Patents Examined by Harry D. Wilkins
  • Patent number: 11761101
    Abstract: A CaTiO3—TiO2 composite electrode and method of making is described. The composite electrode comprises a substrate with an average 2-12 ?m thick layer of CaTiO3—TiO2 composite particles having average diameters of 0.2-2.2 ?m. The method of making the composite electrode involves contacting the substrate with an aerosol comprising a solvent, a calcium complex, and a titanium complex. The CaTiO3—TiO2 composite electrode is capable of being used in a photoelectrochemical cell for water splitting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS
    Inventors: Muhammad Ali Ehsan, Abdul Rehman
  • Patent number: 11753730
    Abstract: An electrolytic dye reduction method comprises preparing a catholyte by dispersing a dye in a leucodye comprising electrolyte. In a preferred method the leucodye like leucoindigo is the sole dispersing aid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Sedo Engineering SA
    Inventors: David Crettenand, Grégoire Chappot, Ludovic Chappot, Herbert Gübeli
  • Patent number: 11753316
    Abstract: An electrolyzed water generator includes anode, cathode, and cation exchange membrane provided between anode and cathode so as to be in contact with at least one of anode and cathode. Gaps in which a flow of water occurs are present between cation exchange membrane and at least one of anode and cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenichiro Inagaki, Shunsuke Mori, Minoru Nagata, Mami Kuroda, Tetsuya Maekawa
  • Patent number: 11753732
    Abstract: Methods and systems for dissolving an iron-containing ore are disclosed. For example, a method of processing and dissolving an iron-containing ore comprises: thermally reducing one or more non-magnetite iron oxide materials in the iron-containing ore to form magnetite in the presence of a reductant, thereby forming thermally-reduced ore; and dissolving at least a portion of the thermally-reduced ore using an acid to form an acidic iron-salt solution; wherein the acidic iron-salt solution comprises protons electrochemically generated in an electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: ELECTRASTEEL, INC.
    Inventors: Ai Quoc Pham, Sandeep Nijhawan, Adolfredo Alvarez, Steven Fatur
  • Patent number: 11753731
    Abstract: A two-dimensional metal-organic framework (2D MOF) includes a first transition metal M1 and a second transition metal M2. The first transition metal and the second transition metal are different and are coupled by a linker group L to yield a two-dimensional metal-organic framework alloy having a formula M1xM21-xL, where 0<x<1. Each transition metal is dispersed uniformly throughout the 2D MOF. The 2D MOF is synthesized by combining a first transition metal precursor, a second transition metal precursor, and a linker; agitating the solution; and heating the solution to yield a crystalline two-dimensional metal-organic framework alloy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
    Inventors: Bin Mu, Sefaattin Tongay, Bohan Shan, Yuxia Shen, Joseph Winarta
  • Patent number: 11746430
    Abstract: Disclosed are a water electrolysis system and a control method thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Se Yeong Lee
  • Patent number: 11739433
    Abstract: Non-proton cationic impurities are removed from the ionomer in a proton exchange membrane of an electrochemical cell and from the anode side and cathode side catalyst layers. A supply path for an anode feed to the ionomer on the anode side of the proton exchange membrane and a supply path for a cathode feed to the ionomer on the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane are provided. A regenerating fluid with acidic pH is brought into contact with the ionomer on the cathode side of the proton exchange membrane to accomplish an ion exchange of the non-proton cationic impurities with protons and thus remove the non-proton cationic impurities from the ionomer into the regenerating fluid. This removes the non-proton cationic impurities from the ionomer of the electrochemical cell without increasing the risk of corrosion and without interrupting the process of the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Lorenz Gubler, Pierre Boillat, Ugljesa Babic, Mateusz Zlobinski
  • Patent number: 11718921
    Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of generating gaseous hydrogen at high pressures and with high purity via electrolysis of water by means of an electrolyzer unit (100) with a novel structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: THALESNANO ZRT
    Inventors: Csaba Janáky, Egon Kecsenovity, Antal Danyi, Balázs Endrödi, Viktor Török, Ferenc Darvas, Richard Jones
  • Patent number: 11713511
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a high-power unipolar water electrolysis plant including a rectifier, a first U-bank, and a second U-bank electrically connected in series to the rectifier and to the first U-bank. Each U-bank is formed by a pair of adjacent, longitudinal cell arrays electrically connected to each other. The cell arrays are arranged in a spaced apart, side-by-side arrangement with a service corridor defined therebetween to allow sectional maintenance to be performed on each cell array. Each cell array has a plurality of unipolar water electrolyser cells. Each U-bank has input conduits for delivering water and cooling water to each cell array, output conduits for carrying hydrogen gas, oxygen gas and cooling water away from each cell array. The high-power unipolar water electrolysis plant includes a first jumper and a second jumper to isolate the U-bank, an electrical bypass busbar extension and a third jumper to bypass the U-bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: KEY DH IP INC./IP STRATEGIQUES DH, INC.
