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Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) engine has proved itself to be worthy replacement for diesel in heavy commercial and passenger transport application all over the world. In India, infrastructure development of CNG distribution and stringent emission regulations have increased the interest shown by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to concentrate to development of CNG vehicles in every segment. Indian cities are fighting pollution due to high vehicle density and since contribution of light commercial vehicles in intra city application is significant, application of dedicated CNG vehicle has been made mandatory. This paper discusses the development of dedicated CNG engine using injection technology meeting the upcoming BS-IV norms. The primary modifications made are in the cylinder head, piston, intake and exhaust systems. The engine being developed for commercial application, the best in class fuel economy is of prime focus.

Beyond BS-IV, meeting emission legislation is an exigent target for diesel engine manufactures. But there always exist a compromise between engine performance and emissions. However the development of proper combination of Fuel Injection Equipment (FIE) system along with low cost after-treatment development for Indian vehicle applications to reduce the emissions plays major role to meet the engine target cost. Therefore in this study significance of using K and Ks nozzle is experimentally investigated for its effect on emission performance. In addition to maintain proper NOx/PM trade-off, an increased EGR flow rate along with higher cooling efficiency is improved. This increase in cooling efficiency is made without compromising other requirements in the design of the EGR cooler. The buildup of carbon deposits in EGR coolers causes significant degradation in heat transfer performance, often on the order of 15% - 20%.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is now looked upon as a leading renewable fuel for vehicles in INDIA due to mounting foreign exchange expenditure to import crude petroleum. Impending stringent emissions regulations for diesel engines, specifically exhaust particulate emissions have caused engine manufactures to once again examine the potential of alternative fuels. Much interest has centred on CNG due to its potential for low particulate and hydrocarbon based emissions and adulteration hostile nature. Significant amount of research and development work is being undertaken in INDIA to investigate various aspects of CNG utilization in different types of engines. This paper discusses the methodology for conversion of a diesel engine to dedicated CNG engine and to make the engine to meet EURO-V norms. The primary modifications are made on the piston, cylinder head, intake manifold, throttle body adaptation and exhaust system.

The importance of style design has increased tremendously in Indian two-wheeler market and at the same time new styles become obsolete in a short period. This rapidly changing market trend demands simulation methodology to evaluate the component for various loads in the design stage itself to reduce the product development cycle time. Aluminum cast footrest is preferred for better looks compared to sheet metal or tubular footrest. Normal load carried by the footrest is quite low but consideration should be given for severe loads experienced by the footrest during adverse conditions, like for example, hitting against potholes at high speed. In this current work an initial design of a die-cast footrest bracket with a particular geometric configuration and material was analyzed using finite element analysis for static and dynamic loads.

Tyres play a crucial role in determining the ride and handling properties of a vehicle. Multi-body simulation softwares are being used extensively to understand vehicle ride and handling properties using detailed vehicle models. Models need a set of characteristics and parameters to represent the tyre as close as possible to the actual tyre. Tyre properties are generally grouped into vertical, lateral and longitudinal stiffness characteristics. Various test facilities are currently present in educational institutions and commercial organizations. They are prohibitively expensive to use during product development stage where a number of design iterations are carried out before finalizing for mass production. This paper highlights the work done in creating innovative and simplified test facilities for measuring lateral force characteristics, static vertical, lateral and longitudinal stiffness and dynamic vertical stiffness and damping.

In India, scooters are now being increasingly used by young women because of its lesser weight and ease of riding. Prevalent riding conditions demand higher stability and manoeuvrability at low speeds, which could be achieved by an in-depth study. A virtual handling model of the scooter has been developed using multibody analysis software for studying the stability and manoeuvrability. Realising the role of tyre properties on the stability characteristics of two-wheelers, a new tyre model that can simulate combined slip conditions has been developed and used in the scooter model. A robust steering controller has been used for maintaining the desired path of the scooter. The virtual model has been analysed under linear and non-linear conditions for both straight running and cornering manoeuvres. The stability characteristics of the scooter have been studied by root locus and eigenvector analysis. The consistency of the model has been verified by a brief plausibility study.