Patents Assigned to A123 Systems, LLC
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Patent number: 11916185Abstract: A lithium iron phosphate electrochemically active material for use in an electrode and methods and systems related thereto are disclosed. In one example, a lithium iron phosphate electrochemically active material for use in an electrode is provided including, a dopant comprising vanadium and optionally a co-dopant comprising cobalt.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2019Date of Patent: February 27, 2024Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Chuanjing Xu, Maha Hammoud, Judith M. LaForest, Hyojin Lee, Derek Johnson
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Patent number: 11881707Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit electrically coupled to the protection circuit, and a battery pack, a positive supply line of the battery pack being electrically coupled to the cutoff circuit, wherein the protection circuit may include each of an input electrically coupled to a control input of the cutoff circuit, an output electrically coupled to an output of the cutoff circuit, and a control input of the protection circuit electrically coupled to the output of the cutoff circuit. In some examples, the protection circuit may further include a low-current leakage transistor configured to maintain the cutoff circuit in an OFF state upon detection of a reverse bias voltage. In this way, the protection circuit may mitigate unexpected switching ON of the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: January 23, 2024Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yue Li, Weiwei Lin, Steve Gierlach, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 11769882Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an electrode for a lithium-ion battery cell. In one example, the electrode may include a current collector having two opposing sides, at least one of the two opposing sides being configured with a first coating layer disposed on the current collector at a first loading, where the first coating layer may include a first binder in a first weight ratio, and a second coating layer disposed on the first coating layer at a second loading, where the second coating layer may include a second binder in a second weight ratio, wherein the first weight ratio may be greater than the second weight ratio, and a ratio of the first loading to the second loading may be less than 1:2. In this way, direct current internal resistance of the lithium-ion battery cell may be decreased while maintaining or increasing adhesion within the electrode.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2021Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS, LLCInventors: Tae Kyoung Kim, Jun Wang, Ronnie Wilkins, Jordan Rubio, Ankita Faulkner, Zaiyuan Le, Xiqing Wang, Ting Huang
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Patent number: 11682758Abstract: Materials and methods for coating an electrochemically active electrode material for use in a lithium-ion battery are provided. In one example, an electrochemically active electrode material comprises: a polymer coating applied directly to an exterior surface of the electrochemically active electrode material; a metal plating catalyst adhered to the continuous polymer; and a continuous metal coating that completely covers the metal catalyst and continuous polymer coating. The electrochemically active electrode material may comprise a powder comprising one or more secondary particles, and the polymer and metal coatings may be applied to exterior surfaces of these secondary particles.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2018Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventors: Kevin Scanlan, Derrick Spencer Maxwell, Derek Johnson, Jun Wang, Rocco Iocco, Weidong Zhou
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Patent number: 11670938Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 11652207Abstract: An LFP electrode material is provided which has improved impedance, power during cold cranking, rate capacity retention, charge transfer resistance over the current LFP based cathode materials. The electrode material comprises crystalline primary particles and secondary particles, where the primary particle is formed from a plate-shaped single-phase spheniscidite precursor and a lithium source. The LFP includes an LFP phase behavior where the LFP phase behavior includes an extended solid-solution range.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2019Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventors: Larry Beck, Jennifer Wilson, Chuanjing Xu, Zhong-You Shi, Maha Hammoud
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Patent number: 11476679Abstract: A battery pack system and methods for operating the battery pack system are disclosed. In one example, the battery pack system may simultaneously output two different voltages from a stack of battery cells. One voltage may be applied to a first group of electric power consumers and the second voltage may be applied to a second group of electric power consumers.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2020Date of Patent: October 18, 2022Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Bruce Blakemore, Hamid Falahati, Patrick Larochelle
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Patent number: 11223087Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for a battery encapsulant. In one example, a method may include a battery encapsulant surrounding one or more battery cells of a vehicle battery, where the encapsulant comprises a Young Modulus between 0.05 to 0.15 GPa after being cured.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2018Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventors: Jonathan Hostler, Antoine Jourdan, Peter Won
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Patent number: 11196085Abstract: A rechargeable battery is designed with cells having a specific combination of anode, cathode, and electrolyte compositions to maintain long cycle life at extreme high temperatures and deliver high power at extreme low temperatures. These properties can significantly reduce or altogether eliminate the need for thermal management circuitry, reducing weight and cost. Applications in telecommunications backup, transportation, and military defense are contemplated.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2019Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventor: Jeong-Ju Cho
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Patent number: 11127944Abstract: A positive electroactive material is described, including: a lithium iron manganese phosphate compound having a composition of LiaFe1-x-yMnxDy(PO4)z, wherein 1.0<a?1.10, 0<x?0.5, 0?y?0.10, 1.0<z?1.10 and D is selected from the group consisting of Co, Ni, V, Nb and combinations thereof; and a lithium metal oxide, wherein the lithium iron manganese phosphate compound is optionally doped with Ti, Zr, Nb, Al, Ta, W, Mg or F. A battery containing the positive electroactive material is also described.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2014Date of Patent: September 21, 2021Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Sang-Young Yoon, Rocco Iocco, Jeong Ju Cho
