Patents Examined by Tony S Chuo
  • Patent number: 10340539
    Abstract: A power conditioning system includes a fuel cell connected to a load, a fuel cell converter connected between the fuel cell and the load and converting an output voltage of the fuel cell at a predetermined required voltage ratio, a battery connected to the load in parallel to the fuel cell and serving as a power supply source different from the fuel cell, and a battery converter connected between the battery and the load and converting an output voltage of the battery at a predetermined required voltage ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Michihiko Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 10312492
    Abstract: A series-coupling component for a battery pack includes a circular plate-shaped bulkhead portion, a cylinder portion taking the bulkhead portion as a top surface and opening downward, an upper end side of the unit battery being inserted into the cylinder portion, and a wall surface portion erected upwardly along a peripheral edge of the bulkhead portion to hold a lower end side of the unit battery, separated by a cutout portion from an upper end of a cylindrical side surface up to a top surface of the bulkhead portion at a part of the cylindrical side surface that opens at the upper side taking the bulkhead portion as a bottom, the bulkhead portion has a hole that communicates in an up and down direction and a groove that has a rectangular cross-section on a top surface and opens at peripheral edges of the hole and the bulkhead portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: FDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Sakaguchi, Takashi Hirabayashi
  • Patent number: 10305119
    Abstract: In a titanium material or a titanium alloy material, in an oxide film formed on a surface of a titanium or a titanium alloy, the composition ratio of TiO (ITiO/(ITi+ITiO)×100 found from the maximum intensity of the X-ray diffraction peaks of TiO (ITiO) and the maximum intensity of the X-ray diffraction peaks of metal titanium (ITi) in X-ray diffraction measured at an incident angle to the surface of 0.3° is 0.5% or more. A titanium material or a titanium alloy material, and a fuel cell separator and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having good contact-to-carbon electrical conductivity and good durability can be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2019
    Assignee: NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Takahashi, Taku Kagawa, Masanari Kimoto, Junko Imamura, Kiyonori Tokuno, Atsuhiko Kuroda
  • Patent number: 10290912
    Abstract: A battery system includes an enclosure conforming to a standard form factor, such as a group specified by the Battery Council International. A battery and at least one ultracapacitor are disposed in the enclosure and interconnected to provide electrical energy at battery terminals. Control and/or regulation circuitry may also be provided in the enclosure and interconnected with the battery and ultracapacitor. The battery system may be designed to retrofit existing batteries, such as in vehicular and other applications. The use of a standard form factor allows for little or no alteration of the physical and electrical systems into which the battery system is placed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Junwei Jiang, Thomas M. Watson, Perry M. Wyatt
  • Patent number: 10290868
    Abstract: The present invention includes an apparatus and method of making and using a composition that includes the replacement of electrochemically inactive additives with a conductive and electrochemically active polymer that is attached so as to make an electrical contract to the redox couples of the electrochemically active oxide particles into/from which Lithium is reversibly inserted/extracted in a battery discharge/charge cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Kyu-Sung Park, Steen Schougaard
  • Patent number: 10290866
    Abstract: Stabilized lithium powder according to an embodiment of this disclosure includes powder particles satisfying a relation of C?0.90, where C represents average circularity of the powder particles. And a lithium secondary battery according to an embodiment of this disclosure comprises a negative electrode doped with lithium from the stabilized lithium powder for a lithium ion second battery according to an embodiment of this disclosure, a positive electrode, and an electrolyte.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiko Hasegawa, Masahiro Tsuchiya, Atsushi Sano
  • Patent number: 10263283
    Abstract: An electrolyte formulation including additive compounds, additive salts, or combinations thereof to improve both low temperature and high temperature performance of lithium ion batteries as compared to conventional electrolytes. Some of these embodiments further include solvents in the electrolyte solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Wildcat Discovery Technologies, Inc
    Inventors: Cory O'Neill, Deidre Strand
  • Patent number: 10205170
