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Automated solutions for manufacturing composite products based on prepreg often imply Automatic Fiber Placement or Automatic Tape Laying. These systems are generally associated with huge investments. For certain manufacturing applications it is interesting to investigate alternatives to find simpler and less costly automation. One example of an automated system could be the use of a standard industrial robot to pick single prepreg plies from an automated cutting machine and stack them to form a plane laminate. This paper is based on a case illustrating a product from the aircraft manufacturing industry. The case will demonstrate a pick and place concept on a general level and illustrate challenges that must be solved. The challenge selected to be the main focus for this paper is an automated process for backing paper removal. A literature review of different gripping technologies reveals several interesting technologies, and the most promising are tested for backing paper removal. The tests show that an automated removal process can be designed by using standard vacuum grippers in combination with mechanical clamping grippers. In order to lift the backing paper with a vacuum gripper an initial separation between the backing paper and prepreg is needed. This separation is most easily mechanically induced by bending the material. The proposed solution for automatic backing paper removal can be integrated in a manufacturing cell for manufacturing of the studied product. SAE Technical Paper 2013-01-2289

The Advanced Extra-vehicular Activity (EVA) team of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) Crew and Thermal Systems Division (CTSD) participated in the Desert Research and Technology Study (RATS) in September 2003, at Meteor Crater, AZ. The Desert RATS is an integrated remote field site te t with team members from several NASA centers (Johnson Space Center; Glenn and Ames Research Centers) and universities (Bowling Green State University, University of Cincinnati, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) participating. Each week of the two-week field test had a primary focus. The primary test hardware for the first week was the I-Gravity Lunar Rover Training Vehicle, or Grover, which was on loan to NASA from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Research Program. The 2003 Grover driving test results serve as a rover performance characterization baseline for the Science, Crew, Operation and Utility Testbed (SCOUT) project team, which will be designing and fabricating a next generation roving vehicle prototype in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004. The second week of testing focused on EVA geologic traverses that utilized a geologic sample field analysis science trailer and also focused on human-robotic interaction between the suited subjects and the EVA Robotic Assistant (ERA). This paper will review the Advanced EVA team's role in the context of the overall Desert RATS, as well as the EVA team results and lessons learned. For information regarding other test participants' results, the authors can refer interested parties to the test reports produced by those Desert RATS teams.

[EN] To face the current challenges of the automotive industry, there is a need for computational models capable to simulate the engine behavior under low-temperature and low-pressure conditions. Internal combustion engines are complex and have interconnected systems where many processes take place and influence each other. Thus, a global approach to engine simulation is suitable to study the entire engine performance. The circuits that distribute the hydraulic fluids -liquid fuels, coolants and lubricants- are critical subsystems of the engine. This work presents a 0D model which was developed and set up to make possible the simulation of hydraulic circuits in a global engine model. The model is capable of simulating flow and pressure distributions as well as heat transfer processes in a circuit. After its development, the thermo-hydraulic model was implemented in a physical based engine model called Virtual Engine Model (VEMOD), which takes into account all the relevant relations among subsystems. In the present paper, the thermo-hydraulic model is described and then it is used to simulate oil and coolant circuits of a diesel engine. The objective of the work is to validate the model under steady-state and transient operation, with focus on the thermal evolution of oil and coolant. For validation under steady-state conditions, 22 operating points were measured and simulated, some of them in cold environment. In general, good agreement was obtained between simulation and experiments. Next, the WLTP driving cycle was simulated starting from warmed-up conditions and from ambient temperature. Results were compared with the experiment, showing that modeled trends were close to those experimentally measured. Thermal evolutions of oil and coolant were predicted with mean errors between 0.7 °C and 2.1 °C. In particular, the warm-up phase was satisfactorily modeled., This research has been partially funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement 723976 (“DiePeR”) and by the Spanish government under the grant agreement TRA2017-89894-R. Josep SalvadorIborra was supported by Universitat Politècnica de València through the contract FPI-S2-2016-1357 of the program PAID01-16. The authors wish to thank Renault SAS, especially P. Mallet and E. Gaïffas, for supporting this research. Jaime Monfort San Segundo is acknowledged for his helpful collaboration in the code implementation

International audience; Recent work in the area of safety analysis has shown that system Fault Trees and Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEAs) can be automatically derived from a topological model of the system that has been annotated with local, component-level, specifications of failure. In this paper, the concept of a component failure specification is extended to enable description and reuse of generalized patterns of failure behaviour that are commonly exhibited by components. A language for the description of such patterns is specified, useful patterns are presented and the use of such patterns is demonstrated on an example of a Time-Triggered system. The paper tentatively concludes that careful reuse of failure patterns in conjunction with automated fault tree and FMEA synthesis algorithms can help to rationalize, and simplify, complex safety assessments.

This paper is a preliminary step in the direction of the definition of a radically new wing concept that has been conceived to maximize the lift even at low speeds. It is expected to equip new aerial vehicle concepts that aim to compete against helicopters and tilt rotors. They aim achieving very good performance at very low speed (5 to 30 m/s) by mean of an innovative concept of morphing ducted-fan propelled wing that has been designed to maximize the lift force. This paper presents an effective bibliographic analysis of the problem that is a preliminary necessary step in the direction of the preliminary design of the wing. A preliminary CFD evaluation allows demonstrating that the claimed results are in line with the initial expectations. According to\ud the CFD, results it has been produced a preliminary energetic evaluation of the vehicle in a flying car configuration by EMIPS method. Even if the results are still preliminary, they allow evidencing a good energy efficiency of the vehicle against helicopters.

Thermoelectric generator (TEG) has received more and more attention in its application in the harvesting of waste thermal energy in automotive engines. Even though the commercial Bismuth Telluride thermoelectric material only have 5% efficiency and 250°C hot side temperature limit, it is possible to generate peak 1kW electrical energy from a heavy-duty engine. If being equipped with 500W TEG, a passenger car has potential to save more than 2% fuel consumption and hence CO2 emission reduction. TEG has advantages of compact and motionless parts over other thermal harvest technologies such as Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and Turbo-Compound (TC). Intense research works are being carried on improving the thermal efficiency of the thermoelectric materials and increasing the hot side temperature limit. Future thermoelectric modules are expected to have 10% to 20% efficiency and over 500°C hot side temperature limit. This paper presents the experimental synthesis procedure of both p-type and n-type skutterudite thermoelectric materials and the fabrication procedure of the thermoelectric modules using this material. These skutterudite materials were manufactured in the chemical lab in the University of Reading and then was fabricated into modules in the lab in Cardiff University. These thermoelectric materials can work up to as high as 500°C temperature and the corresponding modules can work at maximum 400°C hot side temperature. The performance loss from materials to modules has been investigated and discussed in this paper. By using a validated TEG model, the performance improvement using these modules has been estimated compared to commercial Bisemous Telluride modules.