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Patent number: 11088389Abstract: A lithium iron phosphate electrochemically active material for use in an electrode and methods and systems related thereto are disclosed. In one example, a lithium iron phosphate electrochemically active material for use in an electrode is provided including, a dopant comprising vanadium and optionally a co-dopant comprising cobalt.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2016Date of Patent: August 10, 2021Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Chuanjing Xu, Maha Hammoud, Judith M. Laforest, Hyojin Lee, Derek Johnson
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Patent number: 11081743Abstract: Disclosed herein, is a battery module that comprises an encapsulant material exhibiting improved thermal transfer and heat dissipation characteristics. In one example embodiment, the battery module comprises a “stack” of cells, wherein at least some of the cells, and optionally each cell, is not separated by a metal plate or tab-shaped heat sink layer, and instead, the cells are substantially surrounded by an encapsulant material and stacked directly upon one another.Type: GrantFiled: March 31, 2017Date of Patent: August 3, 2021Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yang Chen, Jonathan Hostler, Dylan Propst
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Patent number: 10938002Abstract: The following description relates to systems and methods for a vehicle battery. The vehicle battery may be a Lithium-ion battery, and may comprise a plurality of prismatic shaped battery cells, arranged and stacked to form a series of battery cell groups, and where protective casings or partitioned chambers of a protective casing enclose each battery cell group. The protective casings, or component segments of a protective casing, may be coupled to one another by a series of ridges and mating grooves. A protective casing may alternatively comprise of a monolithic extrusion comprising a plurality of partitioned chambers. The protective casing may be configured to absorb a threshold compressive force without resulting in deformation of the battery cell groups.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2016Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventor: Timothy E. Hughes
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Patent number: 10862158Abstract: A silicon anode comprising a hybrid binder at a blending ratio of 10-90 wt. % for use in a Li-ion battery is provided. The combination of a hybrid binder in the Si anode for use in a rechargeable Li-ion cell shows the unexpected result of extending the cycle life and a balancing effect between adhesion strength and first cycle efficiency.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2016Date of Patent: December 8, 2020Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Jun Wang, Ronnie Wilkins, Paul Gionet
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Patent number: 10522833Abstract: An LFP electrode material is provided which has improved impedance, power during cold cranking, rate capacity retention, charge transfer resistance over the current LFP based cathode materials. The electrode material comprises crystalline primary particles and secondary particles, where the primary particle is formed from a plate-shaped single-phase spheniscidite precursor and a lithium source. The LFP includes an LFP phase behavior where the LFP phase behavior includes an extended solid-solution range.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2017Date of Patent: December 31, 2019Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Larry Beck, Jennifer Wilson, Chuanjing Xu, Zhong-You Shi, Maha Hammoud
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Patent number: 10497916Abstract: An electrode/separator assembly for use in an electrochemical cell includes a current collector; a porous composite electrode layer adhered to the current collector, said electrode layer comprising at least electroactive particles and a binder; and a porous composite separator layer comprising inorganic particles substantially uniformly distributed in a polymer matrix to form nanopores and having a pore volume fraction of at least 25%, wherein the separator layer is secured to the electrode layer by a solvent weld at the interface between the two layers, said weld comprising a mixture of the binder and the polymer. Methods of making and using the assembly are also described.Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2017Date of Patent: December 3, 2019Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventors: Gregory B. Less, Angela Knapp, Susan J. Babinec
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Patent number: 10305104Abstract: A lithium-ion battery having over-discharge protection includes an anode comprising at least an electrochemically active anode material, said anode having an anode irreversible capacity loss during a first charge of the lithium-ion battery; and a cathode comprising at least an electrochemically active cathode material characterized by the formula: xLi2MnO3.(1?x)LiMnaNibCocO2, where 0<x<1 and a+b+c=1, and x, a, b, and c are selected to provide a cathode irreversible capacity loss during a first charge of the lithium-ion battery that is greater than or equal to the anode irreversible capacity loss, and wherein the cathode possesses a voltage step less than about 2 V versus Li.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2011Date of Patent: May 28, 2019Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventor: Young-Il Jang
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Patent number: 10270129Abstract: A rechargeable battery is designed with cells having a specific combination of anode, cathode, and electrolyte compositions to maintain long cycle life at extreme high temperatures and deliver high power at extreme low temperatures. These properties can significantly reduce or altogether eliminate the need for thermal management circuitry, reducing weight and cost. Applications in telecommunications backup, transportation, and military defense are contemplated.Type: GrantFiled: November 6, 2015Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventor: Jeong Ju Cho
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Patent number: 10263300Abstract: A battery pack for supplying energy to propel a vehicle is disclosed. In one example, a battery pack includes a thermoplastic over mold for providing resistance to liquid is disclosed. The battery pack may have increased resistance to battery pack degradation.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2013Date of Patent: April 16, 2019Assignee: A123 Systems LLCInventor: Michael P. Ciaccio
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Patent number: 10218027Abstract: A starter battery is provided comprising a plurality of pouch-type prismatic cells stacked to form an array and configured to output a voltage sufficient to start a vehicle engine. The starter battery further includes a housing configured to contain the array wherein the housing includes a tray and a lid attached with the tray such that the housing provides a compressive force sufficient to prevent cell delamination and to constrain expansion or swelling of the cells during operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2014Date of Patent: February 26, 2019Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Jerry Gohl, Timothy Hughes, Arfan Ahmad, Jason Davis, Robert Dickie, Kevin Martus, Michael Shenberger, David Allen