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Inverters are solid state devices which change DC to 120VAC electricity. They are sufficiently rugged and reliable to make them practical for use on utility vehicles for operating thumpers, tools, lights and induction motor loads. The SCR type rather than the transistor type inverter is generally required for inductive and reactive loads. Static inverters operate from battery input. They provide power without running an engine, but are limited by battery capacity so work best in intermittent load applications. Dynamic inverters operate from alternator input and will handle continuous loads to 7200 watts with truck engine running.

Flexibility, oil resistance, and the need for heat resistance to 150°C-plus temperatures have traditionally limited automotive design engineers to two options - thermoset rubber or heat-shielding conventional thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). Both of these options present limitations in part design, the ability to consolidate the number of components in a part of assembly, and on total cost. This paper presents a class of high-performance, flexible thermoplastic elastomers based on dynamically vulcanized polyacrylate (ACM) elastomer dispersed in a continuous matrix of polyamide (PA) thermoplastic. These materials are capable of sustained heat resistance to 150°C and short-term heat resistance to 175°C, without requiring heat shielding. Recent advancements in blow molding and functional testing of the PA//ACM TPEs for automotive air management (ducts) and underhood sealing applications will be shown.

This paper describes the concept, design, and options of a new power shift transmission family for industrial equipment in the 50-100 hp range. The converter, clutch, and gearing arrangements provide the basis for various transmission configurations with both a drop and straight through output. The designs allow multiple usage of components within a transmission and between different sizes of transmissions. The various gearing, bearing, and clutch designs are based on proved experience factors, and as such will provide a new reliable family of transmissions.

The phenomenal success of the small car is leading to many engineering changes in the automobile industry. It has brought increased emphasis on weight reduction on both small and full-size cars. Improving reliability and designing to eliminate grease fittings have also become important objectives.

This paper describes Programmed Ride Control (PRC), the automatic adjustable shock absorber system designed and patented by Ford Motor Company. The system utilizes low shock absorber damping under normal driving conditions to provide soft boulevard ride, automatically switching to firm damping when required for improved handling. The system's microprocessor control module “learns” where the straight ahead steering wheel position is, allowing the system to respond to absolute steering wheel angle. A closed loop control strategy is used to improve system reliability and to notify the driver in the event of a system malfunction. Fast acting rotary solenoids control the damping rate of the shock absorbers.

An expansion tank is an integral part of an automotive engine cooling system. The primary function of the expansion tank is to allow the thermal expansion of the coolant. The expansion tank will be referred as hot bottle in this paper. In the System level modeling of the engine internal flow, it is imperative to accurately model and characterize the components in the system. It is often challenging to define the hot bottle accurately with limited parameters in the 1D modeling. Currently it is very difficult to optimize the system by testing. Since testing consumes a lot of time and changes in development stage. If the hot bottle component is not defined properly in the system network, then the system flow balancing cannot be predicted accurately. In this paper, the approach of creating a 1D modeling tool for hot bottle flow prediction is discussed and the simulation results are compared with the physical test data.

After the first appearance of LED rear lamps, which employed mainly two-dimensional arrays of LEDs, the request of stylists and OEMs to have three-dimensional LED alignment has increased strongly. Development of more powerful LEDs and new packaging and assembly technologies now allows for a three-dimensional assembly of the LEDs, giving an impression of depth and enabling the LEDs to follow even extreme curvatures. This gives great customer satisfaction in terms of styling, but the disadvantage is that the cost for the three-dimensional LED alignment increases significantly. To counteract this development, we have developed a light guide technology approach (so-called 2.5 D) to combine a cost efficient LED assembly process with the flexibility of a 3 D arrangement of the light sources. Thus, we can use standard planar FR4 (Flame Resistant 4) LED printed circuit boards with arbitrary LEDs and do not depend on a certain assembly technology.

