Abstract: A method for capturing trapped powder from a part during an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising defining parameters for a part, the part defining an interior passageway defined by interior sidewalls, defining parameters for a powder removal cap, the powder removal cap comprising a body portion and a thin radial membrane connected to the interior sidewalls of the part, simultaneously creating the part and the powder removal cap via additive manufacturing, wherein the powder removal cap is created within the interior passageway and, upon completion of the creation of the part and the powder removal cap, the powder removal cap traps excess powder within the interior passageway, removing the powder removal cap from the interior passageway by breaking the radial membrane from the interior sidewalls to permit access to the interior passageway, and capturing the excess powder within the interior passageway.

Abstract: A rotor for mounting on a rotational axis in an axial flux electric motor includes a ferromagnetic rotor core. The rotor also includes a plurality of alternating south and north pole permanent magnets (PMs) arranged on the ferromagnetic rotor core symmetrically around the rotational axis and facing the stator. The ferromagnetic rotor core includes a plurality of core saliencies extending to the rotor exterior surface. Each of the core saliencies is arranged between one south pole PM and one north pole PM. The plurality of core saliencies is phase-angle shifted relative to the plurality of alternating south and north pole PMs to thereby alter magnetic reluctance of the electric motor. An axial flux electric motor employing the above-described rotor is also contemplated.

Abstract: Methods, vehicle systems, and vehicles are provided that are capable of managing communication between a vehicle and a portable energy source (PES) coupled to the vehicle. The vehicle systems include a vehicle battery configured to provide electrical power to a propulsion system of the vehicle and a vehicle controller that is configured to establish two-way data communication between the vehicle controller and a PES controller of the PES, determine an energy transfer mode for transferring electrical power between the vehicle battery and a PES battery of the PES, initiate electrical power transfer between the vehicle battery and the PES battery in accordance with the energy transfer mode while the vehicle is being propelled by the propulsion system, receive a status of the PES battery from the PES controller, and adjust the electrical power transfer between the vehicle battery and the PES battery based on the status.

Abstract: A method for control of an alternating current (AC) electric motor through a voltage inverter having a plurality of electric switches with on-off states that collectively define a plurality of non-zero vectors angularly disposed about a common origin includes through one or more controllers, calculating a rotating voltage reference vector to apply to the AC electric motor through the voltage inverter. The method also includes through one or more controllers, calculating voltage inverter switching times using a first subset of the plurality of non-zero vectors, the first subset including fewer than all of the plurality of non-zero vectors and including no adjacent non-zero vectors, to synthesize the rotating voltage reference vector. Additionally, the method includes through the voltage inverter, applying the rotating voltage reference vector to the AC electric motor.

Abstract: Securing package delivery via unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, robots, etc. is contemplated. The package delivery may include assigning a provenance certificate to a package scheduled for drone delivery, determining a plurality of vehicles to be used in transporting the package to an autonomous receiver, determining credentials assigned to each of the vehicles, pairing the credentials with the package to generate a delivery pairing, the delivery pairing identifying the credentials of the vehicles authorized to transport the package, and transporting the delivery pairing to each of the vehicles to prevent vehicles having certificates omitted from the delivery pairing from transporting the package.

Abstract: Presented are dual-passage fluid couplers with integrated fluid sensors, methods for using/making such fluid couplers, and motor vehicles equipped with such fluid couplers. A quick-connect (QC) fluid coupler includes a sensor assembly with a sensor housing containing a sensing device that monitors fluid flow, and a main connector body with opposing inlet and outlet ends having respective inlet and outlet ports. The main connector body contains a sensor chamber attaching thereto the sensor housing, and a primary fluid chamber that extends from the inlet end to the outlet end of the main connector body and fluidly connects the inlet and outlet ports. Interposed between the primary and sensor chambers is a secondary fluid chamber that is fluidly connected to the sensor chamber via a sensor port and to the primary fluid chamber via a bleed port upstream from the sensor port and a merge channel downstream from the sensor port.

Abstract: A hybrid material housing for a battery reduces or minimizes thermal runaway propagation. The housing includes a composite structure for the battery and optionally includes a polymeric matrix selected from the group consisting of: epoxy, phenolic resin, polyester, vinyl ester, and combinations thereof and a reinforcing material selected from the group consisting of: glass fibers, carbon fibers, basalt fibers, aromatic polyamide KEVLAR® fibers, and combinations thereof. A metal layer is disposed along an exterior surface of the composite structure that comprises aluminum, steel, stainless steel, alloys, and combinations thereof. In a first mode, the metal layer contacts the composite structure and in a second mode after exposure to a thermal load of greater than or equal to about 500° C., the metal layer at least partially delaminates from the exterior surface and forms insulating air gaps to define a thermal barrier. Methods of forming the hybrid material housings are also provided.

Abstract: A system for a high-performance prismatic lithium-ion battery cell is provided. The system includes a battery cell stack including an electrode sub-assembly including a plurality of pairs of anode electrodes and cathode electrodes and including a planar side. The battery cell stack further includes a polymeric shell disposed around the electrode sub-assembly and configured for providing mechanical protection and electrical insulation to the electrode sub-assembly. The battery cell stack further includes a metal foil sheet attached to the polymeric shell and disposed next to and in contact with the planar side of the electrode sub-assembly, wherein the metal foil sheet is configured for exchanging heat with the electrode sub-assembly.

