Abstract: An inductor array that includes a plurality of inductors where adjacent inductors share a core piece and thus a flux path to reduce the size and weight of the array. In one embodiment, the shared core pieces are formed as back-to-back U-shaped members defining an indented region at the center of the core piece. In another embodiment, a plurality of small block-shaped center core pieces in each inductor defines a plurality of gaps therebetween.

Abstract: A propulsion system for a fuel cell hybrid vehicle that includes a fuel cell system and an EESS, where the propulsion system employs an algorithm for increasing system efficiency. A power limit value is defined as the maximum system efficiency times the charge/discharge efficiency of the EESS. If the vehicle operator requests a power greater than the power limit value, then the fuel cell system will preferably provide the power, and if the power request from the vehicle operator is less than the power limit value, then the EESS will preferably provide the power. The algorithm also considers changing operation conditions and parameters that impact the fuel cell system efficiency and the electric energy storage system efficiency, such as the state of charge of the EESS and regenerative braking.

Abstract: A technique for controlling the relative humidity of a cathode airflow to a fuel cell stack that includes compensating for valve non-linearities. The cathode input air flows through a water vapor transfer unit where it is humidified. The humidified cathode exhaust from the fuel cell stack is output to the water vapor transfer unit to provide the water vapor for humidifying the cathode input airflow. A first control valve controls the flow of the cathode exhaust through the water vapor transfer unit and a second control valve controls the flow of the cathode exhaust that by-passes the water vapor transfer unit to control both the relative humidity of the cathode input airflow and the pressure within the stack. By compensating for the non-linearity, the first and second valves control the relative humidity of the cathode airflow without changing the cathode output resistance.

Abstract: An antenna assembly that has particular application for a hand held reader that interrogates sensors embedded within a vehicle tire, such as RFID sensors and tire pressure sensors. In one embodiment, the antenna assembly includes a first antenna operating in the 432-435 MHz range that employs a meander-line slot that provides increased antenna cross-polarization so that the sensor can be interrogated regardless of the antenna orientation and polarization. The antenna assembly also includes two RFID antennas that operate in the 902-928 MHz range that are planar antenna that make the antenna bi-directional, polarization free and a wide enough bandwidth for the RFID interrogation.

Abstract: A method for micro-machining a varactor that is part of a membrane suspended MEMS tunable filter. In one non-limiting embodiment, the method includes providing a main substrate; depositing a membrane on the main substrate; depositing and patterning a plurality of sacrificial photoresist layers at predetermined times during the fabrication of the varactor; depositing metal layers that define a fabricated varactor structure enclosed within photoresist; coupling a carrier substrate to the fabricated structure opposite to the main substrate using a release layer; etching a central portion of the main substrate to expose the membrane; removing the carrier substrate by dissolving the release layer in a material that attacks the release layer but does not dissolve the photoresist; and removing the photoresist layers to provide a released varactor.

Abstract: A fuel cell system employing a floating base load hybrid strategy for reducing fast voltage transients of a FCPM. A power request signal is applied to an average power calculation processor that calculates the average power requested over a predetermined previous period of time. A weighting function processor provides a weighting function based on the state of charge of an EESS. The power available from the FCPM and the EESS is applied to a power comparison processor. The available power is compared to the power request to provide a difference value between what is currently being provided and what is desired. The difference value is compared to power limit values of the EESS. The output value of this comparison is added to a filtered value to generate a signal for the change in the output power of the fuel cell stack based on the power request.

Abstract: A system and method for providing server identification to accept a server request in a vehicle wireless communications system. If the server wishes to send a request for a certain function to the vehicle, it will transmit the request and the vehicle will receive the request. If the vehicle receives a valid vehicle identification number, the vehicle will then ask the server to disconnect the communications link. The server will disconnect the communications link, and wait for the vehicle to call the server directly within a predetermined time window to confirm that it was in fact a valid server making the request. If the server confirms that it was the one making the initial request, the vehicle will perform the function.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack that includes an actuating device or devices for selectively providing interdigitated reactant gas flow and straight reactant gas flow through reactant gas flow channels to reduce water accumulation in the diffusing media layers of the stack. In one embodiment, the fuel cell stack employs internal actuators that selectively close the inlet end of every other flow channel and the outlet end of every other opposite flow channel to provide the interdigitated flow. In another embodiment, the interdigitated flow is provided by external actuation where two inlet manifolds and two outlet manifolds are provided. One input manifold is closed to close the input ends of every other flow channel and one outlet manifold is closed to close the output ends of every other opposite flow channel.

Abstract: A method for making a super-hydrophobic composite bipolar plate including providing a substrate comprising a composite material including carbon, and a surface layer on the substrate, and wherein the surface layer includes silicon and oxygen, and heating the substrate and surface layer to cause moieties including carbon from the substrate to diffuse outwardly through the surface layer so that the moiety is attached to one of the silicon or oxygen.

Abstract: A system and method for providing secure one-way transmissions in a vehicle wireless communications system. The system and method rely on a clock signal to assure that the vehicle and server receive proper messages. The vehicle and the server will periodically synchronize their internal clocks to a global clock signal. The server will add its local time to the body of a message including a vehicle identification number and a function code. The server will then encrypt the message and transmit it to the vehicle. The vehicle will decrypt the message and compare the transmitted vehicle identification number with its identification number. If the identification numbers match, the vehicle will then see if the time in the message is within a predefined window of the vehicle time. If the transmitted time is within the predefined window of the vehicle time, the vehicle will accept the message and perform the function.

