Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Genberal Motors Corporation

Thomas J Chapaton

Tenneille Weston Capehart

Marie-Christine G Jones

Reuben Sarkar

Brent D Calcut

Armand Soldera

Claude Spino

Gerhard Maier

Ratandeep S Kukreja

James L Linden

Markus Gross

Nicholas Paul William Pieczonka

Wayne E Reeder

William Reginald Collin

Gail Capehart, Legal Representative

Mahmoud H Abd Elhamid

Michael P Balogh

Anthony L Smith

John C Ulicny

Wayne Cai

Steven Jeffrey Schmieg

Mark A Golden

Andrew Mark Mance

Teresa J Rinker

Byong Kwon Cho

Kenneth B Gross

Daniel Dziedzic

Peng Lu

Jerome P Ortmann

Eric G Hartnagle

Brian L McDermott

Michael J Moore

Michael J Llerandi

Keith V Huguley

Riadh Zriba

Mark A Gordon

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.

Vehicle coolant systems

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.

Methods for detecting contaminations in vehicle coolant systems

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system may comprise an evaporator core including an upstream inlet face in which humid air is received, a downstream outlet face from which dehumidified air is discharged, and a plurality of air-contacting surfaces extending between the inlet and outlet faces. In one form, an antimicrobial coating may be formed on the air-contacting surfaces of the evaporator core. The antimicrobial coating may comprise an ionic material having immobilized ionic groups of one type of charge and mobile counterions of another type of charge. The mobile counterions may be ionically associated with the immobilized ionic groups. In another form, an ultraviolet light emitting diode (UV-LED) may be used to direct UV light onto the air-contacting surfaces of the evaporator core.

Antimicrobial treatment for HVAC systems

A mobile vacuum distillation unit for extracting, condensing, and collecting volatile organic compound vapor emissions from one or more polymer-containing articles includes a shell that defines an enclosed interior space and is mounted to a transportable support platform, a vacuum distillation vessel, a condenser, a condensate storage tank, and a vacuum pump system in fluid communication with a vacuum distillation chamber of the vacuum distillation vessel. The vacuum distillation chamber that includes the one or more polymer-containing articles from which the VOC vapor emissions are extracted may be heated by an exhaust gas heat exchanger if the transportable support platform is connected to and hauled by a tractor unit powered by a diesel engine. A method of using the mobile vacuum distillation unit to extract VOC vapor emissions from one or more polymer-containing article during transportation of the one or more polymer-containing articles between geographically separate destinations is also disclosed.

Mobile vacuum distillation unit for transport of articles containing releasable volatile organic compounds

Volatile compound emissions from a product that comprises a polymeric material may be reduced or eliminated from the product by heating the product in a subatmospheric pressure environment. The product may be heated in the subatmospheric pressure environment at a temperature sufficient to vaporize a volatile compound contained within the polymeric material such that vapors of the volatile compound are extracted or released from the product.

Process and system for reducing volatile compound emissions from a product

Methods and systems for reducing microbial contamination and growth in an automotive HVAC system by irradiating one or more air contacting surfaces of the HVAC system with antimicrobial UV-C light.

Antimicrobial UV-C treatment for automotive HVAC systems

A welding assembly includes a sonotrode, cleaning station, and controller. The controller periodically commands clamping of the sonotrode onto the cleaning block, and a transmission of ultrasonic energy into the cleaning block for a calibrated duration sufficient for removing residual amounts of metal from welding pads of the sonotrode. The cleaning block may include an aluminum bar coated with a polymeric material, e.g., porous polyethylene silica or alumina composite. A thin sacrificial layer of an anti-adhesion material, e.g., colloidal silica, may be periodically applied to the welding pads, particularly after a transition from welding a first metal to welding a second metal. The sacrificial layer may be applied via a sponge, a saturated surface, or spraying.

Elimination of tool adhesion in an ultrasonic welding process

One embodiment includes methods of adding two sulfonic acid groups to molecules having at least two cyclic groups.

Organic superacid monomers containing a bis-sulfonic acid group and methods of making and using the same

One embodiment of the invention contemplates a proton exchange membrane for use in a variety of fuel cells. The proton exchange membrane may comprise a solid phase organic based copolymer material in which a first structural unit is derived from a polymerizable organic super acid. The organic super acid may comprise an acid group such as a sulfonic acid group or a carboxylic acid group.

Organic superacids, polymers derived from organic superacids, and methods of making and using the same

Organic superacids, polymers, derived from organic superacids, and methods of making and using the same

The nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO) content of lean-burn engine exhaust is beneficially prepared for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of these oxides to nitrogen by two sidestream additions to the exhaust. An ozone-containing air stream is added to the exhaust to affect oxidation of NO to NO. And a hydrocarbon(s) fuel constituent is added to a second humidified ozone-containing air stream and that mixture subjected to UV radiation. Strongly oxidizing hydroxyl radicals are formed by interaction of ozone, water, and UV radiation for reaction with the hydrocarbon. The resulting partially oxidized hydrocarbons (Pox) are added to the exhaust, providing effective reduction materials for the SCR of NOto nitrogen and water.

[object Object]

Antifoam compositions for functional fluids contain antifoam agents comprising perfluoropolyether compounds (PFPE). An automatic transmission fluid is provided containing the antifoam composition in a lubricating base oil, along with conventional additives such as antiwear agents. Automobile transmissions are provided that contain an automatic transmission fluid containing the new antifoam compositions. In a further embodiment, methods are provided for reducing foam in an engine oil or unwanted noise in an automobile transmission during operation, comprising lubricating the engine or transmission with a lubricating fluid containing the antifoam compositions of the invention.

Controlled release of perfluoropolyether antifoam additives from compounded rubber

Antifoam compositions for automatic transmission fluids contain antifoam agents comprising perfluoropolyether compounds (PFPE). An automatic transmission fluid is provided containing the antifoam composition in a lubricating base oil, along with conventional additives such as antiwear agents. Automobile transmissions are provided that contain an automatic transmission fluid containing the new antifoam compositions. In a further embodiment, methods are provided for reducing unwanted noise in an automobile transmission during operation, comprising lubricating the transmission with an ATF containing the antifoam compositions of the invention.

Thermally stable antifoam agent for use in automatic transmission fluids

A rubber composition contains an antifoam compound that leaches out of the rubber composition when placed in contact with a functional fluid. The antifoam compound is delivered into a functional fluid such as an automatic transmission fluid or an engine oil by contacting the functional fluid with the rubber composition. In addition to the antifoam compound, the rubber composition contains one or more elastomers, which may be selected from a wide variety of natural or synthetic rubbers. In a preferred embodiment, the elastomer comprises a high temperature elastomer such as acrylic elastomer and ethylene acrylic elastomer.

Controlled release of antifoam additives from compounded rubber

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Thomas J Chapaton