Abstract: Presented are electrochemical devices with in-stack pressure sensors, methods for making/using such devices, and battery cells with electrode stacks having an electrode separator assembly with a piezoelectric layer for in-stack pressure sensing and dendrite cleaning. An electric machine, such as a lithium-class secondary battery cell for example, includes a device housing with an ion-conducting electrolyte located inside the device housing. A stack of working electrodes is also located inside the device housing, in electrochemical contact with the electrolyte. At least one electrode separator assembly is located inside the device housing, interposed between a neighboring pair of the working electrodes. The electrode separator assembly includes a pair of separator layers that transmit therethrough the ions of the electrolyte, and a piezoelectric layer that is interposed between the two separator layers.

Abstract: A polymeric gel electrolyte for an electrochemical cell, such as a solid-state battery, is provided herein as well an electrochemical cell including the polymeric gel electrolyte. The polymeric gel electrolyte includes one or more lithium salts, a plasticizer component, an additive component, and a polymeric host. Examples of the plasticizer component include a carbonate, a lactone, a nitrile, a sulfone, an ether, a phosphate, and combinations thereof. The additive component includes a boron-containing additive and a carbonate-containing additive.

Abstract: A robotic system for use with a payload includes a robot, a passive compliance mechanism, position sensors, and an electronic control unit (ECU). Actuated joints of the robot provide the robotic system with actuated degrees of freedom (DOF). The compliance mechanism is connected to the robot and payload, and has unactuated joints providing the robotic system with unactuated DOF. The sensors measure joint positions of the joints. The ECU has a trajectory generator block which generates a payload trajectory signal in response to dynamic control inputs, and an impedance control unit (ICU) applying damping and stiffness parameters to the payload trajectory signal to generate an initial velocity command. A stiction compensation block allows the robotic system to generate a velocity offset, and applies the velocity offset to the initial velocity command to produce a final velocity command for the robot.

Abstract: An interconnect board assembly includes a busbar assembly with at least one track having a plurality of busbars. The interconnect board assembly may be used with a power module having a plurality of battery cells. The interconnect board assembly includes a senseline assembly having a plurality of traces extending in proximity to the at least one track. An overmolded board frame is integrally formed over the busbar assembly and the senseline assembly. The overmolded board frame defines a first surface and a second surface. The overmolded board frame is configured such that a rigid load path is completed when the busbar assembly is joined to the senseline assembly and the plurality of battery cells.

Abstract: A system for detecting a lithium dendrite in a battery cell is provided. The system includes the battery cell including an anode and a cathode. The battery cell further includes a conductive prewarning layer disposed between the anode and the cathode and constructed with a porous material. The battery cell further includes a separator layer disposed between the conductive prewarning layer and the cathode, wherein the separator layer is configured for allowing ions to pass through the separator layer. The system further includes a sensor electrically connected to the anode and the conductive prewarning layer and monitoring data related to a voltage potential between the anode and the conductive prewarning layer. The data is useful to identify a decrease in the voltage potential between the anode and the conductive prewarning layer and diagnose existence of the lithium dendrite.

Abstract: A battery system includes a battery housing having an interior compartment. A battery pack, including a plurality of battery cells, is in the interior compartment of the housing. A vessel defines an interior chamber and includes an air inlet, an oxygen discharge port, and an inert gas discharge port each in communication with the interior chamber. An oxygen separation material is in the chamber and is configured to separate oxygen from air supplied through the air inlet and to direct the oxygen to the oxygen discharge port. The oxygen separation material is further configured to direct remaining oxygen deficient air to the inert gas discharge port. The inert gas discharge port in communication with the interior compartment of the battery housing.

Abstract: Presented are intelligent control systems for flexible notification and management of in-vehicle assets, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles equipped with such systems. A method of operating a motor vehicle includes a vehicle controller detecting, via a resident communications interface (RCI) device, an electronic asset within a compartment of the motor vehicle. Responsive to detecting the asset, the controller accesses a memory device to retrieve device data specific to the asset. This device data contains a set of conditional criteria predetermined to protect the asset while in the vehicle compartment. The controller also detects when the vehicle is stopped; upon detecting the vehicle has stopped, the controller determines if any one of the conditional criteria has been met. If so, the controller responsively commands one or more resident vehicle subsystems of the vehicle to execute one or more automated control operations to protect the asset while inside the vehicle.

Abstract: In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method is provided for training a trainee using an autonomous vehicle, the method including: measuring, via one or more sensors, one or more manual inputs from the trainee with respect to controlling the autonomous vehicle; determining, via a processor using an autonomous driving algorithm stored in a memory of the autonomous vehicle, one or more recommended actions for the autonomous vehicle; comparing, via the processor, the one or more manual inputs from the trainee with the one or more recommended actions for the autonomous vehicle, generating a comparison; and determining, via the processor, a score for the trainee based on the comparison between the one or more manual inputs from the trainee with the one or more recommended actions for the autonomous vehicle.

Abstract: A battery module comprises a plurality of secondary battery cells arranged side-by-side; and a flame-retardant composition disposed atop the plurality of secondary battery cells; where the flame-retardant composition comprises a first composition and a second composition. The first composition comprises porous particles upon which are disposed a first metal catalyst particle and a first flame-retardant particle. The second composition comprises a fibrous composition that comprises a fibrous substrate upon which is disposed a second metal catalyst particle and a second flame-retardant particle.

