In this study, a metastable Al-Fe-V-Si alloy powder was produced by rapid solidification using the gas atomization process. The alloy composition was chosen for its mechanical properties at elevated temperature for potential applications in internal combustion gasoline engines. The microstructural properties of the Al-Fe-V-Si powder were determined through transmission electron microscopy imaging and selected area electron diffraction indexing, energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Three distinct microstructures were observed as well as two different phases, namely a Al13(Fe,V)3Si silicide phase and a metastable (Al,Si)x(Fe,V) micro-quasicrystalline icosahedral (MI) phase. The metastable MI phase was determined to be thermally stable up to 380°C, after which a phase transformation to silicide occurs. The Cold Gas Dynamic Spraying (CGDS) process was used to produce coatings of the alloy. This spray process was selected due to its relatively low operating temperature, thus preventing significant heating of the particles during spraying and as such allowing the original microstructure of the feedstock powder to be preserved within the coatings. Coatings were produced by CGDS using Helium and Nitrogen as propellant gases. The coatings microstructure was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses. The mechanical properties of the coatings were then evaluated through bond strength testing and microhardness testing.

CO, propylene, and propane are common components in automotive exhaust. These pollutants are converted to CO$\sb2$ and H$\sb2$O by three-way catalysts contained in the catalytic converter of your automobile. These catalysts (Pt, Rh, CeO$\sb2$) are very effective in converting the pollutants under varying exhaust conditions; however, the method by which these catalysts achieve their high activity is not fully understood. The activities and kinetics for the oxidation of carbon monoxide, propylene, and propane oxidations were compared over Pt/Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$ and Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalysts in an attempt to correlate catalyst activity with the chemistry of the reactants. Additional experiments involving CO, H$\sb2$ and O$\sb2$ chemisorption, the extent of reduction and oxidation of CeO$\sb2$ and CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$, spillover studies, and the activity of Pt/Nd$\rm\sb2O\sb3/Al\sb2$O catalysts were performed in order to correlate catalyst activity with the strength of adsorption of the reactants and the mobility of lattice oxygen in CeO$\sb2$. Experiments were also performed for methanol oxidation over Pt/Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$, Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$, and Pt/K$\rm\sb2O/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalysts in order to further understand the effects of ceria on the complete oxidation of alternate fuels. The Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalyst was more active than the PT/Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$ catalyst for CO and propylene oxidation but less active for propane oxidation. It appears that an Eley-Rideal mechanism whereby gaseous oxygen reacts with CO adsorbed on Pt is consistent with the kinetic results for CO oxidation on Pt/Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$. Based on the kinetic results and studies reported in the literature, it was suggested that CO and propylene adsorbed on Pt reacted with adsorbed oxygen species (O$\sb2\sp-$ and O$\sp-$) at low temperatures ($<$170$\sp\circ$C) and lattice oxide ions (O$\sp{-2}$) at higher temperatures ($>$200$\sp\circ$C) over Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalysts. The adsorption experiments showed that CO adsorbed only on the Pt sites, whereas O$\sb2$ adsorption was enhanced on the ceria phase of a Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalyst. Therefore, a Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalyst can accommodate a large amount of CO and O$\sb2$. On the other hand, it was shown by the activity and kinetic results that oxygen inhibited the adsorption of propane on Pt sites thereby rendering the Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalyst less effective for propane oxidation. The presence of ceria reduced the partial oxidation product, CO, for both propylene and propane oxidations. The additional experiments suggest that H$\sb2$ and CO adsorbed only on the Pt sites, O$\sb2$ adsorption is enhanced on Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalysts, Ce$\rm\sb2O\sb3$ and Ce$\rm\sb2O\sb3/Al\sb2O\sb3$ were not produced by H$\sb2$ reduction at 800$\sp\circ$C, Pt/Nd$\rm\sb2O\sb3/Al\sb2O\sb3$ was more active than Pt/Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$, and H$\sb2$ spillover with Pt present may be responsible for the activation of ceria. The Pt/Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$ and Al$\rm\sb2O\sb3$ catalysts produced dimethyl ether as the main reaction product for methanol oxidation. However, the dimethyl ether yield was reduced over Pt/CeO$\rm\sb2/Al\sb2O\sb3$ and Pt/K$\rm\sb2O/Al\sb2O\sb3$ catalysts.

