Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Georgia Tech Research Corporation

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

University of Michigan

Other

Ford Motor Company Limited

Ballard Power Systems Corporation

The United States of America, by Sec. of the Army

Yi Ding

Richard E Soltis

David John Kubinski

Jacobus Hendrik Visser

Anna G Stefanopoulou

Joseph Carl Burba

Michael Howard Parsons

Nian Xiao

James Michael Kerns

Shankar Narayan Mohan

Jason Benjamin Siegel

Jing Song

Wesley G Zanardelli

Xinfan Lin

Youngki Kim

Robert C Michelson

John M Zwally

Sonya G Zanardelli

Jaco Visser

Bruce M Kopf

Matthew P Castanier

Sonya Zanardelli

Charles Stancil

Krisham K Ahuja

There is disclosed an electrical device and a method in which a battery is warmed up when operating from a sub-zero temperature. The electrical device may include a battery; an electrical storage element; and a battery management system including a controller in electrical communication with the battery and the electrical storage element. The controller can be configured to execute a program stored in the controller to shuttle energy between the battery and the electrical storage element until a power capability threshold of the battery has been reached, Shuttling the energy raises a temperature of the battery to meet power demand.

Energy conscious warm-up of lithium-ion cells from sub-zero temperatures

A method and a system of estimating core temperatures of battery cells in a battery pack can include several steps. In one step, a surface temperature of one or more battery cell(s) is received, a current of the one or more battery cell(s) is received, an inlet temperature of coolant provided to the battery pack is received, and a flow rate or velocity of the coolant is received. In another step, estimations are made including those of a cell-lumped internal electrical resistance of the battery cell(s), a cell-lumped conduction resistance between a core and a surface of the battery cell(s), and a cell-lumped convection resistance between the surface and the coolant. In yet another step, an estimation is made of a core temperature of the battery cell(s) based upon the received and estimated values of previous steps.

Estimating core temperatures of battery cells in a battery pack

A method of operating a gas sensor is disclosed, wherein the sensor includes a pumping electrode configuration and a measuring electrode configuration, and wherein the method includes operating the sensor in a first mode in which a first, lower pumping potential sufficient to electrochemically remove an interfering compound from the sensor without electrochemically removing the analyte from the sensor is applied across the pumping electrode configuration and a measuring potential sufficient to electrochemically remove the analyte from the sensor is applied across the measuring electrode configuration; and operating the sensor in a second mode in which a second, higher pumping potential sufficient to electrochemically remove the analyte from the sensor is applied to the pumping electrode configuration.

System and method for updating a baseline output of a gas sensor

A method of rapidly testing the discharge capacity of a battery comprises discharging the battery at a first discharge rate until a first cutoff potential is reached, relaxing the battery during a first period, discharging the battery at a lower discharge rate until a second cutoff potential is reached and relaxing the battery during a second, longer period. The process is repeated with successively lower discharge rates and successively longer relaxation periods until the battery is substantially exhausted. The cumulative value of all of the discharges is taken as a tested capacity of the battery. Optionally, cleanup charges can be sent to the battery during the relaxation periods and a low-frequency, low-amplitude current can be supplied throughout testing in order to shorten testing time.

Technique for rapid battery capacity testing

A system for calibrating a response to an exhaust-stream NOlevel in a motor vehicle is provided. The system comprises a NOsensor that includes an electrode, a current from the electrode responsive to the exhaust-stream NOlevel while a bias voltage is applied to the electrode. The system further comprises a controller configured to interrupt the bias voltage and to adjust a motor-vehicle response to the current based at least partly on an attained voltage of the electrode while the bias voltage is interrupted. Other embodiments provide a method of calibrating a NOsensor response in terms of gain and offset parameters.

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Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle during engine operation, the engine having an exhaust and a NOsensor coupled in the engine exhaust, in response to an ambient temperature of the NOsensor. One example method comprises, during warm-up of the NOsensor and during cold engine starting, adjusting an engine operating condition in response to a NO-indicative reading of the NOsensor, the NO-indicative reading being compensated for ambient temperature effects on the NOsensor.

