The automated and connected vehicle will be a great technology development and it will change mobility habits. The two main positive effects of its integration are the improvement of road safety and the reduction of pollutant emissions of the vehicles. But first, the technology must be available. With the arrival of 5G (Fifth Generation), it will be a reality. However, the 5G could have some operation failures which could isolate the vehicle from the rest of the infrastructure. So, a solution is required which can improve communication reliability such that, if the 5G would fail, the short/middle range technology integrated will lead the vehicle with V2I communication. This integration would provide a reliable and strong solution. In this work, an analysis of different available communication technologies was carried out with a short/middle range, the selection criteria being lower cost and easy integration with 5G. To contrast the technologies, a validation methodology was developed, which enabled us to evaluate the performance ofV2I applications. We observed a comparatively higher performance of the module nRF24L01+ for V2I communication.

In the present work, the effectiveness of four non-halogenated flame retardants (FR) (aluminium trihydroxide (ATH), magnesium hydroxide (MDH), Sepiolite (SEP) and a mix of metallic oxides and hydroxides (PAVAL)) in blends with recycled acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (rABS) was studied in order to develop a more environmentally friendly flame-retardant composite alternative. The mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of the obtained composites as well as their flame-retardant mechanism were evaluated by UL-94 and cone calorimetric tests. As expected, these particles modified the mechanical performance of the rABS, increasing its stiffness at the expense of reducing its toughness and impact behavior. Regarding the fire behavior, the experimentation showed that there is an important synergy between the chemical mechanism provided by MDH (decomposition into oxides and water) and the physical mechanism provided by SEP (oxygen barrier), which means that mixed composites (rABS/MDH/SEP) can be obtained with a flame behavior superior to that of the composites studied with only one type of FR. In order to find a balance between mechanical properties, composites with different amounts of SEP and MDH were evaluated. The results showed that composites with the composition rABS/MDH/SEP: 70/15/15 wt.% increase the time to ignition (TTI) by 75% and the resulting mass after ignition by more than 600%. Furthermore, they decrease the heat release rate (HRR) by 62.9%, the total smoke production (TSP) by 19.04% and the total heat release rate (THHR) by 13.77% compared to unadditivated rABS; without compromising the mechanical behavior of the original material. These results are promising and potentially represent a greener alternative for the manufacture of flame-retardant composites.

An understanding of the mechanical behavior of polymeric materials is crucial for making advancements in the applications and efficiency of nanocomposites, and encompasses their service life, load resistance, and overall reliability. The present study focused on the prediction of the mechanical behavior of biopolymeric nanocomposites with nano-clays as the nanoadditives, using a new modeling and simulation method based on Comsol Multiphysics software 6.1. This modeling considered the complex case of flake-shaped nano-clay additives that could form aggregates along the polymeric matrix, varying the nanoadditive thickness, and consequently affecting the resulting mechanical properties of the polymeric nanocomposite. The polymeric matrix investigated was biopolyamide 11 (BIOPA11). Several BIOPA11 samples reinforced with three different contents of nano-clays (0, 3, and 10 wt%), and with three different nano-clay dispersion grades (employing three different extrusion screw configurations) were obtained by the compounding extrusion process. The mechanical behavior of these samples was studied by the experimental tensile test. The experimental results indicate an enhancement of Young’s modulus as the nano-clay content was increased from 0 to 10 wt% for the same dispersion grades. In addition, the Young’s modulus value increased when the dispersion rate of the nano-clays was improved, showing the highest increase of around 93% for the nanocomposite with 10 wt% nano-clay. A comparison of the modeled mechanical properties and the experimental measurements values was performed to validate the modeling results. The simulated results fit well with the experimental values of Young’s modulus.

This work presents the methodology and results of the research into pre-treatments for thermal spray processes, applied to composites and technical polymers, as preparatory stage for the subsequent coating (ceramic and metallic) deposition via wire arc spray process. The research methodology includes the study of the thermal degradation of substrate materials, as well as the execution and characterization of mechanical (sand blasting), laser (surface texturing) and chemical (acid and base etching) pre-treatments. The quality of the proposed solutions is evaluated through visual inspection of the samples, optical micrography, surface roughness measurements, and mechanical adhesion testing of the coating. Finally, the selection of the most appropriate coating pre-treatment is made, considering technical and scalability criteria.

This work summarizes the methodology and results of the design of a light and safe vehicle structure based on high-strength steel, aiming at its introduction in urban environments. The structure is made of a tubular chassis design easily scalable and modular, taking into consideration safety features from the very beginning of the design stage. The structural integrity of the vehicle from a static point of view is validated through torsional and bending stiffness simulations and experiments, as well as fatigue assessment. The crashworthiness is evaluated by applying the procedures set in regulations R137, R95 and R94, with special emphasis on vehicle occupants’ protection and on other vulnerable road users, with the objective of achieving a 4-stars EuroNCAP rating.