Abstract: A method of deactivating a secondary lock feature of a vehicle includes sensing a movement of an interior door handle, and determining a status of the secondary lock feature to ascertain whether the secondary lock feature is active. The method includes starting a timer to measure an elapsed time since sensing the movement of the interior door handle, sensing an environmental condition of an interior passenger compartment of the vehicle with a sensor, and setting an unlock delay time based on the environmental condition. When the secondary lock feature is disposed in an active state and the elapsed time period is greater than or equal to the unlock delay time, the method includes automatically generating a control signal to thereby deactivate the secondary lock feature.

Abstract: A capacitor-assisted battery module includes a housing, a positive terminal, a negative terminal, one or more capacitor-assisted battery cells and one or more first switches. The one or more capacitor-assisted battery cells are disposed in the housing and include one or more battery terminals and one or more capacitor terminals. The one or more battery terminals are connected to battery electrodes. The one or more capacitor terminals are connected to capacitor electrodes. At least one of the one or more battery terminals and the capacitor terminals is connected to the negative terminal. One or more first switches is configured to connect the one or more capacitor terminals to the positive terminal. An overall voltage of the capacitor assisted battery module is measured across the positive terminal and the negative terminal.

Abstract: An interior permanent magnet motor having controllable coolant distribution is provided. The motor comprises a motor housing and a rotary shaft connected to a rotor rotatably disposed in the housing. The motor further comprises a stator unit disposed in the housing and comprising conductive windings arranged about the rotor. The windings have a straight portion radially extending to an end-turn portion. The motor further comprises an oil sump disposed on the housing above the stator unit. The oil sump comprises a reservoir having an inner side and an outer side. The reservoir has at least one aperture formed therethrough over the end-turn portion. The motor further comprises a movable nozzle having a first open end extending to a second open end. The first open end is connected to the at least one aperture such that the movable nozzle and reservoir are in fluid communication.

Abstract: One general aspect includes a system having one or more heat pads installed at a vehicle, the one or more heat pads configured to provide infrared energy transmissions to a vehicle component to defrost, defog, or both defrost and defog a surface of the vehicle component. The system may also carry out the following steps: (a) determining that ice or fog or both ice and fog has accumulated on the surface of the vehicle component; and (b) based on the determination made in step (a), activating the one or more heat pads to defrost, defog, or both defrost and defog a surface of the vehicle component.

Abstract: A method for using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to perform a maneuver in a land vehicle is provided. The method includes: receiving digitized radar return data from a radar transmission from a SAR onboard the vehicle; accumulating a plurality of frames of the digitized radar return data; applying a RADON transform to the accumulated plurality of frames of the digitized radar return data and odometry data from the vehicle to generate transformed frames of data for each three-dimensional point, wherein the RADON transform is configured to perform coherent integration for each three-dimensional point, project a radar trajectory onto each three-dimensional point, and project Doppler information onto each three-dimensional point; generating a two-dimensional map of an area covered by the radar transmission from the SAR based on the transformed frames of data for each three-dimensional point; and performing a maneuver with the land vehicle by applying the generated two-dimensional map.

Abstract: A busbar assembly includes a base having a width and a length. The base has a first surface and a second surface and has a first side and a second side. A distance between the first side and the second side comprises the width, and the base defines a slot centered between approximately 75% and approximately 79% of the width.

Abstract: A synchronous machine having a hybrid rotor excitation. The synchronous machine includes a rotor having a plurality of permanent magnets and electromagnets embedded within a rotor body. The permanent magnets produces a constant magnet field having a magnetic axis along a direct axis (D-axis). The electromagnets produces a variable magnetic field along a magnetic axis offset from the D-axis, preferable substantially orthogonal to the D-axis. The plurality of permanent magnets are separated from the electromagnets by a rotor air-gap. The plurality of permanent magnets includes inner pairs and outer pairs of permanent magnets nested in a V-shaped configuration. In another embodiment, the outer pairs of permanent magnets are replaced with outer radius electromagnets.

Abstract: Examples described herein provide a computer-implemented method that includes defining, by a processing device, a plurality of parameters so that any orthogonal intersection can be described. The method further includes building, by the processing device, an orthogonal parameterized model that can represent any orthogonal intersection based at least in part on the plurality of parameters that can describe any intersection of interest. The method further includes expanding, by the processing device, the orthogonal parameterized model to generate a fully parameterized intersection model that accounts for intersection complexities. The method further includes building, by the processing device, a low-fidelity analytical that computes various metrics based on the fully parameterized intersection model.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a coated separator including a porous separator and a ceramic coating disposed on one or more surfaces thereof. The ceramic coating includes a ceramic material and an additive selected from the group consisting of: lithium nitrate (LiNO3), lithium phosphate (LiPO3), lithium orthophosphate (Li3PO4), lithium difluoro (oxalate) borate (LiDBoB), cyclic sulfone, polysulfide, lithium halide salts, and combinations thereof. In certain variations, the coated separator is prepared by contacting the porous separator with a slurry including the ceramic material and the additive. In other variations, the coated separator is prepared by forming a ceramic coating on one or more surfaces of a porous separator and contacting the porous separator with the additive, for example by immersing, or alternatively, a spraying process.

Abstract: A method of forming a component includes providing a work-piece blank from a formable material. The work-piece blank includes at least one section having a surface roughness greater than 1 µm configured to facilitate efficient radiation of thermal energy therefrom when the work-piece blank is heated. The method also includes austenitizing the work-piece blank via heating the work-piece blank at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined amount of time to achieve an austenite microstructure in the at least one section and forestall oxidation of the work-piece blank. The method additionally includes transferring the austenitized work-piece blank into a forming press. The method also includes forming the component via the forming press from the austenitized work-piece blank. The method additionally includes quenching the component formed from the austenitized work-piece blank and cooling the formed component.