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 CONTENTS
FEATURES REGULARS
16 NVH 2019 COVER STORY 2 Editorial: The unforgettable pyramid
16 Rethinking aluminum for NVH abatement on the hood
Engineers, abandon those mastics! New “quiet” materials 4 Supplier Eye
solutions are at hand.
6 Technology Report
20 Paradigm shift in NVH 6 ICE researchers: 50% gasoline-engine
A new wave of vehicle technologies is changing the way efficiency in sight | PROPULSION
Brüel & Kjaer attacks noise, vibration and harshness. 8 EMBATT looks to double the driving range
of EVs | ELECTRIFICATION
22 How a Tier 2 tackles NVH
Saint-Gobain invested in anechoic testing so small components 9 Ford amped for new phase of hybrid-electric
can make a big NVH difference. offensive | PROPULSION
10 As automotive climates shift, GKN ramps up
24 Reducing NVH through refined its winter testing | TESTING | SIMULATION
powertrain measurement
The C1000 vastly simplifies measuring the mass matrix of 12 Road Ready
heavy, odd shaped engines and powertrains. 12 Mazda finally ready with Skyactiv-D for U.S.
13 2020 Escape: Ford’s first crossover on new
26 Foam for NVH solutions global FWD architecture
New innovations for a wide variety of sound-deadening applications.
15 New design for 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
28 Long time coming: 2020 Corvette as brand awaits alliance’s new platforms, products

VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT | CORVETTE C8 GENESIS 36 Product Briefs

After six decades of teasing enthusiasts with intriguing concepts, Spotlights: Test & Measurement for NVH; Data
Chevrolet is launching an all-new Corvette with its engine located Acquisition Tools
where Zora intended—behind the driver.
38 Reader Feedback
34 Protecting high-voltage circuits 40 Companies Mentioned, Ad Index
ELECTRONICS | YAZAKI’S NEW TECH
Yazaki readies a new solution for arc suppression in circuits of 48V or more. Follow us on social media

ON THE COVER
This sophisticated ‘Head And Torso Simulator’ made by Brüel & @SAEAutoMag @saeaei SAE Magazines

Kjaer contains a microphone array. Dubbed “Mr. HATS” by the B&K

engineers, it’s one of many essential tools used regularly at the
well-equipped joint technical center of B&K and MSC Corp. in
Canton, Mich. (Lindsay Brooke)
Automotive Engineering®, June 2019, Volume 6, Number 6. Automotive Engineering (ISSN
2331-7639) is published in January, February, March, April, May, June, September, October, and
with combined issues July/August and November/December by Tech Briefs Media Group, an
SAE International Company ®, 261 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1901, New York, NY 10016 and printed in
Mechanicsburg, PA. Copyright © 2019 SAE International. Annual print subscription for SAE
members: first subscription, $15 included in dues; additional single copies, $30 each North
America, $35 each overseas. Prices for nonmember subscriptions are $115 North America, $175
overseas. Periodicals postage paid at New York, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:

10
Please send address changes to Automotive Engineering, P. O. Box 3525, Northbrook, IL
60062. SAE International is not responsible for the accuracy of information in the editorial,
articles, and advertising sections of this publication. Readers should independently evaluate
the accuracy of any statement in the editorial, articles, and advertising sections of this
publication that are important to him/her and rely on his/her independent evaluation. For
permission to reproduce or use content in other media, contact copyright@sae.org. To
purchase reprints, contact advertising@sae.org. Claims for missing issues of the magazine
must be submitted within a six-month time frame of the claimed issue’s publication date. The
Automotive Engineering title is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Full issues
and feature articles are included in the SAE Digital Library. For additional information, free
demos are available at www.saedigitallibrary.org.
(ISSN 2331-7639 print)
(ISSN 2331-7647 digital)

Audited by

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING June 2019 1

 EDITORIAL NY, NJ, OH:
Ryan Beckman
+1.973.409.4687
Bill Visnic
rbeckman@techbriefs.com
Editorial Director
Bill.Visnic@sae.org PA/DE:
Desiree Stygar

EDITORIAL
Lindsay Brooke
+1.908.300.2539
Editor-in-Chief
dstygar@techbriefs.com
Lindsay.Brooke@sae.org
Midwest/Great Lakes:
Paul Seredynski
IN, MI, WI, IA, IL, MN
Senior Editor
Chris Kennedy
Paul.Seredynski@sae.org
+1.847.498.4520, x3008
Ryan Gehm ckennedy@techbriefs.com
Associate Editor
Midwest/Central Canada:
The unforgettable pyramid on the hood Ryan.Gehm@sae.org
Jennifer Shuttleworth
KS, KY, MO, NE, ND, SD, ON, MB
Bob Casey
Associate Editor +1.847.223.5225
If you’re old enough to remember 1990, gine mount guys (not to mention the Jennifer.Shuttleworth@sae.org bobc@techbriefs.com

you may recall the best television ad of UZ-series engine team) had achieved Lisa Arrigo Southern CA, AZ, NM,
Custom Electronic Rocky Mountain States:
the year. It showed the front end of the success in the critical NVH realm. Products Editor Tim Powers
Lisa.Arrigo@sae.org +1.424.247.9207
all-new Lexus LS400 sedan against a But “smooth and quiet” were the im- tpowers@techbriefs.com
black background. A multi-level pyra- mediate defining points of the original Contributors Northern CA, WA, OR,
Western Canada:
mid of champagne glasses glistened in LS. I dug out my reporter’s notebook Kami Buchholz Craig Pitcher
Detroit Editor
the center of the car’s hood. from the LS media launch, with some +1.408.778.0300
cpitcher@techbriefs.com
Stuart Birch
It was demonstration time, and the pages of key impressions from a round- European Editor
demo was all about Noise, Vibration table interview with Suzuki-san. Our Terry Costlow International
Electronic Technologies Editor
and Harshness—and the lack of it. group of reporters and editors zeroed in Europe – Central & Eastern:
Sven Anacker
The voice-over—a mature male voice on how this car’s highway-ride quality— Ian Adcock, Steven Ashley,
Matthew Borst, Dan Carney, Britta Steinberg
speaking with supreme confidence—hint- but mainly its impressively placid cab- Bruce Morey, Don Sherman, +49.202.27169.11
sa@intermediapartners.de
Paul Weissler
ed that the car you were looking at was in—were executed. steinberg@intermediapartners.de

already a luxury-class leader, even though “Focus on details; do not meet bench- Europe – Western:

it was only then arriving at marks—exceed them; and

DESIGN Chris Shaw
+44.1270.522130
dealers. Then, for a mo- Lexus’s Fundamental Engineering”
Lois Erlacher
Creative Director
chris.shaw@chrisshawmedia.co.uk

stunning TV
China:
ment, the speaking are three bullet points I Ray Carlson Alan Ao
Associate Art Director +86.21.6140.8920
stopped. With creamy scrawled to record the
smoothness the engine spot boldly chief engineer’s translated
alan.ao@sae.org

SALES & Japan:

started…and the throttle showed the answers from our confab.
MARKETING
Shigenori Nagatomo
+81.3.3661.6138
was opened wide. The outcome, as a product,
public—and
Nagatomo-pbi@gol.com
Joe Pramberger
With Lexus’s four-cam remains impressive to me Publisher
South Korea:

4.0-L V8 wailing at red-
line, not a single cham-
pagne glass moved. The
pyramid stood. My jaw
dropped, even though I
had seen a preview of the
competitors’
today when I see an old LS
on the street—particularly
engineers—
considering that cars in
that Toyota’s 1990 were not blessed with
new luxury the off-the-shelf NVH-
abating solutions that we
Eun-Tae Kim
joe@techbriefs.com +82-2-564-3971/2
ksae1@ksae.org
Debbie Rothwell
Marketing Director
drothwell@techbriefs.com
Integrated Media
Martha Tress
Recruitment Sales Manager Consultants
+1.724.772.7155
Martha.Tress@sae.org
Angelo Danza
+1.973.874.0271

ad (and the same demon- division now take for granted.

REGIONAL
adanza@techbriefs.com
Christian DeLalla
stration) a few days ear-
lier, at the car’s U.S. media
flagship was Multi-laminate acoustic
glass did not envelop the
SALES
+1.973.841.6035
christiand@techbriefs.com

launch at Road America. the smoothest entire greenhouse, nor did North America Casey Hanson
+1.973.841.6040

That stunning TV spot
boldly showed the public—
and competitors’ (Mercedes
and BMW) engineers—that
Toyota’s new luxury division
flagship was the smoothest passenger
vehicle on the planet. Sure, the smooth-
passenger
chanson@techbriefs.com
intricate triple seals wrap New England/Eastern Canada:
ME, VT, NH, MA, RI, QC Patrick Harvey
all four doors. Ed Marecki
vehicle on the
+1.973.409.4686
+1.401.351.0274 pharvey@techbriefs.com
And this was before the emarecki@techbriefs.com
planet. days of adhesive bonding CT:
Stan Greenfield
Todd Holtz
+1.973.545.2566
tholtz@techbriefs.com
in volume production— +1.203.938.2418
greenco@optonline.net Rick Rosenberg
carefully placed spot welds held it all +1.973.545.2565
Mid-Atlantic/Southeast/TX:
tightly together, thank you very much. MD, DC, VA, WV, TN, NC, SC, GA,
rrosenberg@techbriefs.com

and-serene message wasn’t new in car Finite-element tools and sound-and- FL, AL, MS, LA, AR, OK, TX
Ray Tompkins
Scott Williams
+1.973.545.2464
ads, but Lexus’s sublime shocker was or- resonance testing (and the general +1.281.313.1004 swilliams@techbriefs.com
rayt@techbriefs.com
ders-of-magnitude more effective. For state of know-how in these fields) were
those of us covering the new LS’s techni- almost rudimentary in 1990, compared SUBSCRIPTIONS
cal development, the ad encapsulated the with those offered by Brüel & Kjaer and +1.866.354.1125
AUE@OMEDA.COM
detail-obsessed focus of chief project en- others today. The current state of NVH
gineer Ichiro Suzuki and the results of his practice continues to advance, bringing
team’s work, in secret, over seven years. the expectations of the end customer— REPRINTS
Jill Kaletha
A V8 spinning at 5,500 rpm without as driver and passenger—along with +1.574.347.4211
disrupting the glasses delicately them at a steady pace. jkaletha@mossbergco.com

