Patents Examined by Basia Ridley
  • Patent number: 9741991
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a traction battery having a plurality of battery cells positioned in an array with a non-conductive bus bar housing having a plurality of compartments insulated from one another and containing one or more bus bars each having an integrally formed voltage sense connector. Each compartment may accommodate terminals of a pair of adjacent battery cells to be coupled by the associated bus bar. The voltage sense connector may include fingers for crimping and securing a voltage sense wire or a welding pad for welding, soldering, or similar connection. The voltage sense wires connect to a battery control module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Debbi Callicoat, Raymond C. Siciak
  • Patent number: 9735401
    Abstract: The present application provides configurations, components, assemblies and methods for sealing cells of sodium-based thermal batteries, such as NaMx cells. In some embodiments the cells may include an integrated bridge member hermetically sealed to an electrically conductive case and a ceramic collar of the cell to hermetically seal an anodic chamber of the cell. In some embodiments the cells may include the ceramic collar hermetically sealed to an electrolyte separator tube of the cell to hermetically seal the anodic chamber of the cell. In some embodiments the anodic chamber may be defined, at least in part, by the case, integrated bridge member, ceramic collar and electrolyte separator tube. In some embodiments the cells may include a current collector hermetically sealed to the ceramic collar, and a cap member hermetically sealed to the current collector tube to hermetically seal a cathodic chamber of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Sundeep Kumar, Mohamed Rahmane, Neil A. Johnson, Patrick D. Willson, Raymond R. Cole, Timothy Yosenick, Thomas Angeliu, Tobias Juetting
  • Patent number: 9735410
    Abstract: This invention provides a multi-layer article comprising a first electrode material, a second electrode material, and a porous separator disposed between and in contact with the first and the second electrode materials, wherein the porous separator comprises a nonwoven consisting essentially of a plurality of fibers of a fully aromatic polyimide. Also provided is a method for preparing the multi-layer article, and an electrochemical cell employing the same. A multi-layer article comprising a polyimide nonwoven with enhanced properties is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: E I DU PONT DE NEMOURS AND COMPANY
    Inventors: Pankaj Arora, Natalia V Levit
  • Patent number: 9728785
    Abstract: Provided is an active material for a sodium ion battery including: (t-butyl)3-trioxotriangulene shown below. In Formula (1), a double line including a solid line and a broken line represents a single bond or a double bond.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka University
    Inventors: Yasushi Morita, Shinji Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9728795
    Abstract: A complex fuel cell stack with hydrogen storage unit is introduced. Through the new configuration of the PEM fuel cell stack, no cooling system and cooling fluid is needed for the fuel cell stack, since hydrogen storage vessel can act as a heat sink to protect the expensive catalyst layer of the MEA of the fuel cell away from over-heated and damaged. In addition, the waste heat generated from the operation of the fuel cells can aid in release of hydrogen from hydrogen storage alloys inside the hydrogen storage vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHUNG SHAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: Yuan-Pang Wu, Po-Han Chu, Tao-Wen Pao, Hui-Yun Bor
  • Patent number: 9722238
    Abstract: Provided is battery pack, including a plurality of battery cells that and a case covering the plurality of battery cells, wherein at least one drainage hole is formed on a bottom of the lower case, that includes a first region and a second region, the first region being a region from an inner surface to a predetermined depth in a thickness direction of the bottom of the lower case and the second region being a region from where the first region ends to an outer surface from the thickness direction of the bottom of the lower case, wherein the first region includes a first tiling portion formed tilted such that the drainage hole becomes smaller, grooves formed at regular intervals along a circumference of the drainage hole from where the first tilting portion ends to the outer surface of the bottom of the lower case and a foreign substance blocking portion formed on a same plane as the outer surface of the lower case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Su-Sang Cho, Eun-Gyeong Gu
  • Patent number: 9711829
    Abstract: A cooling device for a vehicle battery is provided with a cooling plate (22) comprising a first plate part (24) which faces towards the battery (10) and has a first wall thickness (di), comprising a second plate part (30) which has a second wall thickness (d2), and comprising a multiplicity of depressions (32) formed in the second plate part (30). The cooling plate (22) has a multiplicity of refrigerant ducts (34) with a first duct cross section, said refrigerant ducts being formed between the first and second plate parts (24, 30) in the depressions (32) of the second plate part (30). The cooling plate (22) has a distributor portion (42) and a collector portion which each have at least one connection (46) for a refrigerant feed line (56) and a refrigerant return line. The wall of the distributor portion (42) and/or of the collector portion (44) is formed at least in portions by a component (52) additional to the first and second plate parts (24, 30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: VALEO KLIMASYSTEME GMBH
