MOBILITY

ENGINEERING
AUTOMOTIVE, AEROSPACE, OFF-HIGHWAY
TM

A quarterly publication of and

Revotron Tata launches gasoline-engine family

Product
development
Dr. Arun Jaura Automotive
on scaling up for electrification
commercial vehicles The future in India

Dr. V Sumantran
Q&A with Hinduja Group’s Executive
Vice Chairman
March 2014
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CONTENTS
Features
40 Synergistic opportunities 51 Designing for downforce
abound PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AUTOMOTIVE BODY
The horizontal deployment of technologies and knowledge Airflow is paramount for performance vehicles, which
evident in mass-market personal mobility needs to be require aerodynamic enhancements to promote high-speed
scaled up in magnitude and performance for commercial stability and greater cornering capability.
vehicles.
54 Active safety starts in the pilot’s
42 Q&A with Dr. V Sumantran seat AEROSPACE AVIONICS
COMMERCIAL VEHICLE Dassault Aviation’s next-generation integrated digital
The Hinduja Group’s Executive Vice Chairman talks about avionics systems contribute to enhanced air safety in civil
his company’s award-winning vehicle and related applications.
commercial-vehicle topics.
60 Systems that talk together, are
45 The future of electric and hybrid efficient together OFF-HIGHWAY
vehicles in India AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAIN ELECTRONICS
ELECTRIFICATION Design teams take a holistic view, linking engines,
Technical and political challenges alike have held back the transmissions, hydraulics, and aftertreatment systems to
electric and hybrid market, but there are signs of hope. boost efficiency and performance.

48 Powering a drive to higher

voltages AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAIN
ELECTRONICS
48-V systems are likely to power a new generation of
functions including stop-start technology.
Cover
Tata launches family of
gasoline engines called
Revotron, the first to come
is the four-cylinder 1.2-L
turbocharged unit.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 1

CONTENTS
Departments
4 Editorial 22 Identifying operating states for equipment and
system diagnostics OFF-HIGHWAY HYDRAULICS
Advancing driver assistance
23 Module blocks texts to reduce distractions
6 Focus AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS | ELECTRONICS
Focal point for Mobility Engineering 24 Design software targets germs, dry air AEROSPACE
INTERIORS | SIMULATION
8 SAEINDIA News
26 Displays add color to simplify operator tasks
SIMCOMVEC 2013 highlights OFF-HIGHWAY INTERIORS
14 Industry News 26 Volvo’s new scalable architecture puts emphasis on
14 India first to see Datsun design vision; Go en route safety AUTOMOTIVE BODY
14 Knorr-Bremse opens Indian plants and R&D center for 28 Boeing examines expanded metal foils for lightning
rail and CV systems protection of composite structures AEROSPACE BODY
14 Tata Sikorsky JV producing fully indigenous S-92 30 Ashok Leyland pursues stainless steel for bus ‘super
cabins structures’ BUS MATERIALS
15 Tata launches family of gasoline engines 34 Heated air technology helps optimize CFRP assembly
AEROSPACE MATERIALS
15 A380 receives approval for operations in India
36 EVs and HEVs bring new dimensions to durability
15 BASF expands catalyst production in India to support testing AUTOMOTIVE TESTING
emissions regs
38 Predicting cavitation in fuel pumps AEROSPACE
16 Technology Report PROPULSION | SIMULATION
16 Mazda plots Wankel-powered range extenders, HCCI
mild hybrids AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAIN 63 Global Vehicles/
18 Voith improves efficiency of transmission components
Vehicle Development & Systems
with structure optimization software AUTOMOTIVE 63 EU group develops electric ‘Microsupercar’ concept
SIMULATION 65 Steyr debuts CVT multiple-purpose tractors
20 Pratt & Whitney Canada streamlining design, 66 Deere’s updated skid steers and compact track loader
manufacturing processes AEROSPACE PROPULSION |
67 Volvo CE’s new short swing radius excavator
MANUFACTURING
68 SR-72 flies into 21st century at Mach 6
21 Wireless connectivity comes with major security
threats AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS 69 Hybrid copter is first of its kind

71 Ad Index
72 Q&A
Eaton CTO assumes SAE VP post

© SAEINDIA and SAE INTERNATIONAL reserves all rights .

No part of this publication and/or website may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. Permission is only deemed
valid if approval is in writing. SAEINDIA and SAE International buys all rights to contributions, text and
images, unless previously agreed to in writing. In case of Address/addressee not found return to SAE
INDIA, No 1/17Ceebros Arcade, 3rd Cross, Kasturba Nagar, Chennai -600 020. Telefax: 91-44-2441-1904,
Phone: 91-44-4215 2280.

2 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

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 EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
Kevin Jost
Editorial Director
[email protected]
Asit Barma
SAE India Editor
C V Raman
ED, MSIL
[email protected]
Advancing driver assistance
Arun Jaura The automotive industry for years has been de- other vehicles in the beams’ cone of light. Night
VP, SAEINDIA
[email protected]
veloping advanced driver assistance systems View Assist Plus is supplemented by a thermal
Bala Bharadvaj (ADAS) to improve the comfort and safety of imaging camera to alert drivers to pedestrians or
MD, Boeing R & T
[email protected] passengers. These systems have hit the market animals in unlit areas in front of the vehicle, and
Mathew Abraham with many names and acronyms, all in an effort a spotlight function flashes any pedestrians
Sr. GM, Mahindra
[email protected] to help burnish automaker reputations for safety detected. Attention Assist warns of inattentiveness
Venkat Srinivas and comfort. and drowsiness and notifies drivers of their cur-
Special Director, Ashok Leyland
[email protected] Mercedes-Benz achieved the top ranking in rent state and the driving time since the last
Jean L. Broge ABI Research’s recent Competitive Assessment break and can indicate nearby rest stops
Managing Editor
[email protected] of the ADAS Market, with Volvo and BMW through the Comand navigation system.
Lindsay Brooke occupying second and third places, respectively. While luxury brands see sophisticated ADAS
Senior Editor
[email protected] The ABI Research survey assessed OEMs features as tools that burnish their “safety-con-
Patrick Ponticel
Associate Editor
based on a number of implementation and inno- scious” brand images, “the strategy of
[email protected] vation criteria. Volvo ranked first in the imple- mass-market OEMs such as Ford or Volkswa-
Ryan Gehm
Associate Editor
mentation category due mainly to the relatively gen has been to offer ADAS solutions only if
[email protected] high fitment of ADAS as standard equipment there is sufficient consumer demand for them
Matthew Monaghan
Assistant Editor and the high availability of other ADAS as and providing the technology is affordable,” said
[email protected]
options across its range. Mercedes and Audi Gareth Owen, Principal Analyst at ABI Research.
Lisa Arrigo
Custom Electronic were second and third in the implementation As a result, the penetration of ADAS systems in
Products Editor
[email protected] category. mass-market cars is very low; however, this is
Kami Buchholz In July 2013, Volvo reached a landmark safety beginning to change.
Detroit Contributor
Stuart Birch
milestone of 1 million cars sold with its pioneer- There was a steady increase last year in the
European Contributor ing auto-brake technology. Its portfolio for auto- number of mass-market OEMs offering ADAS,
Jack Yamaguchi
Asian Contributor matic braking includes several world firsts: City with key systems, such as front collision avoid-
Contributors Safety, which is standard and works at speeds ance, beginning to be standard on select models
Steven Ashley, Dan Carney,
Terry Costlow, Richard Gardner, up to 50 km/h (31 mph); Collision Warning with and trim variants in advance of new and more
John Kendall, Bruce Morey,
Paul Weissler, Jenny Hessler, full auto brake; and Pedestrian and Cyclist stringent safety requirements.
Jennifer Shuttleworth,
Linda Trego
Detection with full auto brake. ABI Research expects this trend to accelerate
The leaders in the innovation category were significantly during the next five years, said
DESIGN Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi. Mercedes Owen. “The decision by car-safety ratings agen-
Wayne Silvonic scoring highest since it offers the most compre- cies to include ADAS in their ratings reflects a
Art Director hensive range of ADAS. growing awareness of the potential of these
Brian Fell
Senior Designer The latest S-Class showcases the breadth of active safety systems, and car OEMs will now be
Ryan Pristow the Mercedes-Benz technologies. Its Distronic challenged to raise the availability of these sys-
Senior Designer
William L. Schall Plus adaptive cruise control gains Steering Assist tems in their new car models.”
Graphic Artist and Stop&Go Pilot. The Brake Assist System Plus This is a positive trend. More cars having
Lucy Matyjaszczyk
Graphic Artist with Cross-Traffic Assist can detect crossing traf- ADAS, along with connected car-to-car and
fic and pedestrians, and can boost braking -infrastruture technologies, will make the entire
SALES & power applied by the driver if needed. If lane global fleet safer. The total integration of all these
MARKETING markings are broken, Active Lane Keeping Assist systems will eventually lead to the ultimate solu-
K. Shriramchandran
SAE India
can detect when the adjacent lane is occupied tion—fully autonomous driving vehicles. Volvo
No.1/17, Ceebros Arcade
3rd Cross Kasturba Nagar
and reduce the risk of the vehicle leaving its lane has a lofty goal in this regard. It aims to bring the
Chennai unintentionally by applying the brakes on one number of people killed and seriously injured in
India 600 020
(T)91-44-42152280 side. Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus allows new Volvo cars down to zero by 2020.
(E) [email protected]
high-beam headlamps to be kept on perma-
Marcie L. Hineman Kevin Jost
Global Field Sales Manager nently without dazzling traffic by masking out
+1.724.772.4074 Editorial Director
[email protected]

4 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

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FOCUS
SAEINDIA
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Mr. Shrikant R. Marathe
President
Mr. R. Dayal
Immediate Past President
Dr. Aravind S. Bharadwaj
Sr. Vice President & Chairman,
Finance Board
Focal point for Mobility Dr. R. K. Malhotra
Engineering Vice President & Chairman, Meeting
& Exposition Board
I was extremely happy to see the fruition of Dr. Bala K. Bharadvaj
our yearlong work on launching the magazine Vice President & Chairman,
Aerospace Board
Mobility Engineering in India true to interna- Dr. Arun Jaura
tional standards as a joint endeavor of Vice President & Chairman,
SAEINDIA and SAE International. The maga- Automotive Board

zine has been well received by the discerning Mr. I. V. Rao

Chairman, Membership Board
mobility professionals and practitioners and SAEINDIA is planning to organize webinar Mr. Asit K. Barma
will be a valuable manual and guide to and webcast programs on topics of rele- Chairman, Publication Board &
Web/Media
academics with the burgeoning student vance during 2014. The infrastructure has
Mr. C. V. Raman
members of SAEINDIA from engineering and been geared up to handle this seamlessly Vice Chairman, Publication Board &
research institutions throughout the country. across the country. The International Lecture Web/Media
SIMCOMVEC, the 8th International Mobility Series, which commenced last year, will con- Mr. Ramesh S. Pasarija
Secretary
Conference and the first Commercial Vehicle tinue with greater vigor during 2014, includ- Ms. Pamela Tikku
Congress jointly hosted by SAEINDIA and ing a program on Vehicle Dynamics by Dr. Joint Secretary & Chairman, Section
SAE International, was a magnificent success Richard Lundstorm in March. This will be fol- Board
in all respects, and the professional delegates Dr. G. Nagarajan
lowed by additional programs over the Treasurer & Vice Chairman, Finance
touched a new height in the event with an course of the year. Board
eminent panel of speakers both from India We are also looking at the SINE program Mr. G. Vijayan
and abroad eloquently speaking on emerging under the Off Highway vertical and Joint Treasurer & Member, Finance
Board
technology trends in the automotive industry. Conferences and Seminars in the Aerospace Dr. K. C. Vora
A detailed report on the event appears else- vertical, which will further reinforce the Chairman, Development Board
where in the issue with Dr. Arunkumar growth of the segment with focused offerings Prof. S. K. Gupte
Sampath, Chairman, Organizing Committee Vice Chairman, Development Board
to the professional members.
of SIMCOMVEC, covering important high Mr. Sanjay P. Deshpande
Mobility Engineering will have more contri- Vice Chairman, Membership Board
points of the event. butions from Indian professionals who have Mr. Prakash V. Sardesai
SAEINDIA has been making steady prog- impeccable credentials in their areas of core Chairman, PDP Board
ress in all spheres of its activities. Each one of competence and will cover technological Dr. S. Thirumalini
Chairman, Engineering Education
the major projects and programs has been advances and improvements meeting interna- Board
breaking yet another record by enlisting more tional standards on subjects such as nano- Mr. Devendra Bahirat
teams and more contestants. The Virtual technology, frugal engineering, and electric Chairman, Off-Highway Board
SUPRA SAEINDIA was a runaway success Mr. A. Akbar Badusha
vehicles. Vice Chairman, Meeting &
with more than 175 teams competing this India is steadily emerging as a global Exposition Board
year and with more than 100 teams cleared research hub, with international giants
for the final event scheduled in July 2014. including GE, General Motors, and Hyundai Representing
BAJA SAEINDIA is organizing the 7th edi- SAE International
setting up tech centers in India to support their
Dr. David. L. Schutt
tion at Pithampur near Indore Feb. 20–23, and worldwide requirements. The commercial Chief Executive Officer
we expect larger participation this year from success of these hubs is spurring them to scale Mr. Murli M. Iyer
the student members. The competition has up their investments in research and develop- Executive Advisor-Global Affairs
taken deeper roots, with long-term plans and Office of the Chief Executive Officer
ment despite the downward market trends.
implementation by engineering institutions in SAEINDIA, along with SAE International, Presented by SAEINDIA
India helped by the tremendous goodwill and should evolve as a one-stop resource for Media, Communications and
support from the Management of the mobility technology with their continued Publications Committee
Mr. Asit K. Barma
Colleges and local industry in different parts efforts to disseminate knowledge and Chairman
of the country. enhance skills through programs designed to Mr. C. V. Raman
Vice Chairman,
The National Olympics of AWIM was held attract, retain, and empower mobility profes- Mr. Umaanand Durai
in the last week of December 2013 at sionals with knowledge enrichment and skills Member
Bangalore and was a tremendous success, enhancement. Mr. Arun Sivasubrahmaniyan
Member
with the young children taking keen and Please give us your constant feedback on Mr. R. Rajendran
active part in the competition and under- content improvement and development Member
standing the subtle nuances with remarkable of new contours to provide great value to the Mr. Rajesh Kumar
Member
clarity and agility. It proved the fact that, reading professionals. Mr. Deepak Panda
given the right encouragement and training, Member
Indian children can compete globally with Best wishes, Mr. Avnish Gosain
Member
ingenuity and intelligence backed by an inno- Mr. Shrikant R. Marathe Mr. Mohit Sehgal
vative spirit. President, SAEINDIA Member

6 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

SAEINDIA
News
SIMCOMVEC 2013 highlights
On Dec. 4, 2013, SAEINDIA, the premier growing urban cities in the country and especially in the commercial vehicle seg-
professional society and the largest find safer and greener technologies will ment, he insisted on a clear-cut fuel pol-
affiliate of SAE International, USA, help in the integrated transportation icy and availability of low-
inaugurated SIMCOMVEC—8th SAEINDIA network.” sulfur fuel.
International Mobility Conference and 1st Delivering the special address was Said Hillebrand: “This is the first ever
Commercial Vehicle Engineering Dasari: “Commercial Vehicle manufactur- event being organized in India which is
Congress focused on “Technologies for ers in India have consistently risen to the presenting a platform for synergy in
Safe, Green and Connected Vehicles.” challenge of designing vehicles capable technologies for commercial vehicles
About 850 delegates from the global of withstanding harsh environments, low and personal mobility. India has been
and domestic automotive industry par- maintenance, and over-loading while under the global spotlight for being a
ticipated in the event with about 140 simultaneously carrying more than 25 dynamic automotive market with frugal
from Mahindra & Mahindra and 90 from million passengers in their buses and engineering at its fore. This conference
Ashok Leyland. transporting goods across rugged ter- will help identify best practices and
The conference attracted delegate rains in their trucks.” To enable the indus- standardize technologies for the
registrations from different organizations try to meet future emissions norms, future.”
ranging from Hero Motors and Lucas-
TVS to TAFE and Fiat-Chrysler, a
first of its kind in SAEINDIA history. The
conference provided a platform for
exchange of ideas and knowledge to
continue nurturing the growth path
through solutions and opportunities for
sustainable mobility technologies.
The four-day conference was inaugu-
rated by Dr. K Rosaiah, Honorable
Governor of Tamil Nadu with Vinod
Dasari, Managing Director, Ashok
Leyland Ltd. as the Guest of Honor. The
inaugural ceremony was presided over
by Srivats Ram, SIMCOMVEC Steering
Committee Chairman & Managing
Director, Wheels India Ltd. Additional
dignitaries included Dr. Donald G.
Hillebrand, 2013 President, SAE
International; Shrikant R. Marathe, Conference entrance at the Chennai Trade Centre.
President—SAEINDIA and Director,
Automotive Research Association of
India (ARAI); Dr. David Schutt, CEO,
SAE International; and Dr. Arunkumar
Sampath, Chairman, Organizing
Committee.
SIMCOMVEC 2013 provided an excel-
lent opportunity for industry experts,
government, and academia to be
apprised of the latest technologies in the
areas of enhanced safety, emissions tech-
nologies, alternative fuels and powertrain,
and emerging trends in electronics and
vehicle connectivity, to name a few.
In welcoming the dignitaries and the
delegates, Ram said, “The Indian
automotive industry is emerging as the
preferred choice of destination for auto-
motive players across the globe. The need Chief Guest at the inaugural function of SIMCOMVEC was Dr. K Rosaiah, Honorable
to understand the mobility challenges of Governor of Tamil Nadu.

8 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 SAEINDIA
News
academia reviewed the draft manu-
scripts. The conference attracted a total
of 270 abstracts, which culminated in 141
manuscripts.
SIMCOMVEC brought a technical
feast via 115 SAE papers presented per-
sonally on-site by authors from India and
abroad who are experts in their specific
domain. There were 10 international
papers out of these 115. Papers were pre-
sented in four parallel sessions over four
days totaling to 32 technical sessions.
The details of international papers are
summarized below.
The 115 papers as a group gave a
360-degree view of the following 15
technical domains (there were 10 associ-
SAEINDIA’s booth at the expo. ated keynote presentations):
• Advanced engine technology
Rosaiah highlighted the continued REVA’s e2O, Toyota’s Etios, and (15 papers)
support being provided by the govern- Hyundai’s Grand i10. • Alternative fuels (7 papers)
ment in promoting investment in the SIMCOMVEC has set a benchmark in • Emission controls (3 papers)
automotive industry, saying: “The auto- bringing multiple stakeholders under • Advances in HVAC systems (3 papers)
motive cluster in South India consisting of one roof and creating awareness on • Simulation and modeling (32 papers)
Chennai is the biggest in the country with recent innovations in various technolo- • Automotive electronics (4 papers)
35% of the revenue share. I am proud to gies. It has opened up new partnership • Hybrid and electric vehicles
be associated with the city of Chennai— avenues for industry, academia, and gov- (11 papers)
touted as the Detroit of India—as this city ernment institutions, enabling healthy • Onboard diagnostics (4 papers)
has been successful in attracting invest- exchange of ideas and making this event • NVH (11 papers)
ment and talent pool particularly in the the most sought-after by mobility practi- • Safety and crashworthiness
automotive industry with active support tioners. (8 papers)
from the government.” • Advanced materials (3 papers)
In his concluding remarks at the Plenary and technical • Advanced manufacturing (4 papers)
event’s inauguration ceremony, Marathe
said: “We are delighted to host
sessions • Braking and steering systems
(4 papers)
SIMCOMVEC as it allows us to bring As part of the screening process of
• Suspension systems (3 papers)
global and Indian automotive leaders to technical abstracts and manuscripts, the
• Virtual prototyping and testing
showcase their technologies that SIMCOMVEC Technical Committee fol-
(3 papers)
address the needs of sustainable mobil- lowed the specially developed system of
ity solutions for today and the future. SAE International’s “MyTechZone.” The In addition to the technical presenta-
These technologies have become a com- Technical Paper Review Committee com- tions, the delegates had a wonderful
petitive advantage for manufacturers prising 35 experts from industry and opportunity to listen to the lectures from
and are gaining wide acceptance with
customers. India is making significant
International Papers
contribution toward R&D for such tech-
nologies.” Number of
Topic papers Organization(s)
Rosaiah then inaugurated the exposi-
tion, which saw participation from more Advanced engine technology 2 Achates Inc. (USA), Moscow St. Tech U. (Russia)
than 75 exhibitors who showcased their Safety and crashworthiness 2 Applus IDIADA (Spain), STA (Russia)
technologies and new products in addi- Simulation and modeling 1 Inst. of Control Sciences
tion to vehicle displays from the leading
Hybrid and electric vehicles 1 Applus IDIADA (Spain)
automotive OEMs. The vehicles dis-
played in the exposition included Ashok Advanced electronics 1 AVL (Austria)
Leyland’s ICV and Jan Bus; Mahindra’s NVH 1 LMS (Belgium)
XUV 5OO bi-fuel hydrogen vehicle; Emission controls 1 Applus IDIADA (Spain)
ARAI’s vehicle rigged with equipment
Virtual prototyping and testing 1 China
for structural dynamics, Mahindra-

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 9

SAEINDIA
News

Cutaway of
the Mahindra
XUV 5OO.

An Ashok Leyland engine.

• Bharat Vedak—Vice President, India

Technical Center & DCV, John Deere
• Shrikant Marathe—President,
SAEINDIA and Director ARAI
• T. Sarangarajan—Vice President,
Hyundai Motors
• Donald Schulte—Managing Director,
PACCAR
• Dr. Chandan Chowdhury—Managing
Director, Dassault Systèmes
Expo attendees had a keen eye for detail. • Dr. Aravind Bharadwaj—Head
Technology, M&M TPDS:
eight plenary speakers who touched • Emerging Trends in Electronics &
Vedak touched upon the differences
upon a wide gamut of topics such as: Vehicle Connectivity—Joerg Lutzner
in cab design for off-highway vehicles
of Continental, Germany
• Advanced Vehicle Technology between India and developed countries,
• On Board Diagnostics—Dr. Venkat
Research at U.S. National Labs— as there is a tendency for people in
Srinivas of Ashok Leyland Ltd, Chennai
Dr. Donald G. Hillebrand of SAE India to use the cab as a temporary
• Mass Transportation Opportunities
International, USA shelter/comfort zone during off-work-
and Challenges—Vikram Kapur, IAS—
• Skill Development for Employability— ing hours; this is not the case in
Commissioner of Chennai Corp.
Dilip Chenoy of National Skill advanced countries. Marathe elaborated
Development Corp., New Delhi upon the homologation and vehi-
• Improving Safety on Indian Roads— Panel discussion cle-certification requirements and how
Technologies and Policy Changes The highlight of the conference was the his organization has been working
Required—Randall B. Clark of panel discussion moderated by Dr. Arun closely with different vehicle segments
Michelin, USA Jaura, Managing Director of Traktion, toward achieving synergy. Sarangarajan
• Emission Technologies in Commercial with participation from leaders encom- exhorted the mobility engineering com-
Vehicles—A Global Perspective— passing the entire mobility industry. The munity to appreciate the “emotional
Tom Stover of Eaton Corp., USA topic was rightly chosen as “Developing aspect” an owner has toward his/her
• Advanced Engine Technologies for Tomorrow’s Synergistic Solutions for vehicle so that field issues are not
Improving Commercial Vehicle Fuel Commercial & Personal Mobility in viewed/solved from an engineering per-
Efficiency—Lukas Walter of AVL, Emerging Markets.” The list of panelists spective only. Schulte shared his experi-
Austria included: ences of working in the USA and in the

10 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 SAEINDIA
News
aspects of mobility in line with the
theme of the conference and also pro-
vided a forum to stress the importance
of skill development for employability
and also mass transportation opportu-
nities and challenges.”
Said Goenka, Patron of SIMCOMVEC:
“Though the Indian market has been
steadily growing to reach sixth position
in personal mobility space, recent statis-
tics on product development indicate
that less than 10% of the design activities
are carried out in India. The situation is a
little better for the commercial vehicle
segment, where about 90% of the
design is carried out domestically.
Automobile wars are fought in R&D and
not in showrooms. Enhanced design and
American Axle was one of the exhibitors.

