A Comparative Fuel Analysis of a Novel HEV with Conventional Vehicle

© 2017 IEEE. Improvements in fuel economy have always been a dominating driver of vehicle engineering. With some exceptions, benefits attained from hybrid powertrains to transient power delivery has not been the emphasis of research and development efforts. Developing cities around the world would realise significant benefits from improvements to fuel economy, which is outlined in this research by assessing the benefits of a novel HEV architecture. These benefits are compared to a conventional ICE-powered vehicle equivalent, which has an advantage in terms lower upfront costs. The commercial success of HEV implementation, therefore, is determined by its price comparison to conventional vehicles and payback over a number of years of use. This becomes especially important in regions of low-middle income, where the market is much more price-sensitive. The fuel economy of a conventional vehicle and mild hybrid electric vehicle are compared in this paper. This analysis includes vehicle modelling and simulation. Fuel economy is assessed and referenced with standard drive cycles provided by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Results demonstrate the benefits of a lower ongoing cost for the HEV architecture

A system analysis and modeling of a HEV based on ultracapacitor battery

© 2017 IEEE. There is a clear shift toward the implementation of electrified vehicles in the market, influenced by the introduction of stricter mandatory regulations on fuel economy improvement and emissions reduction. Of these vehicles, the penetration of hybrid vehicles in the market has much potential for growth in the next few years. The adoption of these vehicles has been limited by the high cost of HEV's, which have less uptake in developing regions. Considering this point, developing countries would see the greatest benefit in adopting HEV technology. A mild hybrid system has an observable advantage in these markets due to its maximum benefit/cost ratio when compared to a full hybrid, plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles. This paper discusses the development of a mild hybrid system for such markets with a focus on improving drive performance and efficiency. To achieve this, high power density ultracapacitors are used based on their fast charging and discharging characteristics, together with intelligent drivetrain control taking advantage of the ultracapacitors' characteristics to deliver smooth torque delivery during gear change (torque-filling). A comparison and analysis is undertaken, of both conventional powertrain and an otherwise identical powertrain but for the incorporation of components required for the mild hybrid system. Software models simulated the powertrains in specific driving conditions, with observations made of the advantages of MHEV over conventional drivetrains. The model demonstrated increased fuel efficiency and performance

Impact of Modified Del Nido Versus Traditional Cold Cardioplegia on Myocardial Protection in Cardiac Patients with a Low Ejection Fraction

Background: The optimal cardioplegia solution in patients undergoing complex cardiac surgery is debatable. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of modified Del Nido cardioplegia to that of conventional cold cardioplegia in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with low ejection fraction. Methods: Participants were randomly divided into two groups: Group I had modified Del Nido cardioplegia (n=23), while Group II had standard blood cardioplegia (n=23). Results: There was no difference in baseline data between the study groups. Group I had 20% lower additional doses of Del Nido (p= 0.032) and had shorter periods of cardiopulmonary bypass (2.78 ± 0.69 vs 3.35 ± 0.72 h, p= 0.039) and aortic cross-clamp (2.1 ± 0.56 vs. 2.5 ± 0.8 h, p= 0.040) times. Group I’s need for inotropes decreased by 20% (p= 0.044). Postoperative data revealed that Group I had less time in the hospital (5.9 ± 2.9 vs. 7.7 ± 3.4 days, p= 0.037) and intensive care unit (26.3% less duration) and required less time to wean off the mechanical ventilator (18.2 ± 15.7 vs. 45.4 ± 22.7, p<0.001). There was no difference in mortality between the two groups. Conclusion: In complex cardiac surgery patients with low ejection fraction, modified Del Nido cardioplegia may be as effective as traditional cardioplegia, with the added benefit of shorter cross-clamp and cardiopulmonary bypass times. Additionally, modified Del Nido cardioplegia may result in less inotropic support

Joining the Fight Against the Opioid Epidemic through the Head Start Program in Lowell, MA

