Search Results

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.

A theoretical model is presented for predicting springback of wide sheet metal subjected to 2D-stretch-bending operation. The material is assumed to be normal anisotropic with n-th power hardening law, σ = Fεn. Two types of stretch-bending experiment, bending with simultaneous stretching and stretch-bending followed by consecutive re-stretching, is conducted using AK sheet steel and sheet aluminum alloy A5182-O. The measured values of springback are in good agreement with analytical ones for a wide range of bending radii, stretching forces, and loading conditions. Furthermore, a calculation method for predicting springback configurations of 2D sheet metal parts with arbitrary cross-sections which include both stretch-bending and stretch-bending-unbending deformation is proposed.

The engine designer has to find novel methods to optimize the engine efficiency faster as the engine development cycle is getting shortened due to the continuous growing market demands. Engine optimization involves fine tuning of the various engine parameters and conducting a large number of tests on actual engine test bed. In this paper, modern techniques that have been used to optimize a small 4stroke air-cooled engine performance have been described. The engine has been modelled using one-dimensional thermodynamic engine modelling software (AVL-BOOST). Design of experiments (DoE) tools have been used to optimize the engine variables. The input parameters form an orthogonal array of L27 matrix and the out put characteristics of the engine (responses) have been predicted by using BOOST software. This design matrix has been used to study and optimize thirteen factors in three levels (313).

The new small and lightweight 2-cylinder liquid-cooled OHC gasoline engines were developed. These new engines are featuring high output, low vibration and noise radiation and so able to improve the comfortableness and amenity of applied utility machines. In this paper, the features of the new engines and the process to realize development targets are introduced. The basic structure adopted on the new engines is a liquid-cooled, inline 2-cyilinder layout with 360-degree firing intervals, twin balancer shafts, and an overhead camshaft that is driven by a cogged belt. Also various parts made of aluminum alloy and plastics could make the engine lighter. By these measures, the new engines could satisfy their hardest development targets, and realize their easy installation, higher versatility, and have the excellent features such as compact size, lightweight, high output, low exhaust gas emission and low vibration and noise radiation.

Experimental procedures and results of a benchmark test for springback are reported and a complete suite of obtained data is provided for the validation of forming and springback simulation software. The test is usually referred as the Slit-Ring test where a cylindrical cup is first formed by deep drawing and then a ring is cut from the mid-section of the cup. The opening of the ring upon slitting releases the residual stresses in the formed cup and provides a valuable set of easy-to-measure, easy-to-characterize springback data. The test represents a realistic deep draw stamping operation with stretching and bending deformation, and is highly repeatable in a laboratory environment. In this study, six different automotive materials are evaluated.

This paper presents a multidimensional approach to the hydraulic components design by means of an open-source fluid dynamics code. A preliminary study of a basic geometry was carried out by simulating the efflux of an incompressible fluid through circular pipes. Both laminar and turbulent conditions were analyzed and the influence of the grid resolution and modeling settings were investigated. A qualitative description of the internal flow-field distribution, and a quantitative comparison of pressure and velocity profiles along the pipe axis were used to asses the multidimensional open-source code capabilities. Moreover the results were compared with the experimental measurements available in literature and with the theoretical trends which can be found in well-known literature fundamentals (Hagen-Poiseuille theory and Nikuradse interpolation). Further comparison was performed by using a commercial CFD code.

Two different aluminium alloy materials have been used to produce ventilated brake discs, on one hand, AS17G0.6 hypereutectic alloy and on the other hand, AS7G0.6 reinforced with 20% in wt. of SiC particles. The casting production technique used has been Low Pressure Casting (LPC) and some of the brake discs have been heat treated using a T6 treatment. Once the ventilated brake discs were produced and machined, they were tested in a dynamometer in order to compare the performance under service conditions of the aluminum alloy and grey cast iron (GCI) discs currently used in the market.