The 2005 Ford GT high performance sports car was designed and built in keeping with the heritage of the 1960's LeMans winning GT40 while maintaining the image of the 2002 GT40 concept vehicle. This paper reviews the technical challenges in designing and building a super car in 12 months while meeting customer expectations in performance, styling, quality and regulatory requirements. A team of dedicated and performance inspired engineers and technical specialists from Ford Motor Company Special Vehicle Teams, Research and Advanced Engineering, Mayflower Vehicle Systems, Roush Industries, Lear, and Saleen Special Vehicles was assembled and tasked with designing the production 2005 vehicle in record time.

This paper describes the engineering, manufacturing and integration necessary to produce the Corvette's first ever all-aluminum spaceframe (see Figure 1). The engineering and manufacturing of the spaceframe was a joint venture between General Motors and suppliers ALCOA (Aluminum Company of America) and Dana Corporation. ALCOA led the initial design of the spaceframe; Dana Corp led the manufacturing; General Motors' Engineering and Manufacturing groups led the integration of the assembly. The aluminum spaceframe design is modeled after the baseline steel structure of the Corvette coupe. The aluminum spaceframe reduces 140 lbs from the steel baseline and enters the plant at 285 lbs. This frame allows the 2006 Corvette Z06 to enter the market at a 3100 lbs curb weight. Aluminum casting, extruding, stamping, hydroforming, laser welding, Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding, Self Pierce Riveting (SPR), and full spaceframe machining make up the main technologies used to produce this spaceframe.

The General Motors Corvette Product Engineering Team is in a continual search for mass-reduction technologies which provide performance improvements that are affordable and add value for their customers. The structural composite panels of the C6 Z06 provided a unique opportunity to extend the use of carbon fiber reinforced materials to reduce mass and enhance performance. The entire vehicle set of composite panels was reviewed as candidates for material substitution, with the selection criteria based on the cost per kg of mass saved, tooling cost required, and the location of the mass to be saved. Priority was extended to mass savings at the front of the vehicle. After a carefully balanced selection process, two components, both requiring redesign because of the Z06’s wider stance, met the criteria: the Front Wheelhouse Outer Panel and Floor Panels. The current Floor Panels, first used on the C5, are large and are a balsawood-cored glass fiber reinforced composite design.

To effectively utilize larger trucks (85 ton and up), open-pit mines and quarries need a larger front-end loader with high reliability and performance. This paper describes the design approach and tests carried out to design 21 cubic yard 580 PAY® loader to meet these requirements. Long fatigue life of structures was obtained by use of full penetration welds. New concept for power control was designed to effectively distribute power between hydraulics and drive train. Spring applied - pressure released brakes were designed into the axle. Tests were carried out in our laboratory and proving grounds to determine performance and reliability.

Durability tests have been initiated on olefinic and production painted fascias. Both 2D and 3D tests have provided insights into Friction Induced Damage (FID) failure mechanics. Full scale, 3D tests of automotive fascia mimic the parking lot rubbing contact between cars with friction forces exceeding 5000. N. 2D tests provide the cost effective approach to materials research by isolating the failure mechanics in the upper 250 μm of the decorated TPO where the cosmetic damage is initiated. Initial findings show some olefinic paint, TPO combinations to be more damage resistant for realistic frictional contact scenarios.

2k clearcoat is the progressive step that is keeping coatings for elastomeric fascia in pace with the current automobile design, performance, and durability demands. Initially, rigid 2k coatings were applied over plastic for low temperature cure. Over metal, 2k rigid clearcoat produced a dramatic improvement in appearance and durability. Flexibility is the key attribute that a 2k clearcoat engineered for use over fascias must posses. Utilizing the same basecoat and primer, 2k flexible clearcoats are being successfully applied to flexible fascia, generating excellent appearance and outstanding durability.

Challenges surrounding OEM′s go far beyond to manufacture and delivery high quality vehicles. A perfect design and performance in the lowest cost possible is extremely essential to delivery to the customer the best vehicles. In order to guarantee all these targets, a robust process must be set to developed and implemented. It is known all process limitations, which faces the emergent markets and the lack of infrastructure considering the developed countries. All this limitations can deeply affect the robustness of the process. Some innovative solutions are becoming common from the engineering development combined with the manufacturing team to work out these limitations and provide excellent process stability. In this present paper it will be discussed the Bi component structural adhesive (2K PU epoxy) utilization to establish the process in the assembly line, mainly in order to improve parts dimensionally.

