sae_12AEID0619

®

JUNE 19, 2012

® 22 Johnson Controls’ ie:3 Concept Interior

PROVING PERFORMANCE. With 70 options for the supply of axle and driveshaft products — including

many in the emerging markets of South America and Asia — Dana has more global drivetrain product

manufacturing operations than any other supplier. Further, most of these have been established for

decades and are supported with local design and engineering resources. So when it comes to

considering an experienced and established drivetrain supplier for your next project, rely on Dana

to provide precisely the product you need — exactly where it is needed. For more information,

call 1-888-670-DANA or visit http://auto.dana.com/b17.

With facilities in 23

countries, Dana has

the most expansive

drivetrain manufacturing

footprint in the world.

© 2011 Dana Limited

70

1Just local supplier

drivetrain operations worldwide

DLVP30065 Global Driveline Ad • Trim: 206 x 2760 mm • Bleed: 212 x 282 mm • Pub: Automotive Engineering International July 2011

http://www.sae.org/servlets/digitalmag?LINK=DMAG15531058A3M8170&cid=cidcode


2 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL JUNE 19, 2012

4 What’s Online8 Technology Report ENERGY Rough road ahead for EV battery costs

POWERTRAIN Ford’s next-gen EcoBoost aims for 25% vehicle

fuel economy improvement

16 Global Vehicles Body and soul rule at 2012 Formula SAE

22 No time to sit still INTERIORS | ELECTRONICS fEATURE Seat developers are revising architectures and

components to provide more functions at lower costs.

28 Upcoming from the editors28 Ad index

CONTENTS

AEI-ONLINE.ORG

5

8

14

16

22


ONLINETOP PRODUCTS

Spot welding machine Comau’s spot welding ma-chine integrates a welding gun with the flange con-nected directly to the robot without the need for any adapter kit. About 40% lighter than the previous model, it can be installed on the ceiling. An improved transformer is rotated 90° to further decrease the di-mensions of the body and shift the center of gravity closer to the robot’s wrist. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11091.

Millimeter-wave radar technology Panasonic’s advanced radar technology for next-

generation traffic safety systems can detect hu-mans and vehicles in a range of several tens of meters. This millimeter-wave radar technology al-lows for detecting objects outdoors in poor visibility conditions, such as night, rain, and snow, as well as against the sunlight. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11042.

Signal processing for powertrainScaleo chip’s advanced motor events control (AMEC) is an advanced real-time and parallel sig-nal processing unit directly controlling and interfacing

actuators and sensors. The unit is suitable for in-ternal-combustion engines and electric motors con-trol. It will be first available in OLEA, which is Scaleo chip’s new family of micro-controllers optimized for powertrain systems. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11059. Engineered film gradesSABIC Innovative Plastics expands its Lexan polycarbonate port-folio with three new engi-neered film grades to help customers in the automo-tive sectors meet the growing demand for cost reduction, greater design flexibility, higher perfor-mance, and compliance with global environmental regulations. The films pro-vide new design options for in-mold decoration (IMD) overlays and lenses, and they are suitable for embossing and printing. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11011.

http://www.sae.org/mags/aei/11091








JUNE 19, 2012 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL 5

TOP NEWS

Fiat to get MX-5-based roadsterMazda Motor Corp. and Fiat Group Automobiles S.p.A. have signed a nonbind-ing memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the development and manufacture of a new roadster for the Mazda and Alfa Romeo marques based on Mazda’s next-generation MX-5 rear-wheel-drive architec-ture. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11061.

NHTSA takes closer look at vehicle compatibilityA voluntary agreement reached among the world’s major automakers in 2003 to reduce the risk of injury and death in collisions be-tween passenger cars and larger light ve-hicles (LTVs) has produced questionable re-sults, according to a technical report by NHTSA (U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), and the agency is now seeking comment on the report. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11100.

Ford opens new plant in Thailand (video)Ford on May 3 celebrated the opening of Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM), a new $450 million state-of-the-art pas-senger-vehicle manufacturing plant in Rayong. The first product out of FTM will be the Focus. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11036.

EU adopts two truck safety regsThe European Union in April adopted two regulations designed to en-hance the safety of trucks with a gross vehicle weight exceeding 3500 kg and buses with more than eight passenger seats, according to InterRegs, an on-line resource for global vehicle safety and emissions regulations. One ad-dresses emergency braking systems, the other lane departure warning sys-tems. More detail at www.sae.org/mags/aei/11052.

upcomingfrom the AeI edItors

Tech-lit fileMelexis Triaxis Position Sensor AssemblyThis high accuracy linear and angular position sensor eliminates the need for inclusion of a printed circuit board within sensing modules. Based on dual mold package construction, it integrates a 12-bit resolution position sensing die with decoupling capacitors, and meets strenuous ESD and EMC requirements of automotive environments. Once encapsulated, it can be welded or soldered directly to a rugged connector or termination and further potted or over-molded.

