Michelin Spurs Automotive Safety Research at CU-ICAR
February 2, 2011
Work at the Edouard Michelin Research Laboratory continues to advance automotive innovation and safety
GREENVILLE, SC – February 1, 2011 – As part of its ongoing partnership with the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), Michelin Americas Research Company today donated the facility high-performance equipment to advance research to improve the safety of automobiles featuring electronic communications systems.
The Lecroy Wavemaster 8600A oscilloscope donated is capable of taking 20 billion samples per second of electronic signals and storing them for later data analysis. Research with the oscilloscope will help engineers integrate electronic systems more smoothly in vehicles.
Michelin is proud of the work taking place at the Edouard Michelin Research Laboratory. This equipment provides the world-class research teams at CU-ICAR with yet another resource for helping further the innovations and advancements that Michelin remains committed to providing the driving public every day, around the world, said George O’Brien, Michelin’s global coordinator of project managers for research and development.
The new equipment will enable Clemson researchers to capture phenomena that can occur at ultra-high RF frequencies widely used in today’s vehicles. Clemson researchers plan to use this capability to analyze the electronic noise generated by engine systems, vehicle safety systems and electric motor drivers with the goal of diagnosing critical failures before they occur. To date, research in the lab has resulted in improvements to tire pressure monitoring systems, better methods for modeling and evaluating automotive components, and electric motor drivers that produce significantly less electrical noise.
We’re very grateful to Michelin for all the support they’ve provided our lab, including the donation of this high-speed oscilloscope. Our work related to vehicle safety and reliability would not be possible without the state-of-the-art laboratory equipment provided by Michelin, said Dr. Todd Hubing, the Michelin Professor of Vehicle Electronic Systems Integration at CU-ICAR and director of the lab.
Electronic controls allow the automotive industry to make vehicles that are safer, more reliable and more fuel efficient. However, as the number of electronic systems in an automobile increases, Hubing said it is critical to ensure that these systems are not adversely impacted by each other or by external electromagnetic interference. Research in the Edouard Michelin Research Laboratory is helping the automotive industry to integrate these electronic systems into new vehicles safely and reliably.
The original plans for CU-ICAR did not include an electronics laboratory. Michelin recognized the important role that electronics research would play in the automotive industry, and it is largely due to their efforts that CU-ICAR is now a leading institution for safety-related automotive electronics research, Hubing said.
In 2007, the Edouard Michelin Research Laboratory at CU-ICAR was named in honor of Edouard Michelin, the company’s late CEO. In addition to research to improve the safety and reliability of automotive electronics, projects supported by the lab have resulted in improvements in tire pressure monitoring systems and improved methods for reducing electrical noise in electric and hybrid electric vehicles.
The Edouard Michelin Research Laboratory is a complement to the Michelin Endowed Chair in Vehicle Electronic Systems Integration at CU-ICAR. The Michelin Chair was endowed by Michelin in 2005 and is currently held by Dr. Hubing who directs work at the laboratory.
Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy duty trucks, motorcycles and the space shuttle. The company also publishes travel guides, maps and atlases covering Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America employs approximately 20,900 and operates 18 major manufacturing plants in 16 locations.
