Variable Geometry Cooling Intakes for Passenger Vehicles. Cars reject engine heat via air forced through the grille, radiator and engine bay. The associated "cooling drag" increases total aerodynamic drag by 10-15% hence increasing fuel consumption. The highest heat load that needs to be rejected by the engine determines the quantity of cooling air, resulting in systems that are over designed for typical driving. This research provides a strategy of adjusting the cooling airflow to match the ....Variable Geometry Cooling Intakes for Passenger Vehicles. Cars reject engine heat via air forced through the grille, radiator and engine bay. The associated "cooling drag" increases total aerodynamic drag by 10-15% hence increasing fuel consumption. The highest heat load that needs to be rejected by the engine determines the quantity of cooling air, resulting in systems that are over designed for typical driving. This research provides a strategy of adjusting the cooling airflow to match the engine requirements (via variable geometry intakes that can be under the control of the engine management computer) offering substantial reductions in fuel consumption and emissions.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354488
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Intelligent vehicles and road infrastructure (IVRI). The aims of the network are to integrate the activities of researchers and practitioners in the areas of vehicles and road infrastructure and through cross-disciplinary collaboration apply intelligent control systems to deliver mobility, which is safer for all users, reduces driver stress and environmental impact with increased local manufactured content and improved cost effectiveness. It is of great significance to provide a cohesive solutio ....Intelligent vehicles and road infrastructure (IVRI). The aims of the network are to integrate the activities of researchers and practitioners in the areas of vehicles and road infrastructure and through cross-disciplinary collaboration apply intelligent control systems to deliver mobility, which is safer for all users, reduces driver stress and environmental impact with increased local manufactured content and improved cost effectiveness. It is of great significance to provide a cohesive solution to the transport problem considering all modes, environmental impacts, and economical and social considerations. This project should lead to a report identifying Australia's capability in this sector and a roadmap for a future research network integrating university and industry based research.Read moreRead less
Secondary aerosol formation from engine exhaust emissions. This project aims to investigate the role of reactive volatile organic compounds from vehicles using alternative fuels in the formation and evolution of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Expected outcomes of the project include greatly improved understanding of the mechanisms and precursors of SOA formation. The benefits should provide the knowledge needed to set vehicle emission regulations that can properly control urban air pollution ....Secondary aerosol formation from engine exhaust emissions. This project aims to investigate the role of reactive volatile organic compounds from vehicles using alternative fuels in the formation and evolution of secondary organic aerosols (SOA). Expected outcomes of the project include greatly improved understanding of the mechanisms and precursors of SOA formation. The benefits should provide the knowledge needed to set vehicle emission regulations that can properly control urban air pollution episodes because the mechanisms and precursors of its formation will be better understood. The project will also provide an experimental framework that will guide policy formulation and provide the science needed for development of strategies to improve air quality and health.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0347553
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$175,000.00
Summary
Smart Equipment for Remote Monitoring of Isolated and Mobile Infrastructure. The partners' research involves the collection and assessment of data to determine the condition, maintenance strategies and risk of failure of plant in diverse areas such as transport, cargo and packaging, mining and power. Recent advances in data processing, computing and telemetry mean that it is now possible to actually install small and rugged data acquisition equipment on remote infrastructure or mobile plant. T ....Smart Equipment for Remote Monitoring of Isolated and Mobile Infrastructure. The partners' research involves the collection and assessment of data to determine the condition, maintenance strategies and risk of failure of plant in diverse areas such as transport, cargo and packaging, mining and power. Recent advances in data processing, computing and telemetry mean that it is now possible to actually install small and rugged data acquisition equipment on remote infrastructure or mobile plant. This equipment can acquire, condition and process the signals and use wireless telemetry to transmit the data for remote assessment. The proposed infrastructure will enable the partners' research to be extended to these challenging applications.Read moreRead less
CoopEcoSafe: a new cooperative, green and safe driving system. Road transport plays a vital role in our economy but generates huge costs in road trauma and greenhouse gases. Eco-driving has been trialed as a cost-effective approach to reducing fuel consumption, but little research has examined its effects on safety. This research brings together disciplines of road safety, psychology and engineering to address the fundamental question: how can mobility be greener while being safer? It develops: ....CoopEcoSafe: a new cooperative, green and safe driving system. Road transport plays a vital role in our economy but generates huge costs in road trauma and greenhouse gases. Eco-driving has been trialed as a cost-effective approach to reducing fuel consumption, but little research has examined its effects on safety. This research brings together disciplines of road safety, psychology and engineering to address the fundamental question: how can mobility be greener while being safer? It develops: a new theoretical model that optimises environmental and safety outcomes; new persuasive in-vehicle Human Machine Interface supported by cooperative Intelligent Transport System; and, comprehensive benefits evaluation. This research will bring major improvements to both road safety and energy use. Read moreRead less
