Abstract: An apparatus for cooling electronic components includes a chassis having a hot side compartment having one or more first electrical components and a cold side compartment having one or more second electrical components. A coolant channel is connected to the cold side compartment. At least one thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is positioned within the cold side compartment. The TEC has a cold plate and a hot plate, the hot plate being connected to the coolant channel and the cold plate being connected to the one or more second electrical components. A method for cooling electronic components using at least one TEC includes identifying an amount of heat to be removed from the one or more second electronic components and determining the TEC with the peak performance based on a best Delta T. The method includes monitoring the Delta T and adjusting the input voltage to maintain the optimum Delta T.

Abstract: A method and system to determine if there is an open cell in a battery pack of cells arranged in a lattice. Voltage measurements from each parallel cell group along with information on the battery pack topology are used to estimate the resistance of each cell group. The resistance of each cell group is calculated based on the measured voltage less a nominal open circuit voltage divided by the current level of the battery pack. The average cell group resistance of the battery pack is also calculated. The cell group resistances are analyzed statistically using the resistance of each cell group and the average cell group resistance to reveal outliers which are indicative of open cell groups.

Abstract: A puncturing feature is provided on the deployable wings of a precision guidance kit of a rocket to facilitate breaking through the wing slot seal that protecting the wings prior to deployment. The puncturing feature may be a sharp region on the leading edge near the wing tip that first contacts the wing slot seal. The puncturing feature may be a sharp edge extended along the leading edge of the wing to provide a cutting action as the wing passes through the wing slot seal.

Abstract: A rechargeable battery system including at least one energy storage cell having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, a resistive element and a circuit configured to allow current to flow through the resistive element. A monitoring circuit measures the current flow through, and a voltage produced across, the resistive element and calculates the resistance of the resistive element. The current flow through the resistive element produces heat by raising the temperature of the resistive element. The current flow through the resistive element may be managed by a balancing circuit. A current sense resistor may be connected in series with a balancing resistor and a transistor turns on a balancing operation through balancing resistor. The monitoring circuit may determine the temperature of the resistive element based on the calculated resistance. The battery monitoring circuit may activate a battery cooling system based on the temperature of the resistive element.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting whisker growth on a metallic substrate susceptible to whisker growth (e.g., tin, zinc, cadmium, indium, silver, lead, aluminum, gold, aluminum, gold, and alloys thereof), the method comprising coating a surface of the metallic substrate with a charge dissipative (CD) polymer, or more particularly, an electrostatically dissipative (ESD) polymer, that inhibits whisker growth on said surface under conditions where whisker growth would otherwise occur. In some embodiments, the CD or ESD polymer does not possess the necessary strength and/or thickness to function as a physical barrier for whisker growth. In particular embodiments, the CD or ESD polymer prevents the onset of whisker formation or growth, thus not requiring the CD or ESD polymer to function as a physical barrier.

Abstract: Techniques and architecture are disclosed for array of light emitting diodes. For example, the array may comprise a plurality of stages, each stage comprising a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) connected to a floating switch, respectively. The LEDs may be arranged substantially linearly on a circuit board in a plurality of clusters, where a distance between adjacent LEDs within a cluster is smaller than a distance between LEDs in adjacent clusters. Adjacent clusters contain LEDs from different stages and each stage contains LEDs in different clusters. The array may be incorporated in a lighting system. The light system may have a closed loop feedback mechanism which directly detects light emitted from a subset of the LEDs and a controller which controls the array based on the detection.

Abstract: An AC lighting system where the intensity and/or color may be controlled by varying an output current level of a linear current regulator between a first current level and a second current level and/or varying ON times of a plurality of LED stages, respectively. When the current reaches the second current level, the output current level of the linear current regulator may be maintained at the second current level while ON times are varied is provided. Also provided is an AC lighting system where each switch may be selectively operated to provide power to a bootstrap conditioning network during the period of time when the applied voltage is insufficient to turn on the one or more LEDs corresponding to the respective switch when an LED ON time is short, such that power is provided to respective level shifted drive.

Abstract: An electronic power device formed by a plurality of FETs formed on a circuit board formed of a plurality of layers, the plurality of transistors being formed on a first surface of the circuit board, the plurality of layers including a plurality of gate drive layers, a plurality of gate return layers, and a plurality of power layers. A gate drive circuit is formed on a second surface of the circuit board, the second surface being opposite the first surface, the gate drive circuit being connected to the gate and source of each of the plurality of transistors through the plurality of gate drive layers and the plurality of gate return layers. A voltage supply is connected to the drain of each of the plurality of transistors, the connections of the voltage supply to each of the plurality of transistors being interleaved through the plurality of power layers.

Abstract: Systems and methods for reducing a likelihood that an engine exceeds its torque or power limit at a specific speed are provided. Also provided are systems and methods for reducing a likelihood that DC-DC converters and AC inverters overload a generator at a specific speed.

Abstract: Systems, devices, methods and programs for reducing emissions from engines are provided. For example, one system for reducing emissions from engines comprises a heating controller coupled to an energy storage device (ESD). The heating controller is configured to control a heating element to heat one or more components of an after-treatment system using energy from the ESD under a first condition and to control the heating element to stop heating the one or more components of the after-treatment system when a second condition is satisfied. Additionally, another system for reducing emissions from engines comprises a controller detecting a decrease in a demanded torque from an engine and an ISG. The controller is then configured to operate a clutch to disengage the engine from the ISG, if after removing fuel from the engine, the sensed speed of the engine is above a threshold.

