Abstract: Presented are thermomechanical fuses for mitigating heat propagation across electrochemical devices, methods for making and methods for using such fuses, and traction battery packs with load-bearing, sacrificial thermomechanical fuses to help prevent thermal runaway conditions. A battery assembly includes an electrically insulating battery housing with multiple battery cells disposed inside the battery housing. These battery cells are electrically interconnected, in series or parallel, and stacked in side-by-side facing relation to form adjacent, mutually parallel stacks of battery cells. Thermomechanical fuses thermally connect neighboring stacks of the battery cells. Each thermomechanical fuse is formed, in whole or in part, from a dielectric material that undergoes deterioration or deformation at a predefined critical temperature; in so doing, the thermomechanical fuse thermally disconnects a first stack of cells from a neighboring second stack of cells.

Abstract: A sensor lens assembly includes a cylindrical sensor body including a lower surface, a sensor lens surface, and a side surface extending between the lower surface and an outer edge of the sensor lens surface, a sensor enclosed within the cylindrical sensor body and adjacent to the sensor lens surface, and a nozzle configured to deliver a fluid near a center point of the sensor lens surface. The sensor lens surface is concave and rotates relative to the side surface of the cylindrical sensor body such that centrifugal force causes the fluid to form a film on the sensor lens surface that acts as a barrier, cushion, and particle collecting medium on the sensor lens surface.

Abstract: A method for predicting a rotor temperature of an electric motor for an electric vehicle. The method includes measuring at least one of an operating parameter of the electric motor; inputting the at least one of the operating parameter of the electric motor into a predetermined regression model to predict a rotor temperature of the electric motor; and communicating the rotor temperature of the electric motor to a vehicle control module for managing the electric motor. The operating parameters includes a measured stator temperature, a torque level output, a rotor speed, and a coolant flowrate of the fixture electric motor. The electric motor may be that of an induction motor.

Abstract: An electrode heat treatment device and associated method for fabricating an electrode are described, and include forming a workpiece, including coating a current collector with a slurry. The workpiece is placed on a first spool, and the first spool including the workpiece is placed in a sealable chamber, wherein the sealable chamber includes the first spool, a heat exchange work space, and a second spool. An inert environment is created in the sealable chamber. The workpiece is subjected to a multi-step continuous heat treatment operation in the inert environment, wherein the multi-step continuous heat treatment operation includes continuously transferring the workpiece through the heat exchange work space between the first spool and the second spool and controlling the heat exchange work space to an elevated temperature.

Abstract: A modular stator-inverter assembly for an electric machine includes a stator and a traction power inverter module (“TPIM”). The stator includes a stator core having a center axis, an inner diameter (“ID”), an outer diameter (“OD”), and electrical conductors forming stator windings. Stator teeth extending radially toward the center axis from the ID collectively define stator slots occupied by the stator windings. Each adjacent pair of stator teeth defines a respective stator slot. The TPIM delivers a polyphase voltage to the stator windings to generate a predetermined number of stator poles, such that the stator has either two, three, or four of the stator slots per electric phase per stator pole. The stator defines a center cavity and is configured to receive a selected rotor from an inventory of preconfigured machine rotors. The inventory includes multiple synchronous reluctance machine rotors and an induction machine rotor.

Abstract: A method for constructing a rotor assembly for use with a rotary electric machine includes forming annular rotor laminations from metal blanks. Each lamination has a radial axis and an outer diameter surface. Multiple magnet web regions are defined in proximity to the outer diameter surface. Each web regions includes asymmetrical openings defined by a radially-extending strut and arcuate peripheral bridges. The method includes coaxially stacking the laminations into a rotor stack, including positioning every other lamination a predetermined angular distance with to unmask the bridges and/or struts and mask remaining surface area of the laminations. The rotor stack is subjected to a heat-treating process to harden only the unmasked bridges and/or struts. The method includes connecting a rotor shaft to the stack to construct the rotor assembly, with the web regions corresponding to a respective rotor magnetic pole.

Abstract: A method for perception-sharing between similarly-situated vehicles that are traveling on a portion of a roadway that is equipped with an intelligent vehicle highway system is described, and includes executing, in a multi-access edge computing cluster in communication with a roadside unit disposed to monitor a roadway, an application-layer routine. The application-layer routine includes collecting real-time data associated with a plurality of objects from each of the similarly-situated vehicles, predicting motion of each of the plurality of objects based upon the real-time data, object-matching the motion of each of the plurality of objects, and executing fusion of the plurality of objects based upon the object-matching of the motion of each of the plurality of objects. Locations of the similarly-situated vehicles traveling on the roadway are identified based upon the fusion of the plurality of objects. The locations are communicated to one of the similarly-situated vehicles.

Abstract: A method for dynamically determining a mass of a vehicle including a propulsion system coupled to a drive wheel is described, and includes monitoring vehicle operating conditions, executing an event-based estimation method based upon the vehicle operating conditions to determine a first vehicle mass state, and executing a recursive estimation method based upon the vehicle operating conditions to determine a second vehicle mass state. A final vehicle mass is determined based upon the first and second vehicle mass states.

