Under Armour Free Essays

AU has been able o increase its North American brand awareness by showing the advantages of its differentiated product which has improved athletes’ comfort and performance. In order to compete in the global markets against Nikkei and Ideas LILA should consider the following four alternatives: mergers or acquisitions, establishment of foreign subsidiaries, joint ventures, or a continuation of the North American strategy to be used in the international markets. The decision criteria used in evaluating each option looked primarily at how to increase CIA brand awareness and market share, the financial strain on ALGA sources, protection of CIA patents and intellectual property, and the level of control maintained by CIA It is recommended that AU pursue appropriate mergers or acquisitions that will increase its resources and competencies internationally and enable AU to more quickly build its market presence. We will write a custom essay sample on Under Armour or any similar topic only for you Order Now Aqua’s big competitors have been selling their performance apparel internationally for several years, with the added advantage of already having international brand recognition. Since CIA won’t have the first-to-market advantage they had in the US Market they need to carefully find complementary companies that can assist in both brand cognition and in core understanding of the global markets. Significant resources will be required initially, but it is expected that this investment will be paid back within 3 to 4 years. If this alternative proves unsuccessful AU should consider a joint venture or alliance which shifts some of the risk on to those other participants. For the full recommendation and action plan please refer to pages 12 to 13. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Identification 4 Backgrounds Problem Statement (Scope of Report) 4 Current Strategy 4 Analysis and Evaluation 5 External Analysis Macro-Environments Five Forces Analysis 6 Strategic Group Map 7 Key Success Factors Internal Analysis 9 SOTTO If uncial 9 Alternatives 10 1. Merger and Acquisitions 10 2. Foreign Subsidiaries (Greenfield Venture) 10 3. Joint Ventures and Alliances 11 4. Status Quo – Utilize the IIS Strategy Internationally 11 Decision Criteria 12 Recommendation 12 Action Plan 13 Contingency Plan 13 Appendix A 14 Appendix B 15 Bibliography 16 Identification Background Under Armor (AU), formerly known as KIP Sports, was founded in 1 996 by former University of Maryland football player Kevin Plank. KIP Sports was the originator Of performance apparel engineered with supreme moisture management to keep athletes cool, dry, and light throughout the course of a game, practice, or workout. The company’s operations started out of the basement of Kevin Plank’s grandmother’s house. Shortly after founding KIP Sports, Kevin recruited one of his acquaintances from Maryland University to join the company as a partner. Kip Bulks, the gentlemen brought on as partner utilized his excellent credit rating to open 17 different credit card accounts to fund the cash flow requirements of KIP Sports. By 1 998 the company’s revenues had Increased efficiently enough for KIP Sports to acquire a $250,000 small business loan. The company was ever growing with a broader product line and consumer segments and from time to time it would take out additional loans needed to fund their working capital requirements. It was not until 1999 that Kevin recruited another acquaintance, a gentleman by the name of Ryan Wood from high school, to join the company as Vice President of Sales. In 2005, KIP Sports changed their name to under Armor and went public. This initial offering generated net proceeds of approximately $114. 9 million, from the 9. Million Class A Common stock issued. Problem Statement (Scope of Report) Although AU has done well in the present US market, carving out a sizeable market share, it is unknown how their current strategy will be able to compete with fierce rivals like Nikkei and Ideas on a global frontier. Their big competitors have been able to start selling their performance apparel internationally for several years, with the added advantage of already having international brand recognition, so CIA will no longer have the first-to-market advantage that they had in the US Market. If AU hopes to be successful in the lobar market, they will need to analyze their current strategy while exploring other possibilities to make an informed decision on how best to proceed. Current Strategy The company’s principal business activities in 2012 were the development, marketing and distribution of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youths. 90% of its sales were from North American, though international sales were growing. AU uses a broad differentiation strategy as its corporate strategy. It has developed its own patented fabrics to create a differentiated product that its customers are ailing to pay a premium for. Its growth strategy includes broadening its product lines, targeting additional consumer segments, increasing distribution, expanding internationally, and growing brand awareness. Aqua’s business strategies include how it will compete in each of its product line offerings of apparel, footwear, and accessories for men, women, and youths. Its strategy is to offer a variety of styles and price levels for its customers that will improve comfort, performance, and mobility no matter what weather condition exists. For its apparel it has designed three lines of gear designed o work in various temperatures (Heather, Coolidge, and Legionnaires). Its footwear is designed to be light, breathable, and high performing. Its line of accessories (such as gloves, header and bags) has similar differentiated performance features as Aqua’s other products. Aqua’s main functional strategies include its marketing brand management and promotion strategies as well as its product design and development strategies. CIA has an extremely large marketing budget (close to 1 68 million in 2011 ) which includes athlete endorsements, sponsorship of sporting events and advertising costs. It utilizes an in-house promotion and marketing department whose focus is to increase demand and build brand awareness. Aqua’s main retail marketing strategy is to obtain as much CIA exclusive floor space as possible in each Of its major retail stores. Aqua’s product design and development strategy is to continually upgrade its products and to use â€Å"visible technology†Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (Thompson, p C-51) to market the benefits of Aqua’s products. There is a high degree of collaboration between the sales, product development, and sports marketing teams in identifying opportunities and markets. Aqua’s key operating strategies include its distribution strategies and its sourcing, manufacturing and quality control strategies. Its distribution strategies included wholesale distribution (70%), direct-to-consumer sales (27%), and product licensing (3%). AU has two distribution facilities in Maryland, though it expects to add another facility overseas in the future. Many of Aqua’s technically advanced fabrics were developed by third parties. These fabrics are available from a small number of sources. In 2011 CIA had 23 main manufacturers which operated in 16 countries. All manufacturers ad to follow stringent quality control processes and had to adhere to a code of conduct with respect to quality, working conditions and social concerns. Analysis and Evaluation External Analysis Macro-Environment The macro-environment is positive for the sports apparel industry without many restrictive influences in the political or regulatory realm. The most strategically relevant factors of the PESTLE analysis (political factors, economic conditions, socio-cultural forces, technological factors, environment forces, and legal/regulatory Factors) include the socio-cultural forces and technological factors as noted below: Socio-cultural Forces Recreational and professional sports are both very popular in North America and throughout the world. With an emphasis on active and healthy living in addition to the â€Å"life skills† learned in playing on sports teams schools and athletic associations offer many sports opportunities for all ages. Professional sports are a multi-billion dollar industry with athletes and coaches making very large salaries. Although there may be aging demographics in some areas of the world enthusiasm for sports remains high. Technological Factors Technology has only continued to improve as sports apparel companies onetime to refine and develop the relatively newly available â€Å"technologically advanced fabrics and specialized manufacturing techniques† (Thompson, p C-43) in an effort to create a more comfortable, drier experience for the athlete. Great strides continue to be made with these products. Five Forces Analysis Competition from Rival Sellers (Strong): Competition among rival sellers is intense. There are approximately 25 brand-name competitors in the market for sports apparel, athletic footwear and related accessories in which (AU competes. Aqua’s major competitors in its sports performance apparel and athletic footwear include Nikkei, Inc. ND the Ideas Group, both highly successful brand-name global companies. AU competes with other top name brands, such as Columbia, Spryer, and North Face in its performance Skewer products. Nikkei is the clear market leader with approximately 17% of the footwear market share and 4. 4% of the sports apparel market share. Customer Bargaining Power (Strong): Since approximately 70% of AU sales are from retailers, the retailers do have Strong bargaining power. 