Abstract: In various embodiments, methods, systems, and vehicle apparatuses are provided. A method for implementing torque control using a Neural Network (NN) for a torque prediction model to receive a set of measured vehicle operating inputs associated with torque prediction; substituting a set of multiple independent variables into the torque prediction model so that the NN is then taking the form of a simplified pseudo-NN that contains a reduced variable set of one independent variable; processing, the set of measured vehicle operating inputs by the pseudo-NN based on the NN prediction model by using only one independent variable in a pseudo-NN's simplified mathematical expression; and solving for at least one root of the pseudo-NN's simplified mathematical expression by obtaining a root value without having to rely on an inversion operation of a mathematical expression that consists of an entire set of independent variables.

Abstract: Presented are high-voltage electrical systems, control logic, and electric-drive vehicles with optimized motor torque output. A method of operating an electric-drive vehicle includes a controller identifying the vehicle's operating mode and determining calibration settings corresponding to this operating mode. These calibration settings include low and high coolant temperature (CoolTemp) thresholds, and motor-calibrated torque limits as a function of CoolTemp. The controller determines if the present CoolTemp of the power inverter's coolant is greater than the low CoolTemp threshold and less than the high CoolTemp threshold. If so, the controller sets a motor torque limit of the vehicle's electric motor to a torque limit value selected from a fixed torque limit region within the torque limits data between the low and high CoolTemp thresholds.

Abstract: A control system of the autonomous vehicle may generate multiple possible behavior control movements based on the driving goal and the assessment of the vehicle environment. In doing so, the method and system selects one of the best behavior control, among the multiple possible movements, and the selection is based on the quantitative grading of its driving behavior.

Abstract: An electric machine includes a stator with stator slots securing therein electrically conductive windings. A rotor is rotatably mounted adjacent the stator and includes a stack of rotor laminates. Each laminate includes circumferentially spaced poles, each of which includes a magnet slot spaced from an insert slot. These laminate magnet slots cooperatively define the rotor's magnet slots. Likewise, the laminates' insert slots cooperatively define the rotor's insert slots. Magnets are mounted inside the rotor's magnet slots, and non-magnetic inserts are mounted inside the rotor's insert slots. One or more poles of each laminate includes a structural web that extends radially through the magnet and insert slots of that pole. Multiple poles of each rotor laminate lack a radially extending structural web. Each rotor laminate is rotated with respect to a neighboring rotor laminate such that each pole with a structural web axially aligns with a pole without a structural web.

Abstract: A control system for a vehicle has a powertrain system that includes electric power propulsion system and a second propulsion system, a geographical position sensing system, a geographic map database, and a controller. The controller monitors a geographic location of the vehicle determine the geographic location of the vehicle in relation to a first predefined region and a first user-identified region. The powertrain system is controlled to generate propulsion power employing only the electric power propulsion system when the geographic location of the vehicle is within the first predefined region and when the geographic location of the vehicle is within the first user-identified region. The powertrain system is controlled to generate propulsion power employing the second propulsion system when the geographic location of the vehicle is outside the first predefined region and outside the first user-identified region.

Abstract: Presented are electrochemical devices with copper-free electrodes, methods for making/using such devices, and lithium alloy-based electrode tabs and current collectors for rechargeable lithium-class battery cells. A method of manufacturing copper-free electrodes includes feeding an aluminum workpiece, such as a strip of aluminum sheet metal, into a masking device. The masking device then applies a series of dielectric masks, such as strips of epoxy resin or dielectric tape, onto discrete areas of the workpiece to form a masked aluminum workpiece with masked areas interleaved with unmasked areas. The masked workpiece is then fed into an electrolytic anodizing solution, such as sulfuric acid, to form an anodized aluminum workpiece with anodized surface sections on the unmasked areas interleaved with un-anodized surface sections underneath the dielectric masks of the masked areas.

Abstract: A method for selective paint application to a component includes applying a photoresist masking to the component and applying a template mask to the component on top of the photoresist masking. The method includes curing at least a portion of the photoresist masking on the component, removing an uncured portion of the photoresist masking from the component, and applying at least one layer of paint to the component. The method further includes removing the photoresist masking from the component.

Abstract: A method for controlling operation of a rotary electric machine includes receiving, via a bandwidth-partitioning harmonic compensation regulator (HCR) of a controller, a commanded torque and rotational speed of the electric machine, and calculating, via the HCR in response to enabling conditions, a dq harmonic compensation current and a dq harmonic compensation voltage for one or more predetermined harmonic orders using the commanded torque and the rotational speed. The harmonic compensation current and voltage cancel torque ripple and current ripple in the one or more predetermined harmonic orders. The method may include injecting an acoustic tone at a predetermined harmonic order. The method additionally includes adding the dq harmonic compensation current and voltage to a dq current and voltage command, respectively, to generate adjusted dq current and voltage commands. The electric machine is then controlled using the adjusted dq current and voltage commands.

Abstract: A package for a power semiconductor device includes a housing, a power semiconductor module disposed within the housing, first and second fluidic channels extending through the housing on opposite sides of the power semiconductor module, and first and second arrays of heat transfer elements respectively disposed within the first and second fluidic channels. The first and second arrays of heat transfer elements are respectively physically bonded to first and second major surfaces of the power semiconductor module. A method of manufacturing a package for a power semiconductor device includes (i) respectively bonding first and second arrays of heat transfer elements to first and second major surfaces of a power semiconductor module, (ii) encapsulating the heat transfer elements within a sacrificial material, (iii) forming a housing around the sacrificial material and the heat transfer elements, and (iv) removing the sacrificial material from the housing to form first and second fluidic channels.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for aiding an operator in operating a vehicle. In one embodiment, a system includes a sensor system configured to generate sensor data sensed from an environment of the vehicle. The system further includes a control module configured to, by a processor, determine a scene of the environment based on the sensor data, memorize a shape of at least one feature in the scene, modify video data based on the memorized shape, and present the modified video data for display to the operator.