Abstract: A method for controlling a vehicle includes providing a first vehicle having a deflection system, a control system includes a controller electronically connected to the deflection system, and a first tow connection, the deflection system including a movable deflection member and at least one actuator coupled to the deflection member, providing a second vehicle coupled to the first vehicle, the second vehicle having a second tow connection, providing at least one sensor coupled to the first vehicle and electronically connected to the control system, the at least one sensor configured to capture data corresponding to a frontal area of the second vehicle, monitoring, by the controller, sensor data received from the at least one sensor, and automatically generating, by the controller, a control signal to control the at least one actuator.

Abstract: A rechargeable energy storage system includes a battery pack and a battery controller. The battery pack has a voltage current temperature module and multiple battery modules. Respective battery modules have multiple battery cells and are operable to store a module identifier that encodes at least one parameter of the battery cells, receive a configuration request from the voltage current temperature module, and transfer the module identifier to the voltage current temperature module in response to the configuration request. The battery controller is in communication with the voltage current temperature module and is operable to send a status request to the voltage current temperature module, receive the plurality of module identifiers from the voltage current temperature module in response to the status request, and compare the module identifiers to determine either a match or at least one mismatch among the module identifiers of the battery modules.

Abstract: An endgate striker assembly engageable with an endgate latch, wherein the endgate striker assembly has a striker and an overmolded-annular shoulder. The striker has an attachment portion at one end, a head at the opposite end and a cylindrical shaft between the attachment portion and the head. The overmolded-annular shoulder is between the cylindrical shaft and the attachment portion. The overmolded-annular shoulder has an annular damper and an annular shoulder. The annular damper is molded over the surface of the annular shoulder facing the cylindrical shaft and at least part of the outer circumferential surface of the annular shoulder.

Abstract: A method of facilitating on-demand wireless connectivity and data pooling with a vehicle platoon. The method includes detecting a potential host vehicle within a predetermined radius from the requesting vehicle; sending a request message to the potential host vehicle requesting to join the potential host vehicle in a vehicle platoon and to execute an application (APP) by utilizing the vehicle platoon's mobile edge computing (MEC) capabilities; sending a reply message by the host vehicle to join the potential host vehicle in the vehicle platoon; joining the potential host vehicle, by the requesting vehicle, in the vehicle platoon; and wirelessly transmitting to the potential host vehicle in the utilization of the host vehicle's MEC capabilities by pooling the APP data. The vehicle platoon is configured with an advance driver assisted system (ADAS) wireless communications, and MEC capabilities. A MEC module is disposed in at least one of the platoon vehicles.

Abstract: An attachment mechanism including a first clamp member having a V-shaped first clamping end and a second clamp member having a V-shaped second clamping end and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a relative position of the first clamp member and the second clamp member. The first and second clamp members are configured to translate toward and away from each other via force exerted by the adjustment mechanism such that the first and second clamping ends translate between an engaged and a disengaged position.

Abstract: A sunroof panel and sunshade assembly system includes a moveable sunroof panel operable to selectively move to a first closed position within a sunroof opening of a vehicle and a sunshade operable to selectively move to a second closed position within the sunroof opening. The sunshade includes a leading-edge portion and a spring force displacement member within the leading-edge portion of the sunshade, wherein the spring force displacement member is operable to deform when the sunshade contacts an obstruction while the sunshade is moving. The system further includes an electric machine providing motive force to the sunshade and a computerized sunroof panel and sunshade controller. The controller operates programming to monitor operation of the electric machine, determine a presence of the obstruction based upon the monitored operation, and command the electric machine to stop and reverse the sunshade based upon the determined presence.

Abstract: A vehicle trim assembly includes a first trim component having an interior facing surface and an exterior facing surface, the first trim component including an extended portion, a second trim component including an edge defining a groove configured to engage with the extended portion of the first trim component, and a single chip sensor overmolded with the second trim component such that the single chip sensor is integrated into the second trim component. The single chip sensor is formed with the second trim component in a multi-shot injection molding process.

Abstract: A method for generating energy-optimized travel routes for a motor vehicle includes one or more of the following: receiving an origin destination (OD) of the motor vehicle and an encrypted energy consumption database of the motor vehicle; generating N candidate routes for the OD; evaluating encrypted energy consumption over a route using an encrypted energy consumption database; applying at least one of homomorphic addition function or homomorphic multiplication function to the encrypted energy consumption data; and returning N candidate routes and their encrypted energy consumption to a client.

Abstract: An assembly includes a panel member and an acoustic sink member. The panel member has a panel edge, and first and second long axes defining a plane. The panel member has a first material composition. The acoustic sink member has a body with a periphery which is coupled to the panel edge. The body has a second material composition, which is distinct from the first material composition. An acoustic impedance of the sink member at the periphery is equal to an acoustic impedance of the panel member at the panel edge, and the body has a cross-sectional profile defined by a power law.

Abstract: A controller of a host system executes a method for detecting an external AC electrical device. While an AC charging inlet of the host system is electrically connected to the device via different vehicle-to-live (V2L) and jump-charge connections, the controller detects a control pilot voltage and a proximity voltage. When the control pilot voltage is 0V, the controller determines whether entry conditions are satisfied indicative of a desire to offload power from the host system to the device. When the entry conditions are satisfied, the proximity or control pilot voltage are modulated to generate a modulated voltage signal, which the controller compares to an expected voltage indicative of the device. Power is offloaded to the device when the modulated voltage signal matches the expected voltage.