International Journal of Automotive and Mechanical Engineering

The Application of Multiresolution Analysis Wavelet Decomposition of Vibration Signals in the Condition Monitoring of Car Suspension

2023-06-07T02:05:13+00:00

The article addresses the issue of increasing the diagnostic capabilities of the car's suspension in the EUSAMA test. A new, quantitative approach was proposed to enable the assessment of the degree of wear and clearance of the lower suspension mount. An active diagnostic experiment was performed to model the clearance in the lower suspension mounting. During the research, bolts with different diameters were used. In the signal analysis, wavelet decomposition into 12 levels was performed using the Db4 wavelet. The resonance area of the system was extracted from an approximate signal, which contained 43.5% of the relative energy. From these signals, a number of point vibration measures were calculated. Finally, the maximum value was selected due to its sensitivity to the condition, which was 48% more than the original EUSAMA results. Based on the selected diagnostic parameter, a clearance model allowing for an assessment of the clearance with statistically significant coefficients was developed.

Laser Texturing of Soda Lime Glass Surface for Hydrophobic Surface in Wenzel State

2023-11-08T03:34:10+00:00

Glass surfaces tend to be hydrophilic when exposed to water resulting in a low water contact angle and high adhesion. Fabrication on a glass surface with low water adhesion can minimize the droplet’s adhesion conduct self-cleaning, and improve the cleanliness of the glass surface. This paper presents surface texturing of the soda-lime glass surface by laser processing three different patterns to improve water contact angle with low water adhesion on the modified glass surface. A design experiment method was developed to determine the effects of laser parameters on the glass surfaces. The laser parameters used are laser power between 0.45 and 1.05W and scanning speeds of 210, 420, and 600 mm/min. The effects of laser parameters on surface morphology, water contact angle measurement, and average surface roughness, Ra were investigated. The characterization was conducted for surface morphology, two-dimensional surface roughness profile, and water contact angle. The results show that the highest water contact angle obtained after laser texturing is up to 125.29° compared to the as-received surface with a contact angle of 32.35°. The highest water contact angle resulted from 420 mm/min scanning speed and 0.45 W of laser power, responding to the surface with a minimum range of Rax and Ray of 0.96 and 1.5 μm. These findings are significant for designing surface modification of self-cleaning glass surface applications like the automotive windscreens, and window panels for high-rise buildings.

Compressive Strength and Elastic Modulus of a 3D Woven Glass/Polyester Fire-Retardant Sandwich Composite

2023-10-25T04:29:14+00:00

A 3D woven sandwich composite structure has been widely used in various fields due to its advantages in terms of its strength-to-weight ratio. The adoption of lightweight materials in the railway industry for train carriages is aligned with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, as this fosters the development of sustainable transportation by reducing carriage weight, enhancing fuel efficiency, minimizing component wear, and mitigating air pollution. This study explores the effect of the addition of aluminum trioxide (ATH) filler on the core structure, density, compressive strength, elastic modulus, and the number of added layers of 3D woven core fabric with 2D woven face sheets. Sandwich composites were produced with varying ATH loads of 30%, 40%, and 50%. We also varied the number of 3D woven core fabric layers in the composite sandwich (one, two, three, and four layers) and the 2D preform (one on the upper side, two on the upper side, and one on the upper + two on the lower sides) used as a face sheet thickener. The results showed that the addition of ATH filler increased the composite density. The addition of up to 40% ATH improved the strength and elastic modulus of the composite, while excessive loading led to a decrease in both properties. Variation of the 3D and 2D preform layers also improved the compressive strength and elastic modulus. We conclude that 3D woven sandwich composites incorporating 40% ATH, multilayered 3D woven core fabric, and 2D woven fabric face sheet thickener represent promising materials for use in the railway industry.

