Abstract: A thick-film resistor component may include a thick film component formed between a thick-film resistor and an electrically conductive sheet, wherein a portion of the sheet is selectively removed to form resistor contacts while exposing a portion of the thick-film component. Electrical terminals to a thick-film resistor may be sized to reduce stress and/or be selectively positioned relative to the resistor to define a desired resistor value. A thick-film resistor may include one or more resistor segments configured to be selectively open-circuited to incrementally adjust the value of the resistor.

Abstract: In one method for controlling an electric motor, current turn-on and turn-off rotor-position angles for each motor phase are chosen to substantially maximize the absolute value of average motor torque when the motor is operating in two different quadrants of motor torque and motor speed. The first quadrant has positive motor torque and positive motor speed. The second quadrant has negative torque and positive speed. The third quadrant has negative torque and negative speed. The fourth quadrant has positive torque and negative speed. In another method, the motor is operated in at least one of the first and third quadrants and in at least one of the second and fourth quadrants, wherein the absolute value of motor speed is limited when the motor is operating in the first or third quadrants but not in the second or fourth quadrants. In one example, the motor operates a vehicle brake caliper.

Abstract: A method and system for determining a torque current in an electric machine coupled to a polyphase bus. The method comprises: detecting a rotational position of the electric machine with a position encoder; controlling an inverter comprising a plurality of switching devices, the inverter having an input coupled to a direct current bus, and an output coupled to the polyphase bus. Where the inverter is responsive to commands from a controller coupled to the inverter and to the position encoder. The method also includes measuring a current from the direct current bus; and capturing the current at a predefined interval of time.

Abstract: Disclosed is a catalyst, an emission control device, and a method for treating exhaust gas. In one embodiment, the catalyst comprises: a catalytic metal component and a macro-pore component. The macro-pore component comprises an oxygen storage component and an aluminum oxide component, wherein the oxygen storage component, the aluminum oxide component, or both comprise pores, and wherein greater than or equal to about 40% of a macro-pore component pore volume, based on a total macro-pore component pore volume, is associated with pores greater than 120 ?in diameter. In another embodiment, the method for treating an exhaust gas comprises: contacting the exhaust gas with the catalyst at a temperature and for a period of time sufficient to reduce the concentration of a material in the exhaust gas.

Abstract: A system for measuring air flow rate in a duct includes an air flow sensor and an air flow conditioning device for collecting and accelerating a portion of the total air stream to the sensor, which may be means as known in the art. The conditioning device includes two opposed converging walls defining a nozzle, preferably a venturi, the sensor being disposed in the throat of the nozzle. The surfaces of the venturi walls are textured to trip the boundary layer near the wall surface into turbulence to maintain attachment of flowing air to the walls even when the angle of attack of the air is significantly non-axial. The wall texturing may be random or may be an organized pattern. A further embodiment includes a second flow conditioner/sensor in parallel with the first whereby an averaged flow measurement is taken for a more accurate reading.

Abstract: An antenna unit is disclosed. The antenna unit includes a patch antenna element with a dielectric substrate positioned on a circuit board. A parasitically enhanced perimeter extends from the circuit board and encompasses the patch antenna to utilize surface waves in order to enhance low-elevation terrestrial antenna performance.

Abstract: A method of assembling a piezoelectric actuator arrangement comprises providing a piezoelectric element having first and second ends and arranging the piezoelectric element within a sleeve member such that the inner surface of the sleeve member defines, together with the outer surface of the piezoelectric element, a chamber for receiving a first filler material. The first filler material is injected into the chamber and a heating effect is applied to the sleeve member such that the sleeve member deforms to seal against the first filler material.

Abstract: In one embodiment, the method for operating an exhaust system can comprise determining a stream temperature of an exhaust stream, and desulfating the NOx adsorber. Desulfating the NOx adsorber can comprise determining an amount of oxygen needed to increase an initial temperature of a NOx adsorber to a desulfation temperature of greater than or equal to about 600° C., producing reformate comprising hydrogen and carbon monoxide in an on-board reformer, introducing the amount of oxygen to the NOx adsorber, and introducing a sufficient amount of reformate to the NOx adsorber to attain an air to fuel ratio that is less than a combustion stoichiometric A/F ratio.

Abstract: The invention provides a control strategy and a control system to control a gas sensor to a target operating temperature. It relies upon both feedback and model-based feedforward control systems to achieve and then maintain the sensor at the target operating temperature. The mechanization includes a gas sensor with a heating element in a feedstream. The control strategy employs a control system for the heating element that is based upon the target operating temperature, the temperature of the heating element, and an effect of the feedstream and mounting structure on the temperature of the sensor. The control strategy enables the control system to optimize the heating of a sensor during warm-up and steady state operations.

Abstract: A process for preparing an over molded motor stator structure comprises constructing a bobbin assembly; constructing an intermediate stator assembly including assembling the bobbin assembly to a stator core having an internal and external diameter; disposing the intermediate stator assembly into a mold fixture comprising a cover half and an ejector half that includes an inner ejector core and a moveable plate; loading a bearing carrier into the mold fixture; closing the cover half causing the moveable plate to travel within the mold; injecting a unitizing material into the mold fixture to encapsulate the intermediate stator assembly and form an over molded motor stator structure. The moveable plate travels within the mold fixture so as prevent coating of the stator laminations external diameter. A tight tolerance relationship between the inner ejector core and the stator lamination inner diameter prevents the internal diameter from being encapsulated by the unitizing material.