India commercial vehicle market, high-

lighting the expectations of these mar-
kets and how the advanced
technologies have to be rightly fitted to
find their place in emerging markets.
Chowdhury urged the mobility practi-
tioners to believe in the capability of
their own community and challenged
the automotive industry executives to
move toward zero physical prototypes
through enhanced virtual prototype
build and simulation. Bharadwaj con- The Apollo Tyres booth.
nected with the audience through a
description of the latest technologies in
development activities within the coun-
alternative powertrain and advanced
try will give global recognition to India
telematics, and also explained how
and the necessary sustainability to the
Indian engineers need to leverage fru- Srivats Ram, MD, Wheels India Ltd., industry.”
gal engineering to overcome the unique delivered the curtain-raiser. Ramasami said: “Automobile R&D is
challenges faced by the industry.
a priority sector for the government.
sion, delegate registrations, and A long-term plan document is under
The finale exposition.” He urged the mobility com- preparation for putting together a tech-
The SIMCOMVEC Conference was suc- munity to continue to support nology mission which includes mobility
cessfully concluded Dec. 7 with Dr. SAEINDIA initiatives in organizing more and transportation as key components.
T. Ramasami participating as the Chief such events. Investments in technology and devel-
Guest and Dr. Pawan Goenka as the In providing a summary of the four- opment by different automotive organi-
Guest of Honor. Additional dignitaries on day event, Sampath said: “We are zations are being viewed as Corporate
the dais included Hillebrand, Schutt, extremely pleased to inform that this Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives,
Marathe, Bharadwaj, and Sampath. conference has significantly outper- which the government is willing to con-
In opening remarks at the closing formed the earlier mobility conferences sider favorably for tax benefits and
ceremony, Marathe said: “We are in terms of number of sponsors, num- concessions.”
delighted to have successfully con- ber of technical papers, and number of Dr. K.C. Vora, Chairman, SIMCOMVEC
ducted SIMCOMVEC for the first time in technical sessions, and has been on par Technical Committee, announced the
India that saw overwhelming participa- with the earlier conference, APAC16 awards for different categories such as
tion from the industry in the form of 2011, in terms of delegate registrations, Best Domestic Paper, Best International
sponsorships, plenary speeches, techni- paper presentations, and sponsorships. Paper, Best Student Paper, Best Oral
cal paper presentations, panel discus- The event touched upon different Presentation, Best Stall, etc., which

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 11

SAEINDIA
News
were handed over by the dignitaries on
the dais.
Said Hillebrand: “The past four days
have been a wonderful experience
wherein SAE International and SAEINDIA
came together to successfully pull
together a large event of this magnitude.
This conference will help identify best
practices and standardize technologies
for the future.”
While congratulating the team for
successfully conducting the program,
Schutt said: “This conference is just the
beginning of joint activities planned
between SAE International and
SAEINDIA. Many areas of cooperation
have been identified for joint efforts
including professional development
programs, technical magazines, and
marketing of the SAE brand in India.”
The Vote of Thanks was given by
Sampath.
Participants of the high-profile panel discussion.

Launch of Mobility Engineering at the inaugural function.

Professional development Applus IDIADA, and the PDP on con-

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Executive Director
nected vehicles was organized with
programs extensive support from Mahindra,
and President – AFS, M&M Ltd.,
addressing the audience at the
On Dec. 2 and 3, two professional devel- Microsoft, Ford, and Vodafone. valedictory function.
opment programs (PDPs) had been The training programs saw about 40
conducted. In line with the theme of the registrations each from industry and
conference, one program focused on academia. A live demo was arranged by while Mahindra gave the demo of
“Current and Future Safety Trends in Wabco for the participants who traveled Advanced Navigation System and Voice
Automotive Industry” and the second to its test track in Ambattur to see first- Activated Controls on its XUV5OO W8
touched upon “Connected Vehicles.” The hand the advancement of safety tech- model.
PDP on safety was organized with active nologies. Ford and Microsoft showcased By Dr. Arunkumar Sampath, Chairman,
participation from Mahindra, Wabco, and their development of SYNC in a vehicle Organizing Committee, SIMCOMVEC 2013.

12 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

Industry
NEWS
India first to see
Datsun design vision;
Go en route
Nissan’s Datsun unit Jan. 22 released a
sketch of a concept car, saying it “rep-
resents a possible direction for the fu-
ture expansion of Datsun’s model line-
up for up-and-coming young custom-
ers in high-growth markets such as
India.” The actual concept car was to
have its world premiere Feb. 5 as part
of the Delhi Auto Expo 2014, but this
issue went to press prior to the an-
nouncement. Datsun already has one
production car en route; called the Go, Knorr-Bremse’s new Commercial Vehicle Systems plant in Hinjawadi-Pune includes a
it’s a five-seat hatchback with a 1.2-L state-of-the-art technology center that serves both commercial and rail-vehicle sectors.
engine and five-speed manual trans-
mission. It is scheduled to go on sale in
India early this year at a price below
INR 400,000. The Go is built near
manufacture a range of products, includ-
ing brake cylinders, valves, pedal units,
Tata Sikorsky JV
Chennai and had its global premiere air dryers, slack adjusters, compressors,
producing fully
and an internally developed lift-axle sys- indigenous S-92 cabins
tem for the Indian CV market. One factor The India joint venture established be-
driving the company’s decision to build a tween Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL)
new Rail Vehicle Systems plant in Palwal and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has announced
is the planned expansion of the transport that its S-92 helicopter cabin production
infrastructure in India, with a modernized in India has become 100% indigenous. The
railway network one of the main pillars. India operation is not only assembling
As a result, existing rail vehicles are being cabins but also producing all parts needed
upgraded and orders placed for new pas- for the assembly, before shipping the
senger coaches and freight cars. The new cabins to the U.S. for aircraft completion
and customer delivery. The S-92 helicop-
Datsun concept. plant offers around 26,000 m² (280,000
ter cabin and more than 5000 associated
ft²) of production and office space where
precision components are made in
July 15, 2103, in Delhi. Much of Go R&D 500 employees manufacture brake Hyderabad, India. The Tata Sikorsky India
and engineering was done locally. control systems, bogie equipment, com- JV also announced the Hyderabad facility
Nissan employs about 12,000 people in pressors, and air dryers for rail vehicles of TASL completed another significant
India and considers Chennai “a strategic primarily for the Indian market and in milestone by producing its 50th S-92
hub for production, R&D, and exports” close collaboration with certified regional helicopter cabin. The TASL facility now has
for Nissan. suppliers. The design of the building the capacity to produce up to four cabins a
conforms to green building standards, month and is responsible for future design
helping reduce its carbon footprint. modifications.
Knorr-Bremse opens Indian
plants and R&D center for
rail and CV systems
Knorr-Bremse has expanded its produc-
tion capacity in India in both the rail- and
commercial-vehicle (CV) sectors with the
opening of two new facilities in Palwal
and Pune, as well as a new Development
Center in Pune to be shared by its two
divisions. These investments total around
€40 million. The new Commercial Vehicle The Sikorsky
S-92 helicopter
Systems plant in Hinjawadi-Pune offers features a cabin
12,000 m² (129,000 ft²) of production and with a stand-up
office space for its 250 employees to height of 6 ft.

14 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 Industry
NEWS
Tata launches family
of gasoline engines
Tata Motors on Jan. 20 announced the
launch of a new gasoline engine family
for Tata passenger vehicles called
Revotron. The first to come out of the
family of three- and four-cylinders is the
four-cylinder Revotron 1.2T, a turbo-
charged unit delivering 140 N·m (103
lb·ft) from 1750-3500 rpm and 85 PS (84
hp) maximum power at 5000 rpm. Bore
is 75.0 mm (2.95 in) and stroke is 69.5
mm (2.74 in). It has a single overhead
camshaft (two valves per cylinder) and a
compression ratio of 9:3. The injectors
have eight holes and function under an
“innovative calibration strategy.” Tata
worked closely with several companies
in developing the engine, including AVL, India’s Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel tours the A380 at the India Aviation 2008
Bosch, Honeywell (the turbocharger is a Air Show.
water-cooled unit with low-mass wheel),
Mahle, and INA. without additional flights to capture this lysts production capacity in Chennai,
growth. Previously, carriers were banned India. Construction of a new 47,000-m²
from operating aircraft larger than the (506,000-ft²) facility commenced in
Boeing 747. December 2013, with operations startup
expected in the first quarter of 2015. Nine
manufacturing lines will be housed in the
BASF expands catalyst new site, producing heavy-, light-
production in India to duty, and motorcycle emissions control
catalysts. Once operating at full capacity,
support emissions regs the site is expected to employ about
BASF Catalysts India Private Ltd. is 300 people. “The pending expansion of
expanding its mobile emissions cata- Bharat Stage IV (Euro IV equivalent)
emissions control regulations in
India combined with overall vehi-
cle production growth will drive
a significant increase in demand
The Revotron 1.2T is a turbocharged unit for our advanced emissions
delivering 140 N·m (103 lb·ft) from 1750– control solutions,” said Anup
3500 rpm and 85 PS (84 hp) maximum Kothari, Vice President, Mobile
power at 5000 rpm. Emissions Catalysts Asia Pacific.
“BASF is investing to more than
A380 receives approval double our manufacturing
for operations in India capacity in India to help custom-
ers meet these emerging needs.”
The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation has In addition to existing catalyst
approved the operations of the Airbus technologies such as the three-
A380 in India. A booming economy, a way catalyst, diesel oxidation
growing middle class, migration, urban- catalyst (DOC), and catalyzed
ization, and tourism are all factors push- soot filter (CSF), the advanced
ing India to become one of the world’s SCR (selective catalytic reduc-
fastest growing aviation markets. Larger tion) system also will be locally
aircraft such as the A380 combined with manufactured, ensuring “world-
BASF manufactures various catalyst solutions to
higher load factors make the most effi- class heavy-duty diesel produc-
help control heavy-duty diesel emissions. The
cient use of limited airport slots and company plans to produce such technologies in tion capabilities in the region,”
contribute to rising passenger numbers its new India facility. the company claims.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 15

TECHNOLOGY
Report
AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAIN
Mazda plots Wankel-powered range extenders, HCCI mild hybrids
The problem with electric drive systems
is that they are too electrified. That’s
Mazda’s view, judging from the compa-
ny’s plans to fortify internal-combustion
technology so that hybrids and EVs can
carry smaller electric motors and batter-
ies, making them lighter and cheaper.
For mainstream products, that means
piston engines that feature homogeneous-
charge compression ignition (HCCI) and
adiabatic design. For EVs, Mazda is eye-
ing a compact, quiet, and smooth range
extender using the company’s signature
Wankel rotary engine to power a small
onboard generator.

HCCI and adiabatic

development
Today’s Mazda SkyActiv engines employ
non-typical compression ratios—14:1 for
gasoline engines and the same CR for
diesel. This focus on optimal combustion
Mazda illustrates how its compact 330-cc single-rotor rotary engine (shaded blue
lays the groundwork to move into HCCI, here) compares in size to a piston engine of equivalent power.
according to Takahisa Sori, Managing
Executive Officer for research and devel-
opment at Mazda Motor Corp. range in which they can run in HCCI decreasing volumes (in the RX-8 sports
These engines and their successors mode, but Mazda expects to expand that car). The rotary has struggled since the
will be normally aspirated rather than range with improvements to the fuel 1990s to meet increasingly stringent
turbocharged, because normally aspi- injection system. Meanwhile, matching emission regulations.
rated engines’ quicker response is better the HCCI engine to a hybrid-electric “We engineers at Mazda are very
suited to Mazda’s focus on fun-to-drive drivetrain will let the HCCI gas engine run proud of the rotary engine,” Sori said.
cars, he explained. And while reduced- in its most efficient operating range, let- “Therefore, we have been continuing
displacement turbo engines can achieve ting the electric motor assist as needed. research and development of the rotary.”
high efficiency on standardized tests, In this de-emphasized role, the elec- One benefit of Mazda’s six decades of
such engines commonly disappoint tric motor and battery need not be as experience with the technology that
customers with their real-world fuel large as in conventional hybrids, reduc- yields benefits for today’s piston-engine
economy, he pointed out. ing their cost. programs is a thorough understanding of
Hence Mazda’s continued refinement These improvements to the engine combustion. But rather than viewing the
of normally aspirated internal-combustion reduce the energy loss through the engine in romantic terms, Mazda is taking
engines. Because IC engines still waste exhaust but increase the heat loss to a hard-eyed approach to its potential
most of their energy in the form of heat, the cooling system. For SkyActiv 3, return to production. “If it will become
converting more of that to useful energy Mazda is pursuing adiabatic combustion, profitable, we will use it,” Sori said.
is Mazda’s focus for future engines, using insulation and possibly ceramic One potential application would be to
Sori said. materials to minimize cooling-related address driver concerns about EV range.
A lean-burning HCCI engine will help efficiency losses, Sori said. He did not Mazda2 EV customers list driving range
achieve that using a compression ratio offer a timetable for the delivery of as a top concern, and using a rotary-
that is even higher than today’s SkyActiv these technologies. powered range extender would alleviate
14:1 ratio. Diesel-like throttleless intake that, according to Takashi Suzuki, pro-
reduces pumping losses, and the com- Rotary redux? gram manager in Mazda’s powertrain
pany aims to trim friction losses by 20%. Meanwhile, Mazda is pursuing a new way development division.
Together these changes will boost fuel to preserve the relevance of its signature Aside from Mazda’s desire to find a
economy by 30% over today’s engines. rotary engine, which was dropped from 21st-century role for the rotary engine,
HCCI engines are limited in the load production in late 2011 due to steadily the design carries other benefits in com-

16 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT

So much energy
from burned
gasoline is wasted
as heat that
recovering lost heat
energy is the most
promising source of
increased
efficiency, said
Mazda engineers.

parison to a piston engine of equivalent

power. For example, radiated noise,
measured from 50 cm (19.7 in) with the
engine running at 3000 rpm while pro-
ducing 25 kW, is 87 dB for a rotary, com-
pared to 92 dB for a gas engine and 96
dB for a diesel, noted Suzuki.
A chart of vehicle road and wind
noise at speed closely tracks one show-
ing the noise produced by a rotary range
extender while making enough power to
propel a car at those speeds. This means
that an EV can use a pistonless rotary-
powered range extender without the
driver ever hearing it run, unlike range-
extender hybrids such as the Chevrolet
Volt and Cadillac ELR that use recipro-
cating engines to extend their EV range.
A 330-cm3 single-rotor Wankel can
produce 22 kW (29.5 hp) at 4500 rpm or Takahisa Sori, Managing Executive A rotary-powered range extender is an
28 kW (37.5 hp) at 6000 rpm, according Officer for Mazda R&D, says he is ideal EV solution because of its
to the company. Its compact size means leading Mazda’s powertrain focus compact size and multi-fuel capability,
it fits easily beneath the rear load floor of toward naturally aspirated solutions explained Takashi Suzuki, Program
a subcompact Mazda2. because they are more efficient in real- Manager for Mazda’s powertrain
world driving. development division.
Audi touted a similar solution in its A1
e-tron concept of 2011, which used a
15-kW (20-hp) 254-cc engine. The com- ment, Mazda’s approach installs the gas generator produces a continuous 20 kW
pany never developed the concept for engine and generator side by side, with a (27 hp), according to Suzuki.
production, however, saying it wasn’t belt drive geared to double the speed of Mazda has survived in a market domi-
cost-effective. Engineering-services com- the generator. Audi’s design stacked the nated by much larger rivals thanks to its
panies AVL and FEV also have shown generator atop the rotary engine, with a unconventional approaches to design and
Wankel-based range-extended EV pro- direct connection driving the generator engineering, so the company has an
posals that are under development. at engine speed. The faster-spinning established track record of bringing
Mazda’s design makes a key change. generator is 5% more efficient than one unorthodox solutions like these to market.
Aside from the slightly larger displace- turning at engine speed, and Mazda’s Dan Carney

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 17

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AUTOMOTIVE SIMULATION
Voith improves efficiency of
transmission components with
structure optimization software
As environmental standards become
stricter and consumer demands for
vehicles with greater fuel efficiency rise,
automotive suppliers need to support
their customers with lighter components
that will help meet the push for lower
emissions and better gas mileage. Voith
Turbo—a division of Voith GmbH that
specializes in hydrodynamic drive, cou-
pling, and braking systems for road, rail,
and industrial applications and ship
propulsion systems—determined that
one way to help meet these challenges
was to enhance the efficiency of its Voith uses SIMULIA’s Tosca Structure topology optimization software to reduce the
transmissions. weight of components such as the planet carrier in its DIWA automatic transmissions,
Voith targeted weight reduction one of which is seen in cross-section here.
through material savings as a primary
route to increase efficiency. Although its
engineers had already manually opti- moveable arm that itself rotates around own CAD system where modifications
mized their transmission designs, they the sun gear. were made to meet further casting
felt more savings could still be identified. Starting with CAD data of the carrier, parameters.
To find the optimum geometry of auto- the engineers first used Tosca Structure “By using Tosca Structure we found
matic transmission components, Voith to define the available design space by the best solution to realize material sav-
ings and increase efficiency in the prod-
uct development process of our
automatic transmissions,” said Bernd
Wöhrle, Technical Calculations
Commercial Vehicles, Voith Turbo.
The new design of the planet carrier
generated significant savings in material,
with a weight reduction of more than
30%. The more compact size of the
revised planet carrier permits an addi-
The updated design of the planet carrier maintained the required stiffness and tional component to be placed in the
lifetime, achieved considerable material and weight savings, and resulted in more molding box, allowing the same number
economical production.
of castings to be produced with fewer
casting processes. Voith’s experience
turned to topology optimization with subtracting functional areas and joint with Tosca Structure shows that even
Tosca Structure software from spaces to connecting areas. Restrictions designs that have already been manually
FE-DESIGN—now part of the Dassault placed on the optimization ensured that optimized still contain significant optimi-
Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE technology any design or manufacturing require- zation potential. The updated design of
portfolio under the SIMULIA application. ments are kept. In this case, the functional the planet carrier maintained the
Tosca Structure is a flexible, modular stiffness of the planet carrier—required to required stiffness and lifetime, achieved
software system for non-parametric guarantee bearing durability and equal considerable material and weight sav-
structural optimization, e.g., topology, load on the tooth flanks—was maintained. ings, and resulted in more economical
shape, and/or bead, using FEA. Voith Tosca Structure then automatically production.
Turbo used Tosca Structure to optimize identified areas that did not contribute “The topology optimization of our
a planet carrier component, part of to the force flux and removed the mate- planet carrier resulted in a lighter and
the gearing system in its DIWA auto- rials within these areas that were not more robust design as well as signifi-
matic transmission. Planetary gearing essential. Because requirements for the cantly higher production efficiency,”
systems consist of one or more outer, manufacturing process were taken Wöhrle said.
or planetary, gears that revolve around directly into account during optimiza- Sumanth Kumar, VP SIMULIA Portfolio
a central “sun” gear. The outer gears are tion, the design proposal could then Experience at Dassault Systèmes, wrote this
mounted on the planet carrier, which is a be easily transferred to Voith Turbo’s article for SAE Magazines.

18 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AEROSPACE PROPULSION | MANUFACTURING
Pratt & Whitney Canada streamlining design, manufacturing
processes
Pratt & Whitney Canada is transforming P&WC is taking a corporate-wide take some data and alter a tiny portion
its design and manufacturing processes, approach designed to make it simpler and the original intent of the data can
streamlining operations by eliminating for employees in different groups to be lost.”
steps, and improving connectivity and work together. Product life-cycle man- A central aspect of the program is to
compatibility. The moves are being made agement (PLM) tools will be a critical let all P&WC employees share design
to help the company improve and main- element in that transformation, provid- data. Many companies have acquired
tain its engines while also setting the ing an overarching structure for commu- hardware and software that fit their
stage for a move into 3-D manufacturing. nication and data sharing. requirements but are not compatible
with other equipment. PLM tools from
Dassault Systèmes will be a central
component of this evolving strategy.
“A lot of systems don’t talk to each
other. We need all of them to be con-
nected,” said Wyzykowski. “In the next
phase, we’ll link the multiple organiza-
tions that now have their own systems.
In the following phase, we’ll go to select
outside suppliers and set up a different
class of contractors that are compatible
with our systems.”
This compatibility will also ensure that
all P&WC employees are working from
what’s called a single version of the
truth. Data will be stored on servers that
can be accessed by any authorized
employee, ensuring that employees are
always working with up-to-date files.
The transformation will also help
P&WC adopt the newest technology
in manufacturing, ramping up its addi-
Pratt & Whitney Canada is transforming its design and manufacturing processes to tive manufacturing capabilities rapidly.
streamline operations. 3-D manufacturing can be quite helpful
in engine designs, since unusually
Many of the design and manufactur- “Early in 2013, we began a transforma- shaped parts can be built up in far less
ing processes at P&WC have evolved to tional change that’s being implemented time than comparable parts made with
meet the needs of disparate groups. across the enterprise,” Wyzykowski said. conventional subtractive processes such
That’s made it difficult to share informa- “Our designs go through 5101 hand-offs as milling. Additive processes can also
tion as remote sites and outsourcing today. We want to get that down to 1551, create complex designs as a single com-
have become more prevalent. These which is a 70% reduction. We have 160 ponent, simplifying manufacturing.
design and manufacturing trends, cou- applications. We hope to reduce that by Part of a $275 million investment over
pled with a number of business issues, 50% to 80. And now we have 25 bills of five years will go toward 3-D manufactur-
prompted the company to revamp its materials. We want to reduce that to one.” ing. The Quebec government recently
processes. Wyzykowski noted that when the contributed $19 million to this project.
“There’s been a lot of pressure on our company tracked the design process by Wyzykowski noted that the transition to
industry since the ’08 downturn,” said following all parts of the design from end 3-D PLM will be a major step for this
John Wyzykowski, Director of to end, each component had many move to additive manufacturing, eliminat-
Productivity, P&WC. “We’ve got 50,000 touch points when data files were ing the transitions that now occur when
engines operating now, and we think accessed. Often, no benefits were gained 2-D designs are transformed to 3-D parts.
we’ll be at 70,000 by 2020. We’d like to by the hand-offs that occurred when “PLM is an enabler for many things,”
service them with the same number of engineers passed these files along. he said. “The source for additive manu-
people. At the same time, about 20% of “Our philosophy going forward is that facturing is data in 3-D, so having 3-D
our employees will be eligible for retire- people won’t touch a file unless they’re PLM data will help us input data in 3-D
ment in the next few years, so we need going to improve it,” Wyzykowski said. and realize the output with a final part
to capture their knowledge so we can “We don’t want intermediaries to take ready for production.”
continue to innovate.” value out. For example, someone might Terry Costlow

20 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS
Wireless connectivity comes with major security threats
Preventing outsiders from hacking into that ensure that outsiders can’t send “The use cases of trusted apps must be
electronic systems is becoming a greater messages over vehicle networks. These understood and the access rights must
concern as wireless technologies be- approaches must work within the limita- be clearly defined and enforced to help
come the norm for vehicles. Automakers tions of vehicle networks. mitigate the security challenges.”
are employing different techniques to “One step to protect critical systems As automakers expand their engi-
reduce vulnerability, often by teaming up is to digitally sign safety-critical mes- neering programs to include security,
with partners that specialize in security. sages that travel on the CAN bus so that they’re leveraging knowledge gained in
To date, automakers have spent more the system only acts on messages that other fields. Many are linking up with
time worrying about protecting data are verified as authentic,” said Bjoern security specialists from fields where
from hackers who plug into vehicle Steurich, Cross Functional Team Lead at security has been needed for years. For
buses. But as more vehicles have Infineon Technologies AG. “This is prac- example, Visteon has worked closely
onboard telematics and advanced links tical, versus trying to encrypt all CAN with Secunet, a German information
to smart phones, the soaring volumes traffic, which cannot be done due to technology company that focuses on
are likely to attract malware developers. bandwidth issues.” security.
Companies throughout the supply chain Smart phones, which have already “We work with a security consultancy
are viewing the threat with concern. attracted the interest of hackers, will partner that assists us in determining
“Ultimately, wireless hacking will become one of the biggest threats once and assessing possible risks/threats and
become the biggest threat,” said Richard they start interacting closely with vehicle advises us of possible security measures
Soja, Distinguished Member of the Tech- infotainment systems. As more users that can be taken,” Mevissen said.
nical Staff at Freescale Semiconductor. connect their phones to the vehicles and Some OEMs, Tier 1s, and component
“There are a variety of methods for run apps that are tightly linked to the suppliers are altering their development
maintaining data confidentiality on infotainment systems, the surge in data teams to reduce vulnerabilities. For
the chip.” transfer is increasing the number of example, Infineon has altered some of its
Wireless hacking has not yet emerged potential threats to vehicle electronics. teams while noting that its customers
as a critical threat, but several research “There has been a shift by automak- are taking a similar tack.
projects have shown the potential danger ers to enable the secure installation of “We are seeing that OEMs are form-
and dramatically increased concern levels. trusted apps via an OEM-owned, cloud- ing dedicated teams to work on this at a
Component suppliers and subsystem based system,” said Bas Mevissen, Lead system level,” Steurich said. “Where
developers alike are devising techniques Security Software Architect at Visteon. there used to be separate groups looking
at security, body protection, and power-
train issues like tuning and intellectual
property protection, there are now more
cross-functional groups.”
Observers note that an expected
increase in communications may drive
expanded interest in security. Many
predict that regulators will require
vehicle-to-vehicle/-infrastructure com-
munications. When cars send messages
to each other and communicate with
roadside beacons, there’s potential that
hackers can cause accidents or jam up
traffic.
“When you start getting into vehicle-
to-vehicle communications, there’s a lot
of concern that a malicious attack on a
large basis, like someone sending out
malicious emergency braking commands
could gridlock an entire city,” said Gary
Miller, Staff Product Marketing Manager,
Body and Powertrain, Automotive
Marketing Unit at Renesas. “To stay
ahead of this when every car on the road
is talking requires handling a lot of mes-
sages, so vehicles will need even more
Visteon has teamed up with Secunet to address the many ways that hackers can attack processing capability.”
vehicle systems. (Secunet) Terry Costlow

