An Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) for Smart Vehicle Concepts has been established at the Ohio State University. The I/UCRC will focus on novel and emerging trends in vehicle design where smart structures, next generation suspension or mounting devices, vastly improved actuators or valves, and intelligent sensors will be integrated to develop ground vehicles of the future.
In addition to providing relevant research results to industry, the Center will be a source of information and education, not only to university students, but also to practicing engineers. The I/UCRC will help the U.S. automotive industries to remain competitive in an increasingly difficult global economy.
This is the Project Outcome Report of NSF Grant 0732517, the Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (SVC). The SVC launched in July 2007 at The Ohio State University (OSU) with funding from NSF and industrial members. The lead institution (OSU) received significant national visibility through the SVC and attracted an average of nearly twelve full members from 2007 to 2012. Texas A&M University entered into discussions with OSU in October 2007, and a proposal to become a multi-site Center was submitted in March 2008. Texas A&M officially joined the SVC in July 2008. The mission of the SVC is as follows: 1. Conduct basic and applied research in advanced smart materials for application to vehicle sub-systems and components, as well as smart sensors or design/diagnostics methods that could reduce the vehicle developmental process; 2. Build an unmatched base of research, engineering education, and technology transfer with emphasis on improved automotive performance, unprecedented safety improvements and enhanced vehicle efficiency; and 3. Develop well-trained engineers and researchers (at the MS and PhD levels) with experimental and system integration viewpoints to complement theoretical understanding. Basic center expertise includes smart materials, noise and vibration control, nonlinear dynamics, piezoelectric materials, active polymers, and power transmission and gearing, to name a few. Over the life of Phase I, 28 memberships were involved, 14 of which were founding members. Members include: large companies like Honda R&D, Boeing, Goodyear, Moog, Eaton, and Hyundai-Kia Motors; small companies like YUSA and F.tech; government laboratories like Army Research Lab and NASA Glenn, and the Space Engineering Institute; and R&D institutions like the Transportation Research Center, Edison Welding Institute, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Three small business members (Advanced Numerical Solutions, Solidica, Lynntech) joined through the NSF Supplemental Opportunities for SBIR Memberships. The OSU site of the SVC generated over $2.2M in industrial membership fees and over $2.6M in additional funds for SVC research. The SVC supported 22 projects at 2 universities, involving the participation of 6 faculty, 25 PhD students, 20 MS students, and 17 BS students. Additionally, the Center produced 13 PhD dissertations, 14 MS theses, and 8 BS Honors theses. Five SVC graduates were be hired by Center industrial sponsors. Three of those became members of the SVC’s industrial advisory board. During Phase I, the SVC produced 55 peer-reviewed publications, 65 conference publications, 67 oral presentations at national and international conferences, and 2 invention disclosures. Efforts by the director to attract high-quality graduate students, add new faculty with relevant technical expertise, and emphasize the importance of conveying Center research results at major national and international meetings and via publication in first-rank journals were critical to the ultimate success of the Center. Evidence of Research Products and their Availability: Smart Materials Database Software: A research team at OSU developed a new software package that organizes, tabulates, and calculates information on smart materials not currently available from a single source. The user-friendly, comprehensive database enables fast, cost-effective selection of smart materials for designing devices, systems, simulations, and corresponding industrial applications. Smart materials in the database include dielectric elastomer, piezoelectric materials, shape memory alloys, etc. Design Concept for Smart Seat Belts: It utilizes flexible smart polymer sensors woven in the seat belt webbing for measuring chest force. Ultrasonic vibrations created by a small piezoelectric actuator (embedded in the D-ring) automatically adjust the friction force between the D-ring and webbing, maintaining a desired constant chest force during a crash event. This should enable higher occupant safety using compact, lightweight mechanisms that lead to improved fuel economy. Load Monitoring of a Shaft-Bearing System: Rolling element bearings must be preloaded to reduce large deflections due to external loads, enhance fatigue life, reduce noise, prevent skidding, and reduce rattle due to clearances. However, the effect of bearing preloads on the modes of an assembly is not well understood. This research investigates the role of bearing preloads on modal characteristics of a shaft-bearing system. Experiments demonstrate that bearing preloads cause shifts in natural frequencies and resonant amplitudes. Proposed theory has been experimentally validated. Characterization of Fluid Filled Bushings: Hydraulic bushings are widely used as interfacial elements in vehicle suspensions and sub-frames to improve ride and handling performance and provide efficient vibration isolation. SVC has developed a laboratory prototype with configurable long and short fluid passages in a controlled manner. The prototype permits systematic experimental characterization of various well known bushing designs employed in practice. Experimentally validated analytical models have helped guide the design of this prototype and identified new areas for future research and innovative designs.
