Currently, there are quite a lot of incorrect procedures and mistakes that occur in the forensic area, which lacks analytical approaches toward solving the causes of accidents using s–t diagrams (distance–time diagrams) combined with the software simulation applications. When analyzing accidents, the correct information is of key importance. The aim of this article is to define a new specific technical and analytical approach toward handling expert’s reports on traffic accidents in road transport at intersections, with respect to the traffic lights. A simulation program application is used as a progressive means of accident evaluation. This procedure must become a standard in the methods of modern traffic accident analysis. The application of this methodology with simulation tools for accident reconstruction enables one to perform a very precise analysis of traffic accidents. Mutual space and time relationships of vehicles’ movements have been evaluated here, depending upon the intersection signal plan. To demonstrate the methodology, a real case is used here, reconstructed by means of the complex analytical simulation software PC-Crash. A procedure processed by these means can be beneficial for forensic traffic accident analysis.

AbstractWith the upcoming new legislative rules in the EU on Event Data Recorder beginning 2022 the question is whether the discussed data base is sufficient for the needs of clarifying accidents involving automated vehicles. Based on the reconstruction of real accidents including vehicles with ADAS combined with specially designed crash tests a broader data base than US EDR regulation (NHTSA 49 CFR Part 563.7) is proposed. The working group AHEAD, to which the authors contribute, has already elaborated a data model that fits the needs of automated driving. The structure of this data model is shown. Moreover, the special benefits of storing internal video or photo feeds form the vehicle camera systems combined with object data is illustrated. When using a sophisticate 3D measurement method of the accident scene the videos or photos can also serve as a control instance for the stored vehicle data. The AHEAD Data Model enhanced with the storage of the video and photo feeds should be considered in the planned roadmap of the Informal Working Group (IWG) on EDR/ DSSAD (Data Storage System for Automated Driving) reporting to UNECE WP29. Also, a data access over the air using technology already applied in China for electric vehicles called Real Time Monitoring would allow a quantum leap in forensic accident reconstruction.

Battery safety is a prominent concern for the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs). The battery powering an EV contains highly energetic active materials and flammable organic electrolytes. Usually, an EV battery catches fire due to its thermal runaway, either immediately at the time of the accident or can take a while to gain enough heat to ignite the battery chemicals. There are numerous battery abuse testing standards and regulations available globally. Therefore, battery manufacturers are always in dilemma to choose the safest one. Henceforth, to find the optimal outcome of these two major issues, six standards (SAE J2464:2009, GB/T 31485-2015:2015, FreedomCAR:2006, ISO 12405-3:2014, IEC 62660-2:2010, and SAND2017-6295:2017) and two regulations (UN/ECE-R100.02:2013 and GTR 20:2018), that are followed by more than fifty countries in the world, are investigated in terms of their abuse battery testing conditions (crush test). This research proves that there is a need for (a) augmenting these standards and regulations as they do not consider real-life vehicle crash scenarios, and (b) one harmonised framework should be developed, which can be adopted worldwide. These outcomes will solve the battery manufacturers dilemma and will also increase the safety of EV consumers.

This study deals with monitoring of Zn layer heterogeneity on the flange of steel road barriers using magnetic measurements. The Barkhausen noise technique is employed for such purpose, and parameters extracted from Barkhausen noise signals are correlated with the true thickness of the Zn layer. The true values of the Zn layer were obtained from the metallographic images, as well as the thickness gauge CM-8825FN (Guangzhou Landtek Instruments Co. Ltd., Guangzhou, China) device. It was observed that the diffusion region lies below the Zn protective layer, which makes the thickness of the Zn layer obtained from the CM-8825FN device thicker than that measured on the metallographic images. For this reason, the chemical gradient of Zn below the Zn layer can be reported, and it affects Barkhausen noise emission. Barkhausen noise decreases along with increasing thickness of the Zn layer, and Barkhausen noise envelopes are shifted to stronger magnetic fields. The number of strong MBN pulses drops down with the increasing thickness of Zn coating at the expense of the increasing number of the weak MBN pulses. The thickness of Zn coating can be polluted by the solidification of Zn melt after galvanizing. The presence of the diffusion layer dims the contrast between ferromagnetic and paramagnetic phases.

No abstract