Driving with too short of a safety distance is a common problem in road traffic, often with traffic accidents as a consequence. Research has identified a lack of vehicle-mountable devices for alerting the drivers of trailing vehicles about keeping a sufficient safe distance. The principal requirements for such a device were defined. A conceptual study was performed in order to select the components for the integration of the device. Based on the results of this study, a working prototype of a flexible, self-contained device was designed, built and tested. The device is intended to be mounted on the rear of a vehicle. It uses radar as the primary distance sensor, assisted with a GPS receiver for velocity measurement. A Raspberry Pi single-board computer is used for data acquisition and processing. The alerts are shown on an LED-matrix display mounted on the rear of the host vehicle. The device software is written in Python and provides automatic operation without requiring any user intervention. The tests have shown that the device is usable on almost any motor vehicle and performs reliably in simulated and real traffic. The open issues and possibilities for future improvements are presented in the Discussion.
F.06 Development of a new product
COBISS.SI-ID: 14714139Whiplash injuries to the cervical spine represent a considerable economic burden on society with medical conditions, in some cases persisting for more than a year. Numerous studies of whiplash injuries have been made for occupant normal seated position, leaving the analysis of neck injuries for out-of-normal positions not well documented. For that purpose, a detailed human cervical spine finite element model was developed. The analysis was made for four most common occupant seated positions. The comparative study included the analysis of four cervical spine ligaments and deformation and the level of S-curvature of the cervical spine. The model developed predicted that the Head Flexed seated position and Head-Flexed with Torso Lean forward seated position are most threatening for upper and lower cervical spine capsular ligament, respectively. As for the level of S-curvature, the model predicted that the Head-Flexed with Torso Lean forward seated position would be most prone to neck injuries associated with it. This study demonstrated that the occupant seated position has a significant influence on potential whiplash injuries.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 14935579During the production of torsion bars, two different mechanical processes of inducing the residual stresses into the torsion bar are used: the presetting of the torsion bar and the deep rolling of the torsion bar. The process of presetting the torsion bar is carried out by twisting the torsion bar to the desired angle and releasing it to the new residual angle position. With controlled overstraining, favorable residual shear stresses are induced into the torsion bar, so the material is strain hardened and the yield point of the material is shifted and increased in the stress and strain space. The objective of the deep rolling process is to introduce compressive residual stresses into near-surface regions in order to increase the fatigue strength of the torsion bar. These two processes influence each other. The final level of residual stresses depends on the production sequence of these two processes and the production parameters of each process. The correct production sequence of these two operations and distribution of beneficial residual stress was simulated using the finite element (FE) method. To validate this model, the predicted surface residual stresses were compared by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of residual stresses.
F.07 Improvements to an existing product
COBISS.SI-ID: 13930523In-wheel motors offer a promising solution for novel drivetrain architectures that could penetrate into the automotive industry by locating the drive where it is required, directly inside the wheels. As obtainable literature mainly deals with optimization of electromagnetic active parts, the mechanical design of electromagnetically passive parts that indirectly influence motor performance should also be reviewed and characterized for its effect on performance. The following study uniquely evaluates the impact of mechanical design and its dimensional variations to air-gap consistency between on rotor glued magnets and on stator fitted winding, for the most commonly used layout of an in-wheel motor. To meet the optimal performance of an in-wheel motor, the mechanical design requires optimization of housing elements, thermal management, geometrical and a dimensional tolerance check, and proper hub bearing selection to assure consistent electromagnetic properties. This article covers the correlation between desired electromagnetic parameters and required geometrical limitations for ensuring functionality and high performance operation. Major mechanical contributors have been analyzed with analytical calculations, numerical simulations, and verified with different sets of measurements. The relative change of motor physical air-gap size, between the stator and rotor was correlated with electromagnetic flux density.
F.07 Improvements to an existing product
COBISS.SI-ID: 15295259Many terrorist attacks in the last decade around the world have exposed the vulnerability of citizens in public places. Public trash receptacles can be easily abused as well-covered places in which Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) can be simply left and then remotely activated. Therefore, blast resistance and possibility of blast loads redirection are very important characteristics of trash receptacles placed in crowded public areas. This paper presents the results of three different trash receptacles: non-blast resistant, blast resistant and blast resistant trash receptacle with blast load redirection. The results have shown that a considerable effect can be achieved by using blast resistant receptacles, thus reducing the possibility of deaths and injuries. A thickness optimization study was additionally performed, based on the size and geometry of the opening by using a finite element model. Based on the results of the study, some valuable recommendations for design of trash receptacles are also given.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 14791963