Abstract: A disc space preparation device that has particular application for removing disc material during spinal fusion surgery. The disc preparation device includes a body portion that houses a motor having a shaft attached thereto that is rotated by the motor. The shaft extends through a chamber in a neck portion of the device and into an open head portion of the device at the end of the neck portion opposite to the housing. The head portion rotates relative to the neck portion. The head portion includes a series of blades that are used to cut-away the disc material. The shaft includes an auger that draws the cut material through the neck portion. A suction port is coupled to the chamber in the neck portion to remove the disc material therefrom.

Abstract: A system and method for providing real-time traffic information using a wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communications network. A vehicle includes a plurality of sensors that detect other vehicles around the vehicle. The wireless communications system on the vehicle uses the sensor signals to calculate a traffic condition index that identifies traffic information around the vehicle. The vehicle broadcasts the traffic condition index to other vehicles and/or road side infrastructure units that can present the information to the vehicle driver, such as in a navigation system, and/or rebroadcast the traffic information to other vehicles. The traffic condition index can be calculated using the speed of the surrounding vehicles, posted speed limits, the distance between the surrounding vehicles and the traffic density of the surrounding vehicles.

Abstract: A motor control strategy for a motor in a front steering system for a vehicle that reduces vibrations from the motor being transferred to a vehicle hand-wheel. The control strategy also includes operating the electric motor in a commutation freeze mode if a position error signal is less than a first predetermined threshold by sending signals to coils of the motor to prevent to the motor from rotating, operating the electric motor in a commutation normal mode if the position error signal is greater than a second predetermined threshold that is greater than the first predetermined threshold, and operating the electric motor in an angle step mode if the position error signal is between an intermediate threshold and the second threshold where the angle step mode provides a signal to the motor to move the motor forward or backward a predetermined number of motor steps, one step at a time.

Abstract: A tactile load cell that has particular application for measuring the load on a phalange in a dexterous robot system. The load cell includes a flexible strain element having first and second end portions that can be used to mount the load cell to the phalange and a center portion that can be used to mount a suitable contact surface to the load cell. The strain element also includes a first S-shaped member including at least three sections connected to the first end portion and the center portion and a second S-shaped member including at least three sections coupled to the second end portion and the center portion. The load cell also includes eight strain gauge pairs where each strain gauge pair is mounted to opposing surfaces of one of the sections of the S-shaped members where the strain gauge pairs provide strain measurements in six-degrees of freedom.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a vehicle roll stability indicator that estimates the propensity for vehicle rollover. The system determines vehicle kinematics from vehicle sensors, such as roll rate, yaw rate, lateral acceleration, vehicle speed, etc. From these kinematic values, the system estimates a roll angle of the vehicle and a bank angle of the vehicle. From the estimated bank angle, the system provides a corrected roll angle. From the corrected roll angle, the system determines a roll energy of the vehicle and a roll energy rate of the vehicle. From the roll energy and the roll energy rate, the system calculates a roll stability indicator that defines the potential that the vehicle will tip-up or roll over. From the roll stability indicator, vehicle stability control systems can take suitable action.

Abstract: A scheduling algorithm for scheduling processor tasks and message transmissions in distributed real-time time-triggered embedded system. The algorithm identifies the earliest starting transmission time and the latest ending transmission time for each message to be transmitted on a bus to define message transmission time-windows. The algorithm then identifies a task execution time-window for each task to be performed in each processor in terms of the message transmission time-windows. The algorithm then optimizes the message transmission time-window by minimizing a peak usage request and an average usage request for each processor. The optimized transmission time-windows allows each processor to be separately scheduled.

Abstract: A wafer-level package that employs one or more integrated hydrogen getters within the wafer-level package on a substrate wafer or a cover wafer. The hydrogen getters are provided between and among the integrated circuits on the substrate wafer or the cover wafer, and are deposited during the integrated circuit fabrication process. In one non-limiting embodiment, the substrate wafer is a group III-V semiconductor material, and the hydrogen getter includes a titanium layer, a nickel layer, and a palladium layer.

Abstract: A purge valve for a split fuel cell stack design that prevents a direct flow path between the anode sides of the split stacks. The purge valve includes an inlet port that receives purge air from a compressor, a first outlet port in fluid communication with the anode side of one of the split stacks and a second outlet port in fluid communication with the anode side of the other split stack. A spring biased shaft maintains a diaphragm in a closed position to close off the flow channels between the inlet port and the first outlet port, the inlet port and the second outlet port and the first and second outlet ports during normal fuel cell operation. A hole is provided through the diaphragm to provide pressure equalization in the chamber.

Abstract: A fuel cell system that employs surge prevention by electronically mapping the compressor for discharge pressure versus mass airflow. In one embodiment, the fuel cell system employs a mass flow meter that measures the airflow to the compressor. A controller receives a signal from the mass flow meter indicative of the flow rate of the charge airflow to the compressor, and determines the outlet pressure and temperature of the compressor from the compressor speed and the measured airflow. This gives the compressor map location at which the compressor is operating. In another embodiment, the fuel cell system employs a pressure sensor that measures the output pressure of the compressor, and provides a pressure signal to the controller. The controller determines the mass airflow to the compressor to determine the compressor map location.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a road curve as a vehicle approaches the curve, automatically providing road curvature information and controlling vehicle speed. The system uses a locating device and a map database to know the vehicle's position. Depending on the speed of the vehicle, the system generates a curvature profile for different curvature data points at or around the curve in front of the vehicle. The system then generates a desired speed profile for the curvature points. The desired speed profile and the actual vehicle speed are compared to determine whether the vehicle is traveling too fast for the target speed at each profile point. The acceleration computation can be enhanced by providing a driver cornering mode input that the vehicle operator can select based on how aggressively the driver wants the system to act to slow down the vehicle.