Abstract: The disclosure provides a system for noise analysis. The system may acquire a plurality of signals of a subject, and determine a signal representation of the subject based on the plurality of signals. The system may determine an updated signal representation of the subject by adding a signal disturbance into the plurality of signals. The system may further determine a value of a noise parameter indicative of a signal level of the plurality of signals relative to noise of the plurality of signals based on the signal representation and the updated signal representation of the subject.

Abstract: A thermal compensation layer includes a metal inverse opal (MIO) layer that includes a plurality of core-shell phase change (PC) particles encapsulated within a metal of the MIO layer. Each of the core-shell PC particles includes a core that includes a PCM having a PC temperature in a range of from 100° C. to 250° C., and a shell that includes a shell material having a melt temperature greater than the PC temperature of the PCM. A power electronics assembly includes a substrate having a thermal compensation layer formed proximate a surface of the substrate, the thermal compensation layer comprising an MIO layer that includes a plurality of core-shell PC particles encapsulated within a metal of the MIO layer. The power electronics assembly further includes an electronic device bonded to the thermal compensation layer at a first surface of the electronic device.

Abstract: A vehicle body structure that includes a storage structure, at least one fixed cover and at least on sliding cover. The storage structure defines at least one opening and at least one storage space, the at least one opening exposing the at least one storage space. The fixed cover is non-movably fitted to the storage structure covering a first portion of the opening. The sliding cover is installed to the storage structure for sliding movement along the opening such that in a closed orientation, the sliding cover covers a second portion of storage space such that the fixed cover and the sliding cover completely conceal the storage space, and, in an open orientation the sliding cover exposes the second portion of the storage space. The storage structure is dimensioned and contoured to removably install to a rear interior cargo area of a passenger vehicle.

Abstract: A vehicle door structure includes an inner panel, an outer panel, a guard beam and a reinforcing member. The guard beam extends laterally in a cavity between the inner and outer panels. The reinforcing member disposed in the cavity and being positioned on a floor of the vehicle door structure below the guard beam.

Abstract: Systems and methods for determining a level of congestion and notifying a user of increased wait times are provided. The system includes an electronic control unit configured to determine a number of vehicles at or within a threshold distance of an establishment, determine that the establishment is a destination of a vehicle, and provide a notification in response to determining the number of vehicles at or within the threshold distance of the establishment exceeds a predetermined threshold and determining the establishment is the destination of the vehicle.

Abstract: A reserve power supply system for providing a supplemental source of electrical power to a main power source. The system includes a backup battery and a switch that can be controlled to couple the backup battery to the main power source when reserve power is needed. The system also includes a sensor to detect when the backup battery should be engaged and a system control unit.

Abstract: A cover assembly for a hitch assembly includes a cover and a cover lock assembly. The cover is coupled to the body component for movement between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the cover permits access to a hitch lock assembly configured to secure a hitch to a hitch receiver and in the closed position, the cover inhibits access to the hitch lock assembly. The cover lock assembly is configured to releasably secure the cover to the hitch receiver when the cover is in the closed position. The cover lock assembly includes a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. In the locked configuration, the cover is inhibited from moving from the closed position to the open position. In the unlocked configuration, the cover is permitted to move from the closed position to the open position.

Abstract: Self-healing microvalves are described herein. The self-healing microvalve can move from a first position to a second position using an electrical input and use a soft hydraulic assembly to return from the second position to the first position. The electrical input can create an electrostatic attraction, causing the compression of the soft hydraulic assembly and movement of the valve gate to seal the microvalve. The elasticity of the soft hydraulic assembly can then return the self-healing microvalve to the original state, once the electrical input is removed.

Abstract: A method of forming an inverse opal structure along a substrate that includes depositing polymer spheres along the substrate and electroplating the substrate and spheres at a first current density to form a first solid metal layer such that the spheres are raised from the substrate. The method includes electroplating the substrate and the spheres at a second current density to diffuse metals from the substrate and deposit the metal about the spheres. The second current density is greater than the first current density. The method includes electroplating the substrate and spheres to form a second solid metal layer disposed over the spheres, and removing the spheres to form the inverse opal structure disposed between the first and second solid metal layers. The first and second solid metal layers define planar interface surfaces disposed over a porous structure of the inverse opal structure.

Abstract: A system for retaining a vehicular component for painting includes a magnetic fixturing element configured to detachably attach at the vehicular component that is to be painted. The magnetic fixturing element comprises a magnetic element. A fixture includes metallic structure that is configured to engage the magnetic fixturing element. With the fixture engaged with the magnetic fixturing element, the component is magnetically retained at the fixture for painting. With the fixture engaged with the magnetic fixturing element, the component is painted by a painting device of the system. After the component that is magnetically retained at the fixture is painted, the magnetic fixturing element is removable from the component and reusable on other components to be magnetically retained at the fixture and painted.

