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Funded Research Projects

  1. “Analytical Gradient-Based Optimization Techniques with Applications to Vehicle Models in Dymola”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Pratt and Miller, 1/16/23-5/12/2023
  2. “Performance of Lunar Vehicle Wheels on Lunar Soil Simulant”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Goodyear, 8/10/22-8/31/23
  3. “NSF I/UCRC Center for Tire Research Phase III”, Co-PIs: Taheri, S., Sandu, C., and Ferris, J., Sponsor: NSF, 03/2022-02/2027
  4. “Experimental Study of Lunar Vehicle Wheel Tractive Performance on Lunar Soil Simulant”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Goodyear, 03/25/22-08/09/22
  5. “TA3: Tire–mud interaction modeled using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Finite Element Analysis (SPH-FEA) techniques and experimental validation. Year 1”, Co-PIs: Sandu, C., and Yerro-Colom, A., Sponsor: ARC/GVSC/Univ. of Michigan, 01/01/22-12/31/24. 
  6. “Characterization and Modeling of Different Snow Attributes for Tire Performance Simulation”, Co-PIs: Untaroiu, C. and Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC CenTiRe, 08/10/21-08/09/24.
  7. “TA1: Physics-Based Robust, Adaptive, and Scalable Control Algorithms for Autonomous Ground Vehicles Operating at High-Speed in Adversarial Environments”, co-PIs: L’Afflitto, A., and Sandu, C., Sponsor: ARC/GVSC/Univ. of Michigan, 01/01/21-12/31/23.
  8. “Snow Measurements and Characterization for Traction Prediction”, PI: Untaroiu, C. and Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC CenTiRe, 08/10/20-08/09/23.
  9. “Investigation of the Effect of Tread Rubber Compounds on Tire Traction on Ice”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), 07/01/19-05/31/20.
  10. “A Wave Propagation Approach for Prediction of Tire-Pavement Interaction Noise (TPIN)”, PI: Burdisso, R. and Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC CenTiRe, 08/10/17-08/09/19.
  11. “Comparative Analysis of Tractive Performance of Various Tires on Ice”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC CenTiRe, 08/10/2015-08/09/2018.
  12. “Tire-Pavement Noise Modeling & Correlation with Experiments”, PI: Burdisso, R. and Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC CenTiRe, 08/10/2015-08/09/2018.
  13. “NSF I/UCRC – CenTiRe Phase II”, PI: Taheri, S., Sandu, C., and Ferris, J., Sponsor: NSF, 03/01/17-02/28/22.
  14. “Performance Investigation of Tires on Sand using a Single-Wheel Indoor Terramechanics Rig”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ERDC, 07/18/2016-12/31/2019.
  15. “Systematic Testing and Parameterization of Soft Soil for Vehicular Applications”, PI: Sandu, C. and Els, Schalk (Univ. of Pretoria, S. Africa), Sponsor: ISTVS, 10/2015-10/2018.
  16. “Energy-Harvesting Controllable Vehicle Suspensions”, PI: Zuo, L, Ngo, K. Sandu, C., Ahmadian, M., and Southward, S., Sponsor VA’s CRCF, 07/01/15-12/31/16.
  17. “Tracked Vehicle Ride Quality Analysis and Suspension System Design Optimization”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ATI Inc., 12/08/14-12/31/15.
  18. “Development of a Multibody Dynamics Laboratory”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Virginia Tech, 10/14.
  19. “Innovative Engineering of Ground Vehicles with Integrated Active Chassis Systems, EVE”, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE), Call: H2020-MSCA-RISE-2014, PART B, PI: V. Ivanov (Ilmenau Univ. of Technology, Germany), S. Els (Univ. of Pretoria, S. Africa), and Sandu, C., Sponsor: European Commission, 01/01/15-12/31/17.
  20. “Performance of Pneumatic Tires on Ice”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC Center for Tire Research, 08/10/12 — 08/09/15.
  21. “Off-Road Soft Soil Tire Model Development, Validation, and Interface to Commercial Multibody Dynamics Software”, PI: Sandu, C. and Taheri, S. (‘12-‘15), Sponsor: TARDEC, 01/01/11-05/14/15.
  22. “VSGC-NASA Internship for Edward Turner”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Virginia Space Grant Consortium, 08/01/13 – 05/31/14.
  23. “Multi-scale Model of Rubber/Road Contact and Adhesion and Relating Pavement Surface Characteristics to Traction Capabilities”, PI: Taheri, S., Furukawa, T. (‘13-‘14), and Sandu, C., Sponsor: NSF I/UCRC Center for Tire Research, 08/01/12 – 08/01/14.
  24. “Development of Multibody Dynamics Tools to Assess Vehicle Stability”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/U. of Michigan, 07/01/13-10/31/13.
  25. “REU Site—Summer Internships in Tire Engineering”, PI: Taheri, S., Sandu, C., Furukawa, T., West, B, and Ahmadian, M., Sponsor: NSF, 05/01/13-05/01/16.
  26. “NSF I/UCRC Center for Tire Research”, PI: Taheri, S., Ferris, J., Furukawa, T., Sandu, C., and Ahmadian, M., Sponsor: NSF, 03/01/12–02/28/17.
