Browse Topic: Environment

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Exhaust Emissions Tests of Small Gasoline Engines Used as Drives for Power Generators and Handheld Machinery in Real-Operating Conditions2026-01-508010/1/2026
The paper presents the results of investigations on the exhaust emissions carried out under real-world operating conditions of gasoline engines used in lawnmowers and power generators. During the operation of these engines, the authors measured the emissions of the following exhaust gaseous components: CO, HC, NOx, and CO2. For the measurements, the authors used Axion R/S+, a PEMS (Portable Exhaust Emission System) analyzer. The presented method is a new approach to exhaust emissions measurements performed on small engines. The emission coefficient, as a related value of the emission of harmful compounds and CO2, was proposed. Additionally, some remarks related to the measurement method were made. The paper presents the modal analysis of the investigations of the exhaust emissions from engines and the total mass of gaseous compounds. Moreover, the obtained results of the exhaust emissions from the power generator engine were compared with the applicable emission standards, and the real emissions of CO and HC+NOx were, respectively, about 10% and 38% higher than Stage II standards. Based on the investigation results, the authors considered the possibilities of using the said measurement method in real-world operating conditions, applying the PEMS equipment for small gasoline engines.
Lijewski, Piotr, Markiewicz, Filip, Fuć, Paweł, Dobrzyński, Michał, Wiśniewski, Sławomir
Exploring the Benefits of Multiple Injections in a Premixed Charge Compression-Ignition Engine Operated with Modified Injector Orientation and Diesel–Gasoline Blends03-19-05-00259/22/2026
The current study examines the combined effects of injection strategy, injector configuration, and fuel blending on the combustion performance and emission behavior of a light-duty compression-ignition (CI) engine operated in premixed charge compression-ignition (PCCI) combustion mode. Experiments were conducted in PCCI combustion mode using a diesel–gasoline blend (D80G20, 80% diesel and 20% gasoline by volume). A modified injector configuration, with a split-injection scheme comprising pilot and main injection events, was implemented to enhance mixture preparation and control combustion characteristics. The baseline configuration utilized PCCI mode with diesel (D100) and an inclined injector orientation. The results indicate that blending gasoline into diesel prolongs ignition delay and facilitates charge premixing, hence improving the stability of the PCCI combustion regime. Using a vertically oriented injector with a symmetric spray pattern significantly improves air–fuel mixing, and split-pulse injection enables more accurate control of combustion phasing. Among the tested strategies, the D80G20 blend, combined with a vertical injector and optimized split injection, achieved the highest brake thermal efficiency at 60% load, improving by 10.1% over the baseline case. In addition, unburned hydrocarbon (HC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were significantly reduced by 54.1% and 49.4%, respectively. Additionally, the load extension was increased to 77%, which is limited to 60% of the engine-rated load in PCCI with diesel fuel. The current integrated approach provides a viable pathway to implement the PCCI mode to improve engine thermal efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions without significant hardware modifications, thereby supporting the transition to cleaner combustion technologies.
Ranjan, Ashish Pratap, Krishnasamy, Anand
Stuck-Assist: A Large Multimodal Model-Based Stuck Recovery Assist for Driving on Off-Road Deformable Terrains2026-01-75139/22/2026
Recent advancements in off-road autonomy have shown significant progress in perception, planning, and control frameworks, including end-to-end learning approaches. Comprehensive results have been demonstrated in both simulation and real-world experiments; however, there are significant challenges in critical cases that need further evaluation. One such challenge is the immobilization of autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) in unstructured off-road environments, which can significantly impact agriculture, space exploration, military operations, and search and rescue missions. Addressing this problem requires recovery strategies that are context-sensitive, adaptable to terrain and vehicle conditions, and effective in integrating multimodal inputs. To this end, this paper investigates the use of a large multimodal model (LMM) providing higher-level planning assistance with human-in-the-loop evaluations for vehicle recovery after immobilization in unstructured off-road terrain. The experimental simulation platform developed was based on the Algoryx (AGX) Dynamics engine for high-fidelity terramechanics interaction and vehicle physics combined with Unreal Engine 5. This platform was further integrated with a driving simulator equipped with steering wheel and pedal interfaces for human-in-the-loop experiments. We evaluated ten representative unstuck scenarios across two deformable terrains (loose sand and compact sand) under two modes: an unskilled baseline, where participants attempted recovery unaided, and a co-intelligence mode, where participants used LMM advisory instructions. The results show that LMM assistance improved stuck recovery rates by 70% compared to unaided and unskilled human driving.
Bhosale, Mayuresh, Whitson, Jordan A., Vahidi, Ardalan, Jia, Yunyi
Evaluating the Robustness of Segmentation Models against Adversarial Patches in Off-Road Environments2026-01-75209/22/2026
Semantic Segmentation (SS) is critical for autonomous vehicles to navigate off-road environments by identifying drivable terrain. Although models like ResNet34+UNet and EfficientViT have been proposed for these tasks, their susceptibility to localized adversarial patches in unstructured environments remains under-researched. This paper presents a comprehensive robustness evaluation of six real-time SS architectures, including the state-of-the-art YOLOv11 and YOLOv12 segmentation variants against five diverse adversarial patch schemes. Our experiments, conducted on a modified YCOR dataset, demonstrate that EfficientViT is the most resilient architecture, maintaining high accuracy with minimal performance degradation. In contrast, single-stage models like YOLOv11n-seg exhibit significant vulnerability, with pixel accuracy drops reaching 26.55%. We also show how decreases in overall segmentation accuracy impact the segmentation models’ ability to discern traversable terrain from non-traversable terrain.
Salas, Christopher, Pesé, Mert D., Li, Bing, Smereka, Jonathon, Cheng, Long
Physics-Constrained Procedural Generation of Synthetic Environments for the Robust Validation of Autonomous Maneuver and Logistics2026-01-75499/22/2026
The validation of Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGVs) and intelligent logistics planners is frequently compromised by the ”Sim-to-Real” gap, where simulation environments fail to replicate the physical friction of operational deployment. Ideally, valid test cases must enforce strict mobility constraints and impose realistic sustainment penalties; however, many current generation tools rely on idealized terrain interactions and infinite-resource assumptions. We present a real-time procedural framework designed to generate high-friction validation environments that stress-test the robustness of the System Under Test (SUT). The architecture integrates gradient-based terrain analysis with a stochastic contested logistics model. It ingests synthetic heightmaps to precompute mobility corridors, ensuring that every generated evaluation episode adheres to vehicle-specific traversability limits. Simultaneously, a logistics kernel enforces fuel consumption scaled by terrain gradients and models supply chain interdiction as a parameterized Bernoulli process. We validate this framework through a ”Digital Twin” methodology, demonstrating that terrain-aware generation eliminates invalid initialization states (0% mobility violations) while the logistics model induces operationally relevant failure modes in the SUT. This unclassified, open-architecture approach supports DoD Verification, Validation, and Accreditation (VV&A) requirements by providing deterministic, reproducible edge cases for autonomous system evaluation.
Soykan, Bulent, Rabadi, Ghaith, Bochenek, Grace, Paul, Victor J.
Clemson Off-Road Dataset (CORD): A Multimodal Benchmark for Autonomy beyond the Flat-World2026-01-75189/22/2026
While autonomous perception has matured within the structured confines of urban roadways, it remains brittle when confronting the chaotic, non-rigid terrain of the natural world. This paper introduces the Clemson Off-Road Dataset, a high-fidelity, multimodal dataset engineered to bridge this gap by challenging standard “flat-world” assumptions. Featuring 2.90 TB of sensor data, the dataset captures a diverse spectrum of unstructured environments, ranging from the transitional trails of CU-ICAR and the day/night lighting dynamics of TN3 to the unstructured wilderness of Camp Daniels and the novel coastal scenery of Edisto Island. Distinguishing itself from existing forest-centric benchmarks, the Clemson Dataset provides a first-of-its-kind focus on coastal data, featuring unique adversarial conditions such as extreme solar glare, loose sand, and shifting tide lines. The data is collected aboard a Polaris RZR Pro R 4, a high-performance platform integrated with a sensor suite designed to perceive physics beyond geometry. Alongside 360° HD camera coverage, 3D LiDAR, and Radar, we integrate Cubert Ultris Hyperspectral imaging and Prophesee EVK4 Event-based vision to enable material classification and high-dynamic-range motion tracking. To overcome the bottleneck in ground truth generation, we used our “AI LabelMate,” a context-aware semi-automated annotation agent that fuses Vision-Language Models (Florence-2) with SAM2 to generate 6331 pixel-perfect annotated frames using a specialized off-road ontology and a human-in-the-loop pipeline. We establish performance baselines using Oneformer for semantic segmentation and used SalsaNext for lidar point clouds labelling. Available in both raw ROS2 bag and extracted standard formats, this Dataset serves as a pivotal testing ground for the next generation of robust autonomous systems.The dataset of this paper is available upon request to the Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems (VIPR-GS) Center.