Abstract: A method (110) of controlling an imbalance response in a power plant comprising first and second gas turbine engines and a steam turbine driven by steam generated by exhaust from the first and second gas turbine engines can comprise operating the first gas turbine engine at a first power output (116A), operating the second gas turbine engine at a second power output (116B), monitoring load demand from a power grid operating at a steady state condition (114), detecting a load imbalance on the power grid (120) that causes a deviation from the steady state condition, and adjusting the first power output and the second power output incongruently (128) during the imbalance response to change the first power output and the second power output to match the deviation from the steady state condition depending on contemporaneous efficiency states of the first and second gas turbine engines.

Abstract: A reconfigurable connector having a first set of electrical contacts and a second set of electrical contacts each configured to be electrically connected to electronic elements. The reconfigurable connector further includes a network access device configured to receive a signal from a remote device and an internal switch coupled to the network access device and configured to reconfigure pairing of the first set of electrical contacts and the second set of electrical contacts based on the signal received by the network access device.

Abstract: A mirror assembly can include a mirror and one or more actuators operatively positioned to cause the position and/or the orientation of the mirror to be adjusted. The one or more actuators include a bladder. The bladder can include a flexible casing. The bladder can define a fluid chamber. The fluid chamber can contain a dielectric fluid. The one or more actuators can include a first conductor and a second conductor operatively positioned on opposite portions of the bladder. The one or more actuators can be configured such that, when electrical energy is supplied to the first conductor and the second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor can become oppositely charged. As a result, the first conductor and the second conductor are electrostatically attracted toward each other to cause at least a portion of the dielectric fluid to be displaced to an outer peripheral region of the fluid chamber.

Abstract: An in-situ melt processing method for forming a fiber thermoplastic resin composite overwrapped workpiece, such as a composite overwrapped pressure vessel. Carbon fiber, or other types of fiber, are combined with a thermoplastic resin system. The selected fiber tow and the resin are prepared for impregnation of the tow by the resin. The resin is melted; and, carbon fiber is impregnated with the melted resin at the filament winding machine delivery head. The molten state of the composite is maintained and is applied, in the molten state, to the heated surface of a workpiece. The portion of the surface being wrapped is heated to the melting point of the thermoplastic resin so that the molten composite more efficiently adheres to the heated surface of the workpiece and so that the uppermost layer of fiber resin composite is molten when overwrapped resulting in better adherence of successive layers to one another.

Abstract: According to certain aspects, a predictive tracking scheme is provided for sampling inductor currents in a digital PWM controller used for high-bandwidth voltage regulation. In one or more embodiments, the predicted current derived from the PWM waveform is fed forward to the current sense ADC in order to reduce the required conversion range. These and other embodiments only need to convert a few of the LSB of the ADC in order to correct the largest error expected in the synthesizer.

Abstract: An apparatus and a method for camera view selection for a first vehicle are provided. The apparatus can include camera modules and processing circuitry. The camera modules are configured to use first camera views to show a surrounding environment of the first vehicle. The processing circuitry can obtain view selection information that indicates at least one of: one or more reference camera views and road information for the first vehicle. The processing circuitry can determine, based on the view selection information, a candidate camera view for the first vehicle from the first camera views and select one of the first camera views for a user of the first vehicle based on at least one of the candidate camera view and a user preference.

Abstract: A system for particulate filter regeneration includes a pre-converter universal heated exhaust gas oxygen (UHEGO) sensor disposed upstream from a three-way catalytic (TWC) converter and a particulate filter (PF), and a post-converter UHEGO sensor disposed downstream from the TWC converter and upstream from the PF. An engine controller for an internal combustion engine (ICE) and in communication with the pre-converter UHEGO sensor and the post-converter UHEGO sensor is included. The engine controller is configured to determine an amount of particulate mass accumulated in the PF during operation of the ICE and deactivate at least one of a plurality of cylinders of the ICE such that a deactivated cylinder intake air (DCIA) pass-through volume flows through the at least one deactivated cylinder and into the TWC converter and the PF. The DCIA pass-through volume is a function of the determined amount of particulate mass accumulated in the PF.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for mitigating a risk of being followed using information and notification of being followed by a vehicle. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for mitigating a risk of being followed includes the step of detecting, by a plurality of sensors built into a first vehicle, a second vehicle that has been following the first vehicle for a period of time. The method further includes the step of presenting a notification in the first vehicle that it is being followed.

Abstract: Systems and methods of testing the health of vehicular power devices are disclosed herein. A method may include producing operating points as a function of cycling current (Ids) and voltage drain to source (Vds) when a subject device is conducting current. The method may further include determining a mean of moving distribution to adapt a center of the moving distribution contrasted with a plurality of known healthy devices. The method may also include indicating an imminent fault in the subject device based upon a discontinuity among operating points above a threshold.

Abstract: A closure package for a vibration damper may include a base body that is connectable to a damper tube and comprises a first end and a second end. The first end forms an end side of the damper tube and the second end is disposed in the damper tube. A seal for sealing a piston rod may be disposed in the base body. A seal holder may be disposed between the seal and the base body at the first end. The seal holder for axially fixing the seal may be connected to the base body in a form-fitting and/or force-fitting manner. The seal holder may be fusible in an emergency. For releasing the connection to the base body, the seal holder may be thermoplastically deformable upon overheating of the vibration damper.