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In comparison to the state of knowledge of standard internal combustion vehicles, there is relatively little known on how to best implement component sub-systems and best integrate these systems together to create a hybrid electric vehicle.

A new method for detecting the low power conditions on electronically-controlled diesel engines used in on-road vehicles has been developed. The advantage of this method is that it uses readily available diagnostic tools and engine installed sensors with no necessity for a dynamometer test. Without removing the engine, it gives an estimate of the real engine power which is accurate to 5%.

Some results of a systematic study of the effects of fuel and chamber gas properties on the transient evaporating spray mixing process are presented. The study uses an existing two-dimensional stochastic thick spray model. The results show that the combustion process in typical heavy duty, quiescent, DI diesel engines can be mixing limited rather than vaporization limited. In addition, the results show that the mixing process of a transient evaporating spray is characterized by the combined effects of fuel evaporation and its turbulent mixing with the surrounding air. In general, increasing the evaporation rate alone does not necessarily increase the fuel-air mixing rate. Furthermore, two dimensionless parameters have been used to quantify the relative effects of fuel and chamber gas properties on the transient spray evaporation process. Finally, through detailed comparisons between spray and gas jet results, the transient evaporating spray mixing process is better understood.

A dynamic simulation of a school bus powertrain has been constructed for the purpose of assisting in the development of engine control strategies. With some extensions, this model can also be used as a first approximation to support the development of transmission shift control strategies, predict vehicle performance and drivability as well as estimate transient loads on the powertrain components. The simulation was constructed using the Matlab* computing environment along with the Simulink* toolbox, a package for the graphical development of dynamic simulation models. The vehicle model was validated against test data measured in the target vehicle powered by a natural gas engine to ensure that the simulation model yielded sensible predictions of the dynamic powertrain behavior. Equipped with a validated model, the control engineer can now use the simulation tool to assist in algorithm development. Sample applications are illustrated.

A semiempirical, mathematical model describing the formation of nitric oxide in direct-injection diesel engines is derived. The model is used in conjunction with injection and thermodynamic cycle simulation programs. This approach enables prediction of nitric oxide emissions from design dimensions and operating parameters only, without the use of experimental data. Predicted results are compared with experiments for typical naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines. The accuracy of prediction is very good except under light-load naturally aspirated conditions. The model is used in an extensive parametric study, together with experimental verification. The agreement between prediction and experiments is excellent, except under conditions of excessive smoke or of high swirl.

A transient spray mixing model forming the basis of heterogeneous combustion in direct injection diesel engines is described. Experimental results of transient fuel sprays in a high pressure, high temperature chamber form the basis of spray growth equations. Use of similarity of concentration profile across the spray in conjunction with spray geometry and mass conservation yields a complete description of spatial and temporal fuel-air distribution. Fuel preparation and air entrainment rates are calculated from the history of fuel-air distribution. Progressive evolution of combustion zones is determined by the fuel-air mixing process. Energy conservation and chemical kinetics calculations in each zone yield cylinder pressure and local nitric oxide concentration. The role of fuel-air mixing in diesel combustion is discussed. The model results are compared with experimental data.

Direct osmotic concentration (DOC) is an integrated membrane treatment process designed for the reclamation of spacecraft wastewater. The system includes forward osmosis (FO), membrane evaporation, reverse osmosis (RO) and an aqueous phase catalytic oxidation (APCO) post-treatment unit. This document describes progress in the third year of a four year project to advance hardware maturity of this technology to a level appropriate for human rated testing. The current status of construction and testing of the final deliverable is covered and preliminary calculations of equivalent system mass are funished.

A number of turbocharging systems have been proposed for improving the drivability of diesel engines for heavy duty trucks. The systems studied here included resonant intake, wastegate, and variable geometry turbocharging. By imposing a fixed power, torque rise, and engine speed range, it was possible to evaluate the fuel economy impact of each approach. First Law and Second Law balances are included to illustrate the differences in the systems. It was found that variable geometry turbocharging provided the best fuel economy.