Patil, Ashish, Gupta, Prakhar, Bhosale, Mayuresh, Mukwaya, Arthur, Jegede, Akinbobola, Mikulski, Dariusz, Mwakalonge, Judith, Jia, Yunyi
Counterfeit Avoidance and Quality Assurance: Supply Chain Screening of Cots Microelectronics in Tactical System2026-01-75239/22/2026
This paper details the successful scaling demonstration of a comprehensive supply chain screening process for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) motherboard subassemblies used in tactical servers for naval applications. Our approach leverages Power Fingerprinting (PFP) technology, which uses unintended analog emissions and machine learning to provide independent, non-destructive, and scalable integrity assessment of microelectronics. The primary goal of the effort was to demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of the PFP screening process without disrupting or delaying the manufacturing workflow. The screening successfully detected hardware and firmware modifications and identified two cases of abnormal behavior: unusual BIOS power reset and elevated CPU sensor readings on two motherboard subassemblies. Following our quality control forensic analysis, we determined the root cause of these anomalies and their potential impact on the host platform.
Aguayo Gonzalez, Carlos R., Roberson, Ken
Analysis of Full Torque Determination in a Diesel Engine Operating in Dual Fuel mode with Hydrogen and Diesel2026-24-00149/21/2026
A 15kW diesel engine is modified in the laboratory to operate in dual fuel combustion mode. The engine is a three-cylinder, displacement of 1 Liter, originally fueled with diesel in its baseline configuration. The engine is modified by installing three PFI injectors, positioned toward the intake valves within the intake manifold. Hydrogen injection is synchronized with valve opening during the engine cycle using controlled delay units. The standard diesel injection system, managed by the original ECU, initiates combustion of the premixed air/hydrogen charge. The dual fuel operation is tested at 2000 rpm maximum torque. To maintain this condition, both diesel quantity through accelerator input and hydrogen flow via injectors duration are adjusted. Constraints included reducing diesel fuel and avoiding knock caused by excessive hydrogen. The engine operated reliably under all tested conditions. A maximum hydrogen energy substitution HES of 70% is achieved at high load, though higher values increased PPRR. A premixed equivalence ratio of 0.40 is identified as the limit before self-ignition occurred. To prevent this and achieve maximum power, an alternative strategy is introduced. Starting from diesel-only maximum torque, diesel is gradually reduced while hydrogen is increased. Rated torque is successfully achieved with an HES up to 45%. These results demonstrate that dual fuel operation can significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption while maintaining performance. It provided combustion stability and knock limits carefully managed through appropriate control of mixture composition. Further optimization could enhance efficiency and emissions performance in future applications.
Mancaruso, Ezio, Rossetti, Salvatore, Cameretti, Maria Cristina
Thermal Management of Pre-Chamber Spark Plugs for the Mitigation of Abnormal Ignition in Hydrogen-Fueled Engines – An Experimental and Numerical Study2026-24-00079/21/2026
The internal combustion engine will continue to contribute to global mobility, particularly when operated with carbon dioxide low-carbon fuels. Pre-chamber ignition systems are increasingly investigated to improve efficiency, emissions, and combustion stability. In combination with hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel, they extend the lean operating limit while ensuring reliable ignition under demanding conditions. A key challenge is the thermal management of pre-chamber spark plugs. While the thermal behaviour of conventional spark plugs is well understood, limited knowledge exists for pre-chamber systems. Chamber geometry, material selection, manufacturing, and installation strongly influence thermal loading, where elevated local temperatures may contribute to knock, pre-ignition, and material degradation. The objective of this study is to establish a system-level understanding of pre-chamber thermal behaviour. Experiments are conducted on a single-cylinder research engine using hydrogen and research octane number 95 (RON 95) as a reference fuel. Dedicated temperature measurements identify thermal hotspots and assess parameter sensitivities. For the investigated configuration (14:1 compression ratio (CR), 1500 revolutions per minute (rpm), 12 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP)), measurements and conjugate heat transfer (CHT) simulations suggest wall temperatures are not the primary contributor to pre-ignition. Reduced pre-ignition is observed with increasing scavenging bore diameter, indicating a strong influence of mixture preparation and residual gas effects. A coupled CHT model is integrated into a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation with moving boundaries. The model includes realistic wall thicknesses, temperature-dependent material properties, and calibrated boundary conditions, enabling cycle-resolved analysis of heat fluxes and temperature fields for pre-chamber optimization.
Nenzel, Markus, Alkezbari, Ahmad Anas, Rottenkolber, Gregor
Characterisation of Brake Wear PM2.5 and PN10 Emissions Across Pad/Disc Technologies, Light-Duty Vehicle Types, and Braking Behaviours Under Real World Conditions2026-24-00229/21/2026
Targeted brake emissions investigations undertaken within the Department for Transport’s Non-Exhaust Emissions programme are described in this paper. The non-exhaust emissions study aimed to improve understanding of particulate mass and particle number emissions from friction braking, and to quantify the influence of component selection, vehicle technology, operating conditions, and emissions control measures. A brake enclosure and sampling methodology, developed in an earlier project phase, was refined to improve airflow control, reduce leakage, and minimise artefacts. The updated system incorporated MPEC (hot and cold), APC10, DMS500, and eFilter instruments, enabling simultaneous measurement of volatile and non-volatile PN10, plus PM2.5. Nine brake pad formulations and two disc types were evaluated using a common C-segment platform during chassis dynamometer and on-road drive cycles, and under specific controlled braking events. Speed, deceleration and temperature effects on PM2.5 and PN10 emissions were investigated. The common platform testing included ICE, PHEV, and EV variants to capture test mass and regenerative braking influences, together with assessments of aged components. Results showed clear, repeatable differences between pad formulations, with low dust/ceramic pads yielding the lowest PM2.5 and PN10 emissions. Disc type effects were minimal, while component ageing/conditioning reduced emissions and improved repeatability. Brake temperature and energy input dominated emissions behaviour: dynamic braking produced the highest emissions, these increasing with road speed and disc temperature. Regenerative braking reduced EV and PHEV PM2.5 versus ICE, but PN10 remained comparable due to the dominance of non-volatile PN emissions during friction braking events. Increased vehicle mass led to proportionally higher emissions.
Andersson, Jon
Data-Driven System Dynamics and Chauvenet-Based Outlier Detection for Assessing Global CO₂ Emissions under Fossil Energy and Electric Vehicle Transition Scenarios2026-24-00209/21/2026
Understanding the structural drivers of global CO₂ emissions requires integrated analysis of fossil fuel production, total energy consumption, and electric vehicle (EV) deployment trends. This study presents a data-driven modeling framework combining system-dynamics formulation with statistical outlier detection implemented in Python to evaluate emission trajectories over a ten-year historical period. The methodology incorporates historical datasets of global CO₂ emissions, primary energy consumption, fossil fuel production, and EV manufacturing volumes. A computational routine developed in Python applies the criterion proposed by William Chauvenet to identify statistically inconsistent observations within the dataset, ensuring robustness prior to regression and correlation analyses. Carbon intensity (CO₂ per unit of energy) is calculated to assess decoupling behavior, while correlation matrices and elasticity indicators quantify the relative influence of fossil production and EV penetration on emissions. The dynamic structure expresses CO₂ emissions as a function of fossil energy share, total energy demand growth, and electrification rate. Sensitivity analysis evaluates the responsiveness of emissions to variations in these parameters. Results indicate that emission reductions are strongly dependent on carbon intensity evolution rather than EV growth alone. Outlier detection enhances model reliability by preventing anomalous years from biasing trend interpretation. The proposed framework provides a transparent and computationally efficient tool for emission diagnostics, transition scenario evaluation, and policy-oriented forecasting within the context of sustainable mobility and global energy transformation.
