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Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) tools are becoming an essential part of the development process of modern automotive control strategies. The interface between the RCP real-time hardware and the existing electronic control unit (ECU) can be established via Controller Area Network (CAN). In a typical production ECU, the limited availability of unused message objects and the rate of data transfer on the CAN bus are limiting factors which influence the mechanism used for communication between the ECU and the RCP system. This document outlines the details involved in a CAN-based selective bypass approach. A data transfer mechanism is proposed which makes use of only two message objects to establish communication. The introduced time delays and the synchronization of the time driven main tasks are discussed. The proposed mechanism is validated through engine testing and the implementation details are described as well.

A conceptual understanding of modularity in internal combustion engines (defined as design, operation, and sensing on an individual cylinder basis) is presented. Three fundamental modular concepts are identified. These are dissimilar component sizing and operation, component deactivation, and direct sensing. The implementation of these concepts in spark ignition internal combustion engines is presented. Several modular approaches are reviewed with respect to breathing, fueling, power generation, and sensing. These include dissimilar orientation, geometry, and activation of multiple induction runners, partial or total disablement of valves through direct or indirect means, dissimilar fueling of individual cylinders, skipping the combustion event of one or more cylinders, deactivation of dissimilar individual cylinders or a group of cylinders, and individual cylinder gas pressure and mixture strength sensing.

The need to assess the effect of exhaust gas emissions from heavy duty vehicles (buses and trucks) on emission inventories is urgent. Exhaust gas emissions measured during the fuel economy measurement test procedures that are used in different countries sometimes do not represent the in-use vehicle emissions. Since both local and imported vehicles are running on the roads, it is thought that studying the testing cycles of the major vehicle manufacturer countries is worthy. Standard vehicle testing cycles on chassis dynamometer from the United States, Canada, European Community Market, and Japan1 are considered in this study. Each of the tested cycles is categorized as either actual or synthesized cycle and its representativness of the observed driving patterns is investigated. A total of fourteen parameters are chosen to characterize any given driving cycle and the cycles under investigation were compared using these parameters.