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The SHIFT-MATE is a dashboard mounted computer based device that cues a truck driver to shift more efficiently. Through electronic circuitry, key vehicle parameters are monitored, computed, then via graphic display, instructs the driver when to shift for improved fuel economy. The theory of operation is described in the text.

Due to ever soaring fuel costs and even more stringent emission regulations which require more elaborate technical efforts and unfortunately lead to a negative trend on fuel economy as well, todays and future trucking business is extremely challenged. These facts create an urgent requirement for the engine manufacturer to offer an engine with an optimized cost-benefit-ratio for the trucking business. Mercedes-Benz, as the leader in the European commercial vehicle market - of which e. g. high fuel costs, long maintenance intervals and high engine power-to-weight ratios have always been key characteristics - has developed a new class 8 engine for the US market. The MBE 4000 is a 6 cylinder inline engine in the compact size and low weight category, but due to its displacement of 12,8 liters it offers high performance characteristics like heavier big block engines.

ZF debuts ADAS deal and flexible inverter tech at CES 2022

Instantaneous combine grain yield monitors need to provide reliable yield measurements since yield as a function of location is key information needed to manage fields by management zones. A scale and a yield monitor measured the same stream of grain and provided similar results when compared to each other. Data from either device may be misinterpreted if care in calibration and operation is not taken. Careful operators who pay attention to calibration, maintenance, and manufacturer's instructions will be required.

It is the goal of this paper, to discuss the impact of electronics on modern day commercial vehicles an buses. Seen from the position of advanced engineering of an European commercial vehicle manufacturer, the emphasis will be placed on the mechanical-electronical system itself, rather than the electronics themselves. User friendly, logic protected systems will minimize operator unfamiliarity and misapplication and will offer not only component control, but shortly the integration of all of these subsystems in the total vehicle control. Total vehicle control will be the ultimate result, when the driver, the truck and the environment are brought together. Such vehicles will be more responsive, safer and easier to drive than today's commercial vehicles and buses and offer a cost effective utilization of these new technologies to the customer.

The quality and availability of distillate fuels in the coming decades has become an increasing concern to the U.S. Navy. In response, the Energy Research and Development Office of the David Taylor Naval Ship Research and Development Center (DTNSRDC) has conducted a worldwide survey of commercial marine fuels. An effort was made to obtain 50 commercial marine fuel samples from various suppliers worldwide. The purpose of the survey was to assess the current quality of available fuels by analytically characterizing each of the fuel samples obtained. This assessment consisted of the measurement of more than 44 fuel properties. This paper contains a summary of the analytical results which were obtained. In addition, the current analytical results are compared with refinery specifications, with the current Navy specification, and with the results of a similar survey conducted in 1983. Finally, the resulting conclusions and recommendations are presented.

United States construction equipment manufacturers are subject to a maze of product-oriented regulations in marketing their U.S.-built products in foreign countries. These same obstacles face their foreign-built products. In the past, these foreign regulations were more apt to be trade barriers to protect domestic markets than bonafide regulations to protect the users. These trade barriers are gradually being lifted because manufacturers in virtually all countries have now expanded beyond their domestic markets. Thus, the same manufacturers that formerly encouraged trade barriers must now cope with them. This expansion of markets now encourages the elimination of trade barriers and the harmonization of regulations. For the future, regulations will be retained and expanded. They will, however, be harmonized with international voluntary standards rather than having different regulations for each country.

The idea of a world truck is a fascinating challenge - whereas cars are purchased more or less as seen; truck purchasers demand more individual configurations. In national and global terms, that means a highly complex truck market. Historically, a few European and North American manufacturers produced almost all the trucks for the world market. That changed through the 60's and 70's, with more local assembly plants around the world and increasing worldwide manufacturing capabilities. Concurrently, international component design standards have made some progress towards compatibility. Much greater co-operation is needed, however, before a genuinely international set of standards can be applied. As the task assigned to trucks is the same worldwide, namely to transport goods from A to B; it should be desirable and possible to work towards a greater commonality of vehicle - to ultimately achieve a world truck. The only unknown is the time scale.

Standardization and “Zero-Defects” are buzz-words among today's truck manufacturers. Electrical components is an area where these words must become reality. Components costing less than 1% of the final truck price should not cause problems for the end user or the manufacturer. The way to insure this is communication and design. Design out problems with new components.

This SAE Standard specifies requirements and design guidelines for electrical wiring systems of less than 50 V and cable diameters from 0.35 to 19 mm2 used on off-road, self-propelled earthmoving machines as defined in SAE J1116 and agricultural tractors as defined in ASAE S390.

The development of this vehicle is described from concept, through design and assembly. The design intent of this unique vehicle was high fuel efficiency, good ride and handling characteristics, and a high degree of passenger safety at a competitive cost. A combination of some of the latest in automotive and motor home construction technology was used to meet the desired goals.