Enhancing Machining performance in Stainless Steel Machining using MXene Coolant: A Detailed Examination

2023-10-24T01:23:47+00:00

Metal cutting, a complex process in manufacturing, involves various factors that significantly affect the quality of the final product. Notably, the turning process is crucial, with outcomes that heavily depend on multiple machining parameters. These parameters encompass speed, depth of cut, feed rate, the type of coolant used (specifically, high heat transfer MXene coolant), and insert types, among others. The material of the workpiece is also a critical factor in the metal-cutting operation. This study focuses on achieving optimal surface quality and minimizing cutting forces in the turning process. It recognizes the substantial impact of numerous process parameters, directly or indirectly affecting the product's surface roughness and cutting forces. Understanding these optimal parameters can lower machining costs and improve product quality. Our research concentrates on turning a stainless-steel alloy workpiece using a carbide insert tool. We employ the Response Surface Method (RSM) to optimize cutting parameters within a set range of cutting speed (100, 125, 150 m/min), feed rate (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 mm/rev), and depth of cut (0.4, 0.8, 1.2 mm). Additionally, we use various tool geometries and the RSM design of experiments to enhance and analyze the multi-response parameters of surface roughness and tool life. Optimal machining parameters for MXene-NFC involve a cutting speed of 140 m/min, a feed rate of 0.05 mm/rev, and a depth of cut of 0.5 mm. These settings ensure minimal surface roughness, maximum tool life, and the greatest total length of cut, achieving a composite desirability of 0.695.

Solid State Diffusion Bonding of Alumina with Aluminum Alloy

2023-08-25T07:39:50+00:00

The objective of this work is to study the effect of time during the bonding process of alumina with an industrial aluminum 6060 alloy by the technique of solid-state welding at 600°C. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, corrosion tests, and microhardness measurements were used as characterization techniques. The extended time during the bonding process had an effect on the microstructure of the interface and its mechanical properties. Oxygen diffusion was detected across the aluminum alloy/alumina interface. A recrystallization reaction developed on the aluminum side during the bonding process, which affected the aluminum alloy hardness values. By bonding metal to ceramic, it allows the use of ceramics in automotive engines to reduce weight, increase thrust-to-weight ratio and operating temperature, and improve working efficiency.

Sustenance Strategies for Lean Manufacturing Implementation in Malaysian Manufacturing Industries

2024-01-10T06:21:22+00:00

This study aims to investigate the relationship between sustaining factors and lean manufacturing implementation. This survey-based study was a cross-sectional study and the samples were drawn by using cluster sampling procedure from medium and large manufacturing companies based on the Federation of Manufacturers Malaysia (FMM) with the final number of 151 respondents. In total, four hypotheses were developed and tested statically using PLS-SEM through SmartPLS software. The result provided evidence that lean culture, lean leadership, and lean knowledge management have a positive relationship on lean manufacturing implementation. However, lean supplier management does not have a positive relationship on lean manufacturing implementation. The survey was responded by middle and top-level management from the discrete manufacturing industries. Although there is growing interest in empirical shreds of evidence in favor of sustaining lean, this study provides a comprehensive view of sustaining factors for lean manufacturing implementation. Hence, this study contributes to expanding the boundary of the existing literature and contributes to the body of knowledge while providing insights to practitioners in tailoring strategies to sustain lean manufacturing implementation and leverage their performance.

Tensile Properties of Isotropic and Anisotropic Magnetorheological Elastomer With and Without Magnetic Field Application

2023-05-31T03:10:21+00:00

In this study, two variations of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) tensile specimens were fabricated, differing in their isotropic and anisotropic configurations. The isotropic MRE exhibited randomly dispersed carbonyl iron particle (CIP), whereas the anisotropic featured longitudinally aligned CIP particles along the gauge length of the tensile sample. The formation of the anisotropic MRE involved utilizing an electromagnetic curing chamber, which facilitated the alignment of CIP particles during the elastomer curing process. A mold was specifically designed to produce samples conforming to the dimensions outlined in ASTMD412-F. Subsequently, a Finite Element Method Magnetics (FEMM) analysis was conducted to examine the magnetic flux within the curing device for the anisotropic MRE. Uniaxial tensile tests were conducted on both MRE types, both in the absence and presence of a 30 mT magnetic field applied transversely to the direction of CIP alignment. Results indicated that without a magnetic field, the anisotropic sample exhibited a slightly higher tensile strength, lower elongation, and higher modulus at 100% strain. However, when a magnetic field was introduced, the isotropic sample demonstrated a more pronounced increase in tensile strength, showing an 18.4% improvement compared to the 5.6% increase observed in the anisotropic sample. Similar trends were observed in the reduction of elongation, with a 14% decrease for isotropic and a 7% decrease for anisotropic samples. Additionally, the data on modulus at a 100% strain revealed a 22.3% increase in stiffness for the isotropic sample, while the anisotropic sample showed a 10.6% increase.

