Patents Examined by Jacob Buchanan
  • Patent number: 10593975
    Abstract: A catalytic burner arrangement is provided including at least a catalytic burner unit with a housing having a reaction chamber in which a catalyst is arranged, wherein the catalyst is adapted to react a fuel, particularly a hydrogen containing fluid, with an oxidant, particularly air, for producing heat, the housing having a fluid inlet for supplying a fluid stream into the housing and a find outlet for exiting a fluid stream from the housing, and the catalytic burner arrangement further includes a mixing unit forming a mixing chamber in which fuel and oxidant are mixed, wherein the mixing device includes a fuel inlet, an oxidant inlet and an fuel-oxidant-mixture outlet, and wherein the fluid inlet of the catalytic burner unit merges with the fuel-oxidant-outlet of the mixing unit for transferring the fuel-oxidant-mixture from the mixing chamber to the reaction chamber of the catalytic burner unit wherein the fuel-oxidant-outlet of the mixing chamber is pipe-shaped and extents into the mixing chamber of the m
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: POWERCELL SWEDEN AB
    Inventors: Per Ekdunge, Federico Ghirelli, Ida Toftefors
  • Patent number: 10553368
    Abstract: A tool (10) includes a base (12) made of contact and projection woven, metallic, compression screens (16, 18) secured to each other. A plurality of linear projections (30) extend away from the base (12). A shortest distance between adjacent linear projections (30) may be between about 20 ?m and about 20 mm. The tool (10) is forced upon an uncompressed galvanic pellicle (52) so that the projections (30) compress and bond connected areas (56) of the pellicle (52) to a conductive surface (54) to form an electrode (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: Global Energy Science, LLC
    Inventor: Halbert P. Fischel
  • Patent number: 10553909
    Abstract: A battery pack includes a plurality of battery modules that includes a plurality of battery cells, a battery cell holder, a second-electrode assembly including a plurality of second-electrode bus bar plates, a first-electrode assembly, and a cover. The first-electrode assembly includes a plurality of first-electrode bus bar plates, a first-electrode terminal, a second-electrode terminal connected to one of the plurality of second-electrode bus bar plates, and an inter-electrode bus bar connecting the second-electrode bus bar plate and one of the first-electrode bus bar plate and the first-electrode terminal. The first-electrode assembly is in a first pattern or a second pattern. An arrangement of the first-electrode terminal and the second-electrode terminal in the battery module differs according to the pattern of the first-electrode assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Takenori Kobayashi, Nobuyoshi Fujiwara, Kiyonari Kojima
  • Patent number: 10522856
    Abstract: An electrode comprising galvanic membranes having a thickness defined by an average length of vectors normal to a membrane first surface and extending to where said vectors intersect a membrane uncompressed second surface; a non-porous metal sheet having first and second surfaces; a non-porous dielectric sheet having first and second surfaces; square weave metal wire screens having a wire diameter slightly greater than one half the at least one galvanic membrane thickness dimension; wherein, at least one galvanic membrane is adjacent the metal wire screen on the at least one galvanic membrane first and second surfaces in a stack of membranes and screens; the metal wire screen is adjacent the first surface of the non-porous dielectric sheet; the second surfaces of non-porous metal sheets have a sustained pressure of at least 7 million Pascal; and; the metal wire screen is collectively in incompressible vertical alignment with another metal wire screen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: Global Energy Science, LLC
    Inventor: Halbert P. Fischel
  • Patent number: 10483583
    Abstract: A fuel cell assembly is disclosed comprising a fuel cell electrode component and a reactant gas flow component ink bonded thereto. In one aspect direct bonding of a gas diffusion layer with a flow field is achieved allowing a simplified structural configuration. In another aspect improved component printing techniques reduce corrosion effects. In a further aspect flow fields are described providing reactant channels extending in both the horizontal and vertical directions, i.e. providing three dimensional flow. In a further aspect an improved wicking material allows wicking away and reactant humidification. In a further aspect improved mechanical fastenings and connectors are provided. In a further aspect improved humidification approaches are described. Further improved aspects are additionally disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Imperial Innovations Limited
    Inventor: Anthony Robert John Kucernak
  • Patent number: 10476085
    Abstract: A unit cell that constitutes a fuel cell stack is obtained by sandwiching an electrolyte mem-brane/electrode structure with a cathode-side separator and an anode-side separator. A first resin member is provided along the entire periphery of the cathode-side separator in the outer peripheral portion of the cathode-side separator. Surfaces of the cathode-side separator are provided with sealing parts that cover a part of the first resin member and constitute a first sealing member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd., NOK Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Oyama, Go Morimoto, Satoru Terada, Shuhei Goto, Akihito Giga, Takahiro Hayashi, Takeshi Masaka, Satomi Yogo, Shotaro Koga
  • Patent number: 10468725