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 21

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
OFF-HIGHWAY HYDRAULICS
Identifying operating states for equipment and system diagnostics
Machinery diagnostics require analysis mation in regard to the detection of development of the control and the
of the time series of sensor and control anomalies is usually obtained from oper- hydraulic systems of future autonomous
signals. To analyze the time series data, ating states that have the biggest mobile machines. The model and its
different operating states that describe changes in the analyzed variables. submodels, such as the hydraulic com-
the transients of the measured variables Researchers from Tempere ponent models, were verified by labora-
need first be detected. After that, some University of Technology studied the tory measurements, and the model has
higher level description should be used operating states of a wheel loader for proved its capability to even tune the
to further analyze these operating diagnostics purposes using a real-time control parameters of the control sys-
states. simulation model of an articulat- tem. From this perspective, it is also very
Finding operating states from the ed-frame-steered wheel loader. well suited for fault diagnostic research.
measured time series data requires seg- The wheel loader, referred to as a Altogether, 20 test-drives were carried
mentation of the time series data. GIM machine, was designed to serve as a out to obtain measurement data for
Segmentation is a method that allows platform for different types of research. analysis purposes. The measured data
the dividing of time series data into The frame of the machine is original, but comprised two different data sets:
smaller groups of data sets that describe the control system, electronics, and hydrostatic transmission and working
the patterns of the measured variables. hydraulics had been changed for a vari- hydraulics.
In segmentation, the time series data are ety of research purposes. Forty-one different operating states
transformed into piecewise representa- In this case, a hydrostatic transmis- were found from the measurement data
tion. A segment is a contiguous subset sion was implemented with an electroni- using the sliding window method with
of a time series. cally actuated variable displacement piecewise linear regression for time
Time series segmentation is often pump and fixed displacement motors.
used as a preprocessing step in time Steering was executed by a hydraulic
series analysis applications. Time series
segmentation is exploited in a wide
range of applications such as medical
diagnostics, analysis of financial time
series, speech processing, or sensor sig- The GIM research platform for
the recognition of operating
nal analysis. states of a wheel loader for
Typically, in modern machinery there diagnostic purposes. The
is already a lot of information available telescope and the bucket
about the operation of the machine, e.g., have been left off the
process and control data through com- figure for purposes
munication buses, which can be used in of clarity.
analysis. In addition to this, condition
monitoring specific sensors can also be
added to the system.
When all this information
from communication busses
and additional sensors is
recorded, it leads to the generation of a
huge amount of data. High dimensional-
ity complicates the processing of time
series data, especially from the pattern
recognition point of view. After segmen-
tation, the segments have to be orga- cylinder. The stroke of the steering cylin- series segmentation and the k-means
nized into groups of similar members so der was controlled by means of an elec- algorithm for the clustering and classifi-
that data can be classified against these tronically actuated proportional valve as cation of the pre-processed segments.
groups. This grouping process is often well as other cylinders (boom, telescope, The recognized operating states were
referred to as clustering. and bucket) in the working hydraulics. further analyzed using the quantization
A cluster is a collection of objects that Separate fixed displacement pumps error method to detect anomalies.
are similar between them and are dis- were used for the steering and for Simulated leakages in the main hydraulic
similar to the objects belonging to other the working hydraulics. A real-time components (HST pump and control
clusters. These clusters are then inter- hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation valve) of the hydrostatic transmission and
preted to be operating states. model for the GIM machine had been working hydraulics were used as anoma-
Diagnostics can now be focused on developed using the Matlab/Simulink lies. One operating state from both data
these operating states or even a single environment for the GIM research project sets were selected as examples. One
interesting operating state. Most infor- (www.gim.tkk.fi). It is used mainly in the state was from the situation where the

22 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AUTOMOTIVE INTERIORS |
ELECTRONICS
Module blocks
texts to reduce
distractions
As telecom suppliers and insurance com-
panies strive to leverage connected-car
technology and increase revenues from
autos, they’re also attempting to reduce
the dangers of distracted driving. Sprint
Example of the machine’s has focused on texting while driving,
drive path on a test field coming out with a tool that will block
with simulation. texting functions when the vehicle is in
motion.
restricted to a specific machine
type. The thresholds in seg-
mentation and anomaly detec-
tion need be defined based
on specific applications and
need specific knowledge about
the operation of the system.
The selection of critical
Time series analysis and state recognition. measurement signals describ-
ing the operation of the
machine also requires knowledge Sprint’s technology blocks texting and
machine was reversed and the other in prevents football fans and others from
which the boom was lifted up. Overall, about the machine. The operating checking websites while vehicles are
the quantization error was higher in case state recognition method enables the moving.
of internal leakage. From the mean of the detection of sudden critical faults as
quantization error, the anomalies can be well as slowly evolving faults like inter-
seen even more clearly. nal leakages, which were studied to Sprint has unveiled a text-disable-
Data-driven methods can be imple- demonstrate the functionality of this ment module that plugs into the vehicle’s
mented in different kinds of machines. proposed method. The simultaneous onboard diagnostic (OBD II) port. It
Insufficient sensor information may limit examination of several variables and blocks the driver’s cell phone from send-
the number of applications, but the anal- data sets enabled a more generic ing and receiving text messages and
ysis methods in general are not method of detecting several different surfing the Web when the vehicle is
anomalies and applying it to different moving. Incoming messages are stored
machine types. for later viewing, and users have the
In the future, longer and more option of responding with a message
versatile test runs will be performed, that says they’re currently driving.
different anomalies will be tested, and To underscore the benefits of text dis-
the operating state recognition method ablement, Sprint cited a Virginia Tech
will be implemented in a real machine. Transportation Institute study that said
This article is based on SAE International
drivers are 23 times more likely to crash
technical paper 2013-01-2409 by Tomi if they’re texting while driving.
Krogerus, Mika Hyvönen, and Kalevi “Other studies show that it’s more
Huhtala, Tampere University of Technology. dangerous to text while driving than
driving drunk,” said Nathan George, Vice
President of Technology at Modus, a ser-
vice provider for telematics companies.
Modus is a Sprint partner that devel-
oped the text-disablement software.
Some of Modus’ other work was in tools
Depiction of a simplified
hydraulic circuit of the that let fleet managers monitor accelera-
hydrostatic transmission tion and speed. That system yielded a
(HST) and the working 20-60% decrease in rear-end collisions,
hydraulics of this research George said.
platform. George said the critical factor for the
Sprint system is that it plugs into the

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 23

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
OBD II port, which eliminates some con- AEROSPACE INTERIORS | SIMULATION
cerns about cell-phone apps that prevent
texting while driving. The Sprint system Design software targets germs, dry air
will always be active, unlike cell-phone Concerns about airborne diseases and ductwork design, and the capabilities of
apps that can be disabled by users. It flu pandemics coupled with increasing electronic controllers that manage air
also removes a key concern for cell- passenger concerns about environ- movement, as well as the number and
phone users—battery life. mental conditions are prompting some position of passengers.
“A half dozen or so companies have aircraft designers to take a closer look at “Engineers can look at different
similar apps for smart phones, but they ventilation systems. In many instances, ductwork designs to see how they can
require turning on the GPS to block the improvements in air quality and clean- eliminate losses,” Harwood said.
screen above a certain speed,” George liness are being expedited by using “Nozzles also play a major role when
said. “The problem with that is that keep- design tools such as computational fluid designers are trying to develop more
ing the GPS on burns the battery quickly.” dynamics (CFD). efficient systems that draw less power.
Sprint hopes to expand its role in the
usage-based insurance market, which is
expected to grow at a compounded
annual growth rate of 81% from 5.5 mil-
lion at the end of 2013 to 107 million in
2018, according to ABI Research. One
facet of Sprint’s strategy is to make it
easy for insurance companies to roll out
new features.
“Text disablement enables auto
insurance carriers and self-insured orga-
nizations to improve driver risk assess-
ment and encourage good driving
behavior,” said Ben Vos, Vice President
of Emerging Solutions Group at Sprint.
George noted that the system creates
a limited zone so passengers’ phones
won’t be blocked. Though Sprint and
Modus have been working with a num-
ber of cell-phone providers for a while,
George said that not all of them let users
easily access the Modus app that links Product designers can analyze nozzle shapes and size to determine the
phones to the module. best airflow patterns. (Ansys)
“Apple refuses to let us block texting
Ansys is responding to this increased Designers want to reduce the amount of
while driving. They won’t let us in their
interest by upgrading its CFD tools to power drawn from engines.”
app store,” George said.
Terry Costlow let aircraft engineers look at 3-D environ- Electronic controls are central com-
ments as well as 2-D technologies such ponents, since they determine when fans
as electronics and ductwork simultane- will cycle on and off while also managing
ously. Ansys 15, unveiled late last year, temperature and humidity levels. Ansys
also claims to handle larger problems has expanded its software capabilities to
and complete analysis runs in short improve efficiency of these controls.
times. That could help ventilation experts “We’re doing more with automatic
improve air quality. code generation,” Harwood said. “Users
“With CFD software, you can look not can describe their requirements at the
just at airflow, but also at temperature functional level and the system gener-
distribution and humidity,” said Rob ates code that meets FAA standards.”
Harwood, Aerospace and Defense Harwood noted that increased use of
Industry Director at Ansys. “Our new tool CFD tools highlights the trend for aircraft
lets users track particulates like viruses to design to increasingly rely on modeling
see how they move and how they can be and simulation.
removed. Users can also look at deliber- “We’re going into an era when
ate threats to see what happens if some- designs can be optimized throughout
one releases contaminants on a plane.” the process,” he said. “Engineers can run
The need to combine 2-D and 3-D simulations at any stage to see how
files highlights the complex nature of minor tweaks impact complex designs.”
airflow management. Air quality is Terry Costlow
impacted by the efficiency of motors,

24 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 Allegro LED Driver ICs for
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E-mail: [email protected]
TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
OFF-HIGHWAY INTERIORS AUTOMOTIVE BODY
Displays add color to simplify operator tasks Volvo’s new
scalable
architecture puts
emphasis on safety
Scalable architecture is commonly
associated with chassis adaption for
Capacitive touch track or wheelbase dimensions and
input allows
suspension characteristics, plus other
operators to
wear gloves. facets including electronics and
hydraulics, to meet the needs of a
variety of model types. Volvo’s new
SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) is
For decades, off-highway vehicles typi- ators interact with the information on
all of that but it will also make a major
cally had one paint color outside and those screens. Touch input has become
contribution to the company’s aim that
monochromatic displays or gauges in- fairly common. Initially, resistive technol-
by 2020, no one should be killed or
side. Color displays are now transform- ogy was used in applications where
seriously injured in a new Volvo.
ing operator environments as hu- gloves are not required.
The super-safety-conscious company
man-machine interfaces make it easier But as capacitive sensing technology
will use the SPA to support environ-
for operators to understand complex advanced, equipment makers utilized it
mental integration, which even includes
tasks and diagnostic information. to make it possible for users to interact
developing technology to make the
“Color displays (HMIs) have brought with touch screens while wearing gloves.
interaction between its cars and cyclists
complex functions like advanced fault Capacitive sensors are evolving so oper-
safer.
detection, predictive maintenance, and ators can touch multiple points while
Jan Ivarsson, Senior Manager, Safety
data logging to life,” said Eddie Phillips, wearing gloves. Many of these systems
Strategy and Requirements, reveals that
Marketing Manager, Electronic Controls also sense proximity, so operators don’t
some 40% of the safety cage of the
and Software, for Eaton’s Hydraulics actually have to touch the screen.
next-generation XC90 (to be launched
Business. “Machine operators have a sim- “The major trend in touch screen
later this year) using the SPA will
pler operator interface, allowing them to technology, driven by the consumer
incorporate hot-formed boron steel for
focus on the task at hand. Displays can applications, is the increased adoption of
“significantly improved” strength but
provide real-time graphical feedback on Projective Capacitive (PCap) technol-
without adding mass or weight. The
the operating status of a machine, mak- ogy,” Phillips said. “PCap technology,
outgoing car used about 7% of the
ing it easier for the operator to make which is found in the Eaton VFX displays,
material.
changes to improve the overall perfor- has considerable advantages over resis-
mance and efficiency of the machine.” tive technology. It has better optical clar-
The graphical information data on ity and the support of gestures.”
liquid crystal displays improves effi- Along with improved efficiency, the
ciency for maintenance technicians as combination of touch input and LCDs is
well as operators. These screens can pro- lowering overall costs. Touch screens can
vide diagnostic data, directing attention replace a number of buttons and knobs,
to the parts that have failed. That’s espe- cleaning up interiors while improving
cially helpful when technicians must efficiency.
carry parts into the field. Operators and “Touch screens allow a simpler and
technicians continually want more data, often lower-cost instrument cluster by
causing a spiraling trend for designers. removing many physical buttons and
“As the amount of information on the input devices and replacing them with
display rises, higher resolution displays virtual touch buttons on the display,”
are required,” said Kirk Lola, Business Lola said. “In addition to the cost saving,
Development Manager at Parker the virtual buttons can have different
Hannifin Corp.’s Electronic Controls text and styles based on user prefer-
Division. “This allows more information ences, languages, and the operating
and graphical images to be displayed. In mode of the machine. Parker’s IQAN
addition, using a display that shows MD4 display can be programmed in a
operating condition along with error and wide variety of languages, including
status messages greatly reduces opera- Cantonese and Russian. This dynamic Jan Ivarsson is playing a key role in
tor confusion.” configurability would be impossible with supporting Volvo’s aim that by 2020, no
As equipment makers employ more physical buttons. one should be killed or seriously injured
LCDs, they’re also working to help oper- Terry Costlow in a new Volvo.

26 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
“This means that the SPA architecture
provides significantly improved protec-
tion in worst-case scenarios. But it also
facilitates innovative features that sup-
port the driver in avoiding accidents,”
said Ivarsson.
The need to develop preventative
safety systems alongside technology to
make accidents survivable when they do
occur, is exercising the minds of most
OEMs and has long been part of Volvo’s
R&D work.
Intelligence systems are central to
that and during the last decade
microprocessor development has
demonstrated rapid strides, particularly
when integrated with radar and vision
technology
Peter Mertens, Volvo’s Senior Vice Volvo’s next-generation XC90, due later this year, will include significantly increased
President for Research and Development, safety-cage strength without a weight penalty.

in the pursuit of safety beyond crash-

worthiness and into the realm of a
“crashless” environment. “Allowing the
car to act automatically is crucial when
moving towards the vision that future
cars will not crash at all,” he said. “The
technologies enabled by our new SPA
will bring us significantly closer to this
ultimate goal.”
Volvo is planning to widen its
programs to enhance safety issues
concerning other road users. As well as
pedestrians and animals, cyclists will
receive special attention.
In a world where pedal cycles
represent an increasingly large element
of individual transport, Volvo is focusing
on a further aspect of its safety
technology.
Said Ivarsson: “Communication with
cyclists around the car is a possible
Volvo’s pedestrian and animal safety alert systems will be expanded to provide
improved interaction between its cars and cyclists. extension of our groundbreaking
Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection
explains that it is this speed of evolution of their occupants. Rear-facing radar is technology. Providing the cyclist with
that the new SPA has been designed to used to detect an impact and trigger confirmation that he or she is seen by
assimilate, with a network incorporating pre-event tightening. the vehicle can make interaction
what he describes as having four domain The SPA will also carry technology to between cars and cyclists smoother and
masters: vehicle dynamics, safety, car help prevent unintentional road depar- safer in urban areas.”
body, and infotainment, each of them tures, by using autonomous steering Volvo is working with Swedish
linked into salient aspects of the whole intervention in critical situations, says company POC on the project. POC
vehicle architecture. Ivarsson. develops high-tech protective gear for
Mertens says this has created a single The SPA is also designed to accom- extreme sports’ athletes. The two com-
“nerve system,” and he adds that it will modate the implementation of autono- panies will exchange knowledge to
provide full control over all the connec- mous technologies “all the way to explore new ideas within safety and
tions in the vehicle: “This is unique in the self-driving cars,” he said. Car2Car and design, Ivarsson said.
industry.” Car2Infrastructure technology will be a A lot of safety technology will be rid-
Vehicles built off the SPA will benefit central part of the program. ing on the SPA.
from the next step in smart seatbelt Ivarsson is convinced of the need to Stuart Birch
pre-tensioning to enhance the security develop autonomous vehicle operation

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 27

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AEROSPACE BODY
Boeing examines expanded metal foils for lightning
protection of composite structures
With the implementation of major aircraft
structures fabricated from carbon-fiber-
reinforced plastic (CFRP) materials,
lightning protection has become a more
complicated issue to solve. One widely
used material for lightning strike protec-
tion of CFRP structures within the aero-
space industry is expanded metal foil
(EMF). EMF is currently used in both mil-
itary and commercial passenger aircraft.
An issue that has historically been an
area of concern with EMF is micro crack-
ing of paint on the composite structure,
which can result in corrosion of the
metal foil and subsequent loss of con-
ductivity. Researchers from Boeing
Research and Technology (BR&T) Representative input material parameters used for the various layers of the surface
examined the issues of stress and protection model.

Representative surface protection scheme

modeled using COMSOL Multiphysics. The
composite was modeled as two layers
indicated by the red and light blue regions.

displacement in the composite structure

layup, which contribute to paint cracking
caused by aircraft thermal cycling (i.e.,
ground-to-air-to-ground flight cycle).
There are several contributors to the Von-Mises stress patterns due to thermal air to ground heating cycle. EMF mesh
stress buildup, including the paint, bleed-through is evident in the central portion of the figure and relatively large
primer, corrosion-isolation layer, surfacer, displacement variations are observed above the metal and voids. Note that the
EMF, and the underlying composite sub- displacements have been magnified for illustrative purposes.
structure. BR&T focused primarily on the
EMF contribution to the cracking mecha-
nism, with computer-modeling analysis Though the full complexity of crack Al used for EMF, fiberglass is needed
performed using commercially available genesis is not included, some insight can between the aluminum and the structure
COMSOL Multiphysics software that was be gained regarding what the sensitive to prevent galvanic corrosion.
supported by data from limited experi- parameters of the EMF may be and the
mental testing. variations that can be employed to miti- CTE model and
The temperature cycle of the layers gate the resulting stress and displace-
was simulated using a coefficient of ments that lead to cracking.
experimental testing
thermal expansion (CTE) model devel- Of particular interest are the EMF Simulations were conducted over an
oped with the software. The simulation width, height, aspect ratio, composition— air-to-ground temperature range, typical
allows determination of the thermal aluminum (Al) or copper (Cu)—and of commercial aircraft applications.
stress and displacements that result. surface layup structure. In the case of The model assumed constant material

28 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT

EMF displacement dependence on metal mesh SWD/LWD Variation of the EMF width by a factor of 2.6 for both Al and
ratio for Al and Cu. (FG = fiberglass) Cu. For this parameter set, the displacement remains essen-
tially constant, but is significantly greater for Al than Cu.

Variation of the EMF height by a factor of 2.7 for both Al and Surface displacement of paint dependence on glass transi-
Cu. For this parameter set, the displacement increases with tion temperature, tg. For illustrative purposes, note that only
metal height and also is significantly greater for Al than Cu. the temperature dependence of the paint CTE was modeled.

parameters (CTE, heat capacity, density, Three EMF systems were evaluated: significant cracking in the overlap
thermal conductivity, Young’s Modulus, heavy expanded copper foil (ECF), light regions.
and Poisson’s ratio) over the nominal expanded aluminum foil (EAF), and
temperatures with the exception of the heavy EAF. Overall, the three EMF sur-
paint layer CTE, where a Fermi-Dirac face protection systems passed the paint
Evaluating the results
functional form was used. adhesion test. The heavy ECF, light and Quantitative determinations of stress
The objective of the experimental heavy EAF salt-spray exposure exhibited and displacement were not conducted in
testing was to assess a variety of candi- no paint blistering or corrosion. All three the experimental evaluations; however,
date lightning-strike material systems surface protection systems passed the qualitative agreement was observed
that have near-term potential of meeting wedge crack evaluation for absence of with the simulations since the EAF con-
performance requirements for both crack growth over time, demonstrating sistently exhibited greater displacement
lightning and long-term durability. The good adherence of the EMFs to the over the various parameter sets than the
particular tests were limited to the adhe- composite. ECF displacements. The researchers
sion, salt spray, wedge crack, and thermal The intermediate to longer duration associate greater thermally induced dis-
cycling environmental durability. thermal moisture cycling results indi- placements with increased probability
For thermal cycling, test coupons cated no surface issues with the that cracks will eventually become evi-
were placed in a test chamber similar to expanded copper foil system; however, dent. The displacement differences may
the range used for the simulations. At there was some cracking shown in the be small, but over thousands of cycles
prescribed cycles, a panel was removed micrographs at the primer for the light will eventually generate residual stress,
for examination. Surface cracks and fin- EAF system, some edge and surface defects, and result in cracking. From this
ish were evaluated and cross-sections cracks, and extensive cracks in the over- standpoint, both the simulations and
and photo-micrographs were made as lap regions. The heavy EAF system also testing indicate that Cu would be a
necessary. had some cracking on the surface and better choice for the EMF than Al.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 29

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
The individual parametric variations BUS MATERIALS
also suggest some interesting effects.
The parametric variation of SWD/LWD Ashok Leyland pursues stainless steel
(Short Way of the Diamond/Long Way
of the Diamond, as described by
for bus ‘super structures’
Dexmet, a commercial producer of
EMF) indicates that larger ratio, more
open EMF meshes lead to lower dis-
placements. The dependence is weak, Concept bus structure
but high thermal cycling has a cumula- with mixed-material
tive effect. From a weight perspective, concept, utilizing new
higher SWD/LWD is also desirable. ultra-light grades of
stainless steel. (Grey =
Provided the EMF function is not seri- SS 1.4003; Orange =
ously degraded, there appears to be Duplex steel LDX 2304;
benefit with the more open mesh from Tan = Duplex steel LDX
multiple perspectives. 2305; Yellow = SS
The effect of the additional layer of Nitronic 60 grade)
fiberglass under the EMF was consid-
ered. When the fiberglass was added
under ECF, the displacement was sig- The design approach for bus body Among the family of stainless steels,
nificantly increased. The remaining dif- architecture has gone through different ferritic stainless steel exhibits excellent
ference between EAF and ECF is most phases—namely, chassis based, semi mechanical properties with corrosion
likely due to the larger CTE of alumi- integral, integral, and monocoque. resistance and better strength-to-
num by about 35%. Equally varied is the choice of material weight ratio compared to the galvanized
Examination of the thermally for the bus “super structure,” the mild steel. Stainless steel, by virtue of its
induced displacements suggests that predominant materials being mild steel higher strength-to-weight ratio, brings
there is little cracking penalty from with galvanization, stainless steel (SS), down the unladen weight of the bus and
increasing the width of the EMF. Hence, and aluminum. hence improves its fuel efficiency.
if greater current-carrying capability is Researchers at Ashok Leyland make Although the initial material cost is
desired from the EMF protection func- a case for choosing stainless steel for the higher for stainless steel, it still scores
tion, increased width appears to be a complete bus structure. With rapid better in other areas, namely lower
viable approach. Of course, increased development in infrastructure and the weight, less frequent replacement,
width leads to greater weight penalty, public mass transit system, particularly in lesser downtime, and better recyclabil-
and these conflicting requirements the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and ity. On the whole, the lower life cycle
need to be balanced. China) countries, a robust structure for cost (LCC) offsets the initial material
Alternatively, the increased current- buses that is durable and crashworthy cost and yields rich dividends to the end
carrying capacity of the EMF layer may has become imperative. customer.
also be realized with increasing height.
However, height increase is not as desir-
able as it leads to greater displace-
ments and hence cracking likelihood.
The researchers also observed that
the paint glass transition temperature
(tg) had an influence on the displace-
ment of the surface layer. Moving the tg
above the nominal temperature perfor-
mance range reduced the displace-
ments by a factor of about 1.6 for the
CTE temperature profile used. However,
to make any definitive conclusions the
temperature dependence of the modu-
lus also needs to be incorporated.
These dependencies have not been
included here, but are expected to be
the subject of future
simulations.
This article is based on SAE International
technical paper 2013-01-2132 written by
Jeffrey Morgan, Robert Greegor, Patrice
Ackerman, and Quynhgiao Le of Boeing Comparison of mechanical properties of stainless steel and carbon steel. (International
Research and Technology. Stainless Steel Forum)

30 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
Why stainless steel?
The salient features of SS that make the
material suitable for bus structures are
superior mechanical and thermal proper-
ties, corrosion resistance, low LCC,
optimized structure weight, and full
recyclability.
The thermal properties play a signifi-
cant role when the structure is exposed
to very high temperatures during weld-
ing. The residual stresses in the structure
thereby are reduced, which is a direct
benefit in terms of the durability and
longevity of the structure. Due to its
superior thermal stability, SS retains its
structural integrity much longer than
that of carbon steel structure and even
longer than that of aluminum.
Stainless steel, by virtue of 10-12%
chromium content, has the intrinsic
property to resist corrosion even in Stainless steel is finding more extensive use in India for applications such as metro rail.
(Indian Stainless Steel Development Association)
extreme corrosive environments. The
chromium forms a passive layer of
chromium oxide on the surface of the wax oil to protect it from erosion and ments, roof-mounted AC/CNG/hybrid
structure. Even in the event of damage corrosion. supports, and reinforcements for rollover
to this layer, it has “self-repairing” prop- Manufacturing SS in complex shapes compliance.
erties that help form the passive layer. could be costly, but the type of profiles The floor structure differs significantly
Galvanized steel, on the other hand, used in the bus body structure are simple according to the architecture of the bus.
loses its zinc coating in three to four tubes, channels, and formed sheet metal For instance, a traditional floor structure
years, which leads to severe corrosion of parts. So again, this is not a concern. has chassis C frames and outrigger,
the structure. While corrosion leads to Looking ahead, new ultra-light grades whereas evolved structures have sturdy
poor aesthetics, it also adversely affects of SS are being formulated that can be longitudinal hat sections that are inte-
the reliability of the structure, compro- readily adopted for bus structures. grated with equally strong transverse
mising crashworthiness. These materials have to be judiciously box sections.
With increasing awareness of the used at critical locations to enhance the The researchers from Ashok Leyland
characteristics of stainless steel and its strength-to-weight ratio without drasti- restricted their analysis to a monocoque
long-term benefits, the developing BRIC cally increasing the price. city bus structure that is 8 m (26 ft) in
countries are embracing SS in a big way. length, because city buses carry the
In India, the Indian railways, one of the maximum number of passengers espe-
largest rail networks in the world, have The ‘super structure’ cially during peak hours and are subject
already started migrating to stainless The bus super structure is often divided to variable loading during its service
steel. Also with the advent of metro rail into the following basic assemblies, each cycle.
transportation in India, these coaches of which has further subassemblies: roof When it comes to the type of struc-
perhaps will have SS content from local structure, side structures, floor structure tural members used in a super structure,
manufacturers. or under frame, and add-on structure it is primarily square/rectangular tubes
Earlier SS applications in the BRIC such as front and rear fascia reinforce- and sheet metal parts. Of course, there
regions required either importing the
complete end assembly or getting the
individual members and fabricating
in-house. With such extensive demand
and usage of SS, the necessary raw mate-
rial availability is no longer a concern.
Another perceived challenge relates
to painting SS because of poor adhesion
properties on a smooth surface. This will
not be a bottleneck in the case of a bus
Difference in
structure, which is always covered by cumulative structure
outer panels and hence no painting for weight between SS
aesthetics is required. However, the and conventional
underbody is given a protective coat of steel.

