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Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC), is a key ECU in vehicles. As IPC is a visual product, testing the software features of IPC is highly manual effort. Software Testing constitutes for approx. 35% of the total Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). High focus on quick to market, shorter SDLC coupled with manual validation environment poses a challenge of increasing testing efficiency and improving software quality. This challenge drove the need to investigate a solution to automate the testing process and cut down the huge manual effort that goes into validating an Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) software. The proposed intrusive and non-intrusive approaches to automate the testing process of IPC software employs a Frame Grabbing technique for the former approach and a Camera based technique for the latter. Both the approaches are robust, reliable, and scalable and covers the major portion of Vehicle Instrument cluster test scenarios.

A quasi-dimensional multi-zone model for diesel spray combustion has been developed. The model contains most of the physical processes of diesel spray combustion, and is simplified and economical. The zone formation is based on the fuel injection parameters. For the wall jet penetration velocity, a new equation is used based on the effect of the impinging free jet on the wall jet. For the fuel evaporation, an approximate solution of the instantaneous variations of droplet diameter is given in the simple algebraic equations based on the individual effect of the evaporation and the heat transfer from ambient gas. The soot emission sub-model calculates the soot concentration. This model has been applied for a direct injection diesel engine. The calculated results have shown a reasonable agreement with the experimental results. A parametric study has been carried out.

This paper presents a real-time computer system for the control of refrigerant flow in an automotive air conditioning system. This is an experimental system used to investigate the potential advantages of electronic flow control over conventional flow control (using an orifice tube or thermal expansion valve). Two features of this system are presented. First, the system organization is described. Second, the control and interface software are presented. The emphasis is on the software. The system is organized as a closed loop control system. The inputs to the controller are measurements of the refrigerant system. In particular, thermocouples are used to measure the refrigerant temperature before and after the evaporator. The analog thermocouple signals are converted to digital form by an off-the-shelf, portable, data acquisition system (DAQ). Via a parallel port link, these digital measurements are transfered to a laptop computer.

A GT-suite commercial code was used to develop a fully integrated model of a light duty commercial vehicle with a V6 diesel engine, to study the use of a BorgWarner dual mode coolant pump (DMCP) in active thermal management of the vehicle. An Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule (UDDS) was used to validate the simulation results with the experimental data. The conventional mechanical pump from the validated model was then replaced with the dual mode coolant pump. The control algorithm for the pump was based on controlling the coolant temperature with pump speed. Maximum electrical speed of the pump and the efficiency of the pump were used to determine whether the pump should run in mechanical or electrical mode. The model with the dual mode coolant pump was simulated for the UDDS cycle to demonstrate the effectiveness of control strategy.

In traditional FE based structure-borne noise analysis, interior trims are normally modeled as lump masses in the FE structure model and acoustic specific impedance of the trim is assigned to the FE acoustics model when necessary. This simplification has proven to be effective and sufficient for low frequency analysis. However, as the frequency goes into the mid-frequency range, the elastic behavior of the trim may impose some effects on the structural and acoustic responses. The approach described in this paper is based on the structural FE and acoustic SEA coupling analysis developed by ESI, aiming to improve the modeling efficiency for a possible quick turnaround in virtual assessments.

This paper presents an integrated method for rapid modeling, simulation and virtual evaluation of the interface pressure between driver human body and seat. For simulation of the body-seat interaction and for calculation of the interface pressure, besides body dimensions and material characteristics an important aspect is the posture and position of the driver body with respect to seat. In addition, to ensure accommodation of the results to the target population usually several individuals are simulated, whose body anthropometries cover the scope of the whole population. The multivariate distribution of the body anthropometry and the sampling techniques are usually adopted to generate the individuals and to predict the detailed body dimensions. In biomechanical modeling of human body and seat, the correct element type, the rational settings of the contacts between different parts, the correct exertion of the loads to the calculation field, etc., are also crucial.

This study presents a methodology for comparative analysis of seat and suspension parameters on a system level to achieve minimum occupant head displacement and acceleration, thereby improving occupant ride comfort. A lumped-parameter full-vehicle ride model with seat structures, seat cushions and five occupants has been used. Two different vehicle masses are considered. A low amplitude pulse signal is provided as the road disturbance input. The peak vertical displacement and acceleration of the occupant’s head due to the road disturbance are determined and used as measures of ride comfort. Using a design of experiments approach, the most critical seat cushion, seat structure and suspension parameters and their interactions affecting the occupant head displacement and acceleration are determined. An optimum combination of parameters to achieve minimum peak vertical displacement and acceleration of the occupant’s head is identified using a response surface methodology.