5% of all retail sales are to large retail chains who also sell Aqua’s competitor products. They have the discretion as to whether to allocate a certain level of floor space exclusively to CIA or not. Although there is some differentiation in products between competitors many of the products are fairly standardized, increasing customer bargaining power. The cost of switching to competitor brands is likely fairly low as all competitors will be fighting for key retail space. Supplier Bargaining Power (Moderate): CIA specialty fabrics and other raw materials come from a relatively small number of sources. In 2011 , a little more than half of the fabrics used came from six suppliers in several different countries. With only six suppliers for such a large volume the suppliers do have some leverage in increasing their prices. It seems that it may be difficult for LILA to find alternative suppliers, though these suppliers must also depend on the revenues from CIA As such, they will not want to price themselves out of the market and they will want to see CIA succeed. Competition from Potential New Entrants (Weak): Given the strength and number of large brand name competitors already in the industry the threat of new entrants is relatively weak. The Ideas Group has several well-known brands within its company, such as Rebook, Rocket, ND Ideas. Nikkei and CIA are also well-known brands. All of these companies participate heavily in sponsoring sporting events and invest significantly in athlete endorsements. As a result, there are high degrees of customer loyalty, making it difficult for new entrants. These large companies also have well-established networks of distributors. All of these things as well as the capital investment requirements limit the potential of new entrants to the industry. Competition from Producers of Substitute Products (Weak): Although it is unlikely that there are significant substitute products in existence, CIA and its success shows that it is possible for a creative company to enter the industry with some sort of product which would be more appealing. Additionally, both Nikkei and Ideas spend significant amounts of money on research and development. It is possible that one of these competitors will be able to develop a next generation substitute product. Us Mary Overall, the industry competitive forces are moderate to strong. The competition among rival sellers is quite intense and the retail buyers have significant power in working with all of these sellers. Brand image and loyalty re important in this industry. Nikkei is a well-established company and the clear market leader, but the Ideas Group is also a global leader. CIA has done very well at establishing a solid market share in its sports apparel and training/fitness clothing. Strong profitability is evident in this industry as can be seen in the net profit margins among Nikkei, the Ideas Group, and Under Armor. Strategic Group Map Key Success Factors Performance and Reliability – To remain competitive in this industry, CIA products must meet or exceed customer expectations for high performance and reliability. CIA was founded on creating clothing that was cooler, drier, and more comfortable for its athletes. AU must continue producing high quality items which can be counted on. This includes utilizing high quality standards. New Product Development -? In this competitive environment it is important that AU invest sufficient funds into research and development so that it can gain improvements in its fabrics and its products. Additionally, CIA must keep a sufficient number and styles of products available to be able to meet various consumer segments, such as it has done with Heather, Coolidge, and Legionnaires. CIA will need to re-examine its product line and its inventory management systems to ensure it is able to better meet customer needs without high levels of excess inventory. Pricing – Due to the number of brand name competitors in the industry with similar products an appropriate pricing strategy is crucial to Aqua’s success. CIA will have to remain vigilant in watching competitor prices and discounts given. Brand and Product Image – Each competitor in this industry will need to continually work on communicating and maintaining its overall brand image that is consistent with its mission and vision. Additionally, certain key products should have high visibility in terms of the image they represent. Loyalty from customers will be driven in part by these branding images. Customer Support and Services – In part a company is only as strong as it is perceived to be by its customers. Aqua’s retailers and its direct sale customers must be treated fairly and be given adequate support when purchasing AU products. Retailers (representing 70% of sales in 2011) will be driven to work with La’s competitors if customer support and service is lacking. If Under Armor is able to successfully manage each of these key success actors which matter to its customers it should have continued competitive success for the long-term. Conclusion The external environment is conducive to successful results and profitability for the current competitors in the sports apparel industry. Although CIA is competing against some large global rivals it has been able to gain substantial market share from 0. 6 percent in 2003 to almost 2. 8 percent in 2011. This is compared with 7. 0% market share for Nikkei and 5. 4% market share for Ideas. AU should be able to remain competitive and earn reasonable profits as long s management remains attentive and pro-active With any changes in the environment. Internal Analysis SOOT under Armor has a variety of strengths which allows them to compete in the highly competitive sports apparel industry. Over the years, the business has focused on building an authentic brand with high quality apparel that has allowed them to gain significant market share from their competitors. Below you will find an analysis of their internal and external environments. Strengths Built an incredibly powerful and authentic brand in a relatively short time Became the official footwear supplier of major league baseball Uses superior scenically advanced fabrics Weaknesses International presence is very low Limited number of distributors to ship their products Insufficient tools in place to manage inventory efficiently and accurately Opportunities Ability to broaden Aqua’s product offerings for wear in a variety of recreational activities and sports Athletic wear, a category historically dominated by men, is seeing significant growth with females Gender equality continues to grow in other parts of the world The reads Highly competitive market Competitors have a well established footprint in international markets Materials used in AU products are petroleum-based synthesis and therefore subject to crude oil price fluctuation If uncial Under Armor financial shows both positive and negatives (see Appendix A for the full financial details). The profita bility ratios are in good standing and are relatively stable over the 5 year period 2006-201 1. The gross profit ratio indicates that CIA has enough revenues to cover operating expenses and leave the company with a profit. The net profit margin shows that their after tax profits per dollar of sale decreased from 9. 05% in 2006 to 6. 58% in 2011. That is a drop of 2. 47%. The return on total assets and return on shareholder’s equity have both decreased from 2006-201 1. A return of 12-15% range is average and Under Armor is at 15. 23% as of 201 1 which is within the range. Liquidity analysis shows that the working capital has improved over the years. As of 2011, the company has $506,056 of internal funds to cover its current liabilities. That is $332,667 more that in 2006 showing a big improvement The leverage ratios show the negative side of Under Armor. The debt to asset ratio has been increasing from 2% in 2006 to 8% in 201 1. This means hat 8% of borrowed funds have been used to finance assets. Also the debt to equity ratio has increased from 3% to 12%. This signifies lower creditworthiness, potential excessive debt and a weaker balance sheet. On the other hand, in order for a business to continue growing and compete with the industry taking on additional loans is a requirement. Even though it appears that CIA has the capability to pay off the debts these ratios should be watched carefully to ensure that covenants are not broken. The activity ratios show that AU inventory management efficiency has decreased over the years. How to cite Under Armour, Papers Under Armour Free Essays IBM 4711 International Strategic Management Under Armour: Working to Stay on Top of Its Game Perform a STEEP analysis to understand the general environment facing Under Armour. How will the firm be affected by external factors? Ans. Each factor under STEEP analysis giving Under Armour more information about how company should adapt itself, in order to be survived in the market. We will write a custom essay sample on Under Armour or any similar topic only for you Order Now Let’s see the effects of these external factors to the company’s strategies each by each. Social factor Demographics Gender : affects the designs for both male and female customers (e. . apparel for women) Age Structure : affects design, sizes, and features for different age distribution(e. g. youth) Lifestyles Types of sports : affects designs of products for different types of sports and different level of players Climates : affects different performance features of products, for example, shoes and apparels Economical factor Technological factor Degree of economic risk associated with premium price (Downturn economy), affect in declining net sales and encouraging the company to use conservative approach Rapid change and innovation of technology, affects company by continuous improving product innovation, procurement and production process Political Legal factor Intellectual property rights law and regulation of the countries in global market very vary, affecting the company to consider their unprotected intellectual property issue. Use Porter’s Five Forces Model to analyze the apparel, footwear, and equipment industry in the US. Given this analysis, is the industry attractive or unattractive? Ans. First, The threat of the entry of new competitors (High) due to †¢Total U. S. performance apparel business is dominated by existing brand ex. Under Armour, Nike and Adidas. The loyalty for existing brand is quite high while there’s high initial investment required as well. For The bargaining power of suppliers (High) as company heavily rely on relative few third party suppliers. Moreover, the intellectual property right owns by suppliers, not unique to us. Therefore, the switching cost is very high. Thus, company has weak position related to suppliers. For The bargaining power of buyers (Moderate) as there’re many choices available for customers, but somehow they are loyalty to Under Armour brand. Thus, the bargaining power is moderate. Also, they don’t have