The DEXA Cluster consisted of three closely interlinked projects. In 2003 the DEXA Cluster concluded by demonstrating the successful development of critical technologies for Diesel exhaust particulate after-treatment, without adverse effects on NO[x] emissions and maintaining the fuel economy advantages of the Diesel engine well beyond the EURO IV (2000) emission standards horizon. In the present paper the most important results of the DEXA Cluster projects in the demonstration of advanced particulate control technologies, the development of a simulation toolkit for the design of diesel exhaust after-treatment systems and the development of novel particulate characterization methodologies, are presented. The motivation for the DEXA Cluster research was to increase the market competitiveness of diesel engine powertrains for passenger cars worldwide, and to accelerate the adoption of particulate control technology.

Mass and efficiency are key performance indicators for the development and design of future electric power systems (EPS) for more-electric aircraft (MEA). However, to enable consideration of high-level EPS architecture design trades, there is a requirement for modelling and simulation based analysis to support this activity. The predominant focus to date has been towards the more detailed aspects of analysis, however there is also a significant requirement to be able to perform rapid high-level trades of candidate architectures and technologies. Such a capability facilitates a better appreciation of the conflicting desires to maximize availability and efficiency in candidate MEA architectures, whilst minimizing the overall system mass. It also provides a highly valuable and quantitative assessment of the systemic impact of new enabling technologies being considered for MEA applications. Without this capability, predesign assessments are often time consuming and of a qualitative manner. Accordingly, this paper will present a steady state pre-design analysis tool for MEA architectures, which enables analysis of the architecture performance at different stages of the flight profile. By providing drag and drop models of key MEA electrical power system components configured for common voltage and power levels, the tool facilitates the rapid construction of candidate architectures which then enables the subsequent quantitative assessment of overall system mass and efficiency. Key to the credibility and usefulness of this tool, is the appropriate marrying of validated fundamental mathematical models (for example in the evaluation of system losses), up-to-date data driven models (for example, relating to component masses or power densities) and the flexibility to incorporate new models of technologies under consideration. The paper will describe these core elements and present selected case studies demonstrating potential uses of the tool in architecture assessment and down-selection, technology impact, and design-point sensitivity analysis.

Environmental and economic issues related to the aeronautic transport, with particular reference to the high-speed one are opening new perspectives to pulsejets and derived pulse detonation engines. Their importance relates to high thrust to weight ratio and low cost of manufacturing with very low energy efficiency. This papers presents a preliminary evaluation in the direction of a new family of pulsejets which can be coupled with both an air compression system which is currently in pre-patenting study and a more efficient and enduring valve systems with respect to today ones. This new pulsejet has bee specifically studied to reach three objectives: a better thermodynamic efficiency, a substantial reduction of vibrations by a multi-chamber cooled architecture, a much longer operative life by more affordable valves. Another objective of this research connects directly to the possibility of feeding the pulsejet with hydrogen. This paper after a preliminary analysis of the pulsejet takes into account two necessary stages of this activity with the initial definition of the starting point of this activity, which aim to define an initial thermodynamic balance of a Lenoir cycle and a preliminary but effective estimation of the thermal problem. It analyses the heat transfer process through the wall of the combustion chamber of a pulsejet for aeronautic propulsion. The inside wall is exposed to burning gases with an average temperature of 1500 K, which oscillates with an amplitude 500 k and a frequency of 50 Hz. It has been considered the possibility of using Hydrogen injection to reduce the environmental impacts at the price of introducing a cooling water envelope at an average temperature of 80 °c. The water mass flow to ensure this condition has been evaluated and it has been evaluated both the average temperature profile within the wall and the effects of the oscillations of gas temperature inside the combustion chamber. Obtained results have allowed starting an effective activity through a radically new pulsejet architecture, which is expected to outclass any former pulsejet in term of operative life and of compression ratio with a consequent step increase in terms of thermodynamic efficiency.

The aerodynamic drag, fuel consumption and hence CO2 emissions, of a road vehicle depend strongly on its flow structures and the pressure drag generated. The rear end flow which is an area of complex three-dimensional flow structures, contributes to the wake development and the overall aerodynamic performance of the vehicle. This paper seeks to provide improved insight into this flow region to better inform future drag reduction strategies. Using experimental and numerical techniques, two vehicle shapes have been studied; a 30% scale model of a Volvo S60 representing a 2003MY vehicle and a full scale 2010MY S60. First the surface topology of the rear end (rear window and trunk deck) of both configurations is analysed, using paint to visualise the skin friction pattern. By means of critical points, the pattern is characterized and changes are identified studying the location and type of the occurring singularities. The flow field away from the surface is then analysed using PIV measurements and CFD for the scale model and CFD simulations for the full scale vehicle. The flow field is investigated regarding its singular points in cross-planes and the correlation between the patterns for the two geometries is analysed. Furthermore, it is discussed how the occurring structures can be described in more generalized terms to be able to compare different vehicle geometries regarding their flow field properties. The results show the extent to which detailed flow structures on similar but distinct vehicles are comparable; as well as providing insight into the complex 3D wake flow.

This paper focuses on methods used to model vehicle surface contamination arising as a result of rear wake aerodynamics. Besides being unsightly, contamination, such as self-soiling from rear tyre spray, can degrade the performance of lighting, rear view cameras and obstruct visibility through windows. In order to accurately predict likely contamination patterns, it is necessary to consider the aerodynamics and multiphase spray processes together. This paper presents an experimental and numerical (CFD) investigation of the phenomenon. The experimental study investigates contamination with controlled conditions in a wind tunnel using a generic bluff body (the Windsor model.) Contamination is represented by a water spray located beneath the rear of the vehicle. The aim is to investigate the fundamentals of contamination in a case where both flow field and contamination patterns can be measured, and also to provide validation of modelling techniques in a case where flow and spray conditions are known. CFD results were obtained using both steady RANS and unsteady URANS solvers, combined with particle tracking methods. Steady RANS does not capture the wake structures accurately and this affects the contamination prediction. URANS is able to recover the large-scale wake unsteadiness seen in the experimental data, but the difference between the experimental and computational contamination distributions is still notable. The CFD is also able to provide further insight by showing the behaviour of particles of different sizes. Large particles are found to take on a ballistic trajectory and penetrate the wake. In contrast, small particles are shown to be less likely to become entrained into the wake.

The paper is based upon the work supported by Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center FUELCOM3 program under Master Research Agreement Number 6600024505/01. FUELCOM (Fuel Combustion for Advanced Engines) is a collaborative research undertaking between Saudi Aramco and KAUST intended to address the fundamental aspects of hydrocarbon fuel combustion in engines, and develop fuel/engine design tools suitable for advanced combustion modes. The authors would like to thank King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) for lab facilities and research support. Finally, the authors would like to convey gratitude towards the IC Engine Lab Safety Supervisor Adrian I. Ichim and the lab technician Riyad H. Jambi for their kind input and assistance in performing the experiments. The authors would like to express gratitude toward

The aviation industry has witnessed a technological shift towards the More Electric Aircraft (MEA) concept. This shift has been driven by a number of perceived benefits including performance optimization and reduced life-cycle costs. Increased electrification within MEA has made aircraft electrical networks larger and more complex and this necessitates an increased electrical power offtake from the engine. The paralleling of multiple generation sources across the aircraft is one potential design approach which could help improve engine operability and fuel efficiency within more-electric aircraft platforms. Accordingly, this paper will investigate options for the realization of paralleled generation systems within the context of current design and certification rules. The paper first illustrates, through simulation, that MIL-STD-704F voltage envelopes may be breached for some interconnected electrical architectures under fault conditions. The paper then assesses various solution options to minimize the propagation of transients across the interconnected network and demonstrates their effectiveness with reference to appropriate power quality standards. The paper concludes by providing estimates of the impact of each of these solution options on the total weight of the electrical system, highlighting how different designs and operating strategies can influence the design at a systems level.

