Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (SVC)

The Ohio State University (lead institution)

A National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center since 2007

Partner Institution
Texas A&M University

The SVC Center investigates smart material-based solutions to future vehicle requirements and develops adaptive vehicle components and systems with superior dynamic response and multifunctional operation.

2009 Meetings

Semi-Annual Meeting February 5-6, 2009
Annual Meeting August 12-13, 2009

Center Mission and Rationale

The mission of the SVC is as follows: (1) Conduct basic and applied research on the characterization of smart materials, and the development of adaptive sensors, actuators and devices (based on active materials and control methods) for application to vehicle sub-systems and components; (2) Build an unmatched base of research, engineering education, and technology transfer with emphasis on improved vehicle performance; and (3) Develop well-trained engineers and researchers (at the MS and PhD levels) with both experimental and theoretical viewpoints.

The Center focuses on novel and emerging trends in vehicle design where smart structures, next-generation suspension or mounting devices, vastly improved actuators or valves, and intelligent sensors are integrated to develop ground and aerospace vehicles of the future. Fundamental and applied research is conducted to analyze, model, characterize and design innovative engineered components capable of providing built-in actuation, precision motion control features, self-diagnostics, and self-healing capabilities while satisfying increasingly stringent vehicle design requirements.

Research Program

In cooperation with its industrial and government partners, the Center conducts R&D projects in the following four distinct but related thrust areas:

• Interfacial Mechanisms: Advanced electro-hydrostatic actuators, adaptive powertrain mounts, interfacial force sensors, torque sensing and actuation, etc.
  
  
• Adaptive Noise Vibration and Harshness (NVH): Active micro and nano-composites, gear noise control, vibration control of vehicle systems, acoustic micro-sensors, panels with tunable stiffness, etc.
  
  
• Safety: Distributed force sensors, air bag sensors, adaptive seat belt systems, advanced energy absorbing foams, etc.
  
  
• Energy: Energy harvesting devices, adaptive fuel management concepts, powertrain breathing systems, friction control, efficiency enhancement, etc.

The lead institution (Ohio State) focuses on active material based composites, piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials, ferromagnetic shape memory alloys, and magnetorheological fluid based devices with the ultimate goals of achieving force, motion, noise & vibration control performance targets, including superior spectral bandwidth and improved transient responses. In addition to conducting relevant research, the Center provides advanced industrial education (short courses, web based tutorials and conceptual demonstrations) to improve the knowledge and skill base of practicing engineers.

Current and anticipated research projects at the lead institution (Ohio State) include the following (but not limited to):

• Electro-Hydrostatic Actuation and Sensing (E-HAS)
• Design, Modeling and Development of Self-Tuning Magnetorheological Fluid Based Engine Mounts
• Comparative Design Tool for Examining the Feasibility and Performance of Smart Engine Mounts
• Multifunctional Composites with Embedded Sensing and Stiffness Control
• Development of Interfacial Force Sensing Systems using Experimental and Computational Methods
• Panel Stiffness Control Using Embedded Actuators
• Smart Material Database Compilation and Material Selection Tool Development
• Silent Gearbox Concepts
• Development of Smart Engine Mount Actuation Mechanism and Active Elastomers
• Adaptive Seat Belt System Using Smart Material Technologies
• Critical Assessment of Passive and Active Noise and Vibration Technology for Rotorcraft Gearboxes and Airframes
• Micro-Sensors for Sound Measurement
• Development of Contactless Torque Sensor
• Joining of Shape Memory Alloys and Structural Materials
• Fuel Injector Design with Magnetostrictive Galfenol Alloys

The Texas A&M University team will focus on scientific and technological solutions for applications where shape memory alloys (SMAs) have an advantage or they are the only feasible solution. Specifically, R&D is focused on overcoming the following impediments to commercialization of SMAs:

(1) Production of reliable material and certification of material quality for industrial applications: The properties of SMAs strongly depend on the amount of trace alloying and thermomechanical processing. As a result, the reported properties of SMA alloys vary widely as a result of the different fabrication and processing methods used. It is important to produce reliable material with identical behavior for certification of these alloys in industrial applications.

(2) Development of SMAs with high transformation temperatures (100 – 500°C): Use of SMAs in engine core regions and oil well applications, for example, requires high transformation temperatures (100 – 500°C). High temperatures can lead to viscoplastic deformation due to dislocation climb and glide, and other diffusion mechanisms that could destroy the shape memory characteristics.

