Abstract: An electrode assembly includes a current collector, a lithium metal foil, and an alloyed interface that chemically binds the current collector and the lithium metal foil. In certain variations, the alloyed interface includes an intermediate layer disposed between the current collector and the lithium metal foil, a portion of the current collector adjacent to the intermediate layer is alloyed with the indium, gallium, or alloy of indium and gallium defining the intermediate layer, and a portion of the lithium metal foil adjacent to the intermediate layer is alloyed with the indium, gallium, or alloy of indium and gallium defining the intermediate layer. In other variations, the alloyed interface includes a copper-lithium alloy.

Abstract: An electroactive material for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions is provided. The electroactive material includes a plurality of atomic layers and a plurality of cations disposed between the atomic layers. The plurality of atomic layers includes an atom selected from the group consisting of: silicon, germanium, boron, and combinations thereof. The plurality of cations is selected from the group consisting of: calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, nickel, potassium, sodium, and combinations thereof. A ratio of the cations to atoms that define the atomic layer may be less than about 1:2.

Abstract: A cooling system includes a housing including a base portion with sides and a bottom surface that define a cavity and a cover portion to enclose the base portion and including cooling members attached thereto. A shield is arranged in the cavity. A vertical member is arranged below the shield to define a first fluid chamber between one side of the vertical member and one side of the base portion and a second fluid chamber between an opposite side of the vertical member and another side of the base portion. The electronic components are arranged in the second fluid chamber. Cooling fluid is arranged in the cavity and has a fluid level below at least a portion of the shield. The housing is mounted at an inclined angle relative to horizontal or the housing is mounted parallel to horizontal and the shield is mounted at the inclined angle.

Abstract: A structural assembly includes a frame and a plurality of panels. The frame includes a wall that at least partially defines an interior region. The plurality of panels is disposed at least partially in the interior region and is coupled to the frame. The plurality of panels includes a first panel and a second panel. The first panel includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The first surface defines a first plurality of depressions and the second surface defines a first plurality of protrusions complementary to the first plurality of depressions. The second panel includes a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface. The third surface defines a second plurality of depressions. The fourth surface defines a second plurality of protrusions complementary to the first plurality of depressions. The first panel is coupled to the second panel.

Abstract: A bi-material permanent magnet for an electric machine includes a core including a first magnetic material and a shell portion located on the core and made of a second magnetic material. The first magnetic material comprises a magnet material with an energy less than 20 Mega Gauss Oersteds (MGOe). The second magnetic material comprises a magnet material with an energy greater than 30 MGOe.

Abstract: A brake rotor having a composite structure may include an annular body defining opposite friction surfaces of the brake rotor. The annular body may include a core made of an Al—Si alloy, a thermal barrier layer made of a thermally insulating material disposed on the core, and a wear-resistant layer made of an Fe—Al—Si—Zr alloy disposed on the core over the thermal barrier layer. The wear-resistant layer may define a first one of the opposite friction surfaces of the annular body.

Abstract: An energy-dissipating cover for covering a component sensitive to mechanical impulse includes a sheet of selected ferrous or aluminum alloy, the sheet having a top surface, a bottom surface, an outer perimeter, an overall area within the outer perimeter and a nominal thickness of no more than 2.5 mm. The sheet is configured for connection with one or more external structures at a plurality of connection points within the outer perimeter, wherein the overall area comprises a plurality of supported areas and at least one unsupported area. Embossments are formed within the at least one unsupported area and extend outward from the bottom surface. The embossments are shaped, sized and arranged so as to limit orthogonal deflection of the sheet from a mechanical impulse directed normal to the bottom surface of the sheet at the plurality of embossments.

Abstract: A damping panel includes a first metal and a second metal. The first metal has a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The second metal portion has a third surface and a fourth surface opposite the third surface. A fixed region is where the second surface of the first metal is fixed to the third surface of the second metal. A non-fixed region is where the second surface is not fixed to the third surface. A cavity is disposed between the second surface and the third surface at the non-fixed region. A damping material is disposed on at least one of: at least a portion of the cavity on the second surface, at least a portion of the cavity on the third surface, at least a portion of the first surface, and at least a portion of the fourth surface.

Abstract: A method of making a battery current collector foil includes heat treating a foil sheet and mechanically roughening the heat treated foil sheet to create a surface roughness of between 2-4 ?m. The heat treating and mechanical roughening of the foil sheet provides improved coating adhesion. One of an anode and cathode coating is then applied to the roughened, heat treated, foil sheet.

Abstract: A brake rotor having a composite structure may include an annular body defining opposite friction surfaces of the brake rotor. The annular body may include a core made of an Al—Si alloy, a thermal barrier layer made of a thermally insulating material disposed on the core, and a wear-resistant layer made of an Fe—Al—Si—Zr alloy disposed on the core over the thermal barrier layer. The wear-resistant layer may define a first one of the opposite friction surfaces of the annular body.

