Patents Assigned to University of Colorado At Boulder
  • Patent number: 11864357
    Abstract: A double-sided cold plate includes a manifold comprising openings extending from a first surface of the manifold through the manifold to a second surface of the manifold forming recesses within the manifold and an inlet channel and an outlet channel fluidly coupled to the recesses within the manifold, a plurality of first heat sinks coupled to the first surface of the manifold enclosing the openings on the first surface, and a plurality of second heat sinks positioned adjacent each other along a length of the manifold and coupled to the second surface of the manifold, enclosing the openings on the second surface, a width of the plurality of second heat sinks is greater than a width of the manifold thereby forming an overhanging portion on each lengthwise side of the manifold, the overhanging portion configured to mechanically support a plurality of electrical components positioned around a perimeter of the manifold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignees: Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Yuqing Zhou, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Robert Erickson, Dragan Maksimovic, Vivek Sankaranarayanan, Yucheng Gao
  • Patent number: 11596088
    Abstract: A cold plate having a manifold includes a recess extending from a first side to a second side of the manifold, where the recess includes openings to the recess positioned lengthwise along the first side and a single opening to the recess on the second side, an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the recess, a plurality of plates fastened to the first side enclosing the openings, a heat sink fastened to the second side enclosing the single opening on the second side, and a plurality of fluid cores one of each positioned between each of the plurality of plates and the heat sink. The plurality of fluid cores include a flow distribution insert, a first plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink fastened to the second side, and a second plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Hiroshi Ukegawa, Robert Erickson, Dragan Maksimovic, Vivek Sankaranarayanan, Yucheng Gao
  • Patent number: 11545297
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to apparatuses for enhanced thermal management of an inductor assembly using functionally-graded thermal vias for heat flow control in the windings of the inductor. In one embodiment, a PCB for an inductor assembly includes a top surface and a bottom surface. Two or more electrically-conductive layers are embedded within the PCB and stacked vertically between the top surface and the bottom surface. The two or more electrically-conductive layers are electrically connected to form an inductor winding. A plurality of thermal vias thermally connects each of the two or more electrically-conductive layers to a cold plate thermally connected to the bottom surface. A number of thermal vias thermally connecting each electrically-conductive layer to the cold plate is directly proportional to a predetermined rate of heat dissipation from the electrically-conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignees: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
    Inventors: Ercan Dede, Yucheng Gao, Vivek Sankaranarayanan, Aritra Ghosh, Robert Erickson, Dragan Maksimovic
  • Publication number: 20220393485
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a battery pack with N battery bricks, each with a DC output voltage. The output of each brick is connected in series providing a bus voltage. Each brick includes battery power modules (“BPMs”) connected in parallel and each connected to a battery cell. Each BPM charges/discharges the connected battery cell. Each brick has a battery brick controller that provides a control signal to each brick's BPMs. A control signal of a BPM is derived from a BPM error signal that includes a battery cell current of the battery cell of BPM subtracted from a summation of an average current signal, a local droop current and a balancing current. The balancing current is based on a current SOC of the battery cell connected to the BPM and a desired SOC for the battery cell connected to the BPM. A BMS derives the balancing current for the BPMs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicants: Utah State University, University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Mohamed Ahmed Kamel Ahmed, Regan A. Zane, Dragan Maksimovic
  • Publication number: 20220386509
    Abstract: A double-sided cold plate includes a manifold comprising openings extending from a first surface of the manifold through the manifold to a second surface of the manifold forming recesses within the manifold and an inlet channel and an outlet channel fluidly coupled to the recesses within the manifold, a plurality of first heat sinks coupled to the first surface of the manifold enclosing the openings on the first surface, and a plurality of second heat sinks positioned adjacent each other along a length of the manifold and coupled to the second surface of the manifold, enclosing the openings on the second surface, a width of the plurality of second heat sinks is greater than a width of the manifold thereby forming an overhanging portion on each lengthwise side of the manifold, the overhanging portion configured to mechanically support a plurality of electrical components positioned around a perimeter of the manifold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicants: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC., University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Yuqing Zhou, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Robert Erickson, Dragan Maksimovic, Vivek Sankaranarayanan, Yucheng Gao
  • Publication number: 20220248560
