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Concerned with fuel consumption and emissions, especially public transportation in urban areas, the ELFA electric drive system has been developed for hybrid bus applications. This modular system provides bus manufactures a cost effective solution with a maximum degree of design flexibility. Presenter Joshua Nelke, siemens industry inc.

This session will explore connector concerns related to the needs of Commercial Vehicle Manufacturers and problems/opportunities from a connection system supplier perspective. It will look at differences in requirements for the global market, and their relation to local requirements. Presenter Robin D. Reed, Deutsch Industrial/LADD Industries

Dramatic changes in transportation are coming. Cities and states looking to be at the forefront and reap the benefits, need an engaged and informed citizenry. Hear how the SAE Demo Day in Tampa supported Florida's AV initiatives and can benefit states nationwide.

In May 2018, SAE International in partnership with THEA and leading AV technology companies gave citizens in Tampa a chance to test ride the future. The event included a pre- and post-ride survey, a ride in an automated vehicle, interactive displays and engagement with industry experts. See highlights of the event and feedback from participants.

Can you become a visionary or are you born one? How does a visionary capture an opportunity and makes it a successful business? Are engineers more qualified to solve technical problems or run companies? SAE's "The Visionary's Take" addresses these and many other questions, by talking directly with those who have dared to tackle difficult engineering problems, and create real-life products out of their experience. In these short episodes, Sanjiv Singh and Lyle Chamberlain, respectively CEO and Chief Engineer from Near Earth Autonomy, talk about their experience in creating a brand-new company in the UAV world. Founded in 2011, Near Earth Autonomy brought together a group of engineers and roboticists, looking for unconventional solutions to very hard logistics problems, presenting danger to human life. The answers were developed by pushing technology to a higher level, testing quickly and often, and keeping an open mind to alternative ways of framing engineering challenges.

Abstract Truck platooning comprises a number of trucks equipped with automated lateral and longitudinal vehicle control technology, which allows them to move in tight formation with short following distances. This study is an initial step toward developing an understanding of the occupant injury risks associated with the multiple sequential impacts between truck platoons and roadside safety barriers, regardless of whether the crash is associated with a malfunction of automated control or human operation. Full-scale crash impacts of a tractor-trailer platoon into a concrete bridge guardrail were simulated for a specific Test Level condition according to the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) standards. The model of the bridge barrier was developed based on its drawings, and material properties were assigned according to literature data.

Abstract Reliability analysis of a large-scale system under random dynamic loads can be a very time-consuming task since it requires repeated studies of the system. In many engineering problems, for example, wave loads on an offshore platform, the excitation loads are defined using a power spectral density (PSD) function. For a given PSD function, one needs to generate many time histories to make sure the excitation load is modeled accurately. Global and local approximation methods are available to predict the system response efficiently. Each way has their advantages and shortcomings. The combined approximations (CA) method is an efficient method, which combines the advantages of local and global approximations. This work demonstrates two methodologies that utilize CA to reduce the cost of crude or separable Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) of linear dynamic systems when the excitation loads are defined using PSD functions.

Abstract This article analyses the flow field between two 1/8-scale Generalized European Transport System (GETS) models which are placed in a two-vehicle platoon at close distances. Numerical simulations using the lattice Boltzmann method together with a wind tunnel experiment (open jet facility, OJF) were executed. Next, to balance measurements, coaxial volumetric velocimetry (CVV) measurements were performed to obtain information about the flow field. Three intervehicle distances, 0.10, 0.45 and 0.91 times the vehicle length, were tested for various platoon configurations where the vehicles in the platoon varied in terms of front-edge radius and the addition of tails. At the smallest intervehicle distance, the greatest reductions in drag were found for both the leading and trailing vehicles. The flow in the gap between the two vehicles follows an S-shaped path with small variations between the configurations.