Rheological Analysis on Hardening of Magnetorheological Grease with Kerosene

2023-08-02T06:55:56+00:00

Magnetorheological grease (MRG) with dilution oils may suffer from reduced storage stability caused by oil separation. This phenomenon potentially causes a performance reduction of the material due to possible accelerated degradation of the grease medium. The long-term rheological behavior of MRG with kerosene (MRGK) was investigated in this study. MRGK was prepared with 10 wt% kerosene as the dilution oil, together with a sample of MRG without any kerosene as the control. A modular compact rheometer (MCR) was used to obtain rheological data from the MRG samples in an oscillatory strain sweep mode under the influence of magnetic fields, which ranged from 0A to 3A. After one year, the measurement was repeated to observe any changes to the rheology of MRG samples. Results showed a significant hardening of the sample diluted with kerosene, which mainly showed a drastic increase in off-state storage modulus at low strain. This was shown by the off-state storage modulus of MRGK, which after one year showed an increase of 15% in the initial storage modulus, and an increase of 2438% in the storage modulus at 10% strain. The MRG sample showed an increase of 50% and 47%, respectively. The on-state storage modulus did not appear to experience such a drastic change after one year. The study concluded that while dilution oil may be a promising candidate to reduce the initial viscosity of MRG, the resulting performance difference may compromise the long-term performance, and may even cause accelerated degradation when in use.

The Tribology Evaluation on a Four-Ball Tribometer Lubricated by Al2O3/PAG Nanolubricants

2024-01-10T05:27:23+00:00

Nanolubricants can improve the tribological properties for application in automotive systems. By reducing the friction rate of the internal components with nanolubricants, the service life of a compressor used in automotive air conditioning (AAC) can be extended. The investigation aims to determine the optimal volume concentration of nanolubricants for achieving the highest performance in tribological properties. Al2O3 nanoparticles dispersed in a polyalkylene glycol (PAG ND12) base at volume concentrations of 0.01%, 0.03%, and 0.05% were investigated to improve the lubrication system in the AAC compressor. The stability investigations were carried out by comparing absorbance conditions using a UV-Vis Spectrophotometer at each volume concentration for 210 days. Koehler's four-ball tribometer was used to measure coefficient of friction (COF) and friction torque at a load of 40.0 kg and a speed of 1200 rpm. The stability study of nanolubricant yielded average absorbance values of 0.752, 0.755, and 0.684, respectively. The average COF values of the nanolubricants of 0.01%, 0.03%, and 0.05% were 0.104, 0.078, and 0.117, while the pure lubricant was 0.095. Further investigation on friction torque resulted in a decrease in the pure lubricant of 0.064%, and for nanolubricant Al2O3/PAG ND12, a decrease of 0.087%, 0.057%, and 0.092%, respectively. The results indicated that a concentration of 0.03% produced the greatest reduction in COF and torque, namely 0.0078% and 0.0578%, correspondingly. Therefore, it is recommended to use Al2O3/PAG ND12 nanolubricant at a volume concentration of 0.03% because it is the most optimal in terms of stability and has the highest COF and frictional torque reduction.

Initial Study on Rheological Behaviour of Hydroxyapatites / Polylactic Acid Composite for 3D Printing Filament

2023-08-25T07:58:29+00:00

The present fused deposition modeling (FDM) printing process has concentrated on combining metal or ceramic filled with polymer because it could provide a strong composite in layered manufacturing technology in comparison to a single polymer material. However, the ability of the composite material to flow into the extruder becomes an obstacle because of the changes in the polymer concentration and dispersion of filler particles in producing the printed part. Hence, the rheological behavior of Hydroxyapatites (HAp) / Polylactic Acid (PLA) composite with different contents of HAp was studied to assess its ability to flow through the extruder during the 3D printing process. Measurements such as pycnometer density, thermal analysis (DSC) and FT-IR were performed on the composite feedstock containing a variation of 10% to 30% HAp powder. The feedstocks behavior then were characterized by rheological tests at three different temperatures (140 oC, 150 oC, and 160 oC). The composition of PLA/20HAp has produced optimum rheological behavior with effective flow behavior index (n) and activation energy (E) of 0.396 and 89.03 kJ/mol, respectively which is suitable for extruding out the HAp/PLA composite to become a 3D printing filament material.

