Abstract: Systems and methods for improving operation of a hybrid vehicle are presented. In one example, driveline oscillations are reduced during engine air-fuel ratio modulation. The driveline oscillations may be reduced via adjusting torque of a motor.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a boosted engine having a split exhaust system. One method includes reducing knock by flowing a combination of exhaust from towards the end of an exhaust stroke and blowthrough air to the intake of a compressor via a compressor inlet valve.

Abstract: A method and system for operating an engine that is supplied a fuel having a low super critical temperature is presented. In one example, the method supplies excess fuel to a direct injection fuel rail to cool a portion of the fuel system that is near direct fuel injectors. The heat is drawn from the direct injection fuel rail to a fuel tank where the heat is removed via injecting fuel vapors to the engine.

Abstract: A method for determining NH3 and NOx slippage through a SCR is described. In one example, signals from NOx sensors positioned upstream and downstream of a SCR are processed and provide indication of NH3 and NOx slippage. Engine emissions may be reduced with information provided via the NOx sensors, at least during some conditions.

Abstract: An ozone generator cartridge 60 suitable for a sterilization, decontamination and/or sanitation device. The cartridge comprises a sealable housing 60 for providing a corona discharge, the housing containing at least one power supply unit 64 and at least one inlet 65 for connection to an oxygen or air supply, the cartridge including at least part of at least one ozone conversion cell 63 attached to and extending from an external surface of a wall of the sealed housing, the conversion cell extending into a delivery conduit 52 of a decontamination device that leads to at least one discharge outlet 16.

Abstract: A compound having formula (I), wherein G1 represents a C4-C22 alkyl or alkenyl group, a C8-C20 aralkyl group or formula (II) wherein G3 is a difunctional C2-C18 alkyl or alkenyl group, a difunctional C6-C20 aryl group or G3 is absent; provided that G1 is not 2-butyl, n-hexyl, n-octyl, n-dodecyl, n-hexadecyl or 2-phenylethyl.

Abstract: A method for applying a coating includes: obtaining a subject cylindrical part including an inner subject coated surface applied using a spraying device at a first operating condition, the inner subject coated surface including a longitudinal axis and a cross-section, the cross-section intersecting the longitudinal axis at a center point and including end points located on an outer perimeter; measuring the inner subject coated surface to obtain subject coating data including distance values, each being a distance between the center point and one of the end points; comparing the subject coating data to standard coating data to obtain comparison data; and adjusting the spraying device based on the comparison data to have a second operating condition different from the first operating condition.

Abstract: A body structure for a vehicle includes a cowl side defining a first vertical and longitudinal plane. A hinge pillar including a tab portion is attached to the cowl side in the first plane. The hinge pillar includes a stepped surface defining a second vertical and longitudinal plane that is offset outwardly from the first plane and parallel to the first plane. A front end rail includes an inner sidewall fastened to the cowl side and an outer sidewall fastened to the stepped surface the stepped surface. The longitudinal loads applied to the front end rail are transferred in shear to the hinge pillar and cowl side.

Abstract: A camera system includes a lens that directs light onto an image sensor, an actuator that vibrates the lens, and a charge generator that charges a surface of the lens. The camera system further includes a controller that can determine a change in transparency of the lens and selectively activate the actuator based at least in part on the change in transparency. A method includes electrically charging a surface of a camera lens, determining a change in transparency of the camera lens, comparing the change in transparency to a predetermined threshold, and selectively activating an actuator to vibrate the camera lens if the change in transparency is above a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: Methods of forming olyurethane foams that are the reaction product of at least one polyisocyanate and a polyol composition are provided. The polyol composition includes at least one natural oil based polyol and at least one poly(propylene oxide) polyol and is desirably free of non-natural oil based polyols made from alkylene oxide units, other than propylene oxide units. The natural oil based polyol is present in a quantity sufficient to increase the processing window for the foam relative to a foam made using the same process and the same components, absent the natural oil based polyol. As a result, the present foams can provide very open-cellular structures with the superior performance properties of a poly(propylene oxide) polyol-based foam.

Abstract: A method for restarting a vehicle engine that is stopped at a known crank angle includes actuating a clutch located in a torque path between a starting motor and the engine with desired pressure related to the known crank angle during the restart, and using the starting motor to drive the engine during the restart.

