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This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) contains requirements for a digital time division command/response multiplex data bus, for use in systems integration that is functionally similar to MIL-STD-1553B with Notice 2 but with a star topology and some deleted functionality. Even with the use of this document, differences may exist between multiplex data buses in different system applications due to particular application requirements and the options allowed in this document. The system designer must recognize this fact and design the multiplex bus controller (BC) hardware and software to accommodate such differences. These designer selected options must exist to allow the necessary flexibility in the design of specific multiplex systems in order to provide for the control mechanism, architectural redundancy, degradation concept, and traffic patterns peculiar to the specific application requirements.

This SAE Aerospace Standard (AS) contains requirements for a digital time division command/response multiplex data bus, for use in systems integration that is functionally similar to MIL-STD-1553B with Notice 2 but with a star topology and some deleted functionality. Even with the use of this document, differences may exist between multiplex data buses in different system applications due to particular application requirements and the options allowed in this document. The system designer must recognize this fact and design the multiplex bus controller (BC) hardware and software to accommodate such differences. These designer selected options must exist to allow the necessary flexibility in the design of specific multiplex systems in order to provide for the control mechanism, architectural redundancy, degradation concept, and traffic patterns peculiar to the specific application requirements.

Most of current jet aircraft circulate fuel on the airframe to match heat loads with available heat sink. The demands for thermal management in wide range of air vehicle systems are growing rapidly along with the increased mission power, vehicle survivability, flight speeds, and so on. With improved aircraft performance and growth of heat load created by Aircraft Mounted Accessory Drive (AMAD) system and hydraulic system, effectively removing the large amount of heat load on the aircraft is gaining crucial importance. Fuel is becoming heat transfer fluid of choice for aircraft thermal management since it offers improved heat transfer characteristics and offers fewer system penalties than air. In the scope of this paper, an AMESim model is built which includes airframe fuel and hydraulic systems with AMAD gearbox of a jet trainer aircraft. The integrated model will be evaluated for thermal performance.

The present study compares the NVH performance of three different materials used on cam covers in automobiles, Aluminum (Al), Magnesium (Mg) and Thermoplastic (TP). The cam cover design used for this comparison was the 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5L production cam cover which is made of a thermoplastic (TP). The Al and Mg covers for this study were created by sandcast, due to time constraints, via laser scanning techniques using the 2004 Nissan Maxima 3.5L production thermoplastic cover design. Note that sand-cast covers generally provide a less quiet sound field than the standard casting method. The Nissan production cover comes with a production baffle made of a similar material as the cover. Testing was conducted with and without the production baffle for all covers. The study was conducted for the production boundary condition of a non-isolated cover and a Freudenberg-NOK (FNGP) partially isolated cover. Isolated bolt assemblies using elastomeric grommets were used to isolate the cover.

This paper describes a new concept for a Ford GT instrument panel (IP) based on structural magnesium components, which resulted in what may be the industry's first structural IP (primary load path). Two US-patent applications are ongoing. Design criteria included cost, corrosion protection, crashworthiness assessments, noise vibration harshness (NVH) performance, and durability. Die casting requirements included feasibility for production, coating strategy and assembly constraints. The magnesium die-cast crosscar beam, radio box and console top help meet the vehicle weight target. The casting components use an AM60 alloy that has the necessary elongation properties required for crashworthiness. The resulting IP design has many unique features and the flexibility present in die-casting that would not be possible using conventional steel stampings and assembly techniques.

The High Voltage Power Distribution Unit (PDU) is constructed of magnesium in support of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) weight reduction efforts. The PDU distributes and controls a nominal 75 kilowatts of power generated by the Fuel Cell, the primary source of High Voltage power, to all the vehicle loads and accessories. The constraints imposed on the design of the PDU resulted in a component highly susceptible to general and galvanic corrosion. Corrosion abatement was the focus of the PDU redesign. This paper describes the redesign efforts undertaken by Ford personnel to improve the part robustness and corrosion resistance.

