General Motors (Germany)

While battery performance is well predicted by the macrohomogeneous model of Newman and co-workers, predicting degradation and failure remains a challenge. It may be that, like most materials, failure depends on local imperfections and inhomogeneities. In this work we use tomographic data previously obtained for a commercial lithium-ion battery graphite composite electrode to evaluate the homogeneity of the tortuosity of the electrode by directly integrating the transport equations through its pore space. We find that the tortuosity of two halves of the electrode, each roughly 250 × 350 × 50 μm differ by about 30%. On a smaller scale, 80 × 100 × 50 μm, local tortuosity variations up to a factor of 3 were observed. The Bruggeman relationship between porosity and tortuosity is also examined. We find that local porosity alone does not determine local tortuosity very well, and that the average relationship between porosity and tortuosity is not well predicted by the Bruggeman relationship for this electrode. We suggest that large local variations in tortuosity can lead to reduced capacity and life.

The cooperative intelligent transport system (C-ITS) (also known as connected vehicle technology in the United States) is an application using vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications, at a carrier frequency of 5.9 GHz, to increase road traffic safety and efficiency in Europe. In this article, we hope to shed light on the current status of the C-ITS in Europe and the activities that must be accomplished before deployment can commence in 2019, the date announced by the CAR-2-CAR Communication Consortium (C2C-CC). There is immense activity regarding the launch of the C-ITS in Europe, and the automotive industry is also currently planning for the future.

Radar technology is used for many applications of advanced driver assistance systems (ADASs) and is considered as one of the key technologies for highly automated driving (HAD). An overview of conventional automotive radar processing is presented and critical use cases are pointed out in which conventional processing is bound to fail due to limited frequency resolution. Consequently, a flexible framework for computationally efficient high-resolution frequency estimation is presented. This framework is based on decoupled frequency estimation in the Fourier domain, where high-resolution processing can be applied to either the range, relative velocity, or angular dimension. Real data obtained from series-production automotive radar sensor are presented to show the effectiveness of the presented approach.

Abstract Gas‐diffusion media (also known as gas diffusers and gas‐diffusion backings) are required in most polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) designs. Their function is to provide uniform reactant (H 2 , O 2 , and electrons) access to and product (H 2 O) removal from the electrodes, efficient heat removal from the membrane electrode assembly (MEA), and mechanical support to the MEA. The vast majority of gas‐diffusion media are based on carbon‐fiber materials; a variety of forms are used, with carbon‐fiber paper and carbon cloth receiving widest application. This chapter describes the production and properties of currently available and emerging materials. Commonly employed treatments and coatings used to tailor the wicking and hydrophobic properties of diffusion media for efficient water removal are discussed. Finally, ex‐situ and in‐situ methods for characterizing diffusion media are described.

Abstract Fuel cell vehicles running on hydrogen are seen as the long term solution to enable sustainable mobility. Compressed hydrogen gas storage systems are a promising route for storing hydrogen on board of vehicles, provided that a reliable and cheap material capable of withstanding hydrogen embrittlement is found. In this paper, the physicochemical behaviour of stainless steel in the presence of hydrogen with special focus on a ductility minimum near room temperature is reviewed.

Abstract Purpose Deposition of misfolded alpha-synuclein (αSYN) aggregates in the human brain is one of the major hallmarks of synucleinopathies. However, a target-specific tracer to detect pathological aggregates of αSYN remains lacking. Here, we report the development of a positron emission tomography (PET) tracer based on anle138b, a compound shown to have therapeutic activity in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. Methods Specificity and selectivity of [ 3 H]MODAG-001 were tested in in vitro binding assays using recombinant fibrils. After carbon-11 radiolabeling, the pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile was determined in mice. Specific binding was quantified in rats, inoculated with αSYN fibrils and using in vitro autoradiography in human brain sections of Lewy body dementia (LBD) cases provided by the Neurobiobank Munich (NBM). Results [ 3 H]MODAG-001 revealed a very high affinity towards pure αSYN fibrils ( K d = 0.6 ± 0.1 nM) and only a moderate affinity to hTau46 fibrils ( K d = 19 ± 6.4 nM) as well as amyloid-β 1–42 fibrils ( K d = 20 ± 10 nM). [ 11 C]MODAG-001 showed an excellent ability to penetrate the mouse brain. Metabolic degradation was present, but the stability of the parent compound improved after selective deuteration of the precursor. (d 3 )-[ 11 C]MODAG-001 binding was confirmed in fibril-inoculated rat striata using in vivo PET imaging. In vitro autoradiography showed no detectable binding to aggregated αSYN in human brain sections of LBD cases, most likely, because of the low abundance of aggregated αSYN against background protein. Conclusion MODAG-001 provides a promising lead structure for future compound development as it combines a high affinity and good selectivity in fibril-binding assays with suitable pharmacokinetics and biodistribution properties.

