December 2014 SVC Newsletter

Smart Vehicle Concepts Center December 2014 Newsletter

12 December 2014

 

Mission

The mission of the Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (SVC) is as follows: (1) Conduct basic and applied research on the characterization of smart materials, and the development of adaptive sensors, actuators and devices (based on active materials and control methods) for application to vehicle sub-systems and components; (2) Build an unmatched base of research, engineering education, and technology transfer with emphasis on improved vehicle performance; and (3) Develop well-trained engineers and researchers (at the MS and PhD levels) with both experimental and theoretical viewpoints.

 

SVC Membership

Members in 2014

• Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations
• Eaton Innovation Center
• F.Tech R&D
• Honda R&D Americas Inc. (4 memberships)
• MIT Lincoln Laboratory
• Moog Inc.
• NASA Glenn*
• REL Inc.*
• Tenneco*
• Toyota Technical Center
• Transportation Research Center, Inc. (2 memberships)

Invited Observers

• LMS Intl.
• MSC Software Corp.
• Romax Technology

Key: *New Membership

 

Welcome New Members

• Honda R&D Americas (4^th Membership)
• NASA Glenn (IAB representative Vivake Asnani)
• REL, Inc. (IAB representative Adam Loukus)
• Tenneco (IAB representative Hal Henry)

 

Winter 2015 Meeting Information

• Eighth Semi-Annual Meeting for SVC Members & Guests
• Dates: Feb. 12 (Thurs.) to Feb. 13 (Friday), 2015
• Location: The Ohio State University, E100 Scott Laboratory, 201 West 19^th Avenue, Columbus, OH  43210

Tentative Events: (see agenda for details)

• Overview of SVC and review of selected research topics on Feb. 12  (open to guests)
• Lab tours with student poster display on Feb. 12 (open to guests)
• Short Course on Smart Sensors by M. Schiefer of PCB/The Modal Shop on Feb. 12 (open to guests)
• Review of sponsored projects on Feb. 13 (Sponsors Only)
• Industrial Advisory Board Meetings (2 sessions – Industrial Advisory Board Members Only)

Please visit our meetings page often for updates!

 

Summer 2014 Project Review and IAB Meeting Held at Ohio State University

The Smart Vehicle Concept Center held its Seventh Annual Summer Meeting 11-12 September 2014 at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. The meeting opened with a short course on “High Power Ultrasonic Manufacturing Processes” given by Dr. Karl Graff of Edison Welding Institute.  This was followed by an overview of the Center and selected research projects as well as guest talks from Dr. Sandeep Vijayakar from ANSOL on High Fidelity Models of Transmissions, Dr. William Marras of the OSU Department of Integrated System Engineering on Human Systems Integration in Manufacturing and Product Design, and Dr. Janet Weisenburger of the OSU Office of Academic Affairs on Ohio State’s Driving Simulation Lab.  The open session concluded laboratory tours and student posters and demonstrations. Technical sessions presented detailed reports regarding the sponsored projects on Day 2. The Industrial Advisory Board convened twice during this meeting: once after the open session and once after the technical presentations. The Board discussed strategic planning and member perspectives (among other topics) during the first meeting.  The second Board meeting consisted of Center plans and LIFE project review discussions. These items are made available to Board members and Center members. Contact Prof. Raj Singh for that information.

 

Winter 2014 Project Review and IAB Meeting Report

The Seventh Semi-Annual Winter Meeting of the Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (SVC) was held on 13-14 February 2014 at The Ohio State University.  Dr. Marcelo Dapino delivered a short course on “Smart Materials and Devices.” Faculty and student researchers discussed ongoing projects. Members provided feedback on ongoing work, offered new ideas, and directed future research problems.  The Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) held two meetings: the first one to discuss the strategic planning and the second one to discuss general center operations.

 

Center Publications

This year has been good for Smart Vehicle Concepts Center publications. Thirty publications either appeared in prestigious journals or were presented at conferences managed by such professional societies as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.  Several more are in press or in review.  A list of SVC publications from 2007 to present has been compiled and presented to the Industrial Advisory Board.  Please contact Prof. Raj Singh (singh.3@osu.edu) for this list.