(3) Establishment of characterization standards for SMAs: There is no consistent characterization methodology for SMAs and this makes it difficult to cross reference or reliably adopt results from other groups. This is due to the sensitivity of the SMA behavior to the test methodology, such as stress concentrations at the grips, different characterization techniques (strain measurement techniques, heating cooling methodology), etc.

(4) Characterization and improvement of the fatigue response of SMAs: Characterization of SMA fatigue behavior is the final stage for certification of the alloys in cyclic actuation applications. Since the fatigue behavior is sensitive to specimen preparation (i.e. heat treatment and processing) as well as specimen configuration and surface finish, characterization of fatigue life as a function of various fabrication and processing parameters becomes critical.

(5) Development of numerical and FEA tools for prediction of SMA behavior to optimize the application design process: Development of phenomenological models that capture the material behavior and account for various effects such as plasticity, viscoplastic behavior, tension compression asymmetry and cyclic behavior evolution is important to support the application design process. These tools must be developed within the framework of the finite element method to allow easy design analysis and prediction.

Current research projects include:

• Processing and Characterization of NiTiPd and NiTiPd-X Shape Memory Alloys for Aerospace and Space Exploration
• Ni-Rich Shape Memory Alloy Fatigue Testing and Modeling
• High-Torque Electric Motor Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy

Special Center Activities

In addition to providing relevant research results to industry and government, the SVC is a source of information and education, not only to university students, but also to practicing engineers. As a major national center, SVC is uniquely poised to provide industry and other educational institutions world-class scientific knowledge at the interface between smart materials and transportation research, thereby enabling the practical solutions necessary for 21st century vehicle systems.

As evidenced by an increasing number of patents and the growing strategic research thrust in this area, smart materials will have a significant influence in future vehicle sub-systems and components. This research area is relatively new and there is a steep learning curve for new entrants into the field. By providing not only technical results and solutions but also being a major educational and advanced training source, the SVC will help the U.S. automotive and aerospace industries to remain competitive in an increasingly challenging global economy.

The lead institution (Ohio State) has an excellent track record in research, education, and cooperation with automotive and aerospace industries. Current efforts represent a unique synergy in research and education that benefits not only the students, academia, and the community, but also industry and the U.S. economy at large. The researchers are working to recruit women and minority undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the SVC through existing outreach campus organizations.

Facilities and Laboratories

Research is conducted in the new Scott Laboratory of The Ohio State University, located at 201 West 19th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. Scott Laboratory is a $72.5M state-of-the-art facility with a total surface area of 240,000 square feet exclusively devoted to mechanical engineering instruction and research. Scott Laboratory is home to several state-of-the-art laboratories that are central to the SVC.

The Smart Materials and Structures Laboratory, established in 2001, is a 1500 square foot facility at Ohio State focused on creating experimental and theoretical methods to study active and magnetic materials, mechanical vibrations, and system design, from both a fundamental and applied viewpoint. Major equipment include digital data acquisition and control systems, magnetic field measuring equipment, vibration and general testing equipment, amplifiers, and other instrumentation.

The Intelligent Structures and Systems Laboratory is a 1500 square foot facility at Ohio State. The laboratory has been operational since 1996 and has secured significant grants from government and industry. Key facilities include digital data acquisition and control, sensors, power supplies, oscilloscopes, materials testing, electronics processing, and antenna measurement.

The Acoustics and Dynamics Laboratory (over 2,500 square foot facility at Ohio State) houses dedicated experimental and computational facilities in noise and vibration, acoustic chambers, dynamic signal processing equipment, sensors and exciters, and state of the art computer software.

The SMA research at Texas A&M University is supported by seven facilities:

The Severe Plastic Deformation Laboratory uses a custom Equal Channel Angle Extrusion (ECAE) machine built around a 550,000 lbf MTS hydraulic press equipped with TestStar computer control and data acquisition under isothermal conditions to 650°C.

The Materials Characterization Laboratory is an 1800 square foot instrument facility providing magneto-thermo-mechanical characterization instruments, x-ray diffraction instrument with in situ stress and field capability and other equipment for the study of advanced materials. The unique facility for XRD is capable of texture measurements, thin film texture and residual stress measurements, and measurements at cryogenic (down to 6K) as well as high temperatures (up to 1500 K). Seven additional x-ray diffractometers are available in the Chemistry user facility.