A comprehensive plasticity and fracture model was built for metal sheets with application to metal sheet forming and vehicle crash simulations. The combined Bai-Wierzbicki (BW [1]) and CPB06ex2 [2] (or Yld2000-2D [3]) anisotropic plasticity model was further extended to consider elevated temperature effects in additional to the effect of multiaxial stress states. A fully modularized framework was established to combine isotropic, kinematic, and cross hardening behaviors under non-linear loading conditions. The all strain based modified Mohr-Coulomb (eMMC) fracture model was used to consider material anisotropy and nonlinear strain path. The model has been implemented into Abaqus/Explicit as a user material subroutine (VUMAT). Test results on advanced high strength steels, aluminum alloy sheets and magnesium alloy sheets are used to validate the modeling and testing methodologies. Very good correlation was observed between experimental and simulation results.

The contribution that aged hardware makes to performance deterioration is of interest to operators of JT3D turbofan powered aircraft since a significant percentage of these engines have exceeded 20,000 hr of operation. Recent studies involving numerous engine disassemblies, rebuild, and test cell runs reveal the most significant effects of aged hardware are the loss in high and/or low compressor stall margin; and, that a large number of parts must be replaced to realize a significant improvement in fuel consumption, with the exception of the reduction that can be obtained by controlling turbine seal clearances.

Lithium ion batteries are the most promising candidates for electric and hybrid electric vehicles, owe to their ability to store higher electrical energy. As a matter of fact, in automotive applications, these batteries undergo frequent and fast charge and discharge processes, which are associated to internal heat generation, which in turns causes temperature increase. Thermal management is therefore crucial to keep temperature in an appropriate level for safe operation and battery wear prevention. In a recent work authors have already demonstrated the capabilities of a coupled lattice Boltzmann-Finite Volume Method to deal with thermal transient of a three-dimensional air-cooled Li-ion battery at different discharging rates and Reynolds numbers. Here, in order to improve discharge thermal capabilities and reduce temperature levels of the battery itself, a layer of porous medium is placed in contact with the battery so to replace a continuum solid aluminum layer.

This paper introduces a new type of aluminum radiator that has been developed with the objective of high performance and light weight. Aluminum radiators have recently been replacing copper radiators because of their light weight, but the heat rejection of such conventional alminum radiators does not exceed that of copper radiators. Authors established the aluminum radiator not only being light weight but also having high performance through the following approaches. (1) Optimization of radiator core module. (2) Thickness reduction of tube and fin. (3) Development of aluminum alloys with improved corrosion resistance for tubes and fins. As a result, a new type single-row aluminum radiator has achieved 7% higher rejection at 50% lighter weight than those of copper double-row radiator.

This paper examines the potential use of diamond-like carbon (DLC) on aluminum alloy pistons of internal combustion engines. Our approach is to apply a DLC coating on the piston running against an aluminum-390 bore thus eliminating the iron liners in a standard piston/bore system. Experimental data, using a pin-on-disk tribometer under unlubricated test conditions, indicate that the performance of the DLC coating against aluminum 390 exhibits superior friction resistance compared to aluminum-390 against cast iron; the latter material couple representing the materials currently being used in production for the piston/bore application. Moreover, by thermally cycling the DLC coatings we show that improved friction and wear properties can he maintained to temperatures as high as 400°C.

Using dc magnetron sputtering, Al/Si films were made on surfaces made of fused quartz and silicon. It was carefully controlled that the films contained no more than 7 at.% silicon under ideal deposition conditions. This was done by changing the target's structure and adding silicon lines to it. This had to be done to get a good reading on how much silicon was in the plates. After being heated to 800°C and then cooled in very cold water, the thermo-elastic face-centered cubic structure changed into the flat crush test martensite. In Al/Si films with a Si content of 25.6%, this change took place. It looks like the shift in the opposite way was also thermoelastic. The several thermoelastic transitions that happened were caused by changes in temperature. Some Al-36 at.% Si coatings that were scraped off of a quartz substrate showed shape memory qualities when heated after being deformed. The coverings on these things were warped.

An effective ground station is vital to the successful implementation of an EMS and is a fundamental part of the total monitoring system design. Unlike on-board processing systems which principally use data to indicate when engine maintenance is required, ground stations offer much greater processing power to analyse and manipulate EMS data more comprehensively for both maintenance and logistics purposes. This document reviews the main EMS functions and discusses the operating requirements which will determine the basic design of a ground station, including the interfaces with other maintenance or logistics systems. A brief discussion is also included on some of the more recent advances in EMS ground station technology which have been specifically developed to provide more effective diagnostic capabilities for gas turbine engines. Finally, this document addresses the program management requirements associated with the initial development and on-going support of a ground station.

