Abstract: A heat dissipation device for an electronics cooling system having an electronic component includes a housing that defines a chamber. The device further includes a first liquid, which is contained within the chamber and has a first boiling temperature. The device further includes a sorbent material immersed within the first liquid. The device further includes a second liquid, which is adsorbed by the sorbent material and has a second boiling temperature that is above the first boiling temperature. The first liquid vaporizes into a first vapor, in response to the first liquid reaching the first boiling temperature. The second liquid is desorbed from the sorbent material, in response to the second liquid and the sorbent material reaching a desorption temperature that is below the second boiling temperature. The second liquid vaporizes into a second vapor, in response to the second liquid reaching the second boiling temperature.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for requesting remote control of an autonomous vehicle by a remote transportation system. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by a processor of the autonomous vehicle, experience data associated with the autonomous vehicle, wherein the experience data includes a location of the autonomous vehicle, a time of day, a pose of the autonomous vehicle, detected freespace in an environment of the autonomous vehicle, detected congestion in the environment, a planned maneuver type, and an associated maneuver graph; determining, by the processor, one or more features of a planned maneuver based on the experience data; determining, by the processor, a risk value associated with the planned mission by processing the one or more features with a machine learning model; and selectively generating, by the processor, request data to the remote transportation system based on the risk value, wherein the request data includes the risk value.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrolyte system for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The electrolyte system may include an aliphatic fluorinated disulfonimide lithium salt in a mixture of organic solvents. The mixture of organic solvents may include a first solvent and a second solvent. The first solvent may include an ether solvent, a carbonate solvent, or a mixture of ether and carbonate solvents. The second solvent may include a fluorinated ether. A molar ratio of the aliphatic fluorinated disulfonimide lithium salt to the first solvent may be greater than or equal to about 1:1.2 to less than or equal to about 1:2. A molar ratio of the first solvent to the second solvent may be greater than or equal to about 1:1 to less than or equal to about 1:4.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a component having a porosity-controlled lithium metal coating includes setting up an aerosol spray apparatus having a material feeder and a confinement conduit in fluid communication therewith. The confinement conduit has an inlet end and a nozzle end. The method also includes setting up a substrate having an exposed surface on a moveable tooling plate and directing the nozzle end at the exposed surface. The method additionally includes loading a lithium metal into the material feeder. The method also includes feeding a high-pressure gas into the inlet end of the confinement conduit to thereby form an aerosol spray of lithium metal. The method further includes moving the tooling plate to regulate a thickness and a pattern of deposition of the lithium metal onto the exposed surface through the nozzle end to thereby generate a porous lithium metal coating on the substrate.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for estimating atmospheric properties using a LIDAR sensor. A control system includes a LIDAR sensor configured to detect a distance to an object, and an intensity of light reflected by the object. A controller's a target selection module determines whether the object is a target for use in estimating the atmospheric properties. A data collection module collects values of the distance and the intensity as detected by the LIDAR sensor. The atmospheric properties are determined based on the values of the distance and the intensity. In response to the determined atmospheric properties, the actuator is operated to effect an action.

Abstract: A battery includes a battery cell stack disposed within a housing such that a gap exists between the battery cell stack and an inner surface of the housing. The battery cell stack includes a plurality of battery cells that each include a positive electrode tab and a negative electrode tab electrically coupled to an electrode assembly and extending from the electrode assembly outside of a case. The positive electrode tabs and/or the negative electrode tabs of the plurality of battery cells extend into the gap between the battery cell stack and the inner surface of the housing. A filler material fills the gap and provides a thermally conductive pathway between the positive electrode tabs and/or the negative electrode tabs of the plurality of battery cells and the inner surface of the housing. The filler material includes a thermally conductive particulate component distributed throughout a polymeric matrix component.

