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Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (UTC), has laid out its plans for what is calling “The Grid” – an 25,000-square-foot advanced electric power systems laboratory for designing and testing next-generation, more-electric aircraft technologies for commercial, military, and business aviation.

IN this paper the authors present some experimental results obtained by using the analysis outlined by Prof. James J. Guest before the Institution of Automobile Engineers, in 1926. To make the experimental work more understandable, they present the essential points of Professor Guest's analysis. Professor Guest begins his analysis of the movements of a car body with the simplest set of conditions and presents a graphical as well as an algebraic solution. He then includes one additional factor after another in his analysis until the principal factors in car suspension are included. After all factors are considered, the essential structure of the simple analysis is retained. The authors' efforts at the experimental determination of the moment of inertia of passenger cars were started in January, 1932, on Sir Charles Dennistoun Burney's “tear-drop” design with which he visited leading American manufacturers.

This paper describes some of the design solutions adopted in solving two major problems besetting man-powered aircraft in use: that of breakage and storage. It describes work leading up to the building and testing of “Phoenix”, a man-powered aircraft with a polyester-film inflatable wing. The paper deals mainly with aspects relating to the wing design and construction.

Research information on solid lubricants has been compiled for consideration in the possible use of such materials in aircraft electrical equipment. Solid lubricants are capable of lubricating at the maximum temperatures (600° F) for aircraft electrical equipment. Many solids that adhere well to metals may be useful lubricants; those with layer-lattice structure usually give low friction. Solid lubricants are most commonly used as bonded films but the use of fluid carriers and surface reaction products have considerable merit.

Vehicle electrification is a rapidly growing and developing technology. As with any new technology there are hurdles that must be overcome as development marches forward. Overcoming these obstacles will require new and innovative solutions. One area of electrification that is quickly developing is the ability to convert voltage from AC to DC and from DC to AC. This is important since the battery pack outputs a DC voltage which must be converted to AC to drive the electric motor. The reverse is true when braking, the AC voltage generated by the electric motor is converted to DC in order to charge the battery. The conversion of voltage back and forth is controlled through the use of an inverter. The inverter uses Insulated-Gate Bipolar Transistors or IGBTs which generate heat while in operation. As the IGBTs heat up their efficiency goes down. In order to maintain a high level of efficiency the circuity can be directly cooled through the use of a heat sink.

Vehicle dynamics is a discipline of mechanical engineering that benefited of significant improvements thanks to the progress of computational engineering. Vehicle dynamics engineers are using CAE for the development of a vehicle with MBS and FEA. The concurrent use of these two technologies is a standard in the automotive industry. However the current simulation process is not fully efficient because local geometrical and material nonlinearities are not accurately modeled in classical MBS software. This paper introduces a methodology for vehicle dynamics simulation integrating MBS capabilities in one single nonlinear FEA environment enabling an accurate modeling of nonlinearity in vehicles.

Tests made with a converted Audi show that a “45 km (27 mi) range” vehicle can be driven over 100 km (60 mi) in a day if the batteries are charged when the vehicle is not in use (such charging is called “biberonnage” by the French). The tests were conducted in an urban area, with the vehicle making frequent short trips, characteristic of urban driving missions. Advantage is taken of the fact that during such driving, the effective speed is only 30 km/h (20 mph). Graphs are presented for calculating the vehicle range in a given number of operating hours, with different assumed average speeds, and different assumed battery charging rates. It is shown how a range of 160 km (100 mi) per day can be achieved with existing batteries, employing biberonnage. Biberonnage allows the use of a battery pack lighter than normally employed, thus reducing vehicle weight, initial and operating costs, and energy consumption (Wh/km).

Buick engineers are well pleased with their '69 Chassis. Benefits of a unique front suspension camber curve are documented. The effects of various suspension parameters on ride and handling are explained. These were varied independently of one another in the course of evaluating over 30 suspension configurations.

As a typical parameter of the road-vehicle interface, the road friction potential acts an important factor that governs the vehicle motion states under certain maneuvering input, which makes the prior knowledge of maximum road friction capacity crucial to the vehicle stability control systems. Since the direct measure of the road friction potential is expensive for vehicle active safety system, the evaluation of this variable by cost effective method is becoming a hot issue all these years. A ‘wheel slip based’ maximum road friction coefficient estimation method based on a modified Dugoff tire model for distributed drive electric vehicles is proposed in this paper. It aims to evaluate the road friction potential with vehicle and wheel dynamics analyzing by using standard sensors equipped on production vehicle, and fully take the advantage of distributed EV that the wheel drive torque and rolling speed can be obtained accurately.

