VehiclesPub Date : 2024-07-24DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6030060
Syed Babar Abbas, I. Youn
{"title":"Performance Improvement of Active Suspension System Collaborating with an Active Airfoil Based on a Quarter-Car Model","authors":"Syed Babar Abbas, I. Youn","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6030060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6030060","url":null,"abstract":"This study presents an effective control strategy for improving the dynamic performance index of a two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) quarter-car model equipped with an active suspension system that collaborates with an active aerodynamic surface, using optimal control theory. The model takes several road excitations as input and applies an optimal control law to improve the ride comfort and road-holding capability, which are otherwise in conflict. MATLAB® (R2024a) simulations are carried out to evaluate the time and frequency domain characteristics of the quarter-car active suspension system. Individual performance indices in the presence of an active aerodynamic surface are calculated based on mean squared values for different sets of weighting factors and compared with those of passive and active suspension systems. From the viewpoint of total performance, the overall results show that the proposed control strategy enhances the performance index by approximately 70–80% compared to the active suspension system.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"65 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141808209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-07-23DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6030059
F. Zahedieh, Chris Lee
{"title":"Impacts of a Toll Information Sign and Toll Lane Configuration on Queue Length and Collision Risk at a Toll Plaza with a High Percentage of Heavy Vehicles","authors":"F. Zahedieh, Chris Lee","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6030059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6030059","url":null,"abstract":"This study assessed the impacts of a toll information sign with different toll lane configurations on queue length and collision risk at a toll plaza with an estimated high percentage of heavy vehicles (HVs). The toll information sign displays information about different toll payment methods for cars and HVs upstream of the toll booth. The impacts were assessed for the toll plaza of the Gordie Howe International Bridge under construction at the Windsor–Detroit international border crossing using a traffic simulation model. Results show that the toll information sign upstream of the toll plaza and converting the toll lanes with multiple toll payment methods to electronic toll collection (ETC)-only lanes reduced queue length and collision risk. However, increasing the number of HV-only lanes for a higher percentage of HVs increased lane-change collision risk. Thus, it is recommended that toll lane configurations be changed based on the percentage of HVs to reduce collision risk at a toll plaza.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"134 47","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141810819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-07-15DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6030058
Jannik Kexel, Jonas Müller, Ferris Herkenrath, Philipp Hermsen, M. Günther, Stefan Pischinger
{"title":"Virtual Plug-In Hybrid Concept Development and Optimization under Real-World Boundary Conditions","authors":"Jannik Kexel, Jonas Müller, Ferris Herkenrath, Philipp Hermsen, M. Günther, Stefan Pischinger","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6030058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6030058","url":null,"abstract":"The automotive industry faces development challenges due to emerging technologies, regulatory demands, societal trends, and evolving customer mobility needs. These factors contribute to a wide range of vehicle variants and increasingly complex powertrains. The layout of a vehicle is usually based on standardized driving cycles such as WLTC, gradeability, acceleration test cases, and many more. In real-world driving cycles, however, this can lead to limitations under certain boundary conditions. To ensure that all customer requirements are met, vehicle testing is conducted under extreme environmental conditions, e.g., in Sweden or Spain. One way to reduce the development time while ensuring high product quality and cost-effectiveness is to use model-based methods for the comprehensive design of powertrains. This study presents a layout methodology using a top-down approach. Initially, powertrain-relevant requirements for an exemplary target customer are translated into a specification sheet with specific test cases. An overall vehicle model with detailed thermal sub-models is developed to evaluate the different requirements. A baseline design for a C-segment plug-in hybrid vehicle was developed as part of the FVV research project HyFlex-ICE using standardized test cases, highlighting the influence of customer profiles on the design outcome through varying weighting factors. The target customer’s design is analyzed in four real driving scenarios, considering variations in parameters such as the ambient temperature, traffic, driver type, trailer pulling, and battery state-of-charge, to assess their influence on the target variables. In the next step, the potential of hardware technologies and predictive driving functions is examined in selected driving scenarios based on the identified constraints of the baseline design. As a result, four application-specific technology packages (Cost neutral, Cold country, Hot country, and Premium) for different customer requirements and sales markets are defined, which, finally, demonstrates the applicability of the holistic methodology.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"37 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141645521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-07-11DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6030057
M. Kaliaperumal, Ramesh Kumar Chidambaram