Product URL: www.melexis.com/nopcb











On-demand webcast: ‘Virtual ECU Software Development’

ONLINEWEBCASTS

Larry Michaels Michael Kropinski Mike Badalament

“Concepts and Trends in Virtual ECU Software Development” is now available for free viewing on the SAE International website at www.sae.org/webcasts. Three industry experts discuss the state of vir-tual development in their organizations including: virtual calibration using soft-ware-in-the-loop, function development with virtual calibration using model-in-the-loop, and automatic testing of new

ECU algorithms in model-in-the-loop and software-in-the-loop. They are: Mike Badalament, Director, Engineering Services, ETAS Inc.; Michael Kropinski, Staff Engineer, General Motors Powertrain; and Dr. Larry Michaels, Principal Vehicle Systems Engineer, Argonne National Laboratory. Sponsor: ETAS Inc.

Spotlight article: Mazda making diesel moves in U.S.

To prepare the 2014 U.S. launch of its all-new and in some ways radical SkyActiv-D diesel en-gine, Mazda and its long-time racing collabo-rator SpeedSource Engineering are devel-oping a +400-hp stock-block diesel for the new Grand-Am series GX race class that launches in 2013. Read the article at www.sae.org/mags/aei/power/11099.

http://www.sae.org/webcasts



www.sae.org/mags/aei/power/11099

www.sae.org/mags/aei/power/11099

Without Dual ClutCh

transmission teChnology,

you’re just getting left behinD.

Maybe it’s the fact that in the time you read this, a Dual Clutch Transmission could switch gears 40,000

times. Perhaps it’s the fact that DCTs appeal to more buyers by combining impressive fuel-economy, the

smooth ride of an automatic and the speed of a manual. It could be the fact that leading clutch suppliers

estimate they’ll quadruple DCT sales by 2014. Or maybe it’s the fact that by 2015, 10% of all passenger

cars will have them.

DCTFACTS.COM gives you endless reasons to believe that DCTs are the future generation

of transmissions. And the more you know about them, the further ahead you’ll get. DCTFACTS.COM



Technology reportENERGYRough road ahead for EV battery costs“When you move into an all-electric vehicle,” Ford CEO Alan Mulally recently told a Fortune magazine forum on green technology, “the battery size moves up to around 23 kW·h, [and] it weighs around 600 to 700 lb. They’re around $12,000 to $15,000 [each]” in a compact car the size of a $20,000-plus gasoline-powered Focus. “So you can see why the economics are what they are.”

Despite the highly anticipated arrival in 2011 of vehicles fully or partially powered by batteries, the numbers for the first full year of sales for the Chevrolet Volt range-extender and the Nissan Leaf EV full-electric have been weaker than expected. If car buyers didn’t hesitate over limited range and recharging infrastructure, the cars’ high up-front

costs certainly scared off many potential customers. Those high price tags are largely driven by the cost of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery.

Unfortunately, those costs are not likely to drop anytime soon, according to Kevin See, lead analyst for the electric vehicle service of Lux Research, an independent research and advisory firm that focuses on emerging technologies. “The costs are too high and will remain so despite increasing economies of scale,” he stated, which bodes ill for widespread adoption of EVs in the near future. “We need innovations and new strategies to reduce the costs further, faster.”

While other promising avenues such as lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, and magnesium-based batteries may become available at some point, they all remain immature technologies. For the rest of the decade, plug-in vehicles’ fates will be tied to the cost of Li-ion batteries. “Lithium-air is a

SOFTWARE & SERVICESPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE & SERVICESPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE & SERVICESPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE

Thousands of enclosuresHundreds of optionsDesigned and delivered in 10 days

A technician at Nexeon, maker of advanced silicon anodes for Li-ion batteries, works with an experimental coater.

SOFTWARE & SERVICESPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE & SERVICESPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE SOFTWARE & SERVICESPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURES CLIMATE CONTROL IT INFRASTRUCTURE

Thousands of enclosuresHundreds of optionsDesigned and delivered in 10 days

major value proposition,” he noted, “but it can’t cycle repeatedly and it has a long way to go.”

Value-chain cost structure“We follow the entire value chain of the EV market, and it is the materials that go into the batteries that determine both its




Technology report

performance and cost,” See observed. The analyst and his colleagues try to read the tea leaves of the future EV market by developing a quantitative model of the cost structure of Li-ion batteries. They then use it to investigate how expected technological innovations might affect costs.

Reviewing Lux’s recent report, he emphasized that while increasing manufacturing scale is critical, it will not be nearly enough to reach aggressive cost targets.

“The first premise we looked at is that scale will be the savior of the EV market, that rising production volumes will cut costs enough” to drive widespread vehicle acceptance, See said. Incremental improvements in materials properties and cost will help further, but the result still falls short of the major leap that will be required.

“That gets you nowhere close to the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium target of $150/kW·h by 2020.”

The Lux team next ran the cost model to see what happens by 2020 if the batteries use the same materials as today but successor designs are augmented by the incremental technical innovations that are likely to occur in the coming two decades. Such a “business-as-usual” scenario yielded nominal EV pack costs of $397/kW·h in 2020.

