Theoretical and experimental investigations of the bifurcation behavior of creep groan of automotive disk brakes

There are several low frequency vibration phenomena which can be observed in automotive disk brakes. Creep groan is one of them provoking noise and structural vibrations of the car. In contrast to other vibration phenomena like brake squeal, creep groan is caused by the stick-slip-effect. A fundamental investigation of creep groan is proposed in this paper theoretically and experimentally with respect to parameter regions of the occurrence. Creep groan limit cycles are observed while performing experiments in a test rig with an idealized brake. A nonlinear model using the bristle friction law is set up in order to simulate the limit cycle of creep groan. As a result, the system shows three regions of qualitatively different behavior depending on the brake pressure and driving speed, i.e. a region with a stable equilibrium solution and a stable limit cycle, a region with only a stable equilibrium solution, and a region with only a stable limit cycle. The limit cycle can be interpreted as creep groan while the equilibrium solution is the desired vibration-free case. These three regions and the bifurcation behavior are demonstrated by the corresponding map. The experimental results are analyzed and compared with the simulation results showing good agreement. The bifurcation behavior and the corresponding map with three different regions are also confirmed by the experimental results. At the end, a similar map with the three regions is also measured at a test rig with a complete real brake

Design and testing of a contra-rotating tidal current turbine

A contra-rotating marine current turbine has a number of attractive features: nearzero reactive torque on the support structure, near-zero swirl in the wake, and high relative inter-rotor rotational speeds. Modified blade element modelling theory has been used to design and predict the characteristics of such a turbine, and a model turbine and test rig have been constructed. Tests in a towing tank demonstrated the feasibility of the concept. Power coefficients were high for such a small model and in excellent agreement with predictions, confirming the accuracy of the computational modelling procedures. High-frequency blade loading data were obtained in the course of the experiments. These show the anticipated dynamic components for a contra-rotating machine. Flow visualization of the wake verified the lack of swirl behind the turbine. A larger machine is presently under construction for sea trials

Combustion heat release models of biodiesels

Fossil fuels such as standard gasoline and diesel fuel are the most important source of energy for our society today, providing the bulk of global energy requirements for transportation, construction, heating, and agriculture. Many new developments in technology have made alternative sources of energy more economically feasible including advances in solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear energy. It is a domestic, clean-burning, renewable liquid fuel that can be used in compression-ignition engines instead of petroleum-based diesel with little or no modifications. Biodiesel blends are more commonly used than pure B100 fuels. The main reason for this is that running 100% biodiesel sometimes requires modifications to the engine, due to the higher content of alcohol present in biodiesel

New slip control system considering actuator dynamics

A new control strategy for wheel slip control, considering the complete dynamics of the electro-hydraulic brake (EHB) system, is developed and experimentally validated in Cranfield University's HiL system. The control system is based on closed loop shaping Youla-parameterization method. The plant model is linearized about the nominal operating point, a Youla parameter is defined for all stabilizing feedback controller and control performance is achieved by employing closed loop shaping technique. The stability and performance of the controller are investigated in frequency and time domain, and verified by experiments using real EHB smart actuator fitted into the HiL system with driver in the loop

A Comparison of Inlet Valve Operating Strategies in a Single-Cylinder Spark-Ignition Engine

This experimental work was concerned with comparison of inlet valve actuation strategies in a thermodynamic single cylinder spark ignition research engine equipped with a mechanical fully variable valvetrain on both the inlet and exhaust. The research involved study of the effects of the valvetrain on combustion, fuel economy and emissions when used to achieve variable valve timing alone and when applied together with early inlet valve closing for so-called unthrottled operation. The effects of such early inlet valve closure were examined using either fully variable events or by simulating two-stage cam profile switching. While fully variable operation enabled the maximum fuel savings over the widest operating map, it was apparent that two-stage switching mechanisms can provide an attractive compromise in terms of cost versus CO 2 benefit on engines of moderate to large capacity. However, from speed-load maps obtained in the current study it would appear that a wide range of inlet valve durations would be necessary to obtain fuel savings sufficient to warrant a system any more sophisticated than current variable valve timing mechanisms in future aggressively downsized gasoline engines. © IMechE, 2009

Characterization of surface morphology and its correlation with friction performance of brake pads

The present work presents the morphology evolution of a brake material surface submitted to braking tests through a laboratory-scale tribometer. Optical microscope images of the material’s surface were obtained for every 10 braking operations. These images were post-processed in appropriate computational software. By means of the image segmentation technique, morphological parameters related to the brake material surface were estimated. The wear rate and also the coefficient of friction resulting from the tests were measured. For the NAO material used in this study, the friction behaviour revealed to be strongly associated with the amount of contact plateaus. Besides, the mean area of the contact plateaus was the main factor responsible for increasing the real contact area of the friction material. The higher wear rate observed in the first braking operations can be mainly attributed to the higher surface roughness measured in this condition. As the braking operations progress, the plateaus becomes flatter and wear rate is reduced. Finally, the image segmentation technique proved adequate for investigating morphological aspects in friction material surface

Performance, combustion and emissions of a diesel engine operated with reformed EGR. Comparison of diesel and GTL fuelling

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Fuel. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2008 Elsevier B.V.In this work, the effects of a standard ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) fuel and a new, ultra-clean synthetic GTL (gas-to-liquid) fuel on the performance, combustion and emissions of a single-cylinder, direct injection, diesel engine were studied under different operating conditions with addition of simulated reformer product gas, referred to as reformed EGR (REGR). For this purpose various levels of REGR of two different compositions were tested. Tests with standard EGR were also carried out for comparison. Experiments were performed at four steady state operating conditions and the brake thermal efficiency, combustion process and engine emission data are presented and discussed. In general, GTL fuel resulted in a higher brake thermal efficiency compared to ULSD but the differences depended on the engine condition and EGR/REGR level and composition. The combustion pattern was significantly modified when the REGR level was increased. Although the extent of the effects of REGR on emissions depended on the engine load, it can be generally concluded that an optimal combination of GTL and REGR significantly improved both NOx and smoke emissions. In some cases, NOx and smoke emission reductions of 75% and 60%, respectively, were achieved compared to operation with ULSD without REGR. This offers a great potential for engine manufacturers to meet the requirements of future emission regulations.Shell Global Solutions UK, the Government of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) and the Royal Thai Government

An ABS control logic based on wheel force measurement

The paper presents an anti-lock braking system (ABS) control logic based on the measurement of the longitudinal forces at the hub bearings. The availability of force information allows to design a logic that does not rely on the estimation of the tyre-road friction coefficient, since it continuously tries to exploit the maximum longitudinal tyre force. The logic is designed by means of computer simulation and then tested on a specific hardware in the loop test bench: the experimental results confirm that measured wheel force can lead to a significant improvement of the ABS performances in terms of stopping distance also in the presence of road with variable friction coefficien