Abstract: A system and a method for determining an object has been on a vehicle seat of a vehicle are provided. The processing circuitry may determine if passengers of the vehicle have left the vehicle. The processing circuitry may determine if a temperature of a vehicle cabin of the vehicle meets a threshold of temperature. The temperature of the vehicle cabin to a first temperature may be adjusted. A temperature of resistive filaments of the vehicle seat of the vehicle to a second temperature may be adjusted. A thermal image of the vehicle seat with a reference thermal image of the vehicle seat may be compared. The processing circuitry may determine if the object has been left on the vehicle seat.

Abstract: A solar cell assembly is provided, the configuration of which effectuates artificial tropism. The solar cell assembly may include a combination of at least one transparent solar cell and at least one opaque solar cell. The at least one transparent solar cell may transmit some wavelength(s) of incident sunlight while the at least one opaque solar cell may transmit some wavelength(s) of incident sunlight and absorbing some other wavelength(s) of incident sunlight. The transmitted wavelength(s) of incident sunlight excite or cause one or more shape-changing elements that support the at least one transparent solar cell and the at least one opaque solar cell to actuate in a manner that causes the solar cell assembly to re-orient itself towards a direction of the incident sunlight.

Abstract: A cold plate having a manifold includes a recess extending from a first side to a second side of the manifold, where the recess includes openings to the recess positioned lengthwise along the first side and a single opening to the recess on the second side, an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the recess, a plurality of plates fastened to the first side enclosing the openings, a heat sink fastened to the second side enclosing the single opening on the second side, and a plurality of fluid cores one of each positioned between each of the plurality of plates and the heat sink. The plurality of fluid cores include a flow distribution insert, a first plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink fastened to the second side, and a second plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink.

Abstract: A power electronics assembly includes a vapor chamber and a heat-generating device. The vapor chamber includes a housing defining an evaporator side and a condenser side and a pedestal integrally formed with an extending from the evaporator side, the pedestal comprising a non-rectangular shape corresponding to a thermal management objective. The heat-generating device is coupled to the pedestal.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate to a system with an electroactive substrate, a plurality of nanoparticles, and a control unit. The plurality of nanoparticles deposited in communication with the electroactive substrate. The control unit is configured to manipulate a shape of the electroactive substrate between an unactuated mode and an actuated mode to change an absorption band or an emission band of the plurality of nanoparticles. When the electroactive substrate shape is manipulated, the absorption band or the emission band of the plurality of nanoparticles is changed to tune the system for a radiative cooling based on a current dominating wavelength.

Abstract: A thermal management system for removing waste heat from a battery cell. The thermal management system includes a unit cell that includes a vapor chamber including an evaporator surface and a condenser surface. The evaporator surface and the condenser surface are fluidly connected by a wick. The unit cell also includes a phase change material (PCM) shell encapsulating a PCM. The evaporator surface is thermally coupled to the battery cell and absorbs waste heat generated by the battery cell. The condenser surface is thermally coupled to the PCM and rejects waste heat to the PCM.

Abstract: A battery module including a battery cell and a thermal management system for removing heat from the battery cell. The thermal management system includes two or more unit cells in an array. Each unit cell includes a primary shell comprising a primary phase change material (PCM), and a secondary shell comprising a secondary PCM that is thermally coupled to the primary shell. The battery cell is thermally coupled to the primary shell at a heat transfer interface and the secondary shells of adjacent unit cells in the array are separate.

Abstract: An atomizing spray device includes a housing having plural inlets and one or more outlets fluidly coupled with each other by an interior chamber. The inlets include a first inlet shaped to receive a first fluid and a second inlet shaped to receive a slurry of ceramic particles and a second fluid. The interior chamber in the housing is shaped to mix the first fluid received via the first inlet with the slurry received via the second inlet inside the housing to form a mixture in a location between the inlets and the one or more outlets. The interior chamber in the housing also is shaped to direct the mixture formed inside the housing as droplets outside of the housing via the one or more outlets such that, based on a discharged amount of the first fluid in the droplets, the first fluid promotes evaporation of the second fluid as the droplets traverse from the housing toward a surface of a component.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for ultrasonic haptic array devices. One embodiment of haptic array device includes a plurality of cells, each cell including a base and an array of ultrasonic transducer elements, and a support structure configured to independently position each cell. A controller of the haptic array can control a focus point and a direction of ultrasonic output for each of the plurality of cells. Another embodiment is directed to a vehicle user interface having a user interface surface and a haptic array device integrated with the user interface surface. Embodiments are also directed to methods for controlling a haptic array device. One method includes controlling output of at least one first cell of the plurality of cells to control a focus point and a direction of ultrasonic output of the at least one cell, and updating output of the plurality of cells.

Abstract: A cold plate includes a first cooling surface comprising a first cooling structure bonded to an inner surface of the first cooling surface, a second cooling surface comprising a second cooling structure bonded to an inner surface of the second cooling surface, a manifold comprising an internal cavity defined by a first length, a first width, and a first height, and a flow divider defined by a second length, a second width, and a second height. The manifold is enclosed by the first cooling surface and the second cooling surface on opposing surfaces of the manifold separated by the first height. The flow divider is positioned within the internal cavity of the manifold. The flow divider supports and separates the first cooling structure and the second cooling structure by a portion of the second height of the flow divider.

Abstract: Embedded cooling systems and methods of forming the same are disclosed. A system includes a PCB stack comprising a first major substrate opposite a second major substrate, a pre-preg layer disposed between the first and second major substrates, a power device stack embedded within the PCB stack and comprising a substrate, a power device coupled to the substrate of each power device stack, and a flat heat pipe having a first end embedded in the PCB stack and a second end extending outside the PCB stack, the power device stack being coupled to the flat heat pipe.

