Abstract: Battery enclosure arrangements for a vehicular battery system. The arrangements, capable of impact resistance include plurality of battery cells and a plurality of kinetic energy absorbing elements. The arrangements further include a frame configured to encase the plurality of the kinetic energy absorbing elements and the battery cells. In some arrangements the frame and/or the kinetic energy absorbing elements can be made of topologically interlocked materials.

Abstract: Battery enclosure arrangements for a vehicular battery system. The arrangements, capable of impact resistance include plurality of battery cells and a plurality of kinetic energy absorbing elements. The arrangements further include a frame configured to encase the plurality of the kinetic energy absorbing elements and the battery cells. In some arrangements the frame and/or the kinetic energy absorbing elements can be made of topologically interlocked materials.

Abstract: Metamaterial systems capable of exhibiting changes in thermal conductivities in response to an external control or input, as well as methods relating thereto. The metamaterial systems include first and second plates, and a metamaterial core between and thermally coupled to the first and second plates. The metamaterial core comprises a plurality of elements coupled to and contacting each other, with each of the elements being a pseudo-tetrahedron having surfaces that define surface-to-surface contacts with at least one other of the elements. A force is applied to the metamaterial core that increases contact pressures between the elements at the surface-to-surface contacts thereof and thereby increases thermal contact conductivities at the surface-to-surface contacts and increases a thermal conductivity of the metamaterial core.

Abstract: Battery enclosure arrangements for a vehicular battery system. The arrangements, capable of impact resistance include plurality of battery cells and a plurality of kinetic energy absorbing elements. The arrangements further include a frame configured to encase the plurality of the kinetic energy absorbing elements and the battery cells. In some arrangements the frame and/or the kinetic energy absorbing elements can be made of topologically interlocked materials.

Abstract: Battery enclosure arrangements for a vehicular battery system. The arrangements, capable of impact resistance include plurality of battery cells and a plurality of kinetic energy absorbing elements. The arrangements further include a frame configured to encase the plurality of the kinetic energy absorbing elements and the battery cells. In some arrangements the frame and/or the kinetic energy absorbing elements can be made of topologically interlocked materials.

Abstract: Battery enclosure arrangements for a vehicular battery system. The arrangements, capable of impact resistance include plurality of battery cells and a plurality of kinetic energy absorbing elements. The arrangements further include a frame configured to encase the plurality of the kinetic energy absorbing elements and the battery cells. In some arrangements the frame and/or the kinetic energy absorbing elements can be made of topologically interlocked materials.

Abstract: Battery enclosure arrangements for a vehicular battery system. The arrangements, capable of impact resistance include plurality of battery cells and a plurality of kinetic energy absorbing elements. The arrangements further include a frame configured to encase the plurality of the kinetic energy absorbing elements and the battery cells. In some arrangements the frame and/or the kinetic energy absorbing elements can be made of topologically interlocked materials.

Abstract: Metamaterial systems capable of exhibiting changes in thermal conductivities in response to an external control or input, as well as methods relating thereto. The metamaterial systems include first and second plates, and a metamaterial core between and thermally coupled to the first and second plates. The metamaterial core comprises a plurality of elements coupled to and contacting each other, with each of the elements being a pseudo-tetrahedron having surfaces that define surface-to-surface contacts with at least one other of the elements. A force is applied to the metamaterial core that increases contact pressures between the elements at the surface-to-surface contacts thereof and thereby increases thermal contact conductivities at the surface-to-surface contacts and increases a thermal conductivity of the metamaterial core.

Abstract: An optical apparatus functioning either as a multiplexer or a demultiplexer, including: a first polarization beam splitter (PBS); a second PBS optically coupled to the first PBS along an axis of the apparatus; a half-wave plate optically coupled between the first and second PBS; a common optical port optically coupled to the first PBS at a face intersecting the axis; a first non-common optical port optically coupled to the first PBS at a face not intersecting the axis; a second non-common optical port optically coupled to the second PBS; and a reflection interferometer optically coupled to the second PBS. The apparatus provides the benefits of using the reflection interferometer, but does not require paired reflection interferometers or Faraday rotators.

Abstract: An optical apparatus functioning either as a multiplexer or a demultiplexer, including: a first polarization beam splitter (PBS); a second PBS optically coupled to the first PBS along an axis of the apparatus; a half-wave plate optically coupled between the first and second PBS; a common optical port optically coupled to the first PBS at a face intersecting the axis; a first non-common optical port optically coupled to the first PBS at a face not intersecting the axis; a second non-common optical port optically coupled to the second PBS; and a reflection interferometer optically coupled to the second PBS. The apparatus provides the benefits of using the reflection interferometer, but does not require paired reflection interferometers or Faraday rotators.