only individual customers, but also as a team or making contract that make switching cost not too low or too high as well. For The threat of substitute products (Moderate to High) due to some brand loyalty and differentiation, the switching cost is moderate. By the way, there are many famous brands those sell similar product lines existed in the industry. Thus, the threat of substitute product to Under Armour is quite high. For The intensity of competitive rivalry (High), there’re many strong existing brands and some smaller brands as competitors in the industry. Given this analysis, this industry is unattractive because of intensive competition and high cost of initial investment requirement. Who are Under Armour’s main competitors? How do they measure up against these competitors? Ans. There are three main competitors in the market. First of all, Nike – which has strong budget part, hasrelationship with 700 factories in 52 countries, so low cost achievable but customers are still willing to pay at premium price. Providing High quality and innovative products. Secondly, Adidas/Reebok – the second largest athletic apparel manufacture, acquisition many small companies, no need to start up from zero. Also, it can access market bases and technology. Thirdly, Columbia Sportswear – one of the largest manufacturers and sellers of outdoor apparels with innovative and high-quality products. To measure up against these main competitors, Under Armour utilizes their capabilities and core competencies which will be further discussed in the next question. What are Under Armour’s main capabilities? Do they have a core competence? Ans. The Main capabilities of Under Armour are their unique team driven management style, ability to create the product innovation, rapid response to customers, developing the effective marketing techniques, building effective operation network and distribution channel, and having good customer relationship management. While Core competencies are considered to be their â€Å"Product innovation and differentiation†. Create a SWOT analysis to understand Under Armour’s strengths and weaknesses. Does Under Armour have a sustainable competitive advantage? Is so, what is the source? What about Under Armour’s evolution and current business strategy may pose problems going forward? Ans. For SWOT analysis, Strengths – Efficient operation distribution network – Net revenue increase continuously year by year – Unique features and product innovation – Effective marketing communication – Strong term management (long relationship) – Rapid respond customers’ needs â€Å"Of course we make that! † – Good management of unique team driven style – Strong and Outstanding in apparel product than competitors Be able to expand business by using licensing (because no need to waste the recourses to operate Miscellaneous product by itself) – Good experience CEO for international division – Take lesser time to make loyal customer Weaknesses Heavy reliance on suppliers and manufacturers Weak financial support No intellectual property right in technology, fabrics and p rocess owned by supplier a adverse affect in L-T sustainability Low diversification Opportunities Threats Emerging global trend for performance apparel (being more universal product) Sports are still in booming period The desire of athletes and movie studios to use Under Armour’s products leads to a lower-cost, more effective, grass roots ad campaign. Downturn economic declines net sales Under Armour products heavily rely on the fashion whims of its customers Be diluted easily. (due to competitive sport industry, the brand can be diluted if stops innovating the products) Swing raw material prices Fluctuated availability of the raw materials Sustainable competitive advantage : Brand loyalty and management style Under Armour’s evolution and current business strategy may pose problems going forward? Since the evolution of the company, Under Armour rapidly expands their business while some internal problems still exist. For example, unprotected intellectual property right issue and supplier relationship management. Also, the current business strategy was focusing on marketing, international expansion, product differentiation, and other expenses while they have weak financial management. These will certainly pose future problems to the company. What is Under Armour’s business-level strategy? Is the strategy appropriate to offset the forces in the industry? Do you recommend any changes and/or foresee any challenges? Ans. Their business-level strategy is differentiation strategy. The competitive scope is broad and focusing on differentiating product from other competitors. In our opinion, this strategy may be appropriated for current situation because there still have untapped markets and the competitors still overlook these untapped opportunities as well. However, these untapped markets may be pursued by some companies in the future and Under Armour will lose the benefit. Therefore, we recommend the company to target both focus and broad markets within this industry. How to cite Under Armour, Papers

Freedom of Expression Essay Sample free essay sample

Chapter IIntroductionIn a universe where globalisation is the tendency that dictates the many procedures around the universe. it is necessary for states like the Philippines to accommodate. International dealingss is a major facet of mundane life. whether we notice it or non. The demand to pass on with persons from different states is no longer a black possibility. We live in a universe where speaking to a individual from China or France occurs non every blue Moon. but can go on in a affair of seconds many thanks to the coming of modern engineering. Many procedures over the universe require the cooperation and relation between states of different linguistic communications. and in certain instances. a lingua franca such as English. is non a possibility. Because of this. it is necessary for members of the work force to be trained in instance the demand arises. With this in head. pupils should hence be given the chance to larn foreign linguistic communications. We will write a custom essay sample on Freedom of Expression Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page therefore broadening their position of the universe. Foreign linguistic communication acquisition non merely increases occupation chances for pupils in the hereafter. but besides assistance in understanding foreign civilization. Surveies have besides shown that the acquisition of a foreign linguistic communication enhances the overall academic public presentation of pupils every bit good as bettering encephalon activity. It is imperative that pupils be taught new linguistic communications at a immature age in order for them to be able to acquire a better appreciation of it. particularly since the portion of the encephalon responsible for linguistic communication acquisition and acquisition is at its most ductile at this phase. The debut of a foreign linguistic communication in the school course of study requires major consideration. Aside from the possible significance and usage of said linguistic communication in the hereafter. the penchant of the pupils should besides be taken into history. Background of the Study The survey will be used as a usher to help the school [ St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina ] in taking a foreign linguistic communication which will be included in the high school department’s current course of study as an elective. The research workers will find the linguistic communication which the high school pupils will desire to larn the most. Among the linguistic communications to be chosen from are the three from the top 10 linguistic communications which are normally taught around the Earth. The foreign linguistic communications are Gallic. Spanish and Mandarin. The survey focuses on the relevancy of adding a foreign linguistic communication to the school course of study. It will besides mention the utility of larning a foreign linguistic communication. Learning a new linguistic communication at any age is an tremendously honoring experience in many ways. While linguistic communication acquisition is an enriching experience for all ages. kids have the most to d erive from this fantastic escapade. Get downing early offers the widest possible set of benefits and chances. Before the Spanish colonial period. the educational system was informal. Children learned more about accomplishments instead than faculty members. During the Spanish period. the missionaries were educating the people and it was focused on faith. Merely the elect people can go to school during this period. It was merely after a edict was enforced where there should be at least one primary school for male childs and misss under the supervising municipal. But that merely happened on the latter portion of the Spanish period. The course of study was limited. There are assorted linguistic communications that are used around the universe. The three foreign linguistic communications that are largely used are Mandarin. French. and Spanish. Knowing a foreign linguistic communication can assist us to be globally competitory. Peoples who know a foreign linguistic communication tends to gain more because they could be a company’s plus. Therefore. it opens a batch of good chances when using for a occupation. It gives the pupils a glance of another country’s civilization. Learning another linguistic communication can besides lea rn the pupils about subject because it takes a batch subject to get the hang another linguistic communication. Most people think that the linguistic communication spoken by Chinese subjects is â€Å"Chinese† . but in world at that place in no such thing as the â€Å"Chinese† linguistic communication. There are a batch of â€Å"Chinese† linguistic communications like Mandarin. Cantonese. Hakka and Wu. they are all jointly called â€Å"Chinese’ linguistic communications but they are merely all closely related idioms. Mandarin refers to a big group of idioms that in fact are a individual linguistic communication. The linguistic communication Mandarin is besides called Guoyu or Putonghua. It was the first cosmopolitan standard linguistic communication spoken by the functionaries and the Lords in traditional China during the Ming and Qing dynasty. The written linguistic