Browse Topic: Retrofitting
Defense Innovation Unit Washington D.C. info@DIU.mil
Achieving human-level dexterity during manipulation and grasping has been a long-standing goal in robotics. To accomplish this, having a reliable sense of tactile information and force is essential for robots. A recent study, published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, describes the L3 F-TOUCH sensor that enhances the force sensing capabilities of classic tactile sensors. The sensor is lightweight, low-cost, and wireless, making it an affordable option for retrofitting existing robot hands and graspers
Electrification of transport, together with the decarbonization of energy production are suggested by the European Union for the future quality of air. However, in the medium period, propulsion systems will continue to dominate urban mobility, making mandatory the retrofitting of thermal engines by applying combustion modes able to reduce NOx and PM emissions while maintaining engine performances. Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) is an attractive process to meet this target. This mode relies on premixed mixture and fuel lean in-cylinder charge whatever the fuel type: from conventional through alternative fuels with a minimum carbon footprint. This combustion mode has been subject of numerous modelling approaches in the engine research community. This study provides a theoretical comparative analysis between multi-zone (MZ) and Transported probability density function (TPDF) models applied to LTC combustion process. The generic thermo-kinetic balances for both approaches have been
Ultrafine particles, in particular solid sub-100 nm particles pose high risks to human health due to their high lung deposition efficiency, translocation to all organs including the brain and their harmful chemical composition; due to dense traffic, the population in urban environments is exposed to high concentrations of those toxic air contaminants, despite these facts, they are still widely neglected. Therefore, the EU-Commission set up a program for clean and competitive solutions for different problem areas which are regarded to be hotspots of such particles. HORIZON AeroSolfd is an EU project, co-funded by Switzerland that will deliver affordable, adaptable, and sustainable retrofit solutions to reduce exhaust tailpipe emissions from petrol engines, brake emissions and pollution in semi-closed environments. VERT, a Swiss based international industry organization, has a long research history in the field of nanoparticle filtration and it is in charge of reducing tailpipe emissions
The given invention solves the problems associated with the growing greenhouse gases and electric mobility in Indian automobile market using design-thinking approach. It addresses the issue of air pollution, lack of charging infrastructure, limited range of electric vehicles, and high cost of travelling in IC engine vehicles. The problem statement of the project is selected through the process of design thinking. Data for the project is collected from the actual segment of people. The given invention displays the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle kit. The kit retrofits the conventional fuel engine vehicle into plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. As a result, the user can drive on electric mode and when the batteries are exhausted, the user can switch to fuel engine mode. Using the given technology, users can lower the tail pipe pollutants emitted from the vehicle. By using this technology, users can save 73.74% of cost per year
The combustion process in spark-ignition engines can vary considerably cycle by cycle, which may result in unstable engine operation. The phenomena amplify in natural gas (NG) spark-ignition (SI) engines due to the lower NG laminar flame speed compared to gasoline, and more so under lean burn conditions. The main goal of this study was to investigate the main sources and the characteristics of the cycle-by-cycle variation in heavy-duty compression ignition (CI) engines converted to NG SI operation. The experiments were conducted in a single-cylinder optically-accessible CI engine with a flat bowl-in piston that was converted to NG SI. The engine was operated at medium load under lean operating conditions, using pure methane as a natural gas surrogate. The CI to SI conversion was made through the addition of a low-pressure NG injector in the intake manifold and of a NG spark plug in place of the diesel injector. Flame luminosity images of the whole combustion event inside the piston
The ceramic wall-flow filter has now been globally commercialized for aftertreatment systems in light-duty gasoline engine powered vehicles. This technology, known as the gasoline particulate filter (GPF), represents a durable solution for particulate emissions control. The goal of this study was to track the evolution of tailpipe particulate and gaseous emissions of a 4-cylinder gasoline turbocharged direct injected (GTDI) 2018 North American (NA) mild-hybrid light-duty SUV, from a fresh state to the 4,000-mile, EPA certification mileage level. For this purpose, a production TWC + GPF aftertreatment system designed for a China 6b-compliant variant of this test vehicle was retrofitted in place of the North American Tier 3 Bin 85 TWC-only system. Chassis dyno emissions testing was performed at predetermined mileage points with real-world, on-road driving conducted for the necessary mileage accumulation. The vehicle was tested at 0, 500, 1000, 1800, 3000, and 4000-mile points in order to