    Inventor: Roland Haussmann
  • Patent number: 9711802
    Abstract: Provided is a method for preparing an alloy catalyst for fuel cells having excellent catalytic activity and high durability. The method includes coating a platinum or platinum-transition metal catalyst supported on carbon with polydopamine as a capping agent. The method for preparing an alloy catalyst supported on carbon uses polydopamine as a capping agent for a platinum or platinum-transition metal catalyst supported on carbon, and thus provides a binary or ternary platinum alloy catalyst supported on carbon having a small particle size and high alloying degree despite the subsequent high-temperature heat treatment. In addition, polydopamine (PDA) is a highly adhesive material and allows thin and uniform coating, and thus inhibits particle size growth during heat treatment while allowing easy diffusion of a transition metal into the metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION, YONSEI UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Hansung Kim
  • Patent number: 9698450
    Abstract: A non-aqueous secondary battery production method is provided. The method comprises constructing a preconditioning cell that comprises a positive electrode comprising a positive electrode active material, a preconditioning electrolyte solution comprising a supporting salt and a fluorine-containing non-ionic compound, and a preconditioning negative electrode (step S110); of carrying out a preconditioning process by charging the preconditioning cell and allowing the fluorine-containing non-ionic compound to be decomposed at the positive electrode to form coatings on surfaces of the positive electrode active material (step S120); and of constructing a non-aqueous secondary battery, using the coated positive electrode active material, a non-aqueous electrolyte solution different from the preconditioning electrolyte solution, and a negative electrode comprising a negative electrode active material (step S130).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takeshi Abe, Toshiyuki Kawai, Shinichi Kinoshita, Takamichi Mitsui
  • Patent number: 9685674
    Abstract: Provided are: a practically excellent polymer electrolyte composition having excellent chemical stability of being resistant to strong oxidizing atmosphere during operation of fuel cell, and achieving excellent proton conductivity under low-humidification conditions, excellent mechanical strength and physical durability; a polymer electrolyte membrane, a membrane electrode assembly, and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell each using the same. The polymer electrolyte composition of the present invention comprises at least an ionic group-containing polymer (A) and a phosphorus-containing additive (B), the phosphorus-containing additive (B) being at least one of a phosphine compound and a phosphinite compound. The polymer electrolyte membrane, the membrane electrode assembly, and the polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention are structured by the polymer electrolyte composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: TORAY INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventors: Daisuke Izuhara, Tomoyuki Kunita, Yuka Yachi
  • Patent number: 9680182
    Abstract: A composition suitable as a solid polymer electrolyte for a lithium ion battery comprises a mixture of polyoctahedral silsesquioxane-phenyl7(BF3Li)3 and a poly(ethylene oxide).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: TEMPLE UNIVERSITY—OF THE COMMONWEALTH SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
    Inventors: Stephanie L. Wunder, Parameswara Rao Chinnam
  • Patent number: 9666919
    Abstract: A refuelable electrochemical battery is provided that features three phases of operation that repeat cyclically. In an intake phase a mixture of electrochemically active particles or pellets (e.g., aluminum pellets) and a suitable electrolyte (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide) are fed into a cavity or chamber. In a power phase the resulting electrochemical reaction produces electrical energy. The particles are mechanically combined or collected to form one electrode, while a gas-diffusion membrane permeable by oxygen is another electrode. During the exhaust phase, a piston forces the residue of the reaction from the cavity in order to prepare for the next cycle of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Inventor: Wendell Brown
  • Patent number: 9660254
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for preparing a silicon-based negative electrode active material, a negative electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same. More particularly, the method for preparing the silicon-based negative electrode active material comprises: preparing a porous silica (SiO2) and a thin metal film; coating the porous silica onto the thin metal film; reducing the porous silica to a porous silicon by performing heat-treatment of the thin metal film and the porous silica; and obtaining the porous silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignees: UNIST (ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY), SJ MATERIALS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Soojin Park, Sin Ho Choi, Byoung Man Bang, Jaephil Cho
  • Patent number: 9653755
