Abstract: An additive manufactured piston having a crown portion and a skirt portion form of an aluminum-cerium-silicon alloy. The piston includes a least one recess pocket in an unstressed region located at an interface between an inner surface of the crown portion and an outer surface of the skirt portion. The skirt portion includes an outer panel surface defining an external rib adjacent a peripheral end surface, at least one stiffening rib extending from a pin boss to a skirt end, and a wall thickness of between 0.2 mm and 1.0 mm in a region between the external rib and the at least one stiffening rib. The skirt portion further includes an internal first rib having a width W1 on a thrust side portion and an internal second rib having a width W2 located on an anti-thrust side portion, in which W1 is greater than W2.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method of preparing a coated electroactive material. The method includes providing a plurality of particles including an electroactive material. The method further includes coating the plurality of particles with a conductive polymer. The coating includes preparing a solution of water and the conductive polymer. The coating further includes forming a slurry by combining the solution with the plurality of particles. The method further includes drying the slurry to form the coated electroactive material. The coated electroactive material includes the plurality of particles. Each of the plurality of particles is at least partially coated with the conductive polymer. In certain aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of preparing an electrode including the coated electroactive material.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by the controller, first return data detected by a first detector of a lidar device as a result of a first laser pulse or chirp; receiving, by the controller, second return data detected by a second detector of the lidar device as a result of a second laser pulse or chirp; combining, by the controller, the first return data and the second return data to form a point cloud; and controlling, by the controller, the vehicle based on the point cloud.

Abstract: Apparatus and techniques for analyzing a capacitance value in an electric motor inverter are disclosed. A processor is coupled to a DC-AC inverter, which includes a capacitor across its terminals and is powered by a battery. The processor performs resistor switching to enable singular, periodic measurement of the capacitance. The measured value is compared with a nominal or beginning of life (BOL) value. An alert may be sent if the capacitance has degraded beyond a threshold. In other aspects, the DC torque ripple envelop is used to measure capacitance. The outcome is compared with the other tests to assess consistency. An inconsistent outcome may identify potential resistor degradation.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling a vehicle. In one embodiment, a system includes: a sensor system configured to generate sensor data sensed from an environment of the vehicle; and a control module configured to, by a processor, based on the sensor data, identify a gap in a lane line on a roadway in front of the vehicle, determine at least two points within the gap, determine a curve between the at least two points, compute a correlation measure based on the curve, generate lane stitching data based on data based on the curve and an evaluation of the correlation measure, and controlling one or more components of the vehicle based on the stitching data.

Abstract: Membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells and components thereof are provided. In one example, a membrane electrode assembly includes a generally planar gas-permeable body having opposed first and second faces defining in-plane directions and a through-plane direction, a side face extending about an outer perimeter of the body and adjoining each of the first and second faces, and an active region bounded in the through-plane direction by the first and second faces and in the in-plane directions by an active region perimeter defined generally within the outer perimeter. The active region includes a distribution of a composite compound additive dispersed across at least one of the in-plane and through-plane directions. The composite compound additive includes a metal oxide-containing sub-compound and a tungsten-containing sub-compound.

Abstract: A method for resistance welding at least three steel sheets, a weld structure produced by resistance welding at least three steel sheets and a method for determining weldability solutions when resistance welding at least three steel sheets in a stack are provided. By applying a layer of adhesive/sealer material between a thicker outer sheet of steel and an adjacent thicker inner sheet, thereby generating extra heat that increases penetration into a thinner outer sheet but with no layer of adhesive/sealer material between a thinner outer sheet and an adjacent thicker inner sheet, current density drop issues of a current process are addressed.

Abstract: An electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions includes a first electrolyte, a second electrode, a separating layer disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The first electrolyte includes a nickel-rich positive electroactive material that includes greater than or equal to about 80 mass % of nickel (Ni). The second electrode includes a silicon-based negative electroactive material. The electrochemical cell also includes an electrolyte in contact with at least one of the nickel-rich positive electroactive material in the first electrode and the silicon-based negative electroactive material in the second electrode. The electrolyte includes greater than or equal to about 1.5 wt. % to less than or equal to about 5 wt. % of an electrolyte additive. The electrolyte includes one or more isocyanate functional groups.

Abstract: A system for protecting a prefinished rotor journal of a rotor during a manufacturing process is provided. The system includes a manufacturing fixture. The fixture includes a plurality of supply lines providing a plurality of pressurized flows. The fixture further includes a plurality of static flow bearings configured for suspending the prefinished rotor journal between the plurality of static flow bearings without the prefinished rotor journal contacting the plurality of static flow bearings. Each of the static flow bearings includes a central duct receiving one of the plurality of pressurized flows. The central duct is configured for directing the one of the plurality of pressurized flows at the prefinished rotor journal.

Abstract: A system for vehicle Bluetooth pairing is provided. The system includes a smartphone configured for Bluetooth communication. The system further includes a vehicle including a computerized pairing operation controller configured for Bluetooth communication. The computerized pairing operation controller includes programming to emit a notification signal detectable by the smartphone. The smartphone includes programming to establish proximity to the vehicle based upon the notification signal and establish a Bluetooth low energy connection to the vehicle based upon establishing the proximity. The computerizing pairing operation controller further includes programming to automatically set up a Bluetooth connection after the Bluetooth low energy connection is established.

Abstract: A perception system is adapted to receive visual data from a camera and includes a controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. A subsampling module, an object detection module and an attention module are each selectively executable by the controller. The controller is configured to sample an input image from the visual data to generate a rescaled whole image frame, via the subsampling module. The controller is configured to extract feature data from the rescaled whole image frame, via the object detection module. A region of interest in the rescaled whole image frame is identified, based on an output of the attention module. The controller is configured to generate a first image based on the rescaled whole image frame and a second image based on the region of interest, the second image having a higher resolution than the first image.

Abstract: An optimal control strategy for a distributed low voltage system with unidirectional DC/DC converters is provided. DC/DC converters regulate high electrical voltages from high voltage battery modules and output regulated electrical currents to a low voltage battery. A control system differentially varies electrical currents input to the DC/DC converters to balance states of charge in high voltage battery modules, by: calculating sets of electrical currents that balance states of charge in high voltage battery modules based on values for a low voltage regulator electrical current, in advance to knowing a value for the low voltage regulator electrical current, interpolating the sets of electrical currents to be input to the DC/DC converters in response to receiving the value for low voltage regulator electrical current, and selecting an interpolated set of the electrical currents from the sets as input to the DC/DC converters in accordance with the value received.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for harvesting a static electric charge from suspended particles in an atmosphere includes exposing a charge conductor to the suspended particles in the atmosphere and selectively providing a conductive path between the charge conductor and a terrestrial ground including a rechargeable energy storage device. Energy may be selectively transferred to another energy storage device.

Abstract: A system for torque control of an electric motor in a motor vehicle includes a power inverter that delivers a current to the electric motor to regulate the torque of the electric motor and a model predictive control module that sends a three-phase voltage to the power inverter to control the operation of the power inverter.