Lucas Industries Noise Centre has introduced a combustion noise meter which is designed to predict the contribution of the combustion process to overall diesel engine noise. The performance of the meter is evaluated using Cummins B series engines in naturally-aspirated and turbocharged form. Combustion noise levels predicted by the meter are compared to levels determined using traditional techniques. The effects of several engine operating parameters on combustion noise are investigated under both steady state and accelerating conditions. The meter reliably predicts changes in combustion noise levels, and is a useful tool for performance development engineers. Combustion noise is shown to be related to the maximum rate of pressure rise at the onset of combustion, but combustion noise is not reliably related to maximum cylinder pressures.

Third generation advanced high strength steels (AHSS) have been developed combining high strength and formability, allowing for lightweighting of vehicle structural components. These AHSS components are exposed to paint baking operations ranging in time and temperature to cure the applied paint. The paint baking treatment, combined with straining induced from part forming, may lead to increased in-service component performance due to a strengthening mechanism known as bake hardening. This study aims to quantify the bake hardening behavior of select AHSS grades. Materials investigated were press hardenable steels (PHS) 1500 and 2000; transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) aided bainitic ferrite (TBF) 1000 and 1200; and dual phase (DP) 1000. The number designations of these grades refer to minimum as-received ultimate tensile strengths in MPa. Paint baking was simulated using industrially relevant times and temperatures from 15 to 60 min and 120 to 200 °C, respectively.

Crack initiation and propagation in an SAE 4320 steel gas carburized to a 1.0 mm case depth was examined in specimens subjected to bending fatigue. Cellulose acetate replicas of incrementally loaded specimens showed that small, intergranular cracks were initiated during static loading to stress levels just above the endurance limit. The intergranular cracks arrest and serve as initiation sites for semi-elliptical, transgranular fatigue crack propagation. The maximum depth of stable crack propagation was between 0.17 and 0.23 mm, a depth which corresponds to the maximum hardness of the carburized case. Three equations which provide approximations to the stress distribution in the fatigue specimens were used to calculate KIC for the carburized case with values of maximum applied stress and measured stable crack geometry.

The bending fatigue performance of four heats of carburized, commercially-produced SAE 4320 steel was evaluated. Simulated gear tooth in bending (SGTB) cantilever beam specimens from each heat were identically carburized and fatigue tested in the direct quenched condition after carburizing. The microstructure and fracture surfaces of all specimens were characterized with light and electron microscopy. The four direct quenched sets of specimens performed similarly in low cycle fatigue. Endurance limits among the direct quenched specimens ranged between 1100 and 1170 MPa (160 and 170 ksi) and intergranular cracking dominated fatigue crack initiation. An additional set of specimens from one of the heats was reheated after carburizing. The fatigue performance of the reheated specimens was superior to that of the direct quenched specimens in both the low and high cycle regions. The effects of inclusion content, microstructure, and residual stresses on fatigue performance are discussed.

This study evaluated the bending fatigue performance of a modified SAE 4320 steel as a function of carburizing technique. S-N curves and endurance limits were established by fatigue testing modified Brugger-type specimens that are designed to simulate a single gear tooth. Fractured specimens were examined by light and electron microscopy to determine crack initiation sites, establish the extent of stable crack propagation, and analyze surface oxide types and distributions. Test results show that plasma-carburizing boosted the endurance limit of an oxidation-susceptible gear steel from 1100 MPa to 1375 MPa. Fatigue endurance limits in excess of 1400 MPa had previously been achieved in gas-carburized SAE 4320 steels by reheat treatments and reductions in high-oxidation potential elements. The level of improvement observed in this study suggests that any of these advanced processing techniques can allow significant size reductions and weight savings in automotive transmission gears.

Quenching and partitioning (Q&P) is a novel heat treatment to produce third generation advanced high-strength steels (AHSS). The influence of carbon on mechanical properties of Q&P treated CMnSi-steels was studied using 0.3C-1.5Mn-1.5Si and 0.4C-1.5Mn-1.5Si alloys. Full austenitization followed by two-step Q&P treatments were conducted using varying partitioning times and a fixed partitioning temperature of 400 °C. The results were compared to literature data for 0.2C-1.6Mn-1.6Si, 0.2-3Mn-1.6Si and 0.3-3Mn-1.6Si Q&P treated steels. The comparison showed that increasing the carbon content from 0.2 to 0.4 wt pct increased the ultimate tensile strength by 140 MPa per 0.1 wt pct C up to 1611 MPa without significantly decreasing ductility for the partitioning conditions used. Increased alloy carbon content did not substantially increase the retained austenite fractions. The best combinations of ultimate tensile strength and total elongation were obtained using short partitioning times.