What is Head Start? Head Start, a federally funded program of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, promotes school readiness and family well-being in children from birth to age five who meet specific criteria. Lowell Head Start Partnership The Lowell Head Start program is engaged in efforts to combat the opioid epidemic after an incident involving an overdose by a parent in the center. To support the Lowell Head Start program, our team forged collaborations with facilities close to Head Start in Lowell by creating informational pamphlets that detail services offered to people with substance use disorders in Lowell. Opioid trends in Lowell Lowell is a very diverse city, with 40% of the population being non-white and 25% being foreign born. Lowell has a highest poverty rate at 19.1%, in the region, a low median household income at $49,164, and a high rate of unemployment according to the 2016 greater Lowell community health needs assessment (CHNA). Opioid overdose death rate in Lowell is 43 fatalities per 100,000 – a rate greater than double the average fatality rate in the state of Massachusetts. Quick overview of project To capitalize on the statewide and local efforts to bring opioid addition out in the open, the presenters created an informational pamphlet as a resource and educational tool for families that seek or are referred for services. Description of many relevant provisional services are expanded upon in the capstone project submission – including detox, hotline and support services, medication management, behavioral health, counseling and relapse tools training. Additionally, the presenters actively forged connections with local community organizations serving those struggling with opioid use disorder. Please see capstone document for additional information regarding specific resources. Conclusions With the significant rise in fatal overdoses in the city of Lowell, many departments and programs have been developed to combat the opioid epidemic. This project aims to provide vital information to the Head Start Program and the families they serve, and to provide established resources available in Lowell, such as medication disposals, Narcan and signs of overdose training, needle drop-off services, available hotlines, and city-wide programs, including Lowell Community Opioid Outreach Programs, MA Opioid Abuse and Prevention Collaborative of Greater Lowell, and Partnerships for Success Program.https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/capstones/1011/thumbnail.jp

Eliminating the torque hole: Using a mild hybrid EV architecture to deliver better driveability

© 2016 IEEE. Hybrid vehicle engineering has traditionally and dominantly focused on fuel economy benefits and emissions reductions. Although the transient power delivery benefits of hybrid powertrains are well-understood, these are not a primary focus of the majority of research and development efforts, with some exceptions. Our approach to this problem is to deliver a low-cost, low-tech mild-hybrid powertrain, with unique power delivery features designed to appeal to price-sensitive, but aspirational consumers. The powertrain is a simple post-transmission parallel hybrid configuration. It utilizes a low-powered four-cylinder engine coupled to a four-speed manual transmission through a robotically-actuated clutch. A low-voltage BLDC motor is directly connected to the transmission output shaft, before the final drive. Our research focuses on bringing the benefits of HEV architecture to the world's developing cities, where, it can be confidently argued, local emissions reductions are needed the most. Crucial to the success of this research is the understanding that compared to an equivalent ICE-powered vehicle, an HEV competes at a price disadvantage, no matter how cost-effective the solution is. This disadvantage is amplified in regions of low-middle income, where price sensitivity is greatest. It must, therefore, present better value than an equivalent conventional vehicle if it is to be commercially successful in these particularly price-sensitive markets. We discuss the extent to which control can be used to deliver transient power delivery gains in such a setup, and offer an example powertrain for simulation. To validate the concept, simulation of this research is performed in MATLAB and Simulink. The prototype is based on a generic engine and a BLDC motor. The results mainly focus on the electric drive and comparison of the transient response of drivetrains

Using a low-cost bluetooth torque sensor for vehicle jerk and transient torque measurement