{"title":"Thermal Management of Lithium-Ion Battery Pack Using Equivalent Circuit Model","authors":"M. Kaliaperumal, Ramesh Kumar Chidambaram","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6030057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6030057","url":null,"abstract":"The design of an efficient thermal management system for a lithium-ion battery pack hinges on a deep understanding of the cells’ thermal behavior. This understanding can be gained through theoretical or experimental methods. While the theoretical study of the cells using electrochemical and numerical methods requires expensive computing facilities and time, the Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) offers a more direct approach. However, upfront experimental cell characterization is needed to determine the ECM parameters. In this study, the behavior of a cell is characterized experimentally, and the results are used to build a second-order equivalent electrical circuit model of the cell. This model is then integrated with the cooling system of the battery pack for effective thermal management. The Equivalent Circuit Model estimates the internal heat generation inside the cell using instantaneous load current, terminal voltage, and temperature data. By extrapolating the heat generation data of a single cell, we can determine the heat generation of the cells in the pack. With the implementation of the ECM in the cooling system, the coolant flow rate can be adjusted to ensure the attainment of a safe operating cell temperature. Our study confirms that 14% of pumping power can be reduced when compared to the conventional constant flow rate cooling system, while still maintaining the temperature of the cells within safe limits.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"132 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141656641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-07-09DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6030056
Fernando Viadero-Monasterio, Luciano Alonso-Rentería, Juan Pérez-Oria, Fernando Viadero-Rueda
{"title":"Radar-Based Pedestrian and Vehicle Detection and Identification for Driving Assistance","authors":"Fernando Viadero-Monasterio, Luciano Alonso-Rentería, Juan Pérez-Oria, Fernando Viadero-Rueda","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6030056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6030056","url":null,"abstract":"The introduction of advanced driver assistance systems has significantly reduced vehicle accidents by providing crucial support for high-speed driving and alerting drivers to imminent dangers. Despite these advancements, current systems still depend on the driver’s ability to respond to warnings effectively. To address this limitation, this research focused on developing a neural network model for the automatic detection and classification of objects in front of a vehicle, including pedestrians and other vehicles, using radar technology. Radar sensors were employed to detect objects by measuring the distance to the object and analyzing the power of the reflected signals to determine the type of object detected. Experimental tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the radar-based system under various driving conditions, assessing its accuracy in detecting and classifying different objects. The proposed neural network model achieved a high accuracy rate, correctly identifying approximately 91% of objects in the test scenarios. The results demonstrate that this model can be used to inform drivers of potential hazards or to initiate autonomous braking and steering maneuvers to prevent collisions. This research contributes to the development of more effective safety features for vehicles, enhancing the overall effectiveness of driver assistance systems and paving the way for future advancements in autonomous driving technology.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"97 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141664068","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-07-04DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6030055
Víctor J. Expósito Jiménez, Georg Macher, Daniel Watzenig, Eugen Brenner
{"title":"Safety of the Intended Functionality Validation for Automated Driving Systems by Using Perception Performance Insufficiencies Injection","authors":"Víctor J. Expósito Jiménez, Georg Macher, Daniel Watzenig, Eugen Brenner","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6030055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6030055","url":null,"abstract":"System perception of the environment becomes more important as the level of automation increases, especially at the higher levels of automation (L3+) of Automated Driving Systems. As a consequence, scenario-based validation becomes more important in the overall validation process of a vehicle. Testing all scenarios with potential triggering conditions that may lead to hazardous vehicle behaviour is not a realistic approach, as the number of such scenarios tends to be unmanageable. Therefore, another approach has to be provided to deal with this problem. In this paper, we present our approach, which uses the injection of perception performance insufficiencies instead of directly testing the potential triggering conditions. Finally, a use case is described that illustrates the implementation of the proposed approach.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":" 30","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141679756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-05-09DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6020040
Omid Ahmadi Khiyavi, Jaho Seo, Xianke Lin
{"title":"New Design of an Electrical Excavator and Its Path Generation for Energy Saving and Obstacle Avoidance","authors":"Omid Ahmadi Khiyavi, Jaho Seo, Xianke Lin","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6020040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6020040","url":null,"abstract":"This study’s goals are divided into two categories. The first is to design and build an excavator equipped with parallel electrical linear actuators. The second is to generate and test a PSO-based and a PFM-based path for this excavator in order to save energy by reducing energy consumption, improve the digging accuracy by minimizing the deviation between the desired and dug surfaces of the ground, and prevent colliding with subsurface objects. For this purpose, computer vision was employed to improve monitoring and verification. Five types of experiments were carried out in this investigation. The first two and the other three examined the impact of energy conservation in PSO- and PFM-based path generation, respectively. Finally, the results from these experiments were compared to identify and show the effect of optimal path generation.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":" 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140994906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-05-04DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6020039