Gutierrez, Marcos, Taco, Diana
Tailoring ICEs Towards Future Global Market Requirements – Multi-Fuel Capability To Ensure Next Decade Market Success2026-24-00309/21/2026
The entire mobility industry currently faces enormous regulatory demands due to the Paris agreement and its corresponding initiatives to eliminate the business sector-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emissions. A major focus is hereby set on wide-spread electrification of all kinds of applications, but from current perspective it is obvious that a quick and complete shift is highly unlikely, especially with view on heavy and challenging industrial and commercial applications. In line with this, it’s apparent that internal combustion engines (ICEs) maintain to play an important role in the overall propulsion system line-up. For compliance with the engaged CO2 reduction policies and efficiency improvement demands, a fast and broad replacement of fossil fuels needs to be realized. Due to the specific properties of carbon-neutral fuels and as well the variety of the range of industrial applications, different types of alternative fuels are considered. These novel fuels can be subdivided into preferred solutions for smaller or on-highway applications vs heavy off-highway and marine applications, or simply according to local or national preferences or policies. As of now, Hydrogen as well as Methanol/Ethanol is highly attractive for on-highway applications as well as construction/agricultural applications, the heavier and larger applications tend to more energy-dense energy carriers like NH3 and partially Methanol/Ethanol. In addition, to support a smooth transition to fully carbon-neutral operation, intermediate dual-fuel layouts are requested, partially requiring a full redundancy between classical Diesel operation and powering with new fuels. This complexity and variety in customer demands provide a major challenge for globally operating OEMs as future engines designs and definitions need to be developed under extreme cost pressure. The paper at hand delivers an interesting approach to design and develop modern ICE platforms for the anticipated multi-fuel case, aiming at superior key performance indicators concerning power output and efficiency, while maximizing the degree of commonality between the individual engine versions and variants. This flexibility and modularity needs to be incorporated in the base engine design, especially in the top end of the assembly, as it implicates different demands in air delivery and as well the transition from a diffusive combustion system to a pre-mixed combustion principle. This affects on one hand the installation of key sub-systems like fuel injection and ignition, but as well also the decision about an appropriate compression ratio and the definition of an adjusted in-cylinder charge motion. The article closes with recommendations for a future multi-fuel engine definition and an assessment concerning the major design changes in contrast to a refined and optimized Diesel engine layout.
Koerfer, Thomas, Dhongde, Avnish, Yadav, Jaykumar
A Bicriteria Mathematical Programming Model for Strategic Road Freight Fleet Renewal under Environmental and Economic Objectives2026-24-00339/21/2026
Road transport is a major contributor to freight-related greenhouse gas emissions, and its relevance for efforts to decarbonize the transport sector as a whole is increasing. It is by now agreed that decarbonization of road freight will ultimately hinge on a transition away from oil-based fuels, mainly diesel and gasoline, which continue to dominate the sector. However, alternatives to oil span a multitude of technologies, ranging from electricity to biofuels, and entail varying levels and forms of investment. To support the development of informed decarbonization strategies in this context, we describe a bicriteria mathematical programming model for optimizing vehicle replacement decisions in a fleet of trucks to be operated over several years. Given a specification of the initial fleet, the model generates a set of renewal strategies that achieve different tradeoffs between aggregate well-to-wheel emissions and total investment and operation costs. The model captures heterogeneity across vehicle technologies, truck types, payloads, and operational profiles, while explicitly accounting for their implications for costs and emissions. The model also incorporates the installation costs of charging and alternative fueling infrastructure, of maintenance and insurance, as well as proceeds from salvage actions. Leveraging cost and emission data informed by French logistics operators, we investigate Pareto efficient strategies for the renewal of a fleet representative of real-world freight activity. The results reveal a clear cost–emissions tradeoff, with intermediate renewal strategies achieving substantial emission reductions before the sharply increasing marginal costs associated with full electrification are incurred. More broadly, the paper demonstrates how multi-objective, as opposed to single-objective, fleet renewal models make cost-emissions tradeoffs explicit and support the selection of decarbonization pathways simultaneously aligned with environmental goals and economic constraints.
Mifrani, Anas, Michel, Pierre, Mendes Alves, Breno, Chasse, Alexandre
From Crowdshipper Behavior to Urban Mobility Governance: Policy Insights for Sustainable Crowdshipping2026-24-00299/21/2026
Crowdshipping has recently attracted significant attention as a potentially sustainable solution for urban logistics, as it leverages individuals’ underutilized travel capacity to perform last-mile deliveries. While existing research has extensively examined crowdshipper participation through motivational patterns, considerably less attention has been devoted to the governance and policy implications emerging from crowdshipper behavior. This represents a critical gap, particularly in the context of sustainable urban mobility, where logistics innovations are often implicitly assumed to generate positive externalities without adequate regulatory design. This paper addresses this gap by translating crowdshipper motivational evidence into policy-relevant insights for sustainable urban mobility planning. The analysis is based on data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to potential and active crowdshippers. The survey collected information on socio-demographic characteristics, mobility habits, motivations, risk perception, trust, and willingness to participate under alternative crowdshipping conditions. While such conditions are commonly used to estimate participation patterns, this study reinterprets them through a governance-oriented lens to explore trade-offs between economic incentives, environmental motivations, and mobility-related impacts. Using a governance-oriented interpretation of survey data, the analysis highlights how different incentive structures activate heterogeneous crowdshipper participation patterns, with distinct mobility impacts. Results show that participation driven by strong economic incentives and operational flexibility may encourage additional vehicle-kilometers traveled, while participation embedded within routine trips and influenced by environmental considerations tends to operate within more limited spatial and temporal constraints. Taken together, these findings indicate that crowdshipping outcomes are not inherently aligned with sustainable urban mobility objectives, but critically depend on incentive design and regulatory integration within Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs).
Comi, Antonio, Idone, Ippolita
Emissions Reduction Assessment in Buses During Real Driving Tests using Hydrogen-Methane Blends as Fuel2026-24-00069/21/2026
Increasing concern over climate change on planetary scale and urban pollution on a local spatial dimension are the pressing needs which invite to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in transportation as well as pollutant emissions. Both goals have prompted governments, industry stakeholders, and researchers to pursue innovative pathways toward sustainability in the on-the-road transportation sector trying to interpret this concept on the three requested dimensions, social, economic and environmental. Within this framework, hydrogen–methane mixtures have emerged as a promising alternative fuel solution which in someways match the three expectations. This primary solution matches the needs of urban transportation by buses, representing a further innovation step after the diesel-fuel to methane conversion. Hydrogen is characterized by carbon-free combustion, while methane is a comparatively clean and widely available fossil fuel. When blended, these two fuels can lower overall emissions relative to the use of pure CNG, while still being compatible with existing internal combustion engines if the content of hydrogen in the blend do not exceed 20 % by volume. Greater shares till to 35-40 % are compatible simply re-setting the ignition time according to the engine load. This compatibility makes the adoption of such blends both economically viable and technically achievable in the short to medium term, also increasing the market demand for hydrogen, reducing its cost. The social dimension of this choice is also saved, re-focusing attention on the reciprocating internal combustion engines which represent a great part of the industrial economy. This study describes the methodology adopted to assess the emissions performance of a hydrogen-methane-fueled (HCNG) bus for on-road emission testing. Two experimental campaigns were carried out: the first using conventional CNG, and the second employing an HCNG blend composed of 15% hydrogen and 85% CNG by volume. Tests were conducted along two routes, representing urban and extra-urban driving conditions, with different drivers and traffic conditions. The experimental results enabled a direct comparison between the two fuels. In both driving scenarios, a slight decrease in CO₂ emissions was observed when using the HCNG blend, corresponding to a reduction in fuel consumption. More significant decreases were recorded for pollutants such as CO, HC, and PN, whereas NOx emissions showed a modest increase of only a few percentage points. No modification has been implemented on the aftertreatment devices. The study indicates that the HCNG blend enhances vehicle responsiveness compared to conventional CNG and represents a step ahead in public urban transportation like the one from diesel fuel to methane.