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Wind tunnel tests were carried out with a full-scale passenger car over a moving belt. The suspension system of the vehicle was redesigned in such a way that drag and lift forces could be measured whilst the wheels were rolling on the moving ground. The measurements were carried out with an internal balance installed inside the vehicle. Additionally, total-pressure-deficit contour plots were reduced from wake-rake measurements behind the front and rear wheels in order to identify the origin of different bound vortices generated at the wheels. It was found from these tests that rolling wheels have a large aerodynamic influence on passenger cars. They decrease the drag and increase the lift forces in comparison to fixed wheels. This has been established in an absolute and a relative sense by investigating different vehicle configurations.</div>

In the late 1980s, General Motors Corporation (GM) initiated a long-term project to predict and improve the throughput performance of its production lines to increase productivity throughout its manufacturing operations and provide GM with a strategic competitive advantage. GM quantified throughput performance and focused improvement efforts in the design and operations of its manufacturing systems through coordinated activities in three areas: (1) it developed algorithms for estimating throughput performance, identifying bottlenecks, and optimizing buffer allocation, (2) it installed real-time plant-floor data-collection systems to support the algorithms, and (3) it established common processes for identifying opportunities and implementing performance improvements. Through these activities, GM has increased revenue and saved over $2.1 billion in over 30 vehicle plants and 10 countries.

Abstract. Power stations, ships and air traffic are among the most potent greenhouse gas emitters and are primarily responsible for global warming. Iron salt aerosols (ISAs), composed partly of iron and chloride, exert a cooling effect on climate in several ways. This article aims firstly to examine all direct and indirect natural climate cooling mechanisms driven by ISA tropospheric aerosol particles, showing their cooperation and interaction within the different environmental compartments. Secondly, it looks at a proposal to enhance the cooling effects of ISA in order to reach the optimistic target of the Paris climate agreement to limit the global temperature increase between 1.5 and 2 °C. Mineral dust played an important role during the glacial periods; by using mineral dust as a natural analogue tool and by mimicking the same method used in nature, the proposed ISA method might be able to reduce and stop climate warming. The first estimations made in this article show that by doubling the current natural iron emissions by ISA into the troposphere, i.e., by about 0.3 Tg Fe yr−1, artificial ISA would enable the prevention or even reversal of global warming. The ISA method proposed integrates technical and economically feasible tools.

BACKGROUND: The potyviruses sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV) are major pathogens of maize worldwide. Two loci, Scmv1 and Scmv2, have ealier been shown to confer complete resistance to SCMV. Custom-made microarrays containing previously identified SCMV resistance candidate genes and resistance gene analogs were utilised to investigate and validate gene expression and expression patterns of isogenic lines under pathogen infection in order to obtain information about the molecular mechanisms involved in maize-potyvirus interactions. RESULTS: By employing time course microarray experiments we identified 68 significantly differentially expressed sequences within the different time points. The majority of differentially expressed genes differed between the near-isogenic line carrying Scmv1 resistance locus at chromosome 6 and the other isogenic lines. Most differentially expressed genes in the SCMV experiment (75%) were identified one hour after virus inoculation, and about one quarter at multiple time points. Furthermore, most of the identified mapped genes were localised outside the Scmv QTL regions. Annotation revealed differential expression of promising pathogenesis-related candidate genes, validated by qRT-PCR, coding for metallothionein-like protein, S-adenosylmethionine synthetase, germin-like protein or 26S ribosomal RNA. CONCLUSION: Our study identified putative candidate genes and gene expression patterns related to resistance to SCMV. Moreover, our findings support the effectiveness and reliability of the combination of different expression profiling approaches for the identification and validation of candidate genes. Genes identified in this study represent possible future targets for manipulation of SCMV resistance in maize.

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Future demands for very low emissions from diesel engines, without compromising fuel economy or driveability, require Engine Management Systems (EMS) capable of compensating for emissions dispersion caused by production tolerances and component ageing. The Advanced Diesel Engine Control (ADEC) Project, a collaboration between Ricardo and General Motors, is aimed at reducing engine-out emissions dispersion and enabling alternative combustion modes, such as Highly Premixed Cool Combustion (HPCC), in real-world scenarios. This is being achieved by high-level co-ordination of fuel, air and EGR in order to meet the conflicting performance requirements of current and future diesel engines. A sensor feasibility study was undertaken which included a number of new sensing technologies appropriate for future mass production. Two sensor types, namely cylinder pressure and accelerometer sensors, were then selected to demonstrate varying degrees of benefits versus sensor technology cost. A prototyping EMS was configured incorporating these two sensor options for testbed and vehicle demonstration. This paper presents the background to the project and current status.</div>

