Search Results

In the current state of the art automotive fuel pumps there is only one channel on each side of the impeller. For high flow and pressure applications the size of such pumps becomes excessive. In order to reduce the size to a manageable level it may be necessary to have two or more channels on each side. But the problem with a multichannel pump is that the peak efficiency of each channel happens at a different operating point and the overall pump efficiency may not be that good. This problem can be overcome by synchronizing the channels. In a synchronous pump the channel diameter and cross sectional area of channels are such that the peak efficiency happens at the same operating point and the overall pump efficiency is improved. In this paper we derive the governing equations for flow, pressure and efficiency and layout a methodology for synchronizing the channels.

Optimization of the mechanical aspects of a heated conical oxygen sensor for desired performances, such as low heater power, good poison resistance, fast light-off, and broad temperature range, etc. was achieved with computer modeling. CFD analysis was used to model the flow field in and around a sensor in an exhaust pipe to predict the convection coefficients, poisoning, and switching time. Heat transfer analysis coupled with electrical heating was applied to predict temperature and light-off time. Results of the optimization are illustrated, with good agreements between modeling and testing.

This paper discusses an analytical technique for computing the failure rate of steel springs used in automotive part applications. Preliminary computations may be performed and used to predict spring failure rates quickly at a very early stage of a product development cycle and to establish program reliability impact before commitment. The analytical method is essentially a combination of various existing procedures that are logically sequenced to compute a spring probability of failure under various operational conditions. Fatigue life of a mechanical component can be computed from its S-N curve. For steels, the S-N curve can be approximated by formulae which describe the fatigue life as a function of its endurance limit and its alternating stress. Most springs in service are preloaded and the actual stress fluctuates about a mean level. In order to compute an equivalent alternating stress with zero mean, an analytical method based on the Goodman Diagram is used.