This paper summarizes the recent development of an adaptive aeroelastic wing shaping control technology called variable camber continuous trailing edge flap (VCCTEF). As wing flexibility increases, aeroelastic interactions with aerodynamic forces and moments become an increasingly important consideration in aircraft design and aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, aeroelastic interactions with flight dynamics can result in issues with vehicle stability and control. The initial VCCTEF concept was developed in 2010 by NASA under a NASA Innovation Fund study entitled "Elastically Shaped Future Air Vehicle Concept," which showed that highly flexible wing aerodynamic surfaces can be elastically shaped in-flight by active control of wing twist and bending deflection in order to optimize the spanwise lift distribution for drag reduction. A collaboration between NASA and Boeing Research & Technology was subsequently funded by NASA from 2012 to 2014 to further develop the VCCTEF concept. This paper summarizes some of the key research areas conducted by NASA during the collaboration with Boeing Research and Technology. These research areas include VCCTEF design concepts, aerodynamic analysis of VCCTEF camber shapes, aerodynamic optimization of lift distribution for drag minimization, wind tunnel test results for cruise and high-lift configurations, flutter analysis and suppression control of flexible wing aircraft, and multi-objective flight control for adaptive aeroelastic wing shaping control.

This paper presents the implementation of a vehicle and powertrain model of the parallel hybrid electric vehicle which can be used for several purposes: as a model for estimating fuel consumption, as a model for estimating performance, and as a control model for the hybrid powertrain optimisation. The model is specified as a multi-domain physical model in MATLAB Simscape, which captures the key electrical, mechanical and thermal energy flows in the vehicles. By applying hand crafted boundary conditions, this model can be simulated either in the forwards or backwards direction, and it can easily be simplified as required to address specific control problems. Modelling in the forwards direction, the driver inputs are specified, and the vehicle response is the model output. In the backwards direction, the vehicle velocity as a function of time is the specified input, and the engine torque, and fuel consumption are the model outputs. The model represents a parallel hybrid vehicle, which is being developed in the TC48 project. The project goal is to produce a prototype of a plug-in parallel hybrid system which is integrated into existing front wheel drive powertrains with modest additional engineering, cost, volume, and mass requirements. This paper explains the motivation for the project, and presents examples of the simulations which were used to guide the design. The vehicle simulation models used to evaluate the layout options are described and discussed. Sensitivity analyses are presented which informed the design decisions. A novel use of the Simscape component of MATLAB/Simulink which allows the same model structure to be used for both forwards and backwards simulations is demonstrated. This method has the possibility for more general application, and a toolbox is being developed which assists the generation of mathematical models of this type.

A vehicle driving on the road experiences unsteady flow conditions which are not generally reproduced in the development environment. This paper investigates the potential importance of this difference to aeroacoustics and hence to occupant perception and proposes a methodology to enable better ranking of designs by taking account of wind noise modulation.Two approaches of reproducing the effects of unsteady wind on aeroacoustics were investigated: an active wind tunnel Turbulence Generation System (TGS) and a quasi-steady approach based on measurements at a series of fixed yaw angles. A number of tools were used to investigate the onset flow and its impacts, including roof-mounted probe, acoustic heads and surface microphones. External noise measurements help to reveal the response of separate exterior noise sources to yaw.The noise experienced by the driver or passenger ear facing the side-glass is dominated by increased sound pressure levels when the adjacent side-glass is the leeward side of the vehicle with some non-linear effects as leeward yaw produces first accelerated flow and then separation.In part because of non-linearity in response to yaw, a challenging parameter for a wind tunnel simulation of dynamic yaw is achieving a wide enough variation in yaw angle and this work suggests that considering an appropriate range of yaw angles is more important than capturing the dynamics.In terms of passenger perception, the most important effect of a time-varying onset flow was demonstrated to be the modulation of wind noise rather than the increase in time-averaged cabin noise. For the case considered, at 130 km/h, the impact of wind-noise modulation was found to be equivalent to an extra 1-2 dBA in terms of passenger perception, while the increment in time-averaged cabin noise would be only 0.2 dBA.

In the last years, the increasing concern for the environmental issues of IC engines has promoted the development of new strategies capable of reducing both pollutant emissions in atmosphere and noise radiation. Engines can produce different types of noise: 1) aerodynamic noise due to intake and exhaust systems and 2) surface radiated noise. Identification and analysis of noise sources are essential to evaluate the individual contribution (injection, combustion, piston slap, turbocharger, oil pump, valves) to the overall noise with the aim of selecting appropriate control strategies. Previous paper focused on the combustion related noise emission. The research activity aimed at diagnosing and controlling the combustion process via acoustic measurements. The optimal placement of the microphone was selected, where the signal was strongly correlated to the in-cylinder pressure development during the combustion process. Analysis and processing of the sound emission allowed the acoustic contribution of the combustion event to be isolated. Some indices capable of relating the combustion noise radiation back to the combustion development were defined. This paper presents an experimental activity devoted to analyze the entire noise generation process of a small displacement diesel engine. The purpose was to identify the contribution of the different sources (mechanical, combustion, fluid dynamic) to the overall emission. The methodology here proposed analyze the specific signature in the frequency domain of each source. The final objective was to use the microphone signal acquired in a proper selected location, to obtain indications about the effective strategies to achieve noise reduction. The repetitiveness of the measurements was guaranteed by a network encircling the engine. Microphones were placed in different positions and tests were performed in the complete engine operative field. In the paper, the experimental set-up is described, the methodology is presented. Results are then shown and discussed.