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) employ single object information to provide safety, comfort, or infotainment features. The required data is mainly extracted from external sensors to recognize and predict the future states of relevant traffic participants. Next generation ADAS will also use data from additional sources like, e.g., Car-to-X communication networks, to avoid some typical restrictions of common sensor setups. In this work, we present a method, which uses information on other traffic participants, and furthermore recognizes and considers their interactions in terms of traffic maneuvers to better predict their states. For this purpose, a probabilistic framework is presented, which recognizes object interactions as well as different road characteristics by introducing local, adaptive occupancy grids. The resulting maneuver recognition is shown to considerably improve received mobility data in terms of position, speed, and heading. These concepts have been fully implemented and evaluated by means of real world experiments.

Fulfilling the Paris Climate Agreement requires reducing rapidly the new emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to reach net zero by 2050. As some anthropogenic emissions cannot be zero, to compensate them it will be necessary to remove GHGs from the atmosphere. Among possible methods, the Iron Salt Aerosol (ISA) offers new possibilities, including removal of methane and several other GHGs, as well as carbon dioxide. Several studies suggest that anthropogenic emissions of iron participate in the current primary productivity. As plans to decarbonize the world economy might also have inadvertent warming effects due to the reduction of iron emissions from fossil fuels burning, iron additions might help address this issue. ISA is different from the method known as Ocean Iron Fertilization and the differences are explained. ISA mimic natural processes and the dust which probably participated in the cooling during the ice-ages over the past million years. Still larger laboratory trials, safety and environmental impact studies and global chemical computer modeling are necessary before ISA would be ready to be trialed. Desk and laboratory studies indicate low cost, easy deployment and efficacy, all of which can be validated by future small scale field trials, a step needed before, if successful, a possible implementation at a climate-relevant scale.

OBJECTIVE: Toll-like receptors (TLR) 2 and 4 were shown recently to mediate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/endotoxin effects in vivo. Absence of clinical features, such as fever and leucocytosis, frequent infections, and up-regulation of anti-inflammatory cytokines suggest systemic differential regulation of LPS effects in patients with chronic endotoxinaemia due to liver cirrhosis. DESIGN: Regulation of TLR2 and TLR4 represents a possible pathway to control LPS-induced immune responses in liver cirrhosis. METHODS: We compared the expression of TLR2 and TLR4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (n = 28) and in liver biopsies (n = 20) of controls and of patients with liver cirrhosis by applying the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction technique. The data were correlated to serum levels of LPS and CD14. RESULTS: Expression of TLR2 was up-regulated (P < 0.01 to P < 0.05) in the PBMC of patients with high serum endotoxin levels, while TLR4 expression in patients at Child-Pugh stage A was down-regulated, irrespective of the origin (alcoholic or viral) of cirrhosis. A strong and significant correlation between expression of TLR2 and serum LPS (r = 0.638, P < 0.01) and soluble CD14 (r = 0.550, P < 0.05) was observed. Intrahepatic expression of TLR2/4 was not altered significantly in patients with liver cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate LPS-driven regulation of TLR2/4 in patients with liver cirrhosis, suggesting involvement in mechanisms of systemic LPS hyporesponsiveness.

&lt;div class="section abstract"&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;Abnormal ignition, especially preignition, in gasoline engines has been a phenomenon that has been reported for many decades, going back to at least the 1920s in the literature. In the last 10 years, another abnormal combustion issue that has been deemed as preignition has been observed and documented. It is not clear if these issues from the early years are related or similar in nature to the present ones. Was the issue solved and now back again? Did changes occur in engine designs that caused this abnormal combustion phenomena to reappear? This paper serves as a review of literature from the 1920s through the 2000s on instances of abnormal ignition by fuel and lubricant derivatives, and what has been observed and learned. The different terms used to describe these phenomena are defined and clarified. Trends observed with the mechanisms and causes are discussed. Similarities between historical and more modern observations are highlighted, and areas of possible future work are suggested. Quick resolution of the current fuel/lubricant derivative ignition issue is required to minimize risk of engine hardware damage and enable utilization of advanced technologies to significantly improve vehicle fuel economy.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Abstract Oxymethylene dimethyl ethers (OME n ; CH 3 (‐OCH 2 ‐) n O‐CH 3 , n =3–5) are a novel class of sustainable synthetic fuels, which are of increasing interest due to their soot‐free combustion. Herein a novel anhydrous OME n synthesis route is presented. Catalyzed by trimethyloxonium salts, dimethoxymethane takes up monomeric gaseous formaldehyde instantaneously and forms high purity OME n at temperatures of 25–30 °C. This new anhydrous approach using molecular formaldehyde and catalytic amounts of highly active trimethyloxonium salts represents a promising new step towards a sustainable formation of OME n emanating from CO 2 and H 2 .