Battery makers’ secret sauceAside from liquid vs. solid/semisolid electrolyte types, the report said, cathode technology remains the principal Li-ion cell differentiator. It accounts for the largest percentage of cell cost and is typically the limiting factor in cell design and cell capacity.

Using their cost-barometer model, Lux researchers considered the effect on cost if an advanced Li-ion battery were to feature a voltage increase of 1 V (4.7 V overall) and a cell capacity rise of 40 MA·h/g, which would require a future cathode capable of storing 200 MA·h/g of

Envia Systems’ high-energy-density Li-ion cells use cathode technology developed at Argonne National Laboratory.


electric charge. In this optimal case, the 2017 nominal pack cost drops from $477 to $384/kW·h, a 19% reduction.

The Lux report highlighted several cathode materials with higher capacity potential. Lithium-manganese-spinel is attractive for cost and safety but lags in energy—a fault that can be ameliorated by mixing it with high-energy-content materials such as nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC) and lithium-nickel-oxide. The flexible NMC formulation provides tunable ratios of three elements for tailoring performance and cost. Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) excels in safety characteristics but entails sacrifices in performance.

Meanwhile, other next-generation materials promise higher energy and lower costs, according to the Lux report. Cathodes with both higher capacity and voltage could boost energy density and thus lower cost per kilowatt-hour. One possibility is lithium-iron-manganese-phosphate, which could retain the advantages of LFP while significantly raising energy content. An alternative is the lithium-rich “layered-layered” NMC cathode technology licensed from Argonne National Laboratory, which offers higher capacity and operating voltages. Issues with cycle life must be overcome before this material can be commercialized.

Cell costs come down with scale but remain high without further innovation.


Technology report

Anode innovations aheadSilicon represents one of the most highly researched alternative anode materials because of its high theoretical capacity, the report noted, but it will take time to emerge because silicon undergoes significant volume changes as lithium ions move in and out of it. This process mechanically stresses the anode, causing breakage and limiting cycle life.

The lithium-ion battery value chain is becoming more vertically integrated.

Lithium titanate, another alternative anode, has excellent power performance, potentially providing a strong value proposition for fast-charging batteries. Lithium titanate also allows for a higher degree of usable energy than carbon anodes, but it sacrifices energy density.

Electrolyte suppliers look to mix and match additives to push performance. Within the liquid, solid, or gel electrolyte

SQM, FMC, Chemetall, Talison Lithium, Admiralty Resources

Component materials

Cathode materials: Toda Kogyo, Umicore, Sumitomo Chemical, Nippon Denko, Nichia, Mitsubishi Chemical, 3M, BASF, Dow Chemical, Formosa PlasticAnode material: Hitachi Chemical, JFE Chemical, Kureha, Mitsubishi Chemical, 3M, Conoco PhillipsSeparator: Toray, Celgard, Asahi Kasei, Ube Chemical, Entek, SK Innovation, Sumitomo Chemical, Mitsubishi ChemicalElectrolytes: Cheil, Mitsui Chemical, Ube Industries, Dow Chemical, Novolyte, Mitsubishi Chemical, Formosa Plastics, BASF

Cells

China BAK, E-One Moli, Dow Kokam, Boston-Power

AC Propulsion, Magna, Eaton

End users

Transportation: Ford, Chrysler, BMW, HyundaiUtility: ABB, American Electric Power, Xcel Energy, AESStationary power: GE, China Sanke Electrical, Eaton, APC (Schneider Electric), Liebert (Emerson), Toshiba,Portable power: Black & Decker, Original Power, Milwaukee Tools, Makita, military

Source: Lux Research Inc.

Raw materials Modules and packs

Saft, Tianjin Lishen (Lio), Ultralife

Tesla, Ford, General Motors

Panasonic/Sanyo (PEVE), NEC (AESC), GS Yuasa (Lithium Energy Japan and Blue Energy), LG Chem, SK Innovation, SB LiMotive, A123 Systems, Valence Technologies

Toyota (PEVE), Nissan (AESC), Mitsubishi (Lithium Energy Japan), Honda (Blue Energy)

BYD


categories, researchers vary the formulations to improve thermal stability and safety, for instance. As cathode developers seek to use higher voltages, voltage-resistant electrolytes will become crucial, according to the report. Ionic liquids may provide a long-term solution. These salts feature low melting temperatures, which allow for higher-voltage operation, but high costs and low ionic conductivity mean significant work remains before they will be ready for mass-production. Optimize everything “There are a lot of different strategies,” See said, but some of the surest routes to cost reductions are:• Improved performance at the cell and pack level• More efficient use of materials• Expanded window of usable energy• Reductions in battery capacity fade.

Batteries have to be oversized to ensure long-term function, as they suffer performance degradation over time, said See, who believes a potential cost

savings of 20% to 30% can be realized by a reduction in oversizing. Battery management technology also impacts costs. A battery management system can improve a battery’s performance with no improvement in the cell itself—especially in regard to cycle life and defense against the effect of defective cells—by controlling smaller groups of cells and optimizing the usable state-of-charge window of each group of cells using new software algorithms. See said that the industry’s need for materials innovation to drastically cut costs has led to significant activity in the lithium-ion battery value chain, including capacity expansion, new entrants to the market, and partnerships. “Suppliers and end users have to cooperate to grow the electric vehicle market further,” he advised. “Automakers are getting increasingly involved in battery design and even the materials, and they’ll need to support and cooperate more and more with their suppliers.”