© IMechE 2019. This paper presents the use and development of a specific wireless torque measurement system that is used to obtain the transient torque performance of vehicle transmissions. The torque sensor is strain-based, using surface-mounted strain gauges on a prop shaft. The gauges are connected to a compact printed circuit board, which is clamped to the shaft next to the strain gauges using a three-dimensional printed housing. The printed circuit board contains an amplifier, low-pass filter, analog-to-digital converter, microcontroller and bluetooth transceiver. The printed housing is impact resistant carbon-reinforced nylon and securely retains the printed circuit board and the battery powering the device. The transmitted torque data are received by a transceiver, which is interfaced to a PC through an RS-232 connection. NI LabVIEW is used to process, display and save data. The wireless torque sensor was installed to the Unit Under Test at the output shaft of the five-speed manual transmission. The Unit Under Test was installed on a dynamometer for verification purposes and the transient torque was recorded under various operational conditions. The transient output torque of the manual transmission is measured and compared with results obtained from simulations performed under similar operating conditions. The two sets of transient responses show a good correlation with each other and hence demonstrate that the torque sensor meets the major design specifications. The data obtained will be used to enhance the fidelity of the software model

A low-cost and novel approach in gearshift control for a mild-hybrid powertrain

© 2017 IEEE. A novel, the low-cost mild hybrid powertrain is described. It relies on a manual, or robotized manual transmission together with a BLDC motor coupled at the output for filling the torque hole between gear changes. In order to keep manufacturing cost low and improve commercial attractiveness, it incorporates gearshift strategies that deliver high-quality gear shifts. A deliberate downsizing of componentry is implemented as far as possible to reduce cost, and control strategies are employed to exploit the maximum potential of the architecture using methods including torque-fill, ICE-assist, and ICE start-stop. The architecture is developed in simulation using an existing conventional platform to investigate system properties and their effect on performance. In particular, we discuss the gear-shift control algorithm design. Until the cost of full hybrids and fuel cell vehicles is significantly reduced, such a mild hybrid may have the potential to provide the right cost-benefit balance to achieve strong market penetration

Comparative fuel economy, cost and emissions analysis of a novel mild hybrid and conventional vehicles

© IMechE 2017. Mild hybrid vehicles have been explored as a potential pathway to reduce vehicle emissions cost-effectively. The use of manual transmissions to develop novel hybrid vehicles provides an alternate route to producing low cost electrified powertrains. In this paper, a comparative analysis examining a conventional vehicle and a mild hybrid electric vehicle is presented. The analysis considers fuel economy, capital and ongoing costs and environmental emissions, and includes developmental analysis and simulation using mathematical models. Vehicle emissions (nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons) and fuel economy are computed, analysed and compared using a number of alternative driving cycles and their weighted combination. Different driver styles are also evaluated. Studying the relationship between the fuel economy and driveability, where driveability is addressed using fuel-economical gear shift strategies. Our simulation suggests the hybrid concept presented can deliver fuel economy gains of between 5 and 10%, as compared to the conventional powertrain

Impact of Low and High Congestion Traffic Patterns on a Mild-HEV Performance

Copyright © 2017 SAE International. Driven by stricter mandatory regulations on fuel economy improvement and emissions reduction, market penetration of electrified vehicles will increase in the next ten years. Within this growth, mild hybrid vehicles will become a leading sector. The high cost of hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) has somewhat limited their widespread adoption, especially in developing countries. Conversely, it is these countries that would benefit most from the environmental benefits of HEV technology. Compared to a full hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or electric vehicle, a mild hybrid system stands out due to its maximum benefit/cost ratio. As part of our ongoing project to develop a mild hybrid system for developing markets, we have previously investigated improvements in drive performance and efficiency using optimal gearshift strategies, as well as the incorporation of high power density supercapacitors. In this paper, the fuel and emissions of a baseline conventional vehicle and mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) are compared. The objective of this analysis is to compare the fuel economy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions of the baseline and MHEV models, using low and high-density traffic patterns chosen for their similarity to traffic density profiles of our target markets. Results demonstrate the benefits of a lower ongoing cost for the HEV architecture. These advantages include torque-hole filling between gear changes, increased fuel efficiency and performance