communication foremost started as simple images stand foring thoughts although China has retained this manner of composing. Worldwide there are about 850 million people who speak Mandarin. Mandarin is spoken all throughout Northern and Southwest China. It is the official linguistic communication of China. Singapore and Taiwan. It is besides one of the official linguistic communications spoken by the United Nations. The Gallic linguistic communication is spoken by about 129 million aroun d the universe. It is originally called Latin but people started speaking a idiom of Latin called French because the Francophilles speak the linguistic communication. The linguistic communication is considered as the official linguistic communication in 33 states. Gallic is one of the official linguistic communications in assorted international organisations such as the International Olympic Committee. World Health Organization. and the United Nations. It is spoken widely in most states in Europe and Africa. French is besides a love affair linguistic communication that descended from Latin. Spanish is called the love affair linguistic communication. In Spain conversationally referred to as â€Å"espanol’ when distinguishing it with other linguistic communications such as English and Gallic but it is called â€Å"castellano† when distinguishing it to other linguistic communications being spoken in Spain such as Galacian. Basque and Catalan. It is a portion of the Indo-germanic household of linguistic communications which are spoken by more than a 3rd of the world’s population. Spanish foremost started to come up in composing during the eleventh century. Spanish is spoken by about 417 million people. 322 – 358 of whi ch speak it as a first linguistic communication. Spanish is spoken in Spain. Andorra. Argentina. Belize. Bolivia. Cayman Islands. Chile. Colombia. Costa Rica. Cuba. Dominican Republic. Ecuador. El Salvador. Equatorial Guinea. Guatemala. Honduras. Mexico. Nicaragua. Panama. Paraguay. Peru. Uruguay. the USA and Venezuela. Statement of the Problem This survey aims to happen out which of the foreign linguistic communications is most indispensable for the high school of St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina. Our research survey which we aim to be used as a usher for the school to be able to find which among the huge picks of foreign linguistic communications is most suited to be incorporated in the course of study of high school pupils as an elected. This survey will follow the undermentioned inquiries in order to come up the most favourable option among all the possible linguistic communications that can be taught: 1. What are the benefits of larning another linguistic communication for the calling of the pupils in the hereafter? 2. What are the top three foreign linguistic communications in schools based on validated studies and surveies? 3. Among the top picks presented in the inquiry above. which linguistic communication is the most practical or indispensable? 4. Which foreign linguistic communication electives are prefe rred by high school? a. Based on involvement B. Based on practicality5. What are the causes for this penchant?6. What are the possible disadvantages of learning a foreign linguistic communication on pupils? Significance of the StudyThe survey refering which of the foreign linguistic communications is the most indispensable can be used in finding which will be. It is necessary for us to cognize the best linguistic communication for the electives so that the plan will be effectual. The pupils: This survey will be good to the pupils as they are the topic of the survey. The consequence of the survey might be incorporated in their course of study. The application of this survey will add to the students’ certificates to vie in the international corporate sphere. Bing able to pass on besides means being able to lend to the universe by sharing one’s thoughts. If the chosen linguistic communication ( s ) is non preferred by the pupil organic structure so the plan will non involvement them either. Thus they will be given to go through the chance to take up a foreign linguistic communication. The pupils should hold the wonder with the linguistic communication in order to be motivated to really take up the excess category. If the pupils don’t gain adequate involvement to sponsor the plan so it will merely be wasted. Learning another linguistic communication can besides learn the pupils about subject because it takes a batch subject to get the hang another linguistic communication. Administration: Learning the great importance of holding another linguistic communication aside from your native lingua and English is besides portion of its docket. This survey will be important to the disposal of St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina and other academic establishments as this survey may be used as a mention to supply information and statistics about foreign linguistic communications. This may assist them make up ones mind on whether to integrate holding foreign electives as an electives or non. and which linguistic communication to integrate in instance they decide to make so. Teachers: Through this survey. instructors may hold a better understanding about the pupils in relation to foreign linguistic communication electives. In instance the electives apply. they might be able to believe of a schem e in learning the pupils based on their involvement. Scope and Delimitation The survey focuses on the possible utilizations and significance of the integrating of a foreign linguistic communication into the school course of study. A quantitative questionnaire will be made based on these facets in add-on to one inquiry on the general opinion/views of the informant towards foreign linguistic communication acquisition and its effects. The respondents of this study will be from the high school organic structure of St. Scholastica’s Academy for they are the focal point of this survey. The research workers will restrict the linguistic communication to be argued as picks to French. Mandarin and Spanish which harmonizing to our background of the survey are the top three favourite linguistic communications both to be learned and taught. However we will besides include the German linguistic communication as it is most popular in Europe and the Hindi linguistic communication. Chapter IIREVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIESForeign StudyWe presently live in a state of affairs of the universe wherein there is a critical demand for pupils to get one or more foreign linguistic communication to add in their native lingua in order to accomplish success in the budding hereafter of the planetary economic system. Communication and cognition of the civilization and imposts of concern representatives from different provinces of the universe is a critical and indispensable portion of set uping successful concern dealingss. There has been a good sum of of import instruction and authorities organisations that recognized the magnitude of foreign linguistic communication proficiency. Harmonizing to the California Department of Education. U. S. pupils will hold to vie with pupils from other states who have been required to larn two or three linguistic communications. Besides. harmonizing to a statement of the U. S. Congress â€Å"Multilingualism enhances cognitive and societal growing. fight in the planetary market place. . † . Geting proficiency in one or more extra linguistic communications rewards into a assortment of benefits which includes those that elevate occupation and calling promotion. chances to go abroad and broaden your apprehension of the different civilizations that exists in this universe. These all autumn under the personal benefits side. nevertheless there is besides the benefit which occurs in faculty members that additions you achievement in instruction. The increasing sum of callings now consequences in the verve of the cognition of a 2nd linguistic communication. The increased activity in international concern and addition in influx of the foreign capital to the U. S resulted in an emerging demand for persons with both foreign linguistic communication accomplishments and proficient preparation. Although it has been evident that anyone can go to any foreign state without pre-requisite cognition of the linguistic communication. it is still important to hold even the least sum of accomplishment in the linguistic communication to supply efficiency in work outing mundane travel jobs and to supply a better experience and a broader apprehension of the people and their civilization ( Weatherford ) . As an consequence of the increasing degrees of globalisation and interna tional concern. there has been a far greater demand for common apprehension and efficient communicating between states. Besides. foreign linguistic communication surveies incline to assist avoid and fade out misconceptions and create. In add-on. foreign linguistic communication survey tends to assist fade out misconceptions ( Weatherford ) . Many have suggested that analyzing a foreign linguistic communication provides benefits in footings of enhanced academic accomplishment in other countries. Numerous surveies have identified positive correlativities between foreign linguistic communication survey and public presentation on standardised trials ; overall academic public presentation and college admittances trial tonss. These will be farther discussed in ulterior subdivisions. There are still apparent important advantages still to those who study foreign linguistic communications despite the disadvantage of non being likely to develop high degrees of proficiency and native-like pronunciation as pupils who begin linguistic communication direction at earlier classs. Examples of these include the fact that pupils who had taken a foreign linguistic communication in high school had a significantly higher GPA in all high school topics every bit good as in Freshman English classs in college ( Weatherford ) . In add-on to this. harmonizing to a survey. it has been found that college pupils of Latin. French. German and Spanish who had studied foreign linguistic communications in high school all had significantly higher average college GPAs than those pupils who had non studied foreign linguistic communications in high school ( Olsen ) . Chapter IIIResearch