    Abstract: Electrodeposited copper foils having adequate puncture strength to withstand both pressure application during consolidation with negative electrode active materials during manufacture, as well as expansion/contraction during repeated charge/discharging cycles when used in a rechargeable secondary battery are described. These copper foils find specific utility as current collectors in rechargeable secondary batteries, particularly in lithium secondary battery with high capacity. Methods of making the copper foils, methods of producing negative electrode for use in lithium secondary battery and lithium secondary battery of high capacity are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: CHANG CHUN PETROCHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Huei-Fang Huang, Kuei-Sen Cheng, Yao-Sheng Lai, Jui-Chang Chou
  • Patent number: 10170796
    Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium secondary battery with improved rate characteristics. More particularly, disclosed is a lithium secondary battery including a cathode, an anode, a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode, and an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte includes a mixed solvent of a cyclic carbonate-based material and a propionate-based material, the cathode includes a lithium manganese composite oxide represented by Formula 1 below as a cathode active material, and the anode includes a lithium metal oxide represented by Formula 2 below as an anode active material: LixMyMn2-yO4-zAz??(1) wherein 0.9?x?1.2, 0<y<2, and 0?z<0.2; M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ni, Co, Fe, Cr, V, Ti, Cu, B, Ca, Zn, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sr, Sb, W, Ti, and Bi; and A is at least one monovalent or divalent anion. LiaM?bO4-cAc??(2) wherein M? is at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ti, Sn, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn, Fe, In, Al, and Zr; 0.1?a?4 and 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong Ho Jeon, Yoo Seok Kim, Doo Kyung Yang, Shulkee Kim
  • Patent number: 10164237
    Abstract: An air battery includes: a cell frame of an insulating material having a bottomed frame shape in which an electrolytic solution and an anode are stored; a cathode that is disposed opposite the anode across the electrolytic solution stored in the cell frame; and a current collecting member that is electrically connected to the anode, wherein the anode and the current collecting member are electrically connected to each other via a plurality of electrically conducting members that penetrate a bottom of the cell frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Fuminori Satou
  • Patent number: 10141598
    Abstract: An article having (a) one or more stacks of a plurality of electrode plates include: (i) one or more bipolar plates having a substrate having an anode on one surface and a cathode on an opposing surface; (ii) a separator and a liquid electrolyte located between each of the electrode plates; (b) a first end plate having a first end plate internal reinforcement structure, attached at an end of the one or more stacks; (c) a second end plate having a second end plate internal reinforcement structure, attached at an opposing end of the one or more stacks as the first end plate; wherein the first end plate and the second end plate reinforce the plurality of electrode plates during a charge cycle, a discharge cycle, or both the charge cycle and the discharge cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: ADVANCED BATTERY CONCEPTS, LLC
    Inventors: Edward O. Shaffer, II, Donald Hobday
  • Patent number: 10135075
    Abstract: A water-activated power bank structure, comprising: a bottle body with a top opening and a bottom opening, wherein the bottle body is configured to accommodate a first electrode structure and a second electrode structure. The water-activated power bank structure further comprises: a top cap configured to mate with the top opening of the bottle body; a first bottom cap configured to mate with the bottom opening of the bottle body; a second bottom cap configured to mate with the first bottom cap; and a power output module disposed in the second bottom cap; wherein the first electrode structure has a cylindrical shape and the second electrode structure has a mesh shape, and wherein the power output module is electrically connected to the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Inventors: Kuo Ming Liaw, Sung Nien Kao
  • Patent number: 10103394
    Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided, which includes a fuel cell configured to generate power by a reaction of fuel gas and air, an air compressor configured to compress air and supplying the compressed air to the fuel cell, a controller configured to control operations of the fuel cell and the air compressor, and an exhaust system member configured to discharge off-gas and produced water from the fuel cell. When a first condition including a flow rate of air by the air compressor being greater than a first flow rate is satisfied, the controller increases a rotational speed of the air compressor to supply air at or more than a second flow rate that is greater than the first flow rate to the fuel cell, and to discharge water inside the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2018