stacked a few inches above it certainly

proved Suzuki’s body structure and en- Lindsay Brooke, Editor-in-Chief

2 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

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SUPPLIER EYE
Enter the dragon
Those playing in the global automotive field
have to keep their eyes on various new ‘curve
balls’ that are winding their way toward home
plate. Among them are the ever-present trade
‘discussions’ surrounding the U.S.-China relation-
ship, steel and aluminum tariffs and the ongoing
instability of Brexit. Behind the scenes, however,
another potentially more impactful force is
building that will invariably alter the industry’s
trajectory: China’s emergence as a major manu-
facturing base.
More than the largest single vehicle market
and the home to more vehicle-making OEMs
than any other country, China’s role in shaping
automotive strategy is industry-critical.
Even the occasional observer understands
China’s impact, with more than 26 million light
vehicles forecast to be built in 2019 according to
IHS Markit, accounting for 28% of global volume.
Despite the vehicle demand issues which have
plagued China since late last year, the market is
slated to rise to almost 34 million units by
2025—nearly a third of global output.
From a strategic perspective, OEMs and sup-
pliers cannot ignore a third of any market.
Understanding this, China yields significant sway
not only from a volume perspective—though it
now drives scale economies and steers invest-
ment trajectory towards increased levels of elec-
tric propulsion to support compliance. Beyond
the volume dynamics, China now is clearing a
global path.
OEMs must now prioritize China’s impact
within their global strategy. By 2025, IHS Markit
fully expects that more than 35% of both
General Motors and Volkswagen Group’s global
output will emanate from China. With this as a
backdrop, one now understands the significant
investments in both electrification and mobility
that these and other global OEMs are funneling
2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
China Light Vehicle Production (mil) 1.9 5.2 16.8 23.7 30.6 33.7 35.5
Global Share 3.3% 8.2% 22.6% 26.7% 30.1% 30.5% 31.2%
4 June 2019
towards these growth technologies. Ensuring
success in China is at the forefront.
This ability to influence future technology di-
rection also allows for the formation of stronger
domestic OEMs and suppliers—using scale and
innovation to expand beyond China’s borders.
The best example is Geely, whose collection of
brands (including Volvo) and collaboration with
Daimler—and with sights firmly affixed on growth
inside and outside of China—make it a force.
Other China-based OEMs are slated to eclipse a
Michael Robinet million global units into the next decade. These
Managing Director include BAIC, Changan, Great Wall and SAIC.
IHS Markit A host of new BEV players—NIO, Byton, SF
michael.robinet Motors and scores of other startups—are using
@ihsmarkit.com China’s NEV (New Electric Vehicle) regulation to
underpin their future moves.
The supplier side also is gaining steam. Key
A growing players such as Minth (exteriors), Fuyao (glass),
roster of Joyson (combining Key Safety and the former
Takata), Nexteer (chassis), Yapp (fuel systems),
Chinese Yanfeng (interior systems), CATL (batteries) and
companies even innovative tiered players such as robotics
maker Kuka, are already playing an influential
are already role. Chinese-owned suppliers have established
playing an multi-sector capabilities on a global scale, driven
by innovation, efficiency and increasingly, quality.
influential role Government’s regulatory support to legislate
in the global increased levels of electrified propulsion into the
2020s also will provide a growth platform for
automotive other optimized systems such as HVAC, suspen-
supply chain. sion, structures, ADAS and other core systems.
A third of the global market, with improved ex-
Challenge or ecution and the formation of several capable
opportunity? OEMs and suppliers, underscores the need for
the industry to take seriously China’s influence.
Smart suppliers need to integrate a strategy
that strongly considers China’s regulatory direc-
tion, growing OEM base and globally-capable
suppliers. They cannot afford to do otherwise.
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TECHNOLOGY
REPORT
PROPULSION
ICE researchers: 50% gasoline-engine efficiency in sight
The Delphi Gen3X gasoline direct-injection
compression-ignition (GDCI) engine has demonstrated
roughly 43.5% thermal efficiency, but developers say
there’s potential for more.
Speaking at the SAE High-Efficiency IC Engine
Symposium preceding SAE’s WCX19 conference
in Detroit, the lead researcher for a long-run-
ning, Delphi Technologies-directed program to
maximize the thermal efficiency of gasoline en-
gines said the latest developments show prom-
ise for delivering a production-ready gasoline
engine that approaches 50% thermal efficiency.
Mark Sellnau directed the program to develop
Delphi’s gasoline direct-injection compression-
ignition (GDCI) combustion system before leav-
ing the company to join Aramco. He presented
results of testing of the third-generation of the
GDCI 4-cylinder engine dubbed Gen3X. Sellnau
summarized the analysis in a recent SAE techni-
cal paper extensively detailing the Gen3X ad-
vances (SAE 2018-01-0901), by saying the ad-
Latest GDCI cylinder head includes a pressure sensor for each
cylinder (blue), as well as an intake-air heating element (yellow)
for cold-start enhancement.
6 June 2019
vances applied to the Gen3X engine brought its
brake thermal efficiency (BTE) to 43.5%.
But, he added, visions for the fourth genera-
tion of the engine are projected to hike its ef-
ficiency to near 48% or beyond—“Near the
practical limits for a light-duty internal-com-
bustion engine,” in a practical powertrain, he
said. He also confirmed the Gen4X is “an en-
gine we’re planning to build in the near future.”
Meanwhile, the existing Gen3X engine, coupled
to an 8-speed automatic transmission and a 12-
volt start-stop system and fitted in a midsize pas-
senger car, demonstrated 61 mpg fuel economy
in the highway cycle and 48 mpg on the city cy-
cle. Sellnau said the Gen4X engine is expected to
be capable of 68 mpg on the highway.
Reduce cost, improve performance
For now, though, the improvements to the
Gen3X engine further enhance the GDCI con-
cept that has been under development in the
$9.8-million U.S. Dept. of Energy-funded re-
search program that began in 2011 and pro-
duced two prior versions of the engine. “All
these engines are now obsolete,” Sellnau said
flatly. “None meet the requirements for com-
mercial light-duty engines.”
Sellnau said numerous revisions have re-
duced the cost and complexity of the latest
Gen3X engine and enhanced performance, not
to mention durability. “I see better robustness,”
he told the event’s attendees. “You can feel it.”
Chief among the design changes is fitment
of a variable-inlet compressor (VIC), variable-
nozzle turbo (VNT) turbocharger, which al-
lowed the researchers to jettison the super-
charger required for the second-generation
GDCI engine, greatly reducing cost.
Equally important, control of the
complex “partially-premixed” air/
fuel mixture (unlike some other gas-
oline compression-ignition designs
such as Mazda’s SpCCI, Delphi’s
GDCI does not use spark plugs to
augment auto-ignition under certain
conditions) for the Gen3X engine
now is delivered in two distinct op-
erating “regions:” a low-load/cold-
start regime and a separate operat-
ing phase for medium-to-high-load
operation. “From a controls per-
spective, this is relatively simple,”
Sellnau said.
SAE INTERNATIONAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paul Mascarenas, OBE
President
Mircea Gradu, PhD
2018 President
Todd Zarfos
2020 President Elect
Pascal Joly
Vice President – Aerospace
Ken Washington, PhD
Vice President – Automotive
Landon Sproull
Vice President –
Commercial Vehicle
Pierre Alegre
Treasurer
David L. Schutt, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Gregory L. Bradley, Esq.
Secretary
Donald Nilson
Jeff Varick
Rhonda Walthall
SAE International Sections
SAE International Sections are local
units comprised of 100 or more SAE
International Members in a defined
technical or geographic area. The purpose
of local Sections is to meet the technical,
developmental, and personal needs of the
SAE Members in a given area. For more
information, please visit sae.org/sections
or contact SAE Member Relations Specialist
Abby Hartman at abby.hartman@sae.org.
SAE International
Collegiate Chapters
Collegiate Chapters are a way for SAE
International Student Members to get
together on their campus and develop
skills in a student-run and -elected
environment. Student Members are vital
to the continued success and future of
SAE. While your course work teaches
you the engineering knowledge you
need, participation in your SAE Collegiate
Chapter can develop or enhance other
BOTH IMAGES: DELPHI
important skills, including leadership,
time management, project management,
communications, organization, planning,
delegation, budgeting, and finance. For
more information, please visit students.
sae.org/chapters/collegiate/ or contact
SAE Member Relations Specialist Abby
Hartman at abby.hartman@sae.org.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
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TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Operating-performance comparison of three
generations of Delphi GDCI engines.
Other significant new features for the
Gen3X engine include a higher com-
pression ratio of 17:1 (up from around
14.5:1) and an increased stroke-to-bore
ratio (1.28). The increased stroke re-
duces piston surface volume, which
helps to reduce heat losses.
On to a fourth generation
But despite meaningful gains in perfor-
mance, efficiency and emissions reduc-
tions, Sellnau indicates the continuing
research already is looking to the Gen4X
engine, largely because low gasoline
prices in the U.S. have driven consumers
to larger vehicles.
Meantime, pricing trends for diesel
have made that technology even more
unfavorable in the wake of the VW
scandal and global scrutiny about die-
sel-engine emissions. And, he adds,
the research indicates that the GDCI
engine can markedly exceed the effi-
ciency of today’s best spark-ignited
gasoline engines and hybrid-electric
vehicles, which he said also are heavier
and more complex.
Sellnau claims the current Gen3X en-
gine already evidences a satisfying, die-
sel-like torque curve and meets the
projects noise goals, while its brake
specific fuel consumption of 194 grams
per kW-h equates to the 43.5% BTE
that beats the current state of the art in
production spark-ignition engines.
He envisions new development in ther-
mal-barrier coatings as one new advance
to help the Gen4X engine improve.
“An OEM program with several vehicles
is planned” for Gen4X development,
Sellnau revealed.
Bill Visnic
8 June 2019
ELECTRIFICATION
EMBATT looks to double the driving range of EVs
The next-generation battery system’s sandwich structure makes it possible to break up the conventional cell
and module boundaries and integrate the energy storage system as a component into the vehicle chassis.
A chassis-integrated sandwich structure
of solid electrolytes currently in devel-
opment is projected to deliver all-elec-
tric driving ranges that far out-distance
today’s typical 200-mile (320 km) EV
real-world driving range. IAV,
Thyssenkrupp AG and Fraunhofer
Institute for Ceramic Technologies and
Systems (IKTS) are the core project
partners working to develop EMBATT, a
chassis-embedded energy technology.
“Driving ranges depend on the appli-
cation, but it’s possible to achieve up to
1000 km [621 mi] with EMBATT tech-
nology and that’s a significant increase
from what is possible today,” said
Michael Clauss, development engineer
at IAV GmbH, an automotive engineer-
ing services company. Current EV ap-
plications generally package lithium-ion
batteries as wound or stacked struc-
tures that are inserted into cylindrical or
prismatic cell housings.
With several patents relating to the
technology and its fabrication, EMBATT
removes the need for complex module
and battery housing due to its platform
integration. “From the storage side, the
system is similar to fuel cells with re-
gard to the single cell connectors being
integrated with the bipolar plates. It’s a
design that reduces the internal resis-
tance, and it also reduces the amount of
connections,” noted Clauss.
The EMBATT system’s sandwich struc-
ture is comprised of bipolar electrodes
that span approximately two square me-
ters. Initial R&D projects used lithium-
titanium-oxide (LTO) on the anode side,
and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) or
lithium-nickel-manganese-oxide (LNMO)
on the cathode side. The current project
switches the bipolar electrodes on the
anode side to a graphite coating, while
the cathode-side coating will be nickel-
manganese-cobalt (NMC). An antici-
pated 3.7 volts per cell is likely with the
latest coating choices.
Today’s battery systems typically pro-
vide between 140 and 300 W-h/l of
volumetric energy density. In contrast,
the EMBATT system can provide volu-
metric energy densities of 500 W-h/l
with fluid electrolyte, or greater than
800 W-h/l with solid electrolyte on a
system level. “We are working with
polymer electrolytes in current develop-
ment projects, but we are still looking
for other companies to provide solid
electrolytes for large-scale application,”
Clauss said.
IAV’s EMBATT responsibilities include
concept development and system integra-
tion. IKTS is tasked with material and cell
development. Thyssenkrupp is developing
the manufacturing equipment. Clauss ex-
pects that EMBATT’s functional prototype
phase will begin in 2022, but that time-
table could be affected by the availability
of solid electrolytes. “Serial production is
FROM LEFT: DELPHI; IAV
possible in 2026,” noted Clauss. “We are
still looking for technology partners and
investors and hope to switch as fast as
possible from funding projects to indus-
trial development,” he added.
Kami Buchholz
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

PROPULSION
Ford amped for new phase of hybrid-electric offensive
With the persistent auto-industry ques-
tion of how soon battery electric vehicles
will become mainstream options, Ford is
preparing to widely deploy its fourth-
generation hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV)
technology that Dave Felipe, the VP of
powertrain engineering, said will result in
a fuel-efficient, performance-rich HEV
variant for “all mainstream models” in
North America.
The company’s wide-ranging plan to
implement hybridization is a central as-
pect of its commitment to invest $11 billion
in new electrification technology by 2022,
said Felipe. He added that the new modu-
lar hybrid technology (MHT) system for its
larger and heavier vehicles that often are
used for towing makes Ford “the only
OEM that’s going to play in those places”
with hybrid models—while market forces
sort out how quickly electric vehicles are
adopted for mass-market buyers.
Two new HEV layouts
The fourth-generation HEV technology
encompasses the new MHT layout for
rear- and all-wheel-drive (AWD) mod-
els. It is designated as the fourth gen-
eration largely because of its advances
in relation to previous HEVs based on
front-wheel-drive platforms that began
for Ford in 2005 with the Escape.
Ford’s “power-split” planetary con-
tinuously variable transmission, dubbed
eCVT, is the heart of the new design
FROM TOP; FORD; BILL VISNIC
The MHT system has 90% parts commonality with Ford’s conventional 10R 10-speed automatic,
uniquely combines torque converter and clutch to connect only the electric motor when desired.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
Ford demonstrated its new modular hybrid transmission (MHT) hybrid drivetrain in the soon-to-be-
on-a-highway-near-you 2020 Explorer Police Interceptor Hybrid. It’s a dramatic demonstration of
the capabilities of this hybrid technology earmarked for longitudinal-powertrain vehicles such as
the all-new Explorer and, ahem, the F-150 pickup truck.
and for the 2020 Escape Hybrid is 10R automatic transmission—works in
paired with a significantly revised 2.5L the longitudinal drivetrain layout of the
four-cylinder running the Atkinson cy- company’s all-new CD6 rear-wheel-
cle. There also will be a plug-in hybrid- drive architecture on which the 2020
electric vehicle (PHEV) variant of the Explorer and 2020 Lincoln Aviator are
2020 Escape that promises up to 30 based. It marks the first time for a Ford
miles (48 km) of battery-only driving rear-drive HEV application.
range from its 14.4 kW-h liquid-cooled Perhaps more important, the MHT is
lithium-ion battery pack. the setup Ford will use to hybridize the
For both the power-split layout and F-150 fullsize pickup in 2020. Felipe
the MHT system, Ford claims significant said it has been certified by the SAE
enhancements in battery power density, J2807 standard to tow up to 5000 lb
system efficiency and size and mass (2268 kg) with the Explorer Hybrid and
reduction. The MHT system—based on it is conceivable the system could be
integration of a 1.5 kW-h liquid-cooled tuned to provide higher towing capabil-
lithium-ion battery and 44-hp electric ity for the F-150.
motor/generator clutched to work in Ford chose a dramatic demonstration
cooperation with Ford’s now-familiar of the MHT’s performance capabilities
by allowing brief drives in the 2020
Explorer Police Interceptor Hybrid,
which with the direct-injection 3.3L V6
is rated at a total system output of 318
hp at 6500 rpm and 322 lb-ft (437 Nm)
at 2500 rpm. Engineers said the sys-
tem, which is a $3,500 upcharge for the
Explorer Police Interceptor, does the
0-100 mph (161 km/h) run in 17.69 s. In
testing with the Michigan State Police
and Los Angeles county Sheriff’s Dept.
it was faster than a Dodge Durango V8
and only slightly slower than an
Explorer Interceptor fitted with the op-
tional turbocharged 3.0L V6.
Between improved fuel economy and
the savings of running the engine much
less during the long periods of idling
June 2019 9
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
The driveline for the 2020 Escape Hybrid shows the much-reduced size
of the 1.1 kW-h lithium-ion battery and the retention of the conventional
Escape’s propshaft to the rear axle.
(averaging about 60% of a typical 8-hour patrol shift, Ford
engineers said), the Explorer Police Interceptor is expected to
recoup the cost of the hybrid system in the first year of ser-
vice. Projecting into the civilian 2020 Explorer Hybrid, the
MHT drivetrain is estimated to deliver a combined fuel-econo-
my rating of 24 mpg and a driving range of 500 miles (805
km) for rear-drive configurations.
Ease of fitment
Both the MHT and power-split hybrids will bring hybridization
to Ford’s mainstream models by being easily integrated into
their respective vehicles’ base architecture. The 2020 Escape
will offer the standard power-split setup or the plug-in variant
simply by changing batteries, either of which is integrated
under the floor, meaning no compromise for interior packag-
ing. The 198-hp Escape Hybrid with AWD employs the same
mechanical propshaft setup as the IC-only Escape with AWD;
for now, the 209-hp PHEV Escape is front-drive only.
Engineers said the 2020 Escape Hybrid is 20% more effi-
cient than its predecessor, with a big gain in power-electron-
ics efficiency and for the twin motors, while being 20% faster
and 50% more fuel-efficient than the current 1.5L Escape.
Ford has yet to reveal official fuel-economy figures for the
Escape Hybrid and the Escape PHEV, but highway fuel econo-
my could approach 40 mpg for the Escape Hybrid.
Should Ford decide in the future to fit an electrically-driven
rear axle for AWD models, “we have the technology in house,”
said one engineer. For now, it appears using the conventional
AWD design is, from a manufacturing standpoint, an effective
approach, and a lighter one. The new Escape is some 200 lb (91
kg) lighter than the current model and incorporating an e-axle at
the rear would add as much as 40 lb (18 kg).
For the MHT, it has 90% parts commonality with the conven-
tional 10R transmission and is only marginally longer overall,
meaning it can go down the same manufacturing line as the
conventional transmission, while the MHT’s extra overall length
can be easily accounted for by altering driveshaft length.
Bill Visnic
10 June 2019
TESTING | SIMULATION
As automotive climates shift, GKN
ramps up its winter testing
As the influx of electrification continues to roil the industry, seam-
lessly integrating the hardware and wealth of software it brings
with it creates a far broader engineering challenge. Tier-1 compa-
nies that traditionally supplied “parts” are rapidly transitioning
from a component-level mindset to system-level projects that
include exponential investments in programming and control al-
gorithms. Meshing innovative electrified propulsion systems while
still meeting diverse and performance-hungry OEM integration
criteria is making winter testing more crucial than ever.
Driveline and AWD specialist GKN Automotive knows this
better than most and has been investing heavily in its winter
testing facilities near Arjeplog, Sweden. The town is only an
hour’s drive from the Arctic Circle, but this village in Sweden’s
northernmost Lappland province can see its population in-
crease more than 10-fold during the northern hemisphere’s
annual December-to-March winter-testing window. Billing
itself as the “Ice Driving Capital of the World”, the region is
home to sprawling reindeer herds and multiple winter-test
facilities and programs, from customers including Land Rover,
Continental, Pirelli, Bosch and Porsche.
A generation of winter testing
GKN has tested in the area for decades, and two years ago
doubled its already sizable footprint at the Colmis Proving
Ground just south of Arjeplog. “We’ve been here 30 years and
were probably one of the first ones up here doing this,” ex-
plained Hannes Prenn, COO for GKN Automotive’s ePowertrain
division. “We noticed quite early that this is key for our devel-
opment and capabilities to build fun-to-drive cars, a require-
ment our OEMs set. Also, we need to test and tune our cars in
different circumstances and environments, in order that they
behave safely and properly when they go out in public.”
The GKN compound at Colmis provides multiple bays of fully
outfitted, climate-controlled garages, along with conference ca-
pabilities and display and meeting spaces typical for any indus-
trial park. “Thirty years ago we had a very small garage, the cars
Not to be confused with a Buick,
which shares similar AWD hardware,
the torque-distribution profile of
this Opel wagon (via its OEM tuning
rep—a former rally competitor)
is a highly engaging and
FROM TOP: FORD; GKN/DEAN SMITH
driver-focused
tune tailored for
its European
customers.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

