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Heavy trucks are produced with a great variety of vehicle configurations, operate over a wide range of gross vehicle weight and sometimes function in extreme duty environments. Frontal crashes of heavy trucks can pose a threat to truck occupants when the vehicle strikes another large object such as bridge works, large natural features or another heavy-duty vehicle. Investigations of heavy truck frontal crashes indicate that the factors listed above all affect the outcome for the driver and the resulting damage to the truck Recently, a new chassis was introduced for on-highway heavy truck models that feature frontal airbag occupant protection. This introduction presented an opportunity to incorporate the knowledge gained from crash investigation into the process for developing the crash sensor's parameter settings.

This paper discusses one method for reducing heavy-duty truck rollover accidents, the Freightliner/MeritorWABCO Roll Advisor and Control (RA&C) System. It describes the operation of this system and the unique way in which RA&C trains drivers to avoid high-risk rollover and braking conditions. In addition, the rationale for this approach is discussed in terms of Behavioral Based Safety (BBS), and the means employed to communicate with drivers is described. A technical description of the RA&C system is presented including a discussion of the challenges of designing and developing this product to be a cost-effective system readily implemented in today's commercial vehicles. Resolution of these challenges leads to the choice of the ABS platform to house and operate the necessary electronics and software along with the Freightliner Driver Message Center for displaying driver information.

A Rapid Duct Development and Diagnostic airflow simulation Tool (R3DT) has been developed that allows computational fluid dynamics (CFD) airflow simulations to be performed on complex three-dimensional (3D) Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) ducts quickly, easily and cost effectively. R3DT is a very automated approach to performing grid generation and CFD. It draws upon the strengths of the tools of ICEM CFD Engineering to create a fully tetrahedral mesh for complicated air duct geometries based on the original CAD data. It also uses FLUENT™ as the tetrahedral CFD solver. R3DT enables designers to make informed design decisions based on the predicted performance of their duct designs early in the development process, with the data still in CAD format. The concepts behind R3DT, as well as its application to a series of three-dimensional ducts with varying levels of geometrical complexity will be presented.