Design and MethodologyOur purpose in this chapter is to explicate exhaustively the method of research that was used. our beginnings of informations. and the instruments used to garner informations every bit good as its process and how it will be treated statistically. Method of Research Used The construction that was engaged and put into action in order to run into the significance of the survey was the descriptive method. The descriptive method was chosen as our primary attack for our survey. Our group wanted to cognize the perceptual experience of the pupils in our school ( St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina ) sing holding a foreign linguistic communication of pick as an elected topic. A study was conducted in order to roll up footing for our informations. Our respondents consisted of hails indiscriminately selected pupils from the first twelvemonth up to the 4th twelvemonth. In add-on to our primary attack method. the normative survey was besides applied to run into our purpose to cognize which of the foreign linguistic communications provided does the bulk of the pupils choose or prefer to larn. Respondents The chief respondents for this survey are made up of five pupils per category from the first twelvemonth to the 4th twelvemonth ensuing to a sum of one hundred 40 respondents. The pupils were indiscriminately selected to supply even representation of their whole category. These pupils were given the study signifiers. Other beginnings of informations included old surveies sing the benefits of foreign linguistic communication. text books. the cyberspace. statistical informations. other texts et cetera. Research Instrumentality Our research group examined on what are the possible linguistic communications that our school would offer in stead of the alteration in course of study. In line with this. we used the undermentioned research instrumentality for our informations. Survey We formulated a study with inquiries related to our survey for our respondents. Our respondents would be five pupils per category from first twelvemonth to 4th twelvemonth. Since we are given a little timeframe sing our survey. we did the study within the first hebdomad of February. After we have retrieved the study. we evaluated and interpreted the informations that we have gathered. Chapter IV PRESENTATION. ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA This chapter presents. analyzes and interprets the information that the research workers have gathered through administering study signifiers indiscriminately.First the respondents were asked if they would desire to larn a foreign linguistic communication if they were given a opportunity. Almost all the pupils ticked ‘yes’ . 98 % ( 137 pupils ) said that they are willing to larn. While the other staying 2 % ( 3 pupils ) were non unfastened to analyzing any foreign linguistic communication. FIGURE 1: If given a opportunity. would you like to larn a foreign linguistic communication? Second. the respondents were asked what among the given picks. ( Spanish. Gallic. German. Mandarin. Hindi and other linguistic communications ) would they outdo prefer to larn. Majority of the respondents- 69 % ( 96 pupils ) preferred to larn the German linguistic communication. While. 18 % ( 25 pupils ) wanted to larn the Spanish linguistic communication. 7 % ( 10 pupils ) the Gallic linguistic communication. and 6 % ( 9 pupils ) preferred the Mandarin linguistic communication. And none. 0 % of the respondents wanted to larn the Hindi linguistic communication. FIGURE 2: Which of the undermentioned linguistic communications do you like the best? Third. the respondents were asked if which among the given linguistic communications. ( Spanish. German. Gallic. Mandarin and Hindi ) they think. would be the most good to their hereafter callings. Most of the respondents said that the German linguistic communication is the most good among other languages- 60 % ( 84 pupils ) . While. 32 % ( 45 pupils ) said Gallic linguistic communication is the most good. 5 % ( 7 pupils ) said it is the Spanish linguistic communication. While the staying 3 % ( 4 pupils ) sees Mandarin as good to their hereafter. FIGURE 3: Which of the undermentioned linguistic communications do you believe would be most good to your hereafter? Fourth. the respondents were asked which among the linguistic communications ( Spanish. German. Gallic. Mandarin and Hindi ) would they be most interested to larn. Again. bulk of the respondents- ( 65 % . 91 pupils ) said that they were largely interested larning the German linguistic communication. 18 % ( 25 pupils ) said they were interested in the Spanish linguistic communication ; 11 % ( 15 pupils ) were interested in the Gallic linguistic communication ; and the staying 6 % ( 9 pupils ) were largely interested in the Mandarin linguistic communication. FIGURE 4: Which of the undermentioned linguistic communications would you be most interested to larn? Finally. the respondents were asked why they were interested to larn the ( Spanish. German. Gallic. Mandarin and Hindi ) languages. Majority of the pupils. 75 % . ( 105 pupils ) answered that they were interested because they see its value for their college/future usage. 14 % ( 20 pupils ) were interested to larn the linguistic communication for personal benefit. 7 % . ( 10 pupils ) were interested to larn for travel intents. And other staying 4 % . ( 5 pupils ) were interested without any important intent seen. merely merely for merriment. FIGURE 5: Why would you be most interested to larn the foreign linguistic communication? Chapter VSUMMARY. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION DrumheadImplanting a foreign linguistic communication into the course of study will so be good in the hereafter for pupils in the high school section. Its benefits non limited to personal. travel and cultural apprehension. as a critical plus in the close hereafter. and for communicating intents. Bing able to talk another linguistic communication would hence be an advantage for any chosen calling particularly if they choose to migrate to another state or have international concern dealingss. Harmonizing to old surveies and studies. the top three foreign linguistic communications in schools are Gallic. Spanish and Mandarin nevertheless we found out that it in this survey we conducted that the respondents of St. Scholastica’s Academy Marikina prefer a somewhat different line up of foreign linguistic communication pick. German was the primary pick of the pupils and closely followed by the Spanish linguistic communication and so the Gallic. Mandarin. was non a popular pick to larn among the pupils of St. Scholastica’s Academy. In footings of practicality. Mandarin should be a precedence because there are many Chinese concerns afloat in the Global Economy and the German linguistic communication is non rather popular in the wireless and telecommunication moving ridges. Harmonizing to the studies we conducted. the German linguistic communication gained popularity on about all the inquiries sing what they would be most interested to larn. prefer to larn and most good to larn. Although we had expected the Gallic linguistic communication to be the figure one pick given its popularity. given the ground that the German linguistic communication is seen to rule most of Europe and French is taking merely behind by a per centum. In add-on to this. the German linguistic communication is presently the most powerful linguistic communication in Europe as they are one of the richest in all of Europe. There are many benefits in larning a foreign linguistic communication nevertheless ; there can be some little disadvantages should it be decided to be taught among high school pupils. One of which is that larning a linguistic communication in the latter portion of a person’s twelvemonth is non truly effectual and will merely supply the pupil the rudimentss and non complete command of the linguistic communication in the same degree like when a child would larn a linguistic communication. Besides. in add-on to this. although the respondents have agreed to larn a foreign linguistic communication should they be given an chance. the emphasis it would add up to the pupils would non be desirable given the fact that they would hold 3 linguistic communications in the course of study. Decision The findings clearly show that bulk of the pupils is unfastened and willing to larn new linguistic communications even though. these are foreign to them. The respondents even have their ain penchants of foreign linguistic communication that they consider as an interesting lesson that they must take. And at the same clip. they see larning a new linguistic communication as an of import factor in their hereafter. most particularly. in their college life and calling. This implies that having an instruction to analyze foreign linguistic communications is non seen as a load or a hurting among the pupils. This so. led the research workers to reason that the pupils were someway unfastened to holding foreign linguistic communication topic in their school’s course of study. because they have an involvement to it ; wherein. the pupils can take their preferable foreign linguistic communication. Recommendation Different facets may be farther modified for those who wish to go on this survey. such as spread outing its clip for researching of informations through interviews. literary plants and relevant mediums of information with respects to the subject. The research workers suggest that it would be ideal if the coverage of the research would be months long. three ( 3 ) months in specific. to garner and present sufficient information. Besides. the survey can farther be improved if the inquiries in the study would be more detailed and clearly stated by the research workers. In this manner. the respondents would be guided consequently. and at the same clip. the research workers could garner informations more accurately and more systematic. bring forthing a much more meaningful reading and analysis. Furthermore. the research would give better and more believable consequences if the figure of respondents would be increased. Last. it would be much better if the respondents were straight asked if they were willing to add another topic for foreign linguistic communication in their school’s course of study. This is because involvements and penchants are non that dependable to eventually reason that the pupils were unfastened to holding a foreign linguistic communication topic. Bibliography Khodorkovsky. M. ( 2008 October 27 ) . The 10 most utile linguistic communications to larn. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. altalang. com/beyond-words/2008/10/27/the-10-most-useful-languages-to-learn/ DINCAY. T. ( 2011. 11 25 ) . Advantages of larning a foreign linguistic communication at an early age. Retrieved from hypertext transfer protocol: //www. todaysamazon. com/news-263877-advantages-of-learning-a-foreign-language-at-an-early-age. html hypertext transfer protocol: //possitivethinker. tumblr. com/How-to-write hypertext transfer protocol: //www. todayszaman. com/news-263877-advantages-of-learning-a-foreign-language-at-an-early-age. html hypertext transfer protocol: //www. andaman. org/BOOK/reprints/weber/rep-weber. hypertext markup languageWorld Wide Web. omniglot. com/language/why. htm

