Abstract: A vehicle seat for providing seating for an occupant within a vehicle may include an anchoring mechanism and a reversible seat cushion. The reversible seat cushion may be configured to be reversible between a seating position and a storage position and to be removable from and attachable to the anchoring mechanism in each of the seating position and the storage position. The reversible seat cushion may include a seating side and a storage side. In the seating position, the seating side may be exposed to provide support beneath the occupant and the storage side is concealed. In the storage position, the storage side may be exposed to provide a storage area and the seating side is concealed.

Abstract: A contractor recommendation system includes one or more databases storing contractor attributes for a plurality of contractors and attribute weights indicating a relative importance of each of the contractor attributes. The system uses the contractor attributes and the attribute weights to select one or more recommended contractors for a building owner and generates a contractor recommendation comprising an indication of the one or more recommended contractors. The system provides the contractor recommendation to the building owner and receives a contractor selection from the building owner. The system uses the contractor selection as a feedback to determine an importance of each of the contractor attributes to the building owner and automatically updates the stored attribute weights based on the determined importance.

Abstract: A fastening element for positive, materially integral and/or non-positive arrangement on or in a fiber composite component includes a sleeve-like portion, on the first end of which there is formed a tapering conical or cone-shaped portion in which a plurality of slots are made which are aligned in the direction of a longitudinal extent of the fastening element and in this way subdivide the conical or cone-shaped portion into individual segments. On the second end of the sleeve-like portion, there is arranged a holding portion which is angled at a right angle from the sleeve-like portion and in this way enlarges an outer diameter of the sleeve-like portion and forms planar bearing surfaces. A method is also described for mounting a fastening element.

Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including combinations of high dielectric and low viscosity solvents. These solvent combinations provide low temperature performance and high temperature stability in lithium ion battery cells.

Abstract: A lithium ion (Li-ion) battery cell includes a housing. The housing includes side walls coupled to and extending from a first portion of the housing to form an opening in the housing opposite the first portion of the housing. The housing includes an electrically nonconductive polymeric (e.g., plastic) material. An electrochemical cell element is disposed in the housing and immersed in electrolyte that is also disposed in the housing. The Li-ion battery cell also includes a cover including an electrically nonconductive polymeric material. The cover is disposed over the opening in the housing and sealed to the housing via a seal. The seal is configured to resist or prevent ingress of moisture into the housing and to resist or prevent egress of the electrolyte from the housing.

Abstract: A novel process for activating available compressors in multiple compressor air conditioning systems, using an Optimum Stage-Up Process. This process is programmed into a controller as an algorithm, to provide a process for fast compressor start. This process shortens the time to initiate operation of compressors in a multi-compressor air conditioning system required to meet the demand call under any load condition, and hence shortens the time required for the actual sensed interior region air temperature to reach the interior region temperature set point. The Optimum Stage-up Algorithm estimates the number of compressor stages or steps that must be initiated, based on sensed or measured values, to meet the demand at any load condition. These measured values include the sensed temperature of the interior region being cooled, which is compared to the temperature set point of this interior region as well as measured mixed air temperature and supply air temperature.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods by which lead from spent lead-acid batteries may be extracted, purified, and used in the construction of new lead-acid batteries. A method includes forming a first mixture in a first vessel, wherein the first mixture includes a lead-bearing material and a carboxylate source, which react to precipitate lead salt particles. The method includes separating a portion of the first mixture from a remainder of the first mixture, wherein the portion includes lead salt particles having specific densities below a specific density threshold value and/or having particle sizes below a particle size threshold value. The method includes forming a second mixture in a second vessel, wherein the second mixture includes the lead salt particles from the separated portion of the first mixture. The method further includes separating the lead salt particles of the second mixture from a liquid component of the second mixture.

Abstract: A system for measuring and verifying energy savings resulting from energy conservation measures in a building includes one or more energy meters and a controller. The energy meters are configured to measure an actual amount of building energy usage The controller is configured to determine an actual amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures during the measurement and verification period and to calculate a least amount of energy savings resulting from the energy conservation measures. The least amount of energy savings is a lower confidence bound on the actual amount of energy savings. The controller is configured to cause a building management system for the building to stop performing a measurement and verification process before a normal end of the measurement and verification period in response to the least amount being greater than a target amount of energy savings to be achieved by the energy conservation measures.

Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including additives or combinations of additives that provide low temperature performance and high temperature stability in lithium ion battery cells.

Abstract: A central plant includes an electrical energy storage subplant configured to store electrical energy, a plurality of generator subplants configured to consume one or more input resources, including discharged electrical energy, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine, for each time step within a time horizon, an optimal allocation of the input resources. The controller is configured to determine optimal allocation of the output resources for each of the subplants in order to optimize a total monetary value of operating the central plant over the time horizon.

Abstract: A 12 volt automotive battery system includes a first battery coupled to an electrical system, in which the first battery includes a first battery chemistry. The first battery is charged with a relatively constant first voltage, in which an alternator outputs the relatively constant first voltage. The 12 volt automotive battery system further includes a second battery coupled in parallel with the first battery and selectively coupled to the electrical system via a DC/DC converter, in which the second battery includes a second battery chemistry that has a higher coulombic efficiency than the first battery chemistry. The DC/DC converter boosts the first voltage to a second voltage to charge the second battery during regenerative braking, in which the second voltage is higher than a maximum charging voltage of the first battery.

Abstract: Computerized methods and systems for determining flow direction relative to a bidirectional pressure sensor are provided. The method includes receiving pressure information from the bidirectional pressure sensor. The method includes using the pressure information to evaluate, at a processing circuit, pressure at the bidirectional pressure sensor over time, The method includes assigning a flow direction to a current pressure of the bidirectional pressure sensor by comparing the current pressure to at least one past pressure.

Abstract: A 12 volt automotive battery system includes a first battery coupled to an electrical system, in which the first battery include a first battery chemistry, and a second battery coupled in parallel with the first battery and selectively coupled to the electrical system via a first switch, in which the second battery includes a second battery chemistry that has a higher coulombic efficiency than the first battery chemistry. The first switch couples the second battery to the electrical system during regenerative braking to enable the second battery to capture a majority of the power generated during regenerative braking. The 12 volt automotive battery system further includes a variable voltage alternator that outputs a first voltage during regenerative braking to charge the second battery and a second voltage otherwise, in which the first voltage is higher than the second voltage.

Abstract: Electrolyte formulations including additives or combinations of additives. The electrolyte formulations are useful in lithium ion battery cells having lithium titanate anodes. The electrolyte formulations provide low temperature power performance and high temperature stability in such lithium ion battery cells.

Abstract: A building management system includes sensors configured to measure a plurality of monitored variables and fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) system configured to identify an operating state associated with the monitored variables. The FDD system includes a communications interface configured to receive samples of the monitored variables from the plurality of sensors. The FDD system includes a direction extractor configured to use locations, in a multidimensional modeling space, of a plurality of stored operating states to extract a direction from each of the stored operating states to each of the other stored operating states. The FDD system includes a fault diagnoser configured to use the extracted directions in a voting-based diagnosis to determine an operating state for each of the samples of the monitored variables.

Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including additives or combinations of additives that provide low temperature performance and high temperature stability in lithium ion battery cells.

Abstract: Electrolyte formulations including additives or combinations of additives. The electrolyte formulations are useful in lithium ion battery cells having lithium titanate anodes. The electrolyte formulations provide low temperature power performance and high temperature stability in such lithium ion battery cells.

Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including additives or combinations of additives that provide low temperature performance and high temperature stability in lithium ion battery cells.

Abstract: An electrical storage device includes high surface area fibers (e.g., shaped fibers and/or microfibers) coated with carbon (graphite, expanded graphite, activated carbon, carbon black, carbon nanofibers, CNT, or graphite coated CNT), electrolyte, and/or electrode active material (e.g., lead oxide) in electrodes. The electrodes are used to form electrical storage devices such as electrochemical batteries, electrochemical double layer capacitors, and asymmetrical capacitors.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a vehicle seat track cover includes a substrate configured to be positioned over a seat track and a slot formed along the substrate. The slot is configured to facilitate passage of a seat support from the seat track to a vehicle seat.