Abstract: A sensor assembly including: a rotatable mount; transmitter components and receiver components supported by the rotatable mount so as to rotate with the rotatable mount; a motor configured to rotate the rotatable mount by rotating a shaft connected to the rotatable mount; a bearing configured to support the shaft; and a contaminant trap between the bearing and each of the transmitter components and the receiver components, the contaminant trap configured to capture contaminants to restrict passage of contaminants from the bearing to the transmitter components and the receiver components.

Abstract: A system for evaluating a battery cell includes an imaging device configured to take an image of at least part of the battery cell, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform: determining a region of interest in the acquired image, reducing a sharpness of the acquired image to generate a reference image, comparing the acquired image and the reference image, and identifying a discontinuity of the battery cell based on a difference between the acquired image and the reference image.

Abstract: An anti-icing coating having a continuous phase and a discrete phase. The continuous phase includes a fluorine-containing polymer formed from a fluorine-containing precursor having a functionality of greater than 2. The discrete phase includes a plurality of domains having a fluorine-free hygroscopic and/or hydrophilic material. The plurality of domains are dispersed within the continuous phase and are immersible with the continuous phase. At least a portion of the fluorine-free material is bonded to the fluorine-containing polymer with an isocyanate-containing moiety. The fluorine-containing polymer is crosslinked with a crosslinking molecule having at least 4 functional groups. The fluorine-free material is a poly(ethylene glycol).

Abstract: A dilatometer for measuring battery dilation includes a battery cell, a magnet, and a magnetic force sensor. One of the magnet and the magnetic force sensor moves in response to expansion of the battery cell during dilation of the battery cell and the other of the magnet and the magnetic force sensor is stationary relative to the battery cell. The magnetic force sensor is configured to sense a change in magnetic force strength between the magnet and the magnetic force sensor. A sensor is configured to sense one of temperature and strain. A controller is configured to measure dilation of the battery cell based on the change in the magnetic force strength between the magnet and the magnetic force sensor and to compensate the dilation of the battery cell in response to the one of the temperature and the strain.

Abstract: A vehicle braking component having a composite structure includes a brake core comprising an aluminum alloy, the brake core defining a core surface, a thermal barrier layer comprising a thermally insulating material, and an adhesion layer between the core surface and the thermal barrier layer to facilitate adhesion between the thermal barrier layer and the brake core. The adhesion layer includes a metal. The vehicle braking component includes a wear-resistant layer on the thermal barrier layer. The wear-resistance layer includes an iron-aluminum-silicon-zirconium alloy and defines a friction surface of the vehicle braking component.

Abstract: A vehicle coolant system includes a pipe configured to facilitate a flow of vehicle coolant through the pipe, a light source configured to transmit at least one wavelength of light through the vehicle coolant, and a signal detector configured to receive at least one wavelength of light transmitted through the vehicle coolant, and to generate a signal intensity value corresponding to a measured intensity of the at least one wavelength of light received at the signal detector. A controller is configured to receive the signal intensity value from the signal detector, identify a coolant contamination threshold value corresponding to the vehicle coolant, compare the signal intensity value received from the signal detector to the coolant contamination threshold value, and initiate a vehicle coolant remedial action according to a result of comparing the signal intensity value received from the signal detector to the coolant contamination threshold value.

Abstract: A battery system includes: a battery cell; and a temperature sensing array disposed on a surface of the battery cell, the temperature sensing array including: a conducting strip; and a plurality of temperature sensors connected in series with the conducting strip such that current flowing through the conducting strip flows through each of the temperature sensors, where each of the plurality of temperature sensors has at least one characteristic that varies in accordance with temperature, where the plurality of temperature sensors is distributed in different locations across the surface of the battery cell, and where an output current of the temperature sensing array varies in accordance with a change in temperature in any of the different locations.

Abstract: A system for evaluating a battery cell includes an imaging device configured to take a first image of at least part of the battery cell when the battery cell is in a first deformation state, and take a second image of the at least part of the battery cell when the battery cell is in a second deformation state. The system also includes a processor configured to analyze the first image and the second image, identify a first region of the first image that represents a suspected discontinuity, the first region corresponding to a portion of the battery cell, compare the first region of the first image to a second region of the second image, the second region corresponding to the portion of the battery cell, and determine that the suspected discontinuity is an actual discontinuity based on a difference between the first region and the second region.

Abstract: An electroactive material for an electrochemical cell includes one or more oxygen storage material coatings or layers. The electroactive material may include a plurality of electroactive material particles disposed to form an electroactive material layer. In certain variations, at least a portion of the plurality of electroactive material particles may have a coating that includes an oxygen storage material. In other variations, an oxygen storage material layer may be disposed on one or more surfaces of the electroactive material layer. In still other variations, at least a portion of the plurality of electroactive material particles may have a coating that includes an oxygen storage material, and an oxygen storage material layer may be disposed on one or more surfaces of the electroactive material layer. The one or more oxygen storage material coatings or layers may help to improve the thermal stability of the electroactive materials.