Enemy threats during Operation Desert Storm drove many Allied ground attack aircraft to medium altitude to deliver their weapons. Although many Precision Guided Munitions (PGMs) proved to be highly accurate at increased heights, the majority of bombs dropped from medium altitude were low-drag general purpose bombs (LDGP). The aircraft carrying the LDGPs traded accuracy for altitude in order to reduce the risk to aircraft and crews. This event helped highlight the need to drop LDGP weapons more accurately. Additionally, there are environments where even many current PGMs are ineffective. During the Gulf War, for example, smoke from the Kuwaiti oil fires obscured the skies, prohibiting the use of laser guided bombs. Currently there is a program in testing that is designed to fill these operational gaps. The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is being developed to convert our inventory of LDGPs into PGMs and modeling/simulation is playing a vital role in its design.

The military aviation services pay a phenomenal price due to turbine engine stall. Several of the major factors which comprise a substantial portion of the total price are presented. Included are weapon system development time, operational limitations, field maintenance problems, overhaul costs and accident rates. Also presented, in a general fashion, are several technical approaches to the solution of turbine engine stall. Fundamental research and orderly development of basic engine components, power control systems, and airframe and installation factors are discussed. Emphasis is placed on the need for tighter control of production tolerances and the requirement for united efforts in the integration of components into a complete system.

During the last several years the use of magnesium die-castings for automotive applications has been on the rise. Magnesium's use in die-cast form has been expanding at an average growth rate of more than 15% a year. Reasons for the increase are both practical and economic. Magnesium die-castings offer components having the lowest mass when compared to almost any other structural material. Magnesium die-alloys exhibit properties that bridge the gap between engineered plastics and metals. The mechanical performance ratios (strength-to-weight and stiffness-to-weight) of magnesium also compete favorably with metals and plastics. Economically, magnesium alloys prices have fallen during the last several years making them extremely competitive with other materials.

There are many noise sources from the vehicle fuel system to generate noise inside a vehicle. Among them, the pressure pulsation due to the rapid opening and closing of gasoline engine injectors can cause undesirable fuel pulse noise. As the pressure pulsation propagates in the fuel supply line toward to rear end of the vehicle, the pressure energy is transferred from fuel lines to the vehicle underbody through clips and into the passenger compartment. It is crucial to attenuate the pressure pulsation inside the fuel line to reduce the fuel pulse noise. In this paper, a case study on developing an effective countermeasure to reduce the objectionable fuel pulse noise of a V8 gasoline injection system at engine idle condition is presented. First, the interior noise of a prototype vehicle was tested and the objectionable fuel pulse noise is exhibited. The problem frequency ranges of the pulse noise were identified.

This paper describes a system which includes several subsystems forming a gun recoil injury-monitoring simulator. These subsystems include: a motion simulator, motion capture system, mannequin with integrated data acquisition, and combat vehicle dynamics model. Motion data from these subsystems provides vehicle and human factors engineers with valuable information about the occupant response to gun fire events. The final system has been successfully utilized recently on a gun fire program that enabled vehicle designers to determine results of their concept design. The simulation design exceeded performance expectations and can be used on future vehicle design iterations.

The demand for vehicles with improved NVH characteristics, fuel economy and emissions control has increased dramatically in recent years. To meet these objectives stiffer and lighter housings are required so as to avoid troublesome driveline vibrations, while at the same time produce lighter structures to reduce the overall vehicle weight and improved fuel economy. A feasibility study was undertaken to examine the differences between the use of magnesium alloy and aluminium alloy for an automatic transmission converter housing. The design process, design constraints, design methodology, alloy selection and some unique magnesium design requirements are outlined. The differences between the two designs are investigated by simulating their static and dynamic performances using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). A sand cast prototype was produced for the first stage of the feasibility study, with the ultimate aim to produce die cast magnesium converter housings if feasible.

The Magnesium Front End Research and Development (MFERD) project under the sponsorship of Canada, China, and USA aims to develop key technologies and a knowledge base for increased use of magnesium in automobiles. The primary goal of this life cycle assessment (LCA) study is to compare the energy and potential environmental impacts of advanced magnesium based front end parts of a North American-built 2007 GM-Cadillac CTS using the current steel structure as a baseline. An aluminium front end is also considered as an alternate light structure scenario. A “cradle-to-grave” LCA is conducted by including primary material production, semi-fabrication production, autoparts manufacturing and assembly, transportation, use phase, and end-of-life processing of autoparts. This LCA study was done in compliance with international standards ISO 14040:2006 [1] and ISO 14044:2006 [2].

