Abstract: A method and a device for determining the condition of roadway surfaces includes transmitting electromagnetic radiation at at least two different frequencies in the GHz range, reflecting and/or scattering the electromagnetic radiation by the roadway surface and subsequently receiving the electromagnetic radiation at the at least two frequencies. The condition of the roadway surface is determined on the basis of a comparison of the radiation intensities received at the different frequencies.

Abstract: A method for starting a gas generating system serving to generate a hydrogenous gas used for operating a fuel cell. The gas generating system includes: devices for converting starting materials into the hydrogenous gas; devices for conditioning at least a portion of the starting materials; devices for purifying the hydrogenous gas by removing unwanted gas constituents, and; a starting burner. According to the method, in a first method step, at least one fuel is combusted inside the starting burner. The hot waste gases resulting from this combustion firstly heat the devices provided for conditioning at least a portion of the starting materials, and the residual heat of these waste gases subsequently heats at least one additional component. In parallel thereto, the devices for converting the starting materials are heated by an electric heating.

Abstract: In a method for operating a spark-ignition internal combustion engine with direct fuel injection in the post-start phase at low temperatures, fuel is supplied to the combustion air in a pilot injection (MH) of a first fuel quantity during an intake stroke of the internal combustion engine such that the pilot injection (MH) forms a homogeneous, lean air/fuel mixture (?>1) in substantially the entire combustion chamber, and a main injection (MS) of a second fuel quantity is subsequently injected into the combustion chamber during a compression stroke directly before the ignition time (ZT), said main injection (MS) forming in the region of the spark plug a stratified, rich air/fuel mixture (?<1), which is then ignited by the spark plug.

Abstract: In a rigid vehicle axle comprising an axle beam with axle journals forming wheel carriers arranged at the ends thereof, and at least two trailing arms rigidly fixed to the axle beam, each half of the rigid vehicle axle comprises an axle beam section, a trailing arm section and a wheel head section arranged adjacent one after another and the ends of the axle tube sections overlap with the adjoining ends of the trailing arm sections and their end faces are congruent with the respectively adjoining end faces of the wheel head sections, at least in some areas, and the adjoining sections are welded together.

Abstract: In a shifting device comprising a shiftable double member arrangement and a shifting element for shifting the double member arrangement, the shifting element is arranged at least partially at a side of and next to, the double member arrangement.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for actuating a reversible vehicle occupant protection means in a motor vehicle having a driving state sensor system and a reversible vehicle occupant protection means. The reversible vehicle occupant protection means can be triggered before the collision time and as a result moved into an effective position. For this purpose, the driving state data are monitored with respect to a state of emergency braking, and when the state of emergency braking is detected the vehicle occupant protection system is actuated. In addition, a state of oversteering and a state of understeering are determined by the data processing device. The reversible vehicle occupant protection system is actuated when the data processing device detects the state of emergency braking and/or the state of oversteering and/or the state of understeering.

Abstract: A fuel cell includes an electrolyte electrode assembly having a cathode disposed on a first side and an anode disposed on a second side of the electrolyte electrode assembly, a first flow module disposed adjacent the cathode, and a second flow module disposed adjacent the anode. At least one of the first and second flow modules includes a material suitable for exothermal hydride formation. In addition, a method for cold-starting a such fuel cell that includes at least one of the first and second flow modules with a hydrogen-containing gas so as to induce the exothermic hydride formation and release heat; and heating the fuel cell using the heat.

Abstract: In a vehicle headlight system with a light source (2) and at least one reflector (1) for shaping the light emitted by the light source into a high beam and a low beam, and with a shield (7) adjustable via an actuating element (9) between a position in which the light from the light source (2) is blocked across a maximum cross section and an essentially transmissive position in which this light is substantially allowed to pass through, the actuating element (9) adapted for adjusting the shield (7) in a plurality of intermediate positions between the maximal blocking and the essentially transmissive position in which intermediate position the blocked cross section is less than the maximal cross section.

Abstract: The first commercially-available driver assist systems required a compromise between the resolution of the scanning and the extent of the scanned region, according to application. Conventional video-based systems have a good compromise between resolution and recording range, however do not generally provide direct distance information. According to the new arrangement of the object of the invention, it is possible to achieve a system, which, on installation in a road vehicle, can record complex dynamic scenes, for example the lateral 3D geometry to the road edge from the point of view of the dynamically operating vehicle and use the same to advantage on parking. According to the invention, the monitoring and measuring of the lateral environment of a vehicle is displayed on the one hand by means of a camera with the digital images and on the other hand with a computer unit which serves to provide the images with a time stamp and to buffer the same.

Abstract: A moisture exchange module has a bundle of moisture-permeable hollow fiber membranes and at least one line element for supplying a gas stream that flows through the hollow fibers in an inner flow. The at least one line element opens out into an inflow region, which is of at least approximately the same cross section as the bundle of hollow fiber membranes. According to the present invention, the at least one line element opens out into the inflow region at an angle of from 60° to 120° with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes without the longitudinal axes of the one line element and of the bundle of hollow fiber membranes intersecting one another. An annular diverter means for diverting the gas flow are provided between the cross section of the line elements through which gas can flow and the inflow region.

