Abstract: A control system for a rotary electric machine includes an inverter including a plurality of power switches, a heat exchanger, first temperature sensors arranged to monitor the power switches, a second temperature sensor arranged to monitor the heat exchanger, and a controller. An expected power loss is determined based upon electric current, switching functions, and electrical characteristics of the power switches. A plurality of power capacity terms are determined based upon the expected power loss in the inverter, the temperatures of the power switches, and the temperature of the heat exchanger. The inverter is controlled based upon the aforementioned power capacities.

Abstract: A system of managing charging schedules in a fleet having electric vehicles includes a command unit. The command unit has a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. The command unit is adapted to define a plurality of discharge categories, including a transportation category, a transfer category and a reserve energy category. The respective battery power in the electric vehicles is proportioned by setting a respective percentage allocation for the plurality of discharge categories. The command unit is adapted to signal the electric vehicles to charge when at least one of the plurality of discharge categories falls below the respective percentage allocation. The command unit may be adapted to group the electric vehicles in respective virtual boxes based in part on their respective physical locations.

Abstract: The concepts described herein provide a method, apparatus, and system for controlling an inverter by modifying duty cycles of the PWM control signals in a manner that achieves a minimum duration between consecutive switching events in the inverter, which serves to reduce common mode current in the bearing(s) of an attached rotary electric machine. To minimize the effect of additional current and voltage ripple into the system, the minimum switching duration is defined in relation to a modulation index and geometric location near the sector boundaries of the respective inverter voltage space vector diagram.

Abstract: A battery charging system includes a charger that is dynamically controlled during charging, including during rapid charging events that include elevated voltage and/or elevated current levels. The charger is connectable to a battery cell of a rechargeable energy storage system. Operation includes transferring electric power having a charging current at a maximum charging rate to the battery cell. An anode potential offset setpoint is determined. A predicted anode potential offset is determined at an interface between the anode and the separator based upon the cell voltage for the battery cell. The charger is controlled to transfer the electric power to the battery cell based upon a temperature distribution in the battery cell and a difference between the anode potential offset setpoint and the predicted anode potential offset.

Abstract: Vehicles and related systems and methods are provided for controlling a vehicle in an autonomous operating mode. One method involves identifying an object in a potential incursion zone corresponding to a lane adjacent to a current lane of travel for the vehicle, determining an estimated time in zone associated with the object, and in response to determining the estimated time in zone is greater than a threshold, determining a longitudinal adjustment strategy to reduce the estimated time in zone associated with the object, determining an adjusted speed for the vehicle in accordance with the longitudinal adjustment strategy, determining a longitudinal trajectory for the vehicle within the current lane of travel based at least in part on the adjusted speed, and autonomously operating one or more actuators onboard the vehicle in accordance with the longitudinal trajectory.

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: A method for forming an electrode for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions is provided. The method includes contacting a precursor electroactive material and a conductive material to a polymeric solution including a first solvent and a binder material to form a first admixture; applying a mixing force to the first admixture to form a first mixture; drying the first mixture to form a plurality of electroactive material agglomerates, each agglomerate including an electroactive material particle in contact with the conductive material via the binder material; contacting the plurality of electroactive material agglomerates to a second solvent to form a second admixture, the binder material being insoluble in the second solvent; applying a mixing force to the second admixture to form a second mixture; and disposing the second mixture on or near one or more surfaces of a current collector to form the electrode.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a housing, a rotor rotatably mounted to the housing, and a stator mounted to the housing about the rotor. The stator includes a stator body formed from a plurality of laminations. The plurality of laminations include an outer annular surface defining a radius, an inner annular surface spaced from the rotor, and a plurality of radially inwardly extending stator teeth spaced one from another by plurality of gaps. Each of the plurality of gaps extend along the radius and include an opening exposed at the inner annular surface. The opening has a first side portion and a second side portion each extending at an angle relative to the radius.

Abstract: An inflatable structure includes a top end cap, a bottom end cap, a bladder attached to the top and bottom end caps and configured to hold pressurized air, a plurality of tethers disposed within the bladder, the inflatable structure moveable between a stowed profile and a final support profile, wherein the bladder is pressurized and expanded axially and the plurality of tethers are fully extended and restrict further movement of the top end cap and the bottom end cap away from one another and limit axial expansion of the bladder, a pulley assembly mounted within the bottom end cap, wherein in the stowed support profile, the plurality of tethers are wound onto the pulley assembly, the pulley assembly adapted to allow selective extension of the tethers allowing axial expansion of the bladder, wherein, the inflatable structure is adapted to provide multiple intermediary support profiles capable of supporting compressive loading.

Abstract: A method for preparing a press-hardened steel component is provided. The method includes forming a heated blank by heating a steel alloy blank to a first temperature in a first zone of a furnace having two or more zones, and after the heating of the steel alloy blank to the first temperature, heating the steel alloy blank to a second temperature in a second zone of the furnace. The second temperature is greater than the first temperature. The first zone has a first flow rate for a protective gas, and the second zone has a second flow rate for the protective gas that is greater than the first flow rate. The method further includes stamping and quenching the heated blank at a constant rate to a temperature between a martensite finish temperature of the steel alloy defining the steel alloy blank and room temperature to form the press-hardened steel component.