A Comparative Study and Improved Bearing Fault Classifier Using Raw Vibration Data Under Limited Training Samples

2024-01-25T09:47:58+00:00

Artificial intelligence is gaining traction in bearing fault detection and diagnosis. Generally, signal processing and feature selection are carried out to facilitate the fault classification process; however, classification accuracy tends to degrade under limited training data. In this paper, various artificial intelligence (AI) classification models are studied and compared using raw vibration data without signal processing and feature engineering. A Cosine k-Nearest Neighbours (CosKNN)-based classification model is optimized by integrating a Segmentive Mechanism, resulting in an overall classification F1-score improvement to 90.8% compared to the original classifier's 76.9%. The comparative findings show that the proposed model is suitable for circumstances with limited availability of training data, signal processing tools, and feature engineering tuning.

Evaluation and Performance Improvement of Environmentally Friendly Sustainable Turning of 6063 Aluminum Alloy in Dry Conditions Using Grey Relational Analysis

2023-11-20T12:48:02+00:00

Sustainable machining has gained importance in recent years due to its environmental, economic, and societal implications. Aluminium (Al) 6063 alloy involves turning operation to make it suitable for various applications. The work's novelty is assessing the machining characteristics along with sustainability indicators. This study aims to find the best-turning parameters for machining Al 6063 alloy. The turning parameters considered were cutting speed, feed rate, and depth of cut. A cutting speed of 200 m/min, feed rate of 0.05 mm/rev, and depth of cut of 0.25 mm were the best parameter combinations for achieving a good machining response. From the response value of mean grey relational grade (GRG) and analysis of variance (ANOVA), the depth of cut ranks one with 34.38%, which is the most dominating parameter in achieving the sustainable machining of Al 6063 alloy. Through grey relational analysis, optimized machining parameters resulted in a 72.84 percent reduction in carbon emissions, 72.82 percent reduction in energy consumption, 18.58 percent reduction in cutting power, and 6.83 percent reduction in surface roughness considering the initial parameter settings and best machining parameters. The enhancement in total GRG was 0.1702, indicating improvement in the desired responses. As a result of this study, it is clear that appropriate machining parameter selection aids sustainable machining of Al 6063 alloy.

Development of a Dynamic Hitch Lift Controller using a Hybrid Control Strategy in A Heavy Combination Vehicle

2023-10-25T03:42:34+00:00

This study presents a novel hybrid control strategy for the active hitch system, named the Dynamic Hitch Lift (DHIL), comprising a hybrid controller and a force actuator. The controller was designed to mitigate longitudinal load transfer in heavy combination vehicles by reducing the semitrailer pitch rate and rejecting the pitch moment, assisted by the virtual Skyhook moment. The new controller can calculate the desired force of the DHIL actuator to counter incoming load transfer during harsh braking exceeding 0.5 g braking deceleration. The proposed controller was assessed using a verified 12-degrees-of-freedom tractor-semitrailer model in harsh braking tests across different vehicle configurations. The first evaluation involved a stability test to demonstrate the stability of the controller in reducing load transfer across different vehicle configurations. The second evaluation was on controller performance, which revealed that the dynamic vehicle response has efficiently reduced load transfer by up to 9.14%. The third evaluation has focused on the DHIL actuator performance, which indicated that the actuator generated a force of 159,197 N, which translated into a stepper motor torque of 1,695 Nm at a speed of 1,000 rpm. Simulation results affirmed that the proposed DHIL controller was stable and could effectively reduce longitudinal load transfer in heavy combination vehicles during harsh braking.

Effects of Pre-Injection and Antioxidants in a Diesel Engine Fuelled with Methyl Esters of Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel

2023-06-24T07:59:06+00:00

Diesel engines are significant contributors to air pollution, particularly through emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), smoke, and carbon monoxide (CO). Finding sustainable fuel alternatives and additives to reduce emissions without compromising engine performance is imperative for environmental and public health concerns. This study investigates the impact of adding tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) antioxidants to blends containing 20% Methyl Esters of Waste Cooking Oil (20MEOWCO) and 80% diesel fuel in Modified Common Rail Diesel (MCRD) engines. The experiment involves adjusting the pilot fuel injection timing to 36°CA bTDC (before Top Dead Centre) and the main injection timing to 15°CA bTDC, with a Nozzle Opening Pressure (NOP) of 500 bar. Biodiesel is produced from used cooking oil using standard procedures and then mixed with diesel fuel. Various concentrations of TBHQ are added to the 20MEOWCO fuel blend for the experiment. The findings indicate that introducing TBHQ in concentrations of 250 ppm and 500 ppm to the 20MEOWCO fuel blend results in a notable reduction of Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) emission by 13% in MCRD engines. However, this reduction in emissions comes at the expense of increased specific fuel consumption, which is observed to rise by 2.1%. Furthermore, the study highlights a rise in smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions by approximately 7–10% and 5-8%, respectively, under the experimental conditions. The results of this study suggest that the addition of TBHQ to 20MEOWCO blends holds promise for mitigating NOx emissions in MCRD engines.