The paper presents the main results of a study on the simulation of energy efficient management of on-board electric and thermal systems for a medium-size passenger vehicle featuring a parallel-hybrid diesel powertrain with a high-voltage belt alternator starter. A set of advanced technologies has been considered on the basis of very aggressive fuel economy targets: base-engine downsizing and friction reduction, combustion optimization, active thermal management, enhanced aftertreatment and downspeeding. Mild-hybridization has also been added with the goal of supporting the downsized/downspeeded engine performance, performing energy recuperation during coasting phases and enabling smooth stop/start and acceleration. The simulation has implemented a dynamic response to the required velocity and manual gear shift profiles in order to reproduce real-driver behavior and has actuated an automatic power split between the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and the Electric Machine (EM).

Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) are becoming more competitive day by day to achieve maximum peak power and energy requirement. This poses challenges to the design of Thermal Interface Material (TIM) which maintains the cell temperature and ensure retention of cell and prevent electrolyte leak under different crash loads. TIM can be in the form of adhesives, gels, gap fillers. In this paper, TIM is considered as structural, and requires design balance with respect to thermal and mechanical requirements. Improving structural strength of TIM will have negative impact on its thermal conductivity; hence due care needs to be taken to determine optimal strength that meets both structural and thermal performance. During various crash conditions, due to large inertial force of cell and module assembly, TIM is undertaking significant loads on tensile and shear directions. LS-DYNA® is used as simulation solver for performing crash loading conditions and evaluate structural integrity of TIM.

This paper is a continuation of previously published technical paper SAE 2022-01-0314. The preceding work described an analytical methodology to predict the vehicle interior trim squeak and rattle issues upfront in the design cycle using a “relative displacement” or “contact force” metric; the methodology was implemented on the center floor console armrest latch using a linear finite element model. The work is logically extended to predict the squeak and rattle issues quantitatively using now an “acoustic noise” metric, this enables a direct comparison with the physical test results and helps to further refine the design best practices. This approach combines Finite Element Method (FEM) and Boundary Element Method (BEM) to estimate structural vibration response and acoustic sound pressure respectively.

Ambient temperature is a very sensitive use condition for electric vehicles (EVs), so it is imperative to ensure the maintenance of suitable temperature. This is particularly important in regions characterized by prolonged exposure to unfavorable temperature conditions. In such cases, it becomes necessary to implement insulation measures within parking facilities and allocate energy resources to sustain a desired temperature level. Solar energy is a renewable and environmentally friendly source of energy that is widely available. However, the effectiveness of utilizing solar energy is influenced by various factors, such as the time of day and weather conditions. The use of phase change material (PCM) in a latent heat energy storage (LHES) system has gained significant attention in this field. In contrast to single-phase energy storage materials, PCM offer a more effective heat storage capacity.

It is known that the automobile cabin thermal comfort, could keep the driver and passengers feel better which has a great effect on traffic safety. In this paper, to the FAW truck cab, we did some researches about automobile cabin thermal comfort. Our plan is to calculate the air flow distribution and the temperature in steady and transient state when there is warm or cool air flow. The heating and cooling experiment methods standard of cabin are based on the national standard and the automobile industry standard of China. Then the numerical simulation process becomes very important. So we used the commercial CFD code- STAR-CCM+ for study in this paper. Firstly, Geometry Clean up. Secondly, Wrap and Remesh, we chose the internal surface at the wrap surface of cabin and air conditioning pipes, then we remesh the surface. Thirdly, generate the volume mesh which is polyhedral mesh, and the number of the volume mesh is 9.4 millions.

Premium instrument panels (IPs) contain passenger airbag (PAB) systems that are typically comprised of a stiff plastic substrate and a soft ‘skin’ material which are adhesively bonded. During airbag deployment, the skin tears along the scored edges of the door holding the PAB system, the door opens, and the airbag inflates to protect the occupant. To accurately simulate the PAB deployment dynamics during a crash event all components of the instrument panel and the PAB system, including the skin, must be included in the model. It has been recognized that the material characterization and modeling of the skin tearing behavior are critical for predicting the timing and inflation kinematics of the airbag. Even so, limited data exists in the literature for skin material properties at hot and cold temperatures and at the strain rates created during the airbag deployment.