Vives College University and Kulab (KU Leuven University campus Ostend) in Belgium are undertaking an aeronautical research program about the development of a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Since the UAV is completely electrically powered, the analysis of the energy management of the integrated electrical system was critical to the development of the UAV. LMS, A Siemens Business, i s involved in the project to support the development of a multi-physics simulation model for electro-thermal analysis of the aircraft. This paper reports on the subsequent investigation of integrating the detailed electrical system model for a Pilot-in-the-Loop simulation. In order to perform this simulation, the model of the electrical system was converted into a real-time simulation model. The aim was to perform more realistic flight simulations to evaluate the performance of the aircraft before its first flight by taking into account the electrical system's behavior. Furthermore, the behavior of the electrical system can be directly assessed during and after the Pilot-in-the-Loop tests. Additional research outcomes include the suitable level of detail of the electrical system that should be taken into account for Pilot-in-the-Loop simulations. The research outcome was evaluated with a number of simulations that assessed the effect of the electrical system model. It was concluded that the proposed simulation architecture is suitable to take into account the effect of the electrical system on the aircraft flight dynamics. ispartof: SAE Technical Papers vol:2014-September issue:September ispartof: SAE Aerospace Systems and Technology Conference location:Cincinnati, Ohio, USA date:23 Sep - 25 Sep 2014 status: published

Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) is a leading after treatment technology for the removal of nitrogen oxide (NOx) from exhaust gases (DeNOx). It presents an interesting control challenge, especially at high conversion, because both reagents (NOx and ammonia) are toxic, and therefore an excess of either is highly undesirable. Numerous system layouts and control methods have been developed for SCR systems, driven by the need to meet future emission standards. This paper summarizes the current state-of-the-art control methods for the SCR aftertreatment systems, and provides a structured and comprehensive overview of the research on SCR control. The existing control techniques fall into three main categories: traditional SCR control methods, model-based SCR control methods, and advanced SCR control methods. For each category, the basic control technique is defined. Further techniques in the same category are then explained and appreciated for their relative advantages and disadvantages. Thus this paper presents a snapshot of the current state of the art for the research area of SCR control. This is a very active field, and it is hoped that by providing a better understanding of the different control strategies already developed for SCR control, future areas of interest will be identified and developed with the ultimate aim of satisfying the increasingly stringent emissions legislation. Copyright © 2014 SAE International.

The paper is based upon work supported by Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center FUELCOM3 program under Master Research Agreement Number 6600024505/01. FUELCOM (Fuel Combustion for Advanced Engines) is a collaborative research undertaking between Saudi Aramco and KAUST intended to address the fundamental aspects of hydrocarbon fuel combustion in engines, and develop fuel/engine design tools suitable for advanced combustion modes. The author would like to thank King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) for lab facilities and research support. Last but not least, the authors would like to convey gratitude towards the IC Engine Lab Safety Supervisor Adrian I. Ichim and the lab technician Riyad H. Jambi for their kind input and assistance in performing the experiments.

In this paper the effects of a rough underbody on the rear wake structure of a simplified squareback model (the Windsor model) is investigated using balance measurements, base pressure measurements and two and three component planar PIV. The work forms part of a larger study to develop understanding of the mechanisms that influence overall base pressure and hence the resulting aerodynamic drag. In the work reported in this paper the impact of a rough underbody on the base pressure and wake flow structures is quantified at three different ground clearances. The underbody roughness has been created through the addition of five roughness strips to the underbody of the model and the effects on the wake at ground clearances of 10.3%, 17.3% and 24.2% of the model height are assessed. All work has been carried out in the Loughborough University Large Wind Tunnel with a scale model giving a blockage ratio of 4.4% for a smooth under-body or 4.5% with the maximum thickness roughness strips. The tests are conducted with a fixed ground plane. Results are presented for the base pressure distribution and these are compared against the stream-wise PIV results. This work demonstrates the need for rough underbody structures to be considered during base pressure investigations before any model scale work is conducted due to their influence on the wake structures. Copyright © 2013 SAE International.

This paper presents an investigation into Elastohydrodynamic (EHL) modeling of differential hypoid gears that can be used in coupling with Newtonian (or multibody) dynamics to study Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) phenomena, such as axle whine. The latter is a noise of a tonal nature, emitted from differential axles, characterised by the gear meshing frequency and its multiples. It appears at a variety of operating conditions; during drive and coasting, high and low torque loading. Key design targets for differential hypoid gears are improved efficiency and reduced vibration, which depend critically on the formation of an EHL lubricant film. The stiffness and damping of the oil film and friction generated in the contact can have important effects and cannot be neglected when examining the NVH behaviour of hypoid gears. The operating conditions in hypoid gears are usually characterized by high load, relatively low speeds, angled flow and elliptical contact footprint of high aspect ratio. Some extrapolated/empirical equations to estimate friction and film thickness have been reported for moderate loads. However, their use in hypoid gears is questionable. Additionally, the majority of reported numerical models for film thickness and friction have not been applied under such operating conditions. In this paper a numerical model of EHL elliptical point contact has been presented to obtain the EHL film behaviour under the usual range of operating conditions of hypoid gears. Realistic engine torque-speed characteristics are used. For these conditions, the load share per teeth pair contact is in the region of 500-6000N. A suitable method of solution is applied to ease the convergence of the numerical method, namely the distributed line low relaxation effective influence Newton-Raphson method. As the result of the angled direction of the entraining flow in the contact of hypoid gear teeth pairs, this method has been found to be suitable, thus adopted. The geometric and kinematic input data for EHL calculations are calculated using Tooth Contact Analysis (TCA).

This paper deals with the ground testing of the technological demonstrator of the innovativeremotely controlled ETF airship. The testing activities are intended to validate the flight control system of the ETF, which is based on the thrust vectoring technology and represents one of the major innovations of the ETF design, together with the airship architecture. A research team of the Aeronautical and Space Department of the Polytechnic of Turin, in collaboration with Nautilus, a small Italian private company, has been working since a few years on the ETF (Elettra Twin Flyers). This airship is remotely-piloted, with high maneuverability capabilities and good operative features also in adverse atmospheric conditions. The Nautilus new concept airship features architecture and appropriate command system, which should enable the vehicle to maneuver in forward, backward and sideward flight and hovering with any heading, both in normal and severe wind conditions. To achieve these capabilities the ETF demonstrator3 has been conceived with a highly non conventional architecture based on a double hull with a central plane housing structure, propellers, on board electric system and payload . As primary command system, the aerodynamic control surfaces are replaced by six propellers, which are moved by electrical motors and allow the airship to be controlled and maneuvered in the whole flight envelope. In this paper the results of the preliminary testing runs are analyzed and the power requirement is compared with the performance of the Fuel Cell system, purposely developed for the ETF Demonstrator.

The aerospace manufacturing sector is continuously seeking automation due to increased demand for the next generation single-isle aircraft. In order to reduce weight and fuel consumption aircraft manufacturers have increasingly started to use more composites as part of the structure. The manufacture and assembly of composites poses different constraints and challenges compared to the more traditional aircraft build consisting of metal components. In order to overcome these problems and to achieve the desired production rate existing manufacturing technologies have to be improved. New technologies and build concepts have to be developed in order to achieve the rate and ramp up of production and cost saving. This paper investigates how to achieve the rib hole key characteristic (KC) in a composite wing box assembly process. When the rib hole KC is out of tolerances, possibly, the KC can be achieved by imposing it by means of adjustable tooling and fixturing elements. A test rig has been designed and built that is used to experimentally investigate the capability of both the tooling and fixturing concepts. Some experiments have been carried out that successfully demonstrate the capability of the reconfigurable fixturing technology to achieve the rib hole KC.