Advanced control and estimation strategies for electromechanical brake-by-wire systems. The project aims to investigate the application of advanced control and estimation techniques (robust nonlinear and soft-computing approaches) to the problem of maximising the effectiveness of electromechanical brake-by-wire systems in emergency braking manoeuvres. The work will be conducted using state-of-the-art control design and hardware-in-the loop simulation facilities in the Research Centre for Advance ....Advanced control and estimation strategies for electromechanical brake-by-wire systems. The project aims to investigate the application of advanced control and estimation techniques (robust nonlinear and soft-computing approaches) to the problem of maximising the effectiveness of electromechanical brake-by-wire systems in emergency braking manoeuvres. The work will be conducted using state-of-the-art control design and hardware-in-the loop simulation facilities in the Research Centre for Advanced By-Wire Technologies (RABiT), which has been established to accelerate the development and commercialisation of by-wire technology in Australia. Expected outcomes are actuator and road friction control algorithms which have been demonstrated to be robust in the context of real-world actuator and vehicle dynamics.Read moreRead less
Making best use of biofuels – understanding the interactions between alcohol and hydrocarbon fuels in engine combustion. Biofuels are increasingly used as blending components for transport fuels. Biofuels possess much different chemical structures from conventional fuels, and can therefore interact with hydrocarbon fuels during engine combustion processes and consequently affect engine efficiency and emissions. This project aims to investigate the chemical interactions between representative com ....Making best use of biofuels – understanding the interactions between alcohol and hydrocarbon fuels in engine combustion. Biofuels are increasingly used as blending components for transport fuels. Biofuels possess much different chemical structures from conventional fuels, and can therefore interact with hydrocarbon fuels during engine combustion processes and consequently affect engine efficiency and emissions. This project aims to investigate the chemical interactions between representative compounds of biofuels (ethanol) and fossil fuels (n-heptane, iso-octane and toluene) during engine autoignition processes. The outcomes will fill a significant gap in our understanding for biofuel combustion chemistry, essential for building predictive combustion models, and will guide the best use of the precious Australian biofuel resources to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Read moreRead less
Dynamic Modelling and Gear Shift Simulation of Powertrains with Dual Clutch Transmissions. The project will make a significant contribution to the development and commercialisation of dual clutch transmissions, which represent a breakthrough vehicle transmission technology. The acquired knowledge and advanced simulation tools will enable engineers to design superior vehicles with improved fuel efficiency and performance. The project will hence benefit the nation and community, resulting in:
1) ....Dynamic Modelling and Gear Shift Simulation of Powertrains with Dual Clutch Transmissions. The project will make a significant contribution to the development and commercialisation of dual clutch transmissions, which represent a breakthrough vehicle transmission technology. The acquired knowledge and advanced simulation tools will enable engineers to design superior vehicles with improved fuel efficiency and performance. The project will hence benefit the nation and community, resulting in:
1) powertrains with improved fuel efficiency, drivability and gear shift quality at the lowest production cost;
2) increased employment in the automotive sector benefiting from leading the world in applying the frontier technology to vehicles;
3) increased knowledge base on complex dynamic systems, well trained researchers and engineers.
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An Innovative Powertrain Architecture and Optimal Energy Management for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technologies will significantly reduce the dependence of vehicles on fossil fuels, thereby reducing their emissions of carbon and other pollutants. The project will produce new knowledge in automotive engineering, software tools for vehicle design and a novel powertrain architecture with key components almost ready for commercial application. The research will ....An Innovative Powertrain Architecture and Optimal Energy Management for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technologies will significantly reduce the dependence of vehicles on fossil fuels, thereby reducing their emissions of carbon and other pollutants. The project will produce new knowledge in automotive engineering, software tools for vehicle design and a novel powertrain architecture with key components almost ready for commercial application. The research will directly contribute to the use of green energy and the reduction of vehicles' harmful environmental impacts. The nation will benefit from new economic activity, such as increased exports of automotive parts and components, and from strengthening its position as a world leader in reducing carbon emissions.Read moreRead less
Increasing the operational lifetime and optimising the design of crankcase oil-mist filters. Australia is one of the largest (per capita) users worldwide of heavy diesel engines, within sectors such as transport, mining, construction, shipping and power generation (usage of many of the above is concentrated in regional communities e.g. mining). This work will minimise emissions from such industries, as well as reduce lubricant oil usage - thereby maximising waste oil recovery and reuse (approx 5 ....Increasing the operational lifetime and optimising the design of crankcase oil-mist filters. Australia is one of the largest (per capita) users worldwide of heavy diesel engines, within sectors such as transport, mining, construction, shipping and power generation (usage of many of the above is concentrated in regional communities e.g. mining). This work will minimise emissions from such industries, as well as reduce lubricant oil usage - thereby maximising waste oil recovery and reuse (approx 5500 tonnes p.a.). Oil mists can be regarded as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for the purposes of CO2 equivalent emissions, so therefore, the efficient capture of oil mists will reduce carbon emissions from the above industries in Australia.Read moreRead less