One of the main functions of
the annual GKN Wintertest
is extensive work with the
development prototypes,
which often feature bespoke
and well-integrated control
and data displays.
were all outside and we had big problems
to get them to run again, so it’s changed
quite a lot,” Prenn offered. “This is really
the heart of our engineering company,
because this is where we can see how our
products really work and behave in very
difficult circumstances.”
“We are here from the beginning of
January to mid-March. Out of those nine
weeks, basically two weeks are for cus-
tomers,” Prenn said. “We do a lot of de-
velopment work, but two weeks are re-
ally for customers to come and to show-
case what we have. When they come
here, it’s their car and they drive it, which
is the big wow effect. They will feel a big
difference, which is what they expect.”
The clearly defined testing window
has other development advantages ac-
cording to Ray Kuczera, GKN’s VP of
driveline engineering. “We have a short
window of when we can test certain
products. It forces us to get everything
BOTH IMAGES: GKN/DEAN SMITH
done in a certain period of time.
Otherwise, as engineers we tend to tin-
ker and drag out the process, and this
puts us on a very strong cadence.”
From parts to system integration
As vehicle architectures and control
systems get ever more tightly net-
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
Engineering manager Rainer
Link (left) and COO Hannes
Prenn of GKN Automotive’s
ePowertrain division.
worked, nearly every supplier has seen
the shift from providing a specific com-
ponent to being responsible for com-
plete subsystems. This is a paradigm
shift for suppliers and brings an entirely
new process to the integration role.
“I’m always amazed how much is go-
ing into one unit. If we look at a fully
integrated eAxle, it’s got the motor in-
tegrated into the transmission with the
inverter integrated into it, as well as the
common cooling circuit,” said Kuczera.
“There’s so many things together now
that used to be separate, and that
shows the power of integration. Not just
bringing the bucket of parts to the par-
ty, but bringing in engineering expertise
to put it all together the right way.”
Electrification doesn’t alter physics
Like most engineering firms, GKN has
been adapting to the shift in electrifica-
tion by focusing on leveraging its in-
house expertise. “The good thing is that
on this way from the mechanical to the
electrical, all the changes within the
company, having more electronic soft-
ware engineers and mechanical engi-
neers, this is all supported by our strat-
egy of having building blocks,” ex-
plained Rainer Link, engineering man-
TECHNOLOGY REPORT
ager of GKN’s ePowertrain division.
“If you have a disconnect system, a
park-lock, a gearbox that’s developed
—and of course we know this from all-
wheel drive—these are all experiences
and products that we can put together
for this new application,” Link said.
“And then in addition of course we have
the electric motor and the inverter to
build a fully integrated system, and we
have them available now.”
“It’s a kind of evolution, but probably
more of a revolution what we are going
through right now. The electrical piece
is different but the driving behavior, the
dynamics, are not,” Prenn said. “So
many of our peers are starting from
scratch being electrical experts, but not
having a background like we have on
mechanical integration. It’s not only
about an [electric motor]. It’s a gearbox
around it, and that’s basically the key
component for making it drive properly
and its NVH—making it quiet.”
“It’s still a drivetrain at the end of the
day which you need to integrate in the
car,” Prenn stated. “And the vehicle dy-
namics of a car itself—the physics—are
not changing. That’s where our exper-
tise lies and where we can use all our
know how on eDrive systems.”
Software key differentiator
The greatest change in system integra-
tion, be it in mechanical or electrical pro-
pulsion, has been in software. “You’ve
got millions of lines of code to write to-
day,” noted Kuczera. “Even a few years
ago it was probably 10,000 lines, and it
just keeps ballooning further as we see
more safety requirements and more re-
finement in the vehicle.”
“They’re two sides of the same coin,”
Kuczera said of the teamwork between
software and vehicle-controls engineers.
“Someone’s writing the code that’s mak-
ing the vehicle perform a certain way,
where the other person’s telling the per-
son how it needs to perform, so it’s a
kind of virtuous circle. It’s so much faster
today than it used to be. The loop can be
closed. You can go out there, feel some-
thing you don’t like, come back, make an
adjustment, and go back out again.”
Paul Seredynski
June 2019 11
ROAD
READY
Mazda finally ready with Skyactiv-D for U.S.
Mazda announced the long-awaited
arrival of its Skyactiv-D diesel engine to
the U.S. at April’s New York
International Auto Show. The 2.2L twin-
sequential turbocharged 4-cylinder die-
sel is available for pre-order now in the
highest AWD trim of Mazda’s best-sell-
ing vehicle, the 2-row, 5-seat Mazda
CX-5 SUV. The 2019 model with the die-
sel engine has a starting MSRP of
$41,000—a $4K premium over the
equivalent gasoline trim—with deliver-
ies expected to begin this summer.
Mazda also announced that the same
Skyactiv-D engine will be available
“soon” in the Mazda6 sedan, and con-
firmed that its Skyactiv-X homogeneous-
charge gas engine will go on sale in
Europe before the end of 2019. Mazda
claimed that after the rollout in Europe,
Skyactiv-X engines will then come to
markets (including the U.S.), which al-
ready feature Mazda’s Skyactiv-G high-
compression gasoline engines.
50-state-compliant diesel
Mazda said much of the delay in
launching the diesel engine is attributed
to time spent working with U.S. federal
and state agencies to ensure emissions
compliance, including the California Air
Resources Board (CARB). “During the
The 2.2L Skyactiv-D engine features a two-stage twin turbocharger setup with both turbines
sharing a routable hot side. Exhaust energy is channeled to the smaller turbo at lower rpm, and the
larger turbo also features variable geometry.
12 June 2019
Mazda’s 2.2L 4-cylinder twin-sequential
turbocharged diesel has been on sale for
some time in Europe, and its low-compression
Skyactiv-D tech was designed to reduce
required aftertreatment.
homologation phase of certification, we
have collaborated with CARB on what
real driving emissions conditions in the
U.S. should be,” explained Ichiro Hirose,
senior managing executive officer of
R&D, who’s in charge of Mazda pow-
ertrain development. “We actually stud-
ied that deeply, and together with
CARB considered what driving condi-
tions should be guaranteed.”
Thanks to its lower compression ratio,
the Skyactiv-D engine was initially in-
tended to forego certain aftertreat-
ments, and was Euro V and Euro VI com-
pliant without selective catalyst reduc-
tion (SCR). Mazda recently added SCR
to the 2.2L Skyactiv-D engine in Europe
to meet the new, stricter Euro-6D stan-
dards, and for the even stricter standards
in the U.S., Mazda has added a dedicated
NOx storage catalyst (NSC).
Compression-ratio family
The new 4-cylinder is part of Mazda’s
Skyactiv program, which aims to lower
the compression-ratio of diesel engines
(Skyactiv-D) and raise the compression
ratio of gasoline engines (Skyactiv-G).
Both the gas and diesel variants oper-
ate with compression ratios around 14:1.
The upcoming Skyactiv-X homoge-
neous charge compression ignition
(HCCI) gasoline engine is expected to
have a compression ratio around 16:1.
The new diesel is designed to rev
higher and more freely than a typical
oil-burner, with a 5,500-rpm redline. In
the CX-5, the 2.2L Skyactiv-D is expect-
ed to produce 168 hp at 4,000 rpm, and
290 lb-ft at 2,000 rpm with an EPA es-
timated mpg rating of 27/30/28 (cty/
hwy/comb). The 2.2L 4-cylinder fea-
tures a unique, two-stage twin turbo-
charger with both turbines sharing a
routable hot side. Energy is channeled
to the smaller turbo at lower rpm, and
the larger turbo features variable ge-
ometry to further improve response and
high-rpm flow.
Many program synergies
Credit Mazda for hanging tough on
their promise to deliver a diesel in the
U.S., a market where several other man-
ufacturers have called it quits. Mazda
might quote its “challenger spirit,” but
some of this is likely due to the scope
BOTH IMAGES: MAZDA
of Mazda’s Skyactiv program, which
sees complementary R&D between the
gas and diesel programs.
“There are many positive synergy
effects,” Hirose explained. “Usually for a
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

The new Skyactiv-D engine is coming to the
U.S. first in the top AWD trim of Mazda’s most
popular vehicle, the 2-row, 5-seat CX-5 SUV.
Mazda also announced that the engine will be
available “soon” in the Mazda6 sedan.
big OEM, the diesel and gasoline devel-
opment divisions are completely sepa-
rate. However at Mazda, the same divi-
sion is working on both. During the die-
sel process, we made various break-
through findings that were utilized for
Skyactiv-X, and likewise for Skyactiv-X
development, technologies that were
utilized for diesel. For example, for
Skyactiv-X, we are planning to intro-
duce a very high-pressure injection sys-
tem, a concept that came from the die-
sel injection system.”
HCCI next
According to Mazda, a 2.0L SpCCI
(HCCI) Skyactiv-X engine will debut in
Europe before then end of this year.
“Given the timing, you can imagine that
we are already at the homologation
stage, and have completed technology
development,” Hirose said. “Our plan is
we will introduce Skyactiv-X first into
Europe in the latter half of this year,
then one by one to various markets af-
ter Europe, into the markets where we
have introduced Skyactiv-G.”
How does Mazda see the three
Skyactiv applications existing in its line-
up? “Diesel is suitable for big SUVs for
example, its advantage is big torque
and long range,” Hirose said. “We are
planning to introduce a 2.0L Skyactiv-X
that will fit with a compact vehicle. And
FROM TOP: MAZDA; SAE
as for Skyactiv-G, it will have a best
match with certain product characteris-
tics, so we will consider the different
segments and differentiate the adapta-
tion of these technologies.”
Paul Seredynski
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
2020 Escape: Ford’s first crossover on new
global FWD architecture
Ford recently unveiled the all-new 2020
Escape, its first SUV based on the com-
pany’s new FWD global architecture,
leveraging the new unibody toolkit to
create a compact “urban” SUV for the
voracious compact-crossover segment.
A second 5-seat, 2-row SUV based on
the same architecture—but with a more
“rugged, off-road focus”—was an-
nounced at the Escape unveiling,
though it does not yet have a name or
official release date—and will be in ad-
dition to the upcoming Bronco.
For the (sub)urban buyer, the all-new
fourth-generation Escape (Kuga for
overseas markets) will provide seven
powertrain and two driveline (FWD/
AWD) choices globally, with lots of tech
designed to help busy consumers
through their day. Using the same archi-
tecture as the new not-for-U.S. Focus,
the all-new Escape provides gains in
torsional stiffness, tech content and
interior-space flexibility with a signifi-
cant weight drop.
New global architectures
The all-new Escape is based on one of
five new Ford global architectures that
will underpin future products, with the
Focus/Escape using the new FWD uni-
body architecture. The Explorer/Aviator
will use the RWD unibody kit. A com-
mercial/van architecture is what’s in-
volved in Ford’s discussions with VW.
The body-on-frame architecture will un-
derpin Ford’s pickup trucks and the up-
ROAD READY
coming Bronco. A BEV architecture will
support electrified products, including
the recently teased Mustang-styled SUV.
Each architecture provides the flexibil-
ity for a unique ride height, track width,
wheelbase and silhouette, while still pro-
viding 70% parts commonality. Ford will
use the other 30% of content (via “mod-
ules”) to help differentiate each model
by market and prevent commoditization.
The new Escape is the more urban/sleek
compact SUV, to be joined by a more
off-road/rugged-looking stablemate.
Ford has sold more than 6.7 million
Escape/Kuga models globally since its
launch in 2000, and it’s the second-
best-selling Ford in the U.S. behind the
F-Series trucks. Its importance was not
lost on Jim Hughes, the global chief
program engineer for Escape/Kuga. His
team was handed a new architecture
along with an all-new vehicle program,
but did get first crack at the architec-
ture’s first SUV.
“I view it as an extraordinary benefit.
We are working off a proven architec-
ture that is already used on a sister ve-
hicle line, and we have the flexibility of
the modules within the architecture,”
Hughes explained. “We are the first
SUV, so we had a lot more input into
the flexibility of the modules. We also
collaborated with our downstream part-
ners and other potential vehicle lines to
make sure they had enough breadth to
be able to accommodate the needs of
other vehicle lines.”
Jim Hughes,
global chief
program
engineer for
the 2020
Escape and
Europe’s Kuga.
June 2019 13
ROAD READY
Return of the hybrid
The 2020 Escape will be offered with two
gasoline and two hybrid powertrains in
the U.S. Europe nets a third mild-hybrid
option, plus two EcoBlue diesels (1.5 L, 2.0
L), and the 1.5-L gasoline EcoBoost. The
standard engine in the U.S. is the
“Dragon” 3-cylinder 1.5-L EcoBoost rated
at 180 hp and 177 lb-ft (134 kW/240 Nm).
It will feature a new cylinder-deactivation
mode that lets the triple run on only two
cylinders, providing a claimed 6% fuel
economy boost. The optional gasoline
engine in the U.S. is a 4-cylinder 2.0-L
EcoBoost developing 250 hp and 275 lb-ft
(186 kW and 373 Nm), updated with fuel-
economy tweaks. Both gasoline engines
will be paired with a new 8-speed auto-
matic, which contributes to the claimed
10% gain in 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) times.
The Escape was Ford’s first hybrid,
and after skipping the current-gen SUV,
it’s back for the 2020 edition as a regu-
lar and plug-in hybrid. Both versions
use the same new engine and transmis-
sion, a 2.5-L Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder
(with a new balance shaft) coupled to
the new “PowerSplit” CVT.
The fourth-generation of Ford’s
PowerSplit electronic CVT transmission
sees the power electronics integrated,
creating a more compact combo that’s
cooled along with the transmission, and
the new e-CVT is claimed to boost 45-
65 mph times by 20%. Both the regular
hybrid and 1.5-L EcoBoost version of
the 2020 Escape will offer Ford’s part-
time AWD system (now with an AWD-
disconnect function). The plug-in hybrid
version is FWD only and AWD is stan-
The new
Escape uses
1,700 MPa
martensitic
steel (green)
in the A-pillars
and as rocker
reinforcements
on hybrid
models, with
additional
use of high-
strength boron
steel in the
front subframe.
14 June 2019
dard with the 2.0-L EcoBoost.
Thanks to the new battery packaging
under the rear seats, both hybrid mod-
els have the same interior packaging as
gasoline models. Both battery packs
feature prismatic lithium-ion cells, with
the briefcase-sized 1.1 kW-h hybrid pack
(with cells supplied by Panasonic) sit-
ting to the side of the vehicle’s center
line. The 14.4 kW-h plug-in hybrid’s
pack will feature both cooling and heat-
ing circuits for preconditioning of the
Samsung-supplied cells, and it’s ex-
pected to provide a 30-plus mile EV-
only range at speeds up to 85 mph.
Stiffer, lighter, longer chassis
The all-new 2020 Ford Escape is 17 mm
(0.67 in) wider and 60 mm (2.35 in) lon-
ger. Its wheelbase and track grow 20 mm
(0.79 in), and it’s lower by that same
amount. It’s also over 200 pounds (91 kg)
lighter with a claimed 10% gain in tor-
sional stiffness, 10 mm (0.39 in) lower Cg
and a 4.5% Cd improvement. The weight
loss is attributed to a host of changes
The 2020 Ford Escape sits
slightly lower (20mm/0.79
in.) but first- and second-row
headroom, shoulder room and
hip room all improve versus the
current Escape.
throughout the vehicle, including alumi-
num lower control arms, hood, differential
housing and mini spare, lighter-weight
carpets, neodymium speaker magnets
and hollow shock-absorber shafts.
The new Escape uses 1,700 MPa mar-
tensitic steel in the A-pillars and as rocker
reinforcements on hybrid models, with
additional use of high-strength boron
steel in the front subframe. The door
frames have been stiffened and improved
door sealing helps improve air leakage by
25%. Ride quality should improve thanks
to a rear subframe which (like the front
subframe) is now isolated, an additional
inch of suspension travel and taller-profile
tires on the 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheels.
Technology is a key marketing aspect
in the hot-selling small SUV segment,
and the new Escape gets a healthy dose.
Ford’s Co-Pilot360 safety suite of driver
assist technology is standard on all trims,
and includes a rear-view camera, auto
high-beams, blind-spot detection (BLIS),
hill-start assist, post-collision braking,
rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist
and pre-collision warning with pedes-
trian detection and automatic braking.
Other tech available on the new
Escape includes lane centering, adap-
tive cruise with stop & go capability,
fully automatic parallel/perpendicular
park assist and evasive steer assist.
The all-new Ford Escape/Kuga will be
built at five assembly plants worldwide
serving 180 markets. It’s expected to go
BOTH IMAGES: FORD
on sale in the U.S. in the fall of 2019 save
the plug-in hybrid, which is expected in
showrooms in the spring of 2020.
Pricing is expected closer to launch.
Paul Seredynski
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
 ROAD READY