  27. "Extracting and Correlation of Soil Parameters for off-Road Vehicle Simulations and Mobility Studies from Geotechnical Tests”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/ U. of Michigan, 01/01/12-12/31/12.
  28. “Optimal Design of Constrained Multibody Dynamical Systems”, PI: Sandu, C., Sandu, A., Sponsor: NSF, 10/01/11- 9/30/15.
  29. “A Stochastic Approach to Online Vehicle State and Parameter Estimation, with Application to Inertia Estimation for Rollover Prevention and Battery Charge/Health Estimation”, PI: Sandu, C. at Virginia Tech, Fathy, H. at Penn State, and Unnikrishnan, A. at West Virginia University, Sponsor: MAUTC, 04/01/11-12/31/12.
  30. “A Study to Understand the Sensitivity of Parameters in Terramechanics Testing”, Sponsor: NASA GRC, PI: Sandu, C., 12/15/10-05/15/11.
  31. “Estimation Techniques for the CG Height of Military Vehicles”, Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/U. of Michigan, PI: Sandu, C., 01/01/10-12/31/10.
  32. “Energy Efficiency Study of Tires in off-Road Conditions”, Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/U. of Michigan, PI: Sandu, C., 01/01/10-12/31/10.
  33. “Planning Grant: I/UCRC Tire Research and Test Center”, PI: Taheri, S., Ferris, J., Furukawa, T., Sandu, C., and Ahmadian, M., Sponsor: NSF, 01/01/10-12/31/12.
  34. “Traction Analysis for Lunar Rover Wheels”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor : NASA GRC, 01/01/09-05/15/10.
  35. “Improving off-Road Vehicle Energy Efficiency on Stochastic Terrain and Soil Models”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/U. of Michigan, 08/01/09-12/31/10.
  36. “Improving off-Road Vehicle Stability, Mobility, and Maneuverability through Advanced Terramechanics Studies and Stochastic Terrain Modeling”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/U. of Michigan, 07/15/08-07/14/09.
  37. “Evaluation of The Generic Tire Model In DADS For Large Truck Applications”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Liebherr Mining Equipment Co., 04/01/08-05/15/08.
  38. "Application of Uncertainty Modeling to Multibody Dynamics”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: Caterpillar Inc., 01/01/08-12/31/08.
  39. “Complex Bogie Model Incorporating Advanced Friction Wedge Components”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: AAR-TTCi, 01/01/08-12/31/08.
  40. “NSF GOALI: Collaborative Research: Analytical Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Tires under Uncertain Intrinsic and Operational Parameters”, PI: Sandu, C., (Wen, B. partner from Goodyear), Sponsor: NSF, 08/01/07-07/31/11.
  41. “Traction Capability Study of Lunar Rover Wire Mesh Wheels”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: NASA GRC, 08/01/07-08/01/08.
  42. “Stochastic Modeling of Terrain Profile and Soil Characteristics”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ARC/TARDEC/U. of Michigan, 01/01/07-12/01/07.
  43. “Advanced Modeling of the Friction Wedge”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: AAR-TTCi, 01/01/06-12/31/07.
  44. “Effective Field-deployable Systems for Detecting Crew Alertness. Phase III”, PI: Southward, S., Ahmadian, M., Sandu, C., Sponsor: TTCi-AAR, 01/01/07-12/31/07.
  45. "The Virginia Institute for Performance Engineering and Research. Phase II”, PI: Ahmadian, M., Sandu, C., Kachroo, P., Sandu, A., Southward, S., Ferris, J., Holton, C., Sponsor: NASA Langley Research Center, 09/01/05-02/28/09.
  46. “NSF REU Site: Automotive Technologies at the Technische U. Darmstadt and Virginia Tech”, PI: Bøhn, J. H. Senior Personnel at VT: Ahmadian, M., Sandu, C., Ferris, J., Southward S., Sandu, A., Tatar, D., Sponsor: NSF, 06/01/06-05/31/09.
  47. “Locomotive Engineer Alertness Detector. Effective Methods for Detecting Crew Alertness”, PI: Southward, S., Ahmadian, M., Sandu, C., Sponsor: AAR-TTCI, 01/01/05-12/31/06.
  48. “Development of Indoor Traction on Ice Testing Capabilities”, PI: Sandu, C., Ahmadian, M., Sponsor: The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, 01/01/06-12/31/07.
  49. “Improved Design of the Landing Gear System for Light Unmanned Aerial Vehicles”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: AVID LLC., 02/15/06-08/15/06.
  50. “Mobility and Vehicle Design Workstation”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: U.S. Army ThermoAnalytics, Inc. and Michigan Tech, 01/01/03-08/01/03.
  51. “ADVANCE: Computational Tools for Advanced Modeling and Simulation of off-Road Vehicles”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: AdvanceVT, Virginia Tech, 08/15/04-08/14/05.
  52. “Experimental Analysis of Terramechanics Systems”, PI: Sandu, C., Sponsor: ASPIRES, Virginia Tech, 04/01/05-12/31/06.
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