This article presents a novel and reliable low-cost data acquisition solution for high frequency and real-time applications in vehicular dynamics. Data acquisition systems for highly dynamic systems based on low-cost platforms face different challenges such as a constrained data retrieval rate. Basic data reading functions in these platforms are inefficient and, when used, they limit electronics acquisition rate capabilities. This paper explains a new low-cost, modular and open platform to read different types of sensors at high speed rates. Conventional reading functions are avoided to speed up acquisition rate, but this negatively affects data reliability of the system. To solve this and exploit higher data managing rates, a number of custom secure layers are implemented to secure a reliable acquisition. This paper describes the new low-cost electronics developed for high rate acquisition applications and inspects its performance and robustness against the introduction of an increasing number of sensors connected to the board. In most cases, acquisition rates of the system are duplicated using this new solution.

Existing acoustic test benches are usually costly devices based on proprietary designs, sensors, and acquisition devices. In this paper, a low-cost test bench for acoustic purposes is introduced. The design of the test bench takes into account not only the low-cost mechanical design, but also uses low-cost sensors and control boards. This test bench has been designed for a range of signals compatible with those used by thermoacoustic engines, but it can be useful for applications with similar requirements. Taking advantage of an auxiliary pressure reference, low-cost unidirectional differential pressure sensors can be used to significantly increase the accuracy of the sampling system. The acoustic and mechanical design and development are presented along with the sampling system and the sensors arrangement implemented. Both the sensor and sampling system are evaluated by comparison with a high-fidelity sound acquisition system. An unexpected effect on the time error values distribution of the low-cost acquisition system is found and described. Finally, the errors introduced by the system and the sensors in terms of time and pressure sampling are characterized. As a result, the low-cost system’s accuracy has been satisfactory assessed and validated for the conditions expected in thermoacoustic experiments in terms of frequency and dynamic pressure.

Energy harvesting shock absorbers (EHSA) have made great progress in recent years, although there are still no commercial solutions for this technology. This paper addresses the question of whether, and under what conditions, an EHSA can completely replace a conventional one. In this way, any conventional suspension could be replicated at will, while recovering part of the wasted energy. This paper focuses on mimicking the original passive damper behavior by continuously varying the electrical parameters of the regenerative damper. For this study, a typical ball-screw EHSA is chosen, and its equivalent suspension parameters are tried to be matched to the initial damper. The methodology proposes several electrical control circuits that optimize the dynamic behavior of the regenerative damper from the continuous variation of a load resistance. The results show that, given a target damper curve, the regenerative damper can adequately replicate it when there is a minimum velocity in the damper. However, when the damper velocity is close to zero, the only way to compensate for inertia is through the introduction of external energy to the system.