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Anti Jerk Control Of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Essay

Anti Jerk Control Of Hybrid Electric Vehicle Engineering Essay The report details the review done in the area of anti-jerk control of vehicles. It explains the phenomenon of driveline oscillations excited due to torsion of driveline at high engine torques causing unwanted longitudinal oscillations in vehicle body. Report starts with a broad introduction to the topic and lays down the aims and objectives of the research project. The aims and objectives of the project are to design an active feedback control for an electric motor of a hybrid electric vehicle to damp these undesirable oscillations. A summary review of previous research work done in this area is presented which defines the starting point of the project. Different techniques used for anti-jerk control in conventional vehicle are discussed. Basic approach to model based control design is presented in the report. An introduction to hybrid electric vehicle driveline and description of its components different from conventional vehicle is shown. The report also lays down the procedure of the work to be followed for the research project with a project plan. INTRODUCTION The increasing pressure of protecting the natural environment and to decrease the dependence on non-renewable sources of energy has encouraged vehicle manufacturers to develop more clean and efficient power systems. As a result Hybrid vehicles are hot topic for research among vehicle manufacturers. Efforts are being made to make the vehicles more fuel efficient with high performance and minimum CO2 emissions. Diesel hybrids are considered as next big thing among ecological designs since diesel engines are 20 % 30% more fuel efficient than their petrol counterparts. Nowadays noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) issues have become more important for a customer such that there are very stringent requirements for noise or vibration in a vehicle. Driveability of a vehicle is majorly impacted by NVH problems and is strongly felt as vehicles performance during various manoeuvres such as acceleration, braking, gear change etc. Thus vehicle manufacturers and OEMs have realized the importance of NVH issues and target to identify the root cause of vibration and incorporate the correcting measures at early stages of manufacturing with a main goal to refine the ride and driveability of a vehicle. These days efforts are being made to increase the performance of vehicles and to make them more fuel efficient by using different techniques and one of the techniques is electrification of various systems in a vehicle. Electronic power assist steering system, electric active roll control, electronic differential, brake by wire are some of the examples of electrification of vehicle systems. This kind of methodology becomes more evident in case of hybrid electric vehicles where electric power components including power electronics are integral part of the powertrain. It has been observed that using these electrification techniques not only helps in increasing the performance of the vehicle but also makes them more fuel efficient. Thus the electrification in a diesel hybrid powertrain to improve the driveability of vehicle forms the main platform for this research project. Problem Statement One of the major NVH issues in automobiles is torsional vibrations of driveline. The torsion of drivetrain at high engine torques causes oscillations in driveline. These oscillations are generally excited by various sources such as rapid or sudden load/torque change, gear change and unevenness of road surface. These oscillations cause longitudinal acceleration in vehicle structure and passenger compartment of the vehicle, which reduces the comfort and driveability of the vehicle and are experienced as unwanted jerking by the driver and passengers. These type of driveline oscillations are termed as Jerking, which is the main focus of this research. The high engine torques at low engine speeds makes this phenomenon more common in modern diesel engines. A sudden/abrupt pressing or releasing of accelerator pedal by the driver causing a rapid increase or decrease in engine torque called as tip-in and tip-out respectively, which gives rise to oscillations between frequency range of 2 10 HZ. To reduce these oscillations and to increase the comfort and improve the driveability of vehicle some kind of anti-jerk control is required. In conventional diesel engine vehicles, active control of engine fuelling and drivers torque demands and passive utilization of mechanical isolators such as dual mass flywheel (DMF) are used to permit feed forward active and passive damping of these oscillations. Aims and Objectives The aims of the research project are to investigate the phenomenon of jerking in a diesel hybrid electric vehicle and to electrify the anti-jerk control using the electric motor of hybrid vehicle to damp these oscillations. The aims of the project would be realized through following objectives: A feed forward approach in modeling the vehicle driveline to investigate driveline jerking using SIMULATION-X. The response of vehicle during tip-in, tip-out, idle and coast conditions would be studied. To design an active feedback control for electric motor of the hybrid vehicle to permit active damping of the investigated driveline oscillations. To analyse its effects on fuel consumption, comfort and sportiness of the vehicle and comparison with conventional anti-jerk control methods. To study the impact of passive damping of these oscillations using DMF in the driveline. Due to the diverse nature of the project the work has been divided between two students. It was decided that modelling of the driveline will be done by Pavan Mukkamala and Kamal Shamnani will take care of control design part of the project. Report Overview As it can be seen before, the report begins with the introduction to the current scenario of hybrid vehicles, driveability and electrification of vehicle systems. Then problem statement was defined followed by aims and objectives. The next chapter would summarize the undertaken review to understand the research work beginning with analyses of jerking. The literature review also serves as the basis to provide the expected response characteristics. It also explains the different control methods used on a conventional diesel engine vehicle. Chapter 3 lays down the outline of the procedure to be followed for the research project along with project plan. Conclusions based the literature review have been made in chapter 4. LITERATURE REVIEW Driveline Oscillations Different type of powertrain configurations (front wheel drive or rear wheel drive), engine type and dynamic response, engine torque at different engine speeds and vehicle mass excites different kind of oscillations in vehicle driveline. These oscillations have been summarized below [1]: Torsion of shaft causes jerking and pitching type oscillations in the driveline. Jerking then causes longitudinal acceleration of car body in a frequency range of 2 5 Hz. The pitch motion frequency is about 1 2.5 Hz. Engine movement and engine mount characteristic excites oscillations in a frequency range of 15 200 Hz. Gear box housing cause oscillations in the frequency range between 50 and 80 Hz. Combustion process, movement of pistons inside the cylinder and engine speed causes oscillations depending upon type of engine, number of cylinders and engine speed. Inline-four cylinder engine types engine exhibit large cyclic fluctuations of torque at idle speed. Driveline Jerking in a Diesel Engine Vehicle The fast response and high torque of modern direct injection diesel engines results in sharp and large changes in driveline torque. Moreover smaller and more powerful modern diesel engines with reduced flywheel inertias and reduced mass of powertrain components reduce the initial response to transient throttle demands by the driver. But on the other hand faster response and large changes in driveline torque make them more susceptible towards generation of driveline oscillations. These types of oscillations are commonly referred as driveline jerking, surging, driveline shuffle, driveline judder, jerk oscillations or bonanza effect. [2], [3] and [4]. These oscillations are generally excited due to the torsional vibrations of driveline when accompanied with sudden torque change. The sudden driveline torque change can be described as tip-in and tip-out manoeuvres. The tip-in and tip-out behaviour are described in figure-1 as a step input and after few seconds a step back to zero [2]. The tip-in and tip-out behaviour causes oscillations to engine speed. The difference between engine speed and wheel speed is generally used to describe the torsional oscillations of driveline shown as torsional speed in figure-2-1. These oscillations are transmitted to the vehicle body from wheel and tire and cause oscillations in vehicle longitudinal acceleration. The oscillations in longitudinal acceleration of vehicle body are shown in figure-2-2. The acceleration of vehicle body oscillates between the frequency range of 2 and 5 Hz. The observed frequency of oscillation is dominated by drivelines first natural frequency. This frequency lies between the resonance frequencies of various sensitive human body