Vojtěch Dybala, Tomáš Fridrichovský, Jan Kalivoda
{"title":"The Individual Drive of a Wheelset and the Problematics of Its Electromechanical Phenomena","authors":"Vojtěch Dybala, Tomáš Fridrichovský, Jan Kalivoda","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6020039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6020039","url":null,"abstract":"This paper deals with the phenomenon of torsion oscillations in railway vehicle drive systems. The main goal is to reduce the risk of presence of torsional oscillations in wheelset drive, eventually to propose systems to effectively identify and eliminate torsional oscillations of wheelsets. Therefore, a simulation wheelset drive model including a detailed model of the asynchronous traction motor control was built. The results of computer simulations show that the torsional oscillations can be effectively eliminated by avoiding the resonance states between the excitation frequencies given by pulse width modulation of the inverter and the eigenfrequencies of the mechanical part of the drive. Furthermore, it was found that the presence of torsional oscillations of the wheels can be detected based on the traction motor current ripple. The wheelset drive model was subsequently implemented in a simulation model of a four-axle locomotive. A new algorithm of an anti-slip protection system that utilizes motor currents was implemented in the model. Simulations show that such an anti-slip protection system can prevent the occurrence of undesired large amplitude of wheelset torsional oscillations. The models and simulation results are presented in detail in the paper.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"40 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141013630","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-04-11DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6020032
A. Granà, Salvatore Curto, Andrea Petralia, T. Giuffrè
{"title":"Connected Automated and Human-Driven Vehicle Mixed Traffic in Urban Freeway Interchanges: Safety Analysis and Design Assumptions","authors":"A. Granà, Salvatore Curto, Andrea Petralia, T. Giuffrè","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6020032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6020032","url":null,"abstract":"The introduction of connected automated vehicles (CAVs) on freeways raises significant challenges, particularly in interactions with human-driven vehicles, impacting traffic flow and safety. This study employs traffic microsimulation and surrogate safety assessment measures software to delve into CAV–human driver interactions, estimating potential conflicts. While previous research acknowledges that human drivers adjust their behavior when sharing the road with CAVs, the underlying reasons and the extent of associated risks are not fully understood yet. The study focuses on how CAV presence can diminish conflicts, employing surrogate safety measures and real-world mixed traffic data, and assesses the safety and performance of freeway interchange configurations in Italy and the US across diverse urban contexts. This research proposes tools for optimizing urban layouts to minimize conflicts in mixed traffic environments. Results reveal that adding auxiliary lanes enhances safety, particularly for CAVs and rear-end collisions. Along interchange ramps, an exclusive CAV stream performs similarly to human-driven ones in terms of longitudinal conflicts, but mixed traffic flows, consisting of both CAVs and human-driven vehicles, may result in more conflicts. Notably, when CAVs follow human-driven vehicles in near-identical conditions, more conflicts arise, emphasizing the complexity of CAV integration and the need for careful safety measures and roadway design considerations.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"24 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140715237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
VehiclesPub Date : 2024-04-04DOI: 10.3390/vehicles6020031
M. Vieira, M. Vieira, Gonçalo Galvão, P. Louro, Mário Véstias, P. Vieira
{"title":"Enhancing Urban Intersection Efficiency: Utilizing Visible Light Communication and Learning-Driven Control for Improved Traffic Signal Performance","authors":"M. Vieira, M. Vieira, Gonçalo Galvão, P. Louro, Mário Véstias, P. Vieira","doi":"10.3390/vehicles6020031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/vehicles6020031","url":null,"abstract":"This paper introduces an approach to enhance the efficiency of urban intersections by integrating Visible Light Communication (VLC) into a multi-intersection traffic control system. The main objectives include the reduction in waiting times for vehicles and pedestrians, the improvement of overall traffic safety, and the accommodation of diverse traffic movements during multiple signal phases. The proposed system utilizes VLC to facilitate communication among interconnected vehicles and infrastructure. This is achieved by utilizing streetlights, headlamps, and traffic signals for transmitting information. By integrating VLC localization services with learning-driven traffic signal control, the multi-intersection traffic management system is established. A reinforcement learning scheme, based on VLC queuing/request/response behaviors, is utilized to schedule traffic signals effectively. Agents placed at each intersection control traffic lights by incorporating information from VLC-ready cars, including their positions, destinations, and intended routes. The agents devise optimal strategies to improve traffic flow and engage in communication to optimize the collective traffic performance. An assessment of the multi-intersection scenario through the SUMO urban mobility simulator reveals considerable benefits. The system successfully reduces both waiting and travel times. The reinforcement learning approach effectively schedules traffic signals, and the results highlight the decentralized and scalable nature of the proposed method, especially in multi-intersection scenarios. The discussion emphasizes the possibility of applying reinforcement learning in everyday traffic scenarios, showcasing the potential for the dynamic identification of control actions and improved traffic management.","PeriodicalId":509694,"journal":{"name":"Vehicles","volume":"26 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140743946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}