Abstract This study proposes a method for the rapid detection and location of cavity defects in ballastless track structures of high-speed railways in service. First, the propagation law of air-coupled ultrasonic Lamb waves in the ballastless track structure is studied. Theoretical calculation results show that the ultrasonic Lamb wave group velocity of the A2 mode in the track plate is 4000 m/s. Then, the excitation and reception methods of the air-coupled ultrasound are studied. Theoretical and experimental results show that the A2 mode Lamb wave can be generated by the 3.8° oblique incidence of the ballastless track structure. Finally, an experimental system for air-coupled ultrasonic testing is constructed. A pair of air-coupled ultrasonic probes is used to provide excitation and reception Lamb wave signals at an inclined angle of 3.8°, 20 mm away from the surface of the track plate, and 40 mm/step along the scanning direction.

Abstract To gain a better understanding of the characteristics of corrugation, including the development and propagation of corrugation, and impact of vehicle and track dynamics, a computational model was established, taking into account the nonlinearity of vehicle-track coupling. The model assumes a fixed train speed of 300 km/h and accounts for vertical interaction force components and rail wear effect. Site measurements were used to validate the numerical model. Computational results show that (1) Wheel polygonalisation corresponding to excitation frequency of 545-572 Hz was mainly attributed to track irregularity and uneven stiffness of under-rail supports, which in turn leads to vibration modes of the bogie and axle system in the frequency range of 500-600 Hz, aggregating wheel wear. (2) The peak response frequency of rail of the non-ballasted track coincides with the excitation frequency of wheel-rail coupling; the resonance results in larger wear amplitude of the rail.

Recent fluctuation in oil prices has generated interest in fuel-efficient vehicles, especially their aerodynamic profile. The literature indicates that turbulent wakes that form at the rear end of the vehicle contribute to vehicle drag in a major way. Minor studies have addressed the effects of rear-end wall angle to the drag force through effecting the wake behind the vehicle; however, this study assesses the reduction of drag using angular side walls. A previous simulation of external airflow over Ahmed's body was investigated, utilizing the k-ω SST models. Different angles of side walls were analyzed, and a maximum 36.85% reduction in drag coefficient was achieved using an angular rear side wall. The turbulent model was validated and the effectiveness of angular rear side walls thus proven. The study then simulated the flow for a road vehicle model to investigate the real world effect of angular rear side walls.

Road vibrations cause fatigue failures in vehicle components and systems. Therefore, reliable and accurate damage and life assessment is crucial to the durability and reliability performances of vehicles, especially at early design stages. However, durability and reliability assessment is difficult not only because of the unknown underlying damage mechanisms, such as crack initiation and crack growth, but also due to the large uncertainties introduced by many factors during operation. How to effectively and accurately assess the damage status and quantitatively measure the uncertainties in a damage evolution process is an important but still unsolved task in engineering probabilistic analysis. In this paper, a new procedure is developed to assess the durability and reliability performance, and characterize the uncertainties of damage evolution of components under constant amplitude loadings.

Fuel consumption reduction on medium-duty tactical truck has and continues to be a significant initiative for the U.S. Army. The Crankshaft-Integrated-Starter-Generator (C-ISG) is one of the parallel hybrid propulsions to improve the fuel economy. The C-ISG configuration is attractive because one electric machine can be used to propel the vehicle, to start the engine, and to be function as a generator. The C-ISG has been implemented in one M1083A1 5-ton tactical cargo truck. This paper presents the experimental assessments of the C-ISG hybrid truck characteristics. The experimental assessments include all electric range for on- and off-road mission cycles and fuel consumption for the high voltage battery charging. Stationary tests related to the charging profile of the battery pack and the silent watch time duration is also conducted.

This paper describes the development and testing of a Dynamic Vibration Absorber to reduce frame beaming vibration in a highway tractor. Frame beaming occurs when the first vertical bending mode of the frame is excited by road or wheel-end inputs. It is primarily a problem for driver comfort. Up until now, few options were available to resolve this problem. The paper will review the phenomenon, design factors affecting a vehicle's sensitivity to frame beaming, and the principles of Dynamic Vibration Absorbers (AKA Tuned Mass Dampers). Finally, the paper will describe simulation and testing that led to the development of an effective vibration absorber as a field fix.