Abstract: An exhaust gas turbocharger for an internal combustion engine has an exhaust gas turbine in the exhaust gas train and a compressor in the intake tract, whereby an adjustable throttle device is provided upstream from the compressor wheel, for regulating the air mass stream to be supplied. The throttle device comprises a first guide grid and a second guide grid in the inflow region to the compressor wheel. Each guide grid possesses an adjustable grid geometry.

Abstract: In a method for operating an internal combustion engine in which the angular locations where the fuel/air mix combustions takes place can be controlled by an adjustment of the inlet and outlet valve timing, the timing of at least one of the intake and exhaust valve opening phases is shifted depending on the engine speed so as to reduce engine emissions.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine comprising an engine braking arrangement including a constant throttle valve, an exhaust gas turbocharger with a variable turbine guide vane structure and a power turbine connected to an exhaust tract and a compressor connected to an intake tract of the internal combustion engine, the power turbine is disposed in the exhaust duct downstream of the exhaust gas turbine and is driven by the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine and a bypass device is provided in a bypass pipe which extends around the power turbine and via which the exhaust pipe can be completely closed and the bypass pipe can be completely or partially closed so as to selectively partially or completely block the exhaust gas flow and the bypass flow to an exhaust gas discharge pipe.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method and apparatus for production of a hollow section (1) in which a coiled pre-shape of the hollow section (1) is deep drawn from a sheet part, which is pre-bent after a trimming process and coiled into the final shape of hollow section (1). The edges (45) of hollow section (1) lying in the peripheral direction are then joined together in the contact region. In order to improve the joining capability of hollow section (1) to other components in simple fashion, it is proposed that before the coiling process at least one flat site (35) for joining to another component be embossed before the coiling process in a pre-bent region of the hollow section (1).

Abstract: Internal combustion engine with bearing shells, which are formed essentially by thermal sprayed bearing layers, wherein the thermal sprayed bearing layers are formed by at least two slide bearing materials with different hardness, which are spatially separated from each other and are provided on the outer surface of the bearing shell, as well as process for production of bearing shells for internal combustion engines including the steps: mechanical conditioning of the bearing surface coating of the bearing surface with the materials of the bearing shell by thermal spray processes finishing flattening processing of the applied layer wherein as bearing shell at least two slide bearing materials with different hardness were deposited separated spatially from each other, wherein the materials are in contact with each other via interlayers or joint layers.

Abstract: An electromechanical transmission includes a motor/generator having a stator and a rotor and including a structural support member that supports the stator in fixed relation thereto and the rotor in rotational relation thereto. By supporting both the stator and the rotor, the structural support member substantially controls a spatial relationship (i.e., the gap in which a magnetic field is created) between the stator and rotor.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for the cylinder-specific determination and control of a fuel injection quantity for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, the exhaust gas pressures of the cylinders of the internal combustion engine is recorded on a time-resolved, i.e. crankshaft angle-resolved, basis, and an exhaust gas pressure is calculated therefrom individually for each cylinder and used to determine the fuel quantity injected into the corresponding cylinder. In a comparison with a desired value the cylinder-specific actual fuel injection quantity error is then determined and used to set a corrected quantity of fuel to be injected into the corresponding cylinder.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for predicting the voltage of a battery, in particular a vehicle battery. The method according to the invention makes it possible to predict a voltage drop before it actually occurs as a result of a load. For this purpose, a filtered battery voltage and a filtered battery current are first of all determined from battery data, such as the battery voltage, the battery current, the battery temperature and the dynamic internal resistance. The resistive voltage drop across the dynamic internal resistance is determined from the difference current between the filtered battery current and the predetermined load current. Furthermore, a polarization voltage is calculated as a function of the filtered battery current, and is then filtered. The predicted battery voltage is calculated from the filtered battery voltage, minus the resistive voltage drop and the filtered polarization voltage. A decision on further measures can be made on the basis of this predicted battery voltage.

Abstract: A vehicle seat has a backrest with a vertically adjustable headrest, and a device for warming the nape and head area of a seat occupant with warm air. The device comprises an electric heating unit and an air vent which is arranged in an intermediate space between the backrest and head cushion of the headrest. In order to obtain a warm air heating device which i) is of low overall volume, ii) can be integrated satisfactorily into the seat, iii) is efficient and iv) does not disrupt the esthetics of the vehicle seat and/or of the passenger cell, the electric heating unit, and preferably also a blower, are integrated in the air vent.

Abstract: In an internal combustion engine having a coolant circuit which comprises a first coolant line for the cylinder block and a second coolant line for the cylinder head of the engine, with the cylinder head having at least one inlet valve and at least one outlet valve per cylinder, an additional coolant duct provided in the cylinder head in close proximity to the valves is connected to the second coolant line for directly supplying coolant to the area of the cylinder outlet valves.