Abstract: A system including a flow straightener for a fuel cell cathode subsystem is provided. The system includes an intake manifold including a tube configured for providing an airflow to a compressor of the fuel cell cathode subsystem. The intake manifold includes an inlet configured for receiving the airflow into the intake manifold. The system further includes a mass air flow sensor disposed upon the intake manifold and a flow straightener disposed within the intake manifold between the inlet and the mass air flow sensor. The intake manifold includes an upstream portion between the flow straightener and the intake manifold inlet. The intake manifold further includes a downstream portion between the flow straightener and the mass air flow sensor. The flow straightener is configured for causing the airflow within the downstream portion to be less turbulent than the airflow within the upstream portion.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a dry end unit, a wet end unit comprising a terminal-compression plate, an insulator plate, and a base plate, and a plurality of fuel cells disposed between the dry end unit and the wet end unit. Each of the plurality of fuel cells includes a perimeter area that surrounds the plurality of fuel cells. The terminal-compression plate functions as a compression plate and a terminal plate, and where the base plate is used to uniformly compress the plurality of fuel cells through the insulator plate and the terminal-compression plate.

Abstract: A spigot assembly for connecting a coolant flow conduit to a rechargeable battery thermal management system includes a male spigot, a coolant spigot having a connector body defining an internal coolant flow cavity and having a conduit connection end opening and a male spigot connection end opening. The spigot assembly includes a ceramifiable silicone rubber seal. The connector body is configured to receive the male spigot within the internal coolant flow cavity at the male spigot connection end opening, with the ceramifiable silicone rubber seal disposed between and sealing against an outer side of the male spigot and an inner side of the connector body. A spigot assembly is disclosed that has a collar surrounding the connector body. The collar has an angled inner wall configured to align the male spigot with the connector body and shield the seal from heat. A vehicle having the spigot assembly is disclosed.

Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of battery cells and a battery system enclosure surrounded by an external environment. The battery system enclosure is configured to house the plurality of battery cells and includes an enclosure tray configured to support the plurality of battery cells and an enclosure cover configured to engage the enclosure tray and seal the battery system enclosure. The battery system also includes an exhaust manifold arranged between the plurality of battery cells and the enclosure cover. The exhaust manifold includes multiple individual gas paths in fluid communication with an exhaust outlet. The gas paths are configured to collect high-temperature gases from each of the plurality of battery cells and guide the high-temperature gases from each of the plurality of battery cells to the exhaust outlet. The exhaust outlet is configured to discharge the high-temperature gases distally from the plurality of battery cells.

Abstract: Presented are vehicle charging systems and control logic provisioning smart vehicle charging using encrypted wireless connectivity, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles interoperable with such systems. A method of controlling a charging operation of a vehicle includes a vehicle controller retrieving a unique ID assigned to the vehicle from a memory device. When approaching an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS), the controller responsively embeds the unique ID in a wireless message, including encrypting and inserting the unique ID into a dedicated extension frame within the wireless message. The vehicle then broadcasts the wireless message with the embedded and encrypted unique ID. An EVCS controller parses the encrypted unique ID from the wireless message and transmits the encrypted unique ID to a back-office (BO) vehicle services provider.

Abstract: A method for determining a risk boundary in response to the plurality of indications of hard braking events wherein the risk boundary is indicative of a plurality of speed flow pairs at which a risk of a hard braking event is below a threshold value, determining, at a road segment level, a set of speed flow pairs of average speed and vehicle count and a plurality of indications of hard braking events, determining a host vehicle speed, and performing at least one of reducing the host vehicle speed and increasing a host vehicle following distance in response to the host vehicle speed exceeding the risk boundary for the vehicle flow density.

Abstract: A system comprises an engine, a torque converter connected to the engine, a transmission connected to the torque converter via an input shaft, a particulate filter connected to the engine, an engine control module connected to the engine, the transmission, and the particulate filter, the engine control module being configured to perform service regeneration operations to lock the input shaft to the transmission and elevate the engine speed to retard the spark in the engine and increase the temperature in the particulate filter.

Abstract: Vehicles and systems and methods for providing rearview displays for vehicles are provided. An exemplary system is provided for a vehicle having a gate moveable between closed configuration and opened configurations. The system includes a camera mounted to the gate and configured to collect dynamic pixel images of an area behind the vehicle; a display screen configured to display the collected dynamic pixel images; and memory configured to include executable instructions and a processor configured to execute executable instructions that enable the processor to crop the collected dynamic pixel images to display a lower portion of the collected dynamic pixel images on the display screen when the gate is in the closed configuration, and to crop the collected dynamic pixel images to display an upper portion of the collected dynamic pixel images on the display screen when the gate is in the opened configuration.

Abstract: A method of aftertreatment regeneration includes routing exhaust gases from a diesel engine through an exhaust system and initiating a nitrogen dioxide based aftertreatment regeneration of a diesel particulate filter (DPF) by at least partially de-activating a first DEF injector and an upstream selective catalyst reducer (SCR), increasing levels of Nitric Oxide within exhaust gas from the engine, establishing and maintaining an target exhaust gas temperature at an inlet of the DPF by actively controlling combustion characteristics of the engine, converting, with a diesel oxidation catalyst, (DOC) NO within the exhaust gas entering the DOC to NO2, and converting solid carbon-based particulate matter that has accumulated within the DPF to gaseous carbon dioxide (CO2) and NO by using NO2 as an oxidant.

Abstract: In exemplary embodiments, methods and systems are provided that include: sensors configured to obtain sensor data for a vehicle having both friction braking and regenerative braking capabilities and coupled to a trailer, the sensor data including: friction braking data as to a vehicle friction braking force for the vehicle; and regenerative braking sensor data as to a vehicle regenerative braking force for the vehicle; and a processor coupled to the sensors and configured to at least facilitate controlling braking of the trailer by providing trailer braking force, via instructions provided by the processor, based on both the friction braking data and the regenerative braking sensor data, with a sensitivity toward the vehicle regenerative braking force such that the trailer braking force is affected differently by the vehicle regenerative braking force versus the vehicle friction braking force.

Abstract: A dimension calculation system in a host vehicle for dynamically calculating a vehicle dimension using solar shadow information is disclosed. The system is configured to: calculate solar position and an expected vehicle shadow based on geocode location, time and vehicle dynamics; detect an actual vehicle shadow in an image from a vehicle camera; compare the actual vehicle shadow to an expected vehicle shadow; determine a dimension profile and max height point for a vehicle plus vehicle cargo based on a comparison of the actual vehicle shadow to the expected vehicle shadow; calculate a confidence level for the dimension profile and max height point for the vehicle plus cargo; and use the dimension profile and max height point to provide one or more dimension notifications when the confidence level for the dimension profile and max height point for the vehicle plus cargo are above a first threshold level.

Abstract: An airbag restraint system for a seat for an occupant located in a vehicle includes an airbag. The airbag includes an expandable body that is inflatable from a stowed position into a deployed position and the expandable body of the airbag restraint system is deflated and stored within a cavity defined by the seat back of the seat when the expandable body of the airbag is in the stowed position. The expandable body of the airbag surrounds a portion of a thorax of the occupant of the seat when the expandable body of the airbag restraint system is in the deployed position.