Abstract: An automobile vehicle visual wireless-based positioning system, incudes an automobile vehicle having a radio receiver. A map contains candidate locations of access-points (APs) and access-point corresponding media-access-control (MAC) IDs. A wireless range sensor determines different ranges of various detected APs visible to the automobile vehicle. An image collection feature identifies image data visible to the automobile vehicle. A real-time feature matching element matching features identified by image collection feature with data from the map. A filter receives an output from the real-time feature matching element to generate an automobile vehicle pose.

Abstract: A torque transfer assembly including a drive shaft with external splines. A first proximal groove and a first distal groove of the drive shaft are spaced apart at a first distance. A driven member includes a hub configured to receive the drive shaft. The hub includes internal splines, a second proximal groove, a second distal groove, and a slit. The second proximal groove and the second distal groove are spaced apart at a second distance equal to the first distance. A first retention member is configured to be inserted into the slit and into cooperation with the first proximal groove when the drive shaft is seated in the hub. The first distal groove of the drive shaft aligns with the second proximal groove of the hub when the drive shaft is within the hub such that the first proximal groove of the drive shaft is aligned with the slit.

Abstract: A method of operating a motor vehicle includes a vehicle controller receiving, from a first feedback sensor of an HV component, a first feedback signal indicative of an electrical characteristic of the HV component, and then detecting an HV system fault if the first feedback signal is less than a predefined electrical threshold. Upon detecting the system fault, the controller commands the HV component to operate at a commanded set-point; after sending the command, the controller receives, from a second feedback sensor of the HV component, a second feedback signal indicative of an operating characteristic of the HV component. An HV pathway failure is detected if the second feedback signal is not equal to or within a predefined operating range of the commanded set-point. Upon detecting the pathway failure in an HV electrical pathway of the HV component, the vehicle controller transmits a command signal to take a remedial action.

Abstract: A collaborative dual robot hinge mounting system includes: a first robot including an end effector that moves a pair of bolts in position to be run through a pair of hinges and into a BIW, where the end effector includes a first bolt runner and a second bolt runner; and first and second cameras that detect locations or orientations of hinge mounting holes on the BIW for the pair of hinges. A control module sends to a second robot the locations or orientations of the hinge mounting holes to signal the second robot to position the pair of hinges relative to the BIW and, in response to detecting the pair of hinges being placed relative to the BIW, drives the pair of bolts via the first bolt runner and the second bolt runner through the pair of hinges and into the hinge mounting holes in the BIW.

Abstract: An active material component of a composition for forming an electrode of a battery in a dry process is provided. The active material component includes a dry powder including a plurality of grains of an active material. The active material component further includes an electrically conductive filler material attached to each of the plurality of grains.

Abstract: A system for detecting and warning a user of an object in a path of a vehicle includes a detection module configured to detect an object in a path of a vehicle, and a control module in communication with the detection module. The control module is configured to receive vehicle data from one or more vehicle sensors, determine a height of the detected object, determine a ground clearance of the vehicle based on the received vehicle data, and in response to the height of the detected object being greater than a threshold based on the ground clearance of the vehicle, generate a signal to notify the user of the detected object. Other examples systems and methods for detecting and warning a user of an object in a path of a vehicle are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method includes receiving sensed vehicle-state data, actuation-command data, and surface-coefficient data from a plurality of remote vehicles, inputting the sensed vehicle-state data, the actuation-command data, and the surface-coefficient data into a self-supervised recurrent neural network (RNN) to predict vehicle states of a host vehicle in a plurality of driving scenarios, and commanding the host vehicle to move autonomously according to a trajectory determined using the vehicle states predicted using the self-supervised RNN.

Abstract: A dual inverter open winding machine for a vehicle. The machine may include an electric motor, a first energy source, a first inverter, a second energy source, and a second inverter. The first inverter may include a plurality of first switches independently operable between an opened position and a closed position to selectively connect and disconnect a first direct current (DC) port and a first alternating current (AC) port with one or more of the first energy source, the first inverter, and the motor. The second inverter may include a plurality of second switches independently operable between an opened position and a closed position to selectively connect and disconnect a second DC port and a second AC port with one or more of the second energy source, the second inverter, and the motor.

Abstract: A method of extending connectivity of a recipient vehicle may be executed by a non-transitory computer-readable medium. During an ignition off state of the recipient vehicle, the method includes disabling a recipient cellular network access device (NAD) of the recipient vehicle and connecting to a low power communications source. The method includes communicating with a centralized location over the low power communications source. The low power communications source may be a recipient Bluetooth® low energy (BLE) within the recipient vehicle. The method may include connecting to a donor vehicle proximate the recipient vehicle. The donor vehicle includes a donor NAD and a donor BLE, such that the donor NAD of the donor vehicle communicates with the centralized location on behalf of the recipient vehicle.

Abstract: A method of determining the position of a vehicle includes generating a vehicle-based point cloud of objects in proximity to the vehicle, referenced to a vehicle-based coordinate system. The method also includes receiving an infrastructure-based point cloud, referenced to a global coordinate system, of objects detected by a camera mounted at a fixed location external to the vehicle, and registering the vehicle-based point cloud with the infrastructure-based point cloud to determine the vehicle position in the global coordinate system.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a housing having an inner surface; and a stator including a stator core mounted in the housing. The stator core includes a plurality of stator windings, a thermal bridge extends between the stator core and the inner surface of the housing. The thermal bridge is formed from a non-magnetic material and includes a plurality of individual thermal bridge elements.