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Stabilizer bars in a suspension system are supported with bushings by a frame structure. To prevent the axial movement of the stabilizer bar within the bushing, several new stabilizer bar-bushing systems have been developed. The new systems introduce permanent compressive force between the bar and the bushing thereby preventing the relative movement of the bar within the bushing. This mechanical bond between the bar and the bushing can eliminate features such as grippy flats, collars etc. In addition, by controlling the compression parameters, the properties of the bushing such as bushing rates can be tuned and hence can be used to improve the ride and handling performance of the vehicle. In this paper, nonlinear CAE tools are used to evaluate one such compressively loaded bushing system. Computational difficulties associated with modeling such a system are discussed.

A stabilizer bar in a suspension system is useful for preventing excessive rolls in vehicle maneuvers like cornering. Stabilizer bars are supported with bushings by either a frame or a subframe. To prevent the axial movement of the stabilizer bar within the bushing, features like add on collars, upset rings, grippy flats etc. are used on the stabilizer bar. At Visteon Corporation, several new stabilizer bar - bushing systems are developed where such axial movement is prevented by the use of compressive force. Relative merits of different stabilizer bar - bushing systems are compared in terms of roll stiffness and maximum stress on the bar through the use of finite elements.

A new high-speed data handling method has been developed by advancing the Rutgers Super Imaging System (SIS) (having four units of infrared digital cameras) in order to capture successive in-cylinder spectral thermal images at high rates from consecutive cycles (HSI-CC). The present HSI-CC method has been made possible by incorporating recent advancements in digital data handling peripheral devices and development of new dedicated computer programs including an MS Window-based operating system (WOS) for the SIS. The SIS-HSI-CC permits simultaneous high-speed imaging of four (4) sets of 64 sequential images (or 128 images) at rates of over 2,000 frames/camera/sec in each cycle, which can be repeated for as many as 150 consecutive cycles. This amounts to a data volume of nearly 400 mega bytes (in 12-bit dynamic resolution) in an experiment.

In-cylinder reactions of several internal combustion engine configurations were investigated using a highspeed four-spectral infrared (IR) digital imaging device. The study was conducted with a greater emphasis on the preflame processes by mutually comparing results from different engine-fuel systems. The main features of the methods employed in the study include that the present multi-spectral IR imaging system permits us to capture progressively changing radiation emitted by new species produced in-cylinder fuel-air mixtures prior to being consumed by the heat-releasing reaction fronts. The study of the Diesel or compression-ignition (CI) engine reactions was performed by varying several parameters, e.g. injection pressures, intake air temperature, fuel air ratio, and the start of injection.

In-cylinder reaction processes in a production port-fuel-injection (PFI) spark-ignition engine having optical access were visualized using a high speed four-spectra IR Imaging system. Over one thousand sets of digital movies were accumulated for this study. To conduct a close analysis of this vast amount of results, a new data analysis and presentation method was developed, which permits the simultaneous display of as many as twenty-eight (28) digital movies over a single PC screen in a controlled manner, which is called the Rutgers Animation Program (RAP for short). The results of this parametric study of the in-cylinder processes (including the period before and after the presence of luminous flame fronts) suggest that, even after the engine was well warmed, liquid fuel layers (LFL) are formed over and in the vicinity of the intake valve to which the PFI was mated.

Visualization of in-cylinder reaction processes and performance analysis of a direct-injection Diesel engine equipped with a high injection pressure (HIP) unit were conducted. The study was directed towards evaluation of high-power-density (HPD) engine design strategies, which utilize more intake air operating at rich overall fuel-air ratios. Two separate engine apparatus were used in this study: a Cummins 903 engine and a single-cylinder optical engine equipped with the same family engine components including the cylinder head. The engines were mated with an intensifier-type HIP fuel system fabricated at Rutgers which can deliver fuel injection pressure of over 200 MPa (30,000psi). The one-of-a-kind high-speed four-band infrared (IR) imaging system was used to obtain over fifteen hundred sets of spectral digital movies under varied engine design and operating conditions for the present analysis.