parts such as shoulders (4 6 Hz), stomach (4- 8 Hz) and trunk (3 6 Hz) [5]. So, these different body parts may resonate due to this jerking and hence very unpleasant for drivers and passengers. Figure 2: Effect of Tip-in and Tip-out on Engine and wheel speed [2] Figure 2: Body acceleration during Tip-in and Tip-out [2]. The phenomenon of jerking is more common where the manual clutch is not present, as a human driver uses manual clutch to reduce these vibrations. Whereas in automatic clutch units the design philosophy is to reduce the clutch engagement and disengagement time to prevail smooth torque transfer which gives rise to driveline oscillations. These oscillations differ at different gear ratios. It has been shown that oscillation frequency increases shifting from first gear to higher gears due to change in damping co-efficient associated with each gear and reflected engine inertia [6]. Generally driveline shuffle is also associated with phenomenon of clonk or gear rattle. Clonk is basically a noise which is a by-product of backlash present in gears. Backlash is allowed to incorporate operating clearances and manufacturing tolerances. The clonk can be reduced by increasing the driveline compliance but side effect of increasing compliance is the increased driveline oscillations hence jerking. Anti-Jerk Control of Conventional Vehicles The main parameters which govern the severity of jerking response of vehicle can be termed as engine torque rise rate and driveline compliance. Anti-jerk control acts as the balance between comfort and sportiness of the vehicle. The reduction in driveline oscillations is possible by controlling the engine torque rise rate, which can be done by smoothening of drivers torque demands. In a conventional diesel engine vehicle it is done by electronic fuelling control and in a petrol engine vehicle it is done by using spark advance and electronic throttle control. Various manufacturers use the filtering of drivers torque request but this becomes of no use when oscillations are excited by ground roughness. In practice, anti-jerk controller parameters are experimentally optimized to combine comfort and sportiness of the vehicle [2]. The parameters are tuned and accessed, to include non-linearities present in the system, by using various test-runs to find optimal controller parameters. All these parameters are stored in form of different maps and relationship between different engine parameters which are then used to obtain a feed-forward controller for the vehicle. The reductions in driveline oscillations in conventional drivetrain are possible by various active and passive methods. These include: Optimizing driveline parameters such as compliance of clutch, driveshaft and transmission, gear ratios and inertia of driveline components. Passive reduction of oscillations by adding damping to the system. Active control of engine torque. Model Based Anti-Jerk Control In past these parameters were obtained by using trial and error methods which may not be fully optimized and this strategy takes a lot of time depending upon the knowledge of automotive engineer [2]. These days as explained above that optimal anti-jerk control parameters are obtained experimentally by systematic and standardized computer aided test runs. This procedure still relies on time-consuming test runs. Whereas use of simulation can help in analytical assessment of a large number of performance, driveability and comfort parameters with reduced costs and less risk of testing. Simulation can determine highly optimized and accurate system parameters out of which only few parameters are required to be checked by real tests which save a lot of testing time. Due to this a lot of emphasis is given on use of simulation to obtain the optimal controller parameters and also if possible integration of model based controller in the vehicle is also being considered. A review of model based controller design approach is shown below. Modelling techniques Driveline of a conventional diesel engine vehicle is made up of an internal combustion engine which is connected to a gearbox through clutch whose output is connected to driveshafts which transmits torque to the wheels. In model based controller design gray-box approach is used to model the drivetrain. According to which driveline can be modelled as lumped parameter model which is made up of rotating bodies with lumped inertias, compliances, damping losses, input torque and load torque through environmental forces [6]. Even a complete linear state space model based upon this relatively simple transformation of driveline is of 14th order which is very complex and requires very extensive computational resources to run on a real time engine ECU and is therefore very expensive and cannot be implemented for mass production [4]. Structure of a complex rear wheel drivetrain is shown in figure -3 [4]. Figure 2: A rear wheel drive vehicle driveline structure [4] Thus it is required to define a reliable and low order linear representation of overall driveline dynamics. Since the purpose of anti-jerk controller is to damp the oscillations at drivelines first resonance mode, some approximations can be made to reduce the model complexity. To simplify the model it can be assumed that driveline oscillations at first resonance mode are caused due to torsion of drive shafts which can be explained as they are subjected to relatively highest torque since the torque from engine is amplified by the transmission and final drive [1], [7]. Clutch due to its higher stiffness can be considered as not contributing to first resonance mode. All these assumptions can be justified by measurements [1], [7]. This reduces the driveline model to a 2nd, 5th or 7th order depending upon the type of drive configuration and flywheel. For a reliable and accurate design of a model-based controller identification of model parameters is done on basis of measurement data. To incorporate the non-linearities present in driveline the values of parameters depending upon engine speed can be stored in form of look-up tables resulting in time-variant model which is more accurate and reliable [1], [7]. Different techniques such as least square optimization and extended kalman-filter can be used to optimize the non-linearities present in the system to reduce the error. The model can be validated by comparing the simulation results with real behaviour of the car. Controller Design In a model based anti-jerk controller design the controller is used in a feedback path. Here also different methodologies have been used to design the control strategy. One of them is to use the model to obtain the controller parameters. Thus in this case model based controller design approach is used to assist the engineer and to save time on testing [2]. This type of control topology is shown in figure 2-4 [2]. Figure 2: Model based designed controller structure [2] In this type of control architecture a two step procedure is used to damp the driveline oscillations first the requested driveline torque Tin is filtered to prevent jerking generation and then the feed-back controller minimizes the jerking further. State of the vehicle can be the feedback to the controller which can be engine speed, wheel speed, and vehicle speed etc, based on which variable controller parameters will be chosen from predefined maps. Advantage of this type of control structure is that it can be used to compensate for the disturbances from the ground roughness. The other advantage of this type of control strategy is that it requires only controller variable parameters to be stored in the ECU of the engine which will be extracted by two performance criteria i.e. sportiness of vehicle demanded by the driver and level of comfort required through no longitudinal oscillations [2]. The disadvantage of this type of controller is that it needs to store different parameter valu es for different gears and operating points which require the experience and knowledge of automotive engineer to adjust parameter maps. Also it may require some feedback of vehicle states from the vehicle which may be difficult to measure in a vehicle. Also the adjusted parameters values for comfort and sportiness will depend upon the subjective preferences of the engineer. A field of research in this case is the invention of tuneable factor between sportiness and comfort which enables customers to tune their car to their requirement [2]. Another approach in model based controller design is the predictive approach i.e. a reduced model of vehicle drivetrain will be included in vehicle ECU which will reproduce the occurrence of jerking before its actual occurrence and output of which is used as controller input which will then avoid jerking before its occurrence [1] , [7] and [4]. Figure 2: Model based predictive control structure [1] The dead time or the time delay due to engine combustion events is separated from dynamics of process and modelled separately at the end of model which makes the response of the model faster than actual vehicle [1], [7] hence enables the accurate reproduction of oscillations before their occurrence. Structure of a predictive model based controller is shown in figure 2-5 [1]. These types of controllers are generally equipped with an observer which incorporates the external disturbances such as ground surface roughness and compensates the model inaccuracies by including a feedback between model output and actual process output [1] and [7]. The response of observer is faster than that of the process to make the steady state error zero after a short period of time due to this its design is done separately and values for different engine speeds and demanded torques are stored in form of look up tables. Root locus method is used for designing these kind of controllers. An advantage of usin g this type of controller is that less dependence on automotive engineer to adjust parameter maps. However an appropriate compromise between comfort and sportiness needs to be defined. One of the ways to increase sportiness is to deliberately delay the activation of controller until initial vehicle acceleration. This type of method can give the user an option of different modes for example, sporty, everyday and comfort by changing the controller values [4]. It can also predict system states which are difficult to measure on a real vehicle