Abstract: Stator cores and methods for fabricating stator cores are provided. An exemplary stator core includes a stack of laminations. Each lamination in the stack of laminations comprises a yoke and a plurality of tooth segments fixed to the yoke.

Abstract: Methods and systems for estimating vehicle velocity based on radar data. The methods and systems include receiving a set of range-Doppler-beam, RDB, maps from radars located on a vehicle and performing an optimization process that adjusts an estimate of vehicle velocity so as to optimize a correlation score. The optimization process includes iteratively: spatially registering the set of RDB maps based on the current estimate of vehicle velocity, determining the correlation score based on the spatially registered set of RDB maps, and outputting an optimized estimate of vehicle velocity from the optimization process when the correlation score has been optimized. The methods and systems control the vehicle based at least in part on the optimized estimate of vehicle velocity.

Abstract: A battery assessment station for an electric vehicle (EV) battery includes an impedance spectroscopy device that applies an electrical signal at a set of frequencies and measures the impedance response of the battery. A battery analyzer determines a battery parameter, such as remaining useful life or state-of-health, based on the impedance response. A fleet management system manages a fleet of EVs according to their determined battery parameters. For example, the fleet management system applies operational rules regarding the use or charging of the EVs in order to respond to battery degradation and improve battery life.

Abstract: An engine system includes: a first throttle valve; a turbocharger compressor disposed downstream of the first throttle valve; a charge air cooler disposed downstream of the turbocharger compressor; a second throttle valve located downstream of the turbocharger compressor; a purge inlet located downstream of the first throttle valve and configured to introduce fuel vapor from a fuel tank into intake air; and an engine control module configured to: maintain the first throttle valve in a fully open position; and selectively close the first throttle valve relative to the fully open position in response to receipt of a request to at least one of: purge fuel vapor from the fuel tank; and at least one of decrease and prevent icing of the charge air cooler.

Abstract: Aluminum alloys having improved properties are provided. The alloy includes about 13 to about 17 weight percent silicon, about 0.3 to about 0.6 weight percent magnesium, and at least 75 weight percent aluminum. The alloy may include copper up to about 2.0 weight percent; iron up to about 0.8 weight percent; manganese up to about 1.0 weight percent; nickel up to about 1.0 weight percent; zinc up to about 0.8 weight percent; titanium up to about 0.5 weight percent; zirconium up to about 0.5 weight percent; vanadium up to about 0.5 weight percent; and other trace elements up to about 0.1 weight percent. In addition, the alloy may contain about 50 to about 1000 ppm of strontium and about 10 about 100 ppm phosphorus. Also disclosed is a die cast article, such as transmission clutch housing.

Abstract: A vehicle is described, and includes an on-board controller, an extra-vehicle communication system, a GPS sensor, a spatial monitoring system, and a navigation system that employs an on-vehicle navigation map. Operation includes capturing a 3D sensor representation of a field of view and an associated GPS location, executing a feature extraction routine, executing a semantic segmentation of the extracted features, executing a simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) of the extracted features, executing a context extraction from the simultaneous location and mapping of the extracted features, and updating the on-vehicle navigation map based thereon. A parsimonious map representation is generated based upon the updated on-vehicle navigation map, and is communicated to a second, off-board controller. The second controller executes a sparse map stitching to update a base navigation map based upon the parsimonious map representation. The on-vehicle navigation map is updated based upon the off-board navigation map.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating electrodes include coating a current collector with a slurry to form a coated current collector. The slurry includes a dry fraction, including silicon particles, polymeric binders, and one or more types of naturally occurring carbonaceous filaments, and one or more solvents. The coated current collector is heat treated to produce the electrode having a layer of silicon-based host material. The one or more naturally occurring carbonaceous filaments can include animal fibers, chitin, alginate, cellulose, keratin, and chitosan, and can have an average length of 1 ?m to 50 ?m and an average diameter of 1 nm to 500 nm. The dry fraction can include 5 wt. % to 95 wt. % silicon particles, 0.1 wt. % to 15 wt. % polymeric binders, and 1 wt. % to 20 wt. % naturally occurring carbonaceous filaments. The method can include assembling a battery cell by disposing the electrode and a positive electrode in electrolyte.

Abstract: Cable management systems for rotatable sensors on an autonomous vehicle (AV) are described herein. In some examples, a rotatable cable assembly can include a first portion having a spool, a sidewall surrounding the spool to form a cavity, and a shaft extending from the spool; a second portion coupled to the shaft and configured to rotate relative to the first portion; a flexible cable stored by the spool in a coiled configuration within the cavity; a first circuit on the first portion including a first connector coupled to an end of the flexible cable and configured to connect to components on an AV and/or a sensor platform base that is coupled to the AV and includes the rotary cable assembly; and a second circuit on the second portion including a second connector coupled to another end of the flexible cable and configured to rotate with the second portion.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for management of a thermal system. A system for thermal management includes a thermal system with fluid conduits. A sensor is disposed to monitor an input parameter state of the thermal system. An actuator is configured to vary a flow in the fluid conduits. A controller is configured to receive a signal representative of the input parameter state; process an actuator state through a flow model of the thermal system to obtain an existing flow in the fluid conduits; process the existing flow through a thermal model of the thermal system to determine an input that reduces an error between a desired parameter state and the input parameter state; process the input through an inverse flow model to convert the input to a desired actuator state; and position the actuator in the desired actuator state.