Abstract: An engine consumes fuel and air to generate an exhaust gas stream. An exhaust system channels the exhaust gas stream from the engine to a tailpipe. An aftertreatment system is included in the exhaust system and includes a catalyst. An exhaust throttle valve is disposed in the exhaust system downstream from the aftertreatment system. An actuator controls an amount of air pumped through the engine. A controller operates the exhaust throttle valve and/or the actuator to control emissions from the exhaust system during a cold start and following a deceleration fuel cutoff event.

Abstract: An event scheduling system for collecting image data related to one or more events by one or more autonomous vehicles includes a centralized scheduling system in wireless communication with one or more autonomous vehicles. Each autonomous vehicle collects the image data related to the one or more events while following a unique travel schedule. The centralized scheduling system executes instructions to determine the unique travel schedule for a specific autonomous vehicle, where the unique travel schedule directs the specific autonomous vehicle to the specific location of the filtered event to collect the image data.

Abstract: The present disclosure pertains to motion-generating particles for desulfation of lead-acid batteries, lead-acid batteries including such motion-generating particles, and methods of making and using the same. For example, the present disclosure provides a lead-acid battery including one or more electroactive plates disposed within a casing; an electrolyte disposed within the casing and surrounding the electroactive plates; a plurality of ferromagnetic particles disposed with the electrolyte within the casing; and one or more electromagnets. The one or more electromagnets may be configured to direct a magnetic field towards the electrolyte to selectively cause movement of the plurality of ferromagnetic particles so as to agitate the electrolyte.

Abstract: A removable panel retainer includes a flexible substrate having a surface defining a first axis. A clip member is moveably mounted to the flexible substrate in a direction substantially parallel to the first axis. A release member is moveably mounted relative to the flexible substrate along a second axis that is distinct from the first axis. Shifting the release member towards the flexible substrate releases the clip member to shift along the first axis.

Abstract: Systems and methods to perform behavioral planning in an autonomous vehicle from a reference state involve generating a set of actions of a fixed size and fixed order according to a predefined methodology. Each action is a semantic instruction for a next motion of the vehicle. A set of trajectories is generated from the set of actions as an instruction indicating a path and a velocity profile to generate steering angles and accelerations for implementation by the vehicle. A trajectory filter is applied to filter the set of trajectories such that unfiltered trajectories are candidate trajectories. Applying the trajectory filter includes assessing the path and velocity profile indicated by each of the set of trajectories. A selected trajectory is used to control the vehicle or the action that corresponds to the selected trajectory is used in trajectory planning to generate a final trajectory that is used to control the vehicle.

Abstract: A windshield corrective optical system includes a motor vehicle having a windshield. A camera is positioned within an occupant compartment of the motor vehicle directed toward the windshield and receiving light rays passing through the windshield. A sensor is configured to receive the light rays. A corrective element is configured to allow passage of the light rays through the corrective element to the sensor. The corrective element corrects aberrations of the light rays induced by passing through the windshield prior to the light rays reaching the sensor.

Abstract: A hitch system for automatically coupling a hitch accessory that has an attachment bar assembly with a hitch receiver. The attachment bar assembly includes a housing bar that is tubular, with a pin-hole through the housing bar. A pin-lever is pivotably mounted in the housing bar and includes a pin configured to retract into the housing bar and to extend out of the pin-hole. A ramp-component is disposed in the housing bar and is engageable with the pin-lever. An actuator selectively moves the ramp-component to retract the pin into the housing bar and to extend the pin out of the housing bar, by selectively enabling pivoting of the pin-lever.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle is described herein. The autonomous vehicle generates segmentation scenes based upon lidar data generated by a lidar sensor system of the autonomous vehicle. The lidar data includes points indicative of positions of objects in a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle. The segmentation scenes comprise regions that are indicative of the objects in the driving environment. The autonomous vehicle generates scores for each segmentation scene based upon characteristics of each segmentation scenes and selects a segmentation scene based upon the scores. The autonomous vehicle then operates based upon the segmentation scene.

Abstract: A holographic display system provides a maximum intensity value of an intermediate image to decrease a graphics speckle noise. The system includes an SLM having a display with a hologram generating unit and a plurality of pixels for modulating a beam of coherent light. The system further includes a beam splitter for splitting the beam into an object beam and an intermediate image beam that is associated with an intermediate image having the noise. The system further includes a camera for capturing the intermediate image, in response to the camera receiving the intermediate image beam. The system further includes a computer having a processor and a CRM. The processor is programmed to generate an actuation signal associated with a corrective holographic phase shift to decrease the noise. The SLM modifies in real-time a holographic phase of the beam per pixel, in response to the SLM receiving the actuation signal.

Abstract: Systems and method are provided for notifying an operator of a vehicle of reverse operation of a vehicle. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by a processor, at least one of sensor data and vehicle message data, wherein the sensor data is generated by a sensor of an infrastructure system, and wherein the vehicle message data is generated by a remote vehicle; determining, by the processor, a reverse operation of the remote vehicle based on the at least one of the sensor data and the vehicle message data; and generating, by the processor, notification data based on the reverse operation of the remote vehicle.