Output characteristics are compared between IPMSM and SPMSM under the high flux density conditions. Output torque, power and efficiency are compared including the experimental and the analysis results. Iron loss estimation method is also described and compared with the experimental results.

View full abstract

In this paper, experiments are conducted using a driving simulator to analyze and identify the characteristics of dirver's acceleration and brake pedals operation in car-following situation. Then, the relationships between fuel economy and driver charecteristics is clarified by theoretical analysis using computer simulation which includes driver and HV model, the vehicle and the driver, as the driver-vehicle closed-loop system. The control method of torque distivution between engine and motor for hybrid system is proposed by above mentioned analysis results.

View full abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the possibility of objective evaluation of driving fatigue by surface electromyography measured from the upper part of the driver's body. We carried out the long drive examination for 10 subjects on a driving simulator. As a result, increments were shown on both subjective fatigue level and RMS of neuromuscular activity of Deltoid Anterior as the time passage. In addition, positive correlation was shown between them. However, MPF of the neuromuscular activity didn't show significant difference with the time elapse. RMS of Deltoid Anterior seems to indicate a kind of fatigue of driver.

View full abstract

There are many types of night vision enhancement systems. They have two types of infrared images, which are provided to drivers in order to inform the less-visible pedestrian; a NIR (near-infrared) image and a FIR (far-infrared) image. In addition, some systems have functions to detect pedestrians and to inform the collision risk. In the present paper, driving simulator experiments equipped with a pseudo infrared image and pedestrian detection functions are performed to verify the influence of different driving support information on driving behavior.

View full abstract

The life of lithium-ion batteries for electrically propelled road vehicles must be improved to promote the diffusion of this kind of vehicle, but there are currently no testing standards for the batteries. Therefore, this study seeks to create a method of cycle-life testing of lithium-ion batteries for vehicle applications. The following prospect seemed improved. A simplified L" profile was achieved to realize battery loads equivalent to those of actual vehicles by balancing (1) peak, (2)energy, (3)rest-time rate, and (4)joule heat of a cycle-life testing profile similar to that of a complicated charge-discharge profile of an actual vehicle.

View full abstract

This report was carried out to grasp the actual condition of local pollution around the hot spot by the estimation of the air pollutants (NOx, HC, CO) emitted from gasoline vehicles. The traffic volume rates of daytime or nighttime, which depend on vehicle types, and the amount of each emission, which depends on vehicle categories, at the hot spot of roadside were used for the estimation. The amounts of emission were measured with the on-board measurement system. Results of the investigation indicated that the hot spot which enlarge the air pollutants caused by engine controls and actual road conditions.

View full abstract

Emission amounts from vehicles, and regional and roadside air quality were estimated in order to investigate the potential air quality improvement by popularizing the innovative system vehicles which have been developed by The Clean Disel Project(2004-09). In estimating innovative system emissions, emission factors are based on both the test cycle mode for emission regulations and the off-cycle mode. The level of NOx emissions of the urban test mode (off-cycle mode) of the innovative systems was very low, compared with that of the conventional systems. Results of simulations for the year 2020, indicated reduced rates of NOx emission from vehicles of 56% in Kanto area and 62% in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. The results fonfirm that the popularization of the innovative system can be effective for low traveling speed areas like the Tokyo Metropolitan area and can lead to recuded NO₂ levels in heavy traffic roadside area.

View full abstract

The purpose of this field survey is to grasp the elderly driver's driving behavior when approaching the crossing. We watched whether a driver checks crossing roads, and we recorded vehicle's speed using laser radar system. Results showed both younger and elderly drivers had double times greater ratio of not stopping at the intersection than that of middle-aged. And about 20% of female elderly drivers passed through the street without stopping completely at the stop line and paying sufficient attention to left and right.

View full abstract

Driving behaviors of vehicle on the subsidiary road at crossing were examined in terms of the road environments and traffic conditions. An actual driving experiment on the variable configuration crossing revealed that visual biases were induced to a visually obstructed direction and to a moving direction of own vehicle. Relatively high speed in approaching to the crossing were observed in the situations of visually open crossing and of less traffic volume on the crossroad. Another driving simulator experiment revealed the visual biases were tended to yield detection delays of crossing vehicle. And the detection delay and relatively high vehicle speed when the crossing vehicle became visible increased the collision risk in both visually obstructed crossing and open crossing.

View full abstract

The VH4 container is used for the container for the compression hydrogen car fuel device, and to use the polymeric material, the generation of the hydrogen penetration is expected. The permeation testing by various condition change was executed for the hydrogen penetration situation awareness. The amount of the hydrogen penetration is different according to a result, a container material, an environmental temperature, and the filling pressure. It applies to the relational expression of arrhenius in the gas transmission coefficient in the container shape.

View full abstract

In this study, the EEG activity of a professional driver was recorded from the prefrontal area on the forehead scalp by bipolar method during circuit driving. The frequency band of the alpha (8-13Hz) and the beta (14-30Hz) components were recorded continuously as an integral value with 3 seconds. During solo driving on the circuit, mean beta-wave power of each lap had significant positive correlation with lap time (r=0.411, P<0.05). However, mean alpha-wave power of each lap had no significant correlation with lap time (r=0.142). And the possibility of applying the relationship between beta-wave activity and lap time to developing a race car was examined.

View full abstract

Vehicle stability controllers to reduce oversteer have been equipped for more than ten years. Recently, some of them provide function to reduce underseer. However, no objective evaluation method that quantifies the performance of understeer reduction has standardized yet. In this paper, the minimum lane deviation distance during cornering exceeding the velocity limitation is calculated theoretically. And Understeer Index" is proposed as the objective evaluation method based on above minimum deviation distance.

View full abstract