Ducted fuel injection (DFI) was tested for the first time in a heavy-duty diesel metal engine. It was implemented on a Caterpillar 2.5-liter single-cylinder heavy-duty diesel engine fitted with a common rail fuel system and a Tier 4 final production piston. Engine tests consisted of single-injection timing sweeps at A100 and C100, where rail pressure and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) were also varied. A 6-hole fuel injector tip with 205 am orifices was used with a 130° spray angle and rail pressures up to 250 MPa. The ducts were 14 mm long, had a 2.5 mm inner diameter, and were placed 3.8 mm away from the orifice exits. The ducts were attached to a base, which in turn was attached to the cylinder head with bolts. Furthermore, alignment of the ducts and their corresponding fuel jets was accomplished. The objectives of this study were to compare performance and emissions trade-off curves for DFI and conventional diesel combustion (CDC) at high load and evaluate whether DFI could be
Diesel-powered engines are used worldwide for efficient transportation and stationary power generation. The significant drawback of a diesel engine is its harmful emissions. The stringent emission norms enforced by the different organization demands effective catalyst system to control the gaseous emissions. Diesel oxidation catalysts are the extensively used technique for diesel engines to control HC and CO emissions. Currently the catalyst in the diesel oxidation system employs precious metals such as Pt/Pd/Rh to reduce the emissions and makes the DOC system expensive. This paper presents a cost-effective catalyst prepared to employ non-noble mixed oxides of copper and nickel supported on non-conventional support (i.e.) ceria doped calcium borophosphates (Ce-SCaPB). Initially, ceramic beads (5mm X 5mm) were coated with (Ce-SCaPB) support material. Secondly, the copper and nickel salts were deposited on the Ce-SCaPB coated ceramic beads and subsequently reduced and calcined. The
The interest of long-hauling companies about the conversion of their fleets into low-emission and fuel-efficient vehicles is growing, and retrofitting options may represent a suitable solution. Powertrain hybridization and waste heat recovery are considered among the most promising methods to further improve the fuel economy of road vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. In this article, not only the effect of retrofitting a heavy-duty truck with an electrification-oriented ORC unit or with a series hybrid system is investigated, but also the possibility of implementing both at the same time. The conventional vehicle is powered by a heavy-duty 12.6 liters diesel engine. It is shown that, despite such a large engine has high potential for waste heat recovery, on the other hand it represents a very challenging constraint when designing a hybrid retrofitting. Four powertrain options are considered: conventional vehicle (engine-only powered), waste heat recovery retrofit, hybrid
The conversion of existing diesel engines to natural gas with the least amount of modifications can reduce the dependence on conventional oil and enhance national energy security. This study investigated such engine conversion using an experimental platform that consisted of a single-cylinder diesel engine modified for lean-burn natural-gas spark-ignition operation through the addition of a gas injector and a spark plug. Following steady-state experiments at several operating conditions that changed spark timing, mixture equivalence ratio, and engine speed, the experimental results suggested that the combustion phenomena in diesel engines retrofitted to lean-burn natural gas spark ignition presents significant differences compared to that in a conventional stoichiometric spark ignition engine. For example, the apparent heat release rate inferred from recorded pressure data is the addition of two separate, sequential combustion events: a fast burn inside the piston bowl and a slow event
The present work describes the numerical modeling of medium-speed marine engines, operating in a fumigated dual-fuel mode, i.e. with the second fuel injected in the ports. This engine technology allows reducing engine-out emissions while maintaining the engine efficiency and can be fairly easily retrofitted from current diesel engines. The main premixed fuel that is added can be a low-carbon one and can additionally be of a renewable nature, thereby reducing or even completely removing the global warming impact. To fully optimize the operational parameters of such a large marine engine, computational fluid dynamics can be very helpful. Accurately describing the combustion process in such an engine is key, as the prediction of the heat release and the pollutant formation is crucial. Auto-ignition of the diesel fuel needs to be captured, followed by the combustion and flame propagation of the premixed fuel. In this work, an approach based on tabulated kinetics has been used, to include
Natural gas (NG) is an alternative fuel for spark-ignition engines. In addition to its cleaner combustion, recent breakthroughs in drilling technologies increased its availability and lowered its cost. NG consists of mostly methane, but it also contains heavier hydrocarbons and inert diluents, the levels of which vary substantially with geographical source, time of the year and treatments applied during production or transportation. To investigate the effects of NG composition on engine performance and emissions, a 3D CFD model of a heavy-duty diesel engine retrofitted to NG spark ignition simulated lean-combustion engine operation at low speed and medium load conditions. The work investigated three NG blends with similar lower heating value (i.e., similar energy density) but different Methane Number (MN). The results indicated that a lower MN increased flame propagation speed and thus increased in-cylinder pressure and indicated mean effective pressure. In addition, a low MN increased