Five heats of vanadium-microalloyed steel with carbon contents from 0.29% to 0.40% and sulfur contents from 0.031% to 0.110% were forged into automotive spindles and air cooled. Three of the steels were continuously cast whereas the other two were ingot cast. The forged spindles were subjected to microstructural analysis, mechanical property testing, full component testing and machinability testing. The microstructures of the five steels consisted of pearlite and ferrite which nucleated on prior austenite grain boundaries and predominantly on intragranularly dispersed sulfide inclusions of the resulfurized grades. Ultimate tensile strengths and room temperature Charpy V-notch impact toughness values were relatively insensitive to processing and compositional variations. The room temperature tensile and room-temperature impact properties ranged from 820 MPa to 1000 MPa (120 to 145 ksi) and from 13 Joules to 19 Joules (10 to 14 ft-lbs), respectively, for the various steels.

Recent engine design trends towards increasing power, reducing weight, advancing of injection timing and increasing of injection rate and pressure could result in increased incidence of liner pitting. Liner pitting due to coolant cavitation is a complex function of many engine design parameters and operating conditions as described in reference [1]*. Traditionally, liner cavitation problems were not detected early in the development cycle. Traditional liner vibration and coolant pressure measurements in conjunction with a numerous amount of expensive engine endurance tests were then needed to resolve cavitation problems. A method newly developed by the author and described in reference [2] for cavitation intensity measurements was successfully utilized to map out engine operating condition and develop limit curves. This method could also be applied in a non intrusive fashion.

Valve wear has been identified as a major durability problem in natural gas fueled reciprocating engines. Over the years, progress has been made to alleviate this problem through improved valve design and materials development. Recently high performance ceramics have shown promise for wear component applications. This paper presents the results of a valve train component materials investigation supported by the Gas Research institute. Testing tools and methods are described. The testing program culminated in a 300 hour component test in a full size turbocharged natural gas engine. Results of the engine test appeared to confirm preceding laboratory tests. Sintered silicon nitride valve seat inserts and Stellite 6 coated 21-12 stainless steel valves appeared to be the most promising material combination evaluated.

In this study, a procedure for characterizing advanced high strength steel sheets is presented in view of determining the material parameters for constitutive models that can be used for accurate prediction of springback and sidewall curl. The mechanical properties of DP980 and TRIP780 sheets were obtained experimentally, and their cyclic tension-compression behaviour was modeled with the Chaboche nonlinear kinematic hardening model and the Yoshida-Uemori two-surface plasticity model that are implemented in LS-DYNA. The unloading moduli were determined from monotonic tension tests at various prestrain levels. An inverse approach based on linear and quadratic response surfaces created by Sequential Strategy with Domain Reduction (SRSM) methodology using LS-OPT software was used and investigated to identify specific material parameters in each constitutive model.

Until recently, dry cargo has been unloaded from trucks by use of compressed air. By making the automotive engine act partly as an air compressor during the unloading operation, the auxiliary air compressor mounted on the tractor frame can be eliminated. This paper, in describing the dual diesel, discusses operating characteristics, cycle analysis, and operational problems.

The strain-induced diffusionless shear transformation of retained austenite to martensite during straining of transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) assisted steels increases strain hardening and delays necking and fracture leading to exceptional ductility and strength, which are attractive for automotive applications. A novel technique that provides the retained austenite volume fraction variation with strain with improved precision is presented. Digital images of the gauge section of tensile specimens were first recorded up to selected plastic strains with a stereo digital image correlation (DIC) system. The austenite volume fraction was measured by synchrotron X-ray diffraction from small squares cut from the gage section. Strain fields in the squares were then computed by localizing the strain measurement to the corresponding region of a given square during DIC post-processing of the images recorded during tensile testing.