Search Results

Active control mainly comprises of three parts; sensor-detects the input disturbance, actuator -provide counter measures and control logic -processing of input disturbances and converting it into logical output. Lot of methods for active vibration control are available but this paper deals with active control of steering wheel vibrations of an LCV. A steering wheel is, one such component that directly transfers vibration to the driver. Active technique described here is implemented using accelerometer sensor, IMA (Inertial Mass Actuator) and feed forward Fx-LMS (Filtered reference Least Mean Square) control algorithm. IMA is a single-degree-of-freedom oscillator. To enable a control, IMA needs to be coupled to the structure at a single point, acting as an add-on to the passive system. Fx-LMS is a type of adaptive algorithm which is computationally simple and it also includes compensation for secondary path effects by using an estimate of the secondary path.

Occupant motion in a vehicle rollover accident is a function of many factors. Some important ones are vehicle kinematics, position of the occupant in the vehicle, occupant size, ground topology and restraint usage. The far side belted occupants are more vulnerable than the near side occupants in a rollover accident as they have more energy as a result of their trailing and higher side of the vehicle. This outcome is attributable to the inadequate safety performance of the conventional single loop; B-pillar mounted D-ring restraints. Roof crush tends to displace the vehicle's B-pillar, resulting in D-Ring displacement which causes slack in the lap portion of the restraint. This slack enables centrifugal loads to move the far side occupant further away from the vehicle's instantaneous point of rotation. In this scenario, the presence of any ejection portal can result in an occupant becoming partially or fully ejected.

Microalgae as feedstock are the potential third generation biofuels. Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganism which requires light, carbon-di-oxide, nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium for growth and to produce lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in large amounts over short a periods of time. The production of biofuels from microalgal is a viable alternative due to their easy adaptability to growth conditions, possibility of growing biomass either in fresh or marine waters. Hence the current project was designed to elucidate the biodiesel producing ability of blue-green algae such as Spirulina platensis and Green algae Chlorella vulgaris. The selected algae were cultivated in suitable growth media such as modified Zarrouke medium and bold basal medium, respectively. The Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris were mass cultured for 8 days then harvested using 50 micron nylon filters and dried in sunlight to obtain dry biomass.

Following global trends of increasingly stringent greenhouse gas (GHG) and criteria pollutant regulations, India will likely introduce within the next decade equivalent Bharat Stage (BS) regulations for Diesel engines requiring simultaneous reduction in CO2 emissions and up to 90% reduction in NOx emission from current BS-VI levels. Consequently, automakers are likely to face tremendous challenges in meeting such emission reduction requirements while maintaining performance and vehicle total cost of ownership (TCO), especially in the Indian market, which has experienced significant tightening of emission regulation during the past decade. Therefore, it is conceivable that cost effective approaches for improving existing diesel engines platforms for future regulations would be of high strategic importance for automakers.

Currently, on-road transport contributes nearly 12% of India’s total energy related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that are expected to be doubled by 2040. Following the global trends of increasingly stringent greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and criteria emissions, India will likely impose equivalent Bharat Stage (BS) regulations mandating simultaneous reduction in CO2 emissions and nearly 90% lower nitrogen oxides (NOx) from the current BS-VI levels. Consequently, Indian automakers would likely face tremendous challenges in meeting such emission reduction requirements while balancing performance and the total cost of ownership (TCO) trade-offs. Therefore, it is conceivable that cost-effective system improvements for the existing internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains would be of high strategic importance for the automakers.

This work is a part of program on “Development of High Performance DI, 3 Cylinder CRDI Diesel Engine to meet Euro-IV/V Emission Norms focused on automotive passenger car application purpose. This is a 3 Cylinder, TCIC engine designed for combustion pressure of 160 bar max for first stage which is being upgraded to 200 bar max in the second stage. Cylinder Head design is a part of complicated configuration whose construction and principal dimensions are dependent on the size of inlet and exhaust valves, fuel injectors positioning and mounting, port layout and swirl and shape of combustion chambers. The cylinder head of a direct-injection diesel engine has to perform many functions. It has to bring charge air to the cylinder and exhaust gas from the cylinder, with minimum pumping loss and required swirl and other properties of charge motion.

To meet the latest trends in internal combustion engines pertaining efficiency, emissions and durability, downsizing of the engine has become the key focus area. This paper describes about a robust, reliable and an integrated approach used in design and development of state of art high power density/ high speed engine developed from the concept, which can be adopted for passenger car and LCV application. A three-cylinder, 1.5 liter displacement diesel engine, fully balanced is being designed with an objective to produce 115kW @ 4200 rpm, delivering a specific power output over 75 kW/liter, which is at par with a contemporary class of specification in it. In the first stage, a derated version of 75 kW (50 kW/liter) with Euro-IV and Euro-V specifications is targeted aiming at smaller car and light motor vehicle segment and a prime-mover for hybrid application.

