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Electric Power Steering (EPS) needs to meet both functional and stability requirements, it plays significant role in controlling vehicle motion. In the meantime, customers emphasizes natural steering feel which can reflect vehicle motion and road surface information while isolate unwanted external disturbances. In general, conventional EPS control algorithms exert assist torque according to driver torque measured from torque sensor, while maintaining stability using stabilizing compensator. However, there exist significant trade-off between steering feel and stability, because the performances of assist torque control and stabilizing compensator are strongly coupled. In this paper a torque feedback control algorithm for EPS system is proposed in order to overcome the trade-off, and to achieve more natural, robust steering feel.

This paper presents the research related to the self-driving system that has been actively carried out recently. Previous studies have been limited to ensure the path following performance in linear and steady state-alike handling region with small lateral acceleration. However, in the high speed driving, the vehicle cornering response is extended to nonlinear region where tire grips are saturated. This requires a technology to create the driving path for minimum time maneuvering while grasping the tire grip limits of the vehicle in real time. The entire controller consists of three stages-hierarchy: The target motion is determined in the supervisor phase, and the target force to follow the target behavior is calculated in the upper stage controller. Finally, the lower stage controller calculates the actuator phase control input corresponding to the target force.

The method of Front End Auxiliary Drive (FEAD) system optimization can be divided into two ways. One is to use a mechanical device that decouples crank pulley from torsional vibration of crank shaft by using characteristics of spring. The other is to control belt tension through auto-tensioner in addition of alternator pulley device. Because the former case has more potential to reduce belt tension than the latter case, the development of mechanically decoupled crank pulley, despite of its difficulty of development, is getting popular among the industry. This paper characterizes latest crank pulley technologies, Crank Decoupler and Isolation Pulley, for torsional vibration reduction through functionality measurement result which composed of irregularity, slip, tensioner movement, belt span vibration, bearing hubload of idler and so on. Also it investigates their potential of belt tension reduction through steady state point fuel consumption test on dynamometer.

Road friction estimation algorithms had been studied for many years because it is very important factor for safety control and fuel efficiency of vehicle. But traditional solutions are hard to adapt in automotive industry because their performance is not sufficient enough and expensive to implement. Therefore, this paper proposes a road friction estimation algorithm based on a trained artificial neural-network which is low cost and robust. The suggested method doesn’t need expensive additional sensors such as optical or lidar sensor, also it shows better performance in real car environment compared to other algorithms based on vehicle dynamics. In this paper, we would describe this algorithm in detail and analyze the test results evaluated in real road conditions.

48V mild hybrid engine is one of major eco-friendly technology for global CO2 reduction policy. The 48V mild hybrid engine enables to operate torque boost, recuperation and ISG status by MHSG(Mild Hybrid Starter and Generator). The FEAD(Front End Auxiliary Drive) system is a very important role to transfer MHSG power to crankshaft at the mild hybrid engine. The conventional FEAD configuration is relatively simple because it transfers power from crankshaft to auxiliary drive components in one direction. But the FEAD configuration of 48V mild hybrid engine is not simple due to bidirectional power transmission between crankshaft and MHSG. For instance, in case of torque boost mode, the tight side of auxiliary belt is entry span of MHSG. On the contrary, the tight side of auxiliary belt is exit span of MHSG at recuperation mode.

With the recent development of technologies for interpreting vibration and noise of vehicles, it has become possible for carmakers to reduce idle vibration and driving noise in the phase of preceding development. Thus, the issue of noise generation is drawing keen attention from production of prototype car through mass-production development. J. D. Power has surveyed the levels of customer satisfaction with all vehicles sold in the U.S. market and released the Initial Quality Study (IQS) index. As a growing number of emotional quality-related items are added to the IQS evaluation index, it is necessary to secure a sufficiently high quality level of low-frequency speaker sound against rattle noise. It is required to make a preceding review on the package tray panel, which is located at the bottom of the rear glass where the woofer speakers of a passenger sedan are installed, the door module panel in which the door speakers are built.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, leisure activities and cultures have undergone significant transformations. Particularly, there has been an increased demand for outdoor camping. Consequently, the need for capabilities that allow vehicles to navigate not only paved roads but also unpaved and rugged terrains has arisen. In this study, we aim to address this demand by utilizing AI to introduce a 'Stuck Probability Estimation Algorithm' for vehicles on off-road. To estimate the 'Stuck Probability' of a vehicle, a mathematical model representing vehicle behavior is essential. The behavior of off-road driving vehicles can be characterized in two main aspects: firstly, the harshness of the terrain (how uneven and rugged it is), and secondly, the extent of wheel slip affecting the vehicle's traction.