32 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
are other profiles such as L angles, hat
sections, channel sections, Z profiles, and
other custom-formed profiles out of
sheet metal.
Irrespective of the dimension of tubes
or the profile of the sheet metals, the
costing is done based on weights. Hence,
the weights of all the tubular sections of
the super structure are grouped under
one head, totaling 923 kg (2035 lb), and
all the sheet metal profiles under the
other, totaling 717 kg (1581 lb).

Life-cycle costing
LCC is a widely used technique to account
for various costs incurred by the cus-
tomer directly or indirectly starting from
raw material, processing or conversion,
manufacturing, assembly, logistics, main-
tenance, recyclability, and much more. It
is a very useful tool especially during the
process of material selection at the con-
cept phase of design.
In the present context, this technique
is used to compare the LCC of a SS bus
structure and a conventional galvanized
steel structure. The LCC is calculated for
the desired life cycle of a bus, which is 12
years according to the “Urban Bus
Specifications–II” report published by
Ministry of Urban Development,
Government of India. The typical life of
a bus is expected to be in the range of LCC trend over the expected life of a bus. The initial cost difference
of stainless steel is bought back in 2.3 years compared to
10–15 years.
conventional structural steel and in 4 years compared to galvanized
The various components that contrib- steel of equivalent strength.
ute to the cost of the super structure
include raw material cost, fabrication
cost, maintenance/replacement cost,
and recyclability benefits. higher costs, followed by the equiva- more than 10 years. Over a 12-year span,
In the given scenario, three different lent-strength galvanized steel and then the galvanized steel structure is
materials are considered: ferritic stainless the conventional steel. expected to be replaced twice before the
steel of 320-MPa (46.4-ksi) yield Owing to the difference in yield complete vehicle is scrapped. The SS
strength, galvanized steel also at 320 strengths, the SS structure and the structure is considered to be refurbished
MPa, and a conventional structural steel equivalent EN10219 galvanized structure only once.
of 240 MPa (34.8 ksi). The raw material are lighter than the conventional IS 4923 The comprehensive LCC comparison
and fabrication cost in itself is a sum structure by 233 kg (514 lb). This directly for a 12-year span reveals that the SS
total of various components. translates into better fuel economy and structure is about 2.5 times less expen-
It becomes evident from the cost hence reduced operating cost, as well as sive than the equivalent-strength galva-
breakup that the mild steel incurs addi- a reduced carbon footprint. nized structure, and about four times
tional cost for hot dip galvanizing. Also, Tire life is another critical factor. With less expensive than the conventional
this process involves sophisticated infra- reduced unladen weight of the bus (the galvanized steel structure.
structure with stringent safety require- bus does not run at full capacity all the This article is based on SAE International
ments. Besides the cost, this process time), the tires are loaded less and their technical paper 2013-01-2418 by Sreedhar
increases the manufacturing cycle time life increases significantly. Reddy and Vignesh T. Shekar of Ashok
Regarding maintenance or replace- Leyland, Ltd.
by 15%, as reported in Australian
Stainless magazine. ment cost, the life of a galvanized steel
Having worked out the raw material structure is not more than four years,
and fabrication cost per kilogram, SS beyond which it starts to rust. The mini-
tube and sheet at this point result in mum expected life of a SS structure is

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 33

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AEROSPACE MATERIALS
Heated air technology helps optimize CFRP assembly
In today’s assembly of large and complex technology. The second example is
carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) the shimming of gaps between a
components, such as passenger-aircraft VTP center box and metallic parts
vertical tail planes (VTPs), liquid resin- attached to the box.
based materials are used for several
applications. Commonly, these materials Tolerance
are used to close gaps between the compensation using
CFRP single parts during assembly
(shimming) or to smooth outer surfaces
resin-based materials
to fulfill aerodynamic requirements Large and complex parts made of
(aerodynamic sealing). CFRP commonly show larger toler-
ances regarding form and thickness Curing time of the used sealant material
Depending on temperature and air
accuracy compared to metal parts dependent on the curing temperature.
humidity, these materials generally
require curing times up to 12 h. From an since higher accuracy would directly
efficiency and cost optimization perspec- lead to exponentially higher costs of
tive in running aircraft production, such the single parts. Therefore, as a com-
long curing times are definitively waste in promise, tolerance compensation
terms of lead time (critical path). has to be performed as part of the
By heating and/or air-conditioning assembly process.
these resin-based materials, the com- Shimming has to be performed
mon curing time can be drastically between the single parts to close
reduced—to 2 h. Due to the use of gaps that are caused by stack-up of
heated air—instead of, for example, heat- thickness tolerances and to guarantee
ing lamps—the curing process can reli- correct transfer of loads through the
parts and the fastener elements. Curing time of the used shim material
ably be controlled, without any risk of
dependent on the curing temperature.
overheating and destroying the sealant Closing gaps on the outer surface of
of shim material. assembled components, or aerody-
reduced; a decreased temperature leads
to longer curing times. Especially during
winter (with shop-floor temperatures
less than 20°C), this could lead to curing
times of up to 16 h.
In addition, a minimum relative
humidity is necessary for the initiation of
the chemical curing reaction (vulcaniza-
tion). Especially during winter, relative air
humidity could be less than 10%, which
Vertical tail plane
(VTP) of a single- leads to further extension of the curing
aisle passenger time.
aircraft showing The used shim material is a two-com-
gaps on the outer ponent epoxy-based compound from
surface (in red) that Henkel. The curing time at 20±3°C is 9 h.
have to be filled by By increasing the temperature, the cur-
aerodynamic
sealing. ing time can be reduced to less than 2 h.

Improved aerodynamic
sealing with heated air
Heating (IR) lamps have traditionally
Researchers from Airbus Operations namic sealing, has to be performed to been used to heat the sealants; however,
GmbH and Marcotodo GmbH describe smooth the surface. the heat distribution on the surface is
two applications of heated air technol- The sealing material is a two-compo- very uneven, leading to uneven curing of
ogy for the accelerated curing of res- nent polysulfide-based compound from the sealant. There also is a risk of over-
in-based shim and sealant materials. The Chemetall. With the current product heating and damaging the sealant, or in
first example is the aerodynamic sealing variant, the curing time is about 8 h at the worst case, the CFRP material itself.
of a VTP; curing time of the aerodynamic 23°C to achieve a hardness of Shore A ≥ To overcome this risk, a new technol-
sealant can be reduced by 8 to 10 h 30 of the cured material. By increasing ogy was introduced using heated air
using the newly developed heated air the temperature, the curing time can be instead of lamps. By using heated air

34 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT

Heat distribution inside heated air tube. The air temperature inside the system can be
controlled very accurately, within a range of ±3°C.

The air temperature inside the system only possible for less complex part
Heat distribution on the surface when can be controlled very accurately (by geometries—e.g., flat or slightly curved
using heating lamps (example). means of internal heating elements) surfaces. For complex surfaces, heated
within a range of ±3°C, which meets the air again becomes an interesting option.
curing requirements for the sealant For joining the rudder with the VTP
material. center box, aluminum hinge arms have
To maintain a relative humidity to be assembled to the center box. Shim
between 10% and 90%, a humidity con- has to be used to fill the gaps between
trol unit can be added to the system. the rudder hinge arms and the rear spar
In first trials using the prototype, the of the center box to guarantee accurate
operational readiness of the heated air positioning of the hinge arms and rudder
tube system could be demonstrated. A hinge line. The heat introduction into the
curing time of 2 h was achieved includ- interface between hinge arms and the
ing temperature ramp-up and installa- rear spar cannot be realized with a heat-
tion time. The next step will be the ing mat or other conventional heating
The prototype heated air tube system, introduction of serial heated air tubes. elements due to the complex assembly
bottom view (top left), inside view situation. In particular, thermal expansion
(bottom right), ventilating fan (top of the surrounding fittings has to be
right), and control unit (bottom left). Improved tolerance avoided. Therefore, a specifically
compensation with adapted heated air tooling was devel-
flowing slowly and continuously over heated air oped that fits to the hinge arms.
the sealant material, a homogeneous
Heat can also be used to decrease the In this case, the heated air system
heat distribution and curing process
curing time of shim material. As risk consists of two L-profiles that fit to the
can be realized. The maximum tem-
mitigation, heating lamps are no longer geometry of the dedicated hinge arm.
perature on the surface cannot be
used in the assembly of the VTPs. Since the geometry of each hinge arm is
higher than the maximum air tempera-
Another possibility to introduce heat is different, individual systems have to be
ture independent of the position of the
using flexible heating mats or metallic used per hinge arm. Rubber lips at the
system. Therefore, the curing process
heating elements (e.g., beams) that are edges of the L-profiles ensure a closed
can be reliably controlled, without any
placed on the surface with the shim inner room for the heated airflow. The
risk of overheating.
material underneath. In principle, this is profiles can easily be fixed at the part
Together with other specialized
using conventional clamping devices.
companies, including Oellerich and
The heated air system is connected to a
CFK-Valley Stade, dedicated tooling
dedicated fan heater with flexible hoses
was developed and introduced. It
and controlled by a control unit.
consists of a U-shaped air tube made
First trials at a test VTP were done
of CFRP. Vacuum cups are used for
using a prototype system. Again a curing
mounting the tooling onto the sur-
time of 2 h was realized. Next steps will
face without damaging it. Rubber
be the implementation of the heated air
lips at the edges guarantee a closed
system in serial production.
canal for the heated and moisturized
Heated air technology enables the sta-
airflow. The air tube is connected to a
bilization of the production process with
dedicated fan heater via flexible
regard to a clearly structured process
hoses. Several air tubes can easily be
and delivery planning since the curing
connected to each other depending
time remains the same independent of
on the length of the gap to be sealed.
the environmental conditions (tempera-
By means of a control unit, the air
ture and air humidity) in the shop floor.
temperature and humidity can be
adjusted, automatically controlled, This article is based on SAE International
technical paper 2013-01-2133 by Alexander
and recorded. An additional electrical Gessenharter and Bjorn Van Koppen of Airbus
heating system and temperature sen- Schematic representation of the heated air Operations GmbH, and Marc-Philipp Graf
sors are installed inside the air tube. system for accelerated curing of shim. Bethusy-Huc of Marcotodo GmbH.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 35

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AUTOMOTIVE TESTING
EVs and HEVs bring new dimensions to durability testing
The advent of electric vehicles (EVs) and
the steady increase in global acceptance
of hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) are
together introducing new dimensions to
automotive design and engineering tar-
gets. Electric motive power must achieve
ever tougher standards of required and
expected end-user demands. Among the
many salient issues it continues to raise
are weight and size of battery packs,
performance on inclines, and the crucial
concern of achieving realistic and de-
pendable driving range. Safety is also a
mainstream subject.
And there is the added matter of con-
vincing buyers of both EVs and HEVs of
their through-life durability and reliabil-
ity. Through all this runs the absolute
necessity to provide realistic value for Testing and proving EV and HEV
money, both initially and residually. technology brings added challenges to
automotive engineers.
So, in parallel with the automotive
industry’s development of solutions to
these challenges, the need to test and could be at risk of being ‘over engi-
prove them is vital. neered’ for the 98 people of that 100
It is a tough task, as Alastair Wynn, who will never see that event!”
Senior Engineer for Durability at the U.K. When durability testing, some sub-
Millbrook Proving Ground, experiences systems are plainly more critical than
daily as he deals with disciplines specific others. These include brakes and steer-
to EVs and HEVs alongside regular inter- ing, but specific testing should be con-
nal combustion engine-powered vehicles ducted independently of the whole
and the areas where their technologies vehicle test, said Wynn, and safety sys-
cross-link: “The common goal of durabil- tems including ABS, TCS, and stability
ity testing is to simulate the real world control should be exercised periodically
usage of a vehicle in an accelerated during the test to ensure functionality.
manner and to identify reliability, dura- “Accelerating real-world usage can be
bility, and, particularly for EVs, interface challenging. If there are a number of Millbrook Proving Ground Senior
issues so that they can be addressed.” events, these need to be sequenced Durability Engineer, Alastair Wynn,
Test requirements for EVs and HEVs without compromising test integrity. For stresses the importance of the interface
between systems on an EV or HEV.
are very different, but the way a test is example, it may be necessary to conduct
designed is the same, he explains, saying a number of pothole impacts and com-
that it is imperative that all eventualities plete a given distance of pavé. bespoke durability testing programs
that will be experienced in service are Conducting the pothole maneuver after developed.
covered without conducting unneces- the shock absorbers have risen in tem- Wynn added: “Areas for consideration
sary tests that an OEM or supplier does perature on a paved surface could give when testing HEVs and EVs that could
not need. unrealistic loads, due to reduced shock be different to ICEs include driving style,
Deciding just what is or is not needed absorber performance.” average trip distance, speed profile,
is extremely important. So it is essential Durability testing must always be standard and additional features of the
to establish the criteria of envisaged aligned with the intended in-service use vehicle, the target customer, and risk
usage by the end-user of a particular of the vehicle. This alignment covers assessment. Whilst many of these
vehicle and to then test accordingly: “For areas such as the intended market for appear to be the same as ICE vehicles on
example, out of 100 customers of a the vehicle, what type of vehicle it is, the first consideration, there are differences
C-segment (compact) vehicle, only two body style, including car compared with which need to be accommodated.”
may see vertical loads that are consid- van derivative, van, minibus, or chassis. A One is average trip distance, generally
ered excessive. As those loads may only single vehicle platform could carry many short in the case of pure EVs, the great
be seen twice during three years of data, body styles depending on its intended majority of which at present are only
is it necessary to test to the needs of use. All of these factors will determine practical for limited mileage, urban, stop-
those two customers? If so, the vehicle the validation regime required, and start travel. The second involves risk

36 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
assessment; special attention must be
paid to the risk of fire and the potential
danger presented to rescue services of
EV batteries.
Due to the nature of EVs and HEVs,
the most significant differences are in
the usage of electrical system perfor-
mance, battery performance, and engine
performance.
The latter two will change depending
on vehicle usage. Both battery state of
charge (SOC) and the systems utilized in
an HEV have a direct impact. Battery
performance can also be affected by
temperature changes and different
charging strategies.
For an HEV, any use of ancillary
systems, such as its air conditioning or
lighting, affects engine running time, and
driving style can have a thermal impact
on the motors or power systems.
Constant high load running such as
long ascents with throttle wide open can Constant high load running such as long ascents with wide throttle opening can put
both motive power systems under maximum loading. This Vauxhall Ampera (Chevrolet
put both of the HEV’s motive power sys-
Volt) is under test at Millbrook Proving Ground, UK.
tems under maximum loading, as can
descents on regeneration systems, said
Wynn: “Pure EVs will see similar issues to An important aspect of durability which can lead to a short circuiting of a
that of an HEV, except that the usage of testing is subsystem integration, with system, a breakage in the wire, or a loss
ancillaries will have a dramatic effect on all functioning together as a single unit. of communication and may occur some
the SOC and ultimately the performance Said Wynn: “Prior to this testing, sign off distance from the connection,” said
and range of the vehicle. High torque will have been achieved for the compo- Wynn.
demand can put the batteries and nents and individual subsystems. Generally, corrosion issues with elec-
motors under a lot of load, generally Therefore, it is important that integration trical systems become evident during a
through lower speed, high load driving. of all subsystems within the vehicle is loss of function or communication failure
This can impact the operating tempera- subjected to the full load spectrum of all between control modules. However,
tures and overall range. Stop-start driv- input types to ensure continued good when dealing with potentially high volt-
ing will have an impact on SOC and connectivity and interface performance. age systems it is important to identify
range, especially if ancillary equipment is “The inspection process should any concerns as soon as possible, he
being used at the same time.” include critical inspection of the batter- warns.
Considerable damage can occur ies, battery carrier and wiring, in addition Summing up Millbrook’s approach to
during stop-start non-run time, he to the normal criteria.” durability testing, Wynn emphasizes the
explained: “With the engine not running To conduct a correlated test in an overarching importance of methodology
there is no pressure in the lubrication sys- accelerated manner, the less damaging and a thoroughly strategic approach to
tem, which can lead to damage of some loads giving rise to fatigue damage and the task.
components, particularly bearings, where wear are significantly reduced. However, “The actual specification of the vehi-
a condition known as brinelling occurs. the interface between the systems on an cle/propulsion system must be reviewed
Although the engine is not running, the EV or HEV may be more susceptible and and the test must include situations
components are still subjected to loads should be scrutinized more closely, which exercise any additional systems,
and vibrations as a result of low tempera- warns Wynn. such as regenerative braking, torque
ture operation when most wear occurs. While today’s whole vehicle corrosion vectoring, and torque-on-demand. All of
“The engine oil is not the only system protection is now generally exemplary, these systems have an impact on how
normally hot and pressurized on an ICE inspections need to include the extra the vehicle feels to the driver. Sometimes
vehicle; the cooling system operates electrical systems that are necessary for it may be necessary to engineer the
under these conditions. An HEV may also EVs and HEVs. feedback to the driver. Durability testing
have systems operating under similar “Common concerns with electrical is a good opportunity to get lots of
conditions where the temperature profile systems as a result of corrosion include drivers into the vehicle during its test;
is critical to avoid low temperature oper- its effect on connector blocks and termi- their subjective comments can be invalu-
ation or overheating. This may not only nals, resulting in a breakage of the con- able to the OEM, supplier, and end user.”
apply to engines but also to their sys- nection, an increase in heat, or a voltage Stuart Birch
tems, notably electric motor cooling.” drop. Also of concern is capillary action,

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 37

TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
AEROSPACE PROPULSION | SIMULATION
Predicting cavitation in fuel pumps
Liquid ring pumps are used in aircraft The formation of vapor bubbles and rotor assembly is mounted on the shaft
fuel systems in conjunction with main their subsequent bursting creates pres- of the main pump and is driven by the
impeller pumps and serve the function of sure impulses on the blade surfaces, main fuel pump itself.
removing fuel vapor and air from the which leads to vibration and fatigue- As the impeller rotates, the centrifu-
fuel. Thus, their reliable functioning plays induced structural damage leading to gal force causes the liquid fuel present in
a critical role in the safe operation of air- pump failures. the pump to form a ring around the
craft during flight. As cavitation has the The liquid ring pump’s main function pump periphery. This draws the air and
potential to severely limit the operability is to remove air and fuel vapor during fuel vapor mixture into the inlet port
of these liquid ring pumps and in severe the priming process of the main fuel with the liquid fuel being discharged to
cases may lead to their structural failure, pump. This becomes necessary for situa- the fuel tank and supplied to the engine
accurate prediction of cavitation in the tions where a large quantity of fuel units through the outlet port.
pumps is extremely important to design vapor is formed in the ullage area. In In a recent study, researchers used a
them for safe operation. those situations, the main centrifugal steady-state multiple reference frame
The cavitation phenomena occur in pumps require the liquid ring pumps to (MRF) methodology and a transient slid-
regions where large pressure drops result generate a positive suction head and to ing mesh methodology to compare their
in the local pressure falling below the separate the air and fuel vapor from the ability to predict cavitation and pump
vapor pressure, resulting in formation of liquid fuel through compression. performance in liquid ring pumps. As the
vapor bubbles. Typically for pumps, cavi- A typical liquid ring pump consists of assessment for the two computational
tation occurs in the suction side of the a static casing that forms the outer sur- approaches was relative to each other,
pump blades, which in turn results in a face of main pump and has an eccentri-
reduction of effective area of the blade, cally mounted rotor assembly consisting
thereby diminishing the efficiency of the of multiple rotating blade elements that
pumps. are also referred to as impellers. The

The liquid ring pump configuration that was studied consisted

The same mesh was used for both the
of a single-stage impeller with 14 blades arranged in an equi-
MRF and the sliding mesh calculations to
spaced manner circumferentially.
achieve mesh consistency between the
two models for relative comparison and
assessment.

38 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
no special emphasis was placed to
determine grid dependency individually
for each of the approaches.
The liquid ring pump configuration
that was studied consisted of a sin-
gle-stage impeller with 14 blades
arranged in an equispaced manner cir-
cumferentially. The impeller blades were
of constant thickness and were mounted
eccentrically relative to the pump casing.
The cross section of the inlet and the
outlet ports were airfoil-shaped to mini-
mize pressure losses.
The CFD simulations carried out for
both methodologies employed a fully
structured hexahedral mesh, which was
generated in commercially available
software. The conformal mesh consisting
of around 110,000 cells had an equi-
volume skewness and aspect ratio of the
individual cells below 0.9 and 58, respec-
tively. The same mesh was used for both
the MRF and the sliding mesh calcula-
tions to achieve mesh consistency
Using the transient sliding mesh method, results demonstrated that cavitation occurs between the two models for relative
in the region between the inlet and the outlet port along the direction of rotation of
comparison and assessment.
the impeller, and that the cavitation area shrinks with in an increase in outlet pressure.
The distribution of the vapor fraction shows the accumulation of liquid fuel around the Results indicated that though the
periphery due to centrifugal forces and the accumulation of the vapor bubbles in and computation efforts were cheaper for
around the hub region as these regions experience the low pressure regions that lead the steady-state MRF model, the results
to cavitation. obtained were physically not possible.
The computationally expensive transient
sliding mesh approach resulted in realis-
tic predictions.
Due to unavailability of experimental
data, a quantitative validation of the slid-
ing mesh approach for cavitation predic-
tion could not be performed, but the
trends observed in the results showed
promise in this approach as compared to
the MRF approach. Further investigation
along with experimental validation
would be required to refine the predic-
tion fidelity of the transient sliding mesh
based cavitation model for liquid ring
pump applications.
This article is based on SAE International
technical paper 2013-01-2238 by Manoj Radle
and Biswadip Shome, Tata Technologies Ltd.

