Technology Roundup update from October 2014

Kiekert Leads With LED Door Latch

Kiekert develops a door latch with a built-in LED.

While conventional door warning lamps are placed in the side door paneling, Kiekert’s component is visible to road users through the entire opening radius. The system architecture saves on packaging space and assembly time and the weight of the side door is reduced.

The system also features a number of application options, such as color and brightness choices that can be adapted to suit customer wishes. Safety also can be enhanced with flashing LEDs.

Development of the LED latch began at the end of 2013 and now has reached production maturity. As it can be incorporated into any vehicle. Kiekert currently is discussing the LED latch with several automakers.

“Our LED latch is another intelligent, energy-efficient technology with which we are uniting safety, lightweight design and brand-new styling features, sending road users a clearly visible signal for sustainable safety in traffic,” Kiekert CEO Karl Krause says in a news release.

BorgWarner Adds Turbocharged Muscle to Volvo 2.0L Diesel

BorgWarner’s regulated 2-stage turbocharger boosts the 2.0L diesel engine in Volvo’s new Drive-E powertrain family.

The R2S technology combines two turbochargers of different sizes to allow the turbine and compressor sides of the system to continuously adapt and deliver high boost pressures over the entire engine speed range.

At low engine speeds, the entire exhaust-gas flow is directed to the smaller, high-pressure turbocharger, resulting in a quick rise in boost pressure. At higher engine speeds, the wastegate valve opens and the exhaust gas is redirected to the larger, low-pressure turbocharger.

By optimizing the full engine-speed range, the R2S turbocharging system helps the 4-cyl. engine available for nearly all Volvo models achieve 190 hp and maximum torque of 295 lb.-ft.

Visteon Cockpit Concept Takes HMI to New Level

Visteon will feature its new OASIS connected-cockpit concept for vehicles, designed to securely connect all aspects of the car to the driver and Cloud computing, during the Electronica 2014 exhibition Nov. 11-14 in Munich.

The OASIS (Optimized, Adaptable, Secure, Intelligent, Seamless) cockpit is designed to safely and thoroughly integrate the driver's custom profile to the vehicle infotainment system. The concept also tracks the driver's interaction with the vehicle and adapts to his or her preferences such as apps, preset controls and themes, Visteon says.

The OASIS concept, currently being shown to global automakers, offers benefits for vehicle users and manufacturers alike. For example, by using a web portal, the owner can review his or her driving history and vehicle diagnostics and be alerted to potential maintenance needs. Automakers can use data analytics to determine how occupants are interacting with the vehicle controls to improve human-machine interaction.

Visteon says more than 80% of participants in a consumer research clinic indicated a willingness to pay a premium to have an updatable, secure, Cloud-connected infotainment system in their next vehicle. OASIS meets this need by maintaining uninterrupted service to the Cloud using a secure data pipe that automatically switches modem, phone tether or Wi-Fi connections, the supplier says.

Harman’s HALOsonic Technology Pulls Noise-Dampening Duty

Harman expands its HALOsonic range of vehicle noise-management systems co-developed with Lotus Engineering.

Harman’s road-noise cancellation technology minimizes unwanted noise generated by the vehicle tires rolling across the road surface. To implement the system, the vehicle’s chassis is fitted with accelerometers which measure correlation of vibration coming from the road and the resulting noise inside the cabin. A proprietary algorithm in the controller then creates inverse sound waves coming from each speaker through the car’s audio system to cancel out the noise caused by the road-induced vibration.

The HALOsonic technology also can reduce the peaks of road noise across the target frequency range, making the vehicle cabin quieter and ensuring only unwanted engine or road noise is cancelled while preserving music signals in a similar audio range.

Some efforts by automakers to improve fuel efficiency by lowering vehicle weight include using less noise-dampening insulation in the car’s interior, which increases perceptible road noise and compromises audio quality. But traditional noise, vibration and harshness-mitigation technologies not only may be ineffective but also tend to add weight, which cancels out the fuel savings realized by using lighter materials, Harman says.

Renesas Chip, Software Technologies Offer Cockpit Scalability

Renesas Electronics introduces new solutions for the integrated car cockpit.

As part of Renesas’s R-Car Series for automotive, the R-Car E2 automotive systems-on-chip and the new R-Car E2 software-development board deliver optimized infotainment and display audio for entry-level integrated cockpit systems that support smartphone interoperability.

The new technologies, in combination with other Renesas R-Car Series devices, help achieve the software scalability needed to bridge the entire range of integrated cockpit systems from entry-level to high-end models.

“The new R-Car E2 SoCs feature a higher level of integration and performance optimization than what has been possible in entry-level systems, providing a robust solution that helps OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers balance interoperability with critical safety and security considerations,” Amrit Vivekanand, vice president-automotive marketing unit, Renesas Electronics America, says in a news release.

Cooper Testing Tires Made From Native U.S. Plant

Cooper Tire completes tire builds using rubber derived from guayule plants and new guayule-related materials.

The tires are undergoing a variety of tests by Cooper’s technical team. Results to date suggest tire performance that is at least equal to that of tires made of components derived from rubber trees.

Cooper reported this development to its consortium partners PanAridus, Arizona State University, Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service during the group’s third annual meeting and progress report on their $6.9 million Biomass Research and Development Initiative grant.

The consortium received the grant in 2012 from the USDA and the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct research aimed at developing enhanced manufacturing processes for producing solid rubber from the guayule plant for tire production, as well as evaluating the plant’s residual biomass for fuel applications.

The consortium aims to use biopolymers extracted from guayule as a replacement for synthetic rubbers and Hevea natural rubber used in tire production. It also is focused on genomic and agronomic development of guayule and the sustainability impact these biomaterial and bioenergy industries have on the American Southwest, where guayule is grown.

Freescale Refines Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Freescale Semiconductor introduces the FXTH87 tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) family.

The company says the FXTH87 family is the smallest available integrated-package TPMS solution, weighing 1 oz. (0.3 g) and 50% smaller than competing products. It consists of a dual-axis accelerometer architecture, pressure and temperature sensor, integrated microcontroller, RF transmitter and low-frequency receiver.

The FXTH87 family’s small footprint enables form factors ideal for developers of tire-pressure-sensor modules to reduce the weight and overall bill of materials costs. The low RF power consumption extends battery life, while both the single- and dual-axis accelerometer options improve accuracy.

According to IHS iSuppli, tire-pressure monitoring systems will represent more than 25% of the total pressure- measurement market for automotive sensors by 2015.

Detroit Three Seeks Input on Advanced Li-ion Battery Electrolytes

The U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium, a collaborative organization operated by Chrysler Group, Ford and General Motors, issues a request for proposal information for the development of advanced high-performance electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries used in vehicle applications.
The request is aimed at developers having electrolyte technologies capable of meeting or approaching the consortium’s long-term criteria when employed in an appropriate battery cell. The submission deadline is Dec. 1.

The proposed technology is expected to provide a significant improvement over existing electrolytes in one or more areas including selling price, low-temperature (-22° F [ -30° C]) conductivity, high-voltage stability, vapor pressure at 86° F (30° C), flashpoint and/or components purity.

Applicants must have an established relationship with a cell-fabricator partner with a proven track record. They also will be required to have demonstration hardware and make test results available; submit a detailed schedule indicating when full-scale availability would occur; and the developer’s commercialization plans.

For complete and detailed information on the RFPI for the “Development of Advanced High- Performance Electrolytes for Lithium-Ion Batteries Used in Vehicle Applications,” visit the USABC pages of the United States Council for Automotive Research website.