Di Battista, Davide, Di Bartolomeo, Marco, Di Prospero, Federico, Di Diomede, Domenico, Cipollone, Roberto
Thermal Effects and Combustion Behavior of Hydrogen and Natural Gas in a Heavy-Duty Gas Engine2026-24-00039/21/2026
To accelerate the adoption of renewable fuels in heavy-duty transportation, a conventional diesel engine was retrofitted to operate on gaseous fuels. This approach supports the transition from diesel to renewable energy carriers while maximizing the reuse of existing engine platforms. However, converting a liquid-fuel engine to gaseous operation does not inherently ensure stable or efficient performance. Gaseous fuels require external ignition, and hydrogen, with its low minimum ignition energy and wide flammability range, places particularly high demands on combustion development. In spark-ignited heavy-duty gas engines, port fuel injection (PFI) is widely used because of its simpler integration and lower fuel-pressure requirements compared with direct injection (DI). However, PFI reduces volumetric efficiency and increases sensitivity to abnormal combustion, including backfire and pre-ignition. DI can mitigate these limitations by enabling fuel delivery after intake valve closure and allowing later injection timings, thereby improving system efficiency and mixture formation control. Experiments were conducted on a 1991 cc single-cylinder research engine representative of heavy-duty applications. Two fuel supply systems were evaluated: low-pressure PFI up to 15 bar and high-pressure DI up to 200 bar. Two novel injector designs were tested with hydrogen and natural gas to assess the effects of fuel type, pressure level, load, and speed. The cylinder head was instrumented with ten thermocouples to evaluate local thermal distribution. In parallel, exhaust emissions, including NOx, hydrogen slip, and unburned hydrocarbons, were analyzed to link injection strategy, mixture formation, combustion behavior, emissions, and thermal loading.
Rößlhuemer, Raphael, Fitz, Patrick, Fellner, Felix, Prager, Maximilian, Jaensch, Malte
How Micromobility is Reshaping Urban Mobility: A Systematic Literature Review2026-24-00259/21/2026
Micromobility is rapidly reshaping urban mobility by transforming travel behaviour, urban space, and transport systems. Its growing role in reducing car dependency and supporting low-carbon mobility has positioned cycling, e-scooters, and e-bikes as key components of sustainable urban transport. This study examines the role of micromobility in urban mobility through a systematic literature review. The review provides a structured synthesis of existing research, identifies major publications and thematic trends, and highlights gaps in current knowledge across several dimensions of urban mobility. The findings show that the effects of micromobility are neither uniformly positive nor negative. They depend particularly on infrastructure provision, governance arrangements, regulation, user behaviour, and integration with public transport. The review therefore suggests that micromobility should be considered as part of the wider urban transport system rather than as an isolated group of modes. The review identifies priorities for further research and provides evidence that can support transport planners and other stakeholders in developing approaches to micromobility and public transport integration.
Olkhova, Mariia, Comi, Antonio
Global–Regional Energy Balance Climate Modeling Framework for Country-Level Temperature Projections Based on CO₂ Radiative Forcing2026-24-00219/21/2026
This study presents a computational framework for estimating country-level temperature projections based on global radiative forcing from CO₂ emissions. The methodology integrates a carbon-cycle accumulation module, a logarithmic radiative forcing formulation, and a dynamic one-box energy balance model (EBM) to simulate global mean temperature evolution. Atmospheric CO₂ concentration is computed from cumulative global emissions using an airborne fraction parameter. Radiative forcing is then determined using the established logarithmic relationship between concentration and forcing. The global temperature response is calculated dynamically by solving the transient energy balance equation, incorporating effective heat capacity and climate sensitivity parameters. To regionalize projections without relying on high-resolution General Circulation Models (GCMs), an empirical regional amplification factor is introduced. This coefficient is derived from historical regression between observed regional and global temperature anomalies. The resulting formulation enables country-level temperature estimation as a scaled response to global mean warming while preserving physical consistency with radiative forcing theory. The framework is computationally efficient and suitable for implementation in lightweight numerical platforms, enabling rapid scenario testing of emission pathways. Although the model does not resolve atmospheric circulation, precipitation changes, or nonlinear feedback variability at regional scales, it provides a transparent and physically grounded approach for comparative warming assessments across countries. The proposed methodology establishes a structured link between global climate energetics and regional temperature response, supporting engineering-oriented climate risk analysis and emission policy sensitivity evaluation.
Gutierrez, Marcos, Taco, Diana, Sampietro-Saquicela, Jose, Bermudez-Herrera, Leandro, Valencia-Ortiz, Nakira, Ulloa de Souza, Raul
Life Cycle Assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle with Different Powertrain Configurations in Europe2026-24-00199/21/2026
Plug in hybrid electric vehicles play an important role in transportation decarbonization. Compared with battery electric vehicles, plug in hybrid electric vehicles generally have a lower production carbon footprint due to their smaller batteries, which require far less raw material. Despite their smaller capacity, these batteries are typically sufficient to cover most daily travel distances in pure electric mode. The hybrid powertrain can be configured in multiple ways depending on the number and position of electric machines within the driveline. These configuration differences significantly influence both the total carbon footprint and the use phase greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, we evaluate the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with various powertrain configurations in the European context. All configurations share the same premium mid-size sport utility vehicle glider. Battery capacity ranges from 20 kWh to 45 kWh, enabling an electric range of over 200 km under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle. The number of electric machines varies from one, as in the P2 configuration, to three, as in the P1+P3+P4 configuration. Use phase emissions for each configuration were estimated in accordance with the latest European Union emission legislation. The P2 powertrain exhibited the lowest weighted fuel and electricity consumption, whereas the P1+P3+P4 layout demonstrated the highest overall electric and fuel consumption. A sensitivity analysis of use phase emissions was performed, followed by projections for scenarios with increased renewable energy shares in both electricity generation and liquid fuel production. Finally, an extreme scenario assuming 100 % renewable electricity and fuel was analyzed.
Nguyen, Duc-Khanh, Andersson, Simon, Kristoffersson, Annika
Recovery Equipment for Mobile Thermal Management SystemsJ3264_202609 (Current)9/21/2026
This SAE Standard covers equipment used to remove refrigerant from a Mobile Thermal Management System to be sent for reclamation rather than on-site recycling. The refrigerant could be contaminated and should not be mixed with recycled refrigerant. This could also be any refrigerant that the technician is not going to recycle and reuse. The refrigerant could also be a blend or a refrigerant for which Recovery/Recycling/Recharging equipment is not available.
ICTMS Service Committee
Low Mu/Winter Driving Skill CertificationJ3300/1_202609 (Current)9/21/2026
This SAE Recommended Practice is intended to establish a procedure to certify the low mu/winter driving skill levels of professional drivers. This certification can be used by the individual driver to qualify their skills when seeking employment or other professional activity. These certification levels may also be used by test facilities or other organizations when seeking test or professional drivers of various skills. This document provides directions for obtaining certification through Probitas Authentication®1 and the low mu/winter driving skill examination requirements. This document is a supplement to SAE J3300, providing information specific to the low mu/winter driving skill certification and clarifying the application of the rules set forth in SAE J3300 to the low mu/winter driving certification. While the references, definitions, rules, and guidelines presented in SAE J3300, Sections 1 through 5 apply to the low mu/winter driving certification, they are not repeated in this document.
Driving Skills Standards Committee
Understanding Tyre Wear Particle Emissions: Volatile Dominance, Variability, Coarse Particles and Measurement System Development for Chassis Dynamometer Use2026-24-00189/21/2026
This paper presents a set of targeted tyre emissions studies carried out within the UK Department for Transport’s (DfT) Brake and Tyre Emissions programme. The work was aimed at improving the measurement of airborne particles generated by tyres, and at examining the factors that influence particle number and particle mass emission. It also explored physical tread wear. To achieve this, a revised sampling duct system was developed with high extraction flow and partial wrap-around of the tyre, and a coarse hard-wearing surface was applied to the chassis dyno roller. The sampling system supplied Total PN4, PN10 (volatile and non-volatile), PM2.5, and particle size instrumentation. Several tyre types were selected to represent a broad range of sizes, constructions, manufacturers, compounds, and mileages. Tests were performed on a dedicated chassis dynamometer testing facility using PG42, WLTC, and RDE based cycles, together with additional cycles designed to investigate the influence of temperature, speed, and braking. Tread depth and tyre mass were recorded before and after the test programme to determine wear rates, and macro particle sampling was undertaken to assess particle size distribution beyond the airborne PM2.5 range. Airborne particle measurements showed that tyre PN is dominated by volatile ultrafine particles below 10 nm, with the non-volatile PN10 fraction representing only a small proportion of the total. PM2.5 mass from tyres was generally low and often near the detection limit, with most of the physical wear mass present as large particles (>50 μm) rather than as respirable material. Wear rates varied across tyres but showed no consistent relationship with airborne PM2.5 or PN10. Tyre temperature had the clearest influence on airborne PN emissions: elevated temperatures and high speed/braking conditions produced higher volatile and non-volatile PN. Overall, the study provides improved understanding of tyre-related airborne particle formation, the limitations of PM2.5 and PN10 as regulatory indicators, and the role of tyre temperature and operating conditions in determining emissions. The findings support the development of future tyre wear measurement methods and associated regulatory frameworks.