Abstract: A quality control system in a battery manufacturing process includes two or more capacitive measurement apparatuses to obtain a capacitance measurement from two or more intermediate products generated during the battery manufacturing process. The system also includes processing circuitry to obtain the capacitive measurement from the two or more capacitive measurement apparatuses, to determine a characteristic of the corresponding intermediate product, and to control at least one process of the battery manufacturing process that produced at least one of the two or more intermediate products based on the characteristic.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a brake rotor or brake drum having a composite structure includes casting an aluminum alloy to form a core of the brake rotor or brake drum, the core defining a core surface, depositing a high entropy alloy or yttrium stabilized zirconia on the core surface to form a thermal barrier layer on the core surface, and depositing an iron-aluminum-silicon-zirconium alloy on the thermal barrier layer to form a wear-resistant layer on the thermal barrier layer, the wear-resistant layer defining a friction surface of the brake rotor or brake drum.

Abstract: A brake drum having a composite structure includes a cylindrical body defining an inner friction surface and an outer surface. The cylindrical body includes a drum core comprising an Al—Si alloy, the drum core including an inner surface, and an outer surface of the drum core defining the outer surface of cylindrical body. The cylindrical body includes a thermal barrier layer comprising a thermally insulating material on the inner surface of the drum core, and a wear-resistant layer comprising an Fe—Al—Si—Zr alloy on the inner surface of the drum core over the thermal barrier layer, the wear-resistant layer defining the inner friction surface of the cylindrical body.

Abstract: A method for detecting a contaminant in a vehicle coolant system during service includes contacting a chromophore impregnated strip and a heat transfer fluid sample, where the chromophore impregnated strip includes a complexing agent selected to form a complex with the contaminant that causes a color change in the chromophore impregnated strip and thereby indicates the presence of the contaminant in the heat transfer fluid sample.

Abstract: A battery electrode for an electrochemical cell that cycles lithium ions is described and includes: a first separator layer including a first side and a second side; a first conductive porous layer located on the first side of the first separator layer; and an active material layer to cycle lithium ions and including a first side and a second side, where the first side of the active material layer is in contact with the first conductive porous layer.

Abstract: A brake rotor having a composite structure may include an annular body defining opposite friction surfaces of the brake rotor. The annular body may include a core made of an Al—Si alloy, a thermal barrier layer made of a thermally insulating material disposed on the core, and a wear-resistant layer made of an Fe—Al—Si—Zr alloy disposed on the core over the thermal barrier layer. The wear-resistant layer may define a first one of the opposite friction surfaces of the annular body.

Abstract: A brake rotor having a composite structure may include an annular body defining opposite friction surfaces of the brake rotor. The annular body may include a core made of an Al—Si alloy, a thermal barrier layer made of a thermally insulating material disposed on the core, and a wear-resistant layer made of an Fe—Al—Si—Zr alloy disposed on the core over the thermal barrier layer. The wear-resistant layer may define a first one of the opposite friction surfaces of the annular body.

Abstract: A battery with passive fire suppression capabilities includes a housing, a battery cell stack disposed within an interior of the housing, and a fire suppression material disposed within the interior of the housing. The battery cell stack includes a plurality of battery cells, with each of the plurality of battery cells including a nonaqueous electrolyte. When the fire suppression material is exposed to the nonaqueous electrolyte, the fire suppression material is configured to retain the nonaqueous electrolyte within the interior of the housing.

Abstract: A system for evaluating a battery cell includes an imaging device configured to take an image of at least part of the battery cell, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform: determining a region of interest in the acquired image, reducing a sharpness of the acquired image to generate a reference image, comparing the acquired image and the reference image, and identifying a discontinuity of the battery cell based on a difference between the acquired image and the reference image.

Abstract: A battery system includes a battery housing having an interior compartment. A battery pack, including a plurality of battery cells, is in the interior compartment of the housing. A vessel defines an interior chamber and includes an air inlet, an oxygen discharge port, and an inert gas discharge port each in communication with the interior chamber. An oxygen separation material is in the chamber and is configured to separate oxygen from air supplied through the air inlet and to direct the oxygen to the oxygen discharge port. The oxygen separation material is further configured to direct remaining oxygen deficient air to the inert gas discharge port. The inert gas discharge port in communication with the interior compartment of the battery housing.

Abstract: A battery cell comprises a battery cell enclosure made of a non-metallic material. First battery terminals arranged in the battery cell enclosure. Second battery terminals arranged in the battery cell enclosure. Electrolyte is located between the first battery terminals and the second battery terminals. C conductive portions are arranged adjacent to an outer surface of the battery cell enclosure, where C is an integer greater than zero.