New design for 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport as brand awaits alliance’s
new platforms, products
The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
carries over with no mechanical chang- The 2020 Mitsubishi Outlander
Sport sets a new “Dynamic
es compared to the 2019 model. But its
Shield” front-design direction
new face—part of a front/rear styling for the SUV lineup.
redo plus new interior trims/tech for
the 5-seat, 2-row SUV—signals a new
start for the brand in the U.S. Having
pared its product lineup to all-SUV plus
the economy minded B-segment
Mirage, the triple-diamond brand is
saucing up its styling while it awaits a
bevy of new platforms and products
from its alliance with Nissan/Renault.
Mitsubishi sold over 100,000 vehicles
in the U.S. for the last two years run-
ning. Compared to the nearly 350,000
vehicles it sold in 2002 (or the 800K
pickups Ford delivers in a year), this
might not sound spectacular. But com-
pared to the sub-54K year it had in
2009, the steady growth over the last
10 years (including a 14% jump last year
in a flat-overall market) shows that life The interior
is returning to the brand. of the 2020
Mitsubishi
Fresh leadership, strong alliance Outlander
According to Fred Diaz, president and Sport gets a
CEO of Mitsubishi Motors North America host of trim
(MMNA), much of the growth can be and material
upgrades,
credited to new leadership at MMNA,
more knobs
where 80% of exec team (himself includ- for usability
ed) is new in the last three years, as well as a
According to Diaz, the RNM alliance new 8-inch
“remains strong, and no one can afford infotainment
to see it go sour.” He said this strength display.
has been bolstered even further by the
alliance’s new management team. Most and certification for the North American including the “Dynamic Shield” front-
importantly, Diaz noted, the alliance will market, technical-trend research includ- end styling, and both the front and rear
permit Mitsubishi to bring all-new prod- ing cybersecurity testing, and manag- fascias now feature full LED lighting.
ucts based on new platforms to market, ing customer market surveys. Inside, the 2020 Outlander Sport
and those products are coming. For MY2020, the new Outlander gets new upgraded trim and materials,
Sport is described by Diaz as “big minor including new tactile controls with ac-
Best-seller facelift change,” as it incorporates some new tual knobs to improve usability. A new
Making its global debut at the Geneva tech as well as a new design direction 8-inch infotainment screen (one of the
show in March, the 2020 Outlander for the brand. The FWD SUV retains its largest in the segment) provides both
Sport is Mitsubishi’s best-selling vehicle two naturally aspirated 4-cylinder pow- Apple Carplay/Android Auto as well as
in the U.S. (39K in 2018). The new ertrains (2.0L and 2.4L), is automatic- SiriusXM compatibility. Standard across
BOTH IMAGES: MMNA

‘Sport (top) was on display for media
recently at Mitsubishi Motors R&D of
America (MRDA) head office in Ann
Arbor, Michigan. MRDA serves a number
of roles including vehicle adaptation
only (CVT) for 2020 (manual take-rate
was under 2%) with an optional but
versatile (via multiple modes) AWD
setup. The new front and rear clips rep-
resent Mitsubishi’s new design direction
the lineup will be 18-inch alloy wheels.
The new Outlander Sport is expected
to go on sale in the U.S. in September,
with pricing available closer to launch.
Paul Seredynski

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING June 2019 15

Rethinking aluminum for
NVH abatement
Engineers, abandon those mastics! New “quiet” materials solutions are at hand.
E
ngineers who have witnessed aluminum-inten-
sive vehicles being “uncloaked” in a full com-
petitive teardown relate the same story: After
you’ve pulled the carpet out and stripped it
down to the naked bodyshell, the “band-aids” are
clearly exposed—typically on the floorpan, bulkheads,
on the rear package tray of sedans, around the wheel-
houses, and within the noise-critical dash panel and
cowl plenum.
16 June 2019
Among the various semi-anechoic chambers in
MSC’s Canton facility is this four-wheel chassis dyno,
which represents about one-third of the facility’s investment.
The dyno has full thermal-environment capability, is in
non-stop operation and is often used for brake-noise investigations.
By Lindsay Brooke
Band-aids are a form of NVH triage. These bake-hardenable butyl
materials, cavity-injected foams and the like are added to the body
structure and exterior panels to dampen noise. Such countermea-
sures are often added late in development, after production tools are
released and the vehicle on-sale date looms. But they’re also em-
ployed after production launch, as a solution to customer complaints
about unacceptable resonances and road noise.
MSC CORP.
The NVH band-aids aren’t unique to light-metal structures—they’re
the typical “fix it” solution on steel vehicles, too. They don’t come cheap,
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

MSC’s Matt Murphy (left) and veteran NVH principal engineer Karl Karlson in one of the Canton R&D center’s acoustic chambers.
and experts say the mass they add to the vehicle can easily range from
about 50 lb. (23 kg) on a smaller vehicle, up to 150 lb. (68 kg) on large
utilities. Also, when countermeasures are large—dash panel insulators,
for example—they’re unwieldy and labor-intensive in the assembly plant.
“We’ve seen mastic patches all over the car,” observes Matt
Murphy, VP Engineering Services at MSC Corp. Speaking with
Automotive Engineering at MSC’s Application Research Center in
Canton, Mich., he explained: “Aluminum structures typically need
more of them, and they’re thicker than the patches used on steel,
because the aluminum—even in heavier gauge—doesn’t have the
mass to provide adequate noise and vibration dampening.”
Murphy noted that the floorpan in a certain high-volume alumi-
num-intensive vehicle in the lab during AE’s visit measures 1.8 mm, a
.6-mm increase over the steel floorpan in the previous-generation
model. “To get the same stiffness as steel with aluminum, they had to
up-gauge,” he said. “In this case the floor is much thicker—but the
resonances and radiated noise that come off the aluminum are much
higher than they were in steel.”
LINDSAY BROOKE
Part of a holistic design
During recent customer demonstrations at MSC’s extensive R&D facil-
ity, which it shares with Brüel & Kjaer (see sidebar and article, p.20),
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
NVH
SCIENCE
Murphy provided insights into the company’s Quiet
Aluminum, an innovation designed for both stamped-
aluminum applications and integrating into steel-in-
tensive structures. Readers familiar with MSC’s Quiet
Steel (see AE June 2017) will understand the product’s
holistic design concept, although the two innovations
have different material characteristics.
Both are designed to eliminate need for add-on
NVH treatments for resonance damping. Like its steel
cousin, the new Quiet Aluminum uses an engineered
viscoelastic layer that’s laminated, sandwich-style, be-
tween two sheets of aluminum. Noise is damped by
micro-level shearing action: the aluminum panels
move against each other, very slightly, when they are
excited by various frequency inputs, whether an en-
gine’s idle shake (on a dash panel) or the wide fre-
quency bandwidth inputs of a audio subwoofer
mounted on a rear parcel shelf.
The laminate is formable and weldable, supplied in
coils or blanked sheet, with a variety of coatings. Its
polymer core layer (measuring roughly .025-mm thick)
likewise can be tailored for specific customer applica-
tions aimed at mitigating / eliminating NVH under a
June 2019 17
Rethinking aluminum for
NVH abatement

EVs, AVs ripe for new NVH approaches

“The EV and AV [autonomous-vehicle] sector is creating a
whole new environment of noise and vibration solutions for
us,” explained Bruel & Kjaer Automotive-Americas director,
Gary Newton. “And beyond that, there’s the whole Digital
NVH and transformation of NVH to where we’re looking at
new noise sources, and to the whole user experience in the
vehicle. The whole mobility sector,” he said, “creates an
equally new perception of NVH.”
As OEMs continue their vehicle-lightweighting crusade,
vibration increasingly will have an impact on vehicle design
and materials selection, he noted. “The sound perception
and the vibration perception can’t be decoupled from each
other.” He noted that aluminum-intensive autonomous
shuttle vehicles, with their cavernous cabins and resonance-
prone structures, will be ripe for intensive re-examination
regarding NVH characteristics and mitigation.
Every customer is different and has different require-
ments,” said MSC’s Matt Murphy. He notes that with an ICE-
powered vehicle, engineers are concerned with damping Quiet Aluminum development is expanding from body components to other
frequencies up to 8 KHz (8,000 Hertz), while EV engineers’ applications, including powertrain pans (right) to replace castings and composites.
concerns start at 10,000 Hz or above.
“It all depends on the inputs,” Murphy injected. “Our
products, the laminates, do really well at damping out those
wide range of operating and thermal requirements, Murphy explained.
high frequencies. So, I feel good about EV opportunities.” Compared with a monolithic aluminum panel of similar geometry,
–LB the Quiet Aluminum panel offers up to 45% lower mass and a slim-
mer profile compared with AL that carries a mastic patch. Vehicle
applications include those areas that are natural sources of NVH in-
cluding cowl plenums, dash panels, floorpans, transmission tunnels,
truck-cab back panels, package trays, wheelhouses, and seat storage
tubs in SUVs and minivans.
“Cavity boom is an ongoing area of NVH focus,” noted Gary
Newton of B&K.

Low-NVH materials harmony

Dig into the instrument panel of a current-generation Ford F-150 and
you won’t find all variety of mastics and add-on treatments. Put a
magnet to the panel and it will stick—evidence that MSC’s Quiet Steel
is peacefully co-habitating within the aluminum-intensive cab.
“Our analysis showed that on this vehicle the combination of alu-
minum structure with aluminum dash panel did not perform at the
previous [steel intensive] F-150’s NVH level, which had a Quiet Steel
dash,” Murphy explained. “Going to aluminum, even with the treat-
ments, wasn’t producing the improved NVH performance the truck’s
development team was targeting.”
Murphy’s team discussed the option of using a Quiet Aluminum
BOTH IMAGES: LINDSAY BROOKE

“Mr. MATS”—Bruel & Kjaer’s Head And Torso Simulator is a
sophisticated and easily reconfigurable microphone array.
dash panel, but for various engineering reasons it would have needed
to be about 4 mm (.157-in) thick—nearly plate-gauge stuff that was
not optimal for stamping or laminating.
“So the decision was made to go with Quiet Steel for this essen-
tially aluminum application,” Murphy related. “We overcame any gal-
vanic-corrosion issues by applying a .001-in.-thick coating, made by
Henkel, at the same time we laminate. The coating can be welded
through so the brake booster bracket can be welded to it, but when

18 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING


it’s inserted it’s riveted and adhesively bonded. This
allowed us to run it through the line just once. The
Quiet Steel panel is 100% damped and has been on
the current aluminum F-150 since launch, and we’ve
been on F-150 since 2004.
EV quieting opportunities
To further expand its range of on-vehicle applica-
tions—in more complex geometries including
U-shaped cowl plenums, C-tubs, and wheelhouses—
MSC continues to bring greater formability into both
of its popular NVH products. Murphy displays the deep
section rear floor of a new EV that’s in development.
“Customers who are interested tell us they need
data up front to prove it out,” he said. “Typically, first
we’ll run some CAE, then a stamping trial – we send
them some material and they put it through their dies.
Then we build a fixture to simulate where it would be
in the vehicle.”
He shows AE a monolithic aluminum panel from a
customer vehicle, coated in NVH-fighting mastic, and
taps it to produce a very resonant, metallic ring. Then
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NVH
SCIENCE
he picks up the Quiet Aluminum version—same strength and stiff-
ness—and excites it the same way—the sound is dull, dead, neutral.
NVH engineer Karl Karlson has instrumented and tested both exam-
ples; he reports a 7-dB delta between them. “Engineers will fight for
1-2 dB,” Karlson noted.
Old-school thinking in vehicle development and body engineering
has favored band-aids to mitigate NVH, Murphy and Newton explain.
They note, however, that a number of EV startups have chosen to
optimize their structures with the MSC Quiet laminate materials from
the design stage.
“In terms of lightweighting a vehicle, the old-school approach is to
spend months on the design, reducing cost, while realizing when the
program is completed that there is an immediate noise and vibration
issue,” Murphy said. “The only response is to go into ‘fire-fight’ mode
and add mastic, weight and cost.”
They argue that MSC’s products, in conjunction with B&K’s simula-
tor and modal tools, allow engineers to reduce NVH up front, well in
advance of the prototype stage.
“Usually it’s at the fourth or fifth prototype stage where you get to
an ‘NVH-ready’ prototype,” Newton noted. “So if we can help elimi-
nate one or two protypes at a half-million-dollars each, there’s our
prototype position.” He adds: “In today’s world, the Body guys and
NVH guys have got to be on the same page.”
June 2019 19
Paradigm shift in NVH

B&K’s NVH Simulator,

shown with Gary Newton at
the wheel, can link CAE outputs to
the previous generation vehicle’s
benchmark data—and play ‘what if’
scenarios to optimize the platform
going forward.

A new wave of vehicle technologies is changing the way Brüel & Kjaer attacks
noise, vibration and harshness.
By Lindsay Brooke

W
hen you’re in the business of NVH solutions, you get to
know noise and vibration up close and personal. And for
these experts, it can be difficult to sequester the ‘N and
V’ throughout their own day. Ask Dr. Gabriella Cerrato,
manager of global sound and vibration engineering services at
Brüel & Kjaer.
“I can’t be in a hotel room and not be aware of things like the re-
frigerator compressor, the ice maker, or the air conditioning,” she
noted. “Although I’m not a geek about it—I don’t immediately ponder
the sources and potential noise paths of the hotel HVAC, for exam-
ple—it sometimes drives me nuts.”
That’s likely not surprising to industry engineers
wrestling with sound and vibration challenges in a
“Everybody in the
room is arguing over
“Fundamentally, our approach to NVH is to create a
quality sound and feel for the driver,” Dr. Cerrato ex-
plained, while meeting the acoustic and harmonic
challenges that come with vehicle lightweighting, elec-
trified propulsion and automated driving. Brüel & Kjaer
(known simply as ‘B&K’ among industry engineers) is
even addressing the subject of adding electronic
‘sound enhancement’ to EVs.
“We have an area in ‘sound design’ where we are
helping several OEMs design the best sound for the
interior or exterior of their EVs. No
one knows what that sound should
be – what an electric Ford or an
LINDSAY BROOKE

world that’s increasingly attuned to the effects of
noise pollution on one hand, while thrilling to the
growl of a Corvette on wide-open throttle—or the
serenity of an electric luxury sedan on the highway.
electric Ferrari should sound like,”
some breach...that she explained. “To me, it’s a push-
button gadget. It’s a very geograph-
might not be an issue.” ic thing, I think.”