Andersson, Jon, Campbell, Michael, de Vries, Simon, Kramer, Louisa, Marshall, Ian, Southgate, Jason, Waite, Gary
Use-Phase Emission Comparison of Battery Electric and Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles in Canada2026-01-50749/17/2026
The objective of this study was to evaluate the in-use emissions and energy consumption of similar model internal combustion engine (ICE) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in Canada. For the ICE vehicles (ICEVs), carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were measured at the tailpipe. For the BEVs, the carbon intensity of different energy sources was used along with vehicle energy consumption to estimate the in-use CO2 equivalent (CO2e) emissions. Three ICEVs, the Ford Transit, Ford F-150, and Nissan Versa, and three BEVs, the Ford E-Transit, Ford F-150 Lightning, and Nissan LEAF, were tested over standard test cycles on a chassis dynamometer. The Nissan Versa, Nissan LEAF, Ford F-150, and Ford F-150 Lightning were tested at two temperatures, 25°C and −7°C, to investigate the effect of colder temperatures on emissions and energy consumption. The Ford Transit 150 and E-Transit were tested at two test weights, 2722 kg (6000 lb) and 3629 kg (8000 lb), to study the effects of cargo loading on emissions and energy consumption. In most conditions, the BEV use-phase CO2e emissions were found to be lower than those of the ICEVs. Results showed a significant increase in both emissions in ICEVs (up to 20%) and energy consumption in BEVs (up to 78.5%) at −7°C when compared to 25°C. Results also showed the significant effect of the carbon intensity of electricity on the CO2e emissions of BEVs, where more carbon-intensive electricity grids resulted in higher BEV CO2e emissions, even surpassing ICEV CO2 emissions in certain cold-temperature conditions.
Araji, Fadi, Humphries, Kieran, Hornung, Jeremy, Shantz, Emory
Short-Term Load Forecasting of Sustainable Power Systems Based on Newton–Raphson-Based Optimizer–Extreme Gradient Boosting under Extreme Weather Events13-07-02-00089/17/2026
With continuous advancements in load-side resources such as distributed photovoltaic systems, electric vehicles, and virtual power plants, the low-carbon and sustainable development attributes of power systems have been significantly enhanced. Meanwhile, the coupling intensity between sustainable power systems and meteorological conditions has been further consolidated. Considerable impacts are exerted by weather variations, particularly extreme weather events, on the dispatching and operation of sustainable power systems. Accurate load forecasting is critical for enabling sustainable power systems operators to optimize power generation strategy, ensuring supply stability and resilience against extreme weather-induced disruptions. However, the intrinsic non-stationarity and volatility of extreme weather events present significant challenges to conventional forecasting approaches. Herein, we introduce a hybrid algorithm integrating Newton–Raphson-based optimizer (NRBO) with extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) to enhance short-term load predictions under such conditions. The model uses optimally selected meteorological and load features as inputs, while NRBO systematically tunes XGBoost’s hyper-parameters to maximize performance. Evaluated on an Irish dataset, the proposed framework is quantitatively compared against five baseline models, including traditional decision trees and neural networks. The case studies show that the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of the proposed model is 2.57%, which is the lowest among these decision tree and neural network algorithms.
Wang, Yi, Zhou, Jian, Wu, Gang, Ma, Tiannan, Ma, Ruiguang, He, Chuan, Zhu, Huixian
Influence of Ferritic Nitrocarburizing with Smart-ONC® on the Modal and Damping Behavior of Gray Cast Iron Brake Rotors2026-01-07989/14/2026
Ferritic nitrocarburizing (FNC) with in-process post-oxidation has been developed as a production-capable surface engineering solution for gray cast iron (GCI) brake rotors to meet the Euro 7 non-exhaust particulate emission limits. While prior investigations have demonstrated significant PM₁₀ reduction, improved corrosion resistance, and stable braking performance, the influence of FNC on noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance requires systematic evaluation. This study quantified the relative contributions of the alloy composition, rotor geometry, and FNC treatment to the modal frequency and damping behavior. Seven ventilated disc types from multiple foundries were characterized to assess the composition-driven variability. In addition, 120 production discs (ventilated and solid) were measured before and after FNC processing to isolate the treatment effects. Modal properties were obtained using impulse-hammer testing under free–free boundary conditions in accordance with VDA 301, and damping was evaluated using the half-power bandwidth method (Q-factor). The results show that the natural frequency is governed primarily by geometric parameters, scaling with the friction-ring thickness and disc diameter. In contrast, the damping behavior is dominated by the alloy composition and graphite morphology. Variations in silicon, chromium, and carbon equivalent produced a 3–4× difference in the Q-factor across foundries. FNC treatment had a negligible effect on the natural frequency (<1%) but produced a measurable increase in the Q-factor, typically 7–10% for solid discs and 22–32% for ventilated discs. The findings establish a clear hierarchy of influence: composition controls the damping, geometry controls the frequency, and the FNC introduces a secondary shift. Within production-relevant composition windows, FNC + Smart-ONC® does not represent a limiting factor for the NVH performance of Euro 7–compliant brake systems.
Awe, Samuel Ayowole, Holly, Mike, Winter, Karl-Michael
Aerodynamic Disc Brake Drag: An Elusive Source of Variability2026-01-08029/14/2026
The ever-present drive to increase vehicle range and efficiency has resulted in disc brake caliper requirements at or near zero residual drag. It is increasingly critical to understand and design around potential edge cases that can drastically increase off-brake drag. One frequently observed, but often misunderstood, phenomenon is drag induced by aerodynamic forces surrounding the brake pad. Complex airflow characteristics surrounding the pad in the brake corner environment can lead to Venturi Effect induced air pressure differentials on each side of the pad, leading to transient, yet pronounced, increases in brake drag. This paper will follow a case study during which brake pad pressure differentials were discovered and objectively measured, review the Venturi Effect as it relates to brake corners, and explore modelling approaches for identifying and correcting designs that are prone to this phenomenon.
Robere, Matthew, Tresmondi, Thales
Correlation of Tribological Characteristics with Brake Emission Factors in Automotive Disc Brakes2026-01-08299/14/2026
Following the recent introduction of the Euro 7 regulations, research on non-exhaust emissions, including brake wear particles, has increased. However, full-scale dynamometer tests are affected by complex variables such as vehicle class and brake system specifications, which makes it difficult to analyze the unique characteristics of friction materials independently. Previous studies have predominantly focused on comparing emission levels by friction material composition or on disc surface treatments, and quantitative correlations, resolved by friction material type, between the physical wear mass of friction materials and the Brake Emission Factor (BEF), remain scarce. In this study, the brake emissions from various friction materials were precisely measured using a scale dynamometer reflecting the UN-GTR No. 24 standards. By applying the WLTP cycle, a quantitative correlation was derived between the friction characteristics and the BEF for each braking section. The results show that BEF varies with friction material type depending on the friction- and wear-related factor, while disc wear and total wear were confirmed, regardless of friction material type, to be common key indicators that exhibit a statistically high correlation with BEF.
Jang, Pan Gyu, Kim, Duck Hyeon, Jeong, Yoon Oh, Kwon, Sung-Wook, Jung, Kwang Ki, Lee, Jungju
Predicting Wear of NAO Brake Pad Using Scaled-Down FMVSS 135 Testing and Machine Learning2026-01-08089/14/2026
Brake pad wear is a major and growing source of non-exhaust particulate emissions, projected to reach 1.3 million tons annually by 2030 and contributing up to roughly 55% by mass of non-exhaust traffic-related PM10 in urban environments, underscoring the need for improved durability and material optimization. This study investigates a three-stage eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) ensemble paired with a residual Fully Connected Neural Network (FCNN) corrector to predict brake pad wear rate and support formulation optimization. Experiments used a simplified FMVSS 135 protocol on a Universal Mechanical Tester (UMT) simulating realistic braking across eight friction regimes. Wear rate was the sole machine-learning prediction target, while coefficient of friction (CoF) was retained as an input feature rather than a target. Despite a limited but high-quality 280-cycle dataset, regime-aware stratified splitting, sample reweighting, and hyperparameter optimization enabled robust generalization. The three-stage XGBoost ensemble with residual FCNN correction achieved a global held-out test R2 of 0.976 for wear rate prediction. A Taguchi L8 design of experiments defined the brake pad compositions, reducing experimental time and material consumption compared to conventional approaches. The framework demonstrated strong agreement between measurements and predictions for the dominant low-severity regime, while per-regime analysis identified the high-severity minority regimes as the priority for additional data collection, since within-regime R2 remains negative for every regime given current sample sizes. A sequence-aware mean absolute scaled error (MASE) analysis further shows that, despite the high global R2, none of the four pipeline stages currently outperforms a naive one-cycle persistence forecast on absolute error, a distinction reported here for transparency. The scalable architecture enables straightforward integration of additional material and process parameters, supporting iterative brake formulation development in industrial settings and, by reducing empirical testing requirements, sustainable brake material development with reduced replacement frequency and associated emissions.