Ice buildup in the compressor section of a commercial aircraft gas turbine engine can cause a number of engine failures. One of these failure modes is known as engine rollback: an uncommanded decrease in thrust accompanied by a decrease in fan speed and an increase in turbine temperature. This paper describes the development of a model which simulates the system level impact of engine icing using the Commercial Modular Aero-Propulsion System Simulation 40k (C-MAPSS40k). When an ice blockage is added to C-MAPSS40k, the control system responds in a manner similar to that of an actual engine, and, in cases with severe blockage, an engine rollback is observed. Using this capability to simulate engine rollback, a proof-of-concept detection scheme is developed and tested using only typical engine sensors. This paper concludes that the engine control system s limit protection is the proximate cause of iced engine rollback and that the controller can detect the buildup of ice particles in the compressor section. This work serves as a feasibility study for continued research into the detection and mitigation of engine rollback using the propulsion control system.

Copyright © 2009 SAE Japan and Copyright © 2009 SAE International – 2009 SETC. This paper is posted on this site with permission. As a user of this site, you are permitted to view this paper on-line, and print one copy of this paper at no cost for your use only. This paper may not be copied, distributed or forwarded to others for any use without permission from the copyright holder.

SAE paper 2010-01-0605, Copyright © 2010 SAE International. This paper is posted on this site with permission from SAE International, and is for viewing only. Further use and distribution of this paper is not permitted without permission from SAE. Over the last decade, the diesel engine has made dramatic progress in its performance and market penetration. However, in order to meet future emissions legislations, Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and particulate matters’ (PM) emissions will need to be reduced simultaneously. Nowadays researchers are focused on different combustion modes which can have a great potential for both low soot and low NOx. In order to achieve this, different injection strategies have been investigated. This study investigates the effects of split injection strategies with high levels of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) on combustion performance and emissions in a single cylinder direct injection optical diesel engine. The investigation is focused on the effects of injection timing of split injection strategies. A Ricardo Hydra single cylinder optical engine was used in which conventional experimental methods like cylinder pressure data, heat release analysis and exhaust emissions analysis were applied. Optical techniques like direct spray and combustion visualization were applied by means of a high speed imaging system with a copper vapor laser illumination system and a high-speed two-color system was applied to obtain in-cylinder diesel combustion temperature and soot measurements distributions.

SAE paper 2010-01-0843: Copyright © 2010 SAE International. This paper is posted on this site with permission from SAE International, and is for viewing only. Further use and distribution of this paper is not permitted without permission from SAE. Due to its potential for simultaneous improvement in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, controlled autoignition (CAI) combustion has been subject to continuous research in the last several years. At the same time, there has been a lot of interest in the use of alternative fuels in order to reduce reliance on conventional fossil fuels. Therefore, this experimental study has been carried out to investigate the effect of alcohol fuels on the CAI combustion process and on the resulting engine performance. The experimental work was conducted on an optical single cylinder engine with an air-assisted injector. To achieve controlled autoignition, residual gas was trapped in the cylinder by using negative valve overlap and an intake air heater was used to ensure stable CAI combustion in the optical engine. Methanol, ethanol and blended fuels were tested and compared with the results of gasoline. The combustion processes were analysed through total chemiluminescence images captured with a high speed camera equipped with an intensifier. In addition, the effect of spark discharge was investigated. The images show that CAI combustion of alcohol fuels was characterized with fast and early autoignition combustion compared with pure gasoline. Chemiluminescence of the gasoline fuel was most visible and it decreased with increasing percentage of oxygenated fuels. During the re-compression stroke, chemiluminescence images of the gasoline engine indicated the presence of oxidation reactions. In the presence of spark discharge, the location of charge ignition was dominated by spark discharge at the center of cylinder while simultaneous autoignition sites were found around the periphery of the combustion chamber for non-spark-assisted ignition.

Nowadays application of light alloys like aluminium in automobile industry has found a striking role. Higher strength over weight ratio which causes lower fuel consumption seems to be the first reason. Also some other reasons like ease of manufacturing, protection against corrosion and ease of recycling are other motivations for car designers to use various aluminium alloys as much as possible. Due to lack of variable thickness tubes, they have not found a lot of applications in the car component design. This paper aims to introduce these types of tubes to automotive industry. Also these tubes are one of the essential elements in the complementary processes like tube hydroforming and cause ease of production and decreasing risk of scrap in manufacturing cycles. Tube drawing is one of the mostly used methods for reducing thickness and/or diameter of tubes which, can be classified in four categories like sinking (without mandrel), float mandrel, fixed mandrel and ultrasonically moving mandrel. This paper presents numerical studies that have been done on the drawing tubes with variable thickness. The influence of process variables on material thinning and formability in 63.5mm outer diameter, 2.62 mm wall thickness AA6063 aluminium alloy tube, were investigated and optimised. Validation of the numerical simulation on the different parameters setting will be performed by comparing the final shape and deformation, measured from the tested part. Acceptable agreement between numerical and experimental results was observed.

The now-cancelled Constellation Program included the Orion, Altair, and Lunar Surface Systems project offices. The first two elements, Orion and Altair, were planned to be manned space vehicles while the third element was much more diverse and included several sub-elements. Among other things, these sub-elements were Rovers and a Lunar Habitat. The planned missions involving these systems and vehicles included several risks and design challenges. Due to the unique thermal operating environment, many of these risks and challenges were associated with the vehicles thermal control system. NASA s Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) consisted of various technology development projects. The project chartered with mitigating the aforementioned thermal risks and design challenges was the Thermal Control System Development for Exploration Project. These risks and design challenges were being addressed through a rigorous technology development process that was planned to culminate with an integrated thermal control system test. Although the technologies being developed were originally aimed towards mitigating specific Constellation risks, the technology development process is being continued within a new program. This continued effort is justified by the fact that many of the technologies are generically applicable to future spacecraft thermal control systems. The current paper summarizes the development efforts being performed by the technology development project. The development efforts involve heat acquisition and heat rejection hardware including radiators, heat exchangers, and evaporators. The project has also been developing advanced phase change material heat sinks and performing a material compatibility assessment for a promising thermal control system working fluid. The to-date progress and lessons-learned from these development efforts will be discussed throughout the paper.

This joint mobility KC lecture included information from two papers, "A Method for and Issues Associated with the Determination of Space Suit Joint Requirements" and "Results and Analysis from Space Suit Joint Torque Testing," as presented for the International Conference on Environmental Systems in 2009 and 2010, respectively. The first paper discusses historical joint torque testing methodologies and approaches that were tested in 2008 and 2009. The second paper discusses the testing that was completed in 2009 and 2010.

In the study presented in this paper, experimental data from a pneumatic hybrid has been compared to the results from a simulation of the engine in GT-Power. The engine in question is a single-cylinder Scania D12 diesel engine, which has been converted to work as a pneumatic hybrid. The base engine model, provided by Scania, is made in GT-Power and it is based on the same engine configuration as the one used during real engine testing. During pneumatic hybrid operation the engine can be used as a 2-stroke compressor for generation of compressed air during vehicle deceleration and during vehicle acceleration the engine can be operated as a 2-stroke air-motor driven by the previously stored pressurized air. There is also a possibility to use the stored pressurized air in order to supercharge the engine when there is a need for high torque, like for instance at take off after a standstill or during an overtake maneuver. Previous experimental studies have shown that the pneumatic hybrid is a promising concept and a possible competitor to the electric hybrid. This paper consists mainly of two parts. The first one describes an attempt to recreate the real engine as a computer model with the aid of the engine simulation software GT-power. A model has been created and the results have been validated against real engine data. The second part describes a parametric study where different parameters and their effect on pneumatic hybrid performance have been investigated.

