Patents Examined by James Erwin
  • Patent number: 9266739
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for preparing a carbide-derived carbon-based anode active material. The method includes preparing carbide-derived carbon, and expanding pores of the carbide-derived carbon. Here, expanding of pores is performed as an activation process of heating the prepared carbide-derived carbon in the air. The pores formed inside the carbide-derived carbon can be expanded during the activation process in the preparation of the carbide-derived carbon-based anode active material. In addition, by applying the carbide-derived carbon to an anode active material, lithium secondary battery having improved charge-discharge efficiency can be prepared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
    Inventors: Sun-Hwa Yeon, Kyoung-Hee Shin, Chang-Soo Jin, Kyu-Nam Jung, Sukeun Yoon, Jae-Deok Jeon, Joonmok Shim, Jung-Hoon Yang, Bum-Suk Lee, Myung Seok Jeon
  • Patent number: 9257704
    Abstract: A current conductor for an electrochemical power device that includes an array of carbon nanotubes (CNT) anchored in a carbon nanotube metal composite layer and a structure that may incorporate nanoscale particles or thin film onto the current conductor is described. Additionally, a process for creating the structure using electrochemical plating of the metal layer onto the CNT array followed by separation of the structure from the substrate is provided. Another process includes creating the structure using co-electrodeposition of the CNT and metal from an electroplating bath using surfactants, physical energy, and a magnetic and/or electric field to orient the CNT and enhance the CNT density in the composite.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: Zeptor Corporation
    Inventors: Venkatasubramani Balu, Charles D. Consorte, Michelle M. Rincon, Tatsunori Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9252407
    Abstract: A battery module including a plurality of battery cells and a cover, each battery cell having a vent portion aligned in one direction, and the cover being over the vent portions, the cover including an internal cavity and at least a portion of the internal cavity including a heat-resistance member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignees: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD., ROBERT BOSCH GmbH
    Inventor: Myung-Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 9246188
    Abstract: Solid electrolyte antiperovskite compositions for batteries, capacitors, and other electrochemical devices have chemical formula Li3OA, Li(3-x)Mx/2OA, Li(3-x)Nx/3OA, or LiCOXzY(1-z), wherein M and N are divalent and trivalent metals respectively and wherein A is a halide or mixture of halides, and X and Y are halides.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Los Alamos National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Yusheng Zhao, Luc Louis Daemen
  • Patent number: 9240578
    Abstract: A secondary battery comprises an electrode assembly comprising a first electrode plate, a second electrode plate and a separator interposed between the first and second electrode plates; and a battery case accommodating the electrode assembly, the battery case comprising a first portion, a second portion, and an adhesive layer that contacts a surface of the first portion and a surface of the second portion, wherein the adhesive layer is continuous between the first and second portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jaehyung Kim
  • Patent number: 9237658
    Abstract: Nanocarbon-based materials are provided in connection with various devices and methods of manufacturing. As consistent with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes a nanocarbon structure having inorganic particles covalently bonded thereto. The resulting hybrid structure functions as a circuit node such as an electrode terminal. In various embodiments, the hybrid structure includes two or more electrodes, at least one of which including the nanocarbon structure with inorganic particles covalently bonded thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Hongjie Dai, Hailiang Wang, Ming Gong
  • Patent number: 9236197
    Abstract: Graphene based materials are provided in connection with various devices and methods of manufacturing. As consistent with one or more embodiments, an apparatus includes a graphene sheet and a single-crystal structure grown on the graphene sheet, with the graphene sheet and single-crystalline structure functioning as an electrode terminal. In various embodiments, the single-crystalline structure is grown on a graphene sheet, such as by using precursor particles to form nanoparticles at the distributed locations, and diffusing and recrystallizing the nanoparticles to form the single-crystal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
    Inventors: Hongjie Dai, Hailiang Wang
  • Patent number: 9225043
