Future of Automotive Technology at SAE 2002 World Congress

DETROIT, Feb. 25 -- Delphi engineers, researchers and scientists will reveal a glimpse at the future of automotive technology March 4-7 at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) 2002 World Congress by presenting 37 technical papers. Delphi experts will address the future of 42- volt, solid-oxide fuel cell and brake-by-wire systems; ways to improve fuel economy and lower tailpipe emissions; the development of new materials; and techniques for reducing noise, vibration and harshness, as well as helping increase vehicle stability and safety in future vehicles.

``Delphi's more than 16,000 engineers, scientists and technicians continue to develop the latest innovations that are driving tomorrow's technology,'' said J.T. Battenberg III, Delphi chairman, CEO and president. ``We are looking forward to participating in this year's technical discussion during the SAE World Congress to share some of our recent research findings that are sure to shape the vehicles of the future.''

In addition to this year's technical presentations, Mark Sellnau, Delphi research scientist, will be awarded the Arch T. Colwell Merit Award for his 2001 technical paper ``Cylinder-Pressure-Based Engine Control Using Pressure Ratio Management and a Low-Cost Non-Intrusive Cylinder Pressure Sensor,'' which he co-authored with General Motors' Frederic A. Matekunas, Paul A. Battiston, Chen-Fang Chang and David R. Lancaster. This award, presented at the SAE Honors and Convocation on Tuesday, March 5, recognizes the authors of papers of outstanding technical or professional merit. Papers are judged primarily for their value as new contributions to existing knowledge of mobility engineering. Sellnau's paper discusses a low-cost engine control system that utilizes non-intrusive cylinder pressure sensors mounted in the spark plug boss of four-valve-per-cylinder engines and presents the cylinder pressure sensing concept, the sensor design and the system description. The technology can be applied to gasoline or diesel engines for improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, and can significantly simplify the engine calibration process.

Highlights of nine significant Delphi papers to be presented at this year's SAE World Congress include:

``Fuel Economy Improvements in an SUV Equipped with an Integrated Starter Generator'' (Monday, March 4, at 1:30 p.m., room D0-04AB, Cobo Center)

The recent surge in gas prices has drawn attention to the lower average fuel economy of the growing class of sport utility vehicles (SUV). Vehicle manufacturers are looking for ways to improve the fuel economy of these vehicles without affecting performance or utility. One possible solution is the 42-volt integrated starter-generator (ISG). The ISG offers the ability to reduce fuel consumption through the use of engine-off during coast-down and idle, early torque converter lockup with torque smoothing, regenerative braking and electrical launch assist. This paper details the fuel economy benefits offered to SUVs with an engine stop-start function implemented with an ISG. Dynamometer test results for an SUV equipped with a Delphi-designed Energen-10® ISG are presented.

``The BRAKE Project - Centralized Versus Distributed Redundancy for Brake- By-Wire Systems'' (Monday, March 4, at 2:30 p.m., room O2-35/36, Cobo Center)

Today, many system vendors develop complete chassis systems. The characteristics of each system are determined by both hardware and software. This paper presents the objectives and preliminary results of the BRAKE project - a collaborative effort of Delphi, Infineon Technologies, Volvo Car Corporation and WindRiver. The objective of this project is to use microelectronics technologies to design a distributed brake-by-wire system, including: a distributed fault-tolerant system for enhanced safety, an extension of the OSEK-based operating system for a distributed time-triggered architecture, and an open interface between vehicle control and brake system control.

``Fast Start-Up On-Board Gasoline Reformer for Near Zero Emissions in Spark-Ignition Engines'' (Monday, March 4, at 3:30 p.m., room W2-70, Cobo Center)

The Ultra-Low-Emission Vehicle (ULEV) II standards proposed for 2004 introduction in California include a Super-ULEV (SULEV) standard. Gasoline- fueled vehicles that robustly meet SULEV standards over their useful lives offer a significant step toward eliminating the automobile as a source of regulated pollutants. Developing SULEVs can significantly reduce an OEM's fleet average non-methane organic gas (NMOG) emissions. This paper describes recent progress in Delphi's program to develop a gasoline-fueled vehicle with an on-board reformer to provide near-zero tailpipe emissions and shows results from an engine linked to an experimental, fast start-up reformer. The authors present both performance data for the reformer as well as engine emissions and performance results. Program results continue to show an on-board reforming system to be an attractive option for providing near-zero tailpipe emissions to meet low emission standards.