The Light commercial vehicle (LCV) is primarily used for the last mile delivery and it hold the volume share of around 61% in the commercial vehicle segment. The last mile delivery services have seen a massive surge after the CoVID 19 pandemic resulting is the increase sale of LCV in last few years and is expected to grow further by 8-11% in the coming years. However, city logistic is also responsible for most pollution and noise in the city. Hence, policymakers are aiming to reduce carbon footprint by promoting the use of Electric vehicle by providing incentive to automakers though schemes like FAME I and FAME II. In order to effectively reduce the carbon footprint within city it is important to increase the use of new electric vehicle and convert the old polluting vehicles to electric. Hence, a retro fitment solution for converting used LCV to electric can help in reducing emission as well as noise pollution. Later the same solution can be offered as OE fitment solution.

This work is a part of program on “Development of High Power Density DI, Diesel Engine to Meet US EPA - Tier III Emission norms for off highway and Genset application purpose. This is a 4 Cylinder, TCIC engine delivering 165 Hp @ 2500 rpm. BMEP at max torque comes to be 18 bar giving max cylinder firing pressure of 160 bar. Engine block is a most vital component which has to serve various functions all together. Also design of block for such a high BMEP levels, demands to give a different design strategy required for development of High Performance Engines. In order to reduce overall production cost, several constraints are imposed on design of new block. Design of block is carried out within several design, assembly and manufacturing constraints such as maintain a specific cylinder centre distance, integral oil cooler in the engine block, re-location of camshaft and FIE positions, incorporation of various accessories viz. steering pump, Air Compressor etc.

In today’s scenario, the emission norms are getting stringent day by day due to an increased level of pollution. The world is shifting towards low carbon footprint which made it necessary to adopt efficient technologies with fewer emissions. The hybridization of vehicles has resulted in improved efficiency with lower emissions which can fulfil the near future emission norms. Retrofitting of hybrid components into a conventional IC engine vehicle is so far the best way to achieve better performance both economically and technologically. This research is primarily focused on the design and development of a novel retrofit solution of P3x architecture for the light commercial vehicle. This retrofit solution is different from other hybrid solutions in terms of powertrain. It contains an innovative add-on powertrain along with the existing powertrain. This additional powertrain consists of a pair of helical gears followed by a chain and sprocket as a coupler for traction motor.

One of the primary reasons for road accidents is driving while distracted or drowsy. Often, long and monotonous road journeys lead to distracted or drowsy driving. Therefore, there is a need for a system which alerts a distracted or drowsy driver. Moreover, as the levels of autonomy move beyond SAE Level 2, the system assumes a larger share of the dynamic driving task. Under challenging circumstances, the system might ask the driver to take back vehicle control. To guarantee safety, it’s crucial to monitor the driver’s condition in order to assess their readiness to regain control of the vehicle. An advanced safety feature known as a driver monitoring system (DMS), sometimes referred to as a driver state sensing (DSS) system, is designed to monitor a driver’s attentiveness and alertness, providing warnings or alerts to refocus their attention on driving when drowsiness or distraction is detected.

Ride is considered to be one of the crucial criterion for evaluating the performance of a vehicle. Automobile industry is striving for improvement in designs to provide superior passenger comfort in Commercial vehicles segment. In Industry, Quarter-car model has been used for years to study the vehicle’s ride dynamics. But due to lower DOF involved in quarter car, the output accuracy is somewhat compromised. This paper aims in development of a 7 DOF full-car Model to perform the ride- comfort analysis for Light Duty 4*2 Commercial Bus using MATLAB Simulink which can be used to tune the suspension design to meet the required ride-comfort criteria. Firstly, experimental data and Physical Parameters are collected by performing Practical Test on commercial Bus on different road profiles. Secondly, a Full Car Mathematical Model with 7 DOF has been developed for a bus using MATLAB Simulink R2018a.

Gerotor pump is a positive displacement pump unit which is widely used for lubrication in on-road and off-road engine applications. This paper is focused on Gerotor pump design competency established at ARAI comprising of design of inner and outer rotors, suction & delivery ports, optimizing inlet and outlet diameters & its position, development of methodology to calculate oil flow rate, volumetric efficiency, mechanical efficiency & slippage. The finalization of design is followed by CFD of Gerotor pump to optimize the pressure and flow pulsation. A trochoidal profile is used to design the inner and outer rotors and its conjugate profile are realized by a set of equations using a method based on the theory of gearing. Suction and delivery port is analytically designed based on the same design parameters of the trochoidal profile.

