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Energy

Alternative Fuels Face Challenges

Oil companies are opening vast new reserves using hydraulic fracking technology. At the same time, fuel-efficiency measures seem to be taking hold, with drivers in North America using less gasoline and...

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Transportation

New Rules Shuffle the F1 Deck

This season will see an almost entirely new slate of rules for Formula One that effectively make it a different series. The cars are changed aerodynamically and have dramatically different power sources. Stiff...

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Software

Aerodynamics and Flow Simulations Come of Age

"Adecade ago, we had to convince people that CFD and simulation had value. Nowadays CFD is a well-accepted tool in the automotive industry used in all phases of the vehicle development...

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Transportation

No Hands, Lots of Brains

Autonomous vehicles have garnered much attention in recent months, but many technical hurdles face developers tasked with giving drivers more freedom to do other tasks. Engineers need to develop hardware and software...

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Design

Driving Good Dynamics

Dave Rollett, Vehicle Dynamics Team Leader at motorsport and engineering consultancy Prodrive, is forthright in his views about car buyers: “Most do not know what good dynamics feel like, yet they form strong...

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Transportation

Lighter, Stronger Chassis

The Counter Pressure Casting (CPC) process is particularly suited for the production of aluminum suspension components such as wheel carriers and steering knuckles. Using a typical AlSi7Mg alloy such as A356 or EN...

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Transportation

Achates Aims at 2025 Light-truck Power

It’s autumn 2024, and you’re at the local auto mall shopping for a new pickup truck — one that delivers the 32-mpg fuel economy required of full-size trucks for the upcoming model year. As the...

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Design

Systems-engineering a New 4x4 Benchmark

"We set a high target for this program: Create the industry’s most fuel-efficient four-wheel-drive system, with the greatest off-road capability and functionality,” said Mike Kirk, Chrysler’s...

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Power

More Gears, More Challenges

Transmission developers who added gears to meet tighter fuel economy/consumption requirements are adopting a range of strategies to make sure that efficiency and driveability are also improved. Reducing loss,...

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Manned Systems

Will ‘Recalls’ Become ‘Upgrades’?

"The nice thing about the digital world is that, when you enter it, you don't know where you will end up," said Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Research and Development Director, Dr. Wolfgang Epple....

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Test & Measurement

Planning for a Digital World

Volkswagen Group’s Chairman, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, believes the automotive industry is poised to undergo a huge technological and cultural upheaval: “And digitalization is increasingly redefining the...

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Transportation

Clearing the Air on 2025 GDI Engines

Powertrain engineers who attended this year’s SAE International High-Efficiency Engine Symposium and World Congress heard one message loud and clear: Don’t bet against the internal combustion...

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Automotive

Connectivity for Comfort

Connectivity is a hot topic in the automotive industry, as consumers increasingly expect more in-vehicle integration of mobile devices and linking to the Internet. But seating suppliers are taking connectivity...

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Transportation

2015 Engines Ride a Technology Tidal Wave

As MY2015 approaches, the debut of Atkinson-cycle engines for non-hybrids, diesel-like compression ratios on gasoline engines with sophisticated cooled EGR, low-friction roller-bearing camshafts,...

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Transportation

The Next Wave of Crash Simulation

Although most vehicle crash tests are typically done at 35-40 mph (56-64 km/h), the speed at which crash simulations are run continues to accelerate. As computing speed continually improves, engineers are...

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Transportation

Outlook for Autonomous Driving Includes Cloud

Fully autonomous vehicles are still a long ways from volume production, but R&D in this field is ramping up and expanding in many directions. A growing number of companies are focusing on...

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Transportation

Fuel Cells on the Upswing

2015 could be at the start of something bigger for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Hyundai recently announced the arrival for lease of a fleet of Tucson FCEVs for the southern California market,...

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Semiconductors & ICs

Advanced Silicones for ADAS in Light Vehicles

Today’s ADAS designers are adding more electronic components and redundant computing systems to printed circuit boards (PCBs). These heat-generating electronic assemblies are installed in...

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Transportation

Women in Vehicle Engineering

Cindy Hess rocketed through the Auburn University College of Engineering in just three years. Graduating as an electrical engineer in 1977, she turned down job offers from aerospace giants Boeing and General...

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Materials

Steel Red-hot for Weight Reduction

For safety, performance, and weight reduction, steel remains the top performer among light-weight materials, but the chase for better fuel economy is putting increased pressure on this perennially popular...

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Automotive

Hard to Answer

Human-machine interfaces (HMIs) are quickly evolving as smartphones and apps enter vehicles. Developers are allowing multiple ways for drivers to interact with apps and phones, knowing that a well-designed HMI can be a...

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Transportation

Taking on NVH Reduction Techniques

The internal-combustion engine and other types of vehicle propulsion systems produce various forms of vibrations that may be undesirably transmitted to the vehicle frame. These vibrations may be high or...

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Weapons Systems

British Army Completes First Test of Drone Killing Radio Frequency Weapon

British soldiers have successfully trialed for the first time a game-changing weapon that can take down a swarm of drones using radio waves for less than the cost of a pack of mince pies. The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW) development system can detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea. Read on to learn more about it.

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RF & Microwave Electronics

Shape-Shifting Antenna Poised to Transform Communications

By leveraging cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques and shape memory alloys, researchers have created an antenna that can change its shape based on its temperature. This technology has transformative potential in a wide range of military, scientific and commercial applications. Read on to learn more.

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Aerospace

Notre Dame’s New Boundary Breaking Mach 10 Quiet Wind Tunnel

The University of Notre Dame opened its new Large Mach 1 Quiet Wind Tunnel — the first and only hypersonic research facility of its kind — in November 2024. Notre Dame researchers describe the new facility as serving several immediate purposes, including to help address hypersonic testing backlogs at Department of Defense (DoD) facilities. Read on to learn more about it.

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Manufacturing & Prototyping

Manufacturing Spotlight: Machining Complex Parts and Materials for Space Flight and Exploration

This is the first article in a new section of Aerospace & Defense Technology called “Manufacturing Spotlight,” where we will cover some of the latest machines, tools, and other technologies being used by aerospace and defense industry design and manufacturing engineers. The first topic in this new section is “Machines,” specifically the computer numerical control machines. Read on to learn more.

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Aerospace

The Art of Reverse Engineering Yesteryear for Aerospace and Defense Data Storage Drives

The failure of electromechanical drives has been placing, and continues to place, the reliability of many computer-based systems in use in the aerospace and defense industries at risk. Read on to learn how the industry can ameliorate this.

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News
Energy

A Week with the Hyundai Way

Hyundai’s recent Hyundai Way tech presentation week in Korea was, like the company’s future strategy, a cornucopia of technologies. The week included an EV-focused performance event co-sponsored with Toyota,...

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Data Acquisition

The Intersection of Autonomy and Cybersecurity

The race to greater autonomy is on in the industrial and commercial transportation industry and for good reason. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to transform commercial trucking,...

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