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Electro-hydraulic actuators, a type of soft actuators, can provide soft-touch vibrations due to their structural characteristics, but some problems need to be improved to apply them to vehicles. That is, it is necessary to increase excitation force, expand frequency band, lower driving voltage, and increase durability. This research aims to design a new type based on electro-hydraulic actuator and improve problems with its performance to develop a product that generates emotional vibration in vehicles. First, a new mechanism and design of an electro-hydraulic actuator called a PVC-gel film actuator are proposed. This actuator uses PVC-gel as a film which covers a dielectric liquid and uses carbon nanotube as a cathode material. In addition, a method of manufacturing an actuator with improved performance has been proposed by creating and testing prototypes with different sizes and material properties.

This paper reports the development of a model of diesel combustion and NO emissions, based on a modified eddy dissipation concept (EDC), and its implementation into the KIVA-3V multidimensional simulation. The EDC model allows for more realistic representation of the thin sub-grid scale reaction zone as well as the small-scale molecular mixing processes. Realistic chemical kinetic mechanisms for n-heptane combustion and NOx formation processes are fully incorporated. A model based on the normalized fuel mass fraction is implemented to transition between ignition and combustion. The modeling approach has been validated by comparison with experimental data for a range of operating conditions. Predicted cylinder pressure and heat release rates agree well with measurements. The predictions for NO concentration show a consistent trend with experiments. Overall, the results demonstrate the improved capability of the model for predictions of the combustion process.

This work reports the development and application of multi-dimensional ignition, combustion and emissions models that account for detailed chemistry and mixing effects in a direct injection engine simulation. A detailed chemical reaction mechanism, consisting of 24 species and 104 reactions, is used for increased accuracy of emissions predictions. Turbulent combustion is represented using a modified Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) model to account for mixing effects. The soot model includes all aspects of soot formation and destruction. Particle transport equations are used to realistically track transport of the soot particles formed. All computational sub-models developed in this work have been implemented in a modified version of the KIVA-3V code. In order to illustrate the behavior of the new models, soot and NO emissions have been predicted at different operating conditions by varying injection timing, exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and injection pressure.