Abstract: A thermal conditioning system for a vehicle seat or other surface includes a thermoelectric Peltier device (TED) with a main side and a waste side. A flap adjusts a proportion of an airflow over the main and waste side airflow paths based on one or more operational parameters of the system. The operational parameters can include a power provided to the TED, the flow rate of the airflow, a thermal efficiency between the TED and the airflow, and/or a setpoint temperature of the airflow.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes multiple microclimate thermal effectors. Each of the microclimate communication with the microclimate thermal effectors and includes a plurality of first transfer functions. Each of the first transfer functions models a corresponding microclimate thermal effector in the plurality of microclimate thermal effectors. A system transfer function models the microclimate system. Each of the first transfer functions is nested within the system transfer function.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes a seat that is configured to provide an interface between an occupant and a seating surface, an actuator that is configured to adjust a seat positioning that characterizes the interface, at least one microclimate thermal effector that is in thermal communication with the seat at the interface, and a controller that is in communication with the microclimate thermal effector. The controller is configured to regulate the microclimate thermal effector based upon the interface.

Abstract: A microclimate system for a vehicle occupant includes multiple microclimate thermal effectors. Each of the microclimate thermal effectors has a corresponding thermal effector controller and is configured to at least partially control an occupant thermal comfort. Each of the microclimate thermal effectors includes at least one sensor configured to determine a microclimate parameter corresponding to at least one microclimate thermal effector of the multiple microclimate thermal effectors. A microclimate system controller is in communication with a plurality of thermal effector controllers. An optimizer is configured to apply a corresponding weighting value from a plurality of weighting values to each thermal effector controller in the plurality microclimate thermal effectors.

Abstract: A piston for an internal combustion engine includes a piston body forming a crown portion and a skirt portion, the crown portion forming a generally concave bowl extending symmetrically around the piston body with respect to an axis of symmetry of the crown portion. The bowl forms a first lip and a second lip that are arranged in a stepped configuration along a side margin of the bowl. A depressed ledge having a generally annular shape is further formed in the crown portion, the depressed ledge including a flat, annular surface extending along a plane that is parallel to a plane defined by the generally flat crown surface.

Abstract: A combustion engine system and a method of operating the combustion engine system are disclosed. The combustion engine system includes a first fuel pump operatively coupled to a first prime mover and fluidly coupled to a fuel reservoir, a first power source operatively coupled to the first prime mover, the first power source including a first controller, a third fuel pump having an inlet that is fluidly coupled to a discharge of the first fuel pump, a first filter in fluid communication with the first fuel pump, a combustion engine fluidly coupled to a discharge of the third fuel pump and operative to convert fuel from the third fuel pump into shaft power. The first controller is configured to drive the first prime mover at a substantially constant power, independent of a rate of consumption of the fuel by the combustion engine.