The vapor fraction distribution predicted by the MRF approach indicated an unrealistic
unphysical location of cavitation. As can be clearly seen, the MRF model predicted that
the cavitation occurs near the inlet port, which is not possible.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 39

Synergistic
opportunities
abound
The horizontal deployment of
technologies and knowledge evident
in mass-market personal mobility
needs to be scaled up in magnitude
and performance for commercial
vehicles.
by Dr. Arun Jaura, Board of Directors, SAE International;
Chairman, Automotive Board, SAEINDIA; and MD & Founder,
Traktion Management Services Pvt. Ltd.
Dr. Arun Jaura.

T
he silver bullet from December’s SIMCOMVEC 2013 event held in the levels.” Out of the several offshoots
mobility capital of South Asia, Chennai, for mobility practitioners is that of the UN resolution, one will bring in
synergies in commercial and passenger vehicle technologies can be the perspective of communizing
effectively harnessed by practicing collaborative innovation and by empowering safety systems in mobility, especially
change through knowledge management. commercial and passenger vehicles.
The horizontal deployment of technologies and knowledge evident in Safety systems in a vehicle help the
mass-market personal mobility needs to be scaled up in magnitude and perfor- driver and occupants escape injury
mance for commercial vehicles. The technologies and solutions need to during an accident. Smart safety sys-
become cost-competitive through economies of scale. Necessary to achieve tems go a step further by proactively
this is a supporting infrastructure for deployment and greater implementation warning the driver to take actions
knowledge. OEMs and system integrators have to spearhead the paradigm of that will avoid accidents. Many of the
open ideation platforms for a seamless exchange of knowledge-based experi- intelligent active safety systems in
ential solutions and implementation opportunities. passenger vehicles can be deployed
Low-carbon footprint levers relating to fuel efficiency, safety, materials, and in commercial vehicles.
intelligent and smart solutions have been the domains of innovation and global Varying regional regulations will
cost-competitiveness in mobility. The additional dimensions in India that will dictate vehicle safety characterization
supercharge the open innovation mind-set are growth of infrastructure, espe- and crash ratings. Cost, of course, is a
cially expressways; affordability through financing avenues; and consumer major criterion in the deployment and
aspirations. This backdrop will continue to create a tremendous opportunity penetration of technologies. The core
across the mobility canvas to innovate, incubate, and implement. India is premise that safety is non-negotiable
smartly positioned to pick and choose relevant global solutions, and re-ideate drives vehicular systems integration
them for local ecosphere deployment while avoiding huge R&D costs. This to limit injury. In any case, there is no
reduces time to market and bridges the gap of ever growing consumer aspira- substitute for an alert and defensive
tions. The knack for deployment of such solutions across passenger and com- driver at the steering wheel who can
mercial vehicles, in a market where the volumes are low, is a competitive react to warnings and avoid injuries
advantage in India for all stakeholders. to self, occupants, and pedestrians.
Interestingly, safety has become as much of a selling point as fuel economy Innumerable innovations, IPR, and
and performance. The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the developmental effort have gone into
period 2011–20 as the Decade of Action for Road Safety, “with a goal to fuel efficiency and emissions technol-
stabilize and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the ogies, and these also have seen the
world by increasing activities conducted at the national, regional, and global most cross-deployable solutions in

40 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT FEATURE

Hydrogen-fueled vehicle
from Mahindra.
CFD simulation.

Tata hybrid bus.

deployed in the product-engineering

process to reduce time to market
and reduce development costs in
commercial and passenger vehicle
Crash verticals. Use of FEA techniques, CFD
simulation. software, mold flow software, ride
and handling software, and crash and
addition to telematics and infotainment. xEVs ranging from electrics, hybrids, safety simulations is foundational in
and fuel cells—besides the highly efficient diesel and gasoline powertrains— product development. Bringing the
have been on a growth path. The innovative opportunity is to be able to road to the lab by using data col-
cross-deploy fuel-efficient solutions across commercial and passenger vehicles lected in real-life conditions, develop-
that have the least life-cycle cost and lowest carbon footprint. The paradigm ing real-time tests, and simulating the
shift in a fuel-efficient environmentally friendly solution development is to be consumer environment hastens com-
able to radically innovate for a common xEV mass-market deployment. The mon product development.
January 2013 announcement of the National Mission on Electric Mobility by the For sustainable synergy and hori-
Prime Minister of India and subsequent formation of the National Board of zontal deployment of technologies,
Electric Mobility should be a catalyst. stakeholders have to proactively
Alternative materials for weight reduction such as high-strength steels participate in open-ideation platforms.
(HSS); lighter materials such as Al, Mg, and plastics; evolution of lighter-design The growth of public-private partner-
concepts; and forming technologies are some of the synergistic opportunities ships in India is beginning to enable
across vehicle types. In fact, commercial vehicles have seen use of plastics and innovation through common technol-
other materials progressively increasing over time, although not always resulting ogy platforms with stakeholders.
in weight reductions and better fuel economy, but rather on many occasions to Collaborative innovation is necessary
help improve energy management. for integrating technology trends at
Driver and cabin comfort are excellent opportunities to innovate for cross an affordable cost to stay ahead of
deployment. In India, long-distance driving and traffic hiccups in inner cities the curve. Holistic deployment
have created an emphasis on innovation in ergonomics, seating, climate control, through collaborative innovation will
and infotainment. Infotainment solutions and energy-management techniques, empower the ecosphere with knowl-
communication networks, and their integration are superb opportunities besides edge and help harness relevant
vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity and telematics. Passenger vehicles are becoming opportunities to minimize the vehicle’s
communication platforms, and that is a great untapped opportunity—not least carbon footprint for the future inhabi-
because of the potential for synergy with commercial vehicles. tants of Mother Earth.
Overlapping virtual engineering techniques and tools have been extensively
 Q&A with
Dr. V Sumantran
roundings. What is important is that
modern society has to learn—with the
considerably greater power we hold in
our hands today—that we impact the
environment, and can do so in ways
that may be an impossible remedy for
The Hinduja Group’s decades. Hence, it is important that
Executive Vice Chairman we assess every major technology
and activity through the lens of sus-
talks about his company’s tainability. At the end of the day,
award-winning vehicle looking at it in personal terms, we
have the responsibility of stewardship
and related commercial- of our environment for our children.
While India has wisely aligned its
Dr. V Sumantran
vehicle topics. road map to the directions being set
in Europe, it is important that we
assess the manifold implications—
How do you rate the success of the light commercial vehicle DOST, including economics, sustainability,
which is now well accepted in the market? and applicability—for our context.
The DOST was just the first product from our (Hinduja Group) joint venture Further, we need to factor the realiza-
with Nissan. During the planning phase, we had converged on positioning tion that solutions in the transporta-
the product above the high-volume (below 1T payload) SCV vehicles in the tion sector must be advocated along-
market. We were glad to note that the product and its positioning had side advances in other industrial
turned out right. The DOST bagged the LCV of the Year Award and went on to sectors (such as power, mining, etc.)
very good acceptance in the market. As a result, we have seen the competition so that the country is able to make
also alter its strategy, which perhaps validates the choice that we had made. meaningful advances with the best
What do you think should be the long-term vision macroeconomic benefits.
for Ashok Leyland and its group companies?
Ashok Leyland has over the years adopted a broader perspective to Ashok Leyland’s
its goals. Moving from being a maker of trucks and buses, we have Partner.
attempted to address the broader topic of mobility for people and
freight. This has meant that we address a fuller range of commercial
vehicles including light trucks, give greater focus to advanced mobil-
ity technologies, address growing urban needs with systems like bus
rapid transit, and even offer better range of mobility solutions for the
construction business covering everything from tippers to construc-
tion equipment.
Regarding the design of commercial vehicles, what are the new
technologies you foresee for improvement in fuel efficiency?
Over the past two decades, the design of commercial vehicles has
seen emphasis in two important areas: What new lightweight materials do
• Powertrain technologies with emphasis on improving fuel efficiency and you foresee to increase performance
meeting new emission regulations and parameters such as durability,
• Improved cabins, offering lighter weight and yet better comfort. reliability, and fuel efficiency in
commercial vehicles?
In many ways, I see these trends continuing with an even greater role to be About two decades ago we saw a
played by electronics. For example, automated manual transmissions will opti- renewed spurt of competition
mize shift points to improve efficiency. Electrification of systems such as water between steel and aluminum as auto-
pump, power steering (for lighter vehicles) will reduce parasitic losses. Better motive materials. This led to a very
thermal management of engines will improve thermodynamic efficiency. Going healthy competition and promoted
forward, I also see an important role for weight reduction and hybridization, advances such as tailor-welded
particularly for urban applications such as city buses and garbage trucks. blanks, hydroforming, spaceframes,
Do you think the impact of human activities on climate change is as adverse and secondary closures. The steel
as projected? What are your views on moving to the next stage of emission industry has definitely responded to
norms, following Europe? the challenge with higher-strength
Since the onset of civilization, human beings have had an impact on the environ- alloys, and with better strength-form-
ment around them and reciprocally have adapted to their environment and sur- ing and welding characteristics.

42 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE FEATURE

What are the major features that

are being worked out in enhancing
DOST is winner of the comfort and providing better ergo-
LCV of the Year Award. nomics in vehicles?
This is actually a more complicated
topic. For sure, with better under-
standing of ergonomics and driver
psychology, we have found ways to
improve the driver and occupant
environment via better interiors,
seats, and driver controls. The explo-
sion in vehicle electronic content has
also meant that we have to pay
greater attention to the man-ma-
chine interface. With topics such as
driver distraction and driver drowsi-
ness alerts, we are getting vehicle
systems to better interact with the
human being.
JIT has proven to be very effective
across the globe. In the Indian Con-
text, is JIT workable and effective?
JIT (just-in-time) has been demon-
strated by Japanese manufacturing
to be an excellent tool, enabling lean
manufacturing and working capital
efficiency. Yet it is disheartening to
realize that in some sections of logis-
tics, particularly relating to building
construction, it is quicker to shift
components from China to Chennai
than it is to transport similar freight
from Mumbai to Chennai. Unless we
The Dost Ambulance. achieve far greater logistics effi-
ciency for such transit, we can never
make JIT work efficiently. JIT is also
conducive to a national landscape,
Equally, aluminum has made headway not only in powertrain systems, but also where we had a few number of auto
in chassis and increasingly for skin panels and closures. Most recently, we have clusters such as Gurgaon, Pune, and
seen the commendable efforts leading to practical uses of carbon-fiber struc- China. With proliferation of auto
tures. Unfortunately, many of these gains in lightweighting have not been fully clusters through new incentives in
visible because of parallel increases in safety, structural rigidity, NVH, and over- many new states, we have perforce
all performance. I believe, looking to the future, one will gravitate to materials scattered our national supply chains
that offer better prospects for recycling and reuse. and caused local assembly units in
close proximity to each auto cluster.
Apart from safety regulations and considerations in designing and manufac- Hence, for the advantage of achiev-
turing vehicles, what approach would you suggest for India in terms of ing JIT, we have lost the advantage
improving safety on Indian roads? of scale.
The bulk of safety engineering and regulations in the West have been oriented
toward vehicle occupants. Unfortunately, in India, we have seen the bulk of our In this age of multiple models and
concern emanating from overall traffic patterns, roadway design, and preva- variants, how do you think automo-
lence of multiple modes. The best return on investment that we can harvest in tive manufacturers can make best
India will come from a combination of road and traffic systems design, driver use of flexible manufacturing?
training, and stricter enforcement of road safety rules. Even if the Indian auto We live in an age when consumers
industry were to dramatically increase vehicular content with additional safety demand personalization. As a result,
systems, we will not make much of an impact since a majority of the fatalities manufacturers will be compelled to
on Indian roads are related to persons outside the vehicle. offer a larger variety of product, very

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 43

 COMMERCIAL VEHICLE FEATURE
Q&A with
Dr. V Sumantran
such as Brazil has more readily
embraced advance production
methodologies. Importantly, skill
development oriented to manufac-
turing is a key shortcoming. India
faces the uphill task of preparing its
manufacturing sector to grow in
scale, to absorb up to an additional
100 million people who will migrate
from agriculture over the next
decade. While India has potential to
be a major global manufacturer,
unless we tackle skill development
on a war footing, we will fail to real-
ize India’s full potential.
Ashok Leyland’s newly launched Stile. What enablers do you think that the
government, industry, and others
should look at in creating and sus-
taining demand for commercial
vehicles?
The primary enabler will be to ensure
steady, broad-based economic
development and growth since, at
the end of the day, this is a primary
driver for both people and freight
mobility. The second topic, which is
repeated ad nauseam, is our pathetic
state of road infrastructure, both
urban and rural. Further, in the pur-
suit of road safety and environmental
considerations, we need to ensure
that the vehicle inspection regime is
strengthened so that vehicles that
fall short of minimum safety and
emissions norms are withdrawn.
Is there a frequent shift in buying
patterns of commercial vehicle cus-
tomers? If so, what are the reasons
The Jan Bus.
and how do think the industry
should handle this?
I am not concerned about the buying
patterns of the commercial vehicle
customers. As an industry, we have to
often customized to individual customers. There are many textbook approaches go where society and our customers
to address this: modular platforms, modular configurations, and more carefully want us to go. If demands change as
thought-through options. On the shop floor, we know how flexibility may be a result of economic conditions for
achieved; typically this is expensive since it requires reconfigurable and adapt- customers, as an industry we need to
able manufacturing systems. Looking further into the future, who knows, be agile and flexible to follow cus-
advances in technologies such as digital “printing” of hardware parts may get us tomer trends.
within the reach of the Holy Grail of individual products for individual customers.
In your opinion, what are the areas India must focus on manufacturing com-
petency improvement vis-à-vis China, Brazil, Russia, and South Africa?
While we have celebrated India’s emergence as a global auto hub, in my opin-
ion we have a long way to go. Compared to China, India faces a scale disad-
vantage and hurdles related to speed of setup of industries, infrastructure
shortcomings, and a tax regime that still needs improvement. Even a country

44 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

The future of
electric and hybrid
vehicles in India
Technical and political
challenges alike have held
back the electric and
hybrid market, but there
are signs of hope.
The REVA electric car from Mahindra REVA Electric Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. was
launched in India in March 2013 at a price between Rs 6.5 lakh (US$11,900)
to Rs 8.5 lakh (US$15,670) depending on the city and before any subsidy.

E
arly in the 20th century, Henry Ford and his engineers made the car avail- resources and comparison of electric
able to the common man by cutting down the cost, in the process revolu- and hybrid vs. conventional technolo-
tionizing the private transportation system. After a century, the gies. Fourth, and most important, is
automobile industry seems ready for another burst of evolution. This time the adaptability and change required to
reason is to preserve Mother Nature, and electric and hybrid-electric vehicles move from oil to electricity.
are the stars of this evolution. Today in India, electric and hybrid
Globally, degradation of air quality is one of the most researched topics vehicles are in the very early develop-
today. The automobile industry is one of the main contributors to current envi- ment stages. This stage is supported
ronmental conditions. Waves of activities going on suggest that now may be by the Indian government in terms of
the right time to bring change in the automotive industry. policies, such as the national electric
India, being the second-fastest-growing automobile market with increasing mobility plan 2020. The government
pollution, faces lots of challenges and opportunities for electric and hybrid can support electrifying mobility in
vehicles. Currently, India is one of the few countries in which electric vehicles the following five ways:
are manufactured and used, but unfortunately the popularity of electric vehi-
• Provide demand incentives
cles among Indians is very low. This is because of initial high capital cost,
• Provide supply-side incentive to
unreliable electricity conditions, unawareness among consumers of pros and
spur manufacturing
cons, and encouragement of compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum
• Support the power and charging
gas vehicles by the local automobile industry.
infrastructure
As of today, India has only 0.8% of the total global electric vehicle fleet.
• Offer research and development
The Indian government promised to encourage reliable, affordable, and effi-
incentives
cient xEVs through collaboration with industry, with a target of 2 million
• Impose stringent fuel-efficiency
four-wheelers and 4 million two-wheelers by 2020. India’s national electric
norms
mobility mission plan 2020 is a part of its national fuel security aim. The Indian
government soon realized that with growth also comes the responsibility of The Indian government two years
meeting the associated challenges of fast depletion of traditional energy ago set the goal of 2 million units by
sources, rising energy costs, higher oil import bills, and degradation to the 2020, but it hasn’t yet developed
environment. policies and infrastructure needed to
Electric and hybrid vehicle challenges fall into four categories, the first being realize this dream. As of today, the
infrastructure. The second is technical: battery costs, charging time, safety, reli- Indian government is providing only
ability, range anxiety, and battery disposal and maintenance. The third is some support in terms of cash subsi-

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 45

The future for
electric and hybrid
vehicles in India
can pay for whatever range he
requires. On the other side of coin,
some people argue that range is
really not a worry except for
extended drives such as weekend
outings beyond the city. It may be
that with their shorter range, electric
cars are best used as a second car for
city driving.
In terms of safety, statistics show
that it is not a problem for electric
Electric vehicles of different types have a role to play in achieving a future similar to vehicles. Until now, only few electric
this road map from the International Energy Agency. cars had fire issues, and it is import-
ant to note that the fires in the bat-

dies on the purchase of the country’s only electric car, the REVA E2O.
In an automotive manufacturer’s conference, the government’s
secretary of the Ministry of Heavy Industries said the government
is hard-pressed for cash: “The level of the incentive which we
are thinking is about to the tune of $2 billion over the next
seven years, which is a big sum.” He added, “If the electric
vehicle market takes off [according to] plan, $7 billion worth
of fuel will be saved, which will be a great relief from huge
bills for oil.”
These investments were to support the development, manu-
facture, and deployment of batteries, components, vehicles, The REVA Concept.
and chargers necessary to put millions of electric vehicles on
the road. Unfortunately, government plans have been delayed for several years
and several times. However, it does intend to offer as a subsidy the differential
cost between an electric vehicle and its gasoline version.
A government official said his hope is that Indian automobile manufacturers
will bring in electric vehicles in the next two to three years. He noted that “five
to six leading domestic manufactures are already in the fray, and we hope that
foreign OEMs will also bring in their smaller cars at least.”
The government strives hard to make EVs affordable, but the current condi-
tion of political indecision has resulted in delayed plans. Recently the Indian
government revised its plans and targets to roll out subsidies and policies for
The oldest REVA model is shown here in
electric cars by April 2014. an undated photo in front of the Indian
An early stage of development and changing technical basics of mobility parliament building.
poses a lot of challenges. When it comes to plug-in vehicles, questions such as
charging infrastructure and charging time become roadblocks. Arguably there
already is a vehicle charging station and ample time for charging at one’s home tery were contained to a small sec-
and office. As the number of electric vehicles increase, charging-station com- tion near the front by the internal
panies will come into the picture, too, with fast-charge technology. A potential firewalls built into the pack structure.
alternative to waiting for a battery to be charged is the battery-swap station At no point did the fire enter the pas-
where a depleted vehicle battery pack can be replaced with a fully charged one senger compartment. The owners
in just a few minutes. were nonetheless able to exit the
Range anxiety is a major concern with electric vehicles. Based on an inde- highway as instructed by the
pendent survey, 85% of total drivers globally drive less than 65 km (40 mi) onboard alert system, bring the car
daily and can do charging in the evening or overnight when the vehicle is to a stop, and depart the vehicle
parked for more than 12 h straight. Shai Agassi of battery-swap company Bet- without injury. Owners of one of the
ter Place said in a TED talk about India driving behavior, “In India, where peo- burned cars stated that the car had
ple fill 2–3 gallons of fuel for one time, a battery range of 120 mi is an extension performed very well under such an
of range, not a reduction.” extreme test. The batteries went
Still, a detail and deep study is required to understand drivers’ range needs. through a controlled burn. An Inter-
For this study, vehicle range can be plotted against driver satisfaction. Or net depiction of one case exagger-
maybe the time has come to focus on customization of the car; the car owner ates the fire, and the driver said he

46 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRIFICATION FEATURE

India’s mission plan.

looks forward to getting back into another one. Patience is needed in this Surely there are and will be other
area, as battery technology will advance. solutions available in the market, and
One of the most difficult-to-tackle questions is the adaptability of electric there are many configurations of
vehicles in mass market. In the words of Alejandro Agag of Formula One and hybrid and electric vehicles. The mar-
Formula E fame, “People don’t view electric cars as cool or exciting, and they ket is big enough to support all the
don’t believe they can work for their needs.” This is one of the main barriers solutions, and people making more
preventing the growth of the industry. informed choices.
But through entertainment, sporting competition, and investment in R&D, But none of this is going to happen
Formula E can help change this. This barrier is explained by Simon Sinek and quickly, so in the near future the
his law of diffusion. In a TED talk, he says that a product’s success in the world’s car fleet is likely to comprise a
mass market consists of 2.5% innovators, 13.5% early adopters, 68% majority broad mix of powertrains. “Survival of
or mass market, and 16% laggards. The law of diffusion of innovation tells us the fittest” will prevail.
is that if you want mass-market success or mass-market acceptance of an Vibhor Jajoo
idea, you cannot have it until you achieve this tipping point between 15 and
18% market penetration, and then the system tips.
Formula E, starting in September 2014, can be the catalyst for change.
According to a survey report, Formula E will accelerate the market penetration Vibhor Jajoo
on the tipping point theory. Formula E has an overall strategy to encourage is a graduate
technological innovation, social awareness, and infrastructure development. of mechanical
engineering from
According to a Formula E holding commission 2013 report, Formula E will
Indian Institute of
help break down the current barriers, contributing to additional sales of up to Technology, Varanasi.
77 million electric vehicles worldwide by 2040. He is interested
In the words of the Indian government itself: “The national mission for in sustainable
development of the
electric mobility is an investment for our future generation.” Electric mobility transportation sector
can transform the automotive and transportation sector by reducing depen- in India. He can be
dence on fossil fuels. The national mission for electric mobility has national visited at www.
jajoovibhor.co.nr.
energy security within it.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 47

Powering a drive to
higher
voltages

Networks link 12- and 48-V

systems, so suppliers such
as NXP Semiconductors are
adding isolation to protect
electronics.

48-V systems are likely to power a

new generation of functions including
stop-start technology.
by Terry Costlow

A
push to convert conventional automobiles to high-voltage power Solutions. “Microhybrid technology
systems was a flop in the 1990s. But a number of factors have 48 V will impact the cost, but it’s
prompted many technical strategists to once again promote the bene- hundreds of dollars more instead of
fits of higher voltages. thousands more for a hybrid.”
This time, 48 V will be an auxiliary power architecture, not the sole power Just as they led the way with stop-
architecture. Most electronic components will continue to leverage the huge start technology, Europeans are
12-V infrastructure. Stop-start is a major driver, though many other functions expected to spearhead the adoption
are creating demand for higher voltages. of 48-V technology.
“Today, 48-V systems are offering the OEM [an opportunity] to implement “In Europe, microhybrids still use
functions that are difficult to realize with 12-V batteries,” said Joseph Notaro, 12 V, but the five largest OEMs are
Vice President, Global Automotive Sales and Applications, Fairchild looking at 48 V,” said Jifeng Qin,
Semiconductor GmbH. “It allows for passive coasting—shutting down some Product Manager for Automotive
cylinders at cruising speeds—and allowing several convenience loads (such as MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconduc-
air-conditioning) to function during stop-start operation.” tors field effect transducers) at
Many observers link the emergence of 48-V power systems to stop-start International Rectifier. “Several
technology, sometimes considered a mainstay of microhybrid technology. Tier 1s have started building 48-V
Stop-start capabilities are expected to see significant acceptance in North systems. They will start ramping up
America in coming years, following a trend that’s well under way in Europe. in 2017, hitting the market in mass
Compared to hybrids, stop-start technology is relatively inexpensive, and it production in calendar year 2018.”
provides fuel savings that are significant and fairly easy to justify. The transition to 48 V lets design
“A microhybrid can provide a better economic return than a hybrid because teams add more fuel-saving tech-
it avoids high voltages and all the cost that entails,” said Craig Rigby, Vice niques. Higher voltage ensures
President of Product Management and Strategy at Johnson Controls Power that there’s enough power for all

48 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAIN ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Timmermans, Product Marketing

Many new functions can be added when Manager IVN, CAN Segment, NXP
power systems advance to 48 V using Semiconductors.
chips from suppliers such as Fairchild
Semiconductor.
Isolationist policies
When automakers add 48-V systems,
they have to ensure that voltage
surges from these systems don’t
damage electronics that run on 12-V
buses. For 12-V systems, the break-
down voltage for surges is 40 V. It
rises to 75 V for 48-V batteries, forc-
ing chip makers to redesign some
power devices.
“MOSFETs and other power devices
for 40-V breakdown voltages are
functions even when the engine is constantly being restarted in rush-hour very mature; now devices have to go
traffic. well beyond that level,” IR’s Qin said.
“The introduction of 48-V bus for mild-hybrid diffusion is enabling more “We’re already working on a 100-V
options for new electric functions such as power steering, interior heating, and platform. That’s not an easy task,
electric cooling systems,” said Gaetano Pignataro, Technical Marketing Manager especially when you’re talking about
at STMicroelectronics Power Transistor Division. “The 48-V bus is now strate- meeting automotive requirements.”
gic and not only linked to simple load increases as it was some years ago.” Typically, networking cables will be
Though the adoption of stop-start technology is expected to help increase the link that opens the channel for
the role of 48-V systems, not all U.S. companies are jumping on the band- these surge voltages. That puts some
wagon. Some plan to use 12-V systems, noting that European automakers of the onus for isolation on suppliers
have fared well with the combination of 12 V and stop-start. of networking chips. Many of them
“Depending on which OEMs you’re talking to, some are pretty skeptical and have already geared up for the move
some have a renewed interest, saying there’s no other option,” said Ron to high-voltage architectures.