In this paper, a previously derived theoretical model of an integrated hydraulically interconnected suspension (HIS) half-car system is experimentally validated. The paper outlines the development of the HIS fluid system model and its integration into a four degree-of-freedom, roll-plane half-car system. An experimental approach to validate the model is outlined, and the resulting purpose-built half-car test facility is described in detail. Experimental results from both free and forced vibration testing are presented and compared with model-based simulations. In general, very good agreement is observed. Limitations of the testing approach and reasons for any discrepancies are discussed. Finally, the broader implications of the obtained results in terms of practical HIS system design are considered. Copyright © 2009 SAE International.

This paper presents an architecture called PeSoV using new emerging technologies to increase the security, reliability and connectivity of motorized vehicles. Many people die because of car accidents caused by lack of attention and imprudence of car drivers. Some technologies like the standard IEEE 1609, Zigbee and a network of ranging sensors can be used as tools to help the driver to avoid accidents. PeSoV is composed of three subsystems: a car health management subsystem responsible to care about the good function of the car; a car-car communication subsystem responsible to allow the communication between cars; and a collision predict subsystem that will warn the driver in case of an possible collision. INTRODUCTION In the end of the century 19th the modern car started to take its shape. Since that time, the automobile was always dependent of a human driver, and like everything that needs a person, it is susceptible to human fails. In the year of 2006, 822 USA citizens died in Iraq war [1], but 42 thousand people died in USA because of car accidents. 75% of the deaths were vehicle occupants, 13% of these people were pedestrians and 12% were motorcyclists [2]. Most of these accidents happened because the driver was not paying attention to the environment around him, and the human mind is not fast enough to avoid some kinds of obstacles. These deaths could be avoided or at least reduced by a computer driver. Communication between cars and other facilities on the road was not conceived as something easy. It is until the time that IEEE has established the family of standards 1609. This family of standards encompasses a bundle of standards for vehicle communications from vehicle-to-vehicle to vehicle-to-roadside signs while providing other standards that handles security issues, networking, and data transmission issues. Such standards are adopted in the proposed system in this paper that serves as an overview of what we can do with vehicles with these set of standards from increasing safety to smoothing traffic problems. The best model that can take opportunity of these standards in vehicles is Ubiquitous Computing. For its philosophy of seamless integration of technology and computing in daily life [3], pervasive computing fit as the best model for inventing and developing systems for cars that help increase safety margins and handle traffic problems while minimizing road accidents. We will adapt the pervasive computing paradigm in such proposed system as a mean to seamlessly enable cars to be intelligent in monitoring and tracking their own health condition and act on it; to be able to communicate with other cars on the road for information; to be able to discover the road ahead. In other words, according to the proposed system with the aid of IEEE 1609 family of standards, cars became like a network of computers in which a car is like a computer node on a network that is able to communicate with other nodes. Not only this, each car’s internal parts are treated as a network of mechanical parts similar to a network of computers in which a car’s mechanical parts can communicate and synchronize matters among each other. This paper is organized by stating some other related work in the next section; subsequently, the proposed system details shall be discussed in its three subsystems; and finally, challenges and future research directions ended by conclusions are discussed.

In light of the renewed international interest in lunar exploration, including plans for setting up a permanent human outpost on the Moon, the need for next generation earth-based human space mission simulators has become inevitable and urgent. These simulators have been shown to be of great value for medical, physiological, psychological, biological and exobiological research, and for subsystem test and development, particularly closed-loop life support systems. The paper presents a summary of a survey of past, present and future human space mission simulators. In 2006, the Vienna based company Liquifer Systems Group (LSG) conducted an in-depth survey, for a European Space Agency (ESA) commissioned Phase-A contract involving a Design Study for a Facility for Integrated Planetary Exploration Simulation (FIPES). The survey data served as reference material for development of the FIPES architecture and, more importantly the application of the data ensured that the Systems Requirements reviewed and amended as part of the FIPES Study fully reflected the design, experience, and lessons learned from the use of such facilities. The paper addresses a hitherto unfulfilled need: a comprehensive, comparative survey of most, if not all, simulators to date. It is a condensed and updated version of the detailed ESA Technical Report produced for the FIPES Study. It presents a comparative analysis of simulator characteristics and consolidated summaries for each simulator classified into (1) site and purpose, (2) key technical data, (3) scientific and medical research functions, and (4) technology test and development functions. It is beyond the scope of this paper to provide details for all twenty-seven simulators surveyed. Therefore, the paper presents selected summaries of three sets of relatively recent simulation campaigns, one European, one American and the other Russian-International. The paper concludes with excerpts of lessons learned from these campaigns.

The paper is based upon work supported by Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center FUELCOM 3 program under Master Research Agreement Number 6600024505/01. FUELCOM (Fuel Combustion for Advanced Engines), is a collaborative research undertaking between Saudi Aramco and KAUST intended to address the fundamental aspects of hydrocarbon fuel combustion in engines, and develop fuel/ engine design tools suitable for advance combustion modes.The author would like to thank King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) for lab facilities and research support. Last but not least, the authors would like to convey gratitudetowards the IC Engine Lab Safety Supervisor Adrian I. Ichim and the lab technician Riyad H. Jambi for their kind input and assistance in performing the experiments.

This paper presents an experimental methodology which can be adopted to measure the friction torque of the bearings in the wheel hubs of passenger vehicles. The first section of the paper highlights the reasons why an experimental device is necessary to have an objective evaluation of the performance of the bearing in terms of friction. In particular, the high level of approximation of the current formulas for the estimation of the friction inside a single bearing is discussed and demonstrated. An analytical methodology for the evaluation of the distribution of the axial load between the two bearings of the wheel hub is presented. However, its practical application for the precise calculation of the distribution of the load has to be checked through experimental tests. The following part of the paper is focused on the possible solutions which can be adopted to conceive a test rig to measure friction inside the bearings of wheel hubs by considering the effect of the real loads acting on the hubs of the vehicle (due to the forces between the tires and the road surface). The most efficient solution of test rig is developed and implemented for the evaluation of the friction of the bearings of a 3-wheel low consumption vehicle. This solution, which can be properly sized according to the considered application, can be extended also to the evaluation of the performance, in terms of friction, of the hubs of series production passenger cars