Recent development in hydraulic fracking made natural gas (NG) to be a promising alternative gaseous fuel for heavy-duty diesel engines. The existing compression ignition (CI) engine can be retrofitted to NG spark ignition (SI) operation by replacing the diesel injector with a spark plug and fumigating NG into the intake manifold. However, the original diesel piston geometry (flat head and bowl-in-piston chamber) was usually retained to reduce modification cost. The goal of this study was to increase the understanding of the NG lean-burn characteristics in a diesel-like, fast-burn SI combustion chamber. The experimental platform can operate in conventional (i.e., all engine parts are metal) or in optical configuration (i.e., the stock piston and cylinder block are replaced with a see-through piston and an extended cylinder block). The optical data indicated a fast-propagated flame inside the piston bowl. However, this rapid-burning process did not shorten the combustion duration, which
In this study, we are presenting design considerations for the development of a LED (Light-Emitting Diode) bi-function headlight module to replace conventional HID (High-Intensity Discharge) projector modules for retrofitting or first installation purposes. The objective was to develop a projector-type module to outperform current 35 W HID light sources in both low beam and high beam, but with far less installation space. Essential features like multichip LED usage and the optical system design will be described in detail. Special care was taken for the heat management of the high-power LEDs, with optimization of the heat dissipation thermal path via printed circuit board, heatsink and active cooling by extensive Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation work (CFD). The achieved projector lumen output of greater 1300 lm in low beam and 2000 lm in high beam enables a projector module of very compact size (<1,200 cm3) to easily replace HID modules
Prevention of passenger ejection from motor coach seats in the case of rollover and frontal crashes is critical for minimizing fatalities and injuries. This paper proposes a novel concept of affordably retrofitting 3-point seatbelts to protect passengers during these significant crash scenarios. Currently, the available options involve replacement of either the entire fleet, which takes time to avoid extremely high costs, or all seats with new seats that have seatbelts which is still expensive. Alternatively, this paper presents the development of an innovative product that can be installed in seat belt-ready bus structures at a fraction of the cost. The efficacy of the design is studied using finite element analysis (FEA) to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) 210 standards for conditions involved in frontal and side impacts. Similarly, the design’s effectiveness in rollover scenarios is studied using dynamic loading conditions in MAthematical DYnamic MOdeling (MADYMO
Truck and car manufacturers are required to satisfy certain emission standards while driving regulatory prescribed driving cycles on a vehicle chassis dynamometer. In India, the requirement is to use the regulatory Modified Indian Driving Cycle (MIDC), derived from the European Driving Cycle. The MIDC is a modal driving cycle with protracted periods at constant speed and uniform acceleration and deceleration patterns. It does not emulate typical road driving. In this study we instrument vehicles with off-the-shelf On-Board-Diagnostics (OBD) loggers to record actual drive data. The recorded vehicle speed profiles are then used as inputs for the vehicle simulation model we develop. The simulation model uses vehicle speed as an input and then calculates power required at the wheel, gear box, and Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) for the vehicle to achieve the measured speed profile. We use Willans Approximation to model the ICE fuel flow based on torque and speed. The simulation model is
This paper presents novel development of a reconfigurable assembly cell which assembles multiple aerostructure products. Most aerostructure assembly systems are designed to produce one variant only. For multiple variants, each assembly typically has a dedicated assembly cell, despite most assemblies requiring a process of drilling and fastening to similar tolerances. Assembly systems that produce more than one variant do exist but have long changeover or involve extensive retrofitting. Quick assembly of multiple products using one assembly system offers significant cost savings from reductions in capital expenditure and lead time. Recent trends advocate Reconfigurable Assembly Systems (RAS) as a solution; designed to have exactly the functionality necessary to produce a group of similar components. A state-of-the-art review finds significant benefits in deploying RAS for a group of aerostructures variants. What’s more, improvements to robot accuracy and decreasing costs of capital
The paper discusses the development and implementation of a form of in-vehicle communications for the body control in an Ariel Atom niche sports car. A Local Interconnect Network (LIN) bus has been developed that runs the LIN signals over the power lines of the vehicle wiring harness. The LIN system has one master and up to 15 slave ECUs. LIN is normally run at a maximum bit rate of 20 Kbit/s, however this system has been implemented at 57.6 Kbit/s by modulating over the power lines. Benefits of this approach include weight reduction, reduction in the number wires, ease in retro-fitting to existing vehicle architectures as only requires a connection to power lines and the ability to monitor the signals via the battery pins of the OBD connector of the vehicle. The approach has resulted in a reduction in weight due to wiring and electronic control unit reduction. The minimal bodywork design of the Ariel sports car means that unnecessary wiring is not so aesthetically pleasing and