Steven Ashley

BASF researchers test a high-energy-density Li-ion battery prototype with screen-printed electrodes.


Technology reportPOWERTRAINFord’s next-gen EcoBoost aims for 25% vehicle fuel economy improvement

Ford’s next-generation EcoBoost engine technology will likely feature some combination of aggressive cooled EGR, further advancements in valvetrain and turbocharger control, and engine downspeeding, with the goal of improving vehicle fuel economy by 25%, according to a recent presentation by Eric Curtis, Technical Leader and Manager of Engine and Powertrain Systems.

Curtis also indicated that an optimized stratified charge combustion regime may be employed on the EcoBoost (turbocharged, direct-injected gasoline) units, if the system can be configured to meet the proposed California LEV3

standards. “Lean combustion is very challenging in the context of LEV3 emissions,” he noted during the 2012 SAE High Efficiency IC Engines Symposium in Detroit.

Curtis noted that meeting the dramatically higher (54.5 mpg) U.S. fleet fuel efficiency standard, with more stringent exhaust emission standards, will be tough indeed. “With LEV3, North American emission standards will remain the most challenging in the world,” he told the SAE audience.

Curtis believes potentially up to 40% brake thermal efficiency (BTE) can be achieved in stoichiometric gasoline

Ford President and CEO Alan Mullaly expresses his inner feelings for his company’s EcoBoost technology, from which engineers aim to squeeze considerably more efficiency.


engines “at moderate cost,” which is key to Ford’s “democratized technology” product mantra noted by Raj Nair, Ford’s new Group Vice President of Global Product Development, in a recent AEI interview. (See AEI print edition, 5 June 2012). Curtis’ optimism comes from progress made in an advanced technology development program with support from Michigan Technological University, called “Advanced Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDI) Engine Development.”

Launched in October 2010, the four-year program is co-funded by Ford and the U.S. Department of Energy, each of which invested $15 million. Ford’s objectives for the Advanced GTDI program are to demonstrate 25% fuel-economy improvement in a midsize sedan using a downsized GTDI engine (compared to a baseline naturally aspirated PFI engine), with no or limited degradation in vehicle level metrics, and to demonstrate the vehicle is capable of meeting Tier 2 Bin 2 emissions on the FTP-75 cycle.

The primary technologies being investigated in the 2010-14 project include: advanced dilute combustion with cooled EGR and advanced ignition; advanced lean combustion with DI and advanced ignition; advanced boosting systems that include turbocompounding; and advanced cooling and aftertreatment systems.

Friction-reduction technologies and advanced engine control strategies are expected to provide additional fuel economy improvement, Curtis reported.

Engine-displacement downsizing will

be a substantial contribution to the 25% improvement target. Downspeeding is complementary to downsizing, as it helps shift the “good” brake-specific fuel consumption (BSFC) map toward the area of higher utilization.

Curtis added that pumping losses rapidly decrease as load increases. Cylinder size and bore/stroke ratio also affect thermal losses and engine knock, which impact engine efficiency. Undersquare dimensions can help to improve thermal efficiency in downsized and boosted applications, Curtis noted during the Q&A session.

Optimized stratified charge (lean burn) with cooled EGR and advanced aftertreatment pathways are being investigated with ignition system support from Michigan Tech. Curtis said 10-15% cooled-EGR rates “would give good benefit.” The project is exploring both high- and low-pressure loop EGR systems.

Curtis told the SAE symposium audience, which included top engineers from major turbocharger suppliers including BorgWarner and Honeywell, that Ford (and the industry) needs new turbo systems that provide a greater range of boost capability. He outlined the benefits and trade-offs of various turbocharger types, including radial, mixed-flow, and axial-flow systems, which will require equally advanced valvetrains to deliver their full potential. He also said new fuels more amenable to high load regimens would be welcome.

Lindsay Brooke


global VehiclesBody and soul rule at 2012 Formula SAE

Rick MacGowen, R&D Engineer for Joe Gibbs Racing, is seated in Columbia University’s racecar. Prashant Dhanraj, the team’s co-systems lead for brakes/pedals/controls, answers questions from MacGowen, who has been a volunteer Formula SAE design judge for several years. (Kami Buchholz)

Months before the Formula SAE Michigan competition in May, teams were hashing out product development decisions. The end-game was presenting a racecar that had the right stuff for earning high points in the challenge’s vehicle design evaluation as well as the acceleration, skid pad, endurance, and autocross dynamic performance events.

The majority of teams participating in the 34th annual challenge at the Michigan International Speedway opted to power their racecars with a sport bike engine from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, or smaller engines from other manufacturers. Several of the veteran teams pinned their drivetrain to a steel spaceframe, or a monocoque—as was


the case with England’s Oxford Brookes University racecar.