Abstract: Systems and methods of detecting a traffic object outside of a vehicle and controlling the vehicle. The systems and methods receive perception data from a sensor system included in the vehicle, determine a focused Region Of Interest (ROI) in the perception data, scale the perception data of the at least one focused ROI, process the scaled perception data of the focused ROI using a neural network (NN)-based traffic object detection algorithm to provide traffic object detection data, and control at least one vehicle feature based, in part, on the traffic object detection data.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for pumps that deliver optimized torque characteristics and volumetric efficiency. A system includes a housing defining a surface and a rotor defining a face. A face clearance is defined between the face and the surface. The face clearance is variable in magnitude and determinative of target performance characteristics of the pump system. The housing is made of a material selected to have a thermal expansion characteristic and the rotor is made of a second material selected to have another thermal expansion characteristic. The thermal expansion characteristics deliver the target performance characteristics of the pump system.

Abstract: A rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) includes a battery controller and battery modules, each respective module having battery cells, a cell sense board, and a semiconductor switch. The switch is connected in parallel with the cells within the respective module, and configured to conduct an electrical current during a thermal runaway propagation (TRP) event in which one or more cells is in an open-circuit state. This action bypasses the module and enables electrical components to be powered by the RESS during the TRP event. A battery electric system includes a direct current (“DC”) voltage bus, an electrical component connected thereto, the battery controller, and the RESS. A method for constructing the RESS includes connecting a respective semiconductor switch in parallel with the at least one battery cell of each respective one of the multiple battery modules, and electrically connecting the multiple battery modules together to construct the RESS.

Abstract: Systems and methods associated with a vehicle are provided. The systems and methods include an occupant output system including an output device, a camera or other perception device, and a processor in operable communication with the occupant output system and the camera or other perception device. The processor is configured to execute program instructions to cause the processor to: receive image or other perception data from the camera or other perception device, the image or other perception data including at least part of a head and/or body of an occupant of the vehicle, analyze the image or other perception data to determine if the occupant is of hearing and vision impaired, when the occupant is determined to be of vision and hearing impaired, decide on an output modality to assist the occupant, and generate an output for the occupant on the output device, and in the output modality.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for indicating a driving situation including at least one vehicle. The system includes a first processor, a second processor and an external device. A first processor obtains driving information, encodes the driving information and communicates the encoded driving information to the second processor. The second processor receives and decodes the encoded driving information. The second processor further allocates a predefined indication pattern to the decoded driving information, wherein the predefined indication pattern includes a graphical representation of an upcoming driving event involving the vehicle. An external device visualizes a current driving situation including the vehicle together with the predefined indication pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions. The electrochemical cell includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive electroactive material and a lithiation additive blended with the positive electroactive material. The lithiation additive includes a lithium-containing material and one or more metals. The lithium-containing material is represented by LiX, where X is hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), fluorine (F), phosphorous (P), or sulfur (S). The one or more metals are selected from the group consisting of: iron (Fe), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), and combinations thereof. The negative electrode may include a volume-expanding negative electroactive material.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for forming a two-dimensional silicon oxide negative electroactive material. The methods include contacting a two-dimensional silicon allotrope and an oxidizing agent in an environment having a temperature of greater than or equal to about 25° C. to less than or equal to about 1,000° C., where the contacting of the two-dimensional silicon allotrope and the oxidizing agent causes the two-dimensional silicon allotrope to oxidize and form the two-dimensional silicon oxide negative electroactive material. In certain variations, the oxidizing agent includes oxygen and the contacting of the two-dimensional silicon allotrope and the oxidizing agent may include disposing the two-dimensional silicon allotrope in an oxygen-containing environment comprising less than or equal to about 21% of oxygen. In other variations, the oxidizing agent includes a wet chemical agent.

Abstract: An anode-free solid-state battery includes a cathode layer having transient anode elements and a bare current collector devoid of non-transitory anode material and configured to accept thereon the transient anode elements. The battery also includes a solid-state electrolyte layer defining voids and arranged between the current collector and the cathode layer. The battery additionally includes a gel situated within the solid-state electrolyte and cathode layers, to permeate the electrolyte voids and form a gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, coat the cathode layer, and facilitate ionic conduction of the anode elements between the cathode layer, the solid-state electrolyte layer, and the current collector. Charging the battery diffuses the anode elements from the cathode layer, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, onto the current collector. Discharging the battery returns the anode elements, via the gelled solid-state electrolyte layer, to the cathode layer.