Seat lateral support is often talked about as a design parameter, but usually in terms of psychological perception. There are many difficulties in quantifying lateral support mechanically to the engineering teams: Anthropometric variation causes different people to interact with the seat in different places and at different angles, BPD studies are usually planar and don’t distinguish between horizontal support and vertical resistance to sinking in, most mechanical test systems are typically single-DOF and can’t apply vertical and horizontal loads concurrently, and there is scant literature describing the actual lateral loads of occupants. In this study, we characterize the actual lateral loading on example seating from various sized/shaped occupants according to dynamic pressure distribution. From this information, a six-DOF load and position control test robot (KUKA OccuBot) is used to replicate that pressure distribution.

This paper presents results of two surveys, namely, a photographic measurements survey and a rider survey, conducted to determine how the type and origin of a motorcycle related to motorcycle dimensions, rider characteristics, seating posture, and motorcycle controls and displays. In the photographic survey, 12 most popular motorcycles covering three types (cruiser, sport, and touring) and three origins (Europe, Asia and North America) were measured from photographs taken in a standardized procedure with and without a rider. The data showed that the Asian and North American cruisers were very similar in all dimensions. These include seat height, seat to handlebar location, seat to foot rest location, foot rest size, and handgrip stance. This resulted in similar rider posture. North American sport motorcycles were more like cruisers than the Asian and European sport motorcycles.

This study compared the combustion and emission characteristics of Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) and Direct Injection Compression Ignition (DICI) modes in a boosted and high compression ratio (17) engine fueled with gasoline and gasoline/diesel blend (80% gasoline by volume, denoted as G80). The injection strategy was adjusted to achieve the highest thermal efficiency at different intake pressures. The results showed that Low Temperature Heat Release (LTHR) was not observed in gasoline HCCI. However, 20% additional diesel could lower down the octane number and improve the autoignition reactivity of G80, which contributed to a weak LTHR, accounting for approximately 5% of total released heat. The combustion efficiency in gasoline DICI was higher than those in gasoline HCCI and G80 HCCI, while the exhaust loss and heat transfer loss in DICI mode were higher than those in HCCI mode.

In this paper, the differences between multi-hole and single-hole spray contour under the same conditions were compared by using high-speed photography. The difference between the contour area of multi-hole and that of single-hole spray was used as a parameter to describe the degree of spray collapse. Three dimensionless parameters (i.e. degree of superheat, degree of undercooling, and nozzle pressure ratio) were applied to characterize inside-nozzle thermodynamic, outside-nozzle thermodynamic and kinetic factors, respectively. In addition, the relationship between the three dimensionless parameters and the spray collapse was analyzed. A semi-empirical equation was proposed for evaluation of the degree of collapse based on dimensionless parameters of flash and non-flash boiling sprays respectively.

Felt-based dash panel insulation materials have traditionally been used as a sound barrier between the engine and passenger compartments in a vehicle to reduce the transmission of engine noise to the occupant space. Their structural performance has been mainly ignored due to the typically low stiffness and strength characteristics. Consequently, studies of the acoustic properties of these materials have been found in literature while no information was found on their mechanical behavior especially in dynamic loading conditions. More stringent requirements for occupant and pedestrian safety imposed by government regulations and the position of these materials in the impact zones of pedestrian head impact have brought attention to the material contribution to the energy absorption during the impact and the need to assess the mechanical properties of these materials.

Automobile cabin acoustical comfort is one of the main features that may attract customers to purchase a new car. The acoustic cavity mode of the car has an effect on the acoustical comfort. To identify the factors affecting computing accuracy of the acoustic mode, three different element type and six different element size acoustic finite element models of an automobile passenger compartment are developed and experimentally assessed. The three different element type models are meshed in three different ways, tetrahedral elements, hexahedral elements and node coupling tetrahedral and hexahedral elements (tetra-hexahedral elements). The six different element size models are meshed with hexahedral element varies from 50mm to 75mm. Modal analysis test of the passenger car is conducted using loudspeaker excitation to identify the compartment cavity modes.

Internal combustion engine (IC engine) vehicles are commonly used for transportation due to their versatility. Due to this, efficiency in design process of IC engines is critical for the industry. To assess performance capabilities of an IC engine, thermal predictions are of utmost consequence. This study describes a computational method based on unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations that resolves the gas–liquid interface to examine the unsteady single phase/multiphase flow and heat transfer in a 4-cylinder Inline (i-4) engine. The study considers all important parts of the engine i.e., pistons, cylinder liners, head, block etc. The study highlights the ease of capturing complex and intricate flow paths with a robust mesh generation tool in combination with a robust high-fidelity interface capturing VOF (Volume-of-Fluid) scheme to resolve the gas-liquid interfaces.