A global, systems-level model which characterizes the thermal behavior of internal combustion engines is described in this paper. Based on resistor-capacitor thermal networks, either steady-state or transient thermal simulations can be performed. A two-zone, quasi-dimensional spark-ignition engine simulation is used to determine in-cylinder gas temperature and convection coefficients. Engine heat fluxes and component temperatures can subsequently be predicted from specification of general engine dimensions, materials, and operating conditions. Emphasis has been placed on minimizing the number of model inputs and keeping them as simple as possible to make the model practical and useful as an early design tool. The success of the global model depends on properly scaling the general engine inputs to accurately model engine heat flow paths across families of engine designs. The development and validation of suitable, scalable submodels is described in detail in this paper.

The best combination of strength and formability of any aluminum alloy is offered by the 5000 series (Al-Mg) alloys containing 4 to 5% magnesium, e.g. 5182. In the conventional annealed state (-0 temper) necessary for maximum formability, this alloy suffers from the formation of type A Luder lines (stretcher strains) when plastically deformed a small amount (<1%). Such Luder lines are similar to those commonly encountered in steel and are unacceptable in outer panels. The conditions under which Luder lines form are discussed. The introduction of 5182-SSF has completely avoided these problems with a stretcher-strain free (SSF) material which exceeds the formability of 5182-0.

OEM and Tier One integrated suppliers are in constant search of cockpit system components that reduce the overall number of breaks across smooth surfaces. Traditionally, soft instrument panels with seamless airbag systems have required a separate airbag door and a tether or steel hinge mechanism to secure the door during a deployment. In addition, a scoring operation is necessary to ensure predictable, repeatable deployment characteristics. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the development and performance of a cost-effective soft instrument panel with a seamless airbag door that results in a reduced number of parts and a highly efficient manufacturing process. Because of the unique characteristics of this material, a cost-effective, lightweight solution to meet both styling requirements, as well as safety and performance criteria, can be attained.

The use of modularized aluminum extrusions for the block, crankcase and head in small engine systems allows a range of engines to be mass produced without resort to casting for the stationary components. The use of modern accurately dimensioned extrusions greatly reduces the machining required. The versatility and strength of extruded aluminum alloys enables the elimination of load bearing threads and most other finish machining, thus significantly reducing the labor costs of manufacture. A range of strokes and hence of different capacity engines can be produced from a single extrusion form. For extended life, bores can be coated with a variety of finishes, including simple anodizing. Extrusion technology allows cost-effective engines to be manufactured with a significantly lower investment than with other technologies.

Abstract With the introduction of advanced lightweight materials with complex microstructures and behaviors, more focus is put on the accurate determination of their forming limits, and that can only be possible through experiments as the conventional theoretical models for the forming limit curve (FLC) prediction fail to perform. Despite that, CAE engineers, designers, and toolmakers still rely heavily on theoretical models due to the steep costs associated with formability testing, including mechanical setup, a large number of tests, and the cost of a stereo digital image correlation (DIC) system. The international standard ISO 12004-2:2021 recommends using a stereo DIC system for formability testing since two-dimensional (2D) DIC systems are considered incapable of producing reliable strains due to errors associated with out-of-plane motion and deformation.

Simulation of avionics equipment is essential due to the complex nature of its development and integration process. Throughout the development process, executable component models are used to demonstrate the feasibility and the compliance of the system design with respect to its functional requirements. In later development phases, there is the need for system integration tests where a mix of real and simulated equipment is used to verify the overall system behavior. Since Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 programs, IMA1 technology has entered several civil aircraft systems. In recent programs like Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 the number of IMA components has significantly increased. In this paper we present a simulation model for a new IMA component - the common Remote Data Concentrator (CRDC)2, which is developed by Thales-Diehl for the Airbus A350 XWB. Building simulation models of IMA components is in general a challenging task due to their complexity on both software and hardware level.