Abstract: An improved capacitive touch panel includes a trimplate defining a non-planar touch surface, a planar array of capacitive sensing elements mounted behind the trimplate, and a formable interface element of high relative static permittivity sandwiched between the sensing elements and the inboard face of the trimplate. The interface element is a compression molded silicone rubber element having a first major surface that is sculpted to match and uniformly contact the inboard face of the trimplate, and a second major surface that is planar and uniformly contacts the planar array of capacitive sensing elements. The interface element has a limited amount of compliance so that slight compression of the interface element between the trimplate and sensing elements eliminates any air gaps between the contacting surfaces.

Abstract: An air conditioning system for use in a hybrid-electric vehicle having an engine and a cabin. The system includes a refrigerant loop and a coolant loop. A phase change heat exchanger including a first tube in fluid communication with the refrigerant loop and a second tube in fluid communication with the coolant loop. The first and second tubes abut one another for conducting heat from the coolant in the coolant loop to the first refrigerant in the refrigerant loop when the vehicle is operating with the engine running. The phase change heat exchanger further includes a chamber abutting the first and second tubes for storing a phase change material. The phase change material conducts heat to the first refrigerant to freeze the phase change material when the vehicle is operating with the engine running and receives heat from the coolant to cool the coolant when the engine is not running.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a heat exchanger assembly (20) includes pressing a pair of headers (30, 38) into refrigerant tubes (76). A notch (50) is cut axially into header ends (32, 40). An inner radial abutment (24) is formed in each of the refrigerant conduits (22, 56), which are then each inserted through an open end cap (26). An outer radial abutment (28) is formed in each of the refrigerant conduits (22, 56) so that the open end caps (26) are retained in position between the radial abutments (24, 28). The radial abutments (24, 28) can comprise a bead, a radially inwardly extending shoulder, an outwardly extending shoulder, or an expansion beneath the open end caps (26). A tool presses each subassembly into the corresponding headers (30, 38) until the tool reaches the corresponding notch bottom (52).

Abstract: A fuel cell assembly for using hydrogen gas and oxygen to produce electrical energy. The cathode of the fuel cell produces water vapor to define a flow of moist air including water vapor. A dehumidifier receives the flow of moist air including water vapor to produce purified liquid water and a flow of dehumidified air. The dehumidifier has an air inlet having a first cross-sectional area and an air outlet having a larger second cross-sectional area. The diffuser cavity of the dehumidifier progressively increases in size from the air inlet to the air outlet for depressurizing and cooling the flow of moist air including water vapor below the dew point of the moist air including water vapor to condense the water vapor on the housing of the dehumidifier.

Abstract: A method for determining the position of one of two components in relative motion with respect to each other, using optical means, comprises: directing at least one light beam emitted by a light source attached to one component towards a diffractive support attached to the second component, calculated and manufactured for generating an optical signal indicative of the positioning of said support, the optical signal being produced by the diffractive support in transmission and/or in reflection, and the optical signal including information indicative of its quality; detecting and reading at least one optical code formed by said signal, which corresponds to a unique position of the diffractive support relatively to the beam; and assigning a position to each detected optical code.

Abstract: A capacitor exhibiting a benign failure mode has a first electrode layer, a first ceramic dielectric layer deposited on a surface of the first electrode, and a second electrode layer disposed on the ceramic dielectric layer, wherein selected areas of the ceramic dielectric layer have additional dielectric material of sufficient thickness to exhibit a higher dielectric breakdown voltage than the remaining majority of the dielectric layer. The added thickness of the dielectric layer in selected areas allows lead connections to be made at the selected areas of greater dielectric thickness while substantially eliminating a risk of dielectric breakdown and failure at the lead connections, whereby the benign failure mode is preserved.

Abstract: An independent mixing valve sub-assembly which includes a casing defining a cold bias inlet, a hot bias inlet and a second zone inlet and a mechanism for mechanically attaching the casing to the housing of a HVAC module with the cold bias inlet, the hot bias inlet and the second zone inlet of the mixing valve sub-assembly in sealing engagement with a cold bias outlet, a hot bias outlet, and a second zone outlet of a HVAC module, respectively. The mixing valve sub-assembly may provide one or more streams of temperature-controlled air. Accordingly, different mixing valve sub-assemblies may be attached to one universal HVAC module to provide varying numbers of temperature zones.

Abstract: A communication system and method of communicating signals to a plurality of different types of receivers is provided. The communication system includes at least one transmitter that transmits a high priority signal and a low priority signal that are hierarchically modulated and transmitted as a single frequency network. At least one satellite receives and re-transmits at least one of the high priority and low priority signals. At least one of the plurality of receivers include a processor that performs the steps of storing the hierarchically modulated signal, demodulating the high priority signal from the hierarchically modulated signal, decoding the demodulated high priority signal, re-encoding the high priority signal, and processing the stored hierarchically modulated signal based upon the re-encoded high priority signal.

Abstract: A semiconductor power module includes one or more power semiconductor power devices sandwiched between a fluid conducting base and a fluid conducting cover joined to the base. Fluid coolant entering the base diverges into a first flow path through the base and a second parallel flow path through the cover, and then converges and discharges through an outlet. The semiconductor devices have upper and lower active areas that are thermally coupled to inboard faces of the cover and base for low double-sided thermal resistance, and the devices are electrically accessed through a set of terminals formed on the base. Multiple sets of semiconductor power devices are double-side cooled by joining multiple fluid conducting covers to the base such that the coolant successively diverges and then re-converges at the locations where each cover is joined to the base. Preferably, the flow paths in both the base and cover include integral features for enhancing the surface area in contact with the coolant.