A novel speed and position dependent Lane Keeping Assistance (LKA) control strategy for heavy vehicles is proposed. This LKA system can be implemented with any torque overlay system capable of accepting external position or torque commands. The proposed algorithm tackles the problem of lane keeping in two ways from a heavy vehicle's perspective. First, it stabilizes the vehicle's lateral position by bringing it to the center of the lane and giving it the correct heading to stay there. This is done using a speed and position dependent control strategy that becomes less aggressive as the vehicle's speed increases and as it gets closer to the center of the lane. Such speed and position dependency is especially critical in heavy vehicles where unnecessary aggressive control can lead to oscillations about the lane's centerline when cruising at high speeds.

Terrestrial winds play an important role in affecting the aerodynamics of road vehicles. Of increasing importance is the effect of the unsteady turbulence structure of these winds and their influence on the process of optimizing aerodynamic performance to reduce fuel consumption. In an effort to predict better the aerodynamic performance of heavy-duty vehicles and various drag reduction technologies, a study was undertaken to measure the turbulent wind characteristics experienced by heavy-duty vehicles on the road. To measure the winds experienced on the road, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) was outfitted with an array of four fast-response pressure probes that could be arranged in vertical or horizontal rake configurations that provided measurements up to 4.0 m from the ground and spanning a width of 2.4 m. To characterize the influence of the proximity of the vehicle on the pressure signals of the probes, the SUV and its measurements system was calibrated in a large wind tunnel.

In tire development, the dynamic tire-road contact forces are an important indicator to assess structure-borne interior cabin noise. This type of noise is the dominant source in the frequency range from 50-450 Hz, especially when rolling with constant angular velocity on a rough road. The spatial force distribution is difficult or sometimes even impossible to simulate or measure in practice. So, the use of an inverse technique is proposed. This technique uses response measurements in combination with a digital twin simulation model to obtain the input forces in an inverse way. The responses and model properties are expressed in the time domain, since it is specifically aimed to trace back the impact locations from road surface texture indents on the tire. In order to do so, the transient responses of the travelling waves as a result of these impacts is used. The framework expresses responses as a convolution product of the unknown loads and impulse response measurements.

Platooning is a key research area where increased focus and interest is shown in order to maximize the transport efficiency of road vehicles. Although the key benefits are projected as increased fuel efficiency especially when it comes to commercial vehicles, allied benefits such as convoy pack efficiency, traffic throughput rate, increased life cycle of components and a source of monetary benefit when using a subscription model are areas which need to be explored. Existing literature points to control strategies predominantly focused on longitudinal control and traffic management in bottlenecks.

Rotavator is an active tillage implement for breaking the Soil and for the preparation of seed bed for cultivation. The Farmers are currently facing problem due to usage of sub optimal speed of Rotavator which results in more fuel consumption, takes more time for completion of operation. Also, the Current Rental models work on Tractor + Implement as rental combination and customer not able to rent Rotavator as a standalone implement due to non-availability of Tracking information such as hours of utilization on Rotavator. Farmers not able to maintain the service periodicity, if oil change not done in prescribed duration then it may result in improper maintenance and breakdown of the Rotavator. To overcome these problems a smart Rotavator developed consists of an electronic unit fitted on the Rotavator shaft to measure the speed of the shaft rotation and in turn convert to Rotavator speed and also able to convert into Hours of usage based on the starting and stopping of the rotavator.

According to research studies, epidemics such as SARS, COVID-19 spread have caused huge negative impacts on population, health and the economy around the globe. The outbreak places a huge burden on international health systems that were already straining to address AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and a host of other conditions. Research has proven that incase infected person is not traced timely then the spread of infection in society will take the shape of large-scale community transmission. Most of the infections spread because they got unnoticed by the infected person. One part of the access checker scans is a person’s body temperature by measuring infrared radiation emitted by their skin. Fever screening by infrared thermal imaging has become more widespread following the SARS infection, and particularly during the pandemic H1N1 and COVID-19 outbreak. Skin temperature is measured without contact by monitoring the emitted infrared radiation.