20 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING


Dr. Gabriella Cerrato says B&K is learning to adapt its processes
and technology to the challenges of automated vehicles.
On a higher frequency
Dr. Cerrato’s route to the Denmark-based company
[bksv.com] started with her Ph.D in fluid dynamics and
led into the acoustics realm and co-ownership of an
NVH consulting firm. She recently sat down with
Automotive Engineering to talk about how NVH analy-
sis and technologies are evolving to meet future tech-
nology and market trends. The emerging EV and self-
driving frontiers generated much discussion.
“I don’t consider EVs to be as much of a paradigm
shift as autonomous driving. EVs still have motors and
generate gear whine and high frequency noise at 6000
Hertz and above,” she said. “You just need to set targets
and work with the motor and gear manufacturers.
We’ve done several projects with a number of CAE
companies and take their outputs and plug it into our
simulator model. We’re launching a series of seminars
with them.”
EVs don’t fundamentally change the NVH approach,
to create a good sound and feel for the driver, she
opined, because “they have the same ‘receiver’—a hu-
man driver.”
Driverless AVs, however, are the true paradigm shift
for B&K and others in the NVH field because they
don’t have a clear receiver.
“It’s a passive experience; you may want to have a
meeting or make a phone call or watch a movie; it’s all
BRÜEL & KJAER
about maximizing the user experience,” said Dr.
Cerrato. “The issues are about infotainment, comfort,
and speech intelligibility. It’s a challenge for us; we
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
NVH
SCIENCE
must adapt. Sound quality and how it engages us with the vehicle,
has become irrelevant to a certain extent.”
She compares the NVH challenges with AVs to the acoustic chal-
lenges in building architecture—except with AVs, ‘the building’ is mov-
ing. B&K’s next major opportunity is to further develop the tools and
processes for addressing NVH in the user experience, she said.
The industry’s growing focus on AVs also is causing a shift at the
OEMs in terms of their NVH engineering staffs. According to Dr.
Cerrato, many NVH specialists—whose focus had been in abating
road noise, powertrain NVH, suspension harshness—are moving into
different areas and are now focused on user experience.
High-fidelity inputs
B&K’s expanding product portfolio is notably heavy with software-
based toolsets aimed at identifying root-cause NVH sources and their
pathways. It also features a series of NVH simulation tools, developed
within the context of vehicle development and design.
For vehicle development teams, the Brüel & Kjaer NVH simulators
have proved to be popular tools for establishing NVH goals early in
vehicle development, before the design and hardware are finalized.
Most automakers and some Tier 1s own one, according to Dr. Cerrato.
The tool’s software is commonly paired with a steering wheel and
pedals to allow drivers to experience the sound and vibration data.
High-fidelity vehicle sound is played through headphones or speak-
ers, allowing the ‘driver’ to experience the vehicle sound quality
throughout the dynamic aspects of driving such as accelerating and
traversing different surfaces. Such realistic immersion helps in select-
ing appropriate sounds, comparing alternative designs and, B&K
claims, increasing confidence in evaluating concepts or physical pro-
totype updates.
“We take a production vehicle and sort of ‘break it down’ into
the various noise and vibration sources and paths, and how they
transfer to the driver,” she explained. “Then we put it back together
in the lab so you can actually shift gears and hear the sounds. That
is so important in developing the new vehicle, particularly when we
want to use the existing powertrain—which is very typical in the
industry. With a new body you have different isolation from the
outside, different noise paths.”
Added Gary Newton, B&K’s director, Automotive Americas, as he
demonstrated an NVH simulator to AE: “We can link the CAE outputs
to the previous generation vehicle’s benchmark data. We can gener-
ate what that vehicle should sound like, is going to sound like, then
play the ‘what if’ scenarios to optimize that platform with accurate
design and engineering decisions going forward.”
Newton admitted that a lot of subjectivity exists in the traditional
vehicle sign-off process. Typically, all the ‘ears’ involved don’t come
into play until four or five prototype iterations down the road.
“Here’s what often happens,” he said. “The development team sits
in a room, as I have, where you have 2-D graphs on the board and
everybody is arguing over some breach in the target that may or may
not be an issue –and they’re arguing about investing engineering
resources over the next three months for a fix. That’s what the simu-
lator was designed to avoid,” he said.
June 2019 21
 How a
Tier 2
tackles
Setting up a seat test in Saint-Gobain’s
new ISO 3745- and 3744-compliant
anechoic chamber in Bristol, U.K.
NVH
Saint-Gobain invested in anechoic testing so small components can make a big
NVH difference.
By Stuart Birch

S
aint-Gobain is a company that understands how vital NVH This enables us to more quickly reach a solution with
R&D is for perceived quality. Unwelcome noise is a major chal- regard to our own components as part of the whole.
lenge in premium cars, but it is the minor components that Also, as the market develops, we are moving increas-
matter. For Saint-Gobain that means particularly its bearings ingly to look at the effects of noise concerning hybrids
and tolerance rings. The French company, founded in the 17th cen- and pure EVs in which some technologies and compo-
tury, has become so determined these components can assist with nents may be more dominant than in current ICE ve-
reducing vehicle NVH that it has built its own semi-anechoic cham- hicles. An added difficulty is determining the likely tim-
ber, hardly a routine investment for a Tier 2 supplier. escale of a sudden increase in EVs.
Until recently, Saint-Gobain used facilities at European universities and
a specialist test site in Germany for NVH development, but its own Integration of systems and components is essential but
chamber in the U.K. will help the company to better understand OEMs’ tracing the source of an NVH issue must be a challenge?
systems and improve performance. The ISO 3745- and 3744-compliant There may be a source anywhere in the vehicle, transmit-
facility in Bristol was established with support from Southampton ted via structural or airborne paths which interact with
University’s Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR Consulting) other parts of the vehicle. All those parts will have some
and by Brüel & Kjaer, with headquarters near Copenhagen, Denmark. influence on NVH. Tackling these fundamentals creates a
Playing a major role in the operation of the lot of work, such as the effect of chas-
chamber is Allan Robinson, Saint-Gobain’s NVH sis and steering system interaction on
Program Leader. Following a Masters program in different surface topology and friction
acoustics and vibration control, Robinson em- coefficients putting large inputs into a
barked on a 30-year career as a senior NVH devel- structure to cause NVH.
opment engineer with companies including Ford,
JLR, Rolls-Royce and Ricardo. Is Lightweighting adding to your
Automotive Engineering recently spoke with challenges?
Robinson to discuss the nuances of NVH. It makes tackling NVH more difficult
because it reduces the transmission
AE: It’s very unusual for a Tier 2 supplier to have loss. Impedance of noise by the mass
a costly semi-anechoic chamber; what drove your of a body panel or the vehicle’s
decision to build one? NVH program leader Allan whole structure is significant, so the
Robinson: Our components are part of a chain in- Robinson notes that electric and lighter the weight the more transmis-
volved in noise and vibration. We always aim to autonomous vehicles present new sion of noise could be expected. This
challenges related to abating NVH.
reduce any noise issue at source and by having our situation is increasing as lightweight-
own anechoic chamber we are able to develop ing becomes more essential to get
solutions in collaboration with Tier 1 suppliers and Having our own more range out of a battery charge.
BOTH IMAGES: SAINT-GOBAIN

OEMs. The facility allows us to work with them on anechoic chamber

real-world problems at system level development. How do Saint-Gomain’s composite
Although we make small components, in the we are able to bearings and tolerance rings fit
chamber we can for example replicate an entire develop solutions in into this big picture?
seat structure, a chassis system such as an elec-
tric-power-assisted steering rack, or an electric
collaboration with Tier Our bearings and tolerance rings
improve the fit of the shaft – with
motor, mounted as they would be in a vehicle. 1 suppliers and OEMs. less onerous tolerancing. We don’t

22 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING


want to go from a condition where the shaft is able to
repeatedly collide with the housing, as this generates an
impact noise transmitted as a rattle. PTFE bearings and
tolerance rings can fundamentally improve the squeak
and rattle situation throughout the vehicle. Put simply,
an improved fit delivers better rattle prevention.
Regarding the tolerance ring, it is basically a radial
and torsional spring so it again concerns fit of the
shaft and housing. However, it is possible to “tune”
both the radial and torsional stiffness to transmit less
energy. By doing so, it is possible in an electric motor
to reduce electro-magnetic noise transmitted from the
interior of the motor to its casing.
Bodyshell (body-in-white) torsional rigidity is
generally now very high; is that a good thing for
reducing NVH?
Yes, but there is a caveat. It is good so long as we don’t
tune it to other features on the car! For every mode we
effectively get six degrees of freedom: fore and aft, later-
ally, vertically and rotational, which rolls around those
three axes. What we want to do is separate all of those
and ensure that they are not coincident with any feature
such as engine idle in an ICE car, suspension modes etc.
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Do ambient and therefore material temperature variations add a
further complication?
Yes, and it is a problem to simulate. It necessitates the added use of a
climatic chamber. That’s a case of working in co-operation with an
OEM that has appropriate facilities. Solving rattles is basically about
overcoming clearance in very small dimensions - a gap between a
shaft and housing that allows impact. If the materials of the shaft and
housing are of different characteristics they will expand at different
rates, thus changing the relative clearance.
Are autonomous vehicles likely to present specific challenges to
your NVH R&D?
Yes, because they are likely to have more mechanisms fitted – e.g. more
struts and hinges because cars may increasingly have sliding and auto-
matic doors. We expect more squeaks and rattles. Also, noise transmis-
sion through joints and structures needs to be better than it is now.
Autonomous vehicles will have the potential for generating noise be-
cause they will not only incorporate more door and seating options but also
seating layouts will be different to today’s cars as well. Use of more electric
motors may be required to provide non-manual and automatic adjust-
ments. So, we are expecting more mechatronics to be making more noise.
Added to this, the reduction of masking noise from removal of ICE
sources means that we see the importance of BSR [buzz, squeak and
rattle] prevention growing.”
June 2019 23

The C1000 vastly simplifies measuring the mass matrix of heavy, odd shaped
engines and powertrains.
A
ccurate measurements of vehicle centers-of-
gravity and inertia are vital for helping NVH engi-
neers further improve their dynamic vehicle mod-
els—and thus improve performance and safety.
Specialized vehicle test machines are used for NHTSA’s
New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) and new varia-
tions are entering service for the subsystem level. One of
them is the C1000, developed by S-E-A Vehicle Dynamics
headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.
As the smallest of S-E-A’s Vehicle Inertia
Measurement Facility (VIMF) product line, the C1000
was developed to finally simplify the decades-old issue
of measuring the mass matrix of heavy, odd shaped
engines and powertrains. The resulting data is crucial to
NVH engineers and is now much easier to obtain.
“For decades, automotive engineers have been sus-
pending extremely heavy engines to measure their
inertia. We would regularly hear clients lament that
the process was labor intensive and produced results
that were not easily repeatable,” noted company di-
rector Gary Heydinger, Ph.D and PE. He explained that
the C1000 was conceived “to make [engineers’] work
day easier and provide results they can trust”—with
consistent, repeatable fidelity.
Reliable data and the end customer
Most consumers won’t purchase a new vehicle without
a test drive. Not only is it their one occasion to evaluate
the cabin features offered by the manufacturer, but
also their sole opportunity to experience the vehicle’s
ride performance. Does the suspension deliver a good
balance of compliance and accurate roadholding? Or is
it too floaty—or too hard? As part of this naturalistic
24 June 2019
Reducing NVH
through refined
powertrain
measurement
NVH characteristics are among the most
important factors consumers use to
judge a vehicle’s quality.
By Scott Zagorski
evaluation, the combined noise and vibration is immediately apparent
when assessing the feel of a vehicle.
Noise control, however, is not just about making cars quieter for a
more relaxing ride, but about enhancing the overall cabin experience.
NVH characteristics are high among the factors consumers use to
judge a vehicle’s quality.
What causes NVH, and more importantly, how is it mitigated? One
source is the engine, where vibrations are generated and then travel
through the engine mounts, into the structure, and through the car
seat into the driver. Alternatively, vibrations from the same source can
take a similar path through the structure to become acoustic noise
when it is amplified by the cabin. Optimizing these factors is therefore
of utmost importance for the overall experience of a vehicle.
Engine mounts play a crucial role in a vehicle’s comfort, while
protecting the engine from excessive movement and forces due to
low frequency road and high frequency engine excitations. This has
led to significant interest in computer-aided predictive techniques
for NVH, such as a frequency response function (FRF) model of a
vehicle to evaluate the optimum types and locations of engine
mounts. Others use finite element (FEM) and multi-body dynamic
modeling, or a combination of them, to tune their mounts to
achieve specific objectives.
In these models, an engine block is modeled as a rigid body at-
tached to the neighboring parts to study how to reduce the transmit-
ted vibrations to the occupants. Engineers need to know the mass
matrix of the engine with a high level of accuracy to best evaluate
the system computer models.
Saving testing time
S-E-A’s C1000 measures the complete inertia matrix: mass, center of
gravity location (XCG, YCG, ZCG), and all moments and products of inertia
(IXX, IXY, IZZ, IXY, IYZ, IXZ). These quantities are imperative in studying engine
RAM
vibrations, calculating the torque roll axis (TRA), and in determining the
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
 NVH
SCIENCE

On the C1000, the test plate rests on a bearing, allowing it to rotate relative to the
pendulum.

placement of engine mounts. A key feature of the C1000 is that the en-
gine, once placed on the test table, is never reoriented during the test
process. This reduces the testing time to an hour or less. Previous inertia
test methods were inefficient, requiring up to five reorientations, sepa-
rate CG measurements, and several days to complete.
Below is a sample data set output from the C1000. The machine mea-
sures the CG of the system (XCG, YCG, ZCG), which is then adjusted based
on the desired reference point of the engine (Xref-CG, Yref-CG, Zref-CG):
INCH MM lbm-in2 kg-m2
XCG 0.03 0.8 IXX 19,951 5.839
YCG 0.06 1.5 IYY 13,835 4.049
ZCG -13.1 332.2 IZZ 11,002 3.220
Xref-CG 10.6 268.0 IXZ 155 0.045
Yref-CG -0.2 -5.6 IYZ 2,107 0.617
Zref-CG -4.6 116.3 IXY 177 0.052
The unit was designed with test time and accuracy in mind. Like
S-E-A’s VIMF, this machine is robust and repeatable. If you place a
known fixture on it today, then again in five years, the same result
within about 2 millimeters would be expected.
The physical principles are as old as Isaac Newton, although modern
electronics and software aid the process. The C1000 uses a stable pen-
dulum arrangement to obtain the CG location, two moments and one
X-Y Plane View of TRA
20
15
ALL IMAGES: S-E-A VEHICLE DYNAMICS
The platform is shown rotated 45° for an IXY product test.
During testing, the software captures the period of oscillation
of the pendulum.
product of inertia. The test plate rests on a bearing allow-
ing it to rotate relative to the pendulum. The third mo-
ment is measured using the torsional spring method,
while the final two products of inertia use the torsional
spring method combined with a load cell.
For a typical passenger vehicle engine, accuracy is
on the order of 2.5 mm for CG, 1-2% for moments of
inertia, and products of inertia are 2% of the smallest
moment of inertia.
With this equipment, NVH engineers can input reli-
able and repeatable data into their vibration models to
determine the optimum engine mount locations.
Getting the locations correct early in the process saves
time and money, the company claims, while the end
result improves the entire vehicle experience for the
Y-Z Plane View of TRA
driver and passengers.
20
“S-E-A has always provided customized testing so-
15
lutions. Our products have helped to establish stan-

dards when there is no standard, and our Vehicle

X-Axis (inches)

Z-Axis (inches)

10 10

5 5
Dynamics specialists continuously innovate by using
cutting edge technology to develop new and unique
-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
test equipment and methods,” commented Dan Buss,
-5 -5
the company’s global sales director.
Y-Axis (inches) Y-Axis (inches)

TRA CG TRA CG
Author Scott Zagorski, Ph.D, PE, is a mechanical engineer
The mass matrix data is used to determine the slope of the TRA, to ensure the who has been performing vehicle testing/vehicle dynamics
engine mounts are properly aligned with the inertia of the engine. for 15 years. He has been with S-E-A for four years.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING June 2019 25