    Inventors: Erick S. Dykstra, Raynald G. LaChance, Edward D. B. Stuart, Andrew T. B. Stuart
  • Patent number: 11713260
    Abstract: An electrolyzed water generating device 1 has an electrolysis chamber 40, a first feeding body 41 and a second feeding body 41 to which a DC voltage is applied, a diaphragm 43 disposed between the first feeding body 41 and the second feeding body 42 to divide the electrolysis chamber 40 into a first-polar chamber 40a and a second-polar chamber 40b, a control unit 5 for switching a polarity of the first feeding body 41 to an anode or a cathode and a polarity of the second feeding body 42 to a cathode or an anode, a flow rate sensor 22 detecting an amount of flowing water into the electrolysis chamber 40 on the cathode side per unit time, and a current detecting means 44 detecting a DC current supplied to the first feeding body 41 and the second feeding body 42. The surfaces of the first feeding body 41 and the second feeding body 42 are formed of a hydrogen storage metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: NIHON TRIM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Daiji Amenomori, Yoshinobu Koizumi, Yuhei Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 11697882
    Abstract: Various examples are directed to a solar power electrolyzer system comprising a first electrolyzer stack, a second electrolyzer stack, a first converter and a first converter controller. The first electrolyzer stack may be electrically coupled in series with a photovoltaic array. The first converter may be electrically coupled in series with the first electrolyzer stack and electrically coupled in series with the photovoltaic array. The second electrolyzer stack electrically may be coupled at an output of the first converter. The first converter controller may be configured to control a current gain of the first converter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Harrington, Leonard Shtargot, Antonio Montalvo
  • Patent number: 11697883
    Abstract: An electrolysis cell includes an anode chamber and a cathode chamber separated by an ion-exchange membrane. The electrolysis cell includes an anode, a cathode, and a cathode current distributor. The anode, the ion-exchange membrane, the cathode, and the cathode current distributor are in direct touching contact in the mentioned order. Flexibly resilient holding elements are arranged on the other side of the anode and/or on the other side of the cathode current distributor. The flexibly resilient holding elements exert a contact pressure on the anode and/or on the cathode current distributor. The flexibly resilient holding elements have annular elements, the axis of which is oriented in the height direction of the electrolysis cell. By means of the flexibly resilient and in part also plastically deforming annular elements, effective mechanical contact pressure of the ion-exchange membrane against the oxygen-depolarized cathode is achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: THYSSENKRUPP NUCERA AG & CO. KGAA
    Inventor: Sebastian Austenfeld
  • Patent number: 11692741
    Abstract: The present invention provides: a heat generation method that makes the first use of the ionic vacancies that are a by-product of an electrochemical reaction and have conventionally been left unreacted; and a device for implementing the same. The present invention pertains to: a heat generation method characterized by comprising colliding, in an electrochemical reaction that proceeds in an electrolysis cell, ionic vacancies having a positive charge generated at an anode and ionic vacancies having a negative charge generated at a cathode; and a heat generation device characterized by being equipped with an electrolysis cell provided with an anode and a cathode and an electrolyte solution accommodated within the electrolysis cell, and by generating heat by colliding ionic vacancies of opposite signs generated by causing the electrochemical reaction to proceed in the electrolysis cell via the anode and the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: NETECH, INC.