Simulation of the Performance of an Electrically Turbocharged Engine Over an Urban Driving Cycle

2023-06-24T03:24:10+00:00

The study aimed to estimate the energy recovery potential of a decoupled electric turbocharger and its boosting ability in a spark-ignition engine using simulation-based work. Passenger vehicle engines operate at low loads and speeds, requiring characterization and estimation of energy available for recovery under normal driving conditions. A 1-D numerical model of the engine and boosting system was developed to predict energy recovery over steady-state full-load operating conditions, part-load conditions, and actual, transient Klang Valley and Kuala Lumpur drive cycle conditions. The electric turbocharged engine consists of two motors and a battery pack, which were modeled and utilized using GT-Power engine simulation software. The study found that the electrical turbocharger system could recover 0.57 kW and 0.50 kW at 2500 rpm and 3000 rpm, respectively. Part-load studies showed that the maximum amount of electrical energy recovered at 6500 rpm was 5.25 kW. Drive cycle analysis revealed that fuel consumption was the same for both engine models due to the similar turbocharger output performance and lower back pressure caused by the recalibrated wastegate controller. This was partially mitigated by the inclusion of two electric motors. Drive cycle analysis revealed that the electric turbocharger can perform better than a conventional turbocharger when optimized.

Dynamic Contact Characteristics Analysis of Heavy-duty Track Rollers

2024-01-10T08:02:48+00:00

As an important component of the crawler walking device, the track roller needs to withstand strong impact and is prone to failure, which can lead to serious economic losses. This paper focuses on the track roller of the spreader as the research subject and investigates the dynamic contact characteristics between the track roller and the track plate. Using RecurDyn software, a virtual prototype model of the crawler walking device is established to analyze the variation in a vertical dynamic load of the track roller under different working conditions. Simultaneously, a finite element model of the contact between the track roller and the track plate is developed using Ansys Workbench, and its accuracy is verified using Hertz contact theory. Finally, the study discusses various influencing factors on the contact characteristics, including load, curvature of the contacting bodies, and material yield strength. The results indicate that the track rollers experience the highest dynamic load when climbing a slope, reaching a maximum load of 1191.44 kN. Moreover, the maximum contact stress is 1750.4 MPa, and the maximum Mises stress is 921.34 MPa during this operation. Importantly, when the load reaches 1218 kN, the maximum Mises stress of the track roller is 930.2 MPa, which may lead to roller failure after prolonged use. These findings provide valuable insights for the design and optimization of heavy-duty track rollers and offer significant assistance for various tracked vehicles.

Discharge and Thermal Distribution Characteristics of Electric Vehicle Battery Pack in Closed Circuit System

2024-02-05T09:07:03+00:00

This paper presents an experimental study of the depth of discharge (DOD) and temperature distribution characteristics at different locations of the lithium-ion battery (LIB) pack in the closed circuit system. Three different discharge power setups i.e., 600 W, 800 W, and 1000 W are prepared for investigating the depth of discharge and temperature characteristics of commercial LIB. Voltage measurement was implemented to achieve the DOD curve, while thermocouple measurement was used to identify real-time temperature at four different locations of the LIB. As a result, internal resistance and discharging time tend to be increased, while the voltage and current decline linearly from 0% to 80% of LIB capacity. Discharge power greatly affected the four variables when the process continued to the 10% cut-off voltage. Furthermore, the heat generation of the LIB caused a rise in temperature on its surface. The highest temperature was identified on the LIB cell surface followed by an air gap, internal surface casing, and external surface casing temperature. Among all locations, the real-time temperature on the LIB surface operated close to the upper limit of optimum temperature. Due to that reason, increasing of discharge power should be maintained to extend battery cycle life as well as to prevent battery failure. The high-temperature difference between the LIB surface and air gap during the discharging process indicated that there is required heat transfer enhancement.