New Generation Press Hardening Steels with Tensile Strength of 1.7-2.0 GPa and Enhanced Bendability

Press hardening steel (PHS) applications predominately use 22MnB5 AlSi coated in the automotive industry. This material has a limited supply chain. Increasing the tensile strength and bendability of the PHS material will enable light-weighting while maintaining crash protection. In this paper, a novel PHS is introduced, and properties are compared to 22MnB5. The new Coating Free PHS (CFPHS) steel, 25MnCr, has increased carbon, with chromium and silicon additions for oxidation resistance. Its ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1.7 GPa with bending angle above 55° at 1.4mm thickness improves upon the 22MnB5 grade. This steel is not pre-coated, is oxidation resistant at high temperature, thus eliminating the need for AlSi or shot blasting post processing to maintain surface quality. Microstructural mechanisms used to enhance bendability and energy absorption are discussed for the novel steel. Performance evaluations such as: weldability, component level crush and intrusion testing and e-coat adhesion, are conducted on samples from industrial coils.

What Do Index Options Teach Us About COVID-19?

Risk-neutral distributions of the S&P 500 are informative about the COVID-19 pandemic beyond what one can learn from index values and the market fear gauge of the VIX alone. We learn that, on February 20, 2020, the index did not yet reflect the impending crisis. Only on March 16, 2020, was the full impact visible, with a pronounced bimodality for longer-maturity options revealing a sizeable crash scenario. The corresponding physical distribution is more symmetric and features a high-volatility crash scenario. Firms bought crash protection ahead of the index crash, whereas retail customers bought it as the index was already recovering.

A Light Weight Solar Powered Mini Quadcopter for Environmental Monitoring

A flying quadcopter equipped with green and environment friendly solar energy is designed and implemented in this study for monitoring purposes. It is capable to operate with light weight small solar panel generated power with designated light weight boost converter integrated in the body of the flying model. A preliminary design of the solar powered quadcopter has been performed by calculating and estimating the maximum lifting weight of flying model, voltage rating of the solar panel, battery voltage rating and its capacity. A charging during operation has been supplemented to the quadcopter to facilitate the operation as well as charging at the same time. In addition, crash protection structure has also been equipped to the design to reduce the impact to the structure during improper landing. With the enhanced ability of providing self-sustaining energy source, the quadcopter is capable to carry out environmental sensing with proper sensor mounted on it.

Pneumothorax, without chest wall fracture, following airbag deployment

Air bags are an automatic crash protection system. They have been shown to reduce mortality from motor vehicle accidents by 31% following direct head-on impacts, by 19% following any frontal impact and by 11% overall. Despite obvious benefits there has been a corresponding increase in the number of injuries resulting from their deployment. We describe a case of a pneumothorax in the absence of chest wall pathology associated with airbag deployment, in a belted driver. There has been one previous description of pneumothorax associated with airbag deployment, in an unbelted driver.