Foam for NVH
solutions
New innovations for a wide variety of
sound-deadening applications.
Sophisticated NVH tape
Avery Dennison FT 8392 is a high-performance, foam bonding tape
ideal for automotive NVH applications. The 3.6 mil tape is a double-
coated differential with an acrylic adhesive for the lamination side
and a rubber adhesive for the substrate side featuring a PET film car-
rier. The acrylic adhesive laminates well to a wide variety of foams
and offers dimensional stability and good die cutting characteristics.
The rubber adhesive side bonds well to a variety of substrates includ-
ing LSE plastics like polypropylene. A biocide additive inhibits mold
growth as required in some specifications. In addition to bonding
performance, this high-tech tape is capable of resisting the extreme
Avery Dennison’s new adhesive foam
tape is designed for vehicle instrument
panel assembly applications.
26 June 2019
In addition to featuring
Acura’s first use of
high-performance structural
adhesives, the 2019 RDX’s body
structure uses sound-absorbing
acoustic spray foam in 12 body cavities,
a 15% increase (by surface area) in
sound-deadening material. Complementing this
treatment for cabin quietness are triple door seals
and thicker or acoustic-laminated glass all around.
high temperatures frequently encountered in vehicle
interiors, the company claims. Avery Dennison has
tested FT 8392 to many OEM specifications and pro-
vides over 100 certifications.
Tuned PUR foam for acoustics
From the headliner to the car floor, acoustically tuned
polyurethane (PUR) foam solutions from Covestro can
help enable a quieter ride – dropping decibels from
automotive interiors, the company claims. When used
in the IP, polyurethane can replace soft touch materials
to provide a lighter assembly with the same or im-
proved haptics. Load floors benefit from stiff and
strong, yet light, polyurethane composite. When used
in seating, polyurethane raw materials create lighter
weight seat assemblies while delivering the same per-
formance and properties of current foams.
Additionally, raw materials for semi-rigid foam can
replace shoddy pad or fiberglass in hood liners.
Covestro’s Baynat is a raw material for semi-rigid
foam used in fiber reinforced composites for light-
weight construction. Baynat-based foam is a very
light-weight material available in densities between 15
FROM TOP: ACURA; JAGUAR
and 40 kg/m³. The typical compression strength at
40% deflection in rise direction is in the range from
75-150 kPa (0,75 – 1,5 bar), the company claims.
Baynat-based foam is thermally insulating like ex-
panded polystyrene but unlike other light-weight insu-
lants it is both highly effective in noise absorption and
resistant to rather high temperatures. One popular OEM
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
 Tire cavity
resonances can
NVH
SCIENCE
be significantly
mitigated through
use of Loctite there is a growing demand for in-tire bonded sensors to measure perfor-
SI 5930 FIT, mance parameters such as tire pressure, tread depth or contact area.
the adhesion Paving the road towards next-generation automotive tires with
performance of effective cavity noise reduction and increased sensor technology,
which has been Henkel has introduced Loctite SI 5930 FIT (for Fix in Tire), an RTV
demonstrated over silicone rubber adhesive for in-tire bonding applications. SI 5930 FIT
a million kilometers
is a one-component room temperature vulcanizing material supplied
of road testing.
as thixotropic black paste with a tack-free time of ≤15 minutes, de-
pending on ambient humidity. The material offers excellent adhesion
application is the use as a core for the manufacture of on all common tire rubbers used in the automotive industry, includ-
sandwich headliners, for which Baynat is optimized for ing mixtures for trucks and two-wheelers, the company said.
indoor emission and smell. The facings are composed of According to the company, the product provides excellent adhesion
fiber-reinforced polyurea and decorative layers. This properties on all common tire rubbers and is compatible with different
system not only allows rapid prototyping but can also acoustic foams as well as tire release agents. As a MEKO-free and
serve as self-supporting acoustic panel. odorless solution it also meets strict HSE standards. In addition, Henkel
supports tire manufacturers and suppliers with a comprehensive bond-
ing test program and through collaborations with leaders in tire market
Tired of noisy tires? consulting and dedicated wheel manufacturing equipment.
The continuous reduction of driving noises in automotive “A critical requirement of these functional tire designs is the long-term
engineering has resulted in a greater focus of designers reliable bonding strength of the adhesive material even under severe
on the noise resonating from tire cavities. Tire manufac- road, driving and weather conditions,” said Wim Boone, senior sales engi-
turers are increasingly adopting new acoustic foams that neer at Henkel. He said the Loctite SI 5930 FIT product has successfully
HENKEL

are bonded to the inside surface of the tread material in demonstrated its adhesion performance from the tire production line to
order to minimize the noise transfer. At the same time, over one million kilometers (621,371 miles) of severe road testing.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-707 June 2019 27

Long time coming
After six decades of teasing enthusiasts with intriguing concepts, Chevrolet is
launching an all-new Corvette with its engine located where Zora intended—
behind the driver.
I
n the Spring of 1957, while pondering the demise of
Chevrolet’s Corvette Super Sports racer at
Sebring’s 12-hour endurance race, legendary
Corvette godfather Zora Arkus-Duntov concluded,
“Heat source must be behind driver.” The official ex-
planation offered for dropping out after 29 laps was a
failed rear-suspension bushing—but the actual show-
stopper was that driver John Fitch’s feet were being
cooked by the exhaust-header pipes snaking around
the SS’s sheet magnesium ‘firewall.’
Sixty-two years later, the Corvette development trek
initiated by Arkus-Duntov’s brainstorm reached New
York’s Times Square, when a camouflaged prototype
(see cover image) driven by chief engineer Tadge
Juechter and with GM CEO Mary Barra as passenger,
finally confirmed that the 2020 Corvette will have its
engine located behind the driver.
The 7-18-2019 date prominently displayed on both
sides of the prototype car is when GM will reveal de-
tails about the mid-engined Corvette, exactly fifty
years after the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon. Until
then, we have but history and speculation—supported
by interviews with five Corvette chief engineers and
one retired GM vice chairman—defining the signposts
and sidetracks leading to the revolutionary Corvette.
28 June 2019
Aerovette was perhaps
the most exquisite of all mid-engine
Corvette concepts—and Zora’s favorite.
By Don Sherman
Superior vehicle dynamics
Arkus-Duntov, born in Belgium in 1909 to Russian parents, earned a
mechanical engineering degree at the Charlottenburg Technical
University (now the Technical University of Berlin), in 1934. In his
teens, he graduated from two to four wheels as his preferred means
of rapid transport. In 1941, after relocating to the U.S., he adopted the
surname Arkus-Duntov out of respect for his father and step-father,
both of whom shared a home with his mother and brother Yura in
Leningrad, Russia.
Arkus-Duntov’s fascination with speed made him practically an
eyewitness to Adolf Rosenberger’s 1924-25 racing victories with the
mid-engine Benz Tropfenwagen. The next decade, the fearsome V16
mid-engine Auto Union cars conceived by Dr. Porsche’s budding de-
sign office often trumped Mercedes’ traditional front-engined Grand
Prix racers. In the year of Arkus-Duntov’s epiphany (1957), F1 driver
Jack Brabham’s mid-engine Cooper showed promise at the Monaco
Grand Prix. Two years later, the Cooper team won the World
Championship, rendering front-engined racecars obsolete.
GM HISTORICAL ARCHIVES
His engineering education gave Arkus-Duntov a clear understand-
ing of the physics underlying mid-engine car design. This is the pre-
ferred configuration for rear-driven sports cars and all race cars (rules
permitting) for the following reasons: Traction while accelerating
from rest and exiting turns is maximized with the engine located as
closely as possible to the drive wheels. The load transferred forward
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

Corvair Monza GT concept of 1962 used a mid-mounted flat six.
during aggressive braking helps all four tires produce nearly equal
stopping forces. A central-mounted engine also minimizes the ve-
hicle’s polar moment of inertia about its vertical axis; as a result, initi-
ating and arresting yaw motion (turning) is easier with the engine in
the middle.
Bottom line: Mid-engine cars deliver quicker acceleration, superior
braking and more agile handling.
Arkus-Duntov joined Chevrolet R&D in 1953. When a rear-mounted
transaxle was under consideration for GM’s 1960 mainstream mod-
els—beyond those used in the Corvair and compact Pontiac
Tempest—he realized that this component might enable a mid-en-
gined, second-generation Corvette. Design studies revealed that the
driver’s forward visibility and the car’s center of gravity would both
benefit from moving the engine rearward. Unfortunately, problems
with the transaxle resulted in its cancellation and the mid-engine C2
was stillborn.
The consolation prize was approval to build an experimental sin-
gle-seater with Indy 500 potential, the first of thirteen GM mid-en-
gine concept and show cars. Dubbed a Chevrolet Engineering
Research Vehicle (CERV), this 1960 concoction had a 500-hp (373-
kW) small-block V8 yielding a top speed over 200 mph (322 km/h)
at the Milford Proving Grounds. Its independent rear suspension
made the leap to the 1963 Sting Ray (C2) production model.
When GM politics forbade Arkus-Duntov to go racing, CERV was
‘loaned’ to a west-coast museum for display. Retrieving this stunning
heirloom ended up costing GM $1.32 million at a 2017 auction.
GM Design boss Bill Mitchell joined the mid-engine game in 1962
BOTH IMAGES: GM HISTORICAL ARCHIVES
with the Corvair Monza GT coupe, constructed with the production
model’s flat-six engine relocated from behind the rear axle to the
middle of the car. Driver and passenger climbed aboard by hinging
the unified doors and windshield assembly up and forward in one
dramatic sweep.
Responding to Ford’s ambitious GT40 international endurance rac-
ing effort, Arkus-Duntov yanked another experiment out of his
sleeve. The 1963 CERV II had a centrally mounted 7.0-L big-block V8
with a transmission at each end of its crankshaft to provide four-
wheel drive. Top speed climbed to 214 mph (344 km/h) in testing.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT | CORVETTE C8 GENESIS FEATURE
Zora Arkus-Duntov: his mid-engine focus was influenced by
Auto-Union’s pre-WWII GP cars.
Finding favor with this twin-transmission arrangement,
Ferrari adopted a version of GM’s creation for its 2011
FF GT (now called the GTC4Lusso).
Alas, GM’s management chose to support Chaparral
Cars in the Can Am race series instead of assaulting
Ford at the 24 Hours of LeMans, so CERV II was also
shelved. It too slipped from GM’s grasp, selling at a
2013 auction for $1.1 million.
Tantalizing concepts
After Ford finally won LeMans in 1966, GM’s Design
and R&D departments teamed up to build the stun-
ning Astro II mid-engine concept for the following
year’s New York auto show. Road & Track’s cover coyly
queried, “A Chaparral for Production?” Still lacking a
suitable transaxle, GM answered ‘no.’
R&T again swallowed the bait two years later when
another GM prototype stole the New York show, ex-
claiming, “We’ll stake our reputation on this being
the Corvette of the future.” Called simply a Corvette
Prototype (internal code XP-882), this mid-engine
mirage combined a transverse small-block V8 with an
Oldsmobile Toronado transaxle to drive both axles.
The Ford Pantera, Mercedes-Benz C111 and AMC
AMX/3 ironically all seconded the mid-engine motion
at the same show. Arkus-Duntov was ready to serve
this car to the Corvette faithful—but when Chevy
June 2019 29
Long time coming

CERV II: midship V8, two transmissions, four-wheel drive. Astro II concept from 1966: still no suitable transaxle.

boss John DeLorean denied that wish, he threatened bonded structure was deemed prohibitively expensive for produc-
to resign. tion. Result: another dead end.
Mitchell’s next move was the 1969 Holden Hurricane Most Corvette aficionados consider the most tantalizing mid-en-
concept car, constructed in Australia with a mid- gine experiments to be the high visibility part of GM’s ill-fated rotary-

BOTH IMAGES: GM HISTORICAL ARCHIVES

mounted 253 cu. in. (4.1-L) V8 driving the rear wheels
through an experimental transaxle. Mimicking the
Monza GT, this two-seater’s canopy was lifted by servo
motors for entry. Advanced features included one of
the first back-up cameras and oil-cooled disc brakes.
The next stage of XP-882 development was a thor-
ough redesign in collaboration with Reynolds Metals
to shed weight. The new aluminum unibody trimmed
500 pounds (227 kg) for the 1972 prototype code-
named XP-895, but its spot-welded-and-adhesively-
engine gambit. The XP-987 GT bowed at the 1973 Frankfurt motor
show with GM-designed, Pininfarina-crafted coachwork over a
Porsche 914 chassis and an experimental two-rotor engine in the
middle. At the Paris salon later that year, Arkus-Duntov pulled out
the stops with his awesome Four Rotor: two rotaries in series, under
a stunning body fitted with folding gullwing doors.
When GM’s rotary engine work ceased soon thereafter, a conven-
tional V8 was transplanted under deck and the car was rechristened
Aerovette. After he retired, Arkus-Duntov told anyone who’d listen
that this was his all-time favorite mid-engine design.

Gib is the Engineer’s engineer

He was known as Zora’s problem-solver and
kindred spirit, and now Gibson “Gib”
Hufstader is excitedly looking forward to
finally seeing Arkus-Duntov’s mid-engine
dream hit the streets.
Hufstader, 88, became an SAE member in
1957, the year he joined General Motors R&D
following studies at the General Motors Institute
(now Kettering University) and military service
at the Army’s Aberdeen Proving Grounds.
During his 45-year GM career, Hufstader
earned seven patents for driveline-related
innovations. His passion for motorsports born
in 1959 persists. In the 1960s, he assisted
Corvette and Camaro teams, including Roger
Penske’s, in both endurance and Trans-Am
events. Co-driving the Owens-Corning
Corvette at the 1969 12 Hours of Sebring, he
vered at what he describes as
the ‘hobby’ level.
“Zora would ask me to
sketch layouts, initially with
the Hewland transaxle, then
with other arrangements to
reduce length,” Gib recalls. “A
transverse layout using parts
of an Oldsmobile Toronado
automatic transmission with
all-wheel drive capability
earned Zora a patent in 1971.” Gib Hufstader in 2019.
The patented mid-engine
powertrain layout works as follows:
• Engine transversely positioned behind
cockpit with west-east orientation.
• Crank-mounted torque converter drives
transverse automatic transmission located
• (Optional) shaft forward
from bevel gear to front-axle
final drive differential.
Hufstader’s most memo-
rable project was the Four-
Rotor Corvette constructed
for the 1973 Paris Salon.
“While that three-month
effort didn’t venture beyond
the show car,” he noted, “it
had ample potential for fur-
ther development.”
Today, Gib’s hobby fleet
consists of the ’67 427 Corvette he campaigns
in vintage road racing, an aerobatic Steen’s
Skybolt biplane, and eight motorcycles—in-
cluding a 1952 Vincent Black Shadow, a 1974
Ducati 750 Super Sport and a 1956 Triumph
LINDSAY BROOKE

scored second in the GT class and 14th overall. ahead of engine via Morse chain. 650 Trophy. Look up ‘engineer’s engineer’ in
Hufstader joined the Corvette group in • Bevel-gear box at transmission’s output the dictionary and you’ll see Gib Hufstader,
1964. During that time, efforts to engineer a end drives shaft passing through engine oil wearing an engaging smile.
viable mid-engine production design perse- pan to rear axle final drive differential. D.S.