    Abstract: Electrolyte solutions including additives or combinations of additives that provide low temperature performance and high temperature stability in lithium ion battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignees: Wildcat Discovery Technologies, Inc, Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventors: Gang Cheng, Ye Zhu, Deidre Strand, Boutros Hallac, Bernhard M. Metz
  • Patent number: 9653749
    Abstract: Provided are a secondary battery and a secondary battery pack having the same capable of preventing performance degradation by preventing an increase in an interface resistance of an electrode body accommodated in a pouch and capable of improving stability by preventing deformation of the electrode body to thereby prevent a fine short circuit even though the pouch is swelled due to a gas generate at a high temperature, by providing first members for reinforcing rigidity and second members deformed at the high temperature and capable of adhering the electrode body to one side or both sides of the electrode body accommodated and sealed in the pouch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SK Innovation Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ming Zhe Kong
  • Patent number: 9653720
    Abstract: A traction battery assembly includes adjacent battery cells supported by a tray and a busbar electrically connecting the adjacent battery cells. The busbar includes a longitudinal midpoint and a pair of bowed sections joined at the midpoint. Each of the bowed sections has an actuate portion in contact with a terminal on one of the cells. The bowed sections provide increased contact with the cells when the cells have different elevations with respect to the tray. A busbar module is also disclosed. The busbar module comprises a housing and a busbar supported within the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Patrick Daniel Maguire, John Paul Gibeau
  • Patent number: 9653724
    Abstract: A secondary battery according to the present disclosure includes a cell assembly including a unit cell having at least one non-coated passage formed across an electrode plate, a temperature sensor including a temperature sensing unit located within the non-coated passage and a sensor lead extending from the temperature sensing unit, and a battery case to receive the cell assembly and which is sealed in a state that the sensor lead is drawn outside. According to the present disclosure, a temperature change of the secondary battery may be measured quickly and correctly, and thus, the secondary battery may be controlled more minutely in response to a temperature change, and gas generated in the battery case during charging and discharging of the secondary battery may be easily discharged to a surrounding area of the cell assembly, thereby preventing a battery efficiency reduction phenomenon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventor: Seong-Yoon Lim
  • Patent number: 9647286
    Abstract: A method for producing a purified carbon dioxide product suitable for EOR and surplus electricity uses a vaporous hydrocarbon feed and a SOFC system. A SOFC system includes a condensate removal system, an acid gas removal system, a hydrodesulfurization system, a sorption bed system, a pre-reformer, a solid oxide fuel cell, a CO2 separations system and a CO2 dehydration system operable to form the purified carbon dioxide product, where the SOFC system is operable to produce surplus electricity from the electricity produced by the solid oxide fuel cell. A method of operating the pre-reformer to maximize the internal reforming capacity of a downstream solid oxide fuel cell uses a pre-reformer fluidly coupled on the upstream side of a solid oxide fuel cell. A method of enhancing hydrocarbon fluid recovery from a hydrocarbon-bearing formation using a SOFC system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: Saudi Arabian Oil Company
    Inventors: Aqil Jamal, Thang Pham, Aadesh Harale
  • Patent number: 9640822
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention is a unique fuel cell system. Another embodiment is a unique desulfurization system. Yet another embodiment is a method of operating a fuel cell system. Other embodiments include apparatuses, systems, devices, hardware, methods, and combinations for fuel cell systems and desulfurization systems. Further embodiments, forms, features, aspects, benefits, and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the description and figures provided herewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: LG Fuel Cell Systems Inc.
    Inventor: John R. Budge
  • Patent number: 9640816
    Abstract: Disclosed is a flow battery pack with a monitoring system. The flow battery pack with a monitoring system comprises a battery pack device and a monitoring device. The battery pack device comprises a pole plate, and the pole plate is provided thereon with a measuring port. The monitoring device comprises a measuring probe, and the measuring probe extends to the interior of the battery pack device and is arranged corresponding to the measuring port on the pole plate. The monitoring device is used for monitoring the flow pressure and temperature at the measuring port. According to the technical solution of the present disclosure, a monitoring device is introduced into the interior of a flow battery pack, and the real values of correlative parameters of the interior of the battery pack and the distribution status thereof can be obtained through the monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: DONGFANG ELECTRIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hao Tang, Guangyou Xie, Cong Yin, Zhankui Zhang, Ronggui Wang, Yong Lian