Last year, McKechnie Vehicle Components established (Paper 2000-01-1098) that there were two factors influencing joint integrity between a multilayer fuel tube and the barb design of a plastic quick connector: The relationship between barb O.D. and tube I.D. The type of lining material of the tube and the overall hoop stress the tube applies to the joint after assembly. It was recommended that future work should address the following points if a full understanding of the fuel tube material to barb type is to be achieved: Assess the sealability of different materials onto a common barb type Assess a range of different barb designs to depict the optimum This year the authors have attempted to address the above points. Two conductive liquid fuel tubes of different commercial sizes (American and European) were manufactured in commercial multilayer structures. These had different material inner layers (PA12 and PBT).

The brake friction materials in an automotive brake system play an important role in the overall braking performance of a vehicle. Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs) have been widely investigated and applied due to their advantages of improved strength, stiffness and increased wear resistance over the monolithic alloys in automobile industries. In this paper, Al/B4CP and Mg/B4CP composites were compared to find a suitable candidate material for automotive disk brake application, in terms of wear behavior results of the materials. In addition, the experimental data was also used to model this behavior by identification. The measured tangential force was considered as the input parameter, whereas the weight loss as the output parameter. Preliminary results of this work showed that B4CP addition improved wear resistance of both aluminum and magnesium matrix composites. Additionally, the study pointed out that identified models provide a reliable and cost effective tool for wear prediction.

This paper addresses the disparity between liquid and vapor permeation through polymeric fuel line materials. The paper presents a methodology for assessing the vapor and fluid permeation rates of polyamide (PA) and polyvinyl-idene fluoride (PVDF) materials currently used in fuel delivery systems. The effect of single and multi component fuels on liquid and vapor permeation rates is studied. Permeation test results indicate a significant difference between liquid permeation rates and vapor permeation rates for these materials. The associated issue of polymer component extraction, during fuel and vapor exposure, is also addressed. Qualitative and quantitative data on precipitable extracts is presented.

West Virginia University's Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department is studying the benefits of continuous payload volume in transforming projectiles. Continuous payload volume is the single largest vacancy in a vehicle that may be utilized. Currently there is a market for transforming projectiles, which are gun launched (or tube launched) vehicles stowed in an initial configuration; which deploy wings once exiting the launcher to become small unmanned aircraft. WVU's proposed design uses a helical hinge, which allows the wing sections to be externally stowed outside the UAV's fuselage. Additionally, the design positions the vehicles wing sections sub-bore (or smaller than the guns internal diameter), and flush (smooth and planer) to the surface of the fuselage. The typical transforming winged projectile design considered, stores its wing sections along the center axis of the fuselage. This bisects the payload space and limits the continuous payload carrying potential.

Interest in ductile, tough magnesium alloys has been stimulated by designers seeking lightweight, efficient steering control structures. The simultaneous need for deformable, energy-absorbing components redirected metallurgists to consider the impact behavior of “high-ductility”, AM-series, magnesium alloys. This paper provides a comparison between the “workhorse” AZ91D magnesium alloy and the less-common, AM60B alloy. Specific application to a steering column bracket illustrates the development processes involved in selecting the appropriate alloy.

A comparison was done of the prediction capabilities for lightning indirect effects of two two-dimensional (2-D) computer codes using two graphite structural test fixtures. The two codes evaluated were an internal Boeing Method-of-Moments code and a commercially available Boundary Element method code. The codes were compared against each other and against test data. The purpose was to evaluate the prediction capabilities of both codes for use in predicting lightning indirect effects on internal components of graphite structure. Since 2-D codes are much easier to use than 3-D codes, they could be widely used in trade studies and design evaluations for lightning indirect effects protection of composite aircraft. The first code, REDIST, is a Method-of-Moments code developed in the 1980’s for use on the B-2. The REDIST code has short run times and is somewhat easier to use than the second code that was investigated.

The paper defines a “best” estimate of system effectiveness or reliability as one that minimizes the potential loss due to either overestimating or underestimating such a system figure of merit. A loss function is expressed in terms of the decision maker's order of preference for the consequences of either overestimation (underkill) or underestimation (overkill). However, in order for an estimate to be optimal, sufficient information at the system level should be provided. This lack or abundance of information is reflected in the variability of the measurement of system effectiveness or reliability. The variability and central tendency of this measurement are obtained from the variability and central tendency of the component data. This is achieved through the combined use of effectiveness or reliability models, Monte Carlo simulation and/or probability moments, and Bayesian statistics.