Abstract: Disclosed are a method for selectively extracting lithium from a retired battery and an application of the method. According to the method, on the basis of an ion exchange effect between a divalent manganese ion and a lithium ion, a positive electrode material and a divalent manganese salt are mixed according to a certain proportion and prepared into a slurry, and the divalent manganese salt and the positive electrode material are fully mixed by means of a ball milling process, such that a lattice structure of the positive electrode material is effectively damaged, thereby reducing activation energy of exchange of the divalent manganese ion and the lithium ion and greatly reducing reaction energy required by a subsequence lithium extraction process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a control method of a damper of a variable-air-volume air distributor and a control system thereof, mainly comprising a volume adjusting valve for the variable-air-volume air distributor, a valve actuator, a BP neural network-based main controller, a data collector and a user operation panel. The control method thereof is to use, mainly based on the collected room temperature and static pressure at the inlet of the air distributor, the BP neural network predictive model to establish a nonlinear model of temperature & static pressure and valve opening, perform training and optimization, and optimize the output valve opening to obtain and label an optimal value as the set value of the controller to control the action of the valve actuator, thereby realizing an automatic variable air volume.

Abstract: A mobile device for remotely controlling the movement of a vehicle and trailer is provided. The mobile device provides a user engagement input for display and use of a control input. The control input may be used to generate a signal for controlling the movement of the vehicle and trailer.

Abstract: A microfluidic device includes a substrate having a first fluid inlet/outlet system, a second fluid inlet/outlet system, and a fluidic network between the first fluid inlet/outlet system and the second fluid inlet/outlet system and in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet/outlet system and the second fluid inlet/outlet system. The fluidic network includes a microfluidic channel network that is in fluid communication with the first fluid inlet/outlet system and spaced from the second fluid inlet/outlet system, a nanofluidic channel network fluidly connecting the microfluidic channel network and the second fluid inlet/outlet system, and a plurality of pores in fluid communication with the microfluidic channel network and the nanofluidic channel network.

Abstract: A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller executing an initial alignment process including searching for a trailer within a specified area of image data that is less than a total field of the image data in directions corresponding with both a longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the trailer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal distance, presenting an indication to a driver of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle when the trailer is not identified within the specified area, and removing the indication when the trailer is identified within the specified area. The controller further executes an automated backing process upon identifying the trailer within the specified area, including identifying a coupler of the trailer and outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler of the trailer during reversing.

Abstract: A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller executing an initial alignment process including searching for a trailer within a specified area of image data that is less than a total field of the image data in directions corresponding with both a longitudinal distance between the vehicle and the trailer and a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal distance, presenting an indication to a driver of the vehicle to reposition the vehicle when the trailer is not identified within the specified area, and removing the indication when the trailer is identified within the specified area. The controller further executes an automated backing process upon identifying the trailer within the specified area, including identifying a coupler of the trailer and outputting a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler of the trailer during reversing.

Abstract: A method and system for characterizing an energy consumption indicator of an electric vehicle (EV) is provided. The method includes performing a cyclic energy consumption test on the EV to acquire a time-speed curve, a time-direct current (DC) energy consumption curve, and a total alternating current (AC) energy consumption in the test cycle. A DC energy consumption rate and an AC energy consumption rate of the EV is determined in each of test sub-cycles. A driving feature is determined in each of the test sub-cycles and a normalized driving feature is determined in each of the test sub-cycles according to the driving feature in each of the test sub-cycles and a base driving feature. A DC energy consumption indicator and an AC energy consumption indicator of the EV are extracted according to DC energy consumption rates, AC energy consumption rates and normalized driving features of the EV in all test sub-cycles.

Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a controller that identifies at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within image data and determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupling feature is outside of a target position area relative to the vehicle and outputs an instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area in response to identifying at least one indication of a user difficulty in positioning the one of the trailer or the coupling feature within the target position area.

Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a first camera and a second camera and outputting image data to the rear of the vehicle and a controller identifying at least one of the trailer or a coupling feature of the trailer within the image data and assigning a trailer type to the trailer identified within the image data, the trailer type including a first trailer type and a second trailer type. The controller further causes a portion of the image data to be presented on a display within the vehicle, the portion of the image data corresponding with the first camera in response to the trailer being assigned the first trailer type and corresponding with the second camera in response to the trailer being assigned the second trailer type.

Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes an imager outputting image data of a field of view to the rear of the vehicle and a controller identifying at least one of a trailer or a coupler of the trailer within the image data. The controller further determines that the at least one of the trailer or the coupler is outside of a specified area relative to the vehicle and outputs an instruction for movement of the vehicle determined to position the one of the trailer or the coupler within the specified area. Upon determining that the at least one of the coupler and the trailer is within the specified area, the coupler outputs a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler.

Abstract: A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller acquiring image data from the vehicle and identifying a plurality of trailers within in a specified area of the image data. The specified area is less than a total field of the image data and corresponds at least with left and right steering angle limits of the vehicle. The controller further receives a selection of a subject trailer of the plurality of trailers identified within the specified area, identifies a coupler of the subject trailer, and outputs a steering signal to the vehicle to cause the vehicle to steer to align a hitch ball of the vehicle with the coupler of the subject trailer.

Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods including a mobile device for remotely controlling the movement of a vehicle and trailer. The mobile device provides an intuitive interface for controlling the movement of the vehicle and trailer by changing the orientation of a vehicle graphic (e.g., of the vehicle and trailer) according to a position of the mobile device around a periphery of the vehicle and trailer. This allows the user to walk around the vehicle and trailer to determine a best position from which to control the vehicle and trailer depending on a given situation without losing the intuitiveness of the user interface.

Abstract: A system for assisting in aligning a vehicle for hitching with a trailer includes a vehicle steering system, a wireless communication module, a detection system outputting a signal including scene data of an area to a rear of the vehicle, and a controller. The controller receives, via the wireless communication module, an automated hitching initiation command from an external wireless device, receives the scene data and identifying the trailer within the area to the rear of the vehicle, derives a backing path to align a hitch ball mounted on the vehicle to a coupler of the trailer, and controls the vehicle steering system to maneuver the vehicle including reversing along the backing path.

Abstract: A vehicle hitching assistance system includes a controller acquiring image data from the vehicle and deriving a vehicle path to align a center of a hitch ball of the vehicle with a centerline of a trailer coupler within the image data. The controller also outputs a video image including a representation of a simplified path from the hitch ball to the coupler and outputs a steering signal to cause the vehicle to steer along the vehicle path.

Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods including a mobile device for remotely controlling the movement of a vehicle and trailer. The mobile device provides an intuitive user interface and control input mechanism for controlling the movement of the vehicle and trailer. The control input mechanism uses the tilt and heading of the mobile device to provide a propulsion command and a steering curvature command.