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.

Mechanism for Degradation of Nafion in PEM Fuel Cells from Quantum Mechanics Calculations

Abstract: We report results of quantum mechanics (QM) mechanistic studies of Nafion membrane degradation in a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell. Experiments suggest that Nafion degradation is caused by generation of trace radical species (such as OH●, H●) only when in the presence of H2, O2, and Pt. We use density functional theory (DFT) to construct the potential energy surfaces for various plausible reactions involving intermediates that might be formed when Nafion is exposed to H2 (or H+) and O2 in the presence of the Pt catalyst. We find a barrier of 0.53 eV for OH radical formation from HOOH chemisorbed on Pt(111) and of 0.76 eV from chemisorbed OOHad, suggesting that OH might be present during the ORR, particularly when the fuel cell is turned on and off. Based on the QM, we propose two chemical mechanisms for OH radical attack on the Nafion polymer: (1) OH attack on the S–C bond to form H2SO4 plus a carbon radical (barrier: 0.96 eV) followed by decomposition of the carbon radical to form an epoxid...

Starter-alternator for hybrid electric vehicle: comparison of induction and variable reluctance machines and drives

Abstract: This paper presents the experimental results of using induction and variable reluctance machines as the starter-alternator in a hybrid electric vehicle. The frame sizes of these machines are dictated by transient engine cranking loads. Therefore, in their design, the machines are assumed to be in deep magnetic saturation and the resultant thermally constrained electric loadings are predicted from the calculated electromagnetic air gap surface traction. This design approach results in machine performance predictions in close agreement with prototype measured results for the induction machine. Similar conditions hold for the variable reluctance machine. Experimental results show that both machines require substantial inverter kVA rating to meet magnetizing and overdrive requirements. The series configured induction motor developed 300 Nm of torque at 250 RPM with 115 A/sub RMS/ phase current from the inverter drive whereas in its parallel connection it required nearly 240 A/sub RMS/. The same held for the variable reluctance machine.

Long-term recovery after bone marrow stromal cell treatment of traumatic brain injury in rats

Abstract: Object This study was designed to follow the effects of bone marrow stromal cell (BMSC) administration in rats after traumatic brain injury (TBI) for a 3-month period. Methods Forty adult female Wistar rats were injured by a controlled cortical impact and, 1 week later, were injected intravenously with one of three different doses of BMSCs (2 × 106, 4 × 106, or 8 × 106 cells per animal) obtained in male rats. Control rats received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Neurological function in these rats was studied using a neurological severity scale (NSS). The rats were killed 3 months after injury, and immunohistochemical stains were applied to brain samples to study the distribution of the BMSCs. Additional brain samples were analyzed by quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays to measure the expression of the growth factors brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Three months after injury, BMSCs were present in the injured brain and their number was significantly grea...

SPARC: A Signal of Astrocytic Neoplastic Transformation and Reactive Response in Human Primary and Xenograft Gliomas

Abstract: In an attempt to identify genetic alterations occurring early in astrocytoma progression, we performed subtractive hybridization between astrocytoma and glioblastoma cDNA libraries. We identified secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), a protein implicated in cell-matrix interactions, as a gene overexpressed early in progression. Northern blot and immunohistochemical analyses indicated that transcript and protein were both elevated in all tumor specimens (grades II-IV) examined when compared with levels in normal brain. The level of SPARC expression was found to be tumor-dependent rather than grade-related. Immunohistochemically, SPARC protein was found to be overexpressed in 1) cells in the less cellularly dense regions within the tumor mass, 2) histomorphologically neoplastic-looking cells in adjacent normal brain at the tumor/brain interface, 3) neovessel endothelial cells in both the tumor and adjacent normal brain, and 4) reactive astrocytes in normal brain adjacent to tumor. Using a combination of DNA in situ hybridization and protein immunohistochemical analyses of the human/rat xenograft, SPARC expression was observed in the human glioma cells within the tumor mass, and in cells that invaded along vascular basement membranes and individually into the rat brain parenchyma, suggesting it may be an invasion-related gene. While it remains to be determined whether SPARC functionally contributes to tumor cell invasion, these data suggest that the early onset of increased SPARC expression, though complex, may serve as a signal indicative of neoplastic astrocytic transformation and reactive response to tumor-induced stress.