30 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT | CORVETTE C8 GENESIS FEATURE

XP-987 with its two-rotor rotary

engine previewed GM’s stillborn Wankel future.
The XP-895 concept featured a Reynolds Aluminum body.
BOTH IMAGES: GM HISTORICAL ARCHIVES

vanced navigation gear were packed into a molded-

2009: ‘The patient is dead’ composite chassis. The 4.3-L V8 was initially a version
When he left the building in 1975, Arkus-Duntov’s parting words to his of the engine supplied to Indycar racers. In 1990, that
successor were “Dave (McLellan), you must build the mid-engine power source was supplanted by a twin-turbo version
Corvette.” That wouldn’t happen in the 20th century, though there was of the Lotus-designed LT5 5.7-L DOHC V8.
sufficient interest in the layout to create another ambitious experimen- Acknowledging the benefits of moving mass rear-
tal called CERV III (also Corvette Indy). This 1986 GM design study was ward, McLellan did shift the transmission aft for the
modeled in Italy and built in England by Lotus with electronic features comprehensively redesigned 1997 fifth generation (C5)
galore. Active suspension, four-wheel steering, drive-by-wire and ad- Corvette, introduced shortly after Arkus-Duntov’s

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AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-709 June 2019 31

Long time coming
CERV III
experimented with
composite chassis,
advanced electronics.

gine dream was not dead was Cadillac’s Cien concept

Corvette Prototype XP-882:
transverse-mounted V8 with
Olds Toronado automatic
transmission.
shown at the 2002 Detroit auto show. Key features
were a magnificent exterior shape inspired by the F-22
Raptor fighter aircraft, scissors-hinged doors, a chassis
made of Aerogel composite and a 7.5-L 750-hp (559-
kW) V12 with direct fuel injection and cylinder deacti-
vation. In the 2003 through 2009 model years,
Cadillac leveraged the Corvette C5 and C6 platforms
for its XLR luxury roadster.
For Cadillac fans, hope springs eternal that the
brand will again offer a two-seater—this time a BEV

BOTH IMAGES: GM HISTORICAL ARCHIVES

passing at 86 on April 21, 1996. Like the original CERV, C5’s manual
and automatic transmissions were located just ahead of the differen-
tial, where they remained through today’s C7.
The most recent official ray of hope that Arkus-Duntov’s mid-en-
with a mid-mounted motor. Our circumstantial evi-
dence is that a new two-seat Cadillac sportscar design
was wind-tunnel tested a few years ago.
McLellan’s successor Dave Hill, who coincidentally
came from Cadillac, focused on ridding Corvettes of
quality flaws, especially squeaks and rattles. He was
tempted to use Cadillac’s Northstar DOHC V8 but
found it too bulky. Instead, the 2006 C6 Z06 he cre-
ated brought 505 hp (377 kW) and 7,000 rpm to the
party with a 7.0-L OHV small block at the front atop an

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32 June 2019 Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-711 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 VEHICLE DEVELOPMENT | CORVETTE C8 GENESIS FEATURE

by Tremec and Fassler will be the sole transmission. Later in

C8’s life, hotter LT-series V8s will be introduced, some with flat-
plane crankshafts, others with DOHC. A top-spec twin-turbo
V8 will eventually deliver over 800 hp (596 kW). “ZERV” and
“ZORA” nameplates have been copyrighted by GM along with
various reactive aerodynamic devices.
Three removable targa roof designs will be offered at launch
and a convertible will follow later. C8’s foundation will be a hy-
droformed aluminum space frame as before, with composite
body panels supplied by Plasan and others. Expect a shift to
rear coil springs (away from today’s transverse composite leaf
Succeeding Zora as Corvette chief engineers from 1975 to 2008 were
springs) along with 245/35ZR-19 front tires and 305/30ZR-20
Dave McLellan (center), Dave Hill (left) and Tom Wallace.
rear rubber by Michelin. As before, Brembo will supply conven-
tional and carbon-ceramic brake components.
aluminum space frame. In 1993, Hill hired Tadge Juechter as The announced June 28 auction for charity of the final C7
his assistant, whom he describes as “a wonderful engineer, Corvette suggests that the previously expected generational
team leader, and GM executive.” overlap will not happen. Production of C8s for publicity and
Tom Wallace succeeded Hill as Corvette chief engineer in engineering use is underway at GM’s Bowling Green,
2005. After the redoubtable 2009 Corvette ZR1 was Kentucky, assembly plant and customer deliveries are expect-
bumped to 638 hp (476 kW) with an Eaton supercharger ed to commence well before the end of 2019. Expect an at-
and intercoolers, the inevitable, ‘what’s next?’ question was tractive base price to maintain Corvette’s longstanding value
asked. It was answered with ‘mid-engine’ as the most practi- proposition, with subsequent six-figure future editions ca-
cal means of improving performance. pable of slaying hypercars wearing Bugatti, McLaren, Ferrari,
Juechter was the first hand-raiser, and Wallace quickly sec- Lamborghini, and Porsche badges.
onded the mid-engine motion, in part because of his years of
amateur road racing. Chevrolet’s marketing department, real-
izing this might be an excellent means of attracting younger
buyers, also was enthusiastically on board. GM vice chairman
Bob Lutz was skeptical at first, but he was soon convinced.
The engineering team then satisfied CEO Rick Wagoner
that a mid-engine Corvette would earn a return on investment
with a modest price bump over the then-$47,895 base model.
Unfortunately, cash and time ran out before the mid-engine
cause advanced beyond full-size clay models and test drives
in reference Porsches and Ferraris.
In October 2008, boss Lutz returned from a board meeting to
report, “The patient is dead. No new Corvette capitalization is
available and I don’t know the foreseeable future.” The following
year, Wallace took early retirement at age 62 to avoid placing
Corvettes on life support with new decals and color schemes.

Mid-engine debut
On June 1, 2009, GM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Juechter,
as the last Corvette engineering chief standing, continued
working on a seventh-generation car for a 2014 model year
introduction. Since this was hardly the opportune time to
launch a flashy Corvette with a revolutionary powertrain layout,
NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM

Juechter kept team heads down. They focused on launching

well-received Z06, Grand Sport and the recent 755-hp (563-
kW) ZR1 editions while, behind the scenes, work intensified on
the mid-engine C8 due for the 2020 model year.
Pre-July 18 speculation calls for a base LT2 6.2-L small-block
V8 producing more than 500 hp/373 kW (up from C7’s 455
hp). An 8-speed dual-clutch, paddle-shifted automatic supplied

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-710 33

Protecting high-voltage circuits
Yazaki readies a new solution for arc suppression in circuits of 48V or more.
A
s OEMs develop their next-generation elec-
trical architectures aimed at new hybrid, EV
and autonomous vehicles, engineers are fo-
cused on delivering systems that are even
more robust and “fail-safe” than those used today.
Handling more power safely is a given, experts say, as
more power-gobbling heated seats, electric turbos,
active suspensions, lidars, on-board data processors
and other safety sensors are added.
“The industry is now undergoing a fundamental
change in how much electrical power is being used,”
observed Eric Varton, chief engineer of advance devel-
opment for Yazaki North America Core Engineering.
He noted that the typical 12V vehicle architecture
launched in the early 1960s is only capable of delive-
ing around 2 kW power. In an autonomous vehicle, the
autonomous Drive module alone could consume 2 kW.
“I believe forty-eight volt systems with up to 20 kW
of power will ultimately replace 12 volt systems,”
Varton asserted, and he predicts 350V-, 400V-,
600V-systems on full hybrids—with larger vehicles
and trucks moving to 800V to 1000V. “Component
draw will increase; consumers will see value in features
like window defrosters that can defrost a windshield in
30 seconds, instead of two minutes,” he explained.
“They’ll pay for heated wipers, and for seats that heat
up even faster.”
As vehicle architectures move to higher voltages,
enter the need for advanced current-sensing and DC
arc suppression. New examples of both technologies
have exited the proof-of-concept stage and are near-
ing production at Yazaki. The value of arc suppression
is to protect the electrical circuits and their connectors
34 June 2019
By Lindsay Brooke
and devices, in the event of an energized disconnect of various
causes—from operator error (loose-not-attached connections) during
vehicle assembly, to road-induced vibration, to service-tech diagnos-
tic mistakes. Arc suppression also offers the benefit of extending the
life of high-current switches or relays, Varton said.
Solid-state solution
An arc is a discharge of electrical energy between two electrodes in a
live circuit. As the energy released in an arc event increases, so does
the amount of destruction it can potentially inflict on system compo-
nents. Arcing can be characterized as Serial—a hot disconnect, for
example—and Parallel, such as a short circuit. It’s an issue on power
systems over 42V as ionization of the air in the gap between wire
terminals is more easily achieved at higher voltages.
Arc intensity is directly related to voltage, current, and the rate of
separation of the contact terminals. Arc event likelihood increases as
voltage and current increase in a circuit. The slower the terminal sep-
aration, the more likely an arc will occur, explained Varton.
“Arcing creates damage—and potentially fire,” he asserted, then
showed video clips of two arcing events demonstrated in the Yazaki
laboratory. The first demo, conducted with a 48-V, 11-amp; circuit—
the load of a typical heated seat—shows a flash of near-MIG-weld
intensity. The second demo was of a 500-V, 2-amp circuit—the arc
erupted into fire in about four seconds.
According to Varton, DC arcs create frequency harmonics that can
be detected by DSP (digital signal processing) hardware. He said that
YAZAKI NORTH AMERICA
while DSP technology works well at a system level for detection, it
also requires costly hardware to implement. And in a serial-arc event,
DSP response times typically are too slow to prevent circuit damage,
he stated. Sometimes, the circuit is shut down only after the arc
event is completed.
Short circuits can be detected with a fuse or a smart FET to shut
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
 ELECTRONICS | YAZAKI’S NEW TECH FEATURE

down the loads, but they come with

issues, Varton argues. (Field-effect tran-
sistors are electronic devices that use
an electric field to control current flow.)
“Smart FETs are really great except
they require a microcontroller and are from
Concept to
expensive—and you have to really char-
acterize your loads well,” Varton noted.
Yazaki’s DC arc suppression device—re-

sembling an insurance dongle but phys-
ically smaller—is solid state and scalable
up to 500V. When wired in parallel into
the circuit, it senses the change in volt-
age, opening a semiconductor switch
that re-routes the electrical energy in-
stead of it traveling across the pins.
“Our little unit—it’s just a small board
in a box—fits in a standard ISO relay
slot and can protect up to two circuits,”
Varton said, then asked rhetorically, “In
the event of a live disconnect or short
circuit, what do you do—replace a high-
cost component because a connector
was melted? Or install a device that is
far less expensive to protect that high-
cost item?”
Hi-res in a small range
Current sensors capable of higher reso-
lution are also in advanced develop-
Reality
Small but effective: Yazaki’s arc suppression
device is compact and cost-effective, the
company says.
the lower current range in order to pre-
cisely calculate battery state of charge
and state of health (SOC and SOH). In
lower resolution technologies, measure-
ment errors can accumulate over time Make the Leap
to skew SOC and SOH readings.
“Current sensing is a patented tech-
with our new Automotive
nology here,” Scheffler told Automotive Passive Components!
Engineering. “Our new approach senses
resonance using a Hall Effect sensor Specialty Resistors
that’s more accurate than the sensors Uʈ}…ÊۜÌ>}i]Ê>˜Ìˆ‡ÃՏvÕÀ>̈œ˜ÊÊ
we use to certify our parts for the Ê >˜`ʅˆ}…Ê«œÜiÀÊ܈`iÊÌiÀ“ˆ˜>ÊÊ
Ê V…ˆ«ÊÀiÈÃ̜ÀÃÊ
OEMs. In fact, we’re identifying applica-
ment at Yazaki, revealed David
Scheffler, Yazaki North America’s VP
engineering. He explained that vehicle
voltages of 48V and above are driving
the need for higher current-resolution
measurement. This is particularly vital in
FROM TOP: YAZAKI NORTH AMERICA; LINDSAY BROOKE
tions beyond automotive for this.”
Raising system voltage from 12V to
48V reduces current by a factor of
four—“still managing a lot of power, but
with a small current,” Varton noted. “So,
you need better resolution in this very
small range,” better than shunt- and
magnetic-based solutions can deliver,
he claims. “When you have offset in this
small range you don’t have enough res-
olution to get an accurate result for bat-
UÊiÈ}˜i`ÊvœÀÊ>Õ̜“œÌˆÛiÊÊ
Ê >««ˆV>̈œ˜Ã
Power Shunt Resistors
Uʈ}…Ê«œÜiÀÊ­Õ«Ê̜ʣä7®ÊVÕÀÀi˜ÌÊÊ
Ê Ãi˜Ãˆ˜}ÊV…ˆ«ÊÀiÈÃ̜ÀÃÊ
UÊ7ˆ`iÊÀ>˜}iʜvÊÀiÈÃÌ>˜ViÊÛ>ÕiÃ
Current Sense Resistors
UÊ/…ˆVŽÊw“]ʓiÌ>Ê«>ÌiÊ>˜`ʓœ`i`ÊÊ
Ê V…ˆ«ÊVÕÀÀi˜ÌÊÃi˜ÃiÊÀiÈÃ̜ÀÃÊ
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Ê VœÀÀœÃˆœ˜Ê>˜`Ê̅iÀ“>ÊiÝ«>˜Ãˆœ˜

Scaling arc-suppression solutions up to 500V
is important to meet upcoming hybrid and EV
requirements, noted Yazaki’s Eric Varton.
tery and SOC management.” Check out our new solutions for
In Yazaki’s Resonant Current Sensor Automotive Applications at
that’s nearing production, offset and
gain errors are canceled out, Varton said.
KOASpeerAuto.com
Sensing gain is independent from the
operating voltage and temperature vari-
ations. The RCS will be offered in form
factors from +/-350A to +/- 1200A, with
9V-16V operating voltage. Minimum
measurement range is ± 1200A @ 13.5V
(± 1000A @ 9V). Both differential and MORE THAN JUST RESISTORS
single-end signal interfaces are available,
according to Varton.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-708

PRODUCT
BRIEFS

SPOTLIGHT: TEST & MEASUREMENT FOR NVH

Handheld gap measurement device
Nextsense’s (Graz, Austria)
Calipri C15 is a wireless, handheld
gap and flush measuring system
that has been specially devel-
oped for continuous use in auto-
motive production. Due to sim-
plified sensor operation and an
extra robust housing design, the
measuring system is designed for the often high fluctuation on
the assembly line, as well as for a long service life. The new sen-
sor generation is connected to the measurement computer via
WiFi and can therefore be used flexibly in production. The
Calipri principle is used, a further development of laser light
section technology for repeatable gap measurement. During
the measuring process, the technology corrects tilting and
twisting of the sensor and thus ensures highly accurate results,
independent of the user. The gap is completely captured from
several perspectives by a short swivel movement with the sen-
sor, thus avoiding extrapolation of the profile data.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-400
Rugged NVH testing microphone
As an expansion of its family of
rugged acoustic sensors for au-
tomotive NVH (noise, vibration
and harshness) testing, GRAS
Sound & Vibration (Twinsburg,
Ohio) offers a rugged micro-
phone for wheelhouse brake
noise testing. The 147EB CCP X-rugged microphone set is a
robust microphone specially designed and optimized for
wheelhouse brake noise testing. It has a three-layer protec-
tion of the diaphragm and has endured more than 10,000 mi
(16,093 km) of on-road testing on all surfaces and in all
weather conditions. This rugged microphone will withstand
prolonged exposure to extreme temperature variations, water,
salt, dust, snow and impacts from gravel. Together with the
147AX CCP rugged pressure microphone for engine noise
testing and the 146AE CCP free-field microphone, these prod-
ucts make up a full portfolio of microphones covering all ap-
plication areas within automotive NVH testing.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-401

BiCS FLASH-enabled UFS Joint venture adds battery Pervasive engineering

Toshiba Memory
America, Inc’s.
(San Jose, Calif.)
automotive UFS
JEDEC Version 2.1
embedded memo-
ry solutions support a wide temperature
range (-40°C to +105°C [-40°F to
+221°F]), meet AEC-Q100 Grade2 re-
quirements and offer the enhanced reli-
ability required by various automotive
applications. The new product, which
consists of four capacities: 32GB, 64GB,
128GB, and 256GB, are embedded flash
memory devices that integrate BiCS
FLASH 3D flash memory and a control-
ler in a single package. Toshiba’s BiCS
FLASH-enabled UFS devices provide
customers an option that is better suit-
ed to support their high-performance
and density needs than existing e-MMC
and UFS devices. For example, the
256GB product’s sequential read and
write performance are improved over
previous generation devices.
For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-402
packs to propulsion portfolio
BorgWarner (Auburn
Hills, Mich.) is continuing
to build its electrification
portfolio and systems
expertise by agreeing to
form a joint venture with battery module
and pack supplier Romeo Power
Technology (Vernon, Calif.). This new
joint venture will be split 60/40 with
BorgWarner obtaining the larger share.
Bringing together BorgWarner’s custom-
er, product launch and quality standards
with Romeo’s battery module and pack
technology will meet a wide range of
customers’ battery-electric vehicle needs.
The battery modules and packs are ex-
pected to include intelligent battery-man-
agement systems with proprietary algo-
rithms for enhanced performance and
cycle life, as well as proprietary thermal
engineering for active and passive cool-
ing. The addition of battery packs will
enhance BorgWarner’s existing product
portfolio for hybrid and electric vehicles.
For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-403
simulation solutions
ANSYS (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
2019 R1 makes simula-
tion more pervasive
through its ease of use
and new functionalities.
The new capabilities across ANSYS’ entire
simulation portfolio empower engineers,
regardless of level of expertise, to simulate
from beginning to end faster and more
intuitively, maximizing their productivity.
ANSYS 2019 R1 introduces a new ANSYS
Fluent user experience built on top of its
proven solver that improves the workflow
process without compromising accuracy.
Engineers will benefit from the complete,
single window solution within ANSYS
Fluent, offering speed and simplicity. The
new experience streamlines the ANSYS
Fluent workflow for generating a mesh
from imported computer-aided designs
and removes usability barriers for com-
mon tasks, which enables users to iterate
faster with less training. User-focused en-
hancements enable more problem-solving.
For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-404