Various systems and methods are described for operating an engine in a vehicle in response to an ambient humidity generated from an exhaust gas sensor. One example method comprises, during engine non-fueling conditions, where at least one intake valve and at least one exhaust valve of the engine are operating, generating an ambient humidity from the exhaust gas sensor and, under selected engine combusting conditions, adjusting an engine operating parameter based on the ambient humidity.

Humidity detection via an exhaust gas sensor

A method is disclosed for operating an electrochemical gas sensor with a measuring electrode pair and a pumping electrode pair. The method includes obtaining a measurement of the interfering species at a location spatially adjacent to a measuring electrode of the measuring electrode pair; and adjusting one or more of an operation or an output processing of the electrochemical gas sensor based on the measurement of the interfering species. In this manner, the measurement of the interfering species may be used to adjust the removal rates of the interfering species and/or to adjust an offset of an analyte measurement to compensate for the presence of the interfering species.

System and method for improving accuracy of a gas sensor

In at least one embodiment, a method is described for measuring concentrations of gas moieties in a gas mixture. A mixed-potential gas sensor is exposed to a gas mixture in order to obtain a first and a second mixed-potential gas sensor output responses. The first output response and a second output response are deconvoluted to measure a first analyte gas concentration and a second analyte gas concentration. Some of the output responses may be used as inputs to a control system.

Method for measuring concentrations of gas moieties in a gas mixture

Various systems and methods are described for controlling an engine in a vehicle which includes an exhaust passage and an exhaust gas recirculation system. One example method comprises adjusting an engine operating parameter based on an exhaust gas recirculation amount, the exhaust gas recirculation amount based on a first humidity and a second humidity, the first humidity generated from a first humidity sensor at a first location and the second humidity generated from a second humidity sensor located in the exhaust passage of the engine.

EGR detection via humidity detection

A system and method for charging a battery is provided. The method includes applying an excitation current pulse to the battery to determine the battery type and whether the battery is capable of holding a charge. To charge the battery, a series of current pulses are applied in groups with the average current being reduced for each succeeding group to take advantage of changing battery charge acceptance. When the voltage of the battery matches a predetermined value, application of the current pulse groups is ended. A single current pulse is then applied to complete the battery charge.

System and method for charging a battery

A hybrid power system ( ) for supplying power to a load ( ) such as an electric vehicle is provided. The power system ( ) includes an energy storage device ( ) and a fuel cell system ( ). When the state of charge of the energy storage device ( ) is greater than or equal to a predetermined state of charge, the energy storage device ( ) supplies all of the power to the load ( ). When the state of charge of the energy storage device ( ) falls below the predetermined state of charge, the fuel cell system ( ) supplies at least a portion of the power to the load ( ). In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the fuel cell system ( ) then supplies all of the power to the load ( ) as long as the power requirement of the load ( ) does not exceed an optimal power output of the fuel cell system ( ).

Hybrid power system for an electric vehicle

The invention is an improved fuel cell system suited for application in a vehicle. Specifically, the invention provides an improved system to remove CO emissions that has a rapid dynamic response (about 1 second) and can operate over a wide range of temperatures (between 0 and 800 degrees Celsius). The fuel cell system comprises hydrogen fuel, a CO removal system based upon non-Faradaic electrochemical modification of catalyst activity (electrochemical promotion), and a fuel cell stack. The CO removal system comprises a catalyst/working electrode, an electrolyte, a counter electrode, and a power source. The CO removal system's intrinsic catalytic rate is greater than an intrinsic electrocatalytic rate. The catalyst can be Pt, Rh, Au, Cu/ZnO, Cu/CuO, ABO3(perovskite), zeolite, and Pd. The power source can be a battery, potentiostat, or galvanostat.

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Canton, MI, United States of America

Yi Ding