Your Destination for Mobility Engineering Resources

This SAE Standard establishes a test method and a definition for disclosing the performance of suction/blower fans when applied to self-propelled sweepers that solely use a pneumatic conveyance means for the collection and transfer of “sweepings” into a collection hopper.
MTC2, Sweeper, Cleaner, and Machinery
This paper will revisit an area of Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL) operations and powered-lift aircraft design that has been limited in scope, and at best, very specialized when it comes to research, aircraft built, and experimentation: The Upper Surface Blowing (or USB) aircraft configuration. Five aircraft have been flown successfully using the Upper Surface Blowing powered-lift concept: The Boeing YC-14, the Ball-Bartoe Jetwing, the Antonov An-72, the NASA QSRA experimental aircraft, and the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) Aska or Quiet STOL Research aircraft. Only the Antonov An-72 (and its commercial follow-on, the An-74) reached any significant degree of production. This fact illustrates the uniqueness of the USB technology as applied to powered-lift. A background of the technology will be given, what connects them as far as the USB configuration, discuss the main lessons learned, and briefly dwell on other configurations that are close relatives of aircraft using the USB
Pinero, Erasmo
This year, SAE International hosts the 2026 edition of the International Powered Lift Conference (IPLC), which focuses on the latest developments in vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft research, concepts and programs. IPLC is a joint technical meeting, held approximately biennially, co-sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), SAE International and the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). Because each technical society hosts the IPLC only once a decade, and because the event was originally begun in the 1980s, turnover of staff and volunteers with each of the organizations creates a lack of knowledge and historical context of the event. This paper provides a formal record of the history and legacy of the IPLC, as well as its role in highlighting the technical and programmatic progress of V/STOL over the ages.
Hirschberg, Michael J.
Kolmogorov-Arnold Networks (KANs) are a novel mathematical method to generate data-driven AI surrogate models. Compared to neural networks based on the MLP standard (Multi-Layer Perceptron), these offer further mathematical interpretability and thus allow improved validation of AI for industrial applications. In this paper, we use KANs to generate an AI vehicle model of a truck as a mathematically precise AI surrogate model. To do this, we combine the KAN approach with the approach of Neural Ordinary Differential Equations (Neural ODEs) to generate predictions for the time-series of the truck’s velocity. Furthermore, we compare the results of the AI based on KANs with the traditional approach using MLP in terms of model size, accuracy, and computational time in order to evaluate advantages and disadvantages of the KAN approach. The best AI-KAN vehicle model identified in this way is then embedded in a co-simulation via the Functional Mockup Interface standard, thus opening up a wide
Vaudrevange, Patrick K.S.Halverson, JamesRuehle, FabianFabcic, TomazDingler, ChristianPiskala Dilipkumar, SanthoshkumarIbrahim, MuhammedHerrnberger, MichaelKasper, JohannaTürk, LarsKeckeisen, Michael
Knocking combustions in an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) are engine damaging combustions, and reliable detection of each knocking event is very critical. Engines usually rely on piezo-electric knock sensors to monitor structure-borne noise, which outputs a complex, continuous time series signal. Typically, knock combustions have an additional noise component along with the regular combustion signal, but differentiation of knocking vs non knocking signal (signal to noise ratio) based on visual inspection of this signal alone is challenging and requires computationally intense signal processing such as Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) or Wavelet transforms followed by manual calibration [1]. In this paper, we propose an alternative to replace traditional knock detection with more reliable time-domain alternative signal decomposition technique. Here we decompose the raw sensor signal into seasonality, trend, and residual, and use the residual component as it is seen to retain
Parulekar, Tushar A.Chilukuri, SandeepMahmood, Haneefa
The mitigation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions poses a major challenge for the transportation sector, driving the need for renewable fuels. Bioethanol represents a promising fuel for Spark-Ignition (SI) engines, combining a reduced life-cycle CO₂ impact with advantageous combustion properties. However, despite its proven performance under steady-state conditions, the widespread of fuels with high ethanol content is still constrained by significant difficulties during engine cold-start operation. This study aims to experimentally assess the effect of ethanol concentration on cold-start performance and warm-up transient behavior of a Naturally Aspirated (NA), Port Fuel Injected (PFI) SI engine. Warm-up tests were conducted at an operating condition of 2000 rpm engine speed and 20 Nm torque using three fuels with increasing ethanol content: commercial gasoline (E5), E30 and E60. In addition, dedicated startability tests were carried out for E60 and neat ethanol (E100) at different
Falbo, LuigiFalbo, BiagioPerrone, DiegoCastiglione, Teresa
This study describes a methodology for synthesizing representative driving cycles for light commercial vehicles. The focus is on taking the usage profiles of these vehicles into account in the driving cycle synthesis. In this methodology, representative routes are simulated using the example of light commercial vehicles in the craft sector. The results of these simulations are representative speed distributions and representative altitude variations. These results are then used as target values for the actual driving cycle synthesis. Furthermore, measurement runs are carried out with a light commercial vehicle to create a database of real-world driving data. The measurement runs include different urban, rural, and motorway sections and cover a total distance of approximately 510 km. Routes with flatter and more challenging altitude profiles are driven. During the measurement runs, the speed signal and the altitude signal are measured. These signals are then processed and cut into short