In order to use modeling as a predictive tool for real-world particulate filter designs (segmented filters, non-axisymmetric designs), it is necessary to develop reliable 3-dimensional models. This paper presents a 3 d modeling approach, which is validated against engine-bench measurements with both FBC and CDPF systems. Special emphasis is given to the prediction of the transient inlet flow distribution, which is realized without resorting to external CFD software. The experimental and modeling results illustrate the 3-d nature of the problem, induced by the heat capacity and conductivity effects of the cement layers. It is possible to predict the localization of regeneration in certain areas of the filter (partial regeneration), as a result of poor heat transfer to thermally isolated regions in the filter. The accuracy of the model was validated by extensive comparisons with temperature measurements in 30 positions inside the filters and at various operating conditions.

A new lightweight gasoline, two-cycle engine for portable tools is described. The total weight of 8 lb with an output of 3.5 hp was achieved by means of compact design with the use of standardized parts wherever possible, rather than by creating all new parts.

3D Printing is a revolutionizing technology extensively used in automotive and aerospace industries. It is an additive layer manufacturing process by which a scale model is quickly fabricated from CAD data in just a matter of hours. In Automotive trims, 3D Printing technology is a boon. It is used: To simulate the ‘tooled up/production part’ in terms of assembly, defined function, limited CMF and fit & finish. To evaluate and capture early feedback from top management with respect to aesthetic, design, etc. For early prediction and plan of action towards improvement for craftsmanship. To reduce design iterations, interface concerns, product lifecycle time and cost. In this paper, we will discuss on the technical aspects of how the trims 3D printed models have been effectively put to use. We have covered case studies under door trims, floor console, tail gate trim, glove box latch, molded spare wheel cover, Instrumental panel duct and bumper mask-painting template.

A Lagrangian random vortex-boundary element method has been developed for the simulation of unsteady incompressible flow inside three-dimensional domains with time-dependent boundaries, similar to IC engines. The solution method is entirely grid-free in the fluid domain and eliminates the difficult task of volumetric meshing of the complex engine geometry. Furthermore, due to the Lagrangian evaluation of the convective processes, numerical viscosity is virtually removed; thus permitting the direct simulation of flow at high Reynolds numbers. In this paper, a brief description of the numerical methodology is given, followed by an example of induction flow in an off-centered port-cylinder assembly with a harmonically driven piston and a valve seat situated directly below the port. The predicted flow is shown to resemble the flow visualization results of a laboratory experiment, despite the crude approximation used to represent the geometry.

The continuous pursuit of higher combustion efficiencies, as well as the possible usage of synthetic fuels with different properties than fossil-ones, require reliable and low-cost numerical approaches to support and speed-up engines industrial design. In this context, SI engines operated with homogeneous ultra-lean mixtures both characterized by a classical ignition configuration or equipped with an active prechamber represent the most promising solutions. In this work, for the classical ignition arrangement, a 3DCFD strategy to model the impact of the ignition system type on the CCV is developed using the RANS approach for turbulence modelling. The spark-discharge is modelled through a set of Lagrangian particles, whose velocity is modified with a zero-divergence perturbation at each discharge event, then evolved according to the Simplified Langevin Model (SLM) to simulate stochastic interactions with the surrounding gas flow.

This paper discusses work performed in research, design, and development of sensors for measurement of local dynamic surface temperatures on re-entry vehicles. Included are discussions of the basic requirements and related system design factors, the transducer concepts and sensor assembly configurations considered, and the materials investigations and engineering tests conducted. Design requirements are presented for the twin-lead thermocouple probe temperature sensor chosen as the most feasible concept for early implementation. The most promising thermocouple materials and fabrication processes are defined and the additional precision testing and development requirements for final design are outlined. Information not previously reported in available literature includes preliminary data from tests up to4300°F showing (1) excellent oxidation resistance of Iridium, and (2) oxidation protection of thermocouple elements in “gas tight” sheaths of thoria and zirconia.