 

An Overview of Selected Projects

An Innovative Capstone Design Experience Based on Simulation

During the 2013-14 academic year a new ME Capstone Design (ME 4903) section was piloted at OSU with the goal to create a culture of simulation methods to solve noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) problems while improving the skills of Ohio State undergraduate students to solve industry-defined problems.  This initiative program was funded by the General Motors Foundation, and the project was conceived by Prof. Raj Singh of OSU and Ms. Karen Morely of GM.  The piloted section included 18 students grouped under 4 project teams, under the able supervision of Dr. Jason Dreyer and Dr. Scott Noll.  Two GM industry mentors, Dr. Steven Shi and Ms. Rene Kreis, met regularly with the teams and provided technical feedback as well as a perspective into the relevance of project course work to current real-world vehicle issues. 

 

Figure 1: GM mentor Rene Kreis meeting with ME Capstone Design students to review their computational models of a designed test stand to characterize the dynamic properties of a ball bearing, motivated by a steering wheel “shake” phenomenon.

 

The project topics included the analysis of front and rear brake system dynamics from the brake squeal perspective, steering wheel system dynamics and vibration, and dynamic characterization of a ball bearing with an application to steering wheel “shake” phenomenon. In their projects, the student teams utilized a combination of analytical, computational, and experimental tools. Dr. Steven Shi, a project mentor and engineer from the GM Technical Center, remarked “From the ME undergrads capstone, I can easily see the time, effort, and energy they put into the project, and amount of knowledge they learned by doing it hand-on.  I am amazed to see how efficiently they could do the testing and create finite element models with measurements. The technical experience as well as team work and communication skills they learned from the capstone project will be invaluable to their future career.”

 

Figure 2: Examples of projects.

 

Through this novel program, students gained valuable experience in the experimental and computational aspects of NVH while studying industry-relevant problems and design practices.  Students learned with new and life-long skills, while working on real-life problems with meaningful design constraints.  Rich Eckenrode, a graduating senior in the course noted, “The project we worked on is a great real world problem that is studied during automotive design, and the process we went through allowed us to accurately identify where NVH issues would arise in the steering wheel column. The design and finite element analysis experience that I gained through the ME 4903 Capstone project was a major talking point during my interview with Ford and ultimately led to a job offer from them.” The students successfully presented their final reports to the GM team and then showcased their work at the OSU Capstone Design Showcase on April 18, 2014.  External industry visitors to the showcase liked the course outline and goals, often remarking that this type of course work truly simulates their daily engineering design experience. 

This innovative program is continued in 2014-2015 through the support of the SVC Center and supplemental funds from Honda R&D, as a new permanent section ME Capstone Design on “Simulation Based Capstone Design for High Performance.” Teams of 4 to 5 students are working on automotive design problems, defined by collaboration with Honda R&D engineers, on topics related to SVC Project #20 Characterization of Interfacial Mechanisms and SVC Project #40 Passive and Adaptive Bushings and Mounts.  We look forward to sharing the progress of the students and program in Winter 2015 meeting. 

 

SVC Project #46: Mechanoluminescent Paintable Light Sources for Automotive Applications

The motivation for light emitting paints arises from the requirement for a continuous light source with minimal space requirements for interior styling and product differentiation in automotive cabin design. Realization of this concept requires utilization of a suitable light emission mechanism like photoluminescence, electroluminescence or mechanoluminescence. Light emission due to mechanical action, or mechanoluminescence (ML), is the best candidate for this engineering application as it does not require any external photo-excitation or electrical connectivity as required for other two mechanisms. Copper and manganese-doped zinc sulfide phosphors incorporated into siloxane matrices show intense ML when deformed elastically. This ML intensity is currently being calibrated against the applied strain and stress. Dependence of ML of the phosphor particles on their chemical composition, size and crystal structure have been studied and the parameters are being optimized for maximum ML intensity. We are working towards uniformly dispersing the phosphors powders in paint solvents such as polyurethanes and spray painting onto metallic sheets activated mechanically by induced stress waves. 