Heilmann, OliverGrabow, AndreasCortès, SvenSchlick, MichaelStoll, TobiasKulzer, André Casal
Trajectory tracking control and vehicle state estimation are core functionalities of highly automated vehicles and must operate reliably under strict real-time constraints as well as in the presence of model uncertainties and limited sensor availability. This paper presents an integrated, real-time capable framework for trajectory tracking control and vehicle state estimation, developed within the UShift II research project and implemented on the highly automated vehicle platform. The framework combines nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) for trajectory tracking with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) for multi-sensor state estimation within a modular system architecture. The NMPC is based on a vehicle model designed for low-speed automated driving maneuvers and explicitly accounts for actuator constraints. Trajectories are tracked based on local planned reference trajectories while ensuring smooth and physically feasible control inputs for underlying control. The EKF fuses
Fuchs, SörenNeubeck, JensWagner, Andreas
The goal of reducing global CO2 emissions requires actions especially for the transportation sector. To achieve the goal, electric traction motors are frequently implemented in passenger vehicles, as well as in commercial vehicles like heavy-duty trucks or buses. Particularly electric city buses have the potential to reduce the local emissions in urban areas and provide local exhaust-emission-free mobility. While their number of registrations rises, research focusses on the improvement of the overall system in order to increase energy efficiency. High importance is gained by the thermal management of the whole system. This research investigates a simulative approach to improve the thermal management and therefore the energy efficiency of an electric city bus. The different thermal components of an electric city bus like drive system, battery system and heating, ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC system) are modelled. Their thermal behavior has been validated in previous
Schäfer, HenrikHellberg, TobiasMeywerk, Martin
The aim of this work is to develop a modular, real-time-capable digital twin of an electric powertrain based on machine learning (ML)-based model structures and a systematic, component-oriented architecture with a focus on efficiency estimation in test bench environments. The further goal here is to enable virtual testing, which can be used for frontloading and thus both prevent errors and increase the speed of product development. Based on a comprehensive set of measured and derived test bench data, a multi-stage procedure is implemented that integrates data acquisition, physically informed feature selection, modeling at the component and subsystem level, and hybrid coupling strategies. The digital twin captures inverter, electric machine, and mechanical transmission stages and generates consistent predictions of key variables such as torque, speed, power factors, and subsystem as well as overall drivetrain efficiency. The methodology enables a systematic comparison of black box, dark
Kopp, LennartProksch, DanielOckert, NielsKarthaus, CarstenKley, Markus
Current lithium-ion batteries should generally only be charged above 0 °C, as charging below this temperature can promote lithium plating and irreversible degradation. However, conventional pack-level heating elements increase system mass and design complexity. In addition, heat is transferred from outside into the cell, causing the temperature inside the cell to rise slowly. This study evaluates internal Joule heating of cylindrical Li-ion cells using a zero-mean square-wave current excitation and quantifies the associated aging impact. LG INR21700-M50L cells were tested at 0 °C, −10 °C, and −20 °C with three excitation frequencies (50 Hz, 1 Hz, 10 mHz) at 5 A amplitude. Each cycle consisted of 30 min heating followed by 60 min cooling; reference capacity-based state of health (SOH) was assessed every 50 cycles up to 400 cycles. A maximum surface temperature rise of 14.3 K was achieved, with larger temperature rise at lower ambient temperature and lower excitation frequency. Capacity
Raiber, StefanAllmendinger, FrankDegler, DavidParschau, Anke
Ultrasonic sensors are widely deployed in automotive driver assistance systems for near-range environment perception and provide safety-relevant inputs for functions such as parking assistance and automated parking. With increasing vehicle automation, the integrity and availability of ultrasonic sensor data become more critical, as compromised measurements may lead to incorrect vehicle decisions and hazardous behavior. While prior research has extensively studied physical attacks on ultrasonic sensors, a structured cybersecurity risk analysis in accordance with automotive cybersecurity standards, combined with experimental validation, is largely missing. In particular, the communication interface between ultrasonic sensors and control units has received limited attention despite its relevance as a potential attack surface. This paper presents a systematic security analysis of an automotive ultrasonic sensing system based on a demonstrator setup. The work applies a Threat Analysis and
Gahm, SebastianHaller, JonathanKriesten, Reiner
The increasing regulatory complexity in automotive development places significant pressure on engineering teams to derive complete and correct requirements. This paper presents a multi-agent-based large language model (LLM) workflow designed to support requirement extraction from technical specifications and regulatory documents in compliance with automotive requirement guidelines. The approach structures the requirement derivation process across collaborating agents that interpret specification and regulatory text, generate candidate requirements for the early engineering activities, and cross-validate their outputs to improve consistency and traceability. To evaluate the applicability of the workflow in an industrial context, we applied it to the draft Euro 7 emissions regulation. The agents produced requirements for relevant functional domains, which were subsequently reviewed by domain experts at FEV. The evaluation focused on correctness, completeness, and coverage. Results
