The Danville Register and Bee reports that,
Students and a professor at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville developed a unique way to test tires.
Associate professor Saied Taheri and Virginia Tech students in the Intelligent Transportation Lab at the Institute developed a trailer that houses equipment to test tires on actual roads and road conditions.
After a year and a half of development, the team finished validating the test trailer in August. The researchers compared the results of tests on tires to manufacturers’ own laboratory tests. The data matched.
Most manufacturers and researchers test tires on a flat-track “indoor treadmill.” The rolling test trailer is only one of three such systems that tests outside in the real environment.
The trailer helps the Intelligent Transportation Lab test for stability of vehicles or measure what conditions would cause a vehicle with specific tires to roll over. With that information, researchers could develop controls to better stabilize a vehicle.
October 30th, 2009
WardsAuto.Com reports that GM is ramping up testing of batteries for use in its electric vehicles (EVs). The report notes:
The lab includes about 170 test chambers cycling battery charges up and down 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During the cycling, engineers introduce severe temperature and humidity levels, while an automotive OEM-exclusive “shaker table” adds vibration to the testing mix.
Roughly two-thirds of the chambers currently are testing lithium-ion battery cells and packs for the Chevy Volt, while the rest test cells and packs for GM’s plug-in HEV technology and next-generation mild-hybrid system.
GM opened the $25 million facility in June, which is located at the GM Tech Center in Warren, MI.
October 28th, 2009
Autoliv Opens New Unique Test Facility
STOCKHOLM –(Business Wire)– Oct 26, 2009 Regulatory News:
Autoliv Inc. has opened a new unique test facility for pre-crash and active safety systems in Vargarda, Sweden.
Thanks to passive safety systems such as seatbelt pretensioners and airbags, vehicle safety has substantially improved over recent decades. The next step to further reduce road traffic accidents can be active safety and driver assistance systems based on various sensors. Autoliv’s new test track is built as a small city with real streets and fake house facades to conduct tests in a safe but realistic environment. In the “city”, Autoliv can perform and evaluate different systems based on radar, laser, vision or other sensors, which will be part of the pre-crash systems of tomorrow’s cars. These sensors provide input to the active safety system to brake or steer-away to mitigate or avoid an accident. The test facility is equipped with controllable balloon cars and pedestrian simulators to create a realistic driving situation.
For more information visit www.testcenter.autoliv.com.
October 26th, 2009
Following a recent test at its South Bend, IN test track, Tire Rack has published a comprehensive report analyzing the effectiveness of eco-friendly, low rolling resistance (LRR) tires. In its published report, Tire Rack confirms that using LRR tires is an effective way for consumers to save money while reducing carbon emissions through increased fuel efficiency.
As manufacturers continue to release more and more eco-friendly tire models, Tire Rack conducted a Real World Road Ride Economy Run to determine whether lower rolling resistance tires are effective at increasing fuel efficiency. The test, which used a small fleet of Toyota Prius hybrids outfitted with the Goodyear Integrity all-season radial tires as a baseline, compared its fuel efficiency and traction to other eco-friendly and standard tire models. Each tire was driven over 550 miles of a 6.6-mile loop of expressways, highways and side roads. The Prius outfitted with the baseline tire achieved 51.4 miles per gallon.
| Tire |
Test MPG* |
%vs. Baseline |
| Michelin Energy Saver A/S |
53.8 |
+4.74% |
| Bridgestone Ecopia EP100 |
53.5 |
+4.12% |
| Yokohama dB Super E-Spec |
52.8 |
+2.81% |
| Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max |
51.6 |
+0.37% |
| Goodyear Integrity |
51.4 |
— |
| Michelin HydroEdge with Green X |
51.1 |
-0.59% |
| Goodyear Assurance ComforTred |
50.0 |
-2.64% |
*Calculated based on GPS distances and ScanGage II recorded consumption (offset 6% for Prius Summer E10 regular grade fuel).