Abstract: A coaxial cable termination system for providing a reliable electrical connection of an end of a coaxial cable to an electrical device. An electrically conductive core body is cast over the core of the coaxial cable, and an electrically conductive shield body is cast over the shield of the coaxial cable, wherein the core and shield bodies are electrically and mechanically connected to the coaxial cable, yet the core and shield bodies mutually have direct current electrical isolation with respect to each other. Each of the core and shield bodies has respective attachment features for a particular application, such as for example connecting to a circuit board.

Abstract: A method of flip-chip mounting a circuit device to a substrate in a manner that avoids damage and impairment of a fragile or otherwise sensitive element on the device facing the substrate, and a circuit assembly produced thereby. The assembly includes a substrate having at least two sets of bonding sites spaced apart from each other to define an intermediate surface region therebetween. The device is attached to the bonding sites with solder connections, with the solder connections being present on a surface of the device that faces the substrate and on which the element is present so that the element overlies the intermediate surface region of the substrate. An underfill material is present between the device and the substrate and encapsulates the solder connections. The underfill material is separated from the intermediate surface region of the substrate so that the underfill material does not contact the element.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor heater control determines heater activation based on an open-loop control parameter and a correction factor that compensates for part-to-part variability. Following a cold start where the heater temperature can be reliably estimated, the engine controller predicts the resistance of the heating element and heater circuit at the desired operating temperature of the sensor, and computes the correction factor for heater activation based on the predicted resistance values and nominal resistance values. At least one predicted value is stored in non-volatile memory, and used to compute the correction factor following a warm or hot start of the engine.

Abstract: A method for fuel cell system thermal management includes: maintaining a first zone at a first selected temperature range, maintaining a second zone at a second selected temperature range, and maintaining a third zone at a third selected temperature range. The second zone is in thermal communication with a first sensor and comprises a reformer, while the third zone is in thermal communication with a second sensor and comprises a fuel cell stack. The second selected temperature range is greater than the first selected temperature range, while the third selected temperature range is greater than the second selected temperature range. The method may further include sensing a second zone temperature in the second zone, determining whether the second zone temperature is at the second selected temperature range, and adding a process air flow to the second zone if the second zone temperature rises above the second selected temperature range.

Abstract: A metal tank cap is integral with a reinforcing member via a narrow connection and covers an open end of the tank with adjacent reinforcement members being spaced from one another along each side of the core. The reinforcing members each have a pair of flanges extending outwardly from the sides thereof and have openings therein for receiving mounting anchors.

Abstract: A solderable bar bond connector establishes a primary interconnect between a substrate and a high current terminal of an IC chip mounted on the substrate, and one or more secondary interconnects between the substrate and low current terminals of the IC chip. The bar bond connector includes a plate portion soldered to the high current terminal of the IC chip and a plurality of leg elements extending from the plate portion to multiple bond sites on the substrate. The underside of at least one leg element is provided with a secondary circuit including a conductor that is electrically isolated from the respective leg element. The conductor of the secondary circuit is soldered to both the substrate and a low current terminal of the IC chip for establishing a secondary interconnect in addition to the primary interconnect established by the plate portion and the other leg elements.

Abstract: A trap for an energy conversion device comprises a trapping system comprising a filter element and a trap element, and fluidly coupled to a reforming system. The trapping system is monitored by a combination of devices including an on-board diagnostic system, a temperature sensor, and a pressure differential sensor, which can individually or in combination determine when to regenerate the trapping system. The method for trapping sulfur and particulate matter using the trapping system comprises dispensing fuel into the energy conversion device. The fuel is processed in a reformer system to produce a reformate. The reformate is introduced into the trapping system and filtered to remove particulate matter and sulfur.

Abstract: A watercraft steer-by-wire control system for watercraft comprising: a direction control system including a rudder position sensor; a helm control system including at least one of; a helm position sensor to produce and transmit a helm position signal and an optional torque sensor to produce and transmit a helm torque sensor signal. The system optionally including a watercraft speed sensor and a master control unit in operable communication with the watercraft speed sensor, the helm control system, and the direction control system. The master control unit includes a position control process for generating the directional command signal in response to the watercraft speed signal, the helm torque sensor signal and the helm position signal. The master control unit includes a torque control process for generating the helm command signal, based on the helm torque sensor signal, the helm position signal and the watercraft speed signal.

Abstract: In order to reduce refrigerant leakage from an automotive air conditioning system, the leakage paths are kept sealed by automatically reducing the output of a variable displacement compressor (12) after initial operation of the engine for a predetermined number of five minutes, and then only for a predetermined number of ten seconds, that is, so long as there has been an air conditioning on signal by the operator. After the reduction in output for ten seconds, the output of the compressor (12) is returned to full output for a predetermined number of two air-conditioning minutes, which is then followed by another ten seconds of reduced output.

Abstract: A fast start-up catalytic reformer for producing hydrogen-rich reformate from hydrocarbon fuel includes a reactor having an inlet for receiving a flow of fuel and a flow of air, a reforming catalyst disposed within a reforming chamber in the reactor, and an outlet for discharging the produced reformate stream. An ignition device within the reactor tube ignites a first lean mixture in combustion mode to generate exhaust gases to warm the catalyst which also warms the wall of the reactor adjacent the catalyst. The reactor then switches over to a rich fuel/air mixture during reforming mode. A jacket concentrically surrounds the reactor, defining a mixing chamber therebetween which communicates with the reforming chamber via openings in the wall of the reactor. Fuel entering the reformer in combustion mode is injected directly into the reforming chamber to provide rapid warming of the catalyst.