Patents Assigned to A123 Systems, LLC
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Patent number: 12272823Abstract: A binder for an electrode is provided herein. In one example, the electrode may include a current collector, and an electrode coating layer, the electrode coating layer including an electrode active material and a binder, where the binder may comprise an aromatic polyamide-based compound, and the binder may be present at greater than 0 wt % and less than or equal to 30 wt % of the electrode coating layer. In one example, the binder provides stronger cohesion between particles of the electrode active material. Methods and systems are further provided for fabricating the electrode including the binder.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2019Date of Patent: April 8, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Lixin Wang, Chloe Harrison, Derek C. Johnson
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Patent number: 12266923Abstract: 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: April 18, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 12266924Abstract: 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: April 18, 2023Date of Patent: April 1, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 12244003Abstract: Materials and methods for a coated active electrode material for use in a lithium-ion battery is provided. In one example, a coating for an active electrode material or active electrode material precursor of an electrode of a battery cell may include lithium, boron, and oxygen. In particular, the coating may include lithium tetraborate (LBO), and the coating may be coated on a lithium insertion electrode active material such as lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNixMnyCo1-x-yO2 or NMC).Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2018Date of Patent: March 4, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Weidong Zhou, Lixin Wang, Fu Zhou, Derek Johnson
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Patent number: 12199246Abstract: A battery cell system and method for manufacturing a battery cell system is provided. The battery cell system includes an electrode stack including a first anode with a first anode tab, a second anode with a second anode tab laterally offset from the first anode tab, a first cathode with a first cathode tab, and a second cathode with a second cathode tab laterally offset from the first cathode tab.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2018Date of Patent: January 14, 2025Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: David C. Batson, Alex Quinn, Aleksey Rybalnik, John McLaughlin
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Patent number: 12183912Abstract: A doped cathode material for lithium-ion batteries is disclosed. Methods and systems are further provided for doping a cathode material for use in a lithium-ion battery. In one example, the doping may be a dry surface doping process. In some examples, dopants may stabilize a crystal structure of the cathode material and may result in fewer side reactions with an electrolyte as compared to an undoped cathode material. As such, cycling performance and capacity retention may be improved relative to the undoped cathode material. Further, in some examples, the doped cathode material produced with the dry surface doping process may have improved cycling performance and capacity retention relative to a comparable doped cathode material produced with a wet surface doping process.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2020Date of Patent: December 31, 2024Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Yang Shi, Kitae Kim, Lixin Wang, Yingjie Xing, Andrew Millonig, Bryan Kim, Derek C. Johnson
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Patent number: 12062757Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a slurry for coating an electrode structure. In one example, a method may include dispersing, by mixing at one or both of a high shear and a low shear, a solid ionically conductive polymer material in at least a first portion of a solvent to form a suspension, then dispersing, by mixing at the one or both of the high shear and the low shear, one or more additives in the suspension, and then mixing, at the one or both of the high shear and the low shear, a second portion of the solvent with the suspension to form a slurry. As such, the slurry including the solid ionically conductive polymer material may be applied as a coating in a solid-state battery cell, which may reduce resistance to Li-ion transport and improve mechanical stability relative to a conventional solid-state battery cell.Type: GrantFiled: July 1, 2020Date of Patent: August 13, 2024Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Wesley Hoffert, Adriana A. Rojas, David M. Laughman, Lucienne Buannic, Derek C. Johnson, Brian Sisk, Brian Chiou, Thomas Gillooly
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Patent number: 12009507Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for salt-rinse surface doping of electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. In one example, a method may include dissolving a dopant salt in a solvent to form a dopant salt rinse solution, rinsing an electrode active material with the dopant salt rinse solution to form a coated electrode active material, and heating the coated electrode active material to form a doped electrode active material. In some examples, a surface region of the doped electrode active material may include a uniform distribution of dopants from the dopant salt rinse solution. In this way, the electrode active material may be rinsed and doped via the dopant salt rinse solution in a single-stage process.Type: GrantFiled: July 27, 2021Date of Patent: June 11, 2024Assignee: A123 SYSTEMS LLCInventors: Lei Liu, Kitae Kim, Lixin Wang, Anil Parmar, Bryan Kim, Chloe Harrison, Andrew Millonig, Derek Johnson, Eunsung Lee, Taehwan Yu
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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