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Mn and/or rare earth-doped xCaTiO₃ - (1-x)CaMeO₃ dielectrics, where Me=Hf or Zr and x=0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 were developed to yield materials with room temperature relative permittivities of Εr ~ 150-170, thermal coefficients of capacitance (TCC) of ± 15.8% to ± 16.4% from -50 to 150°C, and band gaps of ~ 3.3-3.6 eV as determined by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Un-doped single layer capacitors exhibited room temperature energy densities as large as 9.0 J/cm₃, but showed a drastic decrease in energy density above 100°C. When doped with 0.5 mol% Mn, the temperature dependence of the breakdown strength was minimized, and energy densities similar to room temperature values (9.5 J/cm₃) were observed up to 200°C. At 300°C, energy densities as large as 6.5 J/cm₃ were measured. These observations suggest that with further reductions in grain size and dielectric layer thickness, the xCaTiO₃ - (1-x)CaMeO₃ system is a strong candidate for integration into future power electronics applications.

Multigrade automotive lubricants contain polymeric viscosity modifiers which enable the oil to provide adequate hydrodynamic lubrication at high temperatures and good starting/pumping performance at low temperatures. Under operating conditions in engines, transmissions and gear boxes, polymeric additives undergo both temporary and permanent viscosity loss. The former is caused by flow orientation and the latter by molecular chain scission. Whatever the mechanism, original equipment manufacturers are interested in maintaining a minimum level of hydrodynamic viscosity from oil change to oil change. This is often expressed as a “stay-in-grade” requirement. Commercial viscosity modifiers (VM) span a wide range of chemistries and molecular architectures.

Lithium ion (Li-ion) battery capacity selection for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is primarily based on charge/discharge power and life. At high temperatures, battery degradation increases and reduces battery life, but battery internal resistance reduces and improves battery performance. Lithium ion phosphate (LFP) batteries have a maximum allowable voltage limit based on degradation minimization, so the battery capacity is selected large enough to stay within the limit over the entire life of the pack. This paper develops an optimal temperature trajectory for LFP cells to improve their charge acceptance and reduce HEV pack size while maintaining battery life. The proposed algorithm has two strategies. First, the battery pack temperature is increased when its state of charge (SOC) is high because the cell is more likely to exceed maximum voltage limit at high SOC.

The Pennsylvania State University Advanced Vehicle Team (PSUAVT) is one of sixteen collegiate teams across North America participating in the EcoCAR 2: “Plugging In to the Future” competition. The PSUAVT designed and implemented a series plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) for this competition. This architecture allows the vehicle to operate as a pure electric vehicle until the energy storage system (ESS) state of charge (SOC) is depleted. The auxiliary power unit (APU) then supplements the battery to extend range beyond that of a purely electric vehicle. To implement this design concept, the PSUAVT re-engineered a General Motors (GM) donated 2013 Chevrolet Malibu to house an electric traction motor, high capacity lithium-ion battery pack, and APU consisting of a low-displacement engine fueled by 85% ethanol/15% gasoline (E85) mixture and an electric generator.

Fuel injection and combustion was studied with direct photography in a single cylinder DI diesel engine. Optical access was accomplished by using an endoscope-based measurement system. In the optical measurements the influence of several parameters were studied: start of injection, inlet air temperature and pressure, injected fuel amount (constant air mass), load level (varying air and fuel mass) and nozzle hole diameter. Liquid fuel spray penetration, flame lift-off and flame length were measured. The maximum spray penetration was 23 - 25 mm. As diffusion combustion started, the spray length decreased to about 15 mm. The flame lift-off was located 4 - 6 mm behind the liquid fuel spray tip. Using the two-color method the spatial temperature distribution in flames was calculated.

Power dense internal combustion engines (ICEs) are interesting candidates for onboard charging devices in different electric powertrain applications where the weight, volume and price of the energy storage components are critical. Single-cylinder naturally aspirated two-stroke spark-ignited (SI) engines are very small and power dense compared to four-stroke SI engines and the installation volume from a single cylinder two-stroke engine can become very interesting in some concepts. During charged conditions, four-stroke engines become more powerful than naturally aspirated two-stroke engines. The performance level of a two-stroke SI engines with a charging system is less well understood since only a limited number of articles have so far been published. However, if charging can be successfully applied to a two-stroke engine, it can become very power dense.