    Abstract: Technologies are generally described for a battery, a method for implementing a battery and a rechargeable battery system. In some examples, the rechargeable battery system includes a battery. The battery may include a first electrode including a tantalum component, a vanadium component and a boron component. The battery may further include a second electrode and an electrical insulator between the first and the second electrode. The battery system may include a housing, where the housing includes the first electrode, and where the housing is effective to communicate light and oxygen to the first electrode. A sensor may be disposed so as to be effective to detect a reaction of tantalum and oxygen in the housing and generate a reaction signal in response. A processor may be in electrical communication with the sensor and effective to receive the reaction signal and generate an indication based on the reaction signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC
    Inventor: Arockiadoss Thevasahayam
  • Patent number: 9225029
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for recovering performance of fuel cells by recovering fuel cell catalyst activity. One system for recovering catalyst performance of a fuel cell stack made of one or more fuel cells in a vehicle comprises a sensor for detecting an EOL state of the fuel cell. A notification device notifies a user when the sensor detects the EOL state of the fuel cell. Means for drawing a steady-state load from the fuel cell stack is used to operate the fuel cell stack until the catalyst performance is recovered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Taehee Han, Nilesh Dale, Kevork Adjemian
  • Patent number: 9203104
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a sheet-form electrode for a secondary battery, comprising a current collector; an electrode active material layer formed on one surface of the current collector; and a first porous supporting layer formed on the electrode active material layer. The sheet-form electrode for a secondary battery according to the present disclosure has supporting layers on at least one surface thereof to exhibit surprisingly improved flexibility and prevent the release of the electrode active material layer from a current collector even if intense external forces are applied to the electrode, thereby preventing the decrease of battery capacity and improving the cycle life characteristic of the battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yo-Han Kwon, Hye-Ran Jung, Eun-Kyung Kim, Je-Young Kim, Hyo-Mi Kim
  • Patent number: 9203099
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly includes a fuel cell configuration having a solid electrolyte-based fuel cell with terminal contacts tapping an electrical voltage from the fuel cell configuration between which the fuel cell is disposed. An assembly has an electrically conductive component and another component disposed between a first terminal contact and the electrically conductive component on the side of the first terminal contact away from the fuel cell and has a lower electrical conductivity than that thereof. A supply duct transports a fluid medium connecting the first terminal contact to the electrically conductive component through the other component. The electrically conductive component is connected to the first terminal contact and/or a voltage supply adjusting an electrical potential on the electrically conductive component to an electrical potential on the first terminal contact. There is a maximum potential difference of 3 volts between the electrically conductive component and the first terminal contact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventors: Dieter Illner, Josef Lersch, Arno Mattejat, Walter Stuehler, Franco Tardivo, Ottmar Voitlein
  • Patent number: 9190655
    Abstract: A lithium primary battery includes a positive electrode 1 using iron sulfide as a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode 2 using a lithium alloy as a negative electrode active material, an electrode group 4 formed by winding the positive and negative electrodes 1, 2 with a separator 3 being interposed therebetween, and a non-aqueous electrolytic solution. The lithium alloy contains at least one of magnesium or tin in a range of 0.02-0.2 mol %.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Nunome, Fumio Kato, Futoshi Tanigawa, Yoshiki Fukuhara
  • Patent number: 9184435
    Abstract: The method for producing an electrode for an electrochemical element of the present invention includes a slurry filling step of filling a slurry containing an active material into continuous pores of an aluminum porous body having the continuous pores, and a slurry drying step of drying the slurry filled, and in this method, after the slurry drying step, an electrode for an electrochemical element is produced without undergoing a compressing step of compressing the aluminum porous body having the slurry filled therein and dried. In the electrode, a mixture containing an active material is filled into continuous pores of an aluminum porous body having the continuous pores, and porosity (%) of the aluminum porous body, the porosity being represented by the following equation, is 15 to 55%.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignees: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD., SUMITOMO ELECTRIC TOYAMA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akihisa Hosoe, Kazuki Okuno, Hajime Ota, Koutarou Kimura, Kengo Goto, Junichi Nishimura, Hideaki Sakaida
  • Patent number: 9166262