Batteries go to the mat for higher voltages

Automotive battery technologies used in mainstream internal- “Better batteries are a key enabler,” said Craig Rigby, Vice President
combustion-engine vehicles haven’t changed significantly in several of Product Management and Strategy at Johnson Controls Power
decades, but that’s likely to change if 48-V technology emerges as Solutions. “AGM lead-acid batteries are well-suited for stop-start; most
expected. Absorbed glass mat (AGM) technologies can provide higher European companies use AGM now. Lithium-ion is more beneficial for
voltages while retaining most of the pricing benefits of conventional OEMs that want to take advantage of brake regeneration. Li-ion can
lead-acid batteries. accept power more readily than lead-acid can.”
AGM batteries also mesh better with the demands of stop-start The United States Advanced Battery Consortium is giving 48-V
systems that are expected to take off in the U.S. after seeing solid technology a big push. In 2013, the group (operated by Chrysler,
acceptance in Europe. Stop-start has already fueled major changes in Ford, and General Motors) issued a request for proposal information
lead-acid batteries. AGM technologies accept charges far more readily for the development of advanced 48-V batteries for mild-hybrid
than conventional lead-acid types do, so lifetimes aren’t as negatively vehicles.
impacted by the discharge/recharge cycle. Developers are also striving to make battery controllers that can
Equally important, AGM batteries cost far less than lithium-ion operate with any voltages, from basic 12-V systems to higher-voltage
technologies used in many hybrids and electric vehicles. Many feel systems for electrified powertrains. Reducing development time is a
AGM can be a mainstay in 48-V systems, although Li-ion may play a major goal for any new technology. If ECU designers create control
greater role as stop-start technologies evolve. platforms that can be altered by changing only software, time to
market and cost will both be reduced.
Better batteries are critical for “You want the battery-
stop-start and other high-power management device to be
features. (Johnson Controls) agnostic when you go beyond
12 V. Whether you’re going to
400 V for a hybrid or EV or using
48 V, the battery-management
systems should be the same,”
said Jaime Pla, Analog Power
Battery-
Products Operations Manager at
management
Freescale. “That way, engineers
systems from
don’t have to learn about new
Freescale will
silicon.
address a range Terry Costlow
of voltages.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 49

 AUTOMOTIVE POWERTRAIN ELECTRONICS FEATURE
Powering a drive to
higher voltages

Stop-start systems help automakers trim emissions. MOSFETs from International Rectifier help automakers migrate
(STMicroelectronics) to 48 V.

Power devices from Fairchild

Semiconductor can be
combined in modules
to reduce size and
simplify manufacturing.

Power devices
from International Packaging will
Rectifier are being also change. Multichip
redesigned to
meet automakers’ packages, already common in
high-power the world of power devices, will con-
requirements. tinue to evolve to meet changing
demands. Combining power devices
“You’ve got some ECUs working on the high-voltage side and some ECUs and power conversion controllers is
working on the low-voltage side, but they’ve still got to communicate,” NXP’s on International Rectifier’s road map.
Timmermans said. “If there’s a breakdown or ground loss, ECUs connected by “Integration is a key trend,” said
the same CAN bus can see significant changes in voltage on the CAN bus. Qin. “We want to combine the
We’ve integrated isolation on CAN transceivers to prevent this type of MOSFET and the driver that basically
high-voltage breakthrough.” syncs with the converter so you can
High-voltage surges are not the only worry for designers. When engines get the voltage you need. We have
shut down, voltages can drop below acceptable levels. Drivers won’t accept discrete solutions, but we’re working
any disruptions when engines are shutting down and restarting. Radios and on ways to integrate two MOSFETs
displays can’t turn off. and a driver into one package.”
“Start-stop is a critical step towards improving fuel efficiency, but the Other companies are also focusing
challenge is that when this mode is engaged, the battery voltage can dip as on power modules that house several
low as 3 V to 4 V, and all downstream electronics must be modified to operate power devices, drivers, and passive
through this mode,” said Jim MacDonald, Marketing Director for Texas components. Going forward, a single
Instruments’ Infrastructure Power Business Unit. “Automotive manufacturers molded package will hold many com-
are developing start-stop stabilizer systems that are designed to protect ponents, giving system designers
downstream equipment from disruption of the battery voltage.” many benefits.
“Modules bring several advantages
Many devices in standard and mechatronic applica-
The transition to high voltages is forcing suppliers to rethink many different tech- tions: more efficient electrical cou-
nologies. Even if 48 V becomes a standard technology, 12-V components aren’t pling with the mechanical load, less
going to go away. That means voltages must be converted from 48 to 12 V. power losses, higher efficiency,
“You’ve got to have good dc-to-dc converters so you can get the 12-V levels increased system reliability, and sim-
you need for the radio, LEDs, and other things that will remain at 12 V,” Qin plified system manufacturing and
of IR said. assembly,” Fairchild’s Notaro said.

50 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 AUTOMOTIVE BODY FEATURE

Designing for
downforce

The 2014 Camaro Z/28’s rear spoiler

Airflow is paramount for performance was modified with a “wickerbill”—
a small, vertical tab at the edge of the
vehicles, which require aerodynamic spoiler—that allows the car to handle
enhancements to promote high-speed turns at higher speeds and have greater
overall high-speed stability.
stability and greater cornering capability.
by Ryan Gehm

A
erodynamics currently is a hot topic for the transportation sector, from maximum downforce is required, and
passenger vehicles all the way to Class 8 trucks. Along with advanced on straightaways, where drag must
powertrain technologies and lightweight materials, aerodynamics is an be minimized. The 458 Speciale has a
area receiving considerable engineering attention due to its potential for downforce (Cl) value of 0.53, along
improving vehicle fuel efficiency—a major goal as stricter regulations loom for with a 0.35 Cd.
cars and light-duty trucks as well as medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. At the front of the car are two ver-
But for cars that easily surpass the 100-mph (161-km/h) mark and feel as at tical flaps in the center and a horizon-
home on the racetrack as on the road, airflow takes on added significance. tal flap below them. The company
Their speed potential must be complemented with the appropriate aerody- explains that at relatively low speeds,
namic solutions to keep such cars safely and firmly planted to the driving the vertical flaps are closed, channel-
surface at high speeds. ing air into the radiators for engine
Following are details of two recently announced performance vehicles—the
Ferrari 458 Speciale and the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28—that place particular
emphasis on design for downforce.

Active aerodynamics for special Ferrari

Ferrari revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show a new special-series sports
car, the 458 Speciale, to join stable mates 458 Italia and 458 Spider. Derived from
the 458 Italia, the new berlinetta (i.e., sporty coupe) embodies an even-greater
focus on performance and boasts an abundance of advanced technologies not
just in the powertrain and chassis, but also in the finer details of its body.
“The engine, in which we have put a lot of Formula One technology, is not
the only news in this car,” Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said at the The Z/28 features rocker moldings and
Frankfurt reveal. “We have a very innovative, patented active aerodynamics. unique wheelhouse extensions that help
push air past the tires. Deflectors at the
This is Ferrari technology and is completely new on the market.” bottom-front corners of the front wheel
Mobile aerodynamic solutions at the front and rear of the car ensure that flares take the place of a conventional
different aerodynamic configurations can be adopted in cornering, where air dam.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 51

Designing for
downforce
Ferrari 458 Speciale’s
performance specs are
impressive: a weight/
power ratio of 2.13 kg/
PS, acceleration from
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph)
in 3 s, and maximum
lateral acceleration of
1.33 g. Aerodynamic
refinements were necessary
to complement such
performance.

By repositioning
the tailpipes,
Ferrari engineers
could design a
new diffuser that
optimizes the
extraction capacity
of the underbody,
increasing
downforce (Cl) Turning vanes at either side of the front bumper
value by 6.5 points. are designed to slow the airflow and increase
downforce, shifting the aerodynamic balance
4% over the front.

cooling; but at speeds in excess of 170 km/h (106 mph), the flaps open to Murcielago LP640, according to
reduce the volume of air flowing into the radiators, thereby cutting drag. General Motors.
Above 220 km/h (137 mph), the horizontal flap lowers to balance downforce To accomplish such a feat, GM
between the front and rear axles, leading to a 20% shift in overall downforce engineers had to focus on more than
toward the rear, Ferrari claims. just what was under the hood; they
Turning vanes at either side of the front bumper are designed to slow the had to modify numerous exterior ele-
airflow and increase downforce, shifting the aerodynamic balance 4% over the ments compared to the Camaro SS
front, according to Ferrari. Aerodynamic fins ahead of the rear wheels increase to improve downforce. These modifi-
downforce in a similar fashion as the front turning vanes. cations help press the Z/28 to the
Ferrari engineers developed a rear spoiler with a larger surface area and ground with 440 lb (1.96 kN) more
more pronounced shape, which improves underbody efficiency and also force at 150 mph (241 km/h) than the
increases downforce by 7 points. And by repositioning the tailpipes, engineers SS model, which generates slight lift
could design a new diffuser that optimizes the extraction capacity of the at that speed.
underbody, increasing Cl by 6.5 points. (To read more about the whole
Flaps at the rear of the 458 Speciale have two configurations: raised for vehicle, go to http://articles.sae.org/
higher downforce and lowered to minimize drag. Sensors and a specific algo- 12583.)
rithm allow the flaps to be lowered by as much as a 17° angle, thereby stalling “Most production cars are designed
the diffuser and reducing Cd by 3 points, the automaker claims. with some lift at speed in order to
The Ferrari Style Center collaborated with Pininfarina on the car’s racing- slip through the air for greater fuel
inspired styling. Most of the body panels have been redesigned without modi- economy, but the all-new Camaro
fying the passenger cell or the signature design features of the 458 Italia. Glass Z/28’s track-oriented purpose dictated
thickness has been reduced to cut weight, and the rear windscreen is now a an entirely different take on airflow
Lexan (from SABIC Innovative Plastics) polycarbonate panel. The composite management,” said Tom Froling,
bumpers were redesigned, and the front hood features two deep air outlets to Lead Development Engineer–
channel away the air exiting the radiator. Aerodynamics. “Its carefully tailored
aerodynamics package generates
Aero-focused Camaro Z/28 downforce for greater handling stabil-
The new Camaro Z/28 is the fastest factory-produced Camaro ever on a track, ity at speed, and the grilles are opti-
posting a lap time at Nürburgring that was 4 s faster than the Camaro ZL1’s and mized to meet stringent cooling flow
beating published times for the Porsche 911 Carrera S and the Lamborghini and brake-cooling requirements.”

52 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 AUTOMOTIVE BODY FEATURE

The Z/28 underbody incorporates

A functional carbon-
fiber hood extractor
a belly pan that helps reduce front lift
not only increases and also contributes to drivetrain
engine cooling but also cooling. Modified NACA duct profiles
provides a path for air draw air into the underbody tunnel
channeled through the
grille to exit out the
area to provide extra cooling for
hood and over the car. components affected by the engine’s
Without the vent, the exhaust thermal energy. Unique
air would be pushed wheelhouse liners with closeouts also
out the bottom of the
engine compartment,
assist with airflow.
possibly generating lift. The fog lamps, air dam, and upper
grille found on the front fascia of
the Camaro SS are replaced with
The Z/28 shares0 several racing-inspired aero features from various Camaro covers, an air duct support bracket,
and Corvette racecars, Froling noted. A front splitter that provides downforce at an airflow-optimized upper grille for
the front of the car is designed to withstand 250 lb (1.11 kN) of force at its tip. The enhanced cooling, and a modified
splitter is matched with an aero closeout panel under the front of the engine fascia lower inlet that helps funnel
compartment, along with molded-in aero features forward of the front wheels. air from the splitter/lower grille
To meet downforce requirements for Z/28, the rear spoiler used for Camaro through ducts to the brake rotors
SS was modified with a “wickerbill”—a small, vertical tab at the edge of the and calipers.
spoiler. The “minor” change adds about 28 counts of drag, improving rear lift Engineers employed CFD,
performance by 70 counts, according to GM. reduced-scale rolling wind-tunnel
A functional carbon-fiber hood extractor—similar to the one featured on the testing, full-scale clay models, and
Camaro ZL1—not only increases engine cooling but also provides a path for air full-size prototypes tested in several
channeled through the grille to exit out the hood and over the car. GM notes wind tunnels, including GM’s facility
that without the vent, the air would be pushed out the bottom of the engine in Warren, MI, for the aerodynamic
compartment, possibly generating lift. development of the new Z/28.

Engineering
solutions

E ng in eeri ng s olu tio ns for

Stumpp, Schuele & Somappa
II Design II Structural CAE II
www.ssssprings.com II Testing & Validation II Data Acquisition II
Stumpp Schuele & Somappa Springs Pvt. Ltd.
II Residual Stress Measurements II
Engineering Division
139/2, Hosur Road, Koramangala, BANGALORE – 560095, INDIA II Metallurgical Analysis II Jigs & Fixtures II
Tel. +91 96 118 720 00, [email protected]
Catering Auto Industries Since 1960
II Failure Analysis & Simulation II

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 53

ACTIVE SAFETY A
s the basic configuration
of any new business jet is
likely to differ little in
comparison to rival air-

STARTS IN THE planes, the key to making

a significant leap forward in technol-

PILOT’S SEAT
ogy while offering a competitive
advantage is, for the immediate future,
always going to be found beneath the
skin, rather than in its shape.
Increased safety is paramount in
any new aircraft program, and mod-
ern digital avionics has considerably
eased the pilot workload over the
years, though the sheer quantity of
data that is available in flight now
brings additional challenges in the
cockpit.
Throughout the flight regime,
enhanced pilot situational awareness
(SA) is generally thought to be one of
the most important requirements to
avoid information overload and to
make for safer flight, and this is where
Dassault Aviation has concentrated a
major proportion of its efforts on its
new aircraft. In doing so, it has also
shown the likely future direction that
the wider commercial airplane market
will take.

Bizjet evolution
When the tri-jet Falcon 7X first arrived,
it introduced digital flight controls,
side-sticks, and a host of other fea-
tures that combined to make that
aircraft the most technologically
advanced business jet then available.
No longer could it be said that the
business jet sector was lagging
behind the major mainstream com-
mercial giants and that executive jets
were less capable.
Dassault has steadily enhanced its
Falcon family, leading up to the most
recent 5X announced late last year at
NBAA. Designed to offer pilots a
comprehensive integrated package
of avionics solutions that allow safe
Dassault Aviation’s next-generation passage through the most difficult
situations and environments, the new
integrated digital avionics systems flight deck environment increases SA
contribute to enhanced air safety in well beyond what was available even
a short while ago.
civil applications. The Falcon 5X is a beautifully pro-
portioned shape, but in the cockpit it
by Richard Gardner offers features designed to make the

54 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 AEROSPACE AVIONICS FEATURE

which it believes is the key to maxi-

mizing SA and thus flight safety.
Honeywell’s Primus Epic product has
established an enviable reputation for
reliability and digital display quality
and, working closely with Dassault,
the company has adapted the basic
system hardware to meet very
demanding new objectives.

Avoiding overload
The “glass cockpit” concept transi-
tioned very rapidly in commercial
aviation, replacing familiar analog
cockpit layouts to embrace the
adaptability of multi-functioning dis-
Falcon 5X’s EASy flight deck features 32% more window area, dual-HUD capability
with Synthetic Vision System and Enhanced Vision System, and an electronic flight bag
plays and the flexibility to incorporate
that is integrated into the front panel. vastly more information, enabled by
the digital revolution.
Today, even the smallest general
aviation aircraft can come equipped
with advanced digital displays and
avionics systems. However, within the
civil sector, following several
high-profile air incidents, there is a
growing view that information over-
load and perhaps an over-reliance on
automation in the digital environment
can sometimes present pilots with a
very challenging situation, especially
when things go wrong.
The debate continues as to where
exactly the balance should be
between systems that have a high
degree of autonomous functionality
and the need for pilots to retain a
wider 3-D perspective, especially if the
computer software is overwhelmed by
conflicting data being input from
damaged or non-functioning sensors.
The problems can be compounded
even more when the pilots are flying
at night or in storms with few if any
The Falcon 7X’s EASy II instrument. visual cues, such as a horizon seen
through the cockpit windows.
But things are changing to reflect
flying experience as safe and easy as the system name suggests—EASy II. this concern, and one step toward a
This latest development of the Falcon’s avionics suite, a cooperative initiative solution in the cockpit and incorpo-
between Dassault and Honeywell, is claimed to be the most advanced flight rated in this latest iteration of the
deck system in civil aviation today, adding more features and functionality to EASy flight deck on the 5X is to sepa-
meet the increasingly demanding safety requirements out beyond the next rate out the immediate priorities in
decade. It takes the avionics capability package even beyond what is currently presenting data for managing safe
offered in the Airbus A350 and Boeing 787. flight, and follow-up actions required
Dassault is the primary systems architect and has concentrated its efforts later during the flight.
on implementing its design philosophy on the hardware platform provided by Of course, at all times key informa-
Honeywell’s Primus Epic system. The main Dassault focus has been on the tion must be available regarding the
man-machine interface to create a highly intuitive and interactive solution, totality of the flight, both aboard the

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 55

ACTIVE SAFETY
STARTS IN THE PILOT’S SEAT
Navigation aids
The EASy II avionics package incor-
porates technologies on the leading
edge of navigation capabilities. These
include WAAS/LPV GPS guidance
to provide horizontal and vertical
guidance down to 200 ft, near Cat 1
minima, so non-integrated logistic
support (ILS) equipped or operating
runways can be used with greater
safety margins. This is a particularly
important benefit on the 5X, which
can fly international sectors but is not
limited to the use of long commercial
airport runways. Many serious air
accidents involving flight into terrain
occur in poor weather or at night
while attempting to use airports close
to mountains or locations with tall
The Falcon 5X underwent its first simulated flight, completing an important structures or potentially dangerous
milestone in the development program, in November 2013.
features nearby.
XM Weather, using NexRad satel-
lite imagery, gives weather informa-
aircraft and outside where the aircraft interfaces with such factors as airport tion and warnings of winds aloft,
activities, air traffic management, navigation, weather, and local terrain. But a storm tops, lightning, and clear-air
more intuitive approach on the flight deck can deal with these factors in a logi- turbulence. Pilots can use these data
cal sequence and help the pilots to react quicker by giving them exactly what to plan in flight for diversions to avoid
information they need, when they need it. challenging weather. The navigation
Dassault refers to this as tactical and strategic decision making by the pilots. package also gives automatic descent
Developments in avionic systems now allow all the information required by the mode in the event of cabin depres-
pilots, from pre-flight checks to final shut down, to be shown automatically, in surization at high altitudes. This will
the right sequence, but presented in a way that makes it easier and safer for take the aircraft down to 15,000 ft
the pilots who remain in full control of the aircraft at all times. where there is sufficient oxygen for
The latest EASy II system aims at doing just this, and such is its potential. crew recovery.
Four 14.1-in multifunction display units (MDUs) in a “T” configuration can show Other features included within the
all the information from the aircraft sensors affecting systems, communica- EASy II system include paperless
tions, navigation, and flight management and are key to the pilots’ control over charts and an improved flight-man-
those functions. agement system. A new Honeywell
The two outboard screens are directly in front of the pilots and are dedi- RDR 4000 radar will give additional
cated to short-term “tactical” information essential to piloting the aircraft. The range for alerting pilots to hazardous
traditional presentations are permanently accompanied by data on engine weather conditions up to 320 mi
parameters, aircraft configuration, and a crew alerting system. away.
Two inboard MDUs are stacked vertically in the center of the cockpit to be For flight planning, the graphically
visible to both pilots and are configurable so they can show selectable ”strategic” based intuitive displays can be
information. Typically, the upper MDU would be used to control and display selected by either pilot calling up a
navigational functions, with the lower MDU handling the flight management menu by clicking on an icon depicting
system, systems pages, and checklists. the phase of flight (for example, ini-
A new feature is the interactive nature of the automated checklists. As soon tialization, climb, cruise, and descent).
as an action has been performed it is automatically checked off through The system requires very little data
auto-sensing and changes color from blue to green and then opens up the next entry (and therefore distraction) as
item on the checklist. It also provides secure options to override or defer any most of the information will be pre-
item if need be. stored in the databases. These
EASy checklists are linked to synoptic system displays. For example, if a include worldwide data covering air-
fuel-related item is selected on the checklist, a fuel system diagram will pop up ports, airways, navaids, and radio fre-
adjacent to the checklist window. It shows the real-time position and operation quencies as well as a complete
of pumps and transfer valves with a graphic description of fuel quantities in aircraft performance database.
each tank. EASy II can automatically calculate

56 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 AEROSPACE AVIONICS FEATURE

The virtual flight was

performed on the
Falcon Simulation Bench
at the company’s design
office in Saint-Cloud,
France.

the side of the central pedestal,

giving a comfortable and natural
position for the hand. It is claimed to
be as easy to use as a PC mouse and
also has fingertip controls for display-
ing switching and menu selection and
multifunction knobs with a push-to-
talk function.
A great deal of design develop-
ment has gone into the ergonomics
of this system, and using the CCD is
said to be fast and intuitive, and
hardly affected by changing environ-
mental conditions such as darkness
or turbulence. Dassault says that the
system allows pilots to control every
The Falcon Simulation Bench comprises a cockpit mock-up coupled to a real-time function faster without diverting their
simulator and a panoramic external visualization system depicting the artificial eyes from the panel, as is the case
flight environment. It allows pilots to test all phases of flight, from takeoff to landing, with pedestal-mounted keyboards.
and to fine-tune and validate control laws before the maiden flight of the aircraft. This translates into more head-up
time, which is safer.
The company says that this new
everything required for the flight, such as takeoff performance and appropriate design as a whole contributes greatly
speeds for the runway length, through to climb schedules and landing distances. to increased SA. By limiting the time
As the flight proceeds, EASy II provides updated information as required. spent entering data into a flight-
On descent the system can look ahead to show the best approach transition management system and the com-
and other runway data and can incorporate air traffic control arrival instruc- mon workspace, the crew can work
tions. All this can be done in seconds with the flight needing only the pilot to better as a team. Dassault says that
click on to the “current settings” on the menu, or making new selections. the key benefits of the EASy II are:
Other windows can be opened up to show additional display data and key intuitive man-machine interface,
performance information, such as landing weight, runway length, and optimum improved crew coordination, reduced
approach speed. The upper MDU is usually used to show terrain data if flying in pilot workload, and a better informed
mountainous regions, and pilots can zoom in or out and select the map orien- crew.
tation.
Another development that has been taken to a new, higher level of function- Focus on 5X
ality in the cockpit of the 5X is the use of user-friendly hand controllers. Dassault has built into the Falcon 5X
The cursor control device (CCD) is the pilots’ primary means of controlling flight controls and displays experience
the flight deck on this aircraft, with Windows-like pull-down and pop-up menus not only from the Falcon family of
using the trackball controller. Each pilot has an individual controller located at business jets but also from the

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 57

 AEROSPACE AVIONICS FEATURE
ACTIVE SAFETY
STARTS IN THE PILOT’S SEAT

During the design of

the Falcon 5X cockpit,
engineers were able to
take advantage of the
company’s Virtual Reality
Center in Saint-Cloud.

advanced Rafale multi-role combat fighter. This is particularly important for it same layout, same icons, and same
incorporates many thousands of hours of operational military flying aboard air image will appear in front of the eyes.
combat planes, and this brings direct first-hand technological feedback that is This can provide a vital additional
unavailable to most other manufacturers of business aircraft. safety feature in difficult situations.
The EASy II system provides a very precise flight path control and automatic As well as the SVS, the aircraft also
trim, with adjustments during configuration changes, and the autopilot func- has an enhanced vision system (EVS)
tions through the side-stick controllers for setting heading and altitude, with with nose-mounted sensors that are
full envelope protection through the digital flight control system. This allows fully integrated to give even further
pilots to extract the maximum aircraft performance (such as extreme angles of SA during takeoff, approach, and land-
attack) in instances of instinctive reactions, such as wind shear or collision ing, and also during ground maneu-
avoidance maneuvers, without over-stressing or stalling the aircraft. vering at busy airports. This provides
This is an area where at the design and development stage, Dassault’s an image on the new-generation
fighter heritage is much evident. The new digital flight control system will wide-angle Elbit-supplied HUD and on
command all the flight control surfaces, including the slats, and flaps and each flight deck displays and gives an
control surface will be multifunctional to give peak performance at all times. An improved image of terrain near the
example of this flexibility can be seen on the aileron, which can function as an airport and of the airport environment
aileron, but also act as an air brake. in conditions such as fog, haze, and
The Falcon 5X is the first aircraft in the business sector to use flaperons— at night.
active high-speed deflection control surfaces that can act as flaps or ailerons. The Falcon EVS uses LCD HUD
The flaperons will always operate in active mode and will enhance roll author- technology features unavailable else-
ity, but the benefit will be seen very effectively on approach, especially in a where. This gives a brighter video
steep descent where the flaperons will act like a traditional flap because they presentation with a unique two-mode
will increase drag while maintaining a high lift coefficient. This will allow a pilot setting, optimizing the video for
to be able to fly a steep approach without increasing the approach speed, even either an approach configuration or a
on a normal approach. According to Dassault, this will maintain optimal control more general purpose configuration.
while giving good forward visibility, enhanced by cockpit windows that are 32% It also takes advantage of special IR
larger than on average business jets. video processing developed specifi-
The synthetic vision system (SVS) on the 5X allows the pilot to see the exact cally to minimize distortion.
position of the aircraft even in inclement flying conditions, and is an important The 5X is still two to three years
bonus when flying into an unfamiliar destination. The SVS creates a highly real- from entering service, but its highly
istic image of the surrounding terrain in a simulated daylight visual flight rules sophisticated avionics systems that
(VFR) condition, using the head-up display symbology and advanced 3-D ter- are at the heart of the aircraft
rain simulations. undoubtedly help project flight safety
Unique to this system is the breakthrough integration of the symbology capabilities in the direction many
between the head-up and head-down displays. By harmonizing this display it pilots have been calling for in recent
does not matter if the pilot is looking up through the HUD or down, as the times.