Abstract: Method and system for assigning addresses to end point devices in a network includes placing a mobile device in close proximity to a first end point device and establishing a wireless connection, transmitting an auto-addressing command from the mobile device to the end point device in response to the connection being established and disconnecting the connection in response to the end point device being configured with the network address. As the mobile device is moved through the system, when the wireless signal strength between the mobile device and a respective the end point device exceeds a threshold, both devices recognize that they are in close proximity and the mobile device transfers the address configuration information to the end point device. By moving the mobile device through the system the steps are automatically repeated until the mobile device assigns address and location information to each end point device on the network.

Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle having a controllable switch that enables a DC link to be operated independent from an energy storage system (ESS) is provided. The ESS is selectively couplable to the DC link via the controllable switch. A processor is configured to control the switch to open and close under certain conditions. When the switch is opened, the processor is configured to instruct an engine controller to cause an engine which is coupled to a generator to boost engine output. The generator is coupled to a generator inverter which is also coupled to the DC link. A motor inverter is also coupled to the DC link and is configured to provide AC power to the motor.

Abstract: A pressure sensing system includes a pressure transducer, a pressure manifold, and a heater assembly. The pressure transducer is configured to measure pressures at one or more locations of a vehicle engine. The pressure manifold is configured to cover a face of the pressure transducer and provide an interface for transferring air or gas generated at the one or more locations of the vehicle engine. The heater assembly is configured to heat one or more portions of the pressure transducer and one or more portions of the pressure manifold and maintain a temperature of each of the pressure transducer and the pressure manifold above a predetermined temperature level.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting whisker growth on a metallic substrate susceptible to whisker growth (e.g., tin, zinc, cadmium, indium, silver, lead, aluminum, gold, aluminum, gold, and alloys thereof), the method comprising coating a surface of the metallic substrate with a charge dissipative (CD) polymer, or more particularly, an electrostatically dissipative (ESD) polymer, that inhibits whisker growth on said surface under conditions where whisker growth would otherwise occur. In some embodiments, the CD or ESD polymer does not possess the necessary strength and/or thickness to function as a physical barrier for whisker growth. In particular embodiments, the CD or ESD polymer prevents the onset of whisker formation or growth, thus not requiring the CD or ESD polymer to function as a physical barrier.

Abstract: A hybrid electric vehicle having a controllable switch that enables a DC link to be operated independent from an energy storage system (ESS) is provided. The ESS is selectively couplable to the DC link via the controllable switch. A processor is configured to control the switch to open and close under certain conditions. When the switch is opened, the processor is configured to instruct an engine controller to cause an engine which is coupled to a generator to boost engine output. The generator is coupled to a generator inverter which is also coupled to the DC link. A motor inverter is also coupled to the DC link and is configured to provide AC power to the motor.

Abstract: Remote electronic units effective to generate output data for an actuator are described. A remote electronic unit may include first, second, and third lanes. The first, second, and third lanes may receive input data including an actuator command. The first, second, and third lanes may generate first, second, and third output data, respectively, based on the input data. The first, second, and third lanes may respectively send the first, second, and third output data to a voter. The first and second lanes may respectively send the first and second output data to a multiplexer. The voter may output a selection signal to the multiplexer if at least two out of the first, second, and third output data are identical. The multiplexer may select one of the first and the second output data based on the selection signal and transmit the selection to the actuator via an actuator control electronics.

Abstract: A method and system to determine if there is an open cell in a battery pack of cells arranged in a lattice. Voltage measurements from each parallel cell group along with information on the battery pack topology are used to estimate the resistance of each cell group. The resistance of each cell group is calculated based on the measured voltage less a nominal open circuit voltage divided by the current level of the battery pack. The average cell group resistance of the battery pack is also calculated. The cell group resistances are analyzed statistically using the resistance of each cell group and the average cell group resistance to reveal outliers which are indicative of open cell groups.

Abstract: A method of determining delamination in a transistor is disclosed including loading a grey scale image of an transistor into memory, generating a black and white image based on the loaded grey scale image, identifying boundaries within the generated black and white image, cropping the black and white image based on the identified boundaries, identifying at least one feature in the cropped black and white image based on the identified boundaries, normalizing the cropped black and white image based on an attribute of the identified at least one feature, cropping the grey scale image based on the normalized black and white image, comparing the cropped grey scale image to a baseline grey scale image of the transistor, and determining a change in a percentage of delamination of the transistor between the baseline grey scale image and the cropped grey scale image based on the comparison.

Abstract: A vehicle battery thermal management system and method providing active internal air cooling includes a heat exchanger mounted within an exterior wall of the battery enclosure. The heat exchanger has a first set of heat exchanger elements extending externally to the battery enclosure and in fluid communication with external ambient air. The heat exchanger has a second set of heat exchanger elements extending internally to the battery enclosure and in fluid communication with internal air within the battery enclosure. The system includes at least one of an external damper door and an internal damper door. The external damper door is configured to control the flow of the external ambient air into the first set of heat exchanger elements. The internal damper door is configured to control the flow of the internal air into the first set of heat exchanger elements.

Abstract: A battery module heating assembly for a battery module having a plurality of battery cells arranged in a frame with the cell terminals being connected to one another via busbars. The busbars are covered by the heating assembly. The heating assembly includes at least one thermally conductive pad in contact with one or more heat spreader plates. The heat spreader plates have heating elements attached thereto.