 

SVC Project #47: Multifunctional Magnetostrictive Systems: Experiments and Computer Simulation

SVC researchers are investigating how magnetostrictive materials, which strain when exposed to magnetic fields and create a magnetic field when stressed, can be used in multifunctional systems across automotive and aerospace applications. A team led by Prof. Marcelo Dapino which includes doctoral students Justin Scheidler, Zhangxian Deng, and Hafez Tari, along with undergraduate researcher Brian Neilon, is focused on the fundamental understanding of Galfenol devices in relation to three functions: stiffness tuning, vibration absorption, and energy harvesting.  Galfenol, a magnetostrictive alloy of iron and gallium, exhibits actuation and sensing properties in combination with fast mechanical response (in the kHz range), excellent thermal tolerance up to 675 ^oC, and most notably for a smart material, mechanical strength comparable to low carbon steels. With this unique set of properties, Galfenol devices can be placed in the load path while also providing the feature-rich performance space that is characteristic of magnetostrictive materials, including an electrically-tunable elastic modulus, variable force output through magnetic (remote) excitation, and ability to store magnetic energy when mechanically vibrated. In collaboration with NASA Glenn Research Center scientists Vivake Asnani and Dr. Timothy Krantz, Dapino’s team has conducted detailed experiments that elucidate how Galfenol responds both magnetically and mechanically when vibrated at a frequency of up to 1 kHz. These measurements inform and validate high-fidelity finite element models being developed for the purpose of aiding the design of multifunctional Galfenol devices that can be placed, for example, in helicopter gearboxes to simultaneously mitigate vibration and harvest mechanical energy. To make these models useful to practicing engineers, the team is developing a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows users to create virtual designs for Galfenol devices that do not require ultimate expertise on magnetostrictive materials. This level of computing accuracy and practicality is only possible due to sophisticated nonlinear models for Galfenol systems that have been developed over time by Dapino’s group. This computational environment is expected to be useful to both aerospace and automotive design engineers, the latter group represented in this pre-competitive study by Duane Detwiler, a Chief Engineer for Vehicle Research at Honda R&D who is also part of the research team.

Figure 1

Figure 2

 

 

SVC Students Graduated in 2014

Name, Degree Earned, SVC Project	Where Are They Now
Ben Joodi, MS, SVC #40C	Ford Motor Company
Adam Miller, MS, SVC #20C	Honda R&D
Joshua Pritchard, MS, SVC # 43	Honda R&D
Mark Riggs, MS, SVC Basic Research	US Army Aberdeen Proving Grounds
Laihang Li, PhD, SVC Basic Research	F.tech, then Ford Motor Company
Jared Liette, PhD, SVC # 42	OSU Post-Doctoral Research
Sriram Sundar, PhD, SVC Basic Research	F.tech, then GE R&D Center, India
John Larson, PhD, SVC # 1	General Motors
Hafez Tari, PhD, SVC # 47C	Self-Employed

 

SVC Graduates Sound Off

Dr. Sriram Sundar:  “SVC had been instrumental in providing a platform through which I could understand the expectations technical/research needs of the industry while being a graduate student. Furthermore, it provided me a good opportunity to connect with the experts from different areas to share each others' ideas and get a positive feedback on my research. The transition from academia to industry was very smooth mainly because of the exposure that I got from SVC.”

 

Dr. Laihang Li: "From the technology side, SVC offers an excellent platform where I learn how to convert the cutting-edge theory in the university to the real-world application. From the education side, I also earn the wonderful opportunities to develop the leadership skills and project management abilities which are extremely important in the industry."

 

Dr. Tan Chai: “SVC provides a platform for students to interface with industry. We had the opportunities to tour companies' laboratories, meet with and present to more than 14 sponsors, and communicate with engineers on technical issues. I gained better understanding of how fundamental knowledge is applied in practice and learned useful communication skills from these SVC activities.”