58 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 IMPROVE INTERIOR PACKAGE DESIGN,
INCREASE VEHICLE SAFETY, AND ENSURE
INTERNATIONAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE
SAE H-POINT MACHINE
A three-dimensional manikin that provides the physical representation of driver H-points, the H-Point
Machine (HPM) is used to define and measure vehicle seating accommodations. Offering a deflected
seat rather than a free seat contour as a reference for defining seat space, it is a vital tool in the design
of interior packages.
Available through SAE International, the HPM is used in conjunction with SAE Standard J826 and is
currently referenced in various federal and international regulations including NHTSA’s FMVSS in the
US and ISO standards. Utilized in testing for compliance to such regulations involving impact/crash,
head restraint, or vision, it is the required safety certification tool for vehicle production in many
countries around the world. Additionally, those who need to locate seating reference points and torso
angles as reported by manufacturers employ the SAE H-Point Machine.
SAE provides comprehensive support for the HPM including, calibration, spare parts,
and maintenance. And for advance design and research applications, the HPM-II is
available, which includes reformed shells for a consistent and reliable fit in bucket
seats, an articulating back for lumbar support measurement, and the ability to
measure the H-point without using legs resulting in simpler installation.

View a free demonstration video at

www.saeinternational.cn/hpoint/
to see how the HPM-I and the
HPM-II offer a means of obtaining
passenger compartment dimensions.

SAE INTERNATIONAL China

+1.1.724.776.4841 +86.21.61577368
www.sae.org

SAE is an international body of engineers and

practitioners dedicated to the advancement of
mobility technology. Based on the fundamental
of providing a neutral platform for collaboration
and informed dialogue, SAE has been providing
the common engineering requirements for new
vehicles, advanced technologies, and applications
since 1905.

P136546
SYSTEMS
THAT TALK
TOGETHER,
ARE EFFICIENT
TOGETHER
Design teams take a holistic
view, linking engines,
transmissions, hydraulics, and
aftertreatment systems to boost
efficiency and performance.
by Terry Costlow

T
he need to trim fuel consumption and emissions is forcing design When engines and transmissions
teams to take a broader look at equipment operations, linking vari- are tightly linked with good
ous systems so they work together closely. Engines, transmission, communications, there’s more
hydraulics, and even aftertreatment systems share data so that potential for downsizing engines to
trim costs. (Perkins)
demands and power output are coordinated for optimal performance.
Advanced electronics are being used to analyze ambient temperature and
many other parameters making it possible to make the most of every drop of “Active torque limiting allows
fuel. The benefits extend beyond fuel consumption, even extending component lower cost transmissions without sac-
lifetimes by reducing friction. rificing reliability or durability,” an
“When the engine and transmission know more about the operating condi- engineering spokesman from
tions of the other systems, the operation of the entire powertrain can be set to Cummins said. “A transmission can
the most efficient point using data-based criteria rather than a generic set of sometimes be limited by having to
rules,” said Chris Mays, Senior Technical Specialist at BorgWarner’s Advance avoid torque capacity in lower gears
Engineering Group. “For example, the system can warm up faster for friction or by component stress during gear
reduction as well as for aftertreatment conversion efficiency.” shifts. By using advanced electronics,
More powerful controllers also let OEMs customize installations. Typically, the transmission has the ability to
machine developers target specific characteristics related to transient limit engine torque or power output
response, smooth and stable equipment operation, or efficient use of equip- when needed, but allow full or higher
ment. ECUs ensure that engines stay near their sweet spot for longer periods torque when possible.”
so engines don’t have to be oversized to meet peak requirements. The benefits extend to operations
“The benefits are significant, as it is possible to automatically control the in the field. Engines can adapt to the
engine and transmission to operate in the most efficient points without com- varied conditions seen by equipment,
promising machine performance,” said Mike Cullen, Perkins’ Product Marketing providing optimal performance in a
Specialist. “It is also possible to monitor and anticipate machine load, which range of environments.
allows us to work with our customers when considering engine downsizing.” “Advanced electronics allow engine
power curves to be optimized along
Smart shifting with transmission capability to achieve
This right-sizing extends to transmissions. With integrated controls, the trans- the best efficiencies from each, partic-
mission can reduce the worst-case condition to its mechanical limits. That ularly with changing environmental
lets the transmission maximize the engine’s output. conditions, such as altitude, machine

60 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

 OFF-HIGHWAY POWERTRAIN ELECTRONICS FEATURE

Cummins and Eaton

paired an engine and Chips, sensors, and networks
a transmission to cut combine to enhance efficiency
energy consumption. When design teams link engines, powertrains, and hydrau-
lics together to improve efficiency, they’re employing a
range of tools. Faster processors, real and virtual sensors,
and multiple networks make it possible to improve perfor-
mance and trim fuel consumption and emissions.
Equipment developers are leveraging the rapid
advances of the semiconductor industry to meet growing
demands for more information. Tighter regulations are
also forcing design teams to keep adopting more powerful
electronics in ECUs.
“Processor and data-handling capabilities are increasing
to meet regulated diagnostic requirements and the needs
of aftertreatment control,” said Michael Pipho, technical
lead at John Deere Power Systems. “While their capabili-
ties are increasing, electronic control modules are
load, and ambient temperature,” said James Krueger, Senior Sales
generally becoming smaller in size for improved density.”
Engineer at MTU. “Transmission life and engine life can both be Microcontrollers continue to make dramatic advances in
extended in certain situations, for instance, where electronics allow speed and capability. Floating point math capabilities that
engine torque-limiting or the transmission can ‘teach’ an operator to were once costly are now offered on relatively inexpensive
controllers. At the same time, the emergence of the
operate the engine/machine more efficiently.”
Automotive Open System Architecture (AUTOSAR) stan-
The results can be significant for equipment makers striving to dard may make it simpler to use a range of technologies.
meet demanding expectations for fuel conservation. For example, “As the cost of floating point arithmetic processors
matching a Cummins ISX15 engine with an Eaton Fuller Advantage drops, ECUs for subsystems can be upgraded from fixed
point to floating point capabilities,” said Joe Steiber,
Series 10-speed automated transmission improves efficiency and
Principal Engineer for Engine, Emissions, and Vehicle
trims fuel consumption for on-highway vehicles. Research at Southwest Research Institute. “This
“Sharing data allows the engine to determine the torque curve improves controllability without cost increases.
and power level to match real-time demand, providing additional Architectures like AUTOSAR are enabling decoupling of
software layers and hardware layers of ECUs and increas-
torque when necessary and better fuel economy as a total unit,”
ing reusability and standardization between subsystem
the Cummins spokesman said. “As a tangible example of benefits, controllers.”
the SmartAdvantage Powertrain offers customers a 3-6% improve- A range of sensors is being used to provide real-world
ment in fuel economy.” data so these controllers can make intelligent decisions.
As the need for information becomes more acute, many
design teams are using existing sensor data to collect data
Sharing data, sharing power that previously required an additional sensor.
Maximizing efficiency extends beyond the basic powertrain. “Virtual sensors and model-based controls are made
Engines must also interact well with hydraulic systems. In many possible by this increased computing power and cannot
only improve the quality of the control, these complex
existing equipment designs, hydraulic systems sometimes apply controllers and networks can also improve the long-term
loads faster than the engine can accept them. When electrohy- emissions compliance over the life of the vehicle,” said
draulic controllers and engine controllers communicate, perfor- Chris Mays, Senior Technical Specialist at BorgWarner’s
mance and fuel consumption can be improved by managing how Advance Engineering Group.
A number of networks link sensors and controllers
loads are applied to the engine. from a range of systems, creating a holistic design that can
“Typically, the load is applied and the engine reacts to changes improve overall efficiency. Standards bodies are helping
in speed by lugging,” the Cummins spokesman said. “The auxiliary engineers by updating existing communication standards
device must be designed so it cannot lug the engine too low in such as SAE J1939, which now runs at 500K bit/second.
speed or the engine speed must be increased to provide sufficient Terry Costlow
lugging capability to react. In a more integrated system, the
engine can operate at low speed to save fuel when no load is
applied, but then receive advanced communication prior to appli-
cation of a load.”
Engineers try to keep the engine running at its optimal rate
when the engine isn’t idling. When loads are added, it’s not always
optimal to have the engine or the hydraulic system work at a level
that’s very efficient for either system alone. The end goal for many
design teams is to get the most overall efficiency.
“Instead of asking for an engine speed set-point to make the
hydraulics most efficient, at the possible expense of engine effi-
ciency, the machine could choose a point that means neither Linking hydraulic systems and engines lets
controllers adjust engine speeds to keep Deere
engine nor hydraulics are at optimal efficiency, but the net effi- hydraulic operations running efficiently.
ciency or productivity is maximized,” Mays said.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 61

SYSTEMS THAT TALK TOGETHER,
ARE EFFICIENT TOGETHER

Adjusting operations in response

to changing conditions such as
temperature helps MTU improve
performance and extend engine life.

Deere links
transmissions
and engines Intelligent controls from BorgWarner
to deliver Intelligent controls
use real-time from BorgWarner
information instead of
power to tracks use real-time information instead of
generic rules to adjust performance
efficiently. generic rules to
and improve adjust performance and
efficiency.
improve efficiency.

Clean communications sharing of data among systems can

For many design teams, tighter emissions regulations have expanded the result in high network loading and
definition of a powertrain. Aftertreatment systems are now a critical factor cause some data latency issues.”
that impacts engine operations. Design teams must include treatment tech- Most developers are using a num-
nologies as they optimize powertrain parameters. ber of networks linked together
“The aftertreatment system, engine, and transmission need to be opti- using gateways. That provides the
mized as a complete system instead of individual elements,” Mays said. “For necessary bandwidth without adding
example, getting the SCR aftertreatment to its operating temperature quickly a lot of complexity.
means that the engine can move to more efficient operation sooner. The “As the engine subsystems
engine needs to interact with fuel injection, throttles, and variable valve train develop, particularly those related to
components as well as the transmission to enable a rapid warm-up. This is a aftertreatment, it is necessary to use
system decision to sacrifice lower engine efficiency for a short time to multiple networks separating
achieve a net overall system benefit for the full operation cycle.” machine and application data from
When all these systems share information continuously, there is a lot of subsystem monitoring,” Cullen said.
data traveling over networks. Getting the right data to each node at the right “One example is NOx sensors, which
time is a challenging task. If the combined systems and networking links run on a different network to that of
aren’t considered as elements of a larger system, problems can arise. the machine. As the number of vari-
“Another challenge associated with communication between the engine ables increase, the limitations of a
and transmission is obtaining accurate load information at very light loads,” network become apparent. To main-
said Michael Pipho, technical lead at John Deere Power Systems. tain a responsive system and avoid
“Aftertreatment technologies also increase the amount of data on the net- latency issues it is sometimes neces-
work structure due to additional control requirements and the need to com- sary to rethink the network architec-
municate aftertreatment information to operator interfaces. The increased ture of a machine.”

62 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

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EU group develops electric ‘Microsupercar’ concept
An electric car is only as green as the
electricity that powers it. And given that
most power generators burn environ-
mentally suspect fossil or nuclear fuels, it
is noteworthy when someone develops
an EV that can self-charge from the sun.
That’s true even if the European
Union’s P-MOB micro EV concept can
manage only 20 km (12 mi) on a full day’s
solar-power charge, and then only in
sunnier regions such as southern Europe.
But that should be enough range for
many city travelers in Italy and else-
where, said Pietro Perlo, a former Centro
Ricerche Fiat (CRF) director and now
principal at Interactive Fully Electric
Vehicles, which is dedicated to urban
e-vehicle development and local produc- Micro EVs, such as the P-MOB, will
tion. soon be the fastest-growing e-vehicle
The three-seat, solar runabout, which segment in Europe.
has a mass less than 600 kg (1323 lb)
without a battery, has a top speed of 100 Technologies for Efficient Electrical
km/h (62 mph) and a fully charged Personal Mobility.” CRF-coordinated the
range of more than 100 km (62 mi). research consortium, which included
P-MOB is the product of a three-year, Germany’s Siemens, Spain’s Mazel
$6-million joint industry-university Group, and the U.K.’s University of
research program, partly EU funded and Sheffield and Magnomatics.
partly industry financed, that aimed to P-MOB was accompanied by a parallel,
develop “Integrated Enabling $5.3-million (partially EU-supported)
program that addressed the design and
development of the basic building blocks
of EVs and attempted to solve some The EU’s P-MOB microcar has a two-
motor powertrain with independent
specific technical shortcomings. WIDE- batteries.
MOB, also coordinated by CRF, involved
not only the P-MOB partners, but
Warsaw University of Technology, The design meets new European reg-
France’s IFP Energies, Swiss DuPont, ulations on micro EVs, he noted, adding,
and the French-Italian “The idea of having a vehicle that with
STMicroelectronics. minor additions could meet both the
homologation of micro electric vehicles
Safe as a tank and the classical M1 world is new.” (M1 is
a vehicle category, a car with eight pas-
“Our goal was ‘small and clean, but safe as senger seats or fewer.)
a tank,’” said Perlo, who helped guide the
project. “The P-MOB has met the highest
safety ranking, a low footprint, and
Electric microsupercar
extremely low energy consumption, mak- Although reducing system complexity
ing the vehicle ideal for most people’s while focusing on the essentials was key
needs in cities as well as on suburban to lightweight design, “we’re Italian, so of
roads.” During track-testing this summer course we wanted to build an electric
at Fiat in Turin, “the vehicle’s performance microsupercar,’” Perlo said. The little car
met our expectations for the design,” he thus has a good deal of style as well as
In sunny climes the P-MOB’s 2 m2 (22 ft2) said. “It showed very high stability on small four-wheel drive, precise handling, swift
of solar cells can generate enough juice radius curves and had an average energy acceleration, and low-drag aerodynamics.
for 20 km (12 mi) of range. consumption of around 80 W·h/km.” The design may even presage some

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 63

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was always to have “two electric motors
on two axles, a high stability, and fail-
safe configuration…that has since been
adopted by Tesla and others.”
The integrated ICT-based control
systems allow two motors and two dif-
ferentials to operate simultaneously,
providing independent axle actuation
and therefore 4WD capability and the
ability to alter torque ratio as driving
The P-MOB’s conditions change. “The split-power
single, wide,
provides for control, makes it easier to
dual-door side
opening recover energy, and a fully independent
provides easy fail-safe propulsion system,” he said. The
entry and exit. system enhances control on tight turns,

trends in this expanding and changing car

segment.
The problem with current fuel-burning
microcars, Perlo said, is that they are
“unsafe, inefficient, and very polluting.”
In Europe, quadricycles or ‘q-cars’ are
defined as weighing 700 kg (1540 lb)
maximum, though the category also
extends to Japan and China. In the city
car market, he observed, top speed is
less important to drivers; a focus on the
essential functions is what is required.
And it’s only a matter of time until this The little supercompact has garnered When parked, the P-MOB’s solar cell sun-
some press attention, but interest has shields can slide out to soak up sun and
market goes increasingly electric. Today been mostly from Europe. more range.
micro EVs such as Renault’s Twizy, make
up only a tiny fraction of the European car
fleet, but exponential sales growth is All the technologies were developed supplies more grip on wet and icy roads,
expected in the next few years. Micro EVs during the course of the project by the and delivers quicker acceleration without
are expected to be the fastest growing partners, Perlo said. The concepts have drawing more power.
e-vehicle market segment. “By 2020, all been patented. “Only the battery cells The plug-in supercompact EV features
Smart cars and most Japanese ‘kei’ cars were produced outside Europe, though just under 2 m² (22 ft²) of crystalline sili-
will be electric-powered,” he said. The the design came from within the project.” con solar cell panels on the roof and on
Colibri EV micro-car, which was unveiled in The vehicle sits on a low-cost tubular solar windshield and window sunshades
the spring of 2013, has already netted 700 frame stiffened with formed sheet-metal that slide out on the inside to soak up
pre-orders for German firm Innovative parts that was developed by the WIDE- sun while parked. The car’s
Mobility Automobile, for example. MOB team for acceptable crash resis- photovoltaic arrays operate using smart
tance. The bench seats serve as structural diodes and self-adapting electronics to
EV building blocks supports, a part of a full safety cage that minimize energy loss during reduced-
has a single aperture on the side. light conditions or malfunction.
The WIDE-MOB effort focused on
“We have two doors on one side only, Part of the P-MOB concept is that
design elements to boost the efficiency
which helps ensure a high degree of distributed battery packs separately
of the solely solar-powered city car and
safety, better ergonomics, and reduced power the motors. The photovoltaics
on developing more efficient solar
complexity with extremely low aerody- feed into the front axle motor/battery
cells, improved electric motor and mag-
namic drag, around 30% lower than whereas some of the rear battery
netic torque control, better batteries,
similar size vehicles,” Perlo explained. modules—at 8 kg (18 lb) each—can be
and adaptive technologies to enable
The facing double doors enable “easy easily can be swapped out by hand in
e-vehicles to inject power back into the
entry for 90% of people.” seconds.
grid and home (V2G, V2H) when they
“Who needs a fast-charging battery if
have no need for it. Aerodynamics
advancement was another goal; accord- Fail-safe propulsion you can just change out the batteries?”
asked Perlo, an experienced practitioner
ing to EU contract documentation, the Perlo said that this project has had sev-
who shares Leonardo da Vinci’s view
team was to implement “embedded eral funding stops and starts until it was
that “simplicity is the ultimate sophisti-
synthetic micro-jets that radically reduce completed last spring, but even in its
cation.”
the drag at any speeds.” initial stages in 2008, the P-MOB vehicle Steven Ashley

64 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

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Steyr debuts CVT multiple-purpose tractors
Steyr took advantage of the biennial
Agritechnica to debut its new Profi CVT
(continuously variable transmission)
series tractors. With the new Profi CVT
series, Steyr has extended its tractor
program with a CVT in the 110 to 130 hp Steyr’s CVT series
(82 to 97 kW) power range. The Steyr- includes the models
developed CVT is based on dou- 4110 Profi CVT, 4120
ble-clutch technology and features two Profi CVT, and 4130
mechanical forward ranges and one Profi CVT with 110 to
130 hp (82 to 97 kW)
reverse range.
rated power. The
Steyr engineers at its St. Valentin, S-Tronic engine-
Austria, location designed an intelligent transmission-
power split concept that allows for management system
speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph) at a is part of the standard
reduced engine speed of only 1750 rpm. configuration.
The transmission also allows creeper
speeds down to 20 m/h (66 ft/h). In terms of the Profi CVT’s cab, an
All new Profi models are equipped improved Multicontroller provides for
with FPT Industrial engines with a turbo- simplified operation and optimum work-
charger and intercooler as well as Steyr place ergonomics. The Multicontroller is
ecotech, featuring SCR exhaust after- fitted with backlighted operating keys
treatment to meet Stage III B emissions allowing for easier and safer operation in
standards, and an intelligent control the dark. Up to seven key functions of
system for the engine-transmission- the tractor can be operated with just one
management. The 4.5-L, four-cylinder lever, and only one button is needed for
engines are equipped with an electronic changes of direction.

An improved Multicontroller provides for

simplified operation and optimum
workplace ergonomics. It is fitted with
backlighted operating keys allowing for
easier and safer operation in the dark.

on the Profi CVT and can be engaged

or disengaged comfortably from the
steering column. The parking brake is
activated automatically when the engine
is switched off, and disengaged when
the tractor is started again. A pneumatic
With Steyr S-Tech, the engine and CVT, electronic hitch control, PTO, four-wheel drive,
and differential lock, as well as additional controls and S-Guide auto steering, are all trailer brake, operated via the power-
interlinked. shuttle, is also part of the standard
equipment.
common rail injection system. Due to a The window area alone offers 5.78 m² The tractor’s hydraulic system consists
powerboost, an additional power output (62.2 ft²) in the four-post design-cab. of an axial piston pump that delivers a
of 22 hp (16 kW) is available for trans- The integrated roof window allows for a high flow capacity of up to 125 L/min
port and PTO applications. 105° angle of vision on the front work (4.4 ft³/min), including pressure and flow
Profi CVTs feature a new system for space. Steyr also claims it is one of the regulation if needed.
idling speed control. Thirty seconds after quietest cabs in the tractor market, with The rear hitch is capable of lifting up
the operator has left the cab, the idling a 69 dB(A) noise level and an optional to 7850 kg (17,306 lb), and the front
speed will automatically be reduced cab suspension. hitch lifts up to 3100 kg (6834 lb). A
from 850 to 650 rpm unless either elec- Front end construction and the cen- maximum of seven electrohydraulic
tronic remote valves or the hydraulic sys- tral drive set of the new tractor design remote valves allow for the control of a
tem are in operation. Fuel consumption enable a steering angle of 55°, allowing wide range of functions.
is further reduced by means of a newly for improved driving characteristics and Front hitch lifting configurations can
developed software function, lowering a turning radius of just 4.04 m (13.25 ft). be preset by means of a management
operating costs accordingly. An electric parking brake is standard program. When the respective working

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 65

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VEHICLES
To satisfy the more Deere’s updated skid
rigorous work site
requirements, which steers and compact
result, for example, in
more torsional moments,
track loader
Steyr has developed the John Deere’s newest additions to its
next generation of the
E-Series line of skid steer loaders and
municipal frame, which is
used in the Steyr Profi compact track loaders (CTLs) include
CVT for municipal two skid steer models (318E, 320E) and
applications. two CTL models (319E, 323E). These are
in addition to other larger-frame models
introduced earlier in 2013.
The machines include upgraded
boom performance; auxiliary lines that
are integrated through the boom for
improved visibility and added protection;
and cab improvements aimed at improv-
ing operator and machine productivity,
uptime, and lower daily operating costs.
According to Gregg Zupancic,
depth is reached during operation, the Product Marketing Manager, John Deere
automatic load control of the front hitch Construction & Forestry, the mid-frame
activates the electronic float position, mounting space. Central to the system is models provide contractors more
making the operation of front-mounted a standardized quick-change plate, which choices when choosing a skid steer
mowers more comfortable. can be fitted as an option with a front loader or CTL, adding that the E-Series is
For tractors that are used in municipal hydraulic combination. This makes it pos- “customer inspired.”
operations, the front mounting space is sible to use front-mounted implements Deere says it is offering all major con-
one of the most important areas for the safely and to minimize setup times when trol patterns on the new models to meet
use of implements. Over the past few changing implements. customers’ specific needs, including tra-
years, however, implement weights and For the first time with Steyr municipal ditional hand and foot controls, hand-
implement reach have increased steadily. frames, “side-rails” are used for a more only controls, or low-effort,
To satisfy the more rigorous require- sturdy design and torsion-resistant con- electrohydraulic joystick controls in both
ments that result, for example with struction. A new central support bracket, the ISO and “H” patterns. The E-Series
respect to torsional moments, Steyr has integrated in the combi-frame structure features an option that allows the opera-
developed the next-generation munici- contributes to a buckle-resistant and tor to switch between all three industry
pal frame, which it has also introduced in torsion-free structure allowing heavy control patterns so operators can choose
the Profi CVT. mounted implements with high torsional the control pattern they’re most com-
With the Steyr municipal combi-frame, moments to be operated safely. fortable using.
fast mounting is possible in the front There is also an optimized rear-axle The mid-frame models also include
support. It guarantees optimum force improvements that enhance perfor-
transfer and avoids overloading the mance and make the machines more
front-axle support, says Steyr. The use of
snowplows/blowers and slope mowers
involves high loads. To address that
issue, the quick-changing plate has been
enforced and additional struts added to
the rear axle support structure.
With the municipal frame torsional
moments of up to 52 kN/m (5.8 ton/m)—
according to model—can be absorbed
without difficulty.
In the front area, new adjusting strips
are also used, making it simple to make a
All new Profi models are equipped
longitudinal adjustment to the municipal
with FPT Industrial engines with a
turbocharger and intercooler as well plate. As an option, there is also a new
as Steyr ecotech, featuring SCR heavy-duty frame that is used wherever Deere’s newest additions to its E-Series
exhaust aftertreatment to meet Stage high lateral forces are to be expected, for line of skid steer loaders and compact
III B emissions standards, and an example, where slope mowers have long track loaders include two skid steer
intelligent control system for the side arms. models (318E, 320E) and two compact
engine-transmission-management. Jean L. Broge track loader models (319E, 323E).