The trucking industry is being encouraged by environmental and cost factors to improve fuel efficiency. One factor that affects fuel efficiency is the aerodynamic design of the vehicles; that is, the vehicles with lower aerodynamic drag will get better mileage, reducing carbon emissions and reducing costs through lower fuel usage. A significant tool towards developing vehicles with lower drag is the wind tunnel. The automobile industry has made great improvements in fuel efficiency by using wind tunnels to determine the best designs to achieve lower drag. Those wind tunnels are not optimum for testing the larger, longer heavy trucks since the wind tunnels are smaller than needed. The estimated costs for a heavy truck wind tunnel based on automotive wind tunnel technology are quite high. A potential nozzle concept to reduce wind tunnel cost and several other new possible approaches to lower wind tunnel costs are presented.

Since 1992, Caterpillar has invested millions of dollars to purchase CAD software, and spends nearly $2M per year keeping its engineers up-to-date, via instructor lead training (ILT), as new enhancements are introduced. Periodic upgrades to the software also require huge resource (people, costs) commitments for the planning and execution of the training requirements required for a large global workforce. This paper will examine gaps uncovered in the efficiency and effectiveness of the current training process, and the cultural change required as a result of switching from an instructor led environment to a completely web-based solution, which, once deployed, had promised to change the way Caterpillar approached training for the future. The proposed change promised to improve human resource capability by utilizing new technological capabilities, and resulted in improvements in organizational capabilities as well.

Leading contenders in the search for a superior alternative powerplant for light-duty automotive use include the steam and Stirling engines, the gas turbine, and the diesel. In this paper the status of each of those alternative engines is reviewed and i its prognosis considered. The steam engine is unsuitable because of poor fuel economy. Obstacles blocking acceptance of the Stirling and gas turbine engines are sufficient so that even if they are surmountable, significant-use in light-duty vehicles is unlikely before the 1990s. The light-duty diesel is here today but faces some difficult regulatory hurdles in the near future.

HIGH output per cubic inch of piston displacement is desirable not alone for the purpose of being able to transport more payload faster, but more particularly for the invariably associated byproduct of lower specific fuel consumption, and especially at road-load requirements. The only way of accomplishing this purpose is through the use of higher compression ratios, and the limiting factors for this objective are fuel distribution and the operating temperatures of the component parts. A manifold is proposed which not only definitely improves distribution at both full and road loads, but has the inherent additional advantage of reducing the formation of condensate, thus still further facilitating a reduction in road-load specific fuel consumption. Hydraulic valve lifters, obviation of mechanical and thermal distortion, and controlled water flow are the essentials in improved cooling.

The paper attempts to determine which traction model best fits with experimental data for a romanian lugged tractor tire. Different models for predicting net traction and traction efficiency for off-road conditions were considered. These models assume different tire-ground pressure distributions (constant, parabolic) over the undertread area and different contact patch length calculations. Experiments were conducted and the results were compared to the theoretical data. Two of the models are the best fit with the experimental data; both models assumed a parabolic pressure distribution over the undertread.

New technology placed on specific components within the wheel end system, required modifications to existing tapered wheel bearing adjustment procedures. A new method for vehicles, which use tapered roller bearings, required a procedure addressing new technologies for the wheel end system. OEM and service technicians would benefit from concise procedures. Technologies engineered and developed for ABS (Anti-skid Brake Systems), extended brake blocks and synthetic lubricants, required research for the data base. Research to optimize the operating environment through improved maintenance procedures helped in achieving optimum wheel system operation. A tapered wheel bearing adjustment procedure and visual chart are the results profiting the vehicle manufacturers and field service technicians.

This paper discusses the relationship between users of construction equipment and the manufacturers and dealers of the equipment The people involved in this relationship are the deciding factors in whether all participants are satisfied, as the people are responsible ultimately for the product The paper points out that the major qualities necessary in the considerations behind a user's satisfaction with a manufacturer's product are those belonging to people, ingenuity, improvement, and integrity. Examples are shown from the user's point of view of the need for these qualities, of which integrity is the most important.

Welding residual stress is one of the primary factors responsible for cracking at the access hole interface between the flange and web plate of welded heavy W-shapes. During multi-pass welding, cracks can be found in either the flange plate or the web plate, depending upon welding sequence, joint details and access hole size. In this study, an integrated numerical and experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of welding parameters and joint geometry on the magnitude and distribution of residual stresses in thick-section butt joints. The results provide guidelines for improved design for welding of heavy W-shapes.

Welding has been used extensively in automotive components design due to its flexibility to be applied in manufacturing, high structural strength and low cost. To improve fuel economy and reduce material cost, weight reduction by optimized structural design has been a high priority in auto industry. In the majority of heavy duty vehicle's chassis components design, the ability to predict the mechanical performance of welded joints is the key to success of structural optimization. FEA (finite element analysis) has been used in the industry to analyze welded parts. However, mesh sensitivity and material properties have been major issues due to geometry irregularity, metallurgical degradation of the base material, and inherent residual stress associated with welded joints. An approach, equilibrium-equivalent structural stress method, led by Battelle and through several joint industrial projects (JIP), has been developed.