The Customer:
The CSR has been working with the automotive industry for many years, in the areas of combustion research and advanced engine technology. Currently, we have a
cooperative research and development agreement with the USCAR LEP (Low Emissions Partnership), which is a consortium of domestic automobile manufacturers that includes Ford, General Motors, and
Daimler-Chrysler.
The Work:
The objective is to model and improve the reliability of the emission system on automobiles, in particular
the reliability of the on-board diagnostic system (OBD). The OBD system involves a suite of monitoring devices which tracks the misfire rate, the performance of the catalyst, and the operation of the evaporative
system, the fuel system, and the secondary air injection system. We also are comparing various diagnostic strategies and developing new diagnostic
sensors and algorithms to detect and isolate the failure of any vehicle component(s) that may lead to emission system failure.
Key Benefits:
- Predicting the likelihood and effect of catastrophic failure for existing hardware and the impact of future design changes
- Identification of critical failure modes affecting the emissions and diagnostic systems
- Development of better diagnostic algorithms (fewer false positive and false negative readings)
Results:
- Modeled the reliability of the diagnostics for the catalyst and the oxygen sensor, and identified critical failure modes.
- Performed a comparative analysis of diagnostic algorithms used to detect misfires, based on diagnostic power, response time, and hardware implementation. Developed a more robust algorithm with a steeper power
curve.
- Briefed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) on optimal diagnostic strategies for misfire detection.
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