    Abstract: In the method for manufacturing a cell according to the present invention, the cell has a cell case, an external terminal, a relay member, and a pressure-type current interrupting mechanism, the method including fixing the relay member and the external terminal to the cell case by caulking the relay member to the external terminal by means of a caulking process. A tubular reinforcing member that is configured with a material harder than that of the relay member is attached to an inner circumferential surface of the tubular shaft portion of the relay member prior to the caulking process, and the caulking process is performed, with the reinforcing member being attached to the inner circumferential surface of the relay member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Tomohiro Ono
  • Patent number: 10461303
    Abstract: An electrode stack structure including a plurality of stacked electrode layers including electrode layers having multiple tabs, wherein the multiple tabs include a first tab connected to a first lead; and a second tab that is spaced apart from the first tab, and wherein second tabs of electrode layers having a same polarity are electrically connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seungsik Hwang, Dongjin Ham
  • Patent number: 10461286
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses a battery pack suitable for improving cooling efficiency of a cooling duct for battery cells in a battery module by reducing a sealing area between a lower case and an upper case configured to fully surround the battery module. The battery pack according to the present disclosure includes a battery module including battery cells sequentially stacked and a cooling duct located on side of the battery cells; a lower case configured to load the battery module and the cooling duct therein; and an upper case coupled to the lower case so as to cover the battery module and the cooling duct, the upper case having a vent structure on the cooling duct. The vent structure has, on the cooling duct, an inner air passage unit opened at a sidewall of the upper case, and an outer air passage unit inserted into the inner air passage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Gang-U Lee, Sang-Yoon Jeong, Jun-Yeob Seong, Ki-Youn Kim, Sung-Chun Yu, Duck-Hee Moon, Jung-Hang Lee, Yong-Joon Choi
  • Patent number: 10439178
    Abstract: An in-vehicle battery module includes a plurality of cylindrical battery cells, a battery cell holder, a protective case, a vent cover provided such that the battery cell holder is positioned between the protective case and the vent cover, the vent cover and the battery cell holder disposed such that a vent space in which gas discharged from an end face on a second-electrode side of the cylindrical battery cell flows is provided between the vent cover and the battery cell holder, at least one first-electrode bus bar, at least one second-electrode bus bar provided in the vent space, and a support member disposed partially in the vent space and the support member being configured to support the second-electrode bus bar from the vent cover side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Satoshi Morioka
  • Patent number: 10439250
    Abstract: Method of making solid-state electrolyte with composition formula Li7-xLa3Zr2-xBixO12. The method includes making a polymerized complex of the metal-ions of the composition formula, and making an agglomerate therefrom to be calcined and sintered to produce the solid-state electrolyte. A solid-state electrolyte with the composition formula Li7-xLa3Zr2-xBixO12 with superior ionic conductivity by choice of the value of x and processing conditions. A battery employing a solid-state electrolyte of superior ionic conductivity with the composition formula Li7-xLa3Zr2-xBixO12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Derek Karl Schwanz, Esteban Ernesto Marinero-Caceres
  • Patent number: 10388999
    Abstract: Provided is a battery module including a first cooling plate, a battery pack mounted on the first cooling plate, a cover to shield the battery pack, the cover being coupled to the first cooling plate, a coupling portion fixed to the cover, and a circuit module into which the coupling portion is inserted, the circuit module being mounted on the cover to be electrically connected to the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jungkyun Jung
  • Patent number: 10297824
    Abstract: Provided is a positive electrode active material which is useful for a lithium secondary battery having a battery resistance lower than that of the conventional positive electrode active material below freezing point. The positive electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery contains at least one element selected from a group consisting of nickel, cobalt and manganese, the positive electrode active material having a layered structure and satisfying all of the following requirements (1) to (3): (1) a primary particle size is 0.1 ?m to 1 ?m and a secondary particle size is 1 ?m to 10 ?m; (2) in an X-ray powder diffraction measurement using CuK? radiation, a crystallite size in the peak within 2?=18.7±1° is 100 ? to 1200 ? and a crystallite size in the peak within 2?=44.6±1° is 100 ? to 700 ?; and (3) in a pore distribution obtained by a mercury intrusion method, a pore peak exists in a range where the pore size is 10 nm to 200 nm and a pore volume in the said range is 0.01 cm3/g to 0.05 cm3/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignees: Tanaka Chemical Corporation, Sumitomo Chemical Company, Limited
    Inventors: Yasutaka Iida, Daisuke Yamashita, Takaaki Masukawa, Hiroyuki Ito, Hiroyuki Kurita, Kenji Takamori, Yuichiro Imanari
  • Patent number: 10230096