In a context of global warming and our needs to reduce CO\d2 emissions, building envelopes will play an important role. A new imperative has been put forth to architects and engineers to develop innovative materials, components and systems, in order to make building envelopes adaptive and responsive to variable and extreme climate conditions. Envelopes serve multiple functions, from shielding the interior environment to collecting, storing and generating energy. Perhaps a more recent concern of terrestrial habitats is permeability and leakages within the building envelope. Such airtight and concealed envelopes with zero particle exchange are a necessity and already exist in regard to space capsules and habitats. This paper attempts to acknowledge existing and visionary envelope concepts and their functioning in conjunction with maintaining a favorable interior environment. It introduces several criteria and requirements of advanced fa\acades along with interior pressurization control. Furthermore, the paper also takes a closer look at the principles of "biomimicry" of natural systems combined with the most up-to-date building materials and construction technologies, trying to integrate the notions of adaptation - where the capacity to survive depends on the ability to adjust to the environment - within the concept of technological evolution and innovation. An "adaptive" attitude in the way in which we conceive our built structures provides a conceptual basis for the advanced building design of our future, as well as one concerned about the efficient management of the available resources. Built environments of the future (in extreme climates or not) will need to respond to Renewable, Adaptive, Recyclable and Environmental (R.A.R.E.) concepts in order to coexist in a sustainable way with their surroundings.

peer-reviewed Software has become the driving force behind innovation in the automotive industry. According to a recent Frost & Sullivan market research report, ???Strategic Analysis of the European Market for Software in Passenger Cars???, the software for passenger cars in Europe accounted for 5.8% of the cost of vehicles in 2004. The same report projects an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.5% until 2011, when software is expected to represent 11.0% of the cost of vehicles. This paper discusses the emerging AUTOSAR standard (AUTOSAR release 2.0), which aims to address the need for more efficient E/E (Embedded Electronic) automotive architecture solutions. The paper also provides a review of the mapping of a few key AUTOSAR concepts to their Simulink counterparts, which should help designers using Simulink deliver AUTOSAR compatible solutions. Finally the paper features a component of an experimental engine management system that has been remodeled in Simulink to conform to the AUTOSAR requirements.

Study and modeling of transient operation is an important scientific objective. This is due to the fact that the majority of daily vehicle driving conditions involve transient operation, with non-linear situations experienced during engine transients. Thus, proper interconnection is needed between engine, governor, fuel pump, turbocharger and load. This paper surveys the publications available in the open literature concerning diesel engine simulations under transient operating conditions. Only those models that include both full engine thermodynamic calculations and dynamic powertrain modeling are taken into account, excluding those that focus on control design and optimization. Most of the attention is concentrated to the simulations that follow the filling and emptying modeling approach. A historical overview is given covering, in more detail, research groups with continuous and consistent study of transient operation. One of the main purposes of this paper is to summarize basic equations and modeling aspects concerning in-cylinder calculations, friction, turbocharger, engine dynamics, governor, fuel pump operation, and exhaust emissions during transients. The various limitations of the models are discussed together with the main aspects of transient operation (e.g. turbocharger lag, combustion and friction deterioration), which diversify it from the steady-state. Some of the most important findings in the field during the last 30 years are presented and discussed. The survey extends to special cases of transient diesel engine simulation, such as second-law analysis, response when the turbocharger compressor experiences surge, and whole vehicle performance. Several methods of improving transient response are also mentioned, based on the various simulations. An easy-to-read tabulation of all research groups dealing with the subject, that includes details about each model developed and engines/parameters studied, is also provided at the end of the paper.

This paper describes a test cell setup for concurrent running of a real engine and a vehicle system simulation, and its use for evaluating engine performance when integrated with a conventional and a hybrid electric driveline/vehicle. This engine-in-the-loop (EIL) system uses fast instruments and emission analyzers to investigate how critical in-vehicle transients affect engine system response and transient emissions. Main enablers of the work include the highly dynamic AC electric dynamometer with the accompanying computerized control system and the computationally efficient simulation of the driveline/vehicle system. The latter is developed through systematic energy-based proper modeling that tailors the virtual model to capture critical powertrain transients while running in real time. Coupling the real engine with the virtual driveline/vehicle offers a chance to easily modify vehicle parameters, and even study two different powertrain configurations. In particular, the paper describes the engine-in-the-loop study of a V8, 6L engine coupled to a virtual 4x4 HighMobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV). The results shed light on critical transients in a conventional powertrain and their effect on NOx and soot emissions. Next, the conventional HMMWV powertrain is replaced with a parallel hybrid electric configuration and two power management strategies are examined. Comparison of the conventional and hybrid propulsion options provides detailed insight into fuel economy – emissions tradeoffs at the vehicle level.

In this paper, a distributed driver-in-the-Ioop and hardware-in-the-Ioop simulator is described with a driver on a motion simulator at the U.S. Army TARDEC Ground Vehicle Simulation Laboratory (GVSL). Realistic power system response is achieved by linking the driver in the GVSL with a full-sized hybrid electric power system located 2,450 miles away at the TARDEC Power and Energy Systems Integration Laboratory (P&E SIL), which is developed and maintained by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC). The goal is to close the loop between the GVSL and P&E SIL over the Internet to provide a realistic driving experience in addition to realistic power system results. In order to preserve a valid and safe hardware-in-the-Ioop experiment, the states of the GVSL must track the states of the P&E SIL. In a distributed control system utilizing the open Internet, the communications channel is a primary source of uncertainty and delay that can degrade the overall system performance and stability. The presence of a cross-country network delay and the unavoidable differences between the P&E SIL hardware and GVSL model will cause the GVSL states and P&E SIL states to diverge without any additional action. Thus, two robust strategies for state convergence are developed and presented in this paper. The first strategy is a non-linear Sliding Mode control scheme. The second strategy is an H-infinity control scheme. Both schemes are implemented in simulation, and both schemes show promising results for state convergence in the presence of variable cross-country time delays.

Observation problems have been garnering increasing at- tention in recent years. They can be seen as the esti- mation of a periodic output dynamics driven by periodic inputs. At various level of modelling, automotive engine dynamics can be considered as a linear periodic sys- tem mechanically coordinated through the revolution of the crankshaft. In this paper, two practical examples are addressed. The first example is the inversion of sensor dynamics. A classical way of modelling such a sensor is a first order dynamics with periodic excitations which can be, depending on the application, the intake pressure, the intake temperature, the exhaust pressure, the Air Fuel Ra- tio, or the Mass Air Flow. The second example is the es- timation of the engine speed next to the cylinder using as only sensor the easily available instantaneous crankshaft angle speed at the end of the connecting rod. The contribution of this paper is the design of a real-time observer of the periodic excitation of a linear periodic sys- tems by the estimation of the Fourier decomposition of the signal. The estimation of the coefficients of the Fourier basis decomposition of the input periodic excitation is a handy tool for engineering purposes. Indeed, the energy levels of the signal allow another interpretation of the sig- nal and can lead to detect the balance of the engine. This high frequency (6 o crankshaft estimation) information can be used for imbalance diagnosis and torque balance con- trol. Real application observation problems are exposed in their practical context and illustrated by experimental results on a 4 cylinder HCCI engine.