Wheel rims and wheel hub bearings are critical components of Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV) suspension systems and are subjected to extensive fatigue loading throughout their operational life. Actual loading conditions on wheels are a combination of radial loads (vertical loads) and cornering loads (lateral loads) acting simultaneously and are directly influenced by payload and road conditions. Currently for Indian usage, there are test guidelines [1] only for separate uniaxial Radial Fatigue Test (RFT) and Cornering Fatigue Test (CFT) for wheel rims which might not represent realistic combined loading conditions, and no generic guidelines are available for testing of wheel hub bearings.

The Indian automotive industry is striving towards more safe and durable vehicles. A need was felt to study the effect of changes in axle static loads on fatigue life of the axle components. Also, there was a need to develop generic test method, as there are no test standards or generic methods available in public domain for fatigue testing of commercial vehicle axles. The study was carried out to check direct effect of change in axle loads on various connections on axle, effect of suspension configuration and force distribution, Vehicle dynamics, etc. In this paper, an India specific generic load spectra was evaluated for accelerated laboratory validation. Paper discusses the methodology as; study of heavy commercial vehicle systems, road load data collection on identified test vehicles w.r.t. test matrix finalized, India specific test loads and load spectra development, normalization of axle load spectra w.r.t to static axle weights and arriving at test guidelines.

CNG has recently seen increased penetration within the automotive industry. Due to recent sanctions on diesel fuelled vehicles, manufactures have again shifted their attention to natural gas as a suitable alternative. Turbocharging of SI engines has seen widespread application due to its benefit in terms of engine downsizing and increasing engine performance [1]. This paper discusses the methodology involved in development of a multi cylinder turbocharged natural gas engine from an existing diesel engine. Various parameters such as valve timing, intake volume, runner length, etc. were studied using 1D simulation tool GT power and based on their results an optimized configuration was selected and a proto engine was built. Electronic throttle body was used to give better transient performance and emission control. Turbocharger selection and its location plays a critical role.

This project was undertaken with an objective to develop methodology by formulating set of procedures that would help in achieving the end goal. Once methodology is established, it paves way to optimize the end results more effectively which results in reduced lead time during product development. Methodology can either be based on pure experimental investigations or by simulations. Combination of mathematical and empirical approach is inherently followed in simulations, which helps in reducing the testing time and overall cost. Commercial vehicles (CV) have seen paradigm shift in the fuel consumption (FC) certification approaches, with an intention to align with 2016 Paris climate agreement. Use of simulation tool like VECTO for commercial vehicle FC certification has gained momentum in Europe. Overall experience gained in commercial vehicle FC simulation has motivated us to leverage the learnings for off-road applications like agricultural tractors.

In India, B7 (a biodiesel mix of 7% by volume in diesel) has been approved for use in diesel engines. Due to the depletion of fossil fuel supplies and tight pollution requirements, alternative diesel fuel has become critical. However, given the properties of diesel, no direct renewable alternative fuel can totally replace diesel. As a result, one of the solutions may be to replace part of the diesel with ethanol. In this inquisition, the impact of various diesel-ethanol blends, counting ED7.7, ED10, ED15 and ED20, were examined on two in-use multi-cylinder engines complying to different emission norms. The two engines under consideration complies with CPCB-I and CPCB-II, which is an Indian legal requirement for stationary Genset engines. For both engines, a 5-mode steady-state test cycle was considered. For each mode, the engine’s performance characteristics, including power, torque, and BSFC, were tested and described.

Passive safety regulations specify minimum safety performance requirements of vehicle in terms of protecting its occupants and other road users in accident scenarios. Currently for majority cases, the compliance of vehicle design to passive safety regulations is assessed through physical testing. With increased number of products and more comprehensive passive safety requirements, the complexity of certification is getting challenged due to high cost involved in prototype parts and the market pressures for early product introduction through reduced product development timelines. One of the ways for addressing this challenge is to promote CAE based certification of vehicle designs for regulatory compliance. Since accuracy of CAE predictions have improved over a period of time, such an approach is accepted for few regulations like ECE-R 66/01, AIS069 etc which involves only loadings of the structures.

On-board diagnostics (OBD) is a term referring to a vehicle's self-diagnostic and reporting capability. It is a system originally designed to reduce emissions by monitoring the performance of major emission related components. There are two kinds of on-board diagnostic systems: OBD-I and OBD-II. In India OBD I was implemented from April 2010 for BS IV vehicles. OBD II was implemented from April 2013 for BS IV vehicles. Apart from the comprehensive component monitors, OBD II system also has noncontinuous monitors like Catalyst monitoring, Lambda monitoring, and other after treatment system monitors. For OBD II verification and Validation, it is required to test all the sensors and actuators that are present in the engine, for all possible failures. From an emissions point of view there are lists of critical failures that are caused due to malfunction of sensors and actuators. Carrying out the full matrix failure testing on the running engine could be tedious, unsafe and time consuming.