Abstract: A technique for determining the charge air temperature within an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle without using a dedicated temperature sensor. The technique includes identifying a non-linear dynamic model based on the physical concepts of thermal transfer and system identification technique. The charge air temperature model uses several available physical measurements from the vehicle, including inlet air temperature, engine coolant temperature, vehicle speed, manifold pressure, engine speed, exhaust gas recirculation condition, and the engine fan on/off state. The model parameters are determined based on specific vehicle characteristics, and collected data from the vehicle. The charge air temperature is predicted by the model at regular predetermined intervals from the physical measurements, the vehicle parameters and the charge air temperature from the previous time.

Abstract: A multiaxial testing apparatus is shown and described wherein items to be tested are affixed to opposing mounts, and wherein at least one of these mounts defines a constant link of a mobile truss. By varying the lengths of other links within the mobile truss, the pose of the constant link mount is changed, thereby altering the pose and/or loading on the test item affixed between the mounts. In preferred embodiments, the mobile truss includes six variable-length links situated between two constant links, at least one of which is a mount, so that a test item affixed between the mounts may be moved and/or loaded in six degrees of freedom.