Abstract: Embodiments for a charge air cooler are provided. In one example, an engine method comprises increasing intake air flow velocity through a charge air cooler and coordinately adjusting a position of one or more of an intake manifold throttle and a turbocharger wastegate in response to the increased intake air flow velocity to maintain torque. In this way, intake air flow velocity may be increased while maintaining desired torque.

Abstract: A vehicle climate control system operable in a winter mode and a summer mode includes an engine-exhaust-driven hot heat transfer fluid (HTF) circuit coupled with a heater core during the winter mode to provide passenger cabin heating, and thermal energy stored in a standalone hot phase change material (PCM) battery in the hot HTF circuit may provide surge heating at or prior to engine start. The hot HTF circuit and a cold HTF circuit including an HTF cooler drive two adsorbers in the summer mode, thereby providing passenger cabin cooling in conjunction with a refrigerant circuit which includes a condenser, evaporator, expansion valve, and standalone cold PCM battery. Thermal energy stored in the standalone cold PCM battery may provide surge cooling at or prior to engine start.

Abstract: Porous composites of mullite and cordierite are formed by firing an acicular mullite body in the presence of a magnesium source and a silicon source. In some variations of the process, the magnesium and silicon sources are present when the acicular mullite body is formed. In other variations, the magnesium source and the silicon source are applied to a previously-formed acicular mullite body. Surprisingly, the composites have coefficients of linear thermal expansion that are intermediate to those of mullite and cordierite alone, and have higher fracture strengths than cordierite at a similar porosity. Some of the cordierite forms at grain boundaries and/or points of intersection between mullite needles, rather than merely coating the needles. The presence of magnesium and silicon sources during acicular mullite formation does not significantly affect the ability to produce a highly porous network of mullite needles.

Abstract: An automotive side view mirror attachment assembly includes a polymeric outer shell having a metal reinforcement member coupled thereto, wherein the polymeric outer shell forms form closures about connecting features of the metal reinforcement member, so as to provide an operably coupling between the polymeric outer shell and the metal reinforcing member that is secured by independent connection locations that are effective to support an external mirror assembly in multiple dimensions.

Abstract: Some vehicle maneuvers in a hybrid electric vehicle require a high discharge current from the battery. The capacity of a battery to supply a large discharge current depends on, among other things, the recent charge and discharge history. When the demand can be predicted in advance, the vehicle is operated to aggressively charge the battery during a time period close in time to the predicted event. As a result of this aggressive charging, the battery delivers more current to satisfy the power demand without allowing the terminal voltage to decrease below a minimum level than the battery would be capable of delivering at the same state of charge following a period of rest.

Abstract: A method adjusts fuel injection based on a fuel make-up, such as a fuel ethanol content. The fuel make-up may be learned during transient conditions by correlating transient fueling effects caused by the different evaporation rates of higher and lower ethanol content to measured exhaust air-fuel ratio. In this way, an ethanol content independent of combustion stoichiometry can be obtained, even during transients, that is less sensitive to part variation and sensor drift.

Abstract: A fuel door and a sliding door are on the same side of a vehicle. The sliding door has power locking and power child locking. To prevent the sliding door from interfering with the fuel door during refueling, a lock controller responds to the fuel door moving to the open position by 1) preserving a current outside locked or unlocked state and a current inside locked or unlocked state of the sliding door, 2) initiating or maintaining the outside locked state and inside locked state, and 3) after the fuel door moving to the closed position, restoring or maintaining the preserved current outside locked or unlocked state and the preserved current inside locked or unlocked state.

Abstract: A system for monitoring and cleaning a spark plug is disclosed. In one example, an amount of carbonaceous soot at the center electrode ceramic of the spark plug is determined in response to a voltage of a sense resistor that is in electrical communication with the spark plug. The system may institute spark plug cleaning after carbonaceous soot is detected so that the possibility of engine misfire may be reduced.

Abstract: An assembly includes a rotatable member formed with a recess, a first component, a snap ring located in the recess for limiting axial displacement of the first component, and a bearing located between the first component and a second component, including a finger extending from a race of the bearing toward the bearing and able to limit radial movement of the snap ring.