Ford Motor Company

About: Ford Motor Company is a company organization based out in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Internal combustion engine & Signal. The organization has 36123 authors who have published 51450 publications receiving 855200 citations. The organization is also known as: Ford Motor & Ford Motor Corporation.

CO oxidation for the characterization of reducibility in oxygen storage components of three-way automotive catalysts

Abstract: Steady-state, CO-oxidation kinetics at 515 K have been measured on model, Pd catalysts, prepared by vapor deposition of Pd onto either zirconia, praseodymia, ceria, or a ceria-zirconia mixed oxide. A second rate process (RE2), associated with both the metal and the oxide support and observed previously on ceria-supported catalysts in excess CO [7], was also found for Pd supported on ceria-zirconia, but neither zirconia nor praseodymia had any effect on CO oxidation under the conditions of our study. For ceria and ceria-zirconia, deactivation, through the loss of RE2, caused by high-temperature calcination, was examined, with the Pd added after calcination so that the metal particle size was not a factor in deactivation. For ceria, there was a strong dependence on calcination temperature, with almost complete loss of RE2 above 1170 K. XRD showed that the loss was accompanied by a large increase in the crystallite size. Results for ceria-zirconia showed that the loss in this case was more gradual, with CO oxidation activity due to RE2 maintained to much higher calcination temperatures. Taking the importance of RE2 as a measure of the ability of the catalyst to use oxygen from the oxide, the implications of these results with respect to oxide structure and the effect of aging on oxygen-storage properties of reducible oxides are discussed.

Laser Assisted Drug Delivery: A Review of An Evolving Technology

Abstract: Background Topically applied drugs have a relatively low cutaneous bioavailability. Objective This article reviews the existing applications of laser assisted drug delivery, a means by which the permeation of topically applied agents can be enhanced into the skin. Results The existing literature suggests that lasers are a safe and effective means of enhancing the delivery of topically applied agents through the skin. The types of lasers most commonly studied in regards to drug delivery are the carbon dioxide (CO2) and erbium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Er:YAG) lasers. Both conventional ablative and fractional ablative modalities have been utilized and are summarized herein. Limitations The majority of the existing studies on laser assisted drug delivery have been performed on animal models and additional human studies are needed. Conclusions Laser assisted drug delivery is an evolving technology with potentially broad clinical applications. Multiple studies demonstrate that laser pretreatment of the skin can increase the permeability and depth of penetration of topically applied drug molecules for both local cutaneous and systemic applications. Lasers Surg. Med. 46:249–262, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Diesel Nucleation Mode Particles: Semivolatile or Solid?

Abstract: Although the preponderance of current data points to semivolatile diesel nuclei particles composed of sulfuric acid and heavy hydrocarbons, the question remains as to what extent, if any, they contain solid cores. We present evidence here of a "solid" particle nucleation mode that accompanies normal soot emissions in the case of two modern light-duty diesel vehicles run with ultralow sulfur fuel. This mode is most prominent at idle, but also appears at speeds below approximately 30 mph, and is highly sensitive to the level of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The nuclei particles are examined for their volatility and electrical charge. In stark contrast to "conventional" nuclei particles, they remain nonvolatile to >400 degrees C and exhibit a bipolar charge with a Boltzmann temperature of 580 degrees C. Their nonvolatile nature rules out sulfate and heavy hydrocarbons as primary constituents, and their electrical charge requires formation in a high-temperature environment capable of generating bipolar ions. This suggests that "solid" nuclei particles form during combustion but remain distinct from soot particles, analogous to what has been found recently in flames. As concerns about potential emissions of nonvolatile nanoparticles have already surfaced, an important conclusion of this study is that diesel particulate filters remove the "solid" nucleation mode with an efficiency comparable to soot

Stability of Linear Feedback Systems with Random Communication Delays

Abstract: Integral control of large-scale systems implies application of control and information exchange via communication networks in which random delays may exist. The design of such systems rely on conservative sufficient stability tests for systems with random, time-varying delays. In this report, necessary and sufficient conditions are found for zero-state mean-square exponential stability of the considered class of control systems. Numerical tests for zero-state stability are outlined and illustrated by a simple example. Finally, the results are also demonstrated on specific hardware, multiprocessor real-time control network which has been recently developed.