Katakam, Abhishek, Eslamiat, Hossein, Kancharla, Sai Krishna, Filip, Peter
Predicting Temporal Friction Torque of Drum Brake Systems: A Mixed-Effects Random Forest Approach2026-01-08099/14/2026
Drum brake systems are becoming increasingly important in electric vehicles (EV) and purpose-built vehicles due to cost competitiveness and EURO-7 particulate emission regulations. Despite this trend, drum brake friction behavior remains incompletely characterized due to its dependence on multiple coupled variables: temperature history, braking conditions, and component interactions. To address this gap, this study presents a method for developing a time-series friction torque prediction model using the Mixed-effects Random Forest (MERF) machine learning framework. Time-series data collected from sensors during drum brake dynamometer tests were analyzed to identify the key variables that govern the friction torque. Significant inputs were selected through Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA), considering test-to-test variability and potential mixed effects, and were then used to train and tune the MERF model. Model performance was evaluated by comparing predicted friction torque with measured torque, and prediction error was quantified by using Mean Absolute Error (MAE) to check whether predicted model is reliable. The proposed prediction model demonstrates a high level of agreement with experimental measurements, confirming that the MERF approach can effectively capture the non-linear and transient characteristics of drum brake friction torque from time-series sensor signals. These results indicate that friction torque estimation is feasible using only sensor signals already available from conventional test instrumentation, without additional dedicated sensors. This capability is expected to support broader applications, including brake performance prediction for vehicles equipped with drum brakes and enhanced simulation of drum brake thermal performance across operating conditions.
Yoon, Jungro, Cho, Sunghyun, Kim, Wonjoon
Preconditioned Air (PCA) Unit Air Quality, Humidity Management, and Cabin ConnectionARP6986 (Current)9/11/2026
The provisions of this SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) cover minimum performance requirements and design parameters for preconditioned air (PCA) devices supplying air to the aircraft cabin. It identifies the need for interim and future performance improvement for ground equipment delivery systems, to meet industry requirements for reducing airborne compounds or particulates (“source types”) in the aircraft cabin and flight deck. This ARP will guide SAE, IATA, airline operators, and airframe and PCA manufacturers to meet new requirements. This ARP defines: Minimum performance and maintenance requirements for filtration, hose assemblies, operations, and maintenance. Level of humidity supplied by the ground equipment to the aircraft cabin. Minimum performance and maintenance requirements for digital communication of cabin parameters between the cabin and the PCA. Installation of the sensor unit within the aircraft cabin. The data collected by these sensors is not intended to assess impacts on aircraft occupant health and shall not be used to make a finding of airworthiness.
AGE-3 Aircraft Ground Support Equipment Committee
Numerical Simulation Study on Borehole Wall Stability of Ultra-Large Diameter Deep Bored Piles in Thick Sand Strata2026-99-15829/11/2026
Taking the newly constructed Maanshan Yangtze River Highway-Railway Dual-Purpose Bridge — a three-tower steel truss cable-stayed bridge with two main spans of 1120 meters — as the research object, this study systematically explores the influencing factors and evolutionary characteristics of hole wall stability for large-diameter bored piles in thick sand layers. The research results reveal the following mechanisms: with the expansion of pile diameter, the hole wall generates greater deflection, the soil’s internal arch effect is gradually attenuated, soil cohesion decreases, and the plastic zone of the soil surrounding the pile shows a tendency of outward extension, collectively increasing the susceptibility to hole collapse. To maintain hole wall stability, the resultant force of the internal circular arch support and mud pressure must exceed or equal the total lateral pressure, including active earth pressure, formation water pressure, and ground surcharge-induced lateral pressure. Notably, soil shear strength and mud relative density are two dominant factors controlling hole wall stability, and a positive correlation exists between these two parameters and stability. Specifically, a mud relative density range of 1.15–1.25 is recommended for practical construction. These findings offer valuable technical references for the design and construction of similar large-diameter bored pile projects in thick sand layers.
Ye, Tao, Wang, Ruyi
Optimizing Dispatch Frequency of Feeder Buses for Integration2026-99-15749/11/2026
In the context of urban multi-modal transportation systems, the optimization of the integration between urban rail transit and feeder bus services remains a critical challenge for improving service quality and operational efficiency. The present study investigates the frequency optimization of a dedicated feeder bus line during the morning peak period, considering heterogeneous passenger arrival patterns from both random street arrivals and scheduled rail-to-bus transfers. A bi-objective non-linear programming model is proposed to minimize total passenger travel costs and operating costs for the bus system. The model incorporates heterogeneous passenger arrivals at stops, ensuring a realistic representation of feeder line usage. It also distinguishes between transfer and non-transfer passengers, who have different perceived waiting costs derived from queuing and scheduling principles. To evaluate the model, numerical experiments based on simulations are conducted under varying metro transfer intensities. These scenarios are created by applying scaling factors to the original station-level arrival data to approximate different levels of rail-to-bus demand propagation. Results demonstrate that Higher transfer intensity leads to shorter optimal dispatch intervals and a marginal increase in total operating cost, reflecting the additional service pressure from metro-induced demand. The framework provides flexible control through weighting parameters and can guide transit agencies in balancing service quality with cost-efficiency under different demand profiles.
Guo, Xiao, Zhang, Jing
Design and Analysis on a Traction-type Power-assisted Follow-up Vehicle for Emergency Rescue2026-99-15479/11/2026
To address problems in China’s emergency rescue scenarios—such as limited functionality, insufficient mobility, poor adaptability to complex terrain, the labor-intensive nature of manual carrying, and the lack of flexibility of fully automatic carts—a traction-type emergency rescue power-assisted follow-up vehicle was designed and developed. With the core design goals of “lightweight, high mobility, and human-machine collaboration”, this power-assisted follow-up vehicle has multiple advantages. At the structural level, it supports rapid folding and unfolding, enabling convenient operation and adaptation to transportation needs in various emergency rescue scenarios. In terms of material selection, it balances strength and lightweight properties, and its key components possess anti-cutting and flame-retardant capabilities, allowing adaptation to the harsh environment of emergency rescue. The power system adopts modular replaceable batteries and is equipped with a high-performance control unit, motor, and shock-absorbing suspension design. This enables normal operation in a variety of complex terrains. The control system is centered on human-machine collaboration. It features simple operation and automatic adjustment of operating status, effectively reducing the operational burden and physical exertion of rescuers. Meanwhile, it supports the master-slave expansion function, allowing flexible switching from a two-wheel structure to a four-wheel structure to meet diverse rescue needs such as material transportation and casualty transfer. This power-assisted follow-up vehicle can effectively solve the material transportation problem in the “last few kilometers” of emergency rescue.
Xu, Jiang, Hou, Yumeng, Yang, Han
Research and Verification of an Anti-Pollution Scheme Based on a Satellite Drive Mechanism2026-99-14019/11/2026
Based on the characteristics of satellite drive mechanism products, this paper expounds on the problems in the current anti-pollution scheme process from the current status of the drive mechanism’s antipollution scheme process mode. In view of these problems, the antipollution scheme based on the satellite drive mechanism is proposed and verified from the aspects of raw materials, equipment, parameter determination, process method, and test process. The scheme is reasonable and feasible, which effectively reduces the pollution index and ensures the on-orbit operation environment of the product.
Wang, Jian, Tan, Honggen, Zhou, Shan, Zhang, Tao
Impact of Transient Driving Characteristics on Bench-to-Road Emission Consistency of Light-Duty Vehicles2026-99-15739/11/2026
The thalweg at the outlet of the Yuxikou Waterway transitions from right to left, forming a 90-degree bend. It then merges with the Xihua Waterway after passing Xiliang Mountain, creating a main-branch confluence water area. Taking a typical main-branch confluence water area in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River as the research object, this paper reflects the current navigation status and existing problems of ships in the area through the analysis of ship traffic flow. It classifies the risk levels of passing ships, proposes suggestions for route reform and optimization, and uses a model to verify the probability of collision accidents in the area after the implementation of the round-island navigation method, providing a reference for the navigation safety of passing ships.
