Ford Motor Company Limited

Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Allen H Meitzler

George S Saloka

Dante S Giardini

Gordon L Beaudoin

Shaun L McCarthy

Russell J Haeberle

Kathirgamasundaram Sooriakumar

William T Donlon, Jr

Jeffrey Scott Hepburn

Terry Thomas Cwik

Edward N Sickafus

Samuel S Shinozaki

James M Raffa

Noel A Walker

Peter W Misangyi

Samuel S Schinozaki

Winston A Little

Michael F Aronow

Jame A Nix-Gomez

Actuators are attached with plates of a fuel cell stack. Electrical power is provided to the actuators to drive the actuators to mechanically excite the plates to agitate liquid water restricting or blocking flow fields formed in the plates.

Automotive fuel cell water management system and method of operating same

A microelectronic device is hermetically sealed at the wafer level. A substrate is provided having associated electronics and at least one metal bonding pad. A dielectric layer, such as pyrex glass film, is sputter deposited atop the substrate to form a glass/metal seal. A glass film is thereafter planarized, preferably by chemical-mechanical polishing, to remove surface variations. A cover wafer is thereafter anodically bonded to the dielectric layer/glass film so as to define a sealed cavity for housing and protecting the substrate electronics. The resultant microelectronic device is packaged in its own hermetically sealed container at the wafer level.

Hermetically sealed microelectronic device and method of forming same

An on-board monitoring system for estimating the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a vehicle catalytic converter receives temperature signals from a plurality of temperature sensors positioned to detect the temperature of exhaust gas entering the catalytic converter and to detect the temperature of the catalyst substrate in the catalytic converter at spaced positions along the direction of flow. Diagnostic routine initiation tests are performed to determine if the vehicle is operating within an acceptable range, and if so, then a plurality of sets of temperature values are measured and stored over a plurality of time intervals. During the time intervals, several engine operating parameters are checked to determine if the vehicle is operating within a range which conforms approximately to the range of operation encountered in the Federal Test Procedure (FTP). Upon expiration of the time intervals, a total energy value, indicative of the thermal energy developed in the catalytic converter over the plurality of intervals is generated and compared to a predetermined value. If the calculated energy value deviates from the predetermined value by more than a predetermined deviation amount, a malfunction indicator light is set to indicate excessive deterioration of the catalytic converter.

Catalyst monitor based on a thermal power model

An oil monitoring system storing a remaining percent tachometer oil life, a remaining percent time oil life and a remaining percent odometer oil life. The oil monitoring system has means for selecting and displaying the lowest of these three remaining percent oil life values as the lowest remaining percent oil life. The selected lowest remaining percent oil life is compared to predetermined percentages to display on an in-vehicle display if the oil is OK, if the oil is to be changed soon, or if an oil change is required. The oil monitoring system may include an oil dielectric constant sensor and display if the oil is to be changed soon or an oil change is required as a function in the change in the oil's dielectric constant.

Engine oil monitoring system having an in-vehicle display of the current

An acoustic or ultrasonic device includes two ultrasonic energy transmission paths having substantially identical transmission characteristics for a neutral condition of the device. One or both of the transmission paths include path altering structure(s) or coating(s) for changing the transmission characteristics of one or both of the paths in response to a physical phenomenon to be sensed or monitored. The paths have input transducers coupled thereto for transmitting ultrasonic energy into the paths. The input transducers are driven by a single oscillator such that the ultrasonic energy waves generated in the two paths are substantially identical to one another. A drive adjusting circuit compensates for any differences between the two paths and/or the ultrasonic waves in the two paths. An output transducer is coupled to the two paths for receiving ultrasonic waves from the paths and generating an output signal which is the result of combining the acoustic or ultrasonic waves from the two paths. By combining the waves from the two paths, the output signal is effectively the interference pattern generated by the waves in the two paths and hence the device operates as an acoustic or ultrasonic energy interferometer to sense or monitor physical phenomena to which the path altering structure(s) or coating(s) respond.

Ultrasonic wave interferometers

A flexible fuel sensor is disclosed where two concentric conductors, adapted to receive the fuel mixture, are shorted to provide a resonant electromagnetic cavity.

Resonant cavity flexible fuel sensor and system

A flexible fuel dielectric-effect sensor is disclosed wherein three capacitors, immersed in the fuel flow, are connected to define a pi filter.

Flexible fuel PI filter sensor

A multiple-reflection, long-path wave transmission device is fabricated from a single crystal silicon plate by micromachining straight walled rectangular cavities into the plate to reflect ultrasonic waves along an extended transmission path defined by the rectangular cavities. An input transducer is coupled to the silicon plate to introduce ultrasonic waves into the plate in response to an input signal. The ultrasonic waves travel in the silicon plate along the transmission path defined by the straight walled reflective cavities. An output transducer is similarly coupled to the silicon plate to receive the ultrasonic waves at the completion of the transmission path and to generate an output signal representative thereof. Additional sloped wall cavities are formed in the silicon plate to border the extended transmission path. The sloped wall cavities prevent cross coupling of waves traveling in different portions of the path and absorb energy traveling in undesired directions and modes. The sloped walls may be coated with an absorbing material to enhance absorbtion.

Acoustic wave transmission media delay line having internally disposed

An on-board sensor system which compares the dielectric properties of lubricating oil in an internal combustion engine with the dielectric properties of unused oil in a contained volume and providing an output signal indicative of the changes in viscosity correlated to the dielectric constant changes of the lubricating oil.

Method and apparatus for sensing the condition of lubricating oil in an

An improved apparatus for coupling ultrasonic energy from piezoelectric transducers to a liquid medium for use in cleaning or etching processes. The apparatus includes a vibration coupling plate which may be partially immersed in the liquid medium, while the upper, nonimmersed end of the plate is configured to support a pair of piezoelectric transducers disposed at 45 degree angles with respect to the lengthwise axis of the plate. The beams of ultrasonic mechanical wave energy are therefore reflected back and forth from the side edges of the plate and dispersed over a wider angle in the liquid.

Apparatus for applying high frequency ultrasonic energy to cleaning and

A composite light pickup device for use in an automotive vehicle to collect light from both the ambient surroundings and from oncoming vehicles and employing separate optical fiber couplings of the collected light to a headlamp system that responsively activates the vehicle headlamps when the ambient light level is too low and switches the activated headlamps between high and low beams in response to receiving light from oncoming vehicle headlamps.

Composite light pickup device

High frequency ultrasonic energy is applied to a liquid medium to produce low micron size cavitation in the liquid for enhancing the cleaning or etching action of exposed surfaces within the liquid. An ultrasonic transducer is bonded to a vibration coupler which is formed of a material that is inpervious to the liquid medium and functions to efficiently transmit the ultrasonic vibrations to the liquid medium. The coupler is partially immersed in the liquid while maintaining the transducer elevated above the liquid.

An insulated transmission medium for propagating ultrasonic vibrational waves and conducting electromagnetic energy in a multiplex type communication system, whereby said medium is a metallic strip that interconnects an ultrasonic wave transmitting transducer, a D.C. power source, an ultrasonic wave receiving transducer and the controlled loads.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Allen H Meitzler