Abstract: A mounting device includes a base plate for supporting an electrical coil and includes two or more legs that are substantially L-shaped. Each leg has a first end and a second end and the first end is secured to the base plate and the second end is in a direction away from the base plate. A contact pin extends through the second end of each leg and the legs are capable of resilient movement relative to the base plate.

Abstract: A method for forming a solid oxide fuel cell stack from a plurality of individual solid oxide fuel cells, wherein the anodes of the solid oxide fuel cells are infiltrated by one or more materials for making the anodes less sensitive to sulfur poisoning and/or less subject to carbon degradation and/or for improving the electrochemical performance of the stack, the method comprising the steps of oxidizing the anodes of the individual solid oxide fuel cells before forming a stack, building a solid oxide fuel cell stack with all of the anodes in an oxidized state, reducing all of the anodes, and then infiltrating all of the anodes with at least one of the materials.

Abstract: An ignition apparatus includes a transformer having a central core, a primary winding disposed thereabout, a secondary winding disposed outwardly of the primary winding, a case configured to house the central components, and an outer core or shield disposed outwardly of the secondary winding. The central core is formed from multiple, low carbon steel wires held together is a cylindrical shape with cured bond coating material such as an epoxy material or an aromatic polyamide material. In one configuration, at least two different sizes of wires are used in forming the core to increase the density of the magnetically-permeable wire material in the core.

Abstract: A driver alert for mitigating driver distraction is issued based on a proportion of off-road gaze time and the duration of a current off-road gaze. The driver alert is ordinarily issued when the proportion of off-road gaze exceeds a threshold, but is not issued if the driver's gaze has been off-road for at least a reference time. In vehicles equipped with forward-looking object detection, the driver alert is also not issued if the closing speed of an in-path object exceeds a calibrated closing rate.

Abstract: An ammonia gas sensor is disclosed that includes a reference electrode, an ammonia selective sensing electrode and an electrolyte disposed therebetween. The ammonia sensing electrode comprises an oxide material characterized by the formula CewAxLyVOz wherein L is lanthanum or another lanthanide element other than cerium, A is one or more other metals, and w, x, y and z are numbers indicative of atomic proportion with w ranging from about 0.001 to about 4 x ranging from 0 to about 0.8, y ranging from about 0.001 to about 4, and z with a range to balance the existence of Cew, Ax, Ly and V.

Abstract: A hybrid fuel cell system comprising a solid-oxide fuel cell system, a proton exchange membrane fuel cell system, a hydrocarbon reformer and a hydrogen separator. A large PEM provides output power, such as motive power for a vehicle, using hydrogen storage that may be resupplied from a separate hydrogen refilling station or from the onboard reformer. The SOFC is preferably small and provides heat and exhaust water that, when recycled into the reformer, allow the reformer to operate endothermically without requiring atmospheric air, thus excluding nitrogen from the reformate stream. Alternatively, the reformer and SOFC are stationary at a base station and the PEM is aboard the vehicle. The SOFC and reformer have sufficient capacity to recharge hydrogen storage in the vehicle in a relatively short period of time, such as overnight.

Abstract: An ammonia gas sensor is disclosed that includes a reference electrode, an ammonia selective sensing electrode and an electrolyte disposed therebetween. The ammonia sensing electrode comprises vanadium silicide, vanadium oxysilicide, vanadium carbide, vanadium oxycarbide, vanadium nitride, or vanadium oxynitride.

Abstract: A fuel delivery system for an internal combustion engine, the system comprising at least one fuel injector, said fuel injector comprising a control chamber having an inlet for receiving highly pressurised fuel and an outlet enabling fuel to flow out of the control chamber into a back-leak passage associated with the fuel injector, wherein the fuel injector is operable between an injecting state and a non-injecting state in dependence on the fuel pressure within the control chamber. The system further includes a pressure regulator for regulating the fuel pressure within the back-leak passage so as to maintain the injector back-leak pressure at a predetermined target value which is below atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: One embodiment of an ammonia gas sensor includes: a reference electrode, an ammonia selective sensing electrode and an electrolyte disposed therebetween. The sensing electrode comprises the reaction product of a main material selected from the group consisting of vanadium, tungsten, molybdenum, vanadium oxides, tungsten oxides, molybdenum oxides, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing main materials, and an electrically conducting material selected from the group consisting of electrically conductive metals, electrically conductive metal oxides, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing.

Abstract: An oxygen sensor and a method for manufacturing the oxygen sensor are provided. The oxygen sensor includes a zirconia layer having first and second sides. The second side is opposite the first side. The oxygen sensor further includes a first electrode disposed on the first side of the zirconia layer. The oxygen sensor further includes a second electrode disposed on the second side of the zirconia layer. The oxygen sensor further includes a porous channel structure configured to route air therethrough to the first electrode while preventing hydrocarbons from flowing therethrough and contacting the first electrode, such that a signal between the first and second electrodes is indicative of an amount of oxygen in exhaust gases contacting the second electrode.

Abstract: A thermal detecting device for sensing temperature at multiple locations proximate to the detecting device is provided. The detecting device has a pair of infrared detectors each configured to measure temperature of two locations by receiving infrared energy of the two locations. A housing encloses the pair of infrared detectors. The housing is configured with an aperture to allow the infrared energy of the two locations to be received by the pair of infrared detectors. A reflective mirror or two mirrors focus the infrared energy of the two locations towards the pair of infrared detectors. The detecting device may be configured to determine if there is a temperature differential at a location as the housing moves with respect to the location.