Qiao, Jiajun, Jin, Zhenhua, Huang, Qi, Li, Guohui, Zhang, Xinguo
Study on Shaking Table Model Test of Seismic Dynamic Response of Loess Multi-Arch Tunnels2026-99-15849/11/2026
Taking the Nieye Multi-Arch Tunnel in Zhuoni County as the engineering background, this study systematically explores the seismic dynamic response characteristics of loess multi-arch tunnels through shaking table model tests. The test results show that: (1) The strain distribution of the surrounding rock is significantly different. Under a peak acceleration of 0.6 g, the maximum strain in the tunnel portal section is concentrated on the right side, which is related to the incident direction of seismic waves and the stress concentration at the bottom of the central wall; the maximum strain in the tunnel body section is located on the left side, affected by the propagation characteristics of seismic waves, burial depth, and unsymmetrical pressure. (2) The acceleration amplification factors in the Z and ZX directions show nonlinear changes. Under bidirectional excitation, the Wenchuan wave-ZX combination exhibits the strongest response. The variation trend of acceleration at the soil-rock interface varies with wave types, and the slope damage undergoes three stages: elastic stage, elastoplastic stage, and plastic damage stage. (3) The ratio ω of tunnel burial depth to central wall thickness is positively correlated with the strains at key positions. For the seismic design of loess multi-arch tunnels, special attention should be paid to sensitive areas such as the bottom of the central wall and the left side of the tunnel body. It is suggested to improve the structural seismic performance by optimizing the lining reinforcement and adapting to regional seismic wave types. The research conclusions provide a reference for the seismic design of such tunnels under complex geological conditions.
Han, Tao, Cao, Xiaoping, Zhang, Shulin, Yang, Zibin
Research on Planting Concrete Preparation and Alkali Reduction Technology2026-99-15189/11/2026
Planting concrete has drawn much attention due to its great potential in highway slope protection and ecological restoration. However, its practical application has been limited as its highly alkaline environment imposes severe restrictions on the germination of plant seeds and the growth of seedlings. To address this key issue, this paper conducted a systematic study on planting concrete preparation and alkali reduction technology. First, planting concrete samples that meet the basic physical and mechanical property requirements are prepared by optimizing the raw material ratio, mixing, molding, and curing processes. On this basis, the post-molding concrete samples are soaked in calcium superphosphate solution, so that the phosphate ions in it can have chemical reactions with the free calcium hydroxide in the concrete to make insoluble calcium phosphate salts, thus realizing chemical alkali reduction.
Liu, Ying, Yang, Wanting, Ma, Lijie
Numerical Calculation of The Ice-Breaking Resistance of the Icebreaker2026-99-15179/11/2026
This study investigates the governing characteristics of ice resistance encountered by icebreakers operating in multi-year ice regions, with particular emphasis on the effects of bow truncation length, vessel speed, and ice thickness. A numerical simulation framework was developed using the finite element platform LS-PrePost to reproduce ice bending, failure, and ship–ice interaction throughout the icebreaking process. The numerical predictions were subsequently validated against physical model test data. The results indicate that ice resistance exhibits an increasing trend as the bow truncation length, navigation speed, and ice thickness increase. The ice resistance of different bow truncation lengths in the multi-year ice area is different. By truncating the model ship at different positions from the bow and analyzing the ratio of the ice resistance of the truncated models to that of the full-scale model, researchers can better understand the effects of bow size. This can provide a theoretical basis for conducting ice resistance tests with truncated model ships in a limited-scale ice water tank, and has certain practical value for the design and optimization of the icebreaker’s hull lines.
Liu, Yanwei, Zhang, Xiufeng, Yu, Yingjie, Wang, Lucai, Zhao, Weihang
Experimental Analysis of Tube Temperature and Heat Transfer Performance of L-Shaped Gravity Heat Pipes2026-99-15119/11/2026
Gravity heat pipes achieve efficient energy transfer through the evaporation and condensation of their internal working fluid, which steadily conducts underground heat to the surface and thereby provides a continuous and stable heat source for road pavements in winter. Considering the snow and ice melting demand of road surfaces in winter, this paper establishes an indoor environmental simulation experimental platform to systematically investigate the influence laws of different working fluids on the start-up temperature, start-up pressure, heat transfer power, and other key performance indicators of L-shaped gravity heat pipes. Through experimental research and analysis, it is revealed that heat pipes with R-134a and R245fa working fluids can operate stably at a shallow geothermal temperature of about 25 °C, while the acetone working fluid heat pipe operates unstably under this condition. The heat pipe filled with R-134a working fluid achieves the maximum heat transfer power under shallow geothermal conditions, followed by the heat pipe filled with R245fa. Although the heat transfer power of the acetone-filled heat pipe is generally relatively low, its heat transfer power increases most significantly with the rise of the evaporation section temperature. Under low-temperature conditions, the thermal conductivity of the evaporation section increases with the rise in the heating temperature of the evaporation section, while that of the condensation section decreases with the increase in the heating temperature of the evaporation section. Through experimental research and comparative analysis, this paper deeply explores the application potential of gravity heat pipe technology in green highway construction, and evaluates the feasibility and economic benefits of its engineering implementation, which provides a scientific basis and engineering guidance for the selection of green energy in future infrastructure construction.
Wang, Zhen-kun, Yuan, Zhi-ming, Wang, Kang, Zhang, Wen-jun, Wu, Xiang-song, Liu, Guang-bo
2025 5th International Conference on Logistics System, Traffic and Transportation (LSTT 2025)2026-99-15009/11/2026
TOC
Tobolski, Sue
Mechanical Properties and Freeze-Thaw Resistance of Modified Portland Cement-Stabilized Soil for Road Engineering2026-99-15809/11/2026
Subgrade soil is related to the load on the upper part of the road, and its properties will affect the road surface conditions. Frost-thaw action will damage the soil in cold regions. This study focuses on the fine-grained sand in Jilin affected by seasonal frost-thaw, and explores the effects of mixing amount (0% - 6%), curing time (7 days, 28 days), and frost-thaw cycle times (0, 5, 10, 20 times) on the DRM (dynamic resilient modulus) and UCS (unconfined compressive strength) of Portland cement-stabilized soil. The results are: the increase of mixing amount and the extension of curing time will both increase the UCS and DRM; frost-thaw cycles will reduce the UCS and DRM. Roads in cold regions need to use 4% modifier mixture for maintenance for 28 days to achieve strength stability. Heavy subgrades use 6% modifier to obtain the best stiffness load - bearing. This study has insightful guidance for subgrade material improvement in seasonal frozen soil regions.
Wang, Shujuan, Duan, Yonggang, Qin, Weijun, Shen, Ruoting, Jin, Chenguang
Study on Life Cycle Carbon Emissions of Light Commercial Vehicles2026-99-15399/11/2026
In alignment with China’s national strategic objectives of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”, this study aims to pinpoint key greenhouse gas emission sources across the full life cycle of light commercial vehicles. A specific model of gasoline-powered truck is selected as the research subject for this investigation. Using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework and strictly following relevant international and national standards, this study constructs a three-stage accounting model covering the “raw material– manufacturing–use” process. This model quantifies the vehicle’s carbon emissions across all life stages and provides a detailed breakdown of their composition. Over 90% of the truck’s total carbon footprint stems from its use phase alone, highlighting this stage as the primary emission source. Within the use phase, the well-to-wheel emissions of gasoline are the main emission source. During the materials acquisition and processing stage, the smelting processes of steel and aluminum (including aluminum alloys) are the primary contributors to carbon emissions. The findings of this study can provide data support and technical references for commercial vehicle enterprises in low-carbon product design, green supply chain management, and the formulation of industry carbon emission standards.