In this research, the influence of tire force and moment (F&M) characteristics on vehicle on-center steering performance was analyzed and then how to improve vehicle on-center performance was studied through controlling tire structure design parameter, tread pattern shape and tread grip characteristics. First, the relationship between vehicle on-center steering performance and tire F&M characteristics was identified by comparing vehicle steering measurements and tire F&M measurements. It was found that key factor of tire related with on-center performance is aligning torque at lower slip angles. As the aligning torque at slip angle 1° increases, on-center feel is improved. Second, the influence of tire design parameters on tire aligning torque was studied through F&M finite element (FE) analysis and measurement. It was found that the aligning torque at lower slip angle increases as stiffness of the tread and sidewall decreases.

Professional bus drivers are highly exposed to physical fatigue and work-related injuries because driving task includes complicated actions that require a variety of ability and cause extreme concentration or strain. For this reason, there has always been some sense of concern regarding driver fatigue, especially for drivers of commercial vehicles. In this study, we have tried to analyze quantitative fatigue degree of urban bus drivers by measuring their physiological signals. The investigation is made up of the following approaches: a traditional questionnaire survey and video-ethnographic method with 4-way cameras. The close-circuit cameras are installed to observe the upper and lower body of real drivers when they are in driving or even resting. This approach can help to understand urban bus drivers' behaviors and fatigue-related issues. Based on the video-ethnographic investigation results above, we have got certain patterns of drivers.

Body-in-white plays a key role in protecting passengers in the event of collision between vehicles, and also endures external forces during cornering in a vehicle. Stiffness of body-in-white is the basic characteristic of a car body, and it is closely related to the full-vehicle-level performance such as body durability, ride and handling, etc. There have been many attempts to correlate body stiffness to full-vehicle-level performance, and studying the relationship between torsional body stiffness and durability has been the popular topic among others. In general, it is believed to be true that bodies with high torsional stiffness exhibit good durability performance, and in many cases this assumption seems to be verified. However, not all cases are true to this assumption. In this paper, relationship between torsional body stiffness and body durability has been closely studied.

Reductions in powertrain noise have led to an increased proportion of road noise, prompting various studies aimed at mitigating it. Road excitation primarily traverses through the vehicle suspension system, necessitating careful optimization of the characteristics of bushings at connection points. However, optimizing at the vehicle assembly stage is both time-consuming and costly. Therefore, it is essential to proceed with optimization at the subsystem level using appropriate objective functions. In this study, the blocked force and energy-based index derived from complex power were used to optimize the NVH performance. Calculating the complex power in each bushing enables computing the power flow, thereby providing a basis for evaluating the NVH performance. Through stiffness injection, the frequency response functions (FRF) of the system can be predicted according to arbitrary changes in the bushing stiffness.

A need to develop a cooling method with high cooling performance like jet impingement is increased as high power of an inverter is required. Jet Impingement on the dimpled plate would increase thermal performance than that of flat plate. Many previous researchers have dealt with the multi jet impingement on flat plate and some results of the study on dimpled plate evaluate the effect on heat transfer coefficients on several limited cases, making it difficult to apply them to inverter designs. Therefore, in this paper, heat transfer performance, pressure drop, and robustness at micro-scale of jet impingement on the dimpled plate were investigated in detail and the correlations of each performance were proposed. Finally, the optimal design was presented. The cooling performance was influenced by the jet array and the effect of depth and width of the dimples.

To predict structure-borne interior noise using CAE simulation, it is important to establish a model for both the noise and vibration transfer path, as well as the excitation source. In the passenger vehicle, powertrain and road induced loads are major input sources for NVH. This paper describes a process to simulate the structure-borne road noise to 150Hz. A measured road surface is used for input for the simulation. Road surface data, in the form of height vs. distance, is converted to enforced motions at the tire patch in the frequency domain for input to the vehicle system model. The input loads are validated by the comparison of wheel hub excursions. The ability of the CAE simulation model to predict interior acoustic responses is shown by the comparison of the simulation results with measured vehicle interior responses.