<p> This research presents cyber-physical systems (CPS) modeling of the smart charging process to both identify and analyze potential vulnerabilities that may exist during the interaction and integration between an Electric Vehicle (EV) and the Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE). As EVSEs are increasingly being integrated into building energy management systems and interfaced with electric vehicles, safe and secure integration of these systems is of paramount importance for the safety and security of the nation's critical infrastructure and people. Both the charging station and electric vehicles have electro-mechanical components built from 3rd party providers, and there is no mechanism to check for safe and secure integration of EVs and EVSEs. The overall goal of the proposed research is to apply formal methods to verify and validate the cyber-physical interactions between the EV and EVSE to gain insight into vulnerable system states and their impacts. To that end, each component (EV and EVSE) was considered its own cyber-physical system and then separately broken down into individual states of operation. The states of each system were compared to determine how the EV and EVSE interacted on a fundamental level, with one system's state becoming the catalyst for change within the other system. These individual models were completed and subsequently integrated using the open-source software Ptolemy II. Upon successfully completing the interactions, the model was scrutinized using linear temporal logic (LTL) operators to test its veracity and projectability. The initial EV/EVSE model was then altered to emphasize previously determined vulnerabilities within the integrated system in order to verify their existence and potential for harming the system. Two such vulnerabilities were demonstrated in this research to confirm integrity of the model, which will be a valuable asset going forward to ensure the future safety of both operators and consumers regarding EV and EVSE interaction.</p><p>

The vibrations caused by road imperfections, which are transmitted to a car frame through the suspension, are one of the major sources of ambient noise inside the passenger compartment of an automobile. / A solution to this problem is the addition of feedback-controlled actuators between the suspension attachment points and the car frame. These actuators can be driven to provide an active control of the vibrations, thus reducing greatly the magnitude of the forces exerted on the car frame at the suspension attachment points. In order to implement a robust yet effective controller, a model of a ¼ car suspension (suspension associated to a single wheel) is derived from experimentally acquired data. The structure's modal parameters are extracted from Frequency Response data, and are used to obtain a state-space realization. The performance of controller design techniques such as LQR and Hinfinity is assessed through simulation using the model of the suspension.

This thesis formulates, and implements an automotive Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), reporting on its design simulation, synthesis, and eventual layout steps, from which extensions are drawn towards digital onto controllers FPGA technology, and the potential migration of the design onto ASIC technology. Implementation/environment fine-tuning of embedded controllers as such necessitate quickly prototyped circuit realizations. Examination of its functionality, real-time response, implementation, and testability is performed in an attempt to measure the usefulness of higher level design entry facilities such as VHDL in a rapid prototyping environment. Continuous on-line testing is included using aperiodic sample injections where the resultant generated values are compared to signatures known a priori, without compromising functionality. The achievable area and timing aid in the determination of the efficiency of the process and provide fuel for an FPGA and/or ASIC migration path for eventual implementation. Commentaries and generalized methodologies are assembled from the design's simulation, synthesis and layout utilizing VHDL and FPGAs, illustrating CAD tool capabilities/requirements/limitations, with respect to real-time synthesis and rapid prototyping of general controller applications involving asynchronous elements. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

This thesis considers the vibration control of an automobile suspension subject to road imperfections using multivariable feedback techniques. / Frequency-domain system identification methods are applied to model the dynamic behaviour of the suspension system from experimental test data using a data analysis software tool called CIFER. Advanced features such as the Chirp-Z Transform and composite window techniques are used to extract high quality frequency responses. A linear multivariable state-space model is derived which matches the experimental frequency response data set in the frequency range 65Hz-240Hz. / Accurate uncertainty modeling on the nominal suspension is needed to design controllers achieving acceptable levels of robustness and performance. It is shown that modeling errors are best characterized using a combination of both additive and multiplicative uncertainty, as well as perturbations of the state-space model parameters. / Robust feedback control design techniques using H-infinity and mu-synthesis are presented. It is shown both through simulation and experiment that vibration attenuation over the frequency range 65Hz-120Hz is achieved without affecting the system dynamic behaviour outside this range.

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The destruction of nitric oxide (NO) in overall fuel lean axial diffusion flames of natural gas and air doped with NO has been investigated in order to test the applicability of this flame type for a combined reburning and fuel burnout stage. Reynolds numbers, based on burner conditions, were varied between 500 and 3000 for the fuel stream and between 1100 and 6750 for the air stream, so that laminar as well as turbulent diffusion flames could be studied. In addition, the following parameters were also varied: concentration of NO in the incoming combustion air, velocity difference between the reactant jets, overall stoichiometry, stand-off distance, and presence of additional species. NO reductions of more than 70% could be observed at an overall stoichiometric ration of 1.2, with only ca. 0.02% (dry) carbon monoxide in the exhaust.