Abstract: A system for fuel cell membrane edge protection includes a fuel cell including a fuel-cell membrane-subgasket assembly. The assembly includes an anode gas diffusion electrode and a cathode gas diffusion electrode configured for facilitating an electrochemical reaction. The reaction creates water as a by-product. The assembly further includes a proton exchange membrane disposed between the electrodes and a subgasket. The subgasket includes an interior aperture portion defined by a perimeter and is connected to the anode gas diffusion electrode and the membrane about the perimeter such that an area of overlap between the subgasket, the electrode, and the membrane exists around the perimeter. The assembly further includes a carbon paper layer spanning the interior aperture portion. The layer includes patterned wettability and is configured to move the water away from the area of overlap into a center portion of the layer.

Abstract: A battery assembly includes a first plurality of battery cells, a second plurality of battery cells, and an intermediate layer arranged in a stack. Each of the first plurality of battery cells includes a first cathode, a first cathode current collector, a first anode, a first anode current collector, and a first solid state separator, and each of the second plurality of battery cells includes a second cathode, a second cathode current collector, a second anode, a second anode current collector, and a second solid state separator. The first cathode current collectors are electrically connected in parallel to a first terminal, and the second anode current collectors are electrically connected in parallel to a second terminal. The first anode current collectors of the first plurality of battery cells are electrically connected and are electrically connected to the second cathode current collectors of the second plurality of battery cells.

Abstract: Presented are intelligent vehicle systems for thermal event mitigation during vehicle towing, methods for making/using such systems, and vehicles equipped with such intelligent control systems. A method of operating a host vehicle includes a resident or remote vehicle controller verifying the host vehicle is an incapacitated state. Responsive to the incapacitation of the host vehicle, the controller detects the host vehicle being towed by a tow vehicle and identifies a wireless-enabled portable computing device (PCD) within a predefined range of the host vehicle. Responsive to the host vehicle being towed, the controller determines if the wireless-enabled PCD is on the tow vehicle while towing the host vehicle. Upon detection of a thermal event in at least one battery cell in the host vehicle's battery system while the host vehicle is being towed, the controller responsively commands a resident vehicle subsystem to execute a control operation to mitigate the thermal event.

Abstract: An apparatus for a battery cell is provided. The apparatus includes the battery cell. The battery cell includes an electrode stack including at least one pair of an anode electrode and a cathode electrode and a can including a wall encapsulating the electrode stack. The battery cell further includes a positive battery terminal connected to the electrode stack and projecting outside of the can. The battery cell further includes a negative battery terminal connected to the electrode stack. The positive battery terminal and the negative battery terminal are configured for providing electrical energy. The battery cell further includes a thermal barrier adjoining the can and the positive battery terminal. The thermal barrier seals gases within the battery cell from exiting the battery cell between the can and the positive battery terminal at an ambient temperature of at least 600° C.

Abstract: An example method includes receiving a wakeup request from a device from a vehicle. The wakeup request indicates that the device desires to perform a task that consumes electrical power from a battery of the vehicle. The method further includes assigning a priority to the wakeup request. The method further includes queuing the wakeup request according to a wakeup schedule. The method further includes, responsive to a current time satisfying the wakeup schedule, performing the task based at least in part on the priority.

Abstract: A mobile locker includes one or more dispensing units. Each dispensing unit consists of an accessible product space where each product space also includes a temperature monitor. A passible environmental control incudes a multiple of containers located around the perimeter of each accessible product space. Further, each of the containers incorporates a phase change material (PCM) that is used to temperature condition each accessible product space.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for predicting microhardness properties of a weld that defines a weld joint between at least two workpieces. The system includes a processor programmed to: receive temperature data that includes temperature values each attributed to a corresponding one of a plurality of points of the weld at corresponding times during a welding process used to produce the weld, determine peak temperature values and cooling rate values for each of the points of the weld based on the temperature values, predict a three-dimensional (3D) distribution of microhardness values of the weld based on a machine learning method that evaluates the peak temperature values and the cooling rate values, and generate display data based on the 3D distribution of microhardness values.

Abstract: Lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles and methods of making such lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles are provided herein. The method includes combining precursor zeolite particles with (NH4)3PO4 to form a first mixture including intermediate zeolite particles including NH4+ cations. The method further includes adding a lithium salt to the first mixture to form the lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles, or separating the intermediate zeolite particle from the first mixture and combining the intermediate zeolite particles with the lithium salt to form the lithium ion-exchanged zeolite particles.

Abstract: An apparatus and methods for testing a trailer light system including a trailer connector for coupling a first voltage to a first trailer light and a second voltage to a second trailer light, a transmission state detector for determining a vehicle transmission state, and a trailer interface module for detecting an electrical connection to a trailer at the trailer connection, and for applying the first voltage to the trailer connector and the second voltage to the trailer connector in response to the detection of the electrical connection and the vehicle transmission state being in a park state.

Abstract: A method for displaying infrastructure information on a multi-focal plane augmented reality display of a vehicle includes receiving infrastructure data. The infrastructure data includes information about a location of at least one infrastructure along a route of the vehicle. The method further includes receiving vehicle-location data. The vehicle-location data includes information about a location of the vehicle. The method further includes determining a position of the vehicle relative to the location of the least one infrastructure using the infrastructure data and the vehicle-location data. The method further includes transmitting a command signal to the multi-focal plane augmented reality display to display a virtual image showing the infrastructure information of the infrastructure on the multi-focal plane augmented reality display.

Abstract: A data analytics system for a vehicle includes one or more controllers having a multi-layered control software architecture including two or more software layers and a health monitoring structure. The one or more controllers execute instructions to receive a fault, and in response to receiving the fault, generate, by the health monitoring structure, a plurality of unique triggers as the fault propagates throughout the multi-layered control software architecture. The controllers build a network including a plurality of propagation paths and identify one or more main propagation paths that are part of the network based on a data analysis of a mock big data set. The one or more controllers build a complete propagation pathway including two or more main propagation paths. In response to determining only one main propagation path, the controllers determine a root cause of the fault based on the only one main propagation path.

Abstract: A system for real-time video streaming for a vehicle includes a camera system configured to capture videos of an environment surrounding the vehicle. The system also includes a vehicle communication system configured to communicate with a remote server and a vehicle controller in electrical communication with the camera system and the vehicle communication system. The vehicle controller is programmed to determine a system enablement state. The vehicle controller is further programmed to determine a camera system configuration in response to determining that the system enablement state is a system enabled state. The vehicle controller is further programmed to capture at least one video frame using the camera system based at least in part on the camera system configuration. The vehicle controller is further programmed to transmit the at least one video frame to the remote server using the vehicle communication system.

Abstract: A robotic system includes a support structure, a motor mount assembly, first and second parallel chains, a serial translation assembly, a sensor and a control module. The motor mount assembly includes rotary motors, where the rotary motors include a first rotary motor and a second rotary motor. The first and second parallel chains are connected to the movable platform, the rotary motors and the motor mount assembly. The serial translation assembly is connected to the supporting structure and the motor mount assembly and includes a linear actuator and a third rotary motor. The sensor is connected to the movable platform and detects force applied by a human operator on the movable platform and generates a signal indicative of the force applied. The control module controls the rotary motors and the third rotary motor based on the signal to assist the human operator in moving the movable platform.