This paper describes the heat load sharing function among multiple parallel evaporators in a capillary pumped loop (CPL). In the normal mode of operation, the evaporators cool the instruments by absorbing the waste heat. When an instruments is turned off, the attached evaporator can keep it warm by receiving heat from other evaporators serving the operating instruments. This is referred to as heat load sharing. A theoretical basis of heat load sharing is given first. The fact that the wicks in the powered evaporators will develop capillary pressure to force the generated vapor to flow to cold locations where the pressure is lower leads to the conclusion that heat load sharing is an inherent function of a CPL with multiple evaporators. Heat load sharing has been verified with many CPLs in ground tests. Experimental results of the Capillary Pumped Loop 3 (CAPL 3) Flight Experiment are presented in this paper. Factors that affect the amount of heat being shared are discussed. Some constraints of heat load sharing are also addressed.

This paper describes a design proposal for adapting the OGEGU Food Production Unit (FPU) to the surface of Mars in order to produce up to 40% of the diet for a six-member crew by growing a pre-defined set of vegetable food species. The external structure, lighting system and plant support system are assessed using ESM analysis. The study shows that the mass of an FPU operating on the Mars surface, featuring an opaque inflatable structure plus all the required subsystems and equipment, is in the order of 14,000 kg. The required volume is around 150 m3 and the power consumption is around 140 kW. A reduction of c. 20 kW could be obtained by exploiting natural light using transparent materials. Finally, the paper concludes with the identification of some technological gaps that need to be investigated further for the purpose of establishing a feasible FPU on Mars. Copyright © 2005 SAE International.

International audience; This paper introduces a new method to support designers to find optimal and robust solutions of engine mounting system. The mounting system design is a compromise between isolation of the vehicle from engine vibration and constraining the motion of the powertrain within vehicle packaging. Based on the classical pendulum mounting system of a front wheel drive vehicle with a transversely four-cylinder engine, this study deals with the definition of a new global engine mounting concept for the NVH (Noise Vibration and Harshness) improvement of the vehicle characteristics at idle speed. The practical application of the numerical optimization is complicated by the fact that engine mounting system is a stochastic system. Its characteristics have a probabilistic nature. Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA), i.e. Pareto-optimization, is taken as the appropriate framework for the definition and the solution of the addressed multi-objective robust optimization problem. An experimental correlation analysis has been conducted on a Pareto-optimal solution to show the model accuracy.

In the recent times issues like the Green House Gas (GHG) emission reduction and carbon-trading through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) have gained large prominence as a part of climate change. Biomass gasification is one such technology which is environmentally benign and holds large promise for the future. These technologies are currently being utilized for power generation applications at a number of industrial sites in India and abroad. This paper summarizes the work conducted using biomass derived producer gas in reciprocating internal combustion engines. The producer gas for the experimental work is derived from the well-established open top, re-burn, down draft gasification system, which is proven to generate consistent quality, ultraclean producer gas. This paper discusses the actual emission measurements in terms of NOx and CO on (a) dual–fuel engine (compression ignition engine) – using high speed diesel and producer gas fuel, (b) gas engine (spark ignited engine) – using 100% ultra clean producer gas. In the case of dual-fuel operation it is found that the NOx levels are lower compared to operations with pure diesel fuel on account of lower peak flame temperature, whereas the CO levels were higher due to combustion inefficiencies. In the case of gas alone operation it is found to be environmentally benign in terms of emissions; NOx and CO levels are found to be much lower than most of the existing emissions norms of various countries including the United States and European Union.

Spacecraft are typically designed with a primary focus on weight in order to meet launch vehicle performance parameters. However, for pressurized and/or man-rated spacecraft, it is also necessary to have an understanding of the vehicle operating environments to properly size the pressure vessel. Proper sizing of the pressure vessel requires an understanding of the space vehicle's life cycle and compares the physical design optimization (weight and launch "cost") to downstream operational complexity and total life cycle cost. This paper will provide an overview of some major environmental design drivers and provide examples for calculating the optimal design pressure versus a selected set of design parameters related to thermal and environmental perspectives. In addition, this paper will provide a generic set of cracking pressures for both positive and negative pressure relief valves that encompasses worst case environmental effects for a variety of launch / landing sites. Finally, several examples are included to highlight pressure relief set points and vehicle weight impacts for a selected set of orbital missions.

Advanced life support systems have many interacting processes and limited resources. Controlling and optimizing advanced life support systems presents unique challenges that are addressed in this paper. In particular, advanced life support systems are nonlinear coupled dynamical systems and it is difficult for humans to take all interactions into account to design an effective control strategy. We have developed a controller using reinforcement learning [1], that actively explores the space of possible control strategies, guided by rewards from a user specified long term objective function. We evaluated this controller using a discrete event simulation of an advanced life support system. This simulation, called BioSim, has multiple, interacting life support modules including crew, food production, air revitalization, water recovery, solid waste incineration and power. These are implemented in a consumer/producer relationship in which certain modules produce resources that are consumed by other modules. Stores hold resources between modules. Control of this simulation is via adjusting flows of resources between modules and into/out of stores. This paper describes the results of using reinforcement learning to control the flow of resources in BioSim. Our technique discovered unobvious strategies for maximizing mission length. By exploiting non-linearities in the simulation dynamics, the learned controller outperforms a handwritten controller.

The Internal Thermal Control System (ITCS) has been developed jointly by Boeing Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama and Honeywell Engines & Systems, Torrance, California to meet the internal thermal control needs for the International Space Station (ISS). The ITCS provides heat removal for the critical life support systems and thermal conditioning for numerous experiment racks. The ITCS will be fitted on a number of modules on the ISS. The first US Element containing the ITCS, Node 1, was launched in December 1998. Since Node 1 does not contain a pump to circulate the fluid it was not filled with ITCS fluid until after the US Laboratory Module was installed. The second US Element module, US Laboratory Module, which contains the pumps and all the major ITCS control hardware, was launched in February 2001. The third US Element containing the ITCS, the US Airlock, was launched in July 2001. The dual loop system of the ITCS is comprised of a lowtemperature loop (LTL) and a moderate-temperature loop (MTL). Each loop has a pump package assembly (PPA), a system flow control assembly (SFCA), a threeway mixing valve (TWMV), several rack flow control assemblies (RFCA), cold plates, pressure sensors, temperature sensors, pump bypass assembly (PBA) and a heat exchanger. In addition, the MTL has an additional TWMV, a payload regeneration heat exchanger (P/RHE) and a manual flow control valve (MFCV). The LTL has a service performance and checkout unit (SPCU) heat exchanger. The two loops are linked via one loop crossover assembly (LCA) providing cross loop capabilities and a single PPA, two-loop functionality. One important parameter monitored by the ground stations and on-orbit is the amount of fluid leakage from the ITCS. ISS fluid leakage is of importance since ITCS fluid is costly to re-supply, may be difficult to clean up in zero-g, and if uncontained could lead to equipment failures and potential hazards. This paper examines the nominal leakage observed over period of a year of on-orbit operation and compares this with analysis predictions. This paper also addresses the off-nominal leakage and a fluid transfer event causing significant changes in accumulator quantity.