“When we first started in 1999, our car was an aluminum sandwich panel monocoque,” Luke Evans, Oxford Brookes University’s chassis group leader, told AEI.

During the next 11 years, the school’s team competed with various carbon-fiber

monocoque and steel spaceframe cars. They returned to an aluminum monocoque racecar in 2011.

“We have the skins on the car cut separately and then form the panels afterward, and this allows us to place hard-points internally within the sandwich panel to distribute point loads,” Evans explained.

A driver for Ecole De Technologie Superieure’s racecar leaves a dynamic evaluation zone after successfully passing a brake test. (Kami Buchholz)


global VehiclesIn preparing the car for this year’s

competition, the chassis was extended further rearward.

“This reduced the number of tubes in the rear subframe, which because we do not laser-cut them—we fabricate by hand—it saved a lot of time. We also went with an external roll hoop, which is a lot lighter. It also helped reduce the time needed to manufacture the entire chassis,” said Evans.

One of the big chassis changes for the 2012 racecar was the thickness of the seatback (an angled section of the chassis that forms the seat’s angle) and the floor.

“We designed the thickness to the chassis’ needs. Last year when we used the same panel thickness all around, the torsional stiffness of the chassis was nearly twice what we actually needed. So we saved mass at the sacrifice of stiffness, but the stiffness is still adequate for what we need,” Evans said, noting that the overall chassis for 2012 shed 17.6 lb (8 kg) compared to the 2011 chassis.

Michigan State University’s (MSU) racecar also features a carbon-fiber monocoque, a change from last year’s 4130 steel spaceframe.

According to Benjamin Bosworth, MSU’s chassis team leader, “We were able to achieve twice the stiffness at the same chassis weight as last year. And, we’re also able to better package the powertrain, suspension, and other vehicle systems.”

The racecar’s carbon-fiber side pods feature integrated louvers that serve both an aesthetic and a functional purpose.

“We have a 14-in by 10-in radiator to help keep the engine cool. The louvers—five on each side pod—help vent the hot air, and they help convey an aggressive look,” said Bosworth.

While a few teams opted for aerodynamic packages, the University of Kansas racecar is visually defined by its soaring carbon-fiber rear wing and a massive carbon-fiber wing on the nosecone.

“It’s almost the biggest front wing we could have under Formula SAE rules. We refer to it as the snowplow,” said Cameron Bryant, the team’s manufacturing leader.

The team’s racecar featured giant-sized wings at previous Formula SAE events, but “these are the biggest by far that we’ve ever had. We’re shooting for an overall 550 lb (2.45 kN) of downforce with these wings,” said Bryant.

Last year, the University of Kansas car had the engine inside the monocoque.

“The engine is stressed this year, so it is hanging off the back of the monocoque and taking all of the stress from the suspension. Going with this design approach makes the vehicle a lot lighter, and the engine is more easily accessed. Four bolts and the whole rear of the car comes off in 20 minutes,” said Bryant.

Gary Latham, a first-year Formula SAE design judge, said the collegiate team members made product development decisions based on the same set of criteria as professional motorsports engineers.

“A great deal of what gets into a racecar is dictated by the rules. But you also have to stay within a budget, so you


The Universitat Stuttgart team is part of a continual processional of racecars heading to the paddock area after completing a series of dynamic performance events. (Kami Buchholz)

have to be wise about where the money is spent,” said Latham, Design Department Director for Pratt & Miller, a New Hudson, MI, engineering firm that designs and develops racecars for the American Le Mans Series and the Grand-Am Series.

Latham said preparing a racecar for competition pushes engineers to stay focused.

“Everything is either limited by budget, by the available time frame, or by both factors. The race is going to happen whether you’re ready or not, so it’s better to take the approaches that you can manage to get done in time for the race,” said Latham.

To help get ready for their first appearance at a Formula SAE competition, the University of North


global Vehicles

Florida (UNF) team consulted with two veteran teams, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida.

“We’re pretty close-knit. We all talk and discuss different designs,” said Casey Foster, UNF’s team captain.

The UNF team took a very hands-on

approach to designing and building a reliable racecar.

“We started off with blocks of foam, and we hand-cut the foam blocks down into the shape we wanted for the car’s body. Everything was hand-cut. We didn’t use CNC equipment to cut the molds. It

It’s a 45° and 60° ride (shown) on the tilt table for the University of North Florida racecar. The technical inspection checks for possible fluid leaks. Frank Youd, retired tire technician for tire wheel systems/advanced product engineering at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground, works the controls as a volunteer Formula SAE technical inspector.


FOR MORE INFORMATION: e-mail: [email protected] www.sae.org/mags/rc/aei

Product Literature Data Sheets Webcasts Application White Papers Notes Videos

The SAE website is the gateway to the world’s largest collection of technology resources for engineering professionals.

SAE’s Resource Center offers a variety of resources from industry’s top companies ranging from videos to white papers:

Red Bend SoftwareNew Report: The Benefi ts of Updating Automotive Firmware Over the AirThe amount and complexity of software inside cars is increasing, creating the need to update software in order to keep up with new functionality and improvements, not to mention fi x inevitable software defects. This new report, discusses the benefi ts the automotive industry can achieve through the use of FOTA.