 

SVC Students & Researchers Receive Awards & Scholarships

• John Scheick received the 2014 Leo Beranek Undergraduate Student Medal for Excellence in the Study of Noise Control awarded by the Institute of Noise Control Engineers (INCE).
• Michael Krak received the 2014 Leo Beranek Graduate Student Medal for Excellence in the Study of Noise Control awarded by the Institute of Noise Control Engineers (INCE).
• Joseph Plattenburg received the Ohio Space Grant Consortium’s 2014-2015 Doctoral Fellowship.
• Sheng Dong was awarded the 2014 Autumn Semester Presidential Fellowship by The Ohio State University Graduate School. He also served as a student intern at Honda R&D Americas during Summer 2014.
• Justin Scheidler was the runner up of the 2014 International Converence on Smart Materials and Structures & Non-Destructive Evaluation Best Student Paper Award. Justin's NASA Aeronautics Scholarship was renewed for 2015.
• Zhangxian Deng was a finalist for the 2014 International Conference on Smart Materials and Structures & Non-Destructive Evalutation Best Student Paper Award.
• John Larson was given The Ohio State University MAE Department Award for Graduating PhD Students.
• Prof. Marcelo Dapino received the 2014 Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education from the OSU College of Engineering for his creative research and education at the intersection of advanced technology that addresses real world problems, as well as for his outstanding mentorship of students.
• Prof. Rajendra Singh received The Ohio State University Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering’s Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award (in May 2014) and was also elected into the inaugural class of OSU’s Emeritus Academy (in November 2014).
• Dr. Jason Dreyer received The Ohio State University College of Engineering’s Lumley Research Award for 2014. The Lumley Engineering Research Awards are presented to a select group of outstanding researchers in the College of Engineering who have shown exceptional activity and success in pursuing new knowledge of a fundamental or applied nature.

 

Project Information

For information about the SVC’s current project, please view our quadslide presentations which can be found here: Quadslides of current projects.

 

2015 SVC Meeting Dates

Winter 2015 Project Review and IAB Meeting Eighth Semi-Annual Meeting for SVC Members & Guests 12 – 13 February 2015 Meeting will be held at The Ohio State University

Summer 2015 Project Review and IAB Meeting Eighth Annual  Meeting for SVC Members & Guests in Autumn Semester 2015   Tentative Time: Week of 17 August 2015 Tentative Location: Honda R&D, Ohio.

 

 

Useful NSF I/UCRC Information for Sponsors and Potential Sponsors

http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/

 

Item	Description
NSF Presentation for New and Potential Members (link no longer functions)	“Catalysts for Change", a short NSF produced video, gives you a glimpse of how an I/UCRC operates and how industry partners with universities to develop new ideas, processes, and devices. This video overviews the history of I/UCRCs, provides insight into how I/UCRCs work, and shows some of I/UCRC's best success stories.
Sample Membership Agreement for Industry Partners http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/sample_agreement_form.jsp	Industry/University Cooperative Research Center Typical Membership Agreement
Sample Membership Agreement for Associations and Institutions http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/memb_agree_assoc_industry.doc	Sample Center Dissemination Agreement for Institutes and Associations (Note: Downloadable Word File)
Small Business (SBIR) Opportunity http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503192&org=IIP&from=home	NSF invites supplemental requests for Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) grantees to join an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC). The supplements are intended to accelerate the innovation process by partnering industry-relevant academic research with commercialization focused small business research.
Government MIPRs and IIAs http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/mipr.jsp	A Military Interdepartmental Purchase Request (MIPR) or Inter-Agency Agreement (IAA) is a mechanism that a Federal Agency can use to buy a membership in an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC).
Technology Breakthroughs http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/tech_breakthroughs.jsp	Offers downloadable compendiums of breakthroughs made by I/UCRCs.
Video on the I/UCRC Program http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/iucrc_video.jsp	This 20 minute video about the I/UCRC program and its centers was produced under an NSF grant. NSF takes no responsibility for the views or opinions contained within this material (make sure your Adobe Flash player is up to date).
Executive summary and project portfolios http://www.nsf.gov/eng/iip/iucrc/exec_summary_portfolios.jsp	Executive Summary – I/UCRC Project Initiation Form - Word Document