When unifying the functions of widely used two-fan, engine cooling system into a single fan unit, the noise and power issues must be addressed. The noise problem due to the increased fan radius is a serious matter especially as the cabin noise becomes quieter for sedans. Of the fan noise components, discrete noise at BPF's (Blade Passing Frequency) seriously degrades cabin sound quality. Unevenly spaced fan is developed to reduce the tones. The fan blades are spaced such that the center of mass is placed exactly on the fan axis to minimize fan vibration. The resulting fan noise is 11 dBA quieter in discrete noise level than the even bladed fan system.

An important trend among vehicle NVH engineers is the production of attractive engine acceleration sound quality for the enhancement of a vehicle's image and performance. In addition, customers have increasing interest and enjoyment in customizing their cars to reflect their personal taste and preferences. The PESS (Personalized Engine Sound System) has been developed for making a unique and individually customizable vehicle concept. The system allows the customers an opportunity to create a variety of engine sounds in a single vehicle using active sound design technology. In this system, three different engine sound concepts are pre-defined, Dynamic, Sporty, and Extreme. Each of the engine sounds can then be adjusted with parameters that determine the timbre, such as main order, rumble, and high order. In addition, the pedal position during acceleration has also been used as a parameter to further personalize the experience.

Platoon is a system that connects vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication technology to maintain a short distance between vehicles while driving on the road. To improve fuel efficiency, many automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are interested in developing and demonstrating real-world platoon system. However, it is hard for heavy duty trucks to develop this system due to the difficulty of maintaining the targeted intervehicle distance not only for fuel efficiency but also for safety in case of emergency braking. Because of this critical safety issue in the emergency situation, the platoon system for heavy duty trucks can be hardly demonstrated or tested in real vehicle environment. The relatively complex system and the slow response characteristic of commercial vehicles makes this even more difficult.

This paper summarizes the development of a wireless message from infrastructure-to-vehicle (I2V) for safety applications based on Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC) under a cooperative agreement between the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners LLC (CAMP) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). During the development of the Curve Speed Warning (CSW) and Reduced Speed Zone Warning with Lane Closure (RSZW/LC) safety applications [1], the Basic Information Message (BIM) was developed to wirelessly transmit infrastructure-centric information. The Traveler Information Message (TIM) structure, as described in the SAE J2735, provides a mechanism for the infrastructure to issue and display in-vehicle signage of various types of advisory and road sign information. This approach, though effective in communicating traffic advisories, is limited by the type of information that can be broadcast from infrastructures.

A new heat-resistant cast iron alloy has been developed for the exhaust manifolds of new passenger-car diesel engines. This development occurred because operating demands on exhaust manifolds have increased significantly over the past decade. These demands are due to higher exhaust gas temperatures resulting from tighter emission requirements, improved fuel efficiencies, and designs for higher specific engine power. These factors have led to much higher elevated temperature strength and oxidation resistance requirements on exhaust manifold alloys. Additionally, thermal fatigue that occurs directly as a result of thermal expansions and mechanical constraint has become an increasingly important issue. The research detailed in this paper focused on the optimization of the chemical composition of a Si-Mo ductile iron to improve the mechanical and physical properties for use in an engine exhaust manifold.

In case of cooling module rotated by belt, many sources (vehicle’s vibration, belt’s tension and thrust force by rotated fan) are acting on it. Because it is not easy to analyze them individually, there were no rig test modes for pre-validation while developing a new vehicle. In this study, we correlated the strain gauges signal to belt’s tension and fan’s thrust force, and measured acceleration of a vehicle and cooling module by driving a vehicle on the several test roads. In that case of measured acceleration data, we could analyze it by using PDF and construct the representative rig test modes considering vibrational fatigue characteristics by using the FDS. These modes can be utilized while developing a new vehicle without measuring anymore. Also, we could understand each load’s characteristics. It is confirmed that the factors affecting the fatigue were not only the vehicle’s vibration but also the belt’s installation tension.

Automotive companies are trying to enhance the customer’s impression by improving engine sound quality. The target of this sound quality is to create a brand sound that is preferred by their customers as well as quietness of interior noise. Over the past decade there have been many studies in the field of automotive sound quality. These have included the technologies such as tuning of intake orifice and exhaust orifice, tuning of structure-borne, intake feedback devices, active exhaust valves, ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and ASD (Active Sound Design). The three elements of the sound that affect the feeling of the customer are known as engine order arrangement, frequency balance, and linearity. Here, the most important thing in sound quality development is the order arrangement.