    Abstract: An electrode is provided, which includes a sulfur- and carbon-containing layer having a carbon material, a sulfur material, and a binder. A sulfur content at a core part of the sulfur- and carbon-containing layer is gradually reduced to a sulfur content at two side surfaces of the sulfur- and carbon-containing layer. The electrode may serve as a positive electrode of a battery. The battery also includes a negative electrode, and an electrolyte liquid between the positive electrode and the negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Chia-Nan Lin, Jason Fang, Chih-Ching Chang, Chun-Lung Li
  • Patent number: 10195590
    Abstract: A method of preparing a catalytic structure the method including the steps of: providing a solution of a precursor compound in a solvent at ambient conditions; providing a suspension of a support material having a specific surface area of at least 1 m2/g in a solvent at ambient conditions; mixing the solution of the precursor compound and the suspension of the support material; providing a reactive solvent in a supercritical or subcritical state; admixing the mixture of the solution of the precursor compound and the suspension of the support material in the supercritical or subcritical reactive solvent to form a reaction solution; injecting the reaction solution into a reactor tube via an inlet; allowing a reaction of the precursor compound in the supercritical or subcritical reactive solvent in the reactor tube to form the catalyst nanoparticles on the support material to provide the catalytic structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: TEKNOLOGISK INSTITUT
    Inventors: Christian Kallesøe, Henrik Fanø Clausen, Leif Højslet Christensen, Torsten Lund-Olesen, Mohammad Aref Hasen Mamakhel, Bo Brummerstedt Iversen, Jacob Becker-Christensen, David Friis Aarup, Jan Hales
  • Patent number: 10193169
    Abstract: Purge valves (I 09, I 09?, 200) that are manually turned ON but are automatically or electrically turned OFF as the fuel cell (108)'s production of electricity reaches a predetermined level, e.g., steady state or thereabout are disclosed. The purge valve may be opened at system start-up, or may be opened at system shut-down so that the purge valve is anned and the fuel cell system is purged at the next start-up. Also disclosed is an integrated fluidic interface module (10) that contains various fluidic components including one of these purge valves. The integrated fluidic interface module (10) can operate passively or without being actively controlled by a processor. Methods of operating a fuel cell system, wherein the fuel cell system is purged at system start-up, are also disclosed. The purging automatically stops when the anode plenum is fully purged and replaced with fuel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Intelligent Energy Limited
    Inventors: Jean-Louis Iaconis, Aaron MacDonald, Benjamin Tam
  • Patent number: 10170771
    Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst comprising a layer of metallic palladium implant¬ed with an inert gas ions, an electrochemical system containing thereof, a palladium-inert gas alloy stable in the normal conditions, use thereof and a fuel cell containing thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI
    Inventors: Adam Lewera, Rafal Jurczakowski, Piotr Połczyński
  • Patent number: 10164304
    Abstract: According to exemplary practice of the present invention, a cylindrical secondary electrochemical cell (e.g., lithium-ion cell) includes a disk that is made of a thermally and electrically conductive material (e.g., metal material), and that lies in a geometric plane that is perpendicular to the cylindrical axis. The disk is adjacently intermediate, axially aligned with, and electrically connected to two cylindrical jelly-roll electrode components. Inventive practice is possible with respect to a variety of cell types, shapes, and chemistries. Depending on the inventive embodiment, the numbers of disks (?1) and jelly-roll electrode components (?2) can vary, each disk serving to augment heat transport in the radial direction. An inventive cylindrical cell thus affords superior heat spreading in the direction radially outward, 360 degrees, from the central axis of the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Jason K. Ostanek
  • Patent number: 10158116
    Abstract: A method for the manufacture of a paste composition suitable for the production of an electrode for lead-acid battery, including mixing a carbon nanofiller/lead oxide composite of a first particulate size with sulphuric acid, water and further lead oxide of a second particulate size. Also, the paste thus obtained, the composite used in its manufacture, and the electrode and lead-acid battery obtained from this paste.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: ARKEMA FRANCE
    Inventors: Alexander Korzhenko, Patrick Delprat, Christophe Vincendeau, Beni Cahana
  • Patent number: 10135064
    Abstract: To provide a cathode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery excellent in the cycle characteristics and rate characteristics even when charging is conducted at a high voltage. A cathode active material for a lithium ion secondary battery, which comprises particles (III) having a covering layer comprising a metal oxide (I) containing at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Al, Y, Ga, In, La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy, Er and Yb, and a compound (II) containing Li and at least one non-metal element selected from the group consisting of S and B, on the surface of a lithium-containing composite oxide, wherein the atomic ratio (the non-metal element/the metal element) contained within 5 nm of the surface layer of the particles (III) is within a specific range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2018
    Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Kawasato, Kentaro Tsunozaki, Haisheng Zeng, Yasuyuki Takimoto, Toshio Suzuki