The Materials Characterization Facility is equipped with Hysitron nanoindentation and AFM equipment, Kratos imaging x-ray photoelectron spectrometer and spectrofluorometer, Digital Instruments STM/AFM system, Dektak profilometer, a clean-room and facilities for conventional UV-lithography.

The Microscopy and Imaging Center houses several SEM systems including a new high resolution FESEM with OIM and heated/cooled loading stage capability, TEM, and HREM. A conventional double-tilt heating/cooling stage is also available. A JEOL 2010F is also available which is an energy filtering, field-emission analytic TEM/STEM. It is ideal for small probe work including: nanodiffraction, and spatially resolved EELS and EDS. The system is capable of EDS/EELS mapping, holography, and in-situ heating and cooling. A Zyvex S100 nanomanipulator is available.

The Shape Memory Alloys Research Team (SMART) Materials and Structures Laboratory includes a wide range of instruments for structural and functional property characterization, including MTS axial, closed loop, servo hydraulic test systems with load capacities ranging from 20 to 100 KIP's and temperature ranges from 150K up to 1500K; Adelaide axial torsional, closed loop, screw driven test system which can simultaneously or independently apply axial and torsional loads up to 20 KIP's and 10,000 in lbs, respectively; MTS high rate, open loop, servo hydraulic test system capable of accelerating the cross head up to 60,000 in/sec and impacting a specimen with 24,000 in lbs of energy; Perkin-Elmer Pyris 1 Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC).

The Magnetism and Magnetic Resonance Laboratory supports the study of magnetic shape memory alloys with a wide range of instruments for magnetic properties characterization, including: Quantum Design MPMS-XL7-SQUID Magnetometer/AC Susceptometer for operation from 1.8 K - 800 K in magnetic fields to 7 T at frequencies 1 Hz – 1 kHz; 9T Solid-State NMR Facility; Quantum Design 7 T PPMS system including electrical and thermal transport, magnetotransport, specific heat, torque magnetometry; Scanning Probe Microscopes including Thermomicroscopes AFM, Nanotec SPM/MFM, cryogenic scanner, Nanomagnetics scanning hall probe microscope system (SPHM), with cryogenic probe for high-field, low-temperature measurements, as well as room-temperature scanner. The SHPM can be used for quantitative, noninvasive measurement of surface magnetic fields at the 0.1 µm scale (acquired with an NSF-IMR grant). Both a room temperature low field version (0.03T) and a low temperature version are available. The SHPM heads can also incorporate STM and AFM sensors in place of the Hall sensor; Lake Shore Model 229 Magnetometer/AC Susceptometer for operation from 1.35 K - 300 K in magnetic fields to 9 T at frequencies 10 Hz – 10 kHz; Low Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM): A low temperature STM head has been built and is being mounted in a specially designed ³He cryostat which incorporates charcoal adsorption pumps for cooling down to 0.5 K. It will be used in both STM vacuum and point contact spectroscopy modes; Cryostats for Low Temperature Transport Measurements (Thermopower, Hall effect, thermal conductivity resistivity, magnetoresistance, AC susceptibility): ³He Cryostat, 0.35 – 20 K, with SQUID multifunction probe. ⁴He Cryostats (three), 1.5 K – 300 K, with fully automated data collection. A 6 T superconducting magnet is available for use with any of the ³He or ⁴He cryostats.

Membership

Refer to the Center web site www.SmartVehicleCenter.org for a list of the current members, affiliates and observers, along with other pertinent information.

Location

Headquarters

Smart Vehicle Concepts Center (SVC)
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The Ohio State University
201 West 19th Avenue, Columbus OH 43210
Phone: (614) 292-9044 Fax: (614) 292–3163
Homepage: www.SmartVehicleCenter.org

Center Director:
Rajendra Singh, The Donald D. Glower Chair in Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Email: singh.3@osu.edu

OSU (Lead Institution)
Prof. Marcelo Dapino, Associate Director-Research
E-mail: dapino.1@osu.edu

Sharell Mikesell, PhD, Associate Director-Industrial Relations
E-mail: Mikesell.26@osu.edu

SVC Research Site at Texas A&M University
SmartLab
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Texas A & M University
3141 TAMU
College Station TX 77843-3141
Phone: (979) 845-1604, Fax: (979) 845-6051

Dimitris Lagoudas, SVC Site Director
John and Bea Slattery Chair of Aerospace Engineering
E-mail: lagoudas@aero.tamu.edu

Center Evaluator:
Eric Sundstrom