Abstract: A vehicle includes a passenger compartment having a first row of seats and a second row of seats disposed behind the first row of seats. The second row of seats including a seat back configured to fold forward toward the first row of seats. The seat back of the second row of seats further including at least one headrest that is movable from a retracted position to an extended position. The at least one headrest includes a retraction mechanism configured to retract the headrest to a retracted position automatically when the seat back of the second row of seats is folded forward.

Abstract: A system and method of providing real-time calculation of heat flow in an engine. A piston is disposed in a cylinder of an engine block and movable relative to the cylinder in response to combustion inside the cylinder. A temperature of the combustion inside the cylinder, an average temperature of the wall of the cylinder, and a surface area of the wall of the cylinder based on timing of combustion are determined. An estimated temperature of the piston is derived from calculating a heat fraction to the piston in real-time, via a controller, based on the determined temperature of the combustion, the determined average temperature of the wall of the cylinder, and the determined surface area of the wall of the cylinder. A state of the engine is controlled based on the estimated temperature of the piston as derived from the real-time calculation of the heat fraction to the piston.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing a pouch-type battery cell include disposing one or more electrode pairs between a first aluminum pouch layer and a second aluminum pouch layer, sealing the first pouch layer and the second pouch layer to form a peripheral seal joining the first pouch layer and the second pouch layer to form a pouch with an outer edge encasing the anode and the cathode, applying a photocatalytic polymer coating precursor to the outer edge of the pouch, and photo-curing the photocatalytic polymer coating precursor to form a conformal edge coating. The photocatalytic polymer coating precursor includes one or more photo-initiators, one or more acrylates, and one or more polyamines. The polyamines can include tertiary amines including ?-CH functional groups, diamines represented by the formula H2N—R—NH2, wherein R represents saturated and unsaturated aliphatic moieties, and N,N?-(2,2-dimethylpropylidene) hexamethylenediamine.

Abstract: A sound reduction assembly includes a housing and a component supported via the housing. The component is movable relative to the housing. The sound reduction assembly includes a ring coupled to the component and the housing. The ring is configured to attenuate sound inducing vibrations in response to operation of the component. The ring includes a flange fixed relative to the housing to maintain a position of the ring relative to the component which maximizes attenuation of the sound in response to operation of the component. A method of utilizing a ring to attenuate sound inducing vibrations in response to operation of a component inside of a housing. A torque is selected to be applied to the ring. A stiffness of the ring is determined based on a stiffness-torque curve utilizing the selected torque to maximize attenuation of the sound. The ring is manufactured to meet the determined stiffness.

Abstract: Methods and systems implemented in a vehicle involve obtaining a single camera image from a camera arranged on the vehicle. The image indicates a heading angle ?0 between a vehicle heading x and a tangent line that is tangential to road curvature of a road on which the vehicle is traveling and also indicates a perpendicular distance y0 from a center of the vehicle to the tangent line. An exemplary method includes obtaining two or more inputs from two or more vehicle sensors, and estimating kinematic states of the vehicle based on applying a Kalman filter to the single camera image and the two or more inputs to solve kinematic equations. The kinematic states include roll angle and pitch angle of the vehicle.

Abstract: Presented are joint active thermal management (JATM) systems with heat exchanger storage of surplus refrigerant, methods for making/operating such systems, and vehicles equipped with such systems. A JATM system includes a coolant loop that fluidly connects to a vehicle battery system for pumping thereto coolant, an oil loop thermally coupled to the coolant loop and fluidly connected to a vehicle powertrain system for pumping thereto oil, and a refrigerant loop thermally coupled to the coolant loop and operable to circulate refrigerant for heating/cooling a passenger compartment. An electronic controller determines if a current amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant loop exceeds a calibrated threshold for the current operating mode of the JATM system. If so, the controller determines if one of the refrigerant loop's heat exchangers is available to store excess refrigerant. If the heat exchanger is available, the refrigerant loop stores excess refrigerant in the available refrigerant heat exchanger.

Abstract: A method of welding a component made from a ferrous alloy to a component made from an aluminum alloy includes machining and cleaning a fay surface on the ferrous alloy component, machining and cleaning a fay surface on the aluminum alloy component, depositing a layer of copper alloy material onto the fay surface of the ferrous alloy component, forming a weld groove on at least one of the layer of copper alloy material deposited on the fay surface of the ferrous alloy component and the fay surface of the aluminum alloy component, and laser welding the layer of copper alloy deposited on the fay surface of the ferrous alloy component and the fay surface of the aluminum alloy component to one another.