Abstract: A compressor assembly may include a compressor housing and a compressor impeller disposed within the compressor housing. The compressor housing may have an internal aerodynamic surface that defines a circumferentially extending volute, and the compressor impeller may have an external aerodynamic surface that faces toward at least a portion of the internal aerodynamic surface of the compressor housing. A nonstick coating may be formed on the internal aerodynamic surface of the compressor housing or on the external aerodynamic surface of the compressor impeller. The nonstick coating may prevent foreign material introduced into the compressor assembly from collecting on the internal aerodynamic surface of the compressor housing or on the external aerodynamic surface of the compressor impeller.

Abstract: A battery cell pack has a plurality of battery cells that are assembled into a prismatic frame, with deformable separators interposed to accommodate elastic and plastic deformation caused by cyclic and acyclic expansion and contraction thereof during charging and discharging over the life of the battery cell pack. The battery cells are arranged in a horizontal stack within the prismatic frame, and the deformable separators are interposed between subsets of the battery cells. The deformable separators exert compressive force on the subsets of the battery cells along a longitudinal axis that is defined by the horizontal stack. The compressive force exerted by the deformable separators is at least a minimum force over a service life of the battery cell pack.

Abstract: A method for using idle computing power of an electric vehicle includes sending the computing tasks and the task rates for performing the computing tasks to a vehicle controller of the electric vehicle and receiving an acceptance signal from the vehicle controller. The acceptance signal is indicative that the vehicle controller accepted to perform the computing tasks. The method further includes commanding a charging infrastructure to supply electrical power the electric vehicle while the vehicle controller performs the computing tasks.

Abstract: A method for using idle computing power of an electric vehicle includes sending the computing tasks and the task rates for performing the computing tasks to a vehicle controller of the electric vehicle and receiving an acceptance signal from the vehicle controller. The acceptance signal is indicative that the vehicle controller accepted to perform the computing tasks. The method further includes commanding a charging infrastructure to supply electrical power the electric vehicle while the vehicle controller performs the computing tasks.

Abstract: A method for using idle computing power of an electric vehicle includes receiving computing tasks while the electric vehicle is electrically connected to a charging infrastructure, accepting to perform the computing tasks while the electric vehicle is electrically connected to the charging infrastructure, and in response to accepting to perform the computing tasks, performing the computing tasks while the electric vehicle is electrically connected to the charging infrastructure.

Abstract: A method for constructing a lamination for a rotary electric machine includes forming an annular lamination from a ferrous core material having a first relative magnetic permeability. The lamination defines through-openings, e.g., for permanent magnets or conductors. Peripheral bridges of the core material extend between the through-openings and an outer or inner diameter surface of the lamination. The method includes diffusing an alloy material having a second relative magnetic permeability into the bridges to form austenitic bridges, with the second relative magnetic permeability being less than the first relative magnetic permeability. A rotary electric machine includes a stator and rotor. A vehicle includes a rotary electric machine connected to the battery pack and to road wheels, and having a rotor and/or a stator constructed in accordance with the method.

Abstract: A cover for a housing includes a cast plate-like member having a top side and a bottom side with a plurality of raised ribs on the bottom side, the plurality of raised ribs defining a plurality of spaces therebetween. A noise insulating material is provided in at least some of the plurality of spaces. A sheet metal plate is adhered to a top of the plurality of raised ribs by an adhesive.

Abstract: A three-dimensional object may be manufactured using a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing technique. A layer of powder feed material may be distributed over a solid substrate and scanned with a high-energy laser beam to locally melt selective regions of the layer and form a pool of molten feed material. The pool of molten feed material may be exposed to gaseous nitrogen, carbon, or boron to respectively dissolve nitride, carbide, or boride ions into the pool of molten feed material to produce a molten nitrogen, carbon, or boron-containing solution. The molten nitrogen, carbon, or boron-containing solution may cool and solidify into a solid layer of fused nitride, carbide, or boride-containing material.

Abstract: A system and method of increasing a cooling rate of a metal sand casting during solidification. The system includes a 3-D printed manufactured sand mold defining a mold cavity, a coolant inlet port extending into the manufactured sand mold, a myriad of coolant passageways surrounding a portion of the mold cavity, and a coolant outlet port in fluid communication with the coolant passageways. The system further includes a coolant vapor extraction system having a collection manifold in fluid connection with the outlet port of the sand mold. A molten metal is poured into the mold cavity and a liquid coolant is introduced into the sand mold. The liquid coolant changes state into a gas phase as it permeates through the sand mold, thereby increasing the cooling rate of the casting. The liquid coolant may be that of a liquid nitrogen.

Abstract: An electrode structure for a battery includes a middle layer made of an electrically conductive perforated mesh having a top surface, a bottom surface, a plurality of interconnected electrically conductive segments and a plurality of perforations among adjacent ones of the interconnected segments. A top layer of an electrode material is disposed on the top surface, and a bottom layer of the electrode material is disposed on the bottom surface, such that the top and bottom layers are disposed in physical contact with each other through the perforations in the middle layer. A method of manufacturing the electrode structure includes providing the layer of perforated mesh, applying the top and bottom layers of electrode material to the top and bottom surfaces, and curing the top and bottom layers of electrode material using one or more of heat, electromagnetic radiation and convection to produce a layer of cured electrode structure.