Southern Manufacturing Group (SMG) of Morrison, TN, makes automotive components and industrial valves. In 2012, the automation system for its 175-ton hydraulic forming press received electrical damage resulting from a lightning strike (Figure 1). Purchasing a new hydraulic forming press would be prohibitively expensive — in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Therefore, SMG needed a company that could repair the forming press in a short timeframe to maintain its production schedule
Precision shims are used as compensators to absorb tolerances between mating components. They significantly reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating the need for each component to be precision-machined in order to achieve the proper fit and function of the total assembly. During the assembly process, shims provide adjustment to compensate for accumulated tolerances that significantly reduces the need for re-machining and assembly time. Additionally, shims are commonly used to preserve the faces between mating components, cutting down the required machining time during rebuilds/retrofitting
The paper describes major design choices and development process used to produce a prototype of a rear-wheel drive parallel hybrid electric vehicle. This diesel electric hybrid vehicle is different from other hybrid with regard to the powertrain. The paper focuses on the design, development and performance evaluation of this unique parallel diesel electric vehicle which is based on multimode hybrid powertrain comprised of a single planetary gear train as an additional transmission along with the manual gearbox of the conventional diesel vehicle and AC induction motor. The implementation of the new design enables to overcome many problems encountered in the traditional vehicles. Constant mesh spur type simple planetary gear set transmission is designed for the intended application. To demonstrate the practical applicability of the transmission and this hybrid configuration, one prototype vehicle is built integrating the transmission. The hybrid system makes it easy to retrofit existing
Diesel particulates are mainly composed of elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) with traces of metals, sulfates and ash content. Organic fraction of the particulate are considered responsible for its carcinogenic effects. Diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) is an important after-treatment device for reduction of organic fraction of particulates. In this study, two non-noble metal based DOCs (with different configurations) were prepared and evaluated for their performance. Lanthanum based perovskite (LaMnO3) catalyst was used for the preparation of DOCs. One of the DOC was coated with support material ceria (5%, w/w), while the other was coated without any support material. Prepared DOCs were retrofitted in a four cylinder water cooled diesel engine. Various emission parameters such as particulate mass, particle number-size distribution, regulated and unregulated emissions, EC/OC etc., were measured and compared with the raw exhaust gas emissions from the prepared DOCs. It was
Integrated controls for commercial dynamometers do not have appropriate characteristics to perform research and teaching tasks. These are developed to perform quick tests and its logic is prepared to obtaining the information in accordance with the technical standards. This way, the use for research is hindered because it does not have an interface that allows a refinement to the desired data ranges, t data sampling and the type of load that is applied. Its use for teaching is limited because these "standard" controls does not allow to analyze or to determine engines characteristics that are not covered through tests specified by the standards, so the use of this tool as an important part in professional training formed by the institution. The development of a system control to the electromagnetic brake and capture of torque and rotation data will allow better use of dynamometers for research and teaching, providing to the students the knowledge of the control system itself and data
Retrofitting current and legacy diesel vehicles with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) and associated aftertreatment technology has long been an option to enable vehicles with older engines to meet specific regional emissions legislation. A major positive is the ability for enforced vehicle retrofitting to have an immediate impact on the local air quality in urban environments without vehicle owners having to purchase new vehicles. Retrofit in China in comparison to Europe, for example, is in its relative infancy as China's emission legislation rapidly moves towards adopting European like limits whilst available diesel fuel continues to have variable sulphur concentrations. This paper details the results from a two phase retrofit-study conducted to investigate the ability for Fuel Borne Catalyst (FBC) technology to regenerate DPFs in retrofitted Light Duty (LD) vehicles in China. Phase 1 discusses an initial 100,000 km field trial across China over a pre-selected route to gain proof of
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