hence a more accurate system response can be obtained. At the same time this type of controller can be very expensive as it requires significant computational resources added on to vehicle driveline ECU. Hybrid Vehicle Driveline A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle in which powertrain has more than one source of power, a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) has an internal combustion engine and an electric machine/motor. HEVs powertrain can be classified as series or parallel hybrid systems. A series hybrid system is one in which electric motor provides all the torque required for vehicle propulsion whereas a parallel hybrid system allows torque input from either internal combustion engine or electric motor or from both. Hybrid electric vehicles are the most important topic of research for the past few years. A series hybrid vehicle driveline does not have a direct mechanical link between the engine and driveline. It is connected to a generator which in turn provides electric supply to power electronics. The electric machine/motor is connected generally through a single speed gearbox, final drive and drive shafts to wheels. Thus driveline oscillations in a series hybrid vehicle will be present, similar to a conventional vehicle. The main difference will be because of propulsion mechanism which is an electric motor. Regarding the anti-jerk control for a series hybrid vehicle, it can be done by active control of electric motor torque. It has been explained in a publication by Borodani and Ambrosio [3] in which an active robust control algorithm based on the Hà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã… ¾ control technique was designed for a Fiat Bravo 1600 cc for electric only mode. In a parallel hybrid vehicle driveline both engine and motor are mechanically connected to the wheels through clutch, an automatic gearbox and drive shafts. The vibration modes of parallel hybrid driveline are similar to a conventional vehicle. A similar strategy can be used to minimize the jerking as used for conventional vehicles in engine only mode. Whereas an active control of electric motor torque can also be used to prevent jerking. As there is not enough evidence of work done regarding the investigation of jerking and development of anti-jerk control for hybrid vehicles, this will be a topic of this research. Figure 2: Block diagram of hybrid drivetrain to be used Electric motor in a hybrid vehicle driveline gives an opportunity to electrify the anti-jerk control which then can be compared with conventional methods of anti-jerk control for fuel consumption, degree of comfort and sportiness of the vehicle. A parallel four wheel driven diesel hybrid electric driveline with dual mass flywheel (DMF) of a sport utility vehicle will be used to investigate the driveline oscillation and then to design an active feedback control for electric motor to damp these oscillations. Vehicle drive configuration can be changed to front wheel drive by unlocking the central coupler. The effect electric real axle drive (ERAD) will not be considered for anti-jerk control design. The driveline is shown in figure 2-6. Some important components of driveline and their effect are explained below: Integrated Starter Generator (ISG) As name suggests ISG replaces both conventional starter and alternator/generator to a single electronically controlled device. An ISG can convert electrical energy to mechanical energy to start an engine and also mechanical energy to electrical energy to power all electrical systems in a vehicle such as lights, air conditioning etc and to charge battery. An ISG serves three important functions start-stop, electricity generation and power assistance [8]. It allows engine start-stop functionality to save fuel instead of idling when vehicle is not in motion. ISG generates electricity from spinning crankshaft of vehicle to charge the battery. In a hybrid vehicle an ISG can provide power assist to the engine during the boost-mode. Although it cannot propel a vehicle on its own but it can assist the engine and can be used to store energy while regenerative braking. The ISG is generally used in mild hybrids. An ISG can provide retarding force on crankshaft to generate electricity during bra king; this feature of ISG can be used for anti-jerk control. Dual Mass Flywheel A dual mass flywheel [DMF] consists of two rotating flywheels [primary and secondary] connected by long travel arc-springs [7]. Figure -7 shows the structure of a basic DMF [4]. A DMF can be used to mechanically isolate the driveline oscillations arising from high speed engine oscillations by decoupling the transmission from engine. It filters out the engine irregularities completely. Due to the smooth operation of secondary flywheel and transmission input shaft gear rattle is significantly reduced. DMF can provide good vibration isolation at low engine speeds which in turn reduces the fuel consumption of a vehicle. Due to its excellent vibration isolation and damping attributes, DMF today is found in many vehicle drivelines including low budget cars [4]. But despite of its advantaged DMF increases the system complexity. DMF is basically a spring damper unit having highly non-linear characteristics. It can temporarily store energy due to which it applies a reaction torque on internal combustion engine and alters the engine speed signal which is used by ECU. It increases the probability of undesirable side effects such as jerking. Figure 2: Dual Mass flywheel structure [4] PROCEDURE Procedure of work Driveline vibration is mainly a problem of engine torque profile and compliances of components in the driveline. To study the effect of jerking in hybrid vehicles a model of driveline with all system complexities will be developed using a SIMULATION-X. The simulation-X model will be a complex model replicating the complete dynamic behaviour of the vehicle. As the frequency range of interest is 2-5 Hz, drivelines first natural frequency the model will be reduced according to a final model to be implemented for the design on controller which can accurately predict the oscillations in the desired frequency range. An active feed-back control for electric motor torque and for engine fuelling control will be designed by implementing the reduced model in MATLAB/SIMULINK. Then both controllers will be implemented in the actual complex model in SIMULATION-X to observe the system performance in terms of fuel consumption, level of comfort and sportiness. Simulation tool Simulation-X Simulation-X has been chosen to investigate the phenomenon of jerking for the project due to its very user friendly graphical user interface. This interface provides a very intuitive and efficient lumped parameter modelling approach for modelling dynamic systems. It can model various physical systems (i.e. Electronics, Mechanics, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Thermal etc) with much ease. It also allows for the signal and equation based modelling ideal for control systems. Another important feature of Simulation-X is the ease of parameterization i.e. it is very easy to define the system complexities and parameters depending upon the requirement. It has numerous possibilities for visualization, analysis and recording a large number of results associated with each element of a model. It is very beneficial for modal analysis as it can easily extract the dynamics of system by showing the modes of vibrations and the cause of these resonance modes. This feature is very handy and useful for this r esearch project as it can be used to differentiate between the causes of oscillations in the driveline and thereby helping to reduce the model for the desired frequency range. Project Plan CONCLUSIONS On the basis of literature review it can be stated that the high change in engine or load torque excites oscillations in vehicle driveline, known as jerking causing horizontal acceleration in vehicle body. The frequency of jerking lies in resonance frequency range of various sensitive body parts as a result it is entirely undesirable by the drivers. Comfort and driveability issues raise the need for anti-jerk control. There has not been enough work done on anti-jerk control for hybrid electric vehicles since not many hybrid electric vehicles are available in market. Other than the conventional methods, electrification of anti-jerk control can be done in a hybrid electric vehicle which will be the main aim of the research project. A model based controller design approach can be regarded as efficient and reliable. It can assist an automotive engineer in deciding control parameters for the controller, also it can be implemented directly to vehicle for anti-jerk control by reducing the order of driveline model. Driveline oscillations can also be damped using passive damping methods such as using DMF which will be studied as a part of research project. REFERENCES [1] Kiencke, U. and Nielsen, L. (2005), Automotive Control Systems for Engine, Driveline and Vehicle, Springer, Berlin, Germany. [2] Grotjahn, M., Quernheim, L. and Zemke, S. (2006), Modeling Identification of car driveline dynamics for anti jerk controller design, ICM 2006 IEEE 3rd International Conference on Mechatronics , 1-4244-9713-4/06. [3] Borodani, P. and Ambrosio, C. (2002), Robust control of active damping of a hybrid vehicle driveline shuffle, MED2002 Conference. [4] Walter, A. Kiencke, U., Jones, S. and Winkler, T. (2008), Anti-Jerk Idle Speed Control with Integrated Sub-Harmonic Vibration Compensation for vehicles with Dual Mass Flywheels, SAE International Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants Congress Shanghai, China, 2008-01-1737. [5] McDevitt, I. (2005), Torsional Vibrations of Vehicle Driveline, MSc Thesis, Automotive Product Engineering, Cranfield University. [6] Lee, H.C. (2006), Driveline vibration control of electric vehicle, MSc Thesis, Automotive Product Engineering, Cranfield University. [7] Baumann, J., Torkzadeh, D., Ramstein, A., Kiencke, U. and Schlegl, T. (2005), Model-based Predictive Anti-Jerk Control, Control Engineering Practice 14 (2006) 259-266. [8] Viorel, I., Szabo, L., Lowenstein, L. and Stet, C (2004), Integrated Starter-Generators for Automotive Applications, Acta Electrotehnica, Volume 45 Number 3 2004. [9] Reik, W., Seebacher, R. and Kooy, A. (1998), Dual Mass Fly-wheel.