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Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) is a new power steering technology that will define the future of vehicle steering. The assist of EPAS is the function of the steering wheel torque and vehicle velocity. The assist characteristic of EPAS is set by control software, which is one of the key issues of EPAS. The straight-line type assist characteristic has been used in some current EPAS products, but its influence on the steering maneuverability and road feel hasn't been explicitly studied in theory. In this paper, the straight-line type assist characteristic is analyzed theoretically. Then a whole vehicle dynamic model used to study the straight-line type assist characteristic is built with ADAMS/Car and validated with DCF (Driver Control Files) mode of ADAMS/Car. Based on the whole vehicle dynamic model, the straight-line type assist characteristic's influence on the steering maneuverability and road feel is investigated.

A radiation model for a direct injection diesel engine was developed. Measurements of the thermal radiation with a measurement system including a radiation heat flux gauge were obtained in a diesel engine over a wide range of operating conditions. Comparisons are presented between calculations using the proposed model and experimental results, which indicate the radiant heat flux is a function of the mass burn rate, adiabatic flame temperature, soot emissivity, zone size, and etc. Furthermore, the model predicts variations of the ratio of radiation and the total heat transfer that is depending on engine load, speed and compress ratio.

In this paper recent development activity for natural gas combustion systems for locomotive engines are discussed. The pollutant emissions of locomotive engines using natural gas are compared with those using diesel fuel. Based on the analysis of combustion characteristics of gaseous engines, some measures for reducing emissions and improving engine performance at light engine loads are suggested. In addition, issues in developing a natural gas locomotive engine, such as gaseous fuel cost, conversion benefit, safety and gas storage facility, are reviewed.