    Inventors: Ryoichi Aogaki, Makoto Miura, Atsushi Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 11680328
    Abstract: Provided herein are membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for COx reduction. According to various embodiments, the MEAs are configured to address challenges particular to COx including managing water in the MEA. Bipolar and anion-exchange membrane (AEM)-only MEAs are described along with components thereof and related methods of fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Twelve Benefit Corporation
    Inventors: Ziyang Huo, Lihui Wang, Kenneth X. Hua, Sichao Ma, Edward Izett, Sara Hunegnaw, Ajay R. Kashi, Etosha R. Cave, Kendra P. Kuhl, Maxwell Goldman, Angelica L. Reyes, Kathryn L. Corp
  • Patent number: 11668014
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to an electrolyzer reactor suitable for the reduction of organic compounds. The reactor includes a membrane electrode assembly with freestanding metallic meshes which serve both as metallic electrode structures for electron transport as well as catalytic surfaces for electron generation and organic compound reduction. Suitable organic compounds for reduction include oxygenated and/or unsaturated hydrocarbon compounds, in particular those characteristic of bio-oil (e.g., alone or a multicomponent mixtures). The reactor and related methods provide a resource- and energy-efficient approach to organic compound reduction, in particular for bio-oil mixtures which can be conveniently upgraded at or near their point of production with minimal or no transportation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: James E. Jackson, Chun Ho Lam, Christopher M. Saffron, Dennis J. Miller
  • Patent number: 11670789
    Abstract: Provided herein are electrochemical cell and/or electrolyzer configurations with membrane-electrode gap and optionally one or more spacers; and methods to use and manufacture the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Verdagy, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan J. Gilliam, Thomas H. McWaid
  • Patent number: 11661658
    Abstract: Systems and methods for electrochemical ammonia synthesis comprise electrolytes which have greater efficiency than water, thus leading to cost reductions; and/or cathode catalysts which have lower costs and higher efficiencies in comparison to the iron/nickel catalysts noted above. The electrolyte may be composed primarily of a combination of non-aqueous hydrogen bond donors and acceptors, with high nitrogen solubility and high conductivity. The cathode catalyst may be composed of either a manganese-doped oxide or carbonate material or a two-dimensional carbide or nitride material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Inventor: Benjamin Joseph Hertzberg
  • Patent number: 11655549
    Abstract: A carbon dioxide treatment apparatus, a carbon dioxide treatment method, and a method for producing a carbon compound that have high energy efficiency in recovery and reduction of carbon dioxide and are highly effective in reducing loss of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide treatment apparatus (100) includes a recovery device (1) configured to recover carbon dioxide, an electrochemical reaction device (2) configured to electrochemically reduce carbon dioxide, and a pH adjuster (52), wherein pH of a cathode side electrolytic solution is higher than that of an anode side electrolytic solution, carbon dioxide gas is supplied from a concentration part 11 to a gas flow path on a side of a cathode (21) opposite to an anode (22), and the carbon dioxide gas is reduced at the cathode (21).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuta Shimada, Hiroshi Oikawa
  • Patent number: 11655551
    Abstract: Methods and systems related to the field of electrolyzers are disclosed. An electrolyzer assembly is disclosed which includes a stack of cells, a plurality of polar plates in the stack of cells, a plurality of flow fields between the plurality of polar plates, a conduit fluidly connecting flow fields in the plurality of flow fields, an electrically conductive fluid in the conduit, a plurality of insulating layers arranged between a conductive surface of the plurality of flow fields and the conduit, and a plurality of openings in the plurality of insulating layers providing a plurality of fluid connections between the conduit and the plurality of flow fields.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Dioxycle
    Inventors: Luc Rouveyre, David Wakerley, Sarah Lamaison
  • Patent number: 11649551
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an asymmetric electrolyte membrane, a membrane electrode assembly including the same, a water electrolysis apparatus including the same and a method for manufacturing the same. More particularly, it discloses an asymmetric electrolyte membrane having a porous layer and a dense layer at the same time, a membrane electrode assembly including the same, a water electrolysis apparatus including the same and a method for manufacturing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2023
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: So Young Lee, Hyoung-Juhn Kim, Sae Yane Baek, Taekyung Lee, Sung Jong Yoo, Jong Hyun Jang, Hee-Young Park, Jin Young Kim, Hyun S. Park