Abstract: An occlusion detection system for an autonomous vehicle is described herein, where a signal conversion system receives a three-dimensional sensor signal from a sensor system and projects the three-dimensional sensor signal into a two-dimensional range image having a plurality of pixel values that include distance information to objects captured in the range image. A localization system detects a first object in the range image, such as a traffic light, having first distance information and a second object in the range image, such as a foreground object, having second distance information. An occlusion polygon is defined around the second object and the range image is provided to an object perception system that excludes information within the occlusion polygon to determine a configuration of the first object. A directive is output by the object perception system to control the autonomous vehicle based upon occlusion detection.

Abstract: A method for battery capacity estimation is provided. The method includes monitoring a sensor, collecting a plurality of data points including a voltage-based state of charge value and an integrated current value, defining within the data points a first data set collected during a first time period and a second data set collected during a second time period, determining an integrated current error related to the second data set, comparing the integrated current error related to the second data set to a threshold integrated current error. When the error related to the second data set exceeds the threshold, the method further includes resetting the second data set based upon an integrated current value from the first time period. The method further includes combining the data sets to create a combined data set and determining a voltage slope capacity estimate as a change in integrated current versus voltage-based state of charge.

Abstract: A rotor assembly for an electric machine, e.g., of an electrified powertrain, includes a rotor having inner and outer diameter surfaces, and a rotor shaft connected to and surrounded by the rotor. The rotor has equally-spaced rotor magnetic poles each having a quadrature-axis (“q-axis”) and a pair of direct-axes (“d-axes”). At each of magnetic pole of the rotor, the rotor defines at least three arcuate notches, including a center notch bisected by the q-axis and a pair of additional arcuate notches symmetrically flanking the center notch. The rotor may include embedded permanent magnets, which may be arranged in a dual V-shaped configuration. Each additional notch may be positioned within a sweep of a top-layer opening angle of the magnets. The center notch and/or the pair of additional notches may define tangentially-continuous fillets which smoothly transition the notch into the outer diameter surface.

Abstract: A system and method for additive manufacturing are provided. The system includes a structure defining a chamber for manufacturing parts via additive manufacturing. A powder metal applicator is configured to deposit layers of powder metal material to build a part on a build platform. A laser source is configured to direct one or more laser beams onto each layer of powder metal material to fuse the powder metal material, wherein metal condensate is created by the laser beam(s) contacting the powder metal material. An element spaced apart from the layers of powder material has a temperature different than the chamber temperature, so that the element is configured to attract or repel the metal condensate by virtue of the temperature differential between the element and the chamber. The method includes using the element having the different temperature to attract or repel the metal condensate within the chamber.

Abstract: An endgate assembly includes a body and a quick-release receptacle. The body includes a first side and a second side opposing each other. The first side of the body defines a compartment accessible from the first side and spaced from the second side. The quick-release receptacle includes a platform. The quick-release receptacle is movable between a stowed position in which the quick-release receptacle is attached to the body within the compartment such that the platform and the first side cooperate to close the compartment, and a detached position in which the quick-release receptacle is released from the body to remove the quick-release receptacle from the compartment. A vehicle includes a cargo area and the endgate assembly as discussed above. The cargo area includes a floor, a first sidewall disposed transverse to the floor, and a second sidewall disposed transverse to the floor. The endgate assembly is coupled to the floor.

Abstract: An axial flux motor having reduced spatial harmonics including a rotor with a plurality of magnets. A rotor shaft is coupled to the rotor. A stator faces the rotor and an air gap defined between the rotor and the stator. The stator includes a plurality of electromagnetic components defining a plurality of magnetic poles. The electromagnetic components include a plurality of posts, a plurality of slots, and a plurality of distributed electrically conductive windings disposed in and spanning across nonadjacent slots of the plurality of slots. At least one electrically conductive winding has a winding pitch span of greater than or equal to about 3 to less than or equal to about 20. The axial flux motor may include two rotors and one stator or alternatively two stators and one rotor. Such axial flux motors have short pitch provide desirable reduced spatial harmonics to enhance motor performance.