Abstract: A scavenging centrifugal baffle pump. The scavenging centrifugal baffle pump includes a main pump, which includes a pump housing. The scavenging centrifugal baffle pump further includes a baffle connected to the main pump housing and defines defining an interior volume. The scavenging centrifugal baffle pump also includes a gear coupled to the main pump at least partially located in the interior volume of the baffle, a reservoir defined in the interior volume of the baffle, an inlet defined in the baffle adjacent to the reservoir and an elongate passage defined by the baffle.

Abstract: A hybrid part includes a base structure and a plurality of layers of additive manufacturing material disposed on and attached to the base structure. The base structure may includes a plurality of sheets of base material, and/or a base formed by any non-additive manufacturing method. A method of forming a hybrid part includes providing a base structure that includes either or both of: a) a plurality of sheets of base material, and b) a base formed by a non-additive method. The method further includes disposing a plurality of layers of additive manufacturing material, layer by layer, onto the base structure.

Abstract: A rotor core for an electric motor includes a core stack including a plurality of lamination plates, each lamination plate including a plurality of apertures formed therein, the plurality of apertures of each of the lamination plates axially aligned and defining a plurality of axial magnet slots extending through the core stack and adapted to support a plurality of permanent magnets therein, and at least one insert extending axially through the core stack and adapted to provide radial structural stability to the plurality of lamination plates to prevent portions of the plurality of lamination plates adjacent the plurality of magnet slots from flexing due to radial forces exerted on the plurality of lamination plates during operation of the electric motor.

Abstract: An inflatable system includes a first bladder configured to contain gas and a second bladder configured to contain gas. The first bladder includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite of the top wall, a sidewall extending between and connected to perimeter edges of the top and bottom walls, and a plurality of tethers extending between and connected to interior surfaces of the top and bottom walls. The second bladder includes a top wall, a bottom wall opposite of its top wall, a sidewall extending between and connected to perimeter edges of its top and bottom walls, and a plurality of tethers extending between and connected to interior surfaces of its top and bottom walls. The bottom wall of the first bladder is secured to the top wall of the second bladder.

Abstract: A lithium metal negative electrode for an electrochemical cell for a secondary lithium metal battery includes a polycrystalline metal substrate having a major facing surface with a defined crystallographic texture. An epitaxial lithium metal layer is formed on the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate. The epitaxial lithium metal layer exhibits a predominant crystal orientation. The predominant crystal orientation of the epitaxial lithium metal layer is derived from the defined crystallographic texture of the major facing surface of the polycrystalline metal substrate.

Abstract: In an exemplary embodiment, a test system is provided for testing a power steering system for a vehicle, the test system including a motor, one or more sensors, and a processor. The one or more sensors are configured to obtain sensor data pertaining to the motor. The processor is coupled to the one or more sensors and to the motor, and is configured to: determine, using the sensor data, a desired position of the motor for providing a desired amount of torque to the power steering system in order to reach one or more target behaviors: an inertia target, a spring target, a damper target, or a friction target for the power steering system; and provide instructions for the motor to move to the desired position for providing torque to the power steering system.

Abstract: A method for alignment a lidar with a camera of a vehicle includes: aggregating multiple lidar scans performed by the lidar of a vehicle while the vehicle is in motion to generate an aggregated point-cloud; rendering the aggregate point-cloud onto a camera image to generate a rendered image; comparing the rendered image with the camera image to determine a difference between the rendered image and the camera image, wherein a difference value is indicative of the difference between the rendered image and the camera image is represented; and determining that the camera is aligned with the lidar in response to determining that the difference value is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A multi-layered coating system for a substrate and a method for preparing the multi-layered coating system are provided herein. The multi-layered coating system includes a substrate, a metallic layer disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the substrate, an adhesion layer disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the metallic layer, and a protective coating layer disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the adhesion layer. The metallic layer includes a metal, an oxide of the metal, or a combination thereof. The adhesion layer includes a silicate and latex.

Abstract: Presented are protective covers for weldable fasteners, methods for making/using such cover-protected weldable fasteners, and motor vehicles with such covered fasteners welded to load-bearing structural members. A weldable fastener assembly includes a fastener, such as a weld-on nut or clip retainer, that is fabricated with a shank and a flange. One end of the shank has a fastener hole that receives therethrough a mating fastener, such as a bolt, screw, stud, or clip. The flange is formed, in whole or in part, from a weldable material for welding to a load-bearing panel or other structural support member. The flange may be integrally formed with and project radially outward from the shank. A protective cover is attached to the flange and covers the fastener hole. The protective cover is frangible and formed, in whole or in part, from a material designed to withstand the temperature at which the weldable material melts.

Abstract: A head up display (HUD) system includes: one or more light sources and one or more phase modulators configured to generate and output a hologram; and a replicator configured to receive the hologram, to generate N replications of the hologram from the hologram, and to output the N replications of the hologram, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 2.