66 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

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Volvo CE’s new
short swing radius
excavator
With a weight of 2.5 ton (2.3 t), the
ECR25D compact excavator from Volvo
Construction Equipment achieves
greater breakout and tearout forces—
8453 lb (38 kN) combined—than the 2.8-
ton (2.5-t) ECR28 excavator it replaces. It
is also easy to transport from site to site.
Total transport weight—including three
buckets, a hydraulic breaker, and small
trailer—is 3.5 ton (3.2 t).
Its narrow design enables it to work in
confined areas and urban environments
Deere says it is offering all major control patterns on the new models to meet custom- for such operations as electrical wire
ers’ specific needs, including traditional hand and foot controls, hand-only controls, or installation or water piping repair with lim-
low-effort, electrohydraulic joystick controls in both the ISO and “H” patterns. ited impact on traffic or residential areas.
For operations that require a bit more
might, it can be equipped with an addi-
tional counterweight. In such applications,
the tail radius minimally exceeds track
width, preventing collision or damage.
The ECR25D is powered by a Tier 4
Interim, 20.9-hp (15.6-kW) three-cylin-
der engine. The 1.12-L engine features a
In addition to bore and stroke of 3.07 x 3.08 in (78.0 x
standard 78.2 mm) and a maximum torque of
improvements, 53.2 N·m (72.1 lb·ft) at 1600 rpm.
the mid-frame Contributing to fuel efficiency and low-
E-Series models
offer several
ering operating costs is an optional
options that auto-idling system, which reduces
enhance engine speed when controls are inactive
productivity,
says Deere.

versatile. An optimized boom design ability to convert the foot throttle pedal
offers greater reach at truck-bed height into a decelerator pedal for increased
and increases lift height to the hinge pin. productivity in dozing and loading appli-
Other new features include con- cations.
nect-under-pressure auxiliary hydraulic The mid-frame models boast several
couplers and courtesy lighting that customer-favorite features from their
stays on up to 90 s after the engine is D-Series predecessors, including a pres-
shut down, illuminating the way for eas- surized cab with best-in-class visibility,
ier exits out of dark barns or after-hour auto-idle to help conserve fuel, and best-
job sites. in-class service access. In addition,
In addition to the standard improve- industry-leading options such as the
ments, the mid-frame E-Series models reversing fan can be set to automatically
offer several options that enhance pro- reverse to clear core-clogging buildup.
ductivity, including a new keyless-start The 318E, 320E, 319E, and 323E are
sealed-switch feature with an anti-theft powered by Yanmar Final Tier 4 diesel
system and a ride control option that engines. The engines in all E-Series mod-
features shock-absorbing boom cylin- els feature cooled EGR with an exhaust
ders that cushion bumps, helping retain filter consisting of a diesel oxidation cat- This 2.5-ton (2.3-t) machine is
full bucket loads to the intended destina- alyst and diesel particulate filter. particularly mobile and efficient, making
tion and help navigation over rough ter- Jean L. Broge it suitable for any application requiring
rain. Another option gives customers the small excavators.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 67

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SR-72 flies into 21st century
at Mach 6
Lockheed Martin recently confirmed that its Skunk Works
engineers are developing a hypersonic aircraft that will go
twice the speed of the SR-71 Blackbird, called the SR-72. The
SR-71 is renowned for having flown from New York to London
in less than 2 h, a world speed record that exceeded Mach 3
and has remained unbroken for more than 38 years.

The access area into the cab is large enough that operators can
get in and out easily without bumping controls, and a flat,
uncluttered floor offers ample foot space.

for over 5 s or when the left-hand console is raised.

Its hydraulic system includes a flow sharing main control
valve that offers fast cycle times, while a load- variable dis-
placement piston pump delivers flow on demand, lowering
operating costs. Featuring a patented, multifunctional hydraulic
oil filter, filtration occurs when the tank is filled or topped up
and before the oil returns back via the drain lines.
The access area into the cab is large enough that operators
can get in and out easily without bumping controls, and a flat,
uncluttered floor offers ample foot space. An adjustable seat,
ergonomic armrests, and efficiently positioned
controls facilitate intuitive operation. The machine can be posi-
tioned quickly and easily, as slew and offset movements are
controlled simultaneously via a proportional roller and joystick.
Large, hydraulic travel pedals provide the operator accurate,
hands-free track control, while an automatic, two-speed travel
function allows the machine to downshift when more effort is
required. Low-speed mode can be enabled at the flip of a
switch for more sensitive operations. Visibility is improved to
the blade, digging equipment, and tracks—improving precision
and job site safety. Whether equipped with a Volvo cab or can-
opy, three-point entry and rollover protection are standard.
All checkpoints on the ECR25D compact excavator are Unlike the SR-71, the SR-72 will not be developed with slide
readily accessible at ground level and grouped under a rules, protractors, and paper. The SR-72 will be managed by
wide-opening, lockable hood. Greasing need only be carried millions of lines of software code and powered by computers.
out every 50 h. A patented multifunction hydraulic oil filter/
filler improves protection of the hydraulic system and provides
early detection of oil pollutants.
The ECR25D is available with several packages, along with
options such as long arm for enhanced working range or addi-
tional rear counterweight to better handle heavy attachments.
Work tools can be installed via an optional attachment carrier
(hydraulic or mechanical) available installed from the factory.
Auxiliary hydraulic flows can be adjusted from inside the cab
via the joystick for optimal attachment function.
Optional Volvo CareTrack remote telematics system pro-
vides owners information to optimize performance and maxi-
mize uptime, including geo-fence, geo-tracking, an engine on/
off status monitor, and hourly-based work reports. “Hypersonic aircraft, coupled with hypersonic missiles, could
Jean L. Broge penetrate denied airspace and strike at nearly any location
across a continent in less than an hour,” said Brad Leland,
Lockheed Martin Program Manager, Hypersonics.

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For the past several years, Skunk
Works has been working with Aerojet Hybrid copter is first of its kind
Rocketdyne to develop a method to A small team of inventors in Germany is (100 km/h)
integrate an off-the-shelf turbine with a moving closer to first flight of its VC200 • Flight altitude of up to 6500 ft
supersonic combustion ramjet volocopter—a helicopter-like aircraft • Maximum takeoff weight of 450 kg
air-breathing jet engine to power the conceived from the start to be powered • More than 1 h flight time.
aircraft from standstill to Mach 6. The by batteries and electric motors. It will be seen over the next few years
result is the SR-72, which will integrate In contrast to conventional helicop- whether those bogies are actually
an engine and airframe that is optimized ters, e-volo’s tail-less VC200 (the 200 achieved. Currently, battery capacity is
at the system level for high performance means two-seater) uses a web of paired sufficient for only about 20 min of flight
and affordability. electric motors and propellers for verti- time. The company is confident battery
Envisioned as an unmanned aircraft, cal takeoff and landing plus forward technology will advance significantly by
the SR-72 with an intelligence, surveil- motion. Independently controlled for the time the first VC200 is placed in a
lance, and reconnaissance mission,
would fly at speeds up to Mach 6 (six
times the speed of sound). At this speed,
the aircraft would be so fast, an adver-
sary would have no time to react or hide.
“Hypersonic aircraft, coupled with
hypersonic missiles, could penetrate
denied airspace and strike at nearly any
location across a continent in less than
an hour,” said Brad Leland, Lockheed
Martin Program Manager, Hypersonics.
“Speed is the next aviation advancement
to counter emerging threats in the next
several decades. The technology would
be a game-changer in theater, similar to
how stealth is changing the battle space
today.”
SR-72 is not the first hypersonic Skunk
Works aircraft project. With DARPA,
The inventors of the volocopter plan to put their VC200 into the air by year’s end.
engineers developed the rock-
et-launched Falcon Hypersonic
Technology Vehicle 2 (HTV-2). The rotational speed, the 18 motors/propel- customer’s hands, which, Zosel said, will
HTV-2 R&D project was designed to col- lers are used to steer the aircraft. No happen in 2016.
lect data on three technical challenges of mechanical pitch control of the propel- The first VC200 prototype was com-
hypersonic flight: aerodynamics; aero- lers is necessary. pleted in time for the world premiere in
thermal effects; and guidance, naviga- A “pusher” motor and propeller pair- Berlin on Aug. 13, 2013, as part of
tion, and control. ing, aft of the cockpit, was envisioned Europe’s GreenTec Awards program.
The SR-72’s design incorporates les- from the beginning. But the “range- Airbus won the “Goliath” award for work
sons learned from the HTV-2, which flew extender” version—likely using an in fuel cells, and e-volo won the “David”
to a top speed of Mach 20, or 13,000 internal-combustion engine feeding a award for the VC200.
mph, with a surface temperature of generator—is two or three years down the “We are on schedule with the devel-
3500°F. At those speeds, flight time road, Alexander Zosel, e-volo CEO, told opment,” e-volo’s Wolf said at the time; a
between New York City and Los Angeles SAE International Magazines via email. manned flight was still being planned for
would be less than 12 min. In the prototype version of VC200, 2013. “Many thanks go to our key part-
Lockheed Martin projects that the electricity for the equally rated (about ner, DG Flugzeugbau. In the recent
SR-72 could be operational by 2030. 3.9 kW) motors is stored in a centralized weeks, their employees have tirelessly
Jean L. Broge battery pack—details of which the com- produced the last parts of the VC200.”
pany is not releasing. The serial version In his email exchange with SAE
of VC200 will have 18 decentralized Magazines; however, Zosel stated that
packs as well as some “centralized bat- the first flight—to be held in November—
teries,” said Zosel. would be unmanned.
He and his e-volo co-executives and The volocopter’s maiden flight was
co-inventors—Thomas Senkel, Lead Drive held Nov. 17 in the dm-arena in Karlsruhe.
Development; and Stephan Wolf, CFO, Video of the flight can be viewed at
Lead Software Development—have http://youtu.be/tNulEa8LTHI.
designed VC200 to eventually achieve: The project has gotten €2 million in
• Cruising speed of at least 54 knot support from the federal government.

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 69

Global
VEHICLES

The range-extender version of the volocopter will have a propeller behind the cockpit. Shown is the all-electric version.

“This green aircraft is a perfect blend namic blade design, aerodynamics • Smart Battery Solutions Corp.,
of German engineering and innovative of multirotor alignment, assess- Kleinostheim: energy storage with
ingenuity,” Federal Environment Minister ment of aircraft performance and battery housing and battery man-
Peter Altmaier said at the GreenTec controllability, configuration optimi- agement system
event. zation, and emergency scenarios in • Wankel SuperTec Corp., Cottbus:
The VC200 is a group effort, with case of rotor failure serial hybrid drive
e-volo of Karlsruhe having invented the • IMST Corp., Kamp-Lintfort: 24-GHz • Junkers Profly Corp., Kulmbach:
basic concept. Its role is project coordi- radar system for collision avoidance rescue system (vehicle parachute).
nation, technical project management, and landing support. • Maus Corp., Karlsruhe: model and
architecture of the steering software, Industry partners and their roles are: mold, rotational molding
test flights, prototype certification, • Apfel Corp., Dossenheim: aircraft
marketing, and sales. • DG Flugzeugbau: passenger cabin trailer for the VC200 including
Research partners and their roles are: and mechanical assembly of light- shelving and an intelligent assem-
weight fuselage construction bly aid for the rotor arms
• Institute of Applied Research, • ICS AG, Stuttgart: risk management
University of Applied Sciences • SinusLeistungsSteller,
and development of intelligent Waldbüttelbrunn: motor control for
Karlsruhe: automatic and interac- solutions for critical IT environments
tive steering system electric drives
• W. Gessmann Corp., Leingarten: • mach:idee, Engineering Company,
• NAVKA – Navigation Algorithms threefold-redundant control joy-
and Platforms Karlsruhe: multiple Karlsruhe: 3-D visualization,
stick animation, simulation, and real-time
redundant multisensor system opti- • Smoto Corp., Augsburg: e-drives
mized for configuration to calculate presentation
• Helix Carbon Corp., Würselen: • ISIS Technologies Corp., Karlsruhe:
navigation status rotors for lift and propulsion
• Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas production of CNC parts and small
• ATB Blank Corp. / Blank Sky- series for the prototype.
Dynamics, Department Helicopters, Control, Roggenburg: cockpit elec-
University of Stuttgart: aerody- Patrick Ponticel
tronics and steering hardware

70 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

COMPANIES MENTIONED
ABI Research .................................. 4, 24 Fairchild Semiconductor .................48 Marcotodo ............................................ 34 STMicroelectronics .....................49, 63
Achates .....................................................9 FE-DESIGN ............................................ 18 Maus ........................................................ 70 TAFE...........................................................8
Aerojet Rocketdyne .......................... 69 Ferrari ...................................................... 51 Mazda ...................................................... 16 Tata ........................................................... 41
Airbus ........................................15, 55, 69 FEV ............................................................17 Mazel Group ......................................... 63 Tata Advanced Systems ................... 14
Airbus Operations ............................. 34 Fiat-Chrysler ...........................................8 Mercedes-Benz ......................................4 Tata Motors............................................ 15
American Axle .......................................11 Ford ..............................................4, 12, 49 Michelin ...................................................10 Tata Technologies .............................. 39
Ansys ...................................................... 24 Formula One ...................................47, 51 Microsoft ................................................ 12 Tempere University of
Apfel........................................................ 70 FPT Industrial ...................................... 65 Millbrook Proving Ground .............. 36 Technology .................................... 22
Apollo Tyres ............................................11 Freescale ...............................................49 Ministry of Urban Development, Tesla ........................................................64
Apple ...................................................... 24 Freescale Semiconductor ................ 21 Government of India .................. 33 Texas Instruments..............................50
Applus IDIADA .................................9, 12 GE ...............................................................6 M&M TPDS .............................................10 Toyota ........................................................9
Ashok Leyland ........................8, 30, 42 General Motors ....................... 6, 49, 52 Modus ..................................................... 23 Traktion ...................................................10
ATB Blank.............................................. 70 Helix Carbon ........................................ 70 Moscow St. Tech U. ..............................9 Traktion Management Services ....40
Audi ......................................................4, 17 Henkel..................................................... 34 MTU .......................................................... 61 United States Advanced
Automotive Research Hero Motors ............................................8 National Board of Electric Battery Consortium....................49
Association of India.......................8 Hinduja Group ..................................... 42 Mobility............................................. 41 University of Applied
AVL .......................................... 9, 10, 15, 17 Honeywell ....................................... 15, 55 National Skill Development ............10 Sciences Karlsruhe ..................... 70
BASF Catalysts India ......................... 15 Hyundai................................................6, 9 NAVKA ................................................... 70 University of Sheffield...................... 63
Better Place..........................................46 ICS ............................................................ 70 Nissan ...............................................14, 42 University of Stuttgart ..................... 70
Blank Sky-Control .............................. 70 IFP Energies ......................................... 63 NXP Semiconductors .......................49 Virginia Tech ........................................ 23
BMW ..........................................................4 IMST......................................................... 70 Oellerich ................................................ 35 Visteon .................................................... 21
Boeing .............................................. 15, 55 INA ............................................................ 15 PACCAR ..................................................10 Vodafone ................................................ 12
Boeing Research and Indian Institute of Technology ...... 47 Parker Hannifin ................................... 26 Voith ......................................................... 18
Technology .................................... 28 Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation..... 15 Perkins....................................................60 Voith Turbo............................................ 18
BorgWarner ...................................60, 61 Infineon Technologies ....................... 21 Pininfarina ............................................. 52 Volkswagen .............................................4
Bosch ....................................................... 15 Innovative Mobility Automobile ...64 POC ..........................................................27 Volvo .................................................. 4, 26
Cadillac.....................................................17 Inst. of Control Sciences.....................9 Porsche .................................................. 52 Volvo Construction Equipment .... 67
Centro Ricerche Fiat ......................... 63 Interactive Fully Electric Pratt & Whitney Canada .................20 Wabco ..................................................... 12
CFK-Valley Stade ............................... 35 Vehicles ........................................... 63 Renault ...................................................64 Wankel SuperTec ............................... 70
Chemetall .............................................. 34 International Rectifier ......................48 Renesas................................................... 21 Warsaw University of
Chennai Corp. .......................................10 ISIS Technologies ............................... 70 REVA .......................................................46 Technology .................................... 63
Chevrolet ...........................................17, 51 John Deere .....................................10, 66 SABIC Innovative Plastics ............... 52 W. Gessmann ....................................... 70
Chrysler..................................................49 John Deere Power Systems .....61, 62 SAEINDIA .................................... 6, 8, 40 Wheels India ...........................................8
COMSOL ................................................ 28 Johnson Controls ....................... 48, 49 SAE International ...... 6, 8, 23, 30, 33, XM ............................................................ 56
Continental ............................................10 Junkers Profly...................................... 70 35, 39, 40, 61, 69, 72 Yanmar ................................................... 67
Cummins ........................................60, 72 Knorr-Bremse ....................................... 14 Secunet ................................................... 21
DARPA.................................................... 69 Lamborghini......................................... 52 Siemens ................................................. 63
Dassault Aviation ............................... 54 LMS .............................................................9 Sikorsky Aircraft .................................. 14
Dassault Systèmes ............... 10, 18, 20 Lockheed Martin ................................ 68 SIMULIA .................................................. 18
Datsun ..................................................... 14 Lucas-TVS ................................................8 SinusLeistungsSteller ....................... 70
Dexmet ..................................................30 mach:idee, Engineering Smart ......................................................64
DG Flugzeugbau ................................ 69 Company ........................................ 70 Smart Battery Solutions.................. 70
DuPont ................................................... 63 Magnomatics ....................................... 63 Smoto ..................................................... 70
Eaton....................................10, 26, 61, 72 Mahindra................................................. 41 Southwest Research Institute ........ 61
Elbit ......................................................... 58 Mahindra & Mahindra ..........................8 Sprint ...................................................... 23
e-volo ...................................................... 69 Mahindra-REVA ............................. 9, 45 STA .............................................................9
FAA.......................................................... 24 Mahle ....................................................... 15 Steyr ........................................................ 65

AD INDEX
Advertiser Name ....................................... Page..................Website Address
Allegro MicroSystems LLC .............................................. 25 .............................www.allegromicro.com/camp1114
Altair Engineering Pvt Ltd................................................ 7 ..............................www.altair.com/optimize
AR RF/Microwave Instrumentation .............................. 5 ..............................www.arworld.us/totalEMC
BorgWarner Inc ....................................................................19 .............................www.borgwarner.com
Celanese ..............................................................................Cov 4..........................www.celanese.com/engineered-materials
Comsol Inc .............................................................................. 3 ..............................www.comsol.co.in/introvideo
Hyundai Motor India Ltd ...................................................31..............................www.hyundai.co.in
Molex Incorporated .........................................................Cov 2 ..........................www.molex.com/me/HSAutoLinkII.html
Smalley Steel Ring Company ..........................................13..............................www.smalley.com/getcatalog
Stump, Schuele & Somappa Springs Pvt Ltd .......... 53 .............................www.ssssprings.com
The Lubrizol Corporation..............................................Cov 3 ..........................www.lubrizol.com/successtogether

MOBILITY ENGINEERING MARCH 2014 71

Q&A
opment as an engineer and in my professional life as an engi-
neering leader. What I tell young engineers is that in order for
them to really find their full potential, they need a way to influ-
ence events beyond the boundaries of their own organization.
Professional organizations like SAE are an ideal way to do that,
whether it’s through standards development, committee work,
organizing sessions, or being part of local section organiza-
tions. Engineers that understand that and take that to heart are
the ones that really do begin to influence not only externally
but internally as well.

SAE’s Commercial Vehicle sector encompasses both the

on- and off-highway segments. Do the trends in those
industries often align?
There are a lot of common elements. When I look at the history
of the commercial vehicle industry as it relates to engineering
over the past 30-40 years, it’s been driven by the march on
criteria pollutants, NOx and particulate matter. Lately, the same
has been true of the off-highway industry with the advent of
Tier 1, 2, 3, and 4 off-road emissions in the U.S. Many of the
same technologies have been applied. One of the things that’s
new now is the advent of fuel-economy regulations in the U.S.
in the commercial vehicle industry. What’s going to define the
Thomas R. Stover, shown at the SAE 2013 Commercial challenge for the next 20-30 years is how do we improve fuel
Vehicle Engineering Congress, succeeds Bharat Vedak, Vice
efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas production in the com-
President, TCI and Deliver Customer Value, Deere & Co., as
SAE Vice President of Commercial Vehicle. Vedak served mercial vehicle space. Ultimately, I think that’s going to trans-
from 2011–13. late into the off-road space as well, even though that’s not real-
ly being broadly discussed at this point.

Eaton CTO
What can SAE do to help find solutions to the fuel efficiency
and greenhouse gas challenges?
We certainly want SAE to be an asset to the industry, but I think

assumes SAE
SAE has to find the right way to participate as those regulations,
procedures, and processes unfold. Some of the things that are
certainly possible are things like standards for aerodynamic

VP post
Thomas R. Stover, Chief Technology Officer for Eaton
testing for heavy-duty trucks, for example. That’s a key piece of
the fuel-economy regulation. It’s a very complex and demand-
ing test environment, and it’s an area that really calls for the
development of standards. There are a number of other activi-
Corp.’s vehicle operations, recently began his term as SAE ties that relate to new testing approaches and new ways of
International’s 2014-2016 Vice President–Commercial Vehicle. complying with the regulation that I think SAE could definitely
The 22-year member of SAE International, who joined Eaton in play a key role.
2002 after 25 years with Cummins Engine Co., will be charged
with providing leadership and continuity for the society’s com- Innovation plays a key role in your position as Chief
mercial vehicle initiative and for ensuring that industry needs Technology Officer. What are the keys to fostering that
are integrated into the standards, events, and educational pro- innovation among your staff at Eaton?
grams. In his current role at Eaton, Stover is responsible for We really define our space in the market by our ability to inno-
technology, innovation, and engineering excellence for the vate and provide differentiated solutions for our customers. In
Vehicle Group worldwide. SAE Magazines Assistant Editor the Vehicle Group, we take a very strategic approach to innova-
Matthew Monaghan recently spoke with Stover about his new tion. We have a dedicated team of advanced development engi-
role with SAE and the current state of the industry. neers that are charged with creating a certain growth potential
each year. We have dedicated innovation events where we bring
As a longtime member of SAE, what have you gained from together large cross-functional groups of people, and that pro-
your experience, and what do you tell young people is the cess has been consistently producing growth potential on the
value of SAE? order of 10% every year. The fact that we put focus on it, support
Personally, it’s a sense of connectivity with the industry. It’s al- it, and talk about it at the leadership level gives it a lot of visibility
lowed me to keep up with developments, provided forums for in the organization and it energizes the entire engineering orga-
interchange of ideas and information, and it’s provided me with nization to know that the business leadership is behind the work
a network of professional associates. I’m continually surprised and supporting it and actively helping it move toward realization.
by how valuable that’s been to me, both in terms of my devel- Matthew Monaghan

72 MARCH 2014 MOBILITY ENGINEERING

Access to expertise
you can trust.
How can you win in today’s marketplace? Do you
have what you need to set your company apart?
SUCCESS
TOGETHER
Work closely with Lubrizol and you will have access
to a higher level of additive and
market expertise, the widest product
coverage and the broadest range of
capabilities in the industry.
SUCCESS
TOGETHER
Visit Lubrizol.com/successtogether
to experience Success Together.

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All rights reserved. 130004
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