Abstract: A battery box, supporting structure and insuring thermal management of one or more battery cells allowing a temperature control of said battery cells environment to insure its optimal operational condition, the battery box comprises at least one aluminum hollow profile, wherein said aluminium hollow profile comprises at least two chambers, wherein at least one chamber is filled with a first phase change material having a melting point T1F and at least one chamber is filled with a second phase change material having a melting point T2F, where T1F>T2F.

Abstract: A battery box, supporting structure and insuring thermal management of one or more battery cells allowing a temperature control of said battery cells environment to insure its optimal operational condition, the battery box comprises at least one aluminum hollow profile, wherein said aluminium hollow profile comprises at least two chambers, wherein at least one chamber is filled with a first phase change material having a melting point T1F and at least one chamber is filled with a second phase change material having a melting point T2F, where T1F>T2F.

Abstract: A thermally-activated exhaust treatment device, such as a catalytic converter (20) adapted to control exhaust emissions in a vehicle, includes a core having an inner housing (21) and a catalytic material (27) chosen to reduce undesirable emissions from the exhaust of a combustion engine. A jacket includes an outer housing (22) enclosing the inner housing (21) but characteristically not contacting the inner housing (21). The inner and outer housings (21, 22) include walls (30, 31) forming a vacuum-drawn sealed insulation cavity (26) around the inner housing (21). A chamber (60) positioned adjacent the inner housing (21) includes low melting point metal phase change material (61). A thermal management system is operably connected to the insulation cavity (26) that is constructed to control heat flow from the inner housing (21) to maximize the time the catalytic material (27) is within a predetermined optimum temperature operating range or limit catalyst maximum temperature.

Abstract: A metal matrix composite is formed by contacting a molten matrix alloy with a permeable mass of filler material or preform in the presence of an infiltrating atmosphere. Under these conditions, the molten matrix alloy will spontaneously infiltrate the permeable mass of filler material or preform under normal atmospheric pressures. Once a desired amount of spontaneous infiltration has been achieved, or during the spontaneous infiltration step, the matrix metal which has infiltrated the permeable mass of filler material or preform is directionally solidified. The directionally solidified metal matrix composite may be heated to a temperature in excess of the liquidus temperature of the matrix metal and quenched. This technique allows the production of spontaneously infiltrated metal matrix composites having improved microstructures and properties.