In the case of the Prius, the difference between the lowest and highest recorded miles per gallon would result in an annual difference of about 21 gallons of regular gasoline consumed at a cost of about $52.50 (at $2.50/gallon) for drivers traveling 15,000 miles a year. The fuel economy recorded for each tire and its relative position compared to the Integrity tire’s average is available at www.tirerack.com/mpgtest.
While the low-tech ways of achieving lower tire rolling resistance has usually traded off wet traction and/or treadwear, further controlled testing at Tire Rack’s test track has also shown that the newest high-tech, fuel-efficient tires have achieved it without compromising traction thanks to the introduction of new tread compounds, tire designs and weight optimizing manufacturing processes.
According to newly passed governmental Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFÉ) standards, new vehicles will need to achieve 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. As automakers reevaluate every aspect of their vehicles in order to increase fuel efficiency, fitting their vehicles with LRR tires is an easy first step.
September 22nd, 2009
Shanghai Dailly reports on China’s first wind-tunnel test facility that opened yesterday near Shanghai. According to the report,
[China’s] first automobile wind tunnel was launched in Shanghai yesterday in a bid to support the Chinese automotive industry in its transition from “made in China” to “designed in China.”
…
With the technology localized, businesses will be able to reduce costs by 15 percent, researchers said.
…
The simulated wind in the tunnel has been described as “the most expensive wind in the world” as it costs US$1.5 per second to operate, according to experts.
September 20th, 2009
While mostly a PR piece designed to promote their gasolines, this Web article on fuel-economy testing is interesting. It starts, “Rigorously controlled test track trials are a massive improvement on open road measurements, but even they do not go far enough for BP. The company’s fuels and lubricants technologists demand even more controlled test conditions.”
September 7th, 2009
From AutoChannel.Com:
Official testing of connected vehicle technology at Michigan International Speedway has now become a reality at the Irish Hills NASCAR racetrack.
Following a January announcement by MIS, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Center for Automotive Research (CAR) to use MIS’ road course as a test facility for connected vehicle technology, August 24 marked the official date those efforts took place. The R&D testing partnership was announced after MIS was selected out of more than 20 sites in a Michigan Tech Research Institution (MTRI) study commissioned by MDOT to locate a connected vehicle test location within the state.
This week, TEAMLINC™, a product of Westlake, Ohio,-based Western DataCom and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research Development Center (TARDEC), demonstrated connected vehicle capabilities with their secure Mobile Ad Hoc Networking (MANET) technologies for the U.S. Army National Automotive Center.
The live demonstration showed users in military and passenger vehicles how to wirelessly communicate with voice, video and data while on the move or on the halt (parked). The purpose of the demonstration was to test MANET applications for future integration into military and first responder emergency vehicles. It would give EMS, fire and police responders the ability to communicate with one another via Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology, which currently does not exist with the current system.
Interest in the technology has sparked the interest of the Michigan National Guard, which will be in attendance for Thursday’s test session. Both the road course and two-mile MIS oval have been used during the entire four-day test session.
“We hope that this is only the beginning for having companies like Western DataCom and TARDEC take advantage of the MIS facilities to develop and implement this connected vehicle technology,” MIS President Roger Curtis said.
The use of MIS as a private road test facility is one of the final pieces that puts Michigan at the forefront of this industry-defining technology. Already home to more than 80 percent of the automotive R&D in the United States, a united effort between MIS, MDOT, Center for Automotive Research, and others are under way to make Michigan the center for connected vehicle technology, development and testing. A 2007 study by Michigan State University and CAR has shown any state that successfully pulls together a fully functioning “lab to assembly line” system with connected vehicle technology, will create between 16,000 and 41,000 high tech jobs and contribute between $177 and $448 million in state income tax revenues.
“Research and development is critical to the growth of this technology and its value in lowering the number of crashes, injuries and fatalities, as well as the potential impact on the automotive sector and job creation. It is imperative we structure an approach to this large-scale effort and further Michigan’s leadership in this arena. The new partnership will assist with this development,” David Cole, chairman, Center for Automotive Research, the home of the Connected Vehicle Proving Center said back in January.