Abdalla, AbdelrahmanSchäfers, LukasSchmidt, FabianSchaub, JoschkaLee, Sung-YongAndert, Jakob
The development and validation of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving systems (ADS) are shifting from traditional linear V-model processes toward more iterative engineering cycles. Despite faster iteration, these safety-critical systems remain subject to stringent regulations. Standards and guidance, including UNECE UN Regulation No. 157 and ISO/TS 5083, emphasize traceability, transparency, and explainability throughout development and validation. Nevertheless, as ADAS/ADS are developed and validated in faster, more iterative release cycles, additional stakeholders become involved and new explainability requirements emerge. These requirements vary between stakeholders and across development, validation, and post-market deployment phases, yet they are not systematically captured in the current state of research and practice. Therefore, to ensure that explainability supports rapid iteration, it is essential to identify relevant stakeholders and specify their
Liu, XuanhengBairy, AkhilaPaudel, BijayAdolph, LaurenzHeck, MelanieHettich, LennardNägele, Ann-ThereseRudolf, KorbinianBause, KatharinaDüser, TobiasSchwammberger, Maike
Vehicle software updates are released more frequently and in increasingly shorter cycles, which places growing pressure on vehicle quality and final assembly line stability. In production environments, software related issues do not remain limited to the digital domain, since errors introduced by software updates can interrupt flashing and commissioning processes, slow down assembly, and increase rework, thereby directly affecting production throughput. Electronic control units are particularly sensitive to software updates because they are flashed and commissioned during vehicle production under strict timing constraints, and changes to flashing sequences, memory structures, configuration parameters, or function definitions can negatively influence commissioning behavior. This paper presents a novel approach where an established quality measure – First Time Quality (FTQ) – is used to quantify the impact of software updates in the final assembly. By comparing FTQ values from production
El Asad, AimanKöhler, KatjaHahn, MichaelReuss, Hans-Christian
Recent advancements in Vision-Language Models have opened new possibilities for bridging the gap between Systems Engineering artifacts and automated code generation. Traditional Large Language Models are primarily trained on textual data and generic code repositories, which limits their ability to interpret graphical engineering artifacts such as Simulink block diagrams or system architecture models. In safety-critical domains like the automotive industry, these graphical models are central to development workflows and must remain closely aligned with textual requirements and implementation code to ensure traceability, compliance, and functional correctness. This paper proposes a Vision-Language Model-centered multimodal training framework for code generation that integrates textual requirements, graphical model-based artifacts, and annotated source code into a unified learning process. By leveraging models which combine vision encoders with language backbones, the approach enables the
Padubrin, MarcelKulzer, Andre CasalGuerocak, Erol
Vehicle manufacturers use Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) approaches to validate overall vehicle characteristics, including those dependent on the powertrain, at an early stage of vehicle development. A powertrain test rig is a typical example. In the specific setup, the vehicle engine and side shafts are mechanically coupled to the load machines of the test rig, eliminating the physical influence of the rims, tires and vehicle body. Adapting a specimen to the test rig changes some characteristics. This affects the specimen's vibration behaviour, making it more challenging to validate comfort-related characteristics. A particular example is longitudinal vehicle shuffle; the powertrain's first torsional natural frequency causes it. The natural frequencies of the real vehicle and device under test differ significantly, so a road-matching approach is not directly feasible. To account not only for tire-road contact but also for the missing vehicle mass, some scientific studies propose a purely
Hübner, CarlProkop, Günther
The rapid adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) with longer driving range demands high-power charging solutions that are efficient, scalable, and reliable. This work introduces a comprehensive simulation framework for megawatt-scale charging systems, focusing on the integration and control of multiple DC/DC converters. With the primary objective of maximizing overall system efficiency during megawatt-scale charging operations. A multi-agent adaptive control strategy is implemented to dynamically optimize operating points and allocate charging currents across converters in real time so that each participating converter operates at its optimal operating point where the maximum possible efficiency is delivered. This multi-agent adaptive control strategy allocates not only the individual optimal operating points of the multiple DC/DC converters but rather determines the optimal number of participating DC/DC converters at each time instance during the charging session. In addition to that
Salah, AliaAbu Mohareb, Omar
Despite advances in CFD, wind tunnel testing remains indispensable for aerodynamic validation, correlation, and homologation. Increasing configuration complexity, shortened development cycles, and stringent result robustness and documentation requirements demand a shift from isolated facilities to integrated, data-driven ecosystems within the overall development and company-wide test processes. We present a software-centric approach integrating wind tunnel operations into a strategic element of the Digital Thread. By orchestrating test planning, execution, data acquisition, and documentation within a unified framework, experimental data becomes reusable across projects and traceable for compliance and homologation. The interaction between CFD and physical testing is important. Such approach systematically improves simulation models with wind tunnel tests. And CFD results guide efficient test matrix definition. Extended measurement methodologies include automated actuation of active
Jacob, Jan D.