    Abstract: A cold plate having a manifold includes a recess extending from a first side to a second side of the manifold, where the recess includes openings to the recess positioned lengthwise along the first side and a single opening to the recess on the second side, an inlet and an outlet fluidly coupled to the recess, a plurality of plates fastened to the first side enclosing the openings, a heat sink fastened to the second side enclosing the single opening on the second side, and a plurality of fluid cores one of each positioned between each of the plurality of plates and the heat sink. The plurality of fluid cores include a flow distribution insert, a first plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink fastened to the second side, and a second plate fin positioned between the flow distribution insert and the heat sink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Feng Zhou, Ercan Mehmet Dede, Hiroshi Ukegawa, Robert Erickson, Dragan Maksimovic, Vivek Sankaranarayanan, Yucheng Gao
  • Publication number: 20210399352
    Abstract: An apparatus for voltage sharing of series connected battery modules in a DC microgrid includes a battery management system and a battery module controller that generates, for an mth of N converters connected together to a DC microbus, a droop current ?d,m that includes a converter voltage error signal {tilde over (v)}err,m multiplied by a droop multiplier gd(i). Each converter is a DC/DC converter connected between a battery module, with one or more battery cells, and the DC microbus. The mth converter uses the droop current ?d,m, a common current reference ?all of a battery pack that includes the battery modules and an input current ?m to the mth converter to control switching of the mth converter. The common current reference ?all is from the battery management system. The voltage error signal {tilde over (v)}err,m is based on an output voltage {tilde over (v)}o,m of the mth converter and an average converter output voltage {tilde over (v)}avgeodcmastereodcmastereodcmaster.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Applicants: Utah State University, University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Mohamed Ahmed Kamel Ahmed, Regan Zane, Dragan Maksimovic
  • Patent number: 11104699
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure include compositions that make use of phosphorus and/or nucleobase protecting groups which find use in the synthesis of long polynucleotides. Phosphorus protecting groups are provided that help increase the stepwise coupling yield and/or phosphorous protecting groups that can be removed during the oxidation step. Amidine nucleobase protecting groups are provided that find use in the subject compositions and methods which provides for e.g., increased resistance to depurination during polynucleotide synthesis. In some instances, the methods and compositions disclosed herein utilize a combination of the phosphorus and amidine nucleobase protecting groups in the synthesis of polynucleotides having a sequence of 200 or more monomeric units in length. Also provided are methods for synthesizing a polynucleotide (e.g., a DNA) using one or more compounds disclosed herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignees: Agilent Technologies, Inc., University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Douglas J. Dellinger, Luca Monfregola, Marvin Caruthers, Mithun Roy
  • Publication number: 20210159007
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to apparatuses for enhanced thermal management of a planar inductor assembly. In one embodiment, a cooling package for an inductor assembly includes a cold plate and a heat-spreading bracket mechanically coupled to the cold plate at a first end of the heat-spreading bracket. The cold plate has a slotted recess for mounting a first inductor core along a first end thereof. The heat-spreading bracket is configured to apply a clamping force to a second inductor core at a second end opposite to the first end of the heat-spreading bracket.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: May 27, 2021
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Ercan M. DEDE, Tsuyoshi NOMURA, Robert ERICKSON, Dragan MAKSIMOVIC, Vivek SANKARANARAYANAN, Yucheng GAO, Aritra GHOSH
  • Publication number: 20200388432
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relate to apparatuses for enhanced thermal management of an inductor assembly using functionally-graded thermal vias for heat flow control in the windings of the inductor. In one embodiment, a PCB for an inductor assembly includes a top surface and a bottom surface. Two or more electrically-conductive layers are embedded within the PCB and stacked vertically between the top surface and the bottom surface. The two or more electrically-conductive layers are electrically connected to form an inductor winding. A plurality of thermal vias thermally connects each of the two or more electrically-conductive layers to a cold plate thermally connected to the bottom surface. A number of thermal vias thermally connecting each electrically-conductive layer to the cold plate is directly proportional to a predetermined rate of heat dissipation from the electrically-conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2019
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicants: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc., University of Colorado Boulder
    Inventors: Ercan DEDE, Yucheng GAO, Vivek SANKARANARAYANAN, Aritra GHOSH, Robert ERICKSON, Dragan MAKSIMOVIC
  • Publication number: 20030085214
    Abstract: A ceramic micro-glow plug made from three primary constituents, silicon, carbon and nitrogen by forming a precursor liquid polymer in a mold or by photolithograpy, drying, pyrolizing and annealing. A U-shaped design with two arms joined at thin tip, and the composition of the silicon carbon-nitride ceramic allow the tip to reach a high operating temperature with a minimum power applied across the electrical contacts. When the tip is at the highest operating temperature, the remainder of the structure remains relatively cool. In an embodiment, an additional component such as boron is added to the silicon carbon-nitride to increase the electrical conductivity of the micro-glow plug. In another embodiment, a plurality of micro-glow plugs are attached to a body wherein when the operational micro-glow plug fails, the next successive micro-glow plug receives power across its electrical contacts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2001
    Publication date: May 8, 2003
    Applicant: University of Colorado At Boulder
    Inventors: Li-Anne Liew, Rishi Raj