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasuo Matsubara, Kenji Umayahara
  • Patent number: 10090534
    Abstract: An electrochemical system is described having an end plate, a stack cover plate adjacent to the end plate and at least one metallic electrical conductor. The stack cover plate has an electrically conductive contacting plate adjacent to the end plate and an electrically conductive separator plate half facing away from the end plate. The contacting plate and the separator plate half are connected to each other electrically and media-tight. The metallic electrical conductor extends to an outside of the electrochemical system. The metallic electrical conductor and the contacting plate are in one piece or the metallic electrical conductor contacts the contacting plate directly. The contacting plate and the separator plate half are bonded to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Reinz-Dichtungs-GmbH
    Inventors: Andre Speidel, Joachim Scherer, Thomas Stoehr
  • Patent number: 10090508
    Abstract: A current breaking structure of a battery system includes lead wires, which extend from a plurality of battery cells connected in parallel with each other. The lead wires are bonded to one of two faces of an outer busbar that connect a battery module to outside, in which the one of the two faces is faced to an interior of a battery module, such that upon battery cell expansion, the lead wires are entirely broken by the outer busbar. Accordingly, in case where overcharge occurs in a pouch type lithium ion battery, i.e., in a high-voltage battery having battery cells in parallel connection and then serial connection, connecting structure is broken effectively, thus preventing in advance overcharge-related safety accident.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY
    Inventor: Min Kyeong Kang
  • Patent number: 10062924
    Abstract: The lithium-ion secondary battery includes a positive electrode containing an active material made of a compound including lithium and a transition metal; an electrolyte containing 5 to 30 ppm of hydrofluoric acid; and a negative electrode containing 1 to 100 ppm of vanadium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Sano, Keitaro Otsuki, Masahiro Oishi, Keiichi Fukuda
  • Patent number: 10026985
    Abstract: An apparatus for activating a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for fuel cells includes: a frame. A plurality of separation plates are disposed on an upper side of a base plate, which is disposed on a top portion of the frame, to move straightly in a length direction. The plurality of separation plates are spaced apart from each other with the MEA interposed therebetween in the direction in which the separation plates move. A tilt unit, which is connected to the frame and the base plate, upwardly tilt the base plate with respect to the frame and remove a coolant generated when the MEA is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company
    Inventors: Nam Doo Lee, Ji Won Yu
  • Patent number: 10003105
    Abstract: A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells, a busbar holder on the battery cells, the busbar holder having a plurality of busbars coupling neighboring battery cells of the plurality of battery cells to each other, and a circuit board on the busbar holder and defining a plurality of fastening openings along its perimeter. The circuit board is coupled to the busbar holder with a plurality of fastening members coupled to first fastening openings defined on the busbar holder. The circuit board has a component for controlling and monitoring recharging and discharging of the battery cells coupled to the circuit board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jun-Woo Cho, Tae-Yong Kim, Jong-Han Rhee, Shi-Dong Park, Young-Deok Kim
  • Patent number: 9997795
    Abstract: A water management method for a fuel cell stack (FCS) is provided. The method may include outputting via a controller an FCS anode port estimated relative humidity value based on consumption of reactants and generation of products in the FCS and adjusting a humidification control strategy based on the value. The outputting may be in response to occurrence of a predicted FCS anode port relative humidity value from a model of a hydrogen recirculation system (HRS) of the FCS being within a predefined range. A fuel cell vehicle including a HRS and a controller is also provided. The HRS may include an ejector and a fuel cell stack having an anode port. The controller may be configured to activate a HRS model to calculate a real-time estimate of a relative humidity of the anode port based on an estimated flow rate of a secondary nozzle of the ejector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin Pence
  • Patent number: 9966582
    Abstract: An exemplary battery pack enclosure assembly includes a tensioning section that limits movement of a first enclosure side relative to a second enclosure side to resist expansion of at least one battery cell within a group of battery cells that are disposed along an axis between the first enclosure side and the second enclosure side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Hyung Min Baek, Sai K. Perumalla