``Cold Starting Performance of a 42-Volt Integrated Starter Generator System'' (Tuesday, March 5, at 3:30 p.m., room D2-15, Cobo Center)

Over the next several years, vehicle manufacturers will begin to use a 42- volt-based system to integrate the starter and generator into one unit known as an integrated starter-generator (ISG). The ISG, its associated electronics and battery pack form a system that has the ability to perform torque smoothing of the driveline, electrical launch assist, regenerative braking, high power generation, engine stop/start and other features. One of the important tasks to be performed by the ISG is starting the internal combustion engine under extremely low temperature conditions. Cold starting requirements have a great influence on the design of any ISG system. This paper examines how the cold starting requirements affected the design of the Delphi Energen- 10® ISG system. Test results performed at -29 degrees C for the cranking of a gasoline 4.0-liter, V-6 powertrain are presented. A discussion of the electric motor control strategy used during the cold starting events with an ISG system is also included.

``Solid-Oxide Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Unit - A Development Update'' (Tuesday, March 5, at 10:30 a.m., room M2-29, Cobo Center)

Delphi and BMW were successful in demonstrating an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) based on solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology in February 2001. An SOFC APU generates power using hydrogen and carbon monoxide reformed from fuels such as gasoline, diesel, or natural gas. This paper describes Delphi's most recent activities in the development of a second-generation APU. This development has been targeted toward resolving the fundamental issues with the following key subsystems: fuel-cell stack, fuel reformers, and energy and thermal management. Major focus has also been directed at system integration challenges to make a more robust and efficient product.

``Optimization of a Modular Cockpit Cross-Car Beam for Crashworthiness'' (Wednesday, March 6, at 10 a.m., room W1-55, Cobo Center)

Modularization is demanded more each day by OEMs because it minimizes production cost, reduces development time and improves quality while enhancing performance. A cockpit module is a complex subsystem that houses components such as driver and passenger air bags, knee bolsters, steering column, instrument cluster, heating and cooling systems, and an entertainment system. These components are either partially or fully supported by the cross-car beam. This subsystem should be quiet while in operation. The cross-car beam should be designed in such a way that it withstands the high dynamic loads induced during a crash event. Virtual build of vehicles, using math-based engineering tools such as finite element modeling, is replacing the costly, time-consuming hardware builds during the developmental phase. Optimal design of the beam will minimize the mass and hence reduce the cost of the module. This paper presents a numerical optimization of a modular cockpit cross-car beam for crashworthiness subjected to loads induced due to a side-impact using a commercial code (LS-OPT) that uses an optimization algorithm based on statistical methods.

``Influence of Vehicle Chassis Systems on Vehicle Propensity To Maneuver- Induced Rollovers'' (Wednesday, March 6, at 3 p.m., room D0-03CD, Cobo Center)

With growing popularity among consumers of vehicles with high centers of gravity, evaluation of rollover propensity of these vehicles becomes an issue of increasing importance. This paper evaluates the effects of active chassis systems on vehicle propensity to roll over caused by aggressive handling maneuvers. The results of simulations demonstrate that an uncontrolled vehicle rolls over in tested maneuvers when the steering angle is sufficiently large. Active chassis control systems significantly increase rollover stability - either the vehicle cannot be rolled over regardless of the magnitude of the steering angle, or the amplitude of the steering angle necessary to roll over the vehicle is markedly increased.

``Thermoplastic Elastomer Intumescent Fire Shield'' (Thursday, March 7, at 4 p.m., room D0-03AB, Cobo Center)

The intumescent material described in this paper expands under high heat or fire conditions to form an insulating sponge. The material -- a blend of high-density polyethylene and chlorinated polyethylene -- is processed using normal plastic techniques. Tensile properties, heat aging, fluid aging, and thermal properties have been evaluated and are presented. Fire testing using a 1000 degrees C Bunsen burner as a source, showed that the material does not drip or burn through, even after 30 minutes of exposure. Prototype fire shields made of the intumescent material have been tested on fuel tanks, bulkheads, and wheel well covers. In all cases the intumescent material provided excellent protection. Similar applications are identified for airplanes, motorcycles, industrial and residential buildings. The material is recyclable and can be made from recycled polymers.

``Emerging Substrate Technologies for Harsh-Environment Automotive Electronics Applications'' (Thursday, March 7, at 10:30 a.m., room D2-13/14, Cobo Center)

The requirements for harsh environment (e.g. on-engine, on- or in- transmission) electronic controllers in automotive applications have been growing increasingly stringent. Along with the environmental concerns come the challenges of meeting overall size constraints required of increasingly complex controllers by utilizing finer features and geometries. Electronic substrate technologists have evolved to meet the challenge posed by the performance, size and cost requirements. This paper deals with two primary interconnection substrate technologies that are poised to meet the challenge: 1) organic laminate based high-performance printed wiring boards and 2) ceramic based substrates.

For more information about Delphi, please visit Delphi's Virtual PressRoom at www.delphi.com/vpr .