    Abstract: A battery pack includes battery modules each having a battery cell and a battery case housing the battery cell therein. The battery modules are stacked in a stacking direction so that a cooling passage for allowing a cooling medium to flow is defined between opposed surfaces of adjacent battery cases. One of the opposed surfaces has first ribs projecting toward the other of the opposed surfaces and extending parallel to each other along the one. The other of the opposed surfaces has second ribs projecting toward the one of the opposed surfaces and extending parallel to each other along the other. In the cooling passage, the first ribs and the second ribs intersect each other and end portions of the first ribs and end portions of the second ribs are in contact with each other in the stacking direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Souki, Teruhiko Kameoka, Manabu Yamada, Shinjirou Shimizu, Naoya Hata, Masaki Itagaki, Yoshimitsu Inoue
  • Patent number: 9166217
    Abstract: Provided is a secondary battery, which can prevent explosion and fire of the battery by melting a safety film formed on an electrode tab to quickly clear a sealed state of a case when the internal temperature or pressure of the battery rises. The secondary battery includes an electrode assembly including a first electrode tab and a second electrode tab, and a case accommodating the electrode assembly such that the electrode tab is exposed to the outside. At least one of the first and second electrode tabs has a recess formed lengthwise on at least one of top and bottom surfaces of the at least one of the first and second electrode tabs, and a safety film is positioned in the recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yunkyung Ha
  • Patent number: 9147888
    Abstract: The present invention includes a fuel cell system having a plurality of adjacent electrochemical cells formed of an anode layer, a cathode layer spaced apart from the anode layer, and an electrolyte layer disposed between the anode layer and the cathode layer. The fuel cell system also includes at least one interconnect, the interconnect being structured to conduct free electrons between adjacent electrochemical cells. Each interconnect includes a primary conductor embedded within the electrolyte layer and structured to conduct the free electrons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2015
    Assignee: LG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Zhien Liu, Richard Goettler
  • Patent number: 9123943
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to synthesizing metal ionic liquids with transition metal coordination cations, where such metal ionic liquids can be used in a flow battery. A cation of a metal ionic liquid includes a transition metal and a ligand coordinated to the transition metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Sandia Corporation
    Inventors: Travis Mark Anderson, David Ingersoll, Chad Staiger, Harry Pratt
  • Patent number: 9083015
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a source gas passage including a first desulfurizer that has a desulfurization performance relative to a source gas having a relatively higher dew point, and a second desulfurizer that has the desulfurization performance relative to a source gas having a relatively lower dew point and the source gas having the relatively higher dew point. The desulfurization performance of the second desulfurizer relative to the source gas having the relatively higher dew point is lower than the desulfurization performance of the second desulfurizer relative to the source gas having the relatively lower dew point. The first desulfurizer, the second desulfurizer, and a flowmeter are arranged at the source gas passage in the aforementioned order from an upstream side to a downstream side of the source gas passage in a flow direction of the source gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignees: AISIN SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA, OSAKA GAS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Ohkawara, Shin Iwata, Susumu Takami, Minoru Suzuki
  • Patent number: 9082528
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method for fabricating a carbon nanotube-loaded electrode enabling that hybrid carbon nanotubes comprising dendrimer-encapsulated metal nanoparticles covalently immobilized on carbon nanotubes via a first covalent bond are made and such hybrid carbon nanotubes are then covalently immobilized on a metal electrode coated with a self-assembled monolayer via a second covalent bond. Also provided is a carbon nanotube-loaded electrode made by the method. The electrode thus made possesses high durability, reactivity and stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Toyoko Imae, Ampornphan Siriviriyanun
  • Patent number: 9077043
    Abstract: The present invention is a secondary battery, including: an electrode group that includes a positive electrode and a negative electrode, an electrolyte, and a battery cell container that contains the electrode group and the electrolyte and that is sealed, wherein: an adhesive layer for trapping foreign matter present inside the battery cell container is disposed in the battery cell container by exposing at least part of the adhesive layer so as to allow the adhesive layer to come into contact with the electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: HITACHI AUTOMOTIVE SYSTEMS, LTD.
    Inventors: Yuichi Takatsuka, Katsunori Suzuki, Sho Matsumoto, Kenji Nakai, Tatsuhiko Kawasaki, Hirofumi Takahashi, Yoshio Onodera