Abstract: A reactive phase spray formulation coating is configured to be disposed on the thermal barrier coating of an article. The reactive phase spray formulation coating comprises a base material and a binder material. The base material has a compliance that is higher than a compliance of the binder material, the binder material has a cohesive strength that is greater than a cohesive strength of the base material, the binder material has an adhesive strength that is greater than an adhesive strength of the base material, and the binder material has a surface area of at least ten square-meters per gram that is greater than a surface area of the base material. The binder material is configured to improve a cohesive strength level, an adhesive strength level, and a compliance of the formulation coating of the thermal barrier coating relative to the formulation coating not including the binder material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to driver interaction with a user interface of a vehicle. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for performing an action associated with a driver input indicated via an input modality of an HMI of a vehicle, the apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to receive initial data corresponding to an initial driver input via a first input modality of the HMI of the vehicle, compare a confidence level of the initial data to a confidence level threshold associated with the first input modality of the HMI of the vehicle, request, based on the comparison, a subsequent driver input via a second input modality of the HMI of the vehicle, determine a presence of an adverse condition within a vehicle environment, and perform an action associated with the subsequent driver input based on the presence of the adverse condition within the vehicle environment.

Abstract: A fuel cell stack for providing uniform fluid flow through a plurality of plates is provided. The fuel cell stack includes a plurality of plates that define a plurality of fuel cells stacked with each other, each plate having a fuel inlet hole for receiving fuel and a fuel outlet hole for discharging fuel. The fuel cell stack includes a fuel inlet insert extending into the fuel inlet hole of at least some of the plurality of plates. The fuel inlet insert has an upstream end and a downstream end relative to a direction of fuel flow through the fuel inlet holes. The upstream end of the fuel inlet insert has a porosity and permeability less than a porosity and permeability of the downstream end of the fuel inlet insert such that the fuel insert provides uniform fuel flow through the plurality of plates.

Abstract: Dynamically adjustable EDA measurement device may include: a dynamically formable base comprising a soft robotics material, wherein the dynamically formable base comprises a formable surface configured to be dynamically formed in response to input signals; and an EDA sensing layer affixed to the formable surface of the dynamically formable base, the EDA sensing layer comprising a plurality of electrodes arranged on a flexible substrate and configured to be connected to a power supply; wherein, in response to input signals, the formable surface of the dynamically formable base and the EDA sensing layer affixed thereto are reformed into a desired contour.

Abstract: Modular cooling assemblies are provided for simultaneously cooling both a power module and a vehicle motor. Each cooling assembly may include a first cooling structure defining at least one major surface in thermal communication with the vehicle motor. A second cooling structure may be provided, defining at least one major surface in thermal communication with a power module. An interlayer structure may be provided, configured to couple the first cooling structure to the second cooling structure. The first cooling structure, the second cooling structure, and the interlayer structure are positioned in a stacked arrangement and configured to provide a flow of coolant fluid from a fluid inlet defined in first cooling structure, through the interlayer structure, and to at least one heat sink feature of the second cooling structure. The coolant fluid is then directed through a fluid outlet defined in the second cooling structure.

Abstract: A method is disclosed and includes determining at least one of a height field and an orientation field of a fiber-reinforced structure. The fiber-reinforced structure includes a plurality of fiber portions and a polymer matrix. The method includes generating a reaction-diffusion representation of the fiber-reinforced structure. The reaction-diffusion representation indicates a concentration of at least one of the polymer matrix and the plurality of fiber portions. The method includes designating a reference fiber deposition path based on the reaction-diffusion representation. The method includes generating a continuous fiber deposition path based on the reference fiber deposition path. The method includes transmitting a signal representing the continuous fiber deposition path to a deposition device, the deposition device using the continuous fiber deposition path to deposit a fiber of the fiber-reinforced structure.

Abstract: A bipolar plate with an enhanced fluid flow field design is provided for improved flow uniformity. The bipolar plate includes an inlet, an outlet, and a flow field having a pattern defining a plurality of microchannels configured to provide fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet. The pattern includes a plurality of channels with discrete areas of discontinuity to direct fluid from the inlet to the outlet. The pattern is designed using an inverse permeability field and is based on a reaction-diffusion algorithm to model channel spacing, thereby providing a variable pitch microchannel pattern. In various aspects, Gray-Scott reaction-diffusion equations may be used to obtain an anisotropic microchannel layout. Methods may include optimizing a porous media model domain for one of: a minimum flow resistance across the domain, a uniform velocity across a direction of the domain, and a minimum velocity across a direction of the domain.

Abstract: The measurement of electrodermal activity (EDA) can be facilitated by a sensing surface. The sensing surface can have a plurality of electrode pairs. An electrode pair can include a first electrode and a second electrode that are electrically isolated from each other. The plurality of electrode pairs can be electrically isolated from each other. A distance between neighboring electrode pairs can be larger than a distance between the first electrode and a second electrode of each electrode pair. One or more sensors can be configured to detect contact with the sensing surface. In response to the one or more sensors detecting contact with the sensing surface, one or more electrode pairs can be selected to be activated. In response to the one or more electrode pairs being selected to be activated, the selected one or more electrode pairs can be activated.

Abstract: Embedded cooling systems and methods of forming the same are disclosed. An embedded cooling system includes a PCB having a first major surface opposite a second major surface and power device stacks embedded within the PCB between the first major surface and the second major surface. Each power device stack includes a first substrate and a second substrate, and an electrical insulation layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate. The embedded cooling system further includes a power device coupled to the first substrate of each power device stack and heat pipes having a first end and a second end spaced a distance apart from the first end. The first end is embedded within the PCB substrate and the second end extends outside of the PCB substrate. The second substrate of the one or more power device stacks is coupled to the one or more heat pipes.