. Five fuel economy measurement stages were chosen for the Sequence VIB test from a larger set of prototype stages, based on extensive friction modeling of engines, analysis of Sequence VIA data on reference oils, and operational considerations. Time factors for these stages were derived based on a mini-mapping of engines considering engine operating conditions in the Metro/Highway Federal fuel economy test procedure (FTP M/H) and the estimated market volume of each engine-vehicle.

To reduce the cost of prototype and physical test, CAE analysis has been widely used to evaluate the vehicle performance during product development process. Combining CAE analysis and optimization approach, vehicle design process can be implemented more efficiently with affordable cost. Reliability based design optimization (RBDO) formulation considers variations of input variables, such as component gauges and material properties. As a result, the design obtained by using RBDO is more reliable and robust compared to those by deterministic optimization. The RBDO process starts from running simulation at DOE sampling data points, generating surrogate models (response surface) and performing robust and reliability based design optimization on the surrogate models by using Monte Carlo simulation. This paper presents a RBDO framework in Excel enviroment.

The International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) ATF subcommittee members have compared the two oxidation bench test methods, Aluminum Beaker Oxidation Test (ABOT) and Indiana Stirring Oxidation Stability Test (ISOT), using a number of factory-fill and service-fill ATFs obtained in Japan and in the US. In many cases, the ATFs were more severely oxidized after the ABOT procedure than after the same duration of the ISOT procedure. The relative severity of these two tests was influenced by the composition of the ATFs. The bench test oxidation data were compared with the transmission and the vehicle oxidation test data.

Piston wetting can be isolated from the other sources of HC emissions from DISI engines by operating the engine predominantly on a gaseous fuel and using an injector probe to impact a small amount of liquid fuel on the piston top. This results in a marked increase in HC emissions. In a previous study, we used a variety of pure liquid hydrocarbon fuels to examine the influence of fuel volatility and structure on the HC emissions due to piston wetting. It was shown that the HC emissions correspond to the Leidenfrost effect: fuels with very low boiling points yield high HCs and those with a boiling point near or above the piston temperature produce much lower HCs. All of these prior tests of fuel effects were performed at a single operating condition: the Ford World Wide Mapping Point (WWMP). In the present study, the effects of load and engine speed are examined.

The engine subframe (cradle) is an important contributor to crash energy management in frontal impact for automotive vehicles. Subframe design can enhance vehicle crash performance through energy management. In addition to energy management targets, the subframe must meet stiffness, durability and other vehicle engineering requirements. Various subframe concepts are reviewed. Their design intents and vehicle performance are discussed. A development process of an aluminum subframe is then presented which details the subframe design as an energy absorbing component for frontal impacts. The architecture of the subframe is developed based on overall functionality requirements and package constraints. The geometry of the subframe is first designed to accommodate engine mounts and suspension support locations. The subframe member's shape, orientation, and location are then refined to accommodate the subframe-to-body connection requirements.

The history behind Polymer Class “A” Body Panels for automotive applications is very interesting. The driving factors behind these applications have not changed significantly over the past sixty years. Foremost among these factors is the need for corrosion and dent resistance. Beginning with Saturn in 1990, interest in polymer body panels grew and continues to grow up to the present day, with every new global application. Today, consumers and economic factors drive the industry trend towards plastic body panels. These include increased customization and fuel economy on the consumer side. Economic factors such as lower unit build quantities, reduced vehicle mass, investment cost, and tooling lead times influence material choice for industry. The highest possible performance, and fuel economy, at the lowest price have always been a goal.

Residual stresses in metals are caused by a number of processes such as inhomogeneous deformation, phase changes and temperature gradients. This investigation focuses on the residual stresses caused by plastic deformation of automotive metals. Such stresses are responsible for part springback and shape distortion in many manufacturing and assembly processes. Tensile residual stresses may lead to stress cracking and, in some alloys, to stress corrosion cracking which may ultimately lead to premature product failure. The residual stress potential of metals can be evaluated by using the Split Ring Test Method. The test can be used to evaluate the effect of materials on residual stresses in cup drawing. Drawn cups are used because they produce large amounts of residual stresses and, therefore, increase measurement accuracy and reduce experimental error. A closed form analytical solution is used to estimate residual stresses in split rings taken from sections cut from the drawn cups.

The relationship between engine oil formulations and catalyst performance was investigated by comparatively testing five engine oils. In addition to one baseline production oil with a calcium plus magnesium detergent system, the remaining four oils were specifically formulated with different additive combinations including: one worst case with no detergent and production level zinc dialkyldithiophosphate (ZDTP), one with calcium-only detergent and two best cases with zero phosphorus. Emissions performance, phosphorus loss from the engine oil, phosphorus-capture on the catalyst and engine wear were evaluated after accumulating 100,000 miles of taxi service in twenty vehicles. The intent of this comparative study was to identify relative trends.

Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) prototypes are based off production platforms. Several new systems are added to the vehicle, either to perform hybrid functions or to support them and enhance vehicle performance and fuel economy. All these systems are electrically connected in the vehicle with overlay wiring harnesses. Architecture of overlay wiring harness for the HEV requires identification of new systems and working out their electrical connectivity requirements. This dictates the level of changes required in the vehicle electrical system. Harnesses are built based on the circuit design and location of these systems in the vehicle. EMI requirements, routing and packaging challenges are resolved during the overlay process and testing of the prototype. This paper presents the process of harness design, its architecture and integration challenges in the vehicle.

General corrosion protection of sheet materials such as steel used in automobile construction has reached a high level of performance, due primarily to the incorporation of mill-applied treatments such as electrogalvanizing, galvannealing and other coil-coating processes developed over the last half century. While such treatments have greatly extended the corrosion resistance of steel and its various body constructs, attention is now focused on aspects of the manufacturing process wherein these intended protections are compromised by such features as weldments, joins, cut edges and extreme metal deformations such as hems. A novel metal deposition process, based on high-velocity impact fusion of solid metal particles, has been used to extend the corrosion resistance of base steel and pre-galvanized sheet, by selectively placing highly controlled depositions of zinc and other sacrificial materials in close proximity to critical manufacturing details.

An obliquely incident X-ray radiography was developed to measure the greatest depths, orientations and locations of corrosion pits in automobile metallic plates. This technique can also be used on-site for components in use. The corrosion depth profile and the greatest depth can be calculated with the established relations. A 3-D rotational microscope and surface profiler were utilized to evaluate the sensitivities and accuracies of the technique for aluminum and steel plates, respectively.

A simple and rapid immersion type corrosion test has been successfully developed that discriminates corrosion performance in condensers from various suppliers and with differing manufacturing processes. The goal is to develop a test specification that will be included in the Ford corrosion specification for condensers so that condensers received from various suppliers may be evaluated rapidly for their relative corrosion performance to each other. Sections from condensers from Supplier A (tube is silfluxed), Supplier B (tube is zinc arc sprayed), and Supplier C (bare folded tube with no zinc for corrosion protection) were tested in 2% v/v hydrochloric acid for 16, 24 and 48 hours. The results showed that in terms of corrosion performance, zinc arc sprayed Supplier B condenser performed the worst while Supplier C condenser performed the best with Supplier A in between. It was also observed that the fins, and fin-to-tube joints were first to corrode followed by the tube in all cases.

Powertrain and vehicle technology is rapidly changing to meet the ever increasing demands of customers and government regulations. In some cases technologies that are designed to improve one attribute may impact others or interact with other design decisions in unexpected ways. Understanding the interactions and optimizing the transient performance at the vehicle level may require controls and calibration that is not available until late in the vehicle development process, after hardware changes are no longer possible. As a result, an efficient, up front, CAE process for assessing the interaction of various design choices on transient vehicle behavior is desirable. Building, calibrating and validating a vehicle system model with full controls and a mature calibration is very time consuming and often requires significant experimental data that is not available until it is too late to make hardware changes.

Corrosion failures of aluminum air conditioner evaporator cores have been reported in regions where the climate is relatively warm and humid. Microbiologically-influenced corrosion [MIC] has been implicated in these failures. Application of surface-treatment chemicals may inhibit microbiological (bacterial) growth and/or attachment, thereby reducing the potential for MIC. In this study, two laboratory methods were developed to evaluate selected surface-treatment chemicals for their ability to inhibit bacterial growth and reduce bacterial attachment to treated surfaces. Using the developed methods, two controlled-atmosphere brazed aluminum core materials and three surface-treatment chemicals were evaluated. Neither of the untreated core materials was found to inhibit the growth of the bacteria tested.

A number of metallic oxidation catalyst substrates with advanced internal structures have emerged in the past few years. In an aftertreatment application, these structures improve gas mixing by increasing turbulence within the substrate's matrix. Modeling results show these advanced structures, under some operating conditions, can be correlated to reductions in catalyst substrate volume and precious metal 1,2. Three structured metallics were compared to a baseline ceramic substrate in a designed experiment to understand the effect of advanced metallic substrates on diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) sizing and performance. The results showed that smaller metallic DOCs coated with up to 30% less precious metal (PM) catalyst performed on par or better than the baseline ceramic DOC in terms of hydrocarbon conversion, heat-up, and pressure drop.