Zebra Enterprise SolutionsYou Can Reduce Your Inventory by 750K!Zebra Enterprise Solutions newly published white paper, The Path the Peak Supply Chain Performance-Linking ERP with an Automated Wireless Parts Replenishment Solution Gives the Concept of Continuous Improvement Real Meaning, illustrates how an automated Wireless Parts Replenishment solution can transform your bottom line while improving your overall operational effi ciencies.

Resource Center

P120008_AEI2

was very time-consuming, but it’s a one-of-a-kind racecar. We even had an engineering student, who is also studying art, airbrush an osprey onto the hand-lathed fiberglass body,” Foster explained.

For Foster, Formula SAE is a “great learning opportunity, and it helps you grow as an engineer. This program is more in-depth than anything I’ve ever done. I had an internship for four years and even that was not as in-depth and as difficult as this has been.”

The top 10 overall winners were: Oregon State University (U.S.) 1st; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

(Germany) 2nd; Universitat Stuttgart (Germany) 3rd; Technical University of Munich (Germany) 4th; University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (U.S.) 5th; Graz University of Technology (Austria) 6th; Metropolia University of Applied Science (Finland) 7th; Ecole De Technologie Superieure (Canada) 8th; Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen (Germany) 9th; and University of Wisconsin-Madison (U.S.) 10th.

Kami Buchholz



Seat developers are continuing to broaden the number of

electronically controlled features and functions, forcing engineers to alter strategies to cut costs so systems can be deployed beyond luxury vehicles. Engineers are redrawing

their architectures, distributing intelligence, and pulling functions into centralized controllers while also revising strategies on motors and sensors.

Functions such as positioning and heating continue to offer more versatility, in some instances becoming so complex that consumers must use smartphones or tablets to get the right settings. At the same time, new functions including safety-related vibrations and enhanced lighting are also being integrated into seats.

“We’re seeing more seat heaters with up to six levels of heat control, touch sensors are replacing mechanical

No time to sit stillSeat developers are revising architectures and components to provide more functions at lower costs.

by Terry Costlow


INTERIORS | ELECTRONICS fEATURE

switches for activating power features, and vibrating motors are being used to get the drivers’ attention should they veer off the road,” said Jim Rudberg, Chief Engineer at Magna Seating.

Most of these features begin as driver perks in luxury vehicles. But as soon as these functions become known, customers clamor for broader availability.

“Today, much of the evolution focuses on bringing cost down to make features more affordable so they can trickle down to smaller vehicles,” said Tom Gould, Design Director at Johnson Controls. “Functions are also

Suppliers such as Johnson Controls are striving to reduce costs so features and functions can be extended to passenger and rear seats.

proliferating from the driver’s seat to other front-row seats. Some are also moving into second- and even third-row seating.”

Squeezing into a seatAs more functions are available in more vehicles, the drive to trim costs is becoming more acute.


That’s prompting engineers to explore new system architectures. The line between centralized and distributed controls continues to zigzag.

“There is a strong demanding need for modularity in the various adjustment functions in seats, whether driven by motors or pneumatic systems,” said Stéphane Erb, Product Line Manager at Faurecia. “This need for modularity means decentralization of the microcontrollers within the seat to better fit the computing needs of each comfort function, such as postural adjustment, heat management, seat ventilation, and pneumatic systems to adjust seat contours to the morphology and preferences of the occupant.”

Moving to this type of decentralized architecture lets engineers use less-expensive main controllers. Small, inexpensive microcontrollers distributed throughout the seat can precisely manage movement without requiring a lot of input from a main controller. Often, these micros can be mounted on motors to save space.

“In applications where there’s a higher amount of activity, controllers are being mounted on motors,” said Willie Fitzgerald, Automotive Marketing Director for

BMW is among those exploring ethernet as a network for rear-seat entertainment.

Let me entertain you

ing number of automakers are making tablets a part of their strategy.

RSE systems are typically considered an extension of the radio head unit that provides a growing range of infotainment options. But there are still challenges for engineers tasked with fitting a liquid crystal display (LCD) and cabling into seats, where making seatbacks thin and lightweight is moving up on the requirements list.

“Networks for rear-seat entertainment are secondary to the main seat networks, communicating mainly with the radio head unit, but the wiring is still a big factor for seat manufac-turers,” said Willie Fitzgerald, Automotive Marketing Director for Microchip Technology Inc.

The choice of wiring technology for these links is still evolv-ing. Many companies use media oriented system transport (MOST), which can use either copper or fiber-optic cabling. The MOST Cooperation has recently developed an eth-

No time to sit still

Engineers are revising system architectures as they add more electronically controlled functions in seat systems. (Microchip)

As more people expect to be entertained and connected while they’re in vehicles, automotive engineers are creating varied avenues for rear-seat entertainment (RSE). While the use of flat panels on seats and headrests expands, a grow-


INTERIORS | ELECTRONICS fEATURE

ernet version in response to growing interest in the consumer network. Other forms of ethernet are also being considered.