At MIS, automakers and after-market providers will be able to test and develop connected vehicle systems and other technologies in a protected, closed, safe and convenient environment. Combined with MDOT’s Telegraph Road corridor project, Michigan can now offer a connected vehicle test and evaluation laboratory on both public and private roads.
MIS, which served as an AMC test track for several years starting in the mid-1970s, has two 1.9-mile road courses that would be used for testing. The two-mile oval, which is used by the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during the track’s two race weekends, could also be used for testing.
The facility possesses a number of features which are imperative to a connected vehicle test site. MIS sits on 1,400 acres of various road surfaces, terrains, elevations, and barriers and provides a neutral, private, closed environment near the center of the automotive R&D industry. A Western DataCom test and the installation of two Kapsch radios are scheduled for August.
Through this R&D initiative, Michigan International Speedway plans to expand track activity and growth by utilizing the facilities various assets, but also assist the state in the process by keeping R&D dollars in Michigan.
The road course testing project will expand the MIS footprint beyond NASCAR racing and continue the racetrack’s public-private partnership with the state. The racetrack, located in the Southeastern Michigan town of Brooklyn, is conveniently located near 80 percent of the world’s automotive engineering and R&D companies and leading universities.
“Michigan is already the center of the automotive industry. This ‘Internet on wheels’ technology is going to come to fruition in our generation and MIS is extremely proud to play a small role in helping ensure that as it does Michigan will continue to be the global leader in cutting-edge automobile development,” Curtis said. “This partnership puts Michigan in a unique leadership role that may create the next ‘Silicon Valley’ in our backyard and in doing so, retain and create thousands of high-tech, high-paying jobs.”
August 28th, 2009
The Charlotte Business Journal reports:
A consortium of auto and motorsports companies has committed to finance a tire-testing facility in the Charlotte region that could require an investment of “tens of millions of dollars.”
The project, called Camber Ridge, will help drive research for the industry as it prepares for federal electronic stability control requirements. The new mandate hits the auto industry in 2011.
Carmakers and motorsports companies will have other needs for testing facilities such as Camber Ridge, says James Cuttino, director of the N.C. Motorsports and Automotive Research Center at UNC Charlotte.
Read the complete article.
August 28th, 2009
Agilent has published three new DMM application notes that you may find useful:
- On Improving Digital Multimeter Throughput
This application note describeson how to make a modern digital multimeter operate at its absolute fastest transaction speed. It includes tips on reducing range and function changes, proper auto-zero operation, selecting optimal integration times and using best data formats. The application note is written to address the needs of engineers in R&D, design verification and manufacturing.
- On Improving AC Measurements Using Digital Multimeters
Some modern digital multimeters employ a Sigma/Delta A-to-D converter technique. Sigma/Delta is a digital sampling technique that opens the possibility of very fast and accurate AC measurements, even in the presence of high crest factors. This application note outlines some of the advantages of this new digital sampling technique, from making peak AC measurements at up to 50,000 times per second to easily measuring AC ripple on a DC supply output.
- On Data Logging and Digitizing Using a Digital Multimeter
Logging data is a common use for digital multimeters (DMMs). Some DMMs make this process easier by having a dedicated data logger function with simplified setup and operation. The availability of LAN I/O on modern DMMs makes remote data logging easier than ever. Some modern digital multimeters also make very fast measurements at up to 50,000 readings per second. When combined with level trigger, pre- and post-trigger and large memory, it is possible to acquire and digitize signals up to the mid-audio region. This application note for use by engineers in R&D, design verification and manufacturing describes how to take advantage of these data logging capabilities.
August 3rd, 2009
Crain’s Detroit Business is reporting that the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center in Warren will add a test facility. A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled in two weeks and formal construction could begin by month’s end on the new $40.3 million Ground Systems Power and Energy Laboratory.
August 3rd, 2009