This recommended practice prescribes clear and consistent labeling methodology for communicating important xEV high voltage safety information. Examples of such information include identifying key high voltage system component locations and high voltage disabling points. These recommendations are based on current industry best practices identified by the responder community. Although this recommended practice is written for xEVs with high voltage systems, these recommendations can be applied to any vehicle type.

This recommended practice prescribes clear and consistent labeling methodology for communicating important xEV high voltage safety information. Examples of such information include identifying key high voltage system component locations and high voltage disabling points. These recommendations are based on current industry best practices identified by the responder community. Although this recommended practice is written for xEVs with high voltage systems, these recommendations can be applied to any vehicle type.

THE usefulness of planetary gear trains and the engineering techniques necessary for optimum design are discussed in this paper. A simple method for calculating planetary gear ratios is described which can be used to determine quickly the potential usefulness of any planetary configurations. The author lists criteria which help to evaluate the potential of a planetary gear train schematic from the standpoints of gear noise and structural viewpoint. Detailed design of individual members include spacing of the pinions, mounting considerations, thrust direction, lubrication, and stress evaluation.

THE NEED for greater speed in military aircraft and missiles is, without question, the primary force behind the current quest for lubricants of increased thermal and oxidative stability. Turbojet engines soon to be available will require improved lubricants for trouble-free operation. Once developed, these oils may find use in the engines of future civilian aircraft as well as in a variety of special applications. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the results of an experimental program in the field of high-temperature lubricants. Problems of relating chemical structure to the physical properties and performance of highly fluorinared ester lubricants will be described. Background information in the field of turbojet engine lubrication will be presented.

Energy Development Associates, a division of Gulf+Western Industries, Inc., has undertaken the design and fabrication of a four-passenger electric car incorporating state-of-the art zinc-chloride battery technology. The purpose of the project is to demonstrate the viability of the zinc-chloride energy storage system as a practical alternative to cars powered by internal combustion engines. Significant among the project goals to be achieved is the attainment of a vehicle range three to four times that of current lead-acid battery-powered vehicles on a single battery charge. Progress to date on the project is discussed. It includes the design, specification, and fabrication of the battery, vehicle and its components, motor control system, and battery control microprocessor.

Dreisbach ElectroMotive, Inc. (DEMI) is developing and testing a maintenance-free wall-plug rechargeable Zinc-Air Battery to power Electric Vehicles. This new battery technology offers over 200 mile vehicle range capability from very low cost, commonly available raw materials. This paper will focus on the preliminary systems integration needed by an electric Vehicle to operate these air breathing batteries in various common environments. Air cooling and reaction air requirements will be covered as well as the actual systems used to implement these requirements in a Chrysler minivan* which is sponsored by Southern California Edison (SCE). In addition, the projected system implementations of Zinc-Air batteries in automobiles and multi-use vans will be presented.

This paper describes a design for an electric vehicle (EV) battery system using a secondary (rechargeable) lead-acid section for power and a recyclable (mechanically replaced) primary zinc-air section for range. This approach optimizes the performance of each battery, resulting in a system with driving performance (acceleration, range, and refueling time) equal to that for internal combustion vehicles (ICVs). The physical characteristics of the system's components are highly compatible with their ICV counterparts, resulting in a substantial reduction in the cost of building prototype vehicles. The overall cost of the rechargeable/recyclable approach is estimated to be equal to that for the traditional single rechargeable battery approach.

European mega-supplier ZF has a "vision" for improving the automotive future. Much of it builds on the company's current driveline and chassis-development innovations.

ZF uses innovative motor cooling, winding technology and its transmission heritage to produce a more efficient and powerful drivetrain for electric vehicles.

As in the past several years, we provide here an overview of recent major regulatory and technological changes for reducing emissions from the transport and off-road sector. In the past, this review was focused mostly on improvement in engine efficiency and tailpipe emissions of criteria pollutants. However, starting last year [1] we have increased the scope to broadly address the increased focus on greenhouse gas emissions and the emergence of various non-conventional fuel pathways to achieve the various decarbonization goals. There are two broad themes that are emerging, and which we describe here. Firstly, that we are approaching the implementation of the last of the major regulations on criteria pollutant emissions from cars and trucks, led by Europe, through Euro 7 standards and US, through multi-pollutant standards for light- and heavy-duty vehicles.