36 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 PRODUCT BRIEFS

SPOTLIGHT: DATA ACQUISITION TOOLS

Data acquisition systems
Diversified Technical
Systems’ (Seal Beach, Calif.)
SLICE6 DAS (data acquisi-
tion systems) offer a variety
of configurable solutions for
vehicle safety testing includ-
ing crash, NVH and ride/
handling. Engineered to be onboard or embedded in the
test article, SLICE systems are ultra-small and designed to
gather physical measurements in extreme environments.
SLICE supports a variety of external sensors including
bridge and IEPE transducers to collect acceleration, dis-
placement, strain, pressure, temperature and voltage. The
modular systems are all high-shock rated, plus feature on-
board signal conditioning and filtering. With user-configu-
rable sampling rates up to 1 million sps/channel, all data
writes directly to 16GB internal flash memory. For field test-
ing, there is also an option with IP68-rated enclosures and
connectors making it impervious to water, dust and -40° to
60°C (-40° to 140°F ) temperatures.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-405
High-fidelity measurement
Kistler’s (Novi, Mich.) KiDAQ data
acquisition system provides users
with high-fidelity measurements as a
standalone DAQ and optionally the
complete measuring chain from sen-
sor to cloud. According to Kistler, the
significant advantage offered by
KiDAQ is the new KiXact functionality,
which automatically calculates the measurement uncertainty. As
the measuring chain components are each qualified and indi-
vidually calibrated for the customer’s application, KiXact is inti-
mately acquainted with their characteristics, and so can reliably
increase the certainty of measurement for the application. Now
with KiDAQ, customers can have complete confidence in the
true level of uncertainty for their full measuring chain. KiDAQ is
modularly designed and can be configured to suit any customer
requirement or application. Depending on the application sec-
tor, measurement technicians and engineers can choose from
diverse ranges of versions, designed specifically for laboratory
applications, fixed installations or use in the field.
For more information, visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-406

Production code generator Miniature check valve Composite materials

Version 4.4 of
dSPACE’s
(Wixom, Mich.)
production code
generator
TargetLink fea-
tures controller modeling with MATLAB
code. The software also provides a
range of new functions, improved us-
ability, and optimizations that allow for
more efficient and faster processes
when testing production code. With a
new optional module, under license
from MathWorks, TargetLink 4.4 now
meets developers’ requirements to de-
scribe algorithms and behavior directly
with MATLAB code in a Simulink model.
The TargetLink Module for MATLAB
Code can be used to map exactly this
modeling process. For the first time,
production code developers can gener-
ate TargetLink’s C production code di-
rectly from control functions described
with MATLAB code in Simulink models.
For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-407
The Lee
Company’s
(Westbrook,
Conn.) IMH 855
LC2 check valve
provides more
than a 65% in-
crease in flow capacity over the exist-
ing 855-series check valve. Measuring 8
mm in diameter x 17.4 mm (0.685 in)
long, this new valve features robust all
stainless steel construction. A durable
metal-to-metal seat provides low leak-
age and highly repeatable cracking
pressures. This robust design, com-
bined with 100% functional testing,
ensures consistent, long-term perfor-
mance. The new check valve is offered
in two configurations for installation in
either metal or plastic manifolds.
Suitable for high volume applications in
automotive hydraulic and fuel systems,
the 855 LC2 check valve features com-
pact size and ease of installation.
For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-408
NTN Bearing Corp.
(Mt. Prospect, Ill.), a
full-line bearing sup-
plier, continues to
expand its compos-
ite material product lines with additional
solutions for automotive original equip-
ment manufacturers (OEMs) that are
looking for a reduction in cost, weight
and emissions and increases in fuel
economy. NTN’s custom-engineered,
powdered (sintered) metal products
continue to evolve as do automotive
technologies. Increased use of continu-
ously variable transmission (CVT), vari-
able valve timing (VVT) and exhaust gas
recirculation (EGR) systems require
lightweight, durable metal components.
Start-stop and electric power steering
technologies increase fuel economy, but
also require powdered metal compo-
nents engineered for those specific ap-
plications. As these applications evolve,
so do NTN composite material solutions.
For more information,
visit http://info.hotims.com/73006-409

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING June 2019 37

READER
FEEDBACK
California vs. the Feds
Your opening paragraph [Editorial, May] states that July 1943
was when the first serious inversion layer settled in. Fact is
that inversion layers and hazy conditions existed in the Los
Angeles basin for thousands of years. The indigenous people
nicknamed the area, “the valley of smokes.”
The only things that can clean up a naturally-flawed ecosys-
tem is zero emission energy in all modes and a draconian reduc-
tion in population to a level the local environment can tolerate.
Certainly, trying to reduce the strict-
est possible emission control regula-
tions is foolhardy.
Michael
via email
Your May editorial was very timely, giv-
en the continuing battle of Trump’s EPA
vs. the CARB. Now we have the ARB’s
Mary Nichols threatening to “ban” gas-
oline-engine vehicles as a parry to
EPA’s freezing of mobile-emission regs.
Of course, banning gas engines would
be a grossly stupid move. It would
mainly anger millions of Californians
and significantly affect low-income
working people who can only get
around in older gas vehicles.
It will be a long, long time before
working people can afford new electric
cars, their charging stands and the
plethora of data-service subscriptions and apps that the OEMs
will force us to purchase so they can suck our wallets empty.
Carey Haley
Irvine, Calif.
The U.S., along with all the global mobility markets, needs to
standardize on one set of emission and fuel-efficiency stan-
dards—IF governments are serious about their attempts to
reduce GHGs, their impact on the climate and on human
health. Currently, the Trump EPA and the CARB are going
about this the wrong way, to your point.
Seth Gilbert
Ann Arbor, Mich.
No progress will be made in reducing the impact of vehicle
emissions on this planet until all the major regulatory bodies,
NGOs and the auto industry can agree on one set of progres-
sively increasing standards—and stick by them regardless of
the political winds. Of course, that will never happen.
Prakesh V.
St. Paul, Minn.
38 June 2019
Materials for lightweighting
Your article on Williams Advanced Engineering and their
developments in CFRP [May] gives hope to those of us who
see the merits in composite structures for vehicles. It follows
what Dr. Alan Taub said in the same issue—that composites
are the “end game” in truly optimizing strength and mass.
Enjoyed these articles.
911lvr
EV range and thermal extremes
The recent studies by AAA and
Consumers Union on the temperature
impact on electric vehicle range [May]
contain important data for consumers
who live in four-season regions and are
considering an EV purchase. The state-
ment in your article, “When HVAC sys-
tems were activated, the range degra-
dation averaged 41%. In other words, a
BEV with an EPA-rated range of 200
miles would get only 118 miles between
charges” surely would not be amplified
by those charged with selling EVs at a
dealer. Turn on the heater and watch
your range plummet! EV owners should
not have to choose between warm feet
and getting stranded.
Viv Rangoli
Newton, Mass.
New fuel chemistry needed
Mr. Robinet’s April “Supplier Eye” talks about the decline of
new engine-family launches and the development focus of
thermal efficiency gains of ICE going forward. He’s right on,
but the OEMs and component suppliers have improved the
overall efficiency of the ICE. Missing from this portfolio are the
fuel providers. What are they doing in terms of advanced
fuel? By applying their expertise in chemistry and CRISPR [a
gene-editing technology—Ed.] it’s possible they can research
and develop an advance ICE fuel chemistry that produces
pollutant-free combustion. Such a fuel would do wonders for
the ICE and the automotive industry.
Colin Stava
Ohio, via email
READERS: Let us know what you think about Automotive
Engineering magazine. Email the Editor at Lindsay.Brooke@
sae.org. We appreciate your comments and reserve the
right to edit for brevity.
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
UPCOMING WEBINARS
SIMULATION FOR TESTING AND ANALYSIS
FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Thursday, June 20, 2019 at Noon U.S. EDT
With the spate of public highway accidents of Speakers:
autonomous vehicles, the conversation has become
more intense regarding the need for simulation testing
to reduce risky on-road testing and – more important –
to accumulate the billions of miles said to be needed to
develop robust vehicle software and operating systems.
This one-hour Technical Webinar from the editors of
Leo Kempel Marc Matthieu Worm
SAE International examines this important topic. Dean, College Serughetti Program Lead
of Engineering, Senior Director, Autonomous
Michigan State Product Driving, Siemens
University Marketing Digital Industries
and Business Software
Development,
Synopsys
Sponsored by:

Hosted by:

For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts

ISO 26262 COMPLIANCE, INNOVATION

AND TIME TO MARKET: HOW TO DELIVER
ALL THREE
Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 2:00pm U.S. EDT
How to comply with functional safety standards without compromising either speed Speaker:
of development or innovation is addressed in this 60-minute Webinar. Delivering on
all three is a challenge in an increasingly complex embedded software development
environment, especially with ISO 26262. The Webinar also describes how this
challenge can be met with an agile model-based design process that leverages
intelligent centralized management.
John Mills
President and
CEO, SimuQuest
Sponsored by: Hosted by:

For additional details and to register visit: www.sae.org/webcasts

COMPANIES MENTIONED
Company Page
AMC.........................................................................................................29
ANSYS.....................................................................................................36
Aramco......................................................................................................6
Auto Union.............................................................................................28
Avery Dennison.....................................................................................26
BAIC...........................................................................................................4
Benz.........................................................................................................28
BMW.......................................................................................................... 2
BorgWarner............................................................................................36
Bosch........................................................................................................10
Brembo................................................................................................... 33
Brüel & Kjaer.......................................................................................2, 17
Bugatti.................................................................................................... 33
Buick.........................................................................................................10
Byton.........................................................................................................4
Cadillac.................................................................................................... 32
California Air Resources Board............................................................12
CATL..........................................................................................................4
Changan....................................................................................................4
Chevrolet................................................................................................28
Continental..............................................................................................10
Covestro..................................................................................................26
Daimler.....................................................................................................4
Delphi Technologies...............................................................................6
Diversified Technical Systems............................................................. 37
Dodge........................................................................................................9
dSPACE................................................................................................... 37
Ducati......................................................................................................30
Eaton....................................................................................................... 33
Fassler..................................................................................................... 33
Ferrari............................................................................................... 20, 29
Ford......................................................................................... 9, 13, 18, 29
Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems................ 8
Fuyao.........................................................................................................4
Geely.........................................................................................................4
General Motors............................................................................... 28, 30
GKN Automotive....................................................................................10
GRAS Sound & Vibration......................................................................36
Great Wall.................................................................................................4
Henkel..................................................................................................... 27
Holden.....................................................................................................30
IAV ............................................................................................................. 8
IHS Markit.................................................................................................4
JLR ...........................................................................................................22
Joyson.......................................................................................................4
Key Safety................................................................................................4
Kistler...................................................................................................... 37
Kuka...........................................................................................................4
Lamborghini........................................................................................... 33
Land Rover..............................................................................................10
Lexus......................................................................................................... 2
Lotus.........................................................................................................31
MathWorks............................................................................................. 37
Mazda...................................................................................................6, 12
McLaren.................................................................................................. 33
Mercedes.............................................................................................2, 28
Mercedes-Benz......................................................................................29
Michelin................................................................................................... 33
Minth.........................................................................................................4
Mitsubishi................................................................................................15
Mitsubishi Motors North America........................................................15
MSC Corp.................................................................................................17
Nexteer.....................................................................................................4
Nextsense...............................................................................................36
NIO.............................................................................................................4
Nissan.......................................................................................................15
NTN Bearing Corp................................................................................. 37
Oldsmobile...................................................................................... 29, 30
Opel..........................................................................................................10
Owens-Corning.....................................................................................30
Panasonic................................................................................................14
Pininfarina..............................................................................................30
Pirelli.........................................................................................................10
Plasan...................................................................................................... 33
Pontiac....................................................................................................29
Porsche.............................................................................................10, 30
Renault.....................................................................................................15
Reynolds Metals....................................................................................30
Ricardo....................................................................................................22
Rolls-Royce............................................................................................22
Romeo Power Technology...................................................................36
SAE International.........................................................................6, 9, 30
SAIC...........................................................................................................4
Saint-Gobain..........................................................................................22
Samsung..................................................................................................14
S-E-A Vehicle Dynamics.......................................................................24
SF Motors..................................................................................................4
Steen.......................................................................................................30
Takata........................................................................................................4
The Lee Company................................................................................. 37
Thyssenkrupp.......................................................................................... 8
Toshiba Memory America....................................................................36
Toyota........................................................................................................ 2
Tremec.................................................................................................... 33
Triumph...................................................................................................30
U.S. Army................................................................................................30
U.S. Department of Energy...................................................................6
Vincent....................................................................................................30
Volkswagen.........................................................................................8, 13
Volkswagen Group..................................................................................4
Volvo.........................................................................................................4
Yanfeng.....................................................................................................4
Yapp..........................................................................................................4
Yazaki......................................................................................................34

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Atlas Material Testing Technology........................5.......................................... atlas-mts.com
Abrasion resistant | ASTM D466-14 Brüel & Kjaer............................................................7.........................................www.bksv.com
Optically clear | Refractive index: 1.56 COMSOL, Inc................................................. Cover 4....................................www.comsol.com
NASA low outgassing | ASTM E595 Create The Future Design Contest.............Cover 3............... CreateTheFutureContest.com

Evonik Performance Materials..............................3.................www.acrylite-polymers.com

www.masterbond.com ∙ +1.201.343.8983 ∙ main@masterbond.com FEV America..........................................................33........................ virtualdynamics.fev.com
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-713
G.R.A.S. Sound & Vibration.........................Cover 2.............................................www.gras.us

KOA Speer Electronics, Inc...................................35................................KOASpeerAuto.com

YOUR CONNECTION Master Bond Inc....................................................40...........................www.masterbond.com

TO THE MOBILITY Pico Technology.....................................................31.........................www.picotech.com/264
ENGINEERING
COMMUNITY SAE International.................................................40..................................connection.sae.org

Sonceboz SA..........................................................32....................................sonceboz.com/git

The Member Connection Stanadyne LLC.......................................................23..............................www.stanadyne.com

is available exclusively
to SAE members only at Synopsys, Inc......................................................... 19................ www.synopsys.com/autovdk
connection.sae.org.
Yura Corporation...................................................27................................ www.yuracorp.co.kr
Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-714

40 June 2019 AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

 Some big ideas start out small.

Your big idea could win you $20,000.

Shape the future by entering our 2019 Create the Future Design Contest. Reach new
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Visit: CreateTheFutureContest.com
See the website for contest rules and regulations

Last Chance! Entry Deadline July 1, 2019

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Simulated NVH testing you can see and hear.

Visualization of the noise pressure level

outside the gearbox and vibration-
induced von Mises stress in its housing.

The most effective approach for reducing the noise radiation

from a gearbox is to perform a vibroacoustic analysis to
learn how the design can be improved. Noise, vibration, and
harshness (NVH) testing is an important part of the design
process, and it can be simulated with multiphysics software.
The COMSOL Multiphysics® software is used for simulating
designs, devices, and processes in all fields of engineering,
manufacturing, and scientific research. See how you can apply
it to modeling gearbox vibration and noise.
comsol.blog/NVH-simulation

Free Info at http://info.hotims.com/73006-715