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Emission of carbon dioxide from mobile sources seriously concerned to solve greenhouse effect and high price of gasoline in some countries have resulted in the development of lean-burn concept engine. In spite of many studies on the lean deNOx catalyst, we have no clear solution to obtain high fuel economy and high efficiency of NOx conversion in lean-burn application. This paper describes applicability and problems of NOx adsorber system to partial lean-burn vehicle, the development of three-way catalyst with improvement of washcoat technology based on three-way catalyst used for gasoline application, and comparison test results of evaluations is synthesized gas activity test, Federal Test Procedure (FTP) test, etc. This study shows improved three-way catalysts in partial lean- burn vehicle have max. 89% of NOx conversion in FTP without adding rich spike and regeneration functions to engine management system.

There have been strong moves in recent years to introduce the metal matrix composites concept into higher volume applications, notably the automotive field where large volume production and lower material costs are required. The wettability between reinforcing materials and base material is one of important factors for the strength of composites and its manufacture. The main objective of this paper is to establish a basic understanding of wetting phenomena in SiC/liquid aluminum and aluminum alloy systems. In the present paper, results from the sessile drop method are reported for the effects on the wetting angle, θ, of free silicon in the silicon carbide substrate and of alloying additions of silicon, copper or magnesium to the aluminum drop for the temperature range 700-900 or 1400°C in the titanium-gettered vacuum (1.3 x 10-2 / 1.3 x 10-3 Pa).

Fuel tank in vehicle must hold the fuel in a stable way under any driving condition. However, the fuel tank might not conserve the fuel firmly in case a crack emerged while the fuel tank is exposed to different driving condition. Basically, when the engine is in purging at a normal ambient temperature before fuel boiling, the pressure inside the fuel tank decreases. However, the pressure inside a fuel tank increases while a vehicle is driven at extreme hot ambient temperature as fuel is boiling. This repetitive pressure change in the fuel tank comes with fuel tank’s physical expansion and shrink, which would cause a damage to the fuel tank. The main purpose of this research is to investigate the root cause of why fuel tank cracks at a fatigue point. We also aim to set up the method of how to test durability of the fuel tank in association with the pressure inside the tank.

This study suggests new types of catalysts that show low hydrogen sulfide emission without scavenger such as NiO. Hydrogen sulfide can be reduced by changing the physicochemical properties of washcoat components. Synthesized gas activity tests were performed to investigate the effect of modified washcoat on hydrogen sulfide formation and catalytic activity. BET surface area tests, X- ray diffraction tests, and gas chromatography tests were also carried out to examine the characteristics of catalysts. Preparation methods for catalysts were focused on minimizing the adsorption of sulfur species on catalysts. The first approach is heat treatment of cerium oxide to reduce adsorption sites for sulfur compounds. But this leads to deterioration of CO and NOx conversion efficiencies. The second one is adding new types of promoters that increase thermal durability and dynamic oxygen storing function of cerium oxide.

A new recycled material has been developed by using the scrap of tail lamp assembly, made of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) for the lens and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS) for the housing. Lamp scrap was extruded in a twin-screw extruder, and mechanical properties of the scrap were compared with ABS, PMMA, and an ABS/PMMA (60/40) blend. The recycled material from 100% tail lamp scrap has similar modulus to the 60/40 blend, however, notched Izod impact strength and thermal resistance were lower than that of the blend, probably due to the presence of hot melt adhesive and silver paint. Scrap/virgin polymer mixtures showed improved thermal resistance and impact strength. The effects of composition and type of mixed polymer on mechanical properties were also investigated.

Reducing unsprung mass of the car is a representative method to enhance the ride & handling performance and fuel efficiency. In this study, brake disc weight is reduced 15∼20% using a hybrid type material. The basis for this study is the separation of the friction surface and HAT(mounting part). Aluminum material is applied in the HAT for a light weight effect. Gray iron is applied in the friction surface section to maintain braking performance. Two types of joining between aluminum and cast iron are developed. One is the aluminum casting method utilizing a gray iron insert and the other is a bolted assembly method. Detailed structure, process and material are optimized using try-out & dynamometer experiments. The Reliability of this development is proved through durability (dynamometer and vehicle) testing.

The banded microstructure of pearlite and ferrite in normalized alloy steel is susceptible to thermal distortion during carburizing process due to its unidirectional orientation parallel to rolling direction. The planetary gears with material of banded microstructure have been experienced in high thermal distortion during carburizing and quenching process and result in uneven surface hardness and effective case depth at the inside of pinion gear after honing. These defects played failure initiation site roles in durability test during development of new automatic transmission. The galling between the contacting components in severe lubricating system was the main failure mechanism. Double normalizing at 920 °C was designed to resolve the banded microstructure of normalized alloy steel. The microstructure and grain size of the double heated steel became equiaxed and fine due to homogenizing and recrystallization through double heat treatment.

Direct Coating is a new processing technique which applies a single-layer polyurethane coating directly to a plastic part within a 2-shot molding cycle. The advantages of Direct Coating over traditional paint are improved surface quality, scratch resistance, and cost-effective processing. This concept has been previously showcased in high-gloss piano black with the simple geometry of the exterior door garnish. In this paper, the capabilities of Direct Coating are expanded to include metallic pigments and complex geometries for interior trim. For this development project, the Hyundai Sonata center fascia was selected as the target application due to the complex flow geometry around the bezel, and the high occurrence of customer contact, necessitating scratch and chemical resistance. Results of plaque-level testing showed that the coating material passed all requirements, including interior chemical resistance and scratch resistance.