Hu, Xiaona, Li, Jing, Chen, Ke, Cui, Chen
Analysis of Differences Between the Current CLTC and China’s Current Traffic Operation Characteristics2026-99-15419/11/2026
With the significant increase in the ownership and market share of new energy vehicles, the current characteristics of China’s traffic operation have undergone remarkable changes compared with those before 2020. This paper focuses on a systematic study of the differences between the current China Light-duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC) and the current traffic operation characteristics. Firstly, the data are derived from the actual on-road operation data of nearly 400 new energy vehicles collected during 2020-2025. Based on this, a comparative analysis framework is established from two dimensions: differences in variable characteristics and differences in test energy consumption. The results show that due to the substantial rise in new energy vehicle ownership and market share, the maximum speed on roads has increased significantly, and the acceleration and deceleration have become more intense. The significant changes in traffic operation characteristics have further widened the deviation between the energy consumption tested under the existing CLTC and the actual energy consumption. Comprehensive research indicates that the increased market penetration of new energy vehicles has brought about obvious changes to the traffic operation characteristics formed during the era dominated by traditional fuel vehicles. Therefore, launching a new round of revision work on the CLTC is of great practical significance for promoting the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry in the future.
Yu, Hanzhengnan, Cao, Xiaofei, Zhang, Hao, Yi, Junyu, Zhang, Yongren, Wang, Yang, Wang, Chuanjin, Liu, Te, Ma, Dehui
Study on Route Planning Method of Variable-Configuration Vehicles Considering Mode Decision2026-99-15019/11/2026
The form changes of vehicles directly affect their driving performance, terrain adaptability, and motion efficiency. Conventional path planning techniques are unable to address the unique needs of irregularly shaped vehicles. Consequently, a hierarchical path planning algorithm that takes configuration changes into account is introduced. By introducing a pattern decision-making mechanism, the path planning process is divided into multiple levels. According to the task requirements and environmental conditions, the vehicle configuration is dynamically selected, and the driving path is optimized for the driving characteristics under different configurations, thereby fully utilizing the adaptability and through capability of the vehicle.
Chen, Zixuan, Pi, Dawei, Li, Guangda, Zhou, Yulin
Structural Design and Stability Research of a Two-DOF Transformable Wheel for Enhanced Obstacle-Crossing Performance on Complex Terrain2026-99-11309/11/2026
Under the constraints of conventional chassis layouts, traditional wheeled vehicles struggle to maintain stable obstacle-crossing performance on complex terrain. This study aims to enhance both the obstacle-crossing capability and stability of such vehicles. First, a transformable wheel capable of varying its effective radius and actively adjusting the wheel–ground contact configuration is designed, and its degrees of freedom are analyzed using screw theory. Next, based on screw theory and Lie group theory, position-level and velocity-level kinematic models of the transformable wheel are established, and system-level performance indices—including workspace, singular configurations, and force-transmission characteristics—are formulated. Finally, taking these performance indices as optimization objectives, a constrained optimization model of the mechanism’s geometric parameters is constructed, from which an optimal dimension set for the transformable wheel is obtained. The results show that the optimized transformable wheel has significantly improved minimum singularity and dexterity. The designed transformable wheel can achieve changes in wheel radius and wheel rim inclination angle, improving the vehicle's passability in complex terrain.
Lu, Shichuang, Wang, Tie
Research and Analysis of Civil Aircraft Radio Altimeter Malfunction2026-99-12359/4/2026
The radio altimeter is an important navigation instrument on an aircraft, capable of accurately measuring the aircraft's true height above the ground or sea to ensure safe flight. This capability is crucial for ensuring normal flight operations, especially during critical phases such as takeoff, approach, and landing. Polar terrain is complex and continually changing. The vast, endless ice fields, crisscrossing glacier crevasses, towering icebergs, and weather conditions all add significant uncertainty to air travel. In such environments, the aircraft's navigation system is particularly important as a core device to ensure flight safety. This article provides a brief overview of the aircraft radio altimeter system. Using data and observations from production flight tests, it studies the specific challenges posed by radio altimeter failures encountered during these critical validation flights. The study synthesizes these findings and proposes a relatively general troubleshooting approach to address such issues. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this method has been rigorously validated through its application in solving a complex real-world radar altimeter failure case.
Song, Mingming, Mi, Yujie
Strain Analysis of Buried Pipelines in Trench Models Crossing Strike-Slip Faults2026-99-12809/4/2026
Long-distance buried pipelines are the core type in pipeline transportation; the technical indexes and requirements for protection are stricter. In the previous coupling model of pipe and soil, the in-situ soil and backfill soil are treated as a unified continuous medium, and the actual geometric shape and boundary effect of the pipe trench are ignored through simplification of the calculation model. In this study, a new coupling model of in-situ soil, backfill soil, and pipeline is proposed to analyze the actual strain state of buried pipeline with different backfill soil and in-situ soil materials. A model was established based on the ANSYS software to simulate and investigate the mechanical behavior of strike-slip fault-crossing buried pipelines under real trench conditions. By varying multiple parameters, this study analyzes the effects of different operating conditions on the strain distribution and magnitude of buried pipelines. The findings of this study can serve as a reference for the design, construction, and protection of buried pipelines traversing active faults.
Li, Yuxiang, Wang, Guang, Zhang, Chengbin, Wang, Ke, Bi, Haisheng
Design and Simulation of Mobile Straw Carbonization Equipment2026-99-12659/4/2026
Straw is one of the major biomass energy sources. It has low economic benefits by conventional disposal methods, such as returning to the field, using as feed, pressing into block fuel, gasification power generation, papermaking, and manufacturing building materials. With the surplus of crop straw, a large amount of straw resources will be burned, resulting in severe resource waste, soil structure damage, and air pollution. Straw carbonization technology and equipment are effective measures to solve the problem of straw surplus. This paper proposes a mobile straw carbonization technology, studies the principles and processes of straw carbonization, and designs a high-efficiency mobile carbonization equipment that can be used in the field to reduce the costs of straw collection, transportation, and storage and realize the transformation of straw from waste to valuable resources. A mathematical model for the pyrolysis process of straw pellets was established. The structure of the mobile straw carbonization equipment was designed based on the research on the mechanism of straw pyrolysis and carbonization. A multi-layer sleeve rotary structure of the reactor is adopted, and the furnace body solves the problem of uneven heating of carbonization with a mixed feeding design of screws and scrapers. Simulation and experiments were conducted using corn straw as the raw material to analyze the variation law of temperature inside the furnace and verify the feasibility of the equipment designed for straw carbonization.
Shang, Chunmin, Yu, Jiadong
Study on the “Vibration-Differential Pressure” Coupled Environment Test Technology for Airborne Equipment Vibration Isolation Systems2026-99-12519/4/2026
The stable operation of airborne equipment determines the functionality and performance standards of aircraft. Installing vibration isolation systems on such equipment aims to improve its performance. With the advancement of aircraft capabilities, future evaluations of airborne equipment’s vibration isolation systems will require increasingly real-world experimental assessment. Achieving a ground-based simulation of the complex coupling environment encountered by airborne equipment at high altitudes presents a huge challenge. This paper proposes a method utilizing air springs to simulate differential pressure forces, successfully enabling ground-based testing of “vibration-differential pressure” coupled environments for airborne equipment. The results verify the effectiveness of this approach, and it can be used for this type of environmental testing.
Qin, Xiaomeng, Xing, Xiaoming, Mou, Haowen, Wang, Jianzhong
Research on Scalelike Adaptive Suction Flow for Wide-Speed Range Hypersonic Inlets2026-99-12529/4/2026
As critical components of aircraft, hypersonic inlets utilize shock wave compression effects to pressurize incoming flow. The interaction between shock waves and the boundary layer tends to generate separation zones, and it adversely affects inlet performance. As a method to significantly enhance inlet performance, suction technology can substantially reduce the size of separation zones when they form in the inlet. However, when the inlet is started and operating normally, suction configurations may cause mainstream leakage and make it difficult to meet the requirements of inlets with wider speed ranges. This paper designs an adaptive scaliform suction structure that utilizes a lift-generating design to induce a slight upward deflection of high-speed near-wall flow. It can reduce high-speed mainstream leakage without compromising the effectiveness in low-speed separation zones. Numerical simulations are employed to evaluate its suction performance in both inlet separation zone flow fields and supersonic mainstream flow fields. The internal flow mechanisms of the scaliform suction structure are investigated, and differences in its behavior across various suction flow fields, as well as its interference with the mainstream, are discussed. The study reveals that when the height of the scaliform suction structure is approximately 1/8 of the incoming flow’s velocity boundary layer height, the suction flow coefficient in the separation zone is twice that in the hypersonic mainstream. Furthermore, the loss in Mach number and total pressure recovery coefficient of the near-wall supersonic mainstream is controlled within 5%. This structure exhibits an adaptive suction capability for separation zones, thereby extending the starting speed range of the inlet.
Zhao, Xuening, Zhao, Yilong
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