“Ethernet Audio Video Bridging (AVB) is being strongly con-sidered among carmakers for 2016 and beyond, and MOST continues to be utilized by German carmakers. RSE may be replaced by in-car connectivity to passengers’ tablet PCs or other connected handheld devices that could leverage enter-tainment resources in the car like monitors or speakers,” said Mike Kasparian, Technical Marketing Manager at STMicro-electronics.

Another ethernet variant is expected to get a lot of consid-eration. Last fall, a consortium was formed to promote ether-net for infotainment and other applications. Broadcom Corp., NXP Semiconductors, Freescale Semicon-ductor, Harman International, BMW, and Hyundai Motor formed a special interest group called the OPEN Alli-ance. OPEN, which stands for One-Pair Ether-Net, is based on

BroadR-Reach, which was developed by Broadcom with input from consortium members.

While these networks focus on factory-installed systems, automakers are also looking at techniques that employ tablets. Aftermarket suppliers and a range of Tier 1s and other suppli-ers are racing to devise the most cost-effective techniques for integrating tablets. This follows the trend to let consumers link all sorts of consumer gear to the vehicle’s infotainment system and speakers.

For example, the most recent QNX concept car, designed in conjunction with partners including Denso, Freescale, and Texas Instruments, permits integration of tablets. Mer-cedes-Benz has built a router into its M-Class SUV, letting users access the Web using as many as four tablets or other Wi-Fi compatible devices. The M-Class also provides 7-in LCDs mounted on rear seats.

Terry Costlow

Microchip Technology Inc.

This decentralized approach works well with functions that are fairly demanding. But many seat functions are used only rarely, and some need little more than commands to turn on or off. For applications that have minimal requirements, using the computing horsepower of a centralized controller is more efficient than paying for a small micro packaged on a motor or elsewhere on the network.

“The amount of overhead needed to satisfy functions that have infrequent usage

The drive to make seats thinner poses challenges for electronic engineers tasked with cramming more functions into them. Shown is Magna’s UltraLite front seat structure.


No time to sit still

Setup has become so complex that Faurecia is using tablets and smartphones to help drivers configure seats.

is quite low, so many people are going to centralized controllers, using one chip to control a number of motors,” Fitzgerald said.

Memories of youAs seats add more functions, spouses and others who share vehicles don’t want to spend time trying to restore the settings for their personal preferences. More OEMs are offering memory functions that are tied to individual key fobs. This personalization is evolving rapidly.

While memory functions remember personal preferences, it can be difficult for some owners of luxury vehicles to go through all the steps it takes to find the best settings for each feature. Faurecia is leveraging smartphones and tablets to simplify setup. Its SmartFit uses cameras on these handheld systems along with other sensor technologies to determine the driver’s size, weight, and other parameters. It then transmits this data to the seat controllers.

“SmartFit can easily obtain the occupant’s

body dimensions and process them through the Faurecia DSPM postural comfort algorithm,” said Ignacio Alvarez, Seat Electronics Director at Faurecia. “The output of this algorithm is then wirelessly transmitted to the seat, which automatically configures itself to a comfort position. This has proven to solve a frequent pain point expressed by consumers owning cars with numerous seat adjustments.”

While engineers strive to trim costs by minimizing controller requirements, they must add memory to address these owner’s requirements for personalized settings. This memory must hold more parameters as new seat functions are added. Controllers must also account for large families and other environments that have multiple drivers.

“We’re already seeing more memory in vehicles to hold individual settings,” Johnson Controls’ Gould said.


“As this proliferates and matures, it will come down in price so it will be available on more vehicles.”

Cheaper and brighterGoing forward, seat designers plan to continue to add more functions. At the same time, they’ll maintain the quest to trim costs. As they make these moves, seat makers will likely expand comfort beyond the parameters normally linked to seats.

One of these trends leverages the rapid expansion of LED usage. Lights will be distributed around the seat to help drivers and passengers enter and exit. They’ll highlight controls and help create a mood in the interior.

“The use of seat-mounted LED lighting will increase in the coming years,” Magna’s Rudberg said. “LEDs will also be used for seatback reading lights for the rear-seat occupant.”

Engineers will also make trade-offs when they pick motors and determine how to control them. Some

companies are moving to brushless motors, which are quieter and more reliable than brush motors. Using brushless motors can help engineers eliminate some sensors, which can greatly reduce packaging and wiring requirements.

“Eliminating Hall-effect sensors in motors with inline ripple current sensing eliminates two wires and a sensor for each motor,” Rudberg said.

However, there is a trade-off that comes when sensors are eliminated. The microcontroller will often have to monitor motor rotations to determine position. That can force engineers to move beyond the 8-bit chips that dominate many seat systems.

“If you go to brushless and don’t want to add a sensor, you need more processing power. That’s driving people to 16-bit processors,” Microchip’s Fitzgerald said. “But most are still 8-bit chips with less than 8 kbytes of memory. A small footprint and LIN connectivity are more important than performance.” AEI

Eliminating sensors can save space and cost, but it requires more powerful processors from suppliers such as Microchip.