A newly developed surface hardening process, supercarburizing, has been developed for the application of tappet shim to improve fuel economy. Supercarburizing has been introduced to increase resistance of wear and pitting performance and was designed to have supersaturated carbon surface layer and further to have spheroidized carbide morphology. In this presentation, the process variables, such as surface microstructure, morphology and distribution of carbide precipitation, will be discussed via the results of friction loss tests. At an entire speed range investigated, the application of supercarburized tappet shim improved fuel economy with 25∼30% in terms of valve train itself and with 4∼5% concerning on the gross engine performance. The fuel economy analysis showed that the improved surface hardening process of tappet shim increased fuel economy of vehicle about 1.4∼3.6%.

A computational technique for predicting roof crush resistance in the early design stage of vehicle development is presented in this paper. This technique developed a simple nonlinear finite element beam model with several nonlinear spring elements which represent plastic hinge behaviors after bending collapse. In general, these plastic hinge behaviors are apt to occur al each weak area of vehicle body structure. By idealizing actual sections as equivalent simple sections, maximum bending moments are calculated for all weak areas. Predicted results of roof crush resistance arc correlated well with test results.

Although tire forces are important as factors governing the behavior of a vehicle, current chassis control systems have used tire forces indirectly estimated. Hence, this research developed Intelligent Tire System (i-Tire) that can measure tire forces directly. This system used a deform gage and a surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor, which are capable of passive radio communication. The performance of this developed system was tested with a tire test system (MTS Flat Trac) and a vehicle test.

Currently, the interest in accelerated reliability testing (ART) of electric vehicles parts has been increasing. In particular, an electric motor and battery are vital components of battery powered electric vehicles. The electric motor has two major roles, to discharge or charge battery when it is driven or braking. For analyzing the exact behavior mechanism of electric motor and predicting lithium-ion battery cell degradation, new accelerated reliability testing technology is required. This paper describes the results of research and development in new approach to reliability testing for electric vehicles. The methodology to measure a precise motor output torque of the rotating rotor using telemetry system was provided. The electric energy quantities as well as the used quantities of the electric power were also analyzed. The results of research and development in new approach to reliability testing for electric vehicles were systematized and reflected in development.

This report explains the basic theory of designing the accelerating durability test road and the role of each factors contributing to the test road surface profile. Also this road is designed by considering the charactors of vehicle suspension system and conditions of driving. In test road, the factors affecting to the vehicle structural durability are correlation among surface shape of road profile, frequency of vehicle suspension system,distribution of axle twist angle and vibration of road profile height. Road PSD magnitude and frequency delay is used to control these factors relation.

Al matrix composites containing alumina (Al2O3) fibers are fabricated by the low pressure (25MPa) squeeze infiltration process which is suitable for the low cost mass production. Mechanical properties at room temperature as well as elevated temperatures (250°C, 350°C) are improved due to the presence of reinforcements. Upto 350°C, composites maintain a reasonable strength, which is much better than strength of the conventional Al alloy. Composites have equivalent wear rates to those of Ni - resist cast iron. Wear behavior is changed with the sliding speed. At low sliding speed, wear proceeds by the excessive failure of matrix and fiber, whilst, at higher sliding speed, matrix fracture near fiber plays a major role in wear. Wear resistance of 125°C is inferior to that of room temperature due to the reduction of mechanical properties followed by matrix softening and poor bonding.

This paper outlines an improved methodology to perform calculations to verify the compliance of automotive door latch systems to minimum legal requirements as well as to perform additional due diligence calculations necessary to comprehend special cases such as roll over crashes and locally high inertial loadings. This methodology builds on the calculation method recommended by SAE J839 and provides a robust and clear approach for application of this method to cable release systems, which were not prevalent at the time J839 was originally drafted. This method is useful in and of itself but its utility is further increased by the application of the method to a Computer Aided Design (CAD) template (in this case for Catia V5), that allows some automation of the calculation process for a given latch type. This will result in a savings of time, fewer errors and allows for an iterative concurrent analysis during the design process.

This research aims to develop an inverse control method capable of adaptively simulating dynamic models of car subsystems in the rig-test condition. Accurate simulation of the actual vibration conditions is one of the most crucial factors in realizing reliable rig-test platforms. However, most typical rig tests are conducted under simple random or harmonic sweep conditions. Moreover, the conventional test methods are hard to directly adapt to the actual vibration conditions when switching the dynamic characteristics of the subsystem in the rig test. In the present work, we developed an inverse controller to adaptively control the vibration exciter referring to the target vibration signal. An adaptive LMS filter, employed for the control algorithm, updated the filter weights in real time by referring to the target and the measured acceleration signals.

Extensive researches are being performed on a world wide basis with the aim of enhancing occupant protection on the side impact. The test methodology for side impact can be divided into two general groups; Sub-System Tests Full Scale Tests. However, the advantages of full scale test is that it is possible to make an integrated statement on the protective potential of the structural stiffness of the struck vehicle and the padding for a selected collision speed and type of collision. The advantages of sub-system test methodology can be simulates more exactly for wide range of accident(i.e. collision directions, impact points etc.). The latter test procedure can be carried out at a relatively earlier stage in the development of a new vehicle, and also can be reduce the time and cost. The Computer Controlled Composite Test Procedure(CC-CTP) presented in this paper has been developed by CCMC (Committee of Common Market Automobile Constructors).