&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;The non-freewheeler shift control technology (clutch-to-clutch shift) is the key enabler for a compact, low mass and low cost automatic transmission design, especially when the transmission has an extended number of speeds. For the past two decades, a variety of non-freewheeler shift control technologies have been developed. The Allison Transmission LCT, the Saturn MP7 and the Chrysler 42LE can be considered as representatives of those technologies. All of those technologies (traditional) use two independent pressure control valves to control the oncoming and the off-going clutches. The synchronization of these two clutches is accomplished by means of electronic controls. Due to the variation of the system parameters and the difficulty of detecting the oncoming clutch fill, the consistency and robustness have always been the issues, even after years of development. To improve the consistency and robustness of the control systems, the authors have developed a new non-freewheeler shift control technology. This new technology uses a hydraulic washout technique to control the synchronization of the oncoming and the off-going clutches. The test results show that this new technology greatly improves the shift quality, consistency and system robustness, and reduces the calibration work over the traditional clutch-to-clutch control technologies. The technical background, design guideline, analyses, and hardware test results will be reported.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;A new combustion system with a low compression ratio (CR), specifically oriented towards the exploitment of partially Premixed Charge Compression Ignition (PCCI) diesel engines, has been developed and tested. The work is part of a cooperative research program between Politecnico di Torino (PT) and GM Powertrain Europe (GMPT-E) in the frame of Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) diesel combustion-system design and control. The baseline engine is derived from the GM 2.0L 4-cylinder in-line, 4-valve-per-cylinder EU5 engine. It features a CR of 16.5, a single stage VGT turbocharger and a second generation Common Rail (1600 bar). A newly designed combustion bowl was applied. It features a central dome and a large inlet diameter, in order to maximize the air utilization factor at high load and to tolerate advanced injection timings at partial load. Two different piston prototypes were manufactured by changing the internal volume of the new bowl so as to reach CR targets of 15.5 and 15. The baseline and the new in-piston bowls were experimentally analyzed in conjunction with different injector nozzles to assess their best match for PCCI application. To such an end, the ratio of premixed fuel-air was enhanced by advancing injection and increasing fuel-air contact surface. Hence, in addition to baseline injectors with 7 holes and 148 deg spray cone angle, two nozzle configurations featuring 9-hole and reduced spray cone angles (135 deg and 120 deg) were considered in order to assess the benefits of increased fuel-air contact surface and advanced injection timings, respectively, in charge premixing. The experimental tests were carried out on the highly dynamic test bed of the IC Engines Advanced Laboratory (ICEAL) at Politecnico di Torino. Combustion analysis was also performed by means of an innovative premixed-diffusive multizone diagnostic tool, which has recently been developed at ICEAL. For the different combustion system configurations, engine performance and pollutant emissions were investigated at characteristic engine working points, for both partial and full loads, where wall impingement and air utilization are critical, respectively. In addition, the low CR engine prototypes were tested for NEDC cycle by reproducing the engine operation on a D-class passenger car at the dynamic test bed. Finally, the combustion system which presented the best compromise between partial- and full-load performance was selected.&lt;/div&gt;

&lt;div class="section abstract"&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;The predictive capabilities of an innovative multizone combustion model DIPulse, developed by Gamma Technologies, were assessed in this work for a last generation common rail automotive diesel engine.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;A detailed validation process, based on an extensive experimental data set, was carried out concerning the predicted heat release rate, the in-cylinder pressure trace, as well as NOx and soot emissions for several operating points including both part load and full load points.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="htmlview paragraph"&gt;After a preliminary calibration of the model, the combustion model parameters were then optimized through a Latin Hypercube Design of Experiment (DoE), with the aim of minimizing the RMS error between the predicted and experimental burn rate of several engine operating points, thus achieving a satisfactory agreement between simulation and experimental engine combustion and emissions parameters.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

MIMO schemes are applied in automotive radar to improve resolution and SNR performance. Practically relevant use cases, which typically require high-resolution angle estimation, include horizontal or vertical multipath. In these situations, the standard two-target model is not valid anymore when MIMO schemes are employed, and model-based angle estimation needs to be extended. We present signal models with two targets and with a single target in the presence of multipath, and provide respective maximum likelihood estimators. Experimental data obtained with a series-production automotive radar sensor confirm the presented results.