Next-generation powertrain architectures proposed within EU Horizon projects adopt operating voltages above 800 V, providing improvements in efficiency as well as reductions in copper usage and system weight. However, post-800 V vehicles must remain backward compatible with existing 400 V and 800 V charging infrastructure, which requires the installation of an additional onboard DC boost charging unit on the vehicle. This paper proposes an integrated DC boost charging solution that reutilizes the open-end winding electric machine and the traction inverter of the electric powertrain, enabling backward compatibility while further reducing system cost and weight. In charging mode, the electric machine is repurposed as a passive inductive component, imposing a strict requirement of stationary operation with zero torque generation, which fundamentally differs from the driving mode characterized by rotor rotation and electromagnetic torque production. Consequently, conventional electric
Wang, HaoranKallur-Krishnamoorthy, RajeshNeuhaus, ChristophAndert, Jakob
Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engines have emerged as an option for decarbonizing heavy-duty transportation. However, injecting high-pressure hydrogen gas into pressurized combustion chambers induces complex compressible flow phenomena, including choked flow and under-expanded supersonic jet structures, which challenge conventional modeling approaches for optimizing engine performance and emissions. This study conducts a numerical investigation of transient hydrogen injection into a high-pressure argon environment, benchmarking a 2D axisymmetric Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model against high-fidelity experimental optical measurements. Utilizing Ansys Fluent with a density-based solver, coupled with the k-ω SST turbulence model and species transport equations, simulations were performed at injection pressures of 6 MPa and 10 MPa into a 1 MPa ambient chamber. The simulation successfully captured fundamental compressible physics, including Mach disk formation and significant
Castilla Batun, Uriel IsaacAlzahrani, Fahad
This paper presents the optimization of a Halbach magnet array applied to an axial flux machine (AFM) in a 12-pole, 18-slots yokeless and segmented armature (YASA) topology, evaluated in the torque–speed characteristics diagram. AFMs offer significant advantages in terms of compact design and high torque density compared to other permanent magnet machine topologies. However, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance is strongly influenced by cogging torque, electromagnetic torque ripple, and tooth forces. While Halbach magnet arrays are well established in high-performance radial flux machines, only limited research has investigated their influence in AFMs. A Halbach array concentrates magnetic flux on one side of the magnet arrangement, leading to increased air gap flux density and a strongly reduced need of a back iron yoke under the magnets. By using a Halbach array, the magnetic field distribution in the air gap becomes more sinusoidal, thereby reducing harmonic components
Müller, KarstenSchulz, FabianBremer, MartinBurkhardt, YvesDe Gersem, Herbert
Hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines are a potential carbon-free propulsion solution for high-power applications such as construction machinery and heavy-duty commercial vehicles. However, compared to conventional diesel engines, hydrogen engines exhibit limitations in transient operation and at full load, primarily due to the high reactivity of hydrogen. In spark-ignited hydrogen engines, combustion anomalies represent the main constraint during performance-oriented operation, particularly during transient phases that require mixture enrichment to meet dynamic torque demands. Water injection is investigated in this study as a means to mitigate these limitations. The paper describes the implementation of a port water injection system on a heavy-duty commercial hydrogen engine and evaluates its influence on engine performance with a focus on transient operating conditions. A combustion anomaly evaluation method developed in-house is applied to quantify the effect of water
Schneider, DavidChristoforetti, PaulKappacher, PeterKapeller, DavidSchutting, EberhardEichlseder, HelmutTrapp, Christian