AEI Sales ForceContact UsAEI ArchivesSAE Board of DirectorsSAE Membership

Resource links

AdvertiserContiTech. ........................................... 3

Dana. ............................................cover

Melexis Inc. ......................................... 5

Rittal Corporation. ............................... 8

The Lubrizol Corporation. ................... 7

Ad indexPage

Digital Automotive Engineering International®, AEI®, June 19, 2012, Volume 3, Number 5. Digital AEI (ISSN 1939-7453) is published 10 times a year by SAE International®. SAE International is not responsible for the accuracy of infor-mation in the editorial, articles, and adver-tising sections of this publication. Readers should independently evaluate the accu-racy of any statement in the editorial, ar-ticles, and advertising sections of this pub-lication that are important to him/her and rely on his/her independent evaluation. For permission to use content in other media, contact [email protected]. To purchase reprints, contact [email protected]. Copyright © 2012 by SAE International. The Automotive Engineering International and AEI titles and logos are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

upcomingfrom the AeI edItors

June 21 Update Digital Magazine (July issue)

June 25 SAE Connected Vehicle Technology eNewsletter

June 26 SAE Vehicle Electrification Digital Magazine

July 2 SAE Vehicle Engineering Technology eNewsletter

July 3 Automotive Engineering International Print Magazine

July 5 SAE Off-Highway Engineering Print Magazine

July 9 SAE Hybrid & Electric Vehicles Technology eNewsletter

July 16 Off-Highway Engineering Technology eNewsletter

July 17 Automotive Engineering International Digital Magazine

July 18 Aerospace Engineering Digital Magazine

July 19 Update Digital Magazine (August issue)

July 23 SAE Test & Measurement Technology eNewsletterTo contribute editorial content, contact the editors at [email protected].

http://www.sae.org/events/sales/Magazines/09salesreps.pdf

http://www.sae.org/magazines/contact.htm

http://www.sae.org/mags/aei/digital.htm

http://www.sae.org/about/board/board.pdf

http://www.sae.org/membership/


• NOWAvailable!SAE2012WorldCongress&ExhibitionTechnicalPapers–viewover1,100papersbytechnicaltopic

• NEW!OverviewandImpactoftheAutomo-tiveFunctionalSafetyStandardISO26262Webinar•July18(10:30a.m.-12:30p.m.ET)•July20(10:30a.m.-1:00p.m.ET)

• SAE2012InternationalTechnologyWeek•Aug.14-17•Tianjin,China•Topicsofcleanenergy,vehicleefficiencies,batterytechnol-ogy,andallrelatedstandardswillbefea-tured.

• ComingSoon-Pre-orderNow! OnboardDiagnosticsandMeasurementin

theAutomotiveIndustry,Shipbuilding,andAircraftConstruction

• NEWBook!AutomotiveE/EReliability-StrategiesforKeepingPaceinaFeature-RichWorld•eBookavailable

TechToolsfrom

P110951

SAE Individual Technical Papers

comprise over 6,600 full-text, peer-reviewed, technical papers containing leading-edge chassis content.

For a listing of paper titles and abstracts visit papers.sae.org.

P101115

The ground vehicle industry is no stranger to the H-Point Machine or HPM, SAE’s three-dimensional manikin that provides the physical representation of driver H-points, is used to defi ne and measure vehicle seating accommodations and is employed by vehicle manufactures to meet federal and international safety regulations.

Now there’s another engineering aid available that not only defi nes and locates the standard seating reference point, but leg, shoe, and pedal references points as well. The improved SAE HPM-II offers many enhanced features over the original SAE HPM – making it ideal for advanced design and research applications.

HPM-II enhanced features include: • reformed shells for a consistent and reliable fi t in bucket seats• an articulating back for lumbar support measurement• angular measurements that can be taken with an electronic inclinometer• divot points for Coordinate Measuring Machine measurement capabilities • the ability to measure the H-point without using legs—resulting in simpler

installation

See fi rsthand these improvements and how they can help you improve passenger compartment and seating design. View video at store.sae.org/ea/hpoint.htm

Contact:1-877-606-7323 (U.S. and Canada only)1-724-776-4970 (outside U.S. and Canada)Email: CustomerService @sae.org

A vital tool in the design of vehicle interior packages

H-Point Machine or HPM, SAE’s three-dimensional manikin that provides the physical representation of driver H-points, is used to defi ne and measure vehicle seating accommodations and is employed by vehicle manufactures to meet federal

Now there’s another engineering aid available that not only defi nes and locates the standard seating reference point, but leg, shoe, and pedal

offers many

A vital tool in the design of vehicle interior packages

Improved SAE H-Point Machine!

®

http://papers.sae.org/byevent/annual-apr-2012/



http://www.sae.org/pdevent/WB1134




http://www.sae.org/events/itw/





http://books.sae.org/book-r-410




http://books.sae.org/book-t-126



http://store.sae.org/ea/hpoint.htm

http://papers.sae.org/

Date post:	24-Oct-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	ahmed-okda
View:	36 times
Download:	1 times

sae_12AEID0619

Documents