Patents Examined by James M Erwin
  • Patent number: 11866169
    Abstract: An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has an air-cooled fuel cell, an air channel comprising a forward facing opening for receiving ram air and connected to the air-cooled fuel cell, and a passive ram air filtration system (PRAFS) configured to filter particulate matter from ram air received into the air channel via the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph Dean Rainville
  • Patent number: 11862785
    Abstract: A lithium ion conductive material has a composition formula of Lia(OH)bFcBr, where 1.8?a?2.3, b=a?c?1, 0.01?c?0.11, and includes an antiperovskite-type crystal phase. Preferably, the lithium ion conductive material further includes a layered antiperovskite-type crystal phase. More preferably, 0?B/(A+B)?0.2 is satisfied, where A is the peak intensity in the vicinity of 2?=31.2° in the X-ray diffractometry using Cu-K? ray and B is the peak intensity in the vicinity of 2?=30.2°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Miyuki Kojima, Keita Miyanishi, Yosuke Sato, Yuji Katsuda
  • Patent number: 11855317
    Abstract: A method for shutting down a fuel cell system (2) having at least one fuel cell (3), which fuel cell comprises an anode chamber (10) and a cathode chamber (6), wherein after the shut-down hydrogen remains in the anode chamber (10) of the fuel cell (3) in order to prevent carbon corrosion and to ensure a hydrogen protection time. The invention is characterized in that when the hydrogen in the anode chamber (10) is largely used up directly or after a specified number of subsequent meterings of hydrogen at least into the anode chamber (10), the hydrogen protection time is actively terminated by air being actively admitted into the cathode chamber (6), the fuel cell (3) being actively cooled before air is actively admitted into the cathode chamber (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: cellcentric GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Simon Erbach
  • Patent number: 11848455
    Abstract: A battery module according to the present disclosure includes: a cell assembly that includes at least one battery cell; an upper plate that covers one side of the cell assembly, and includes a hinge pin adjacent at least one corner thereof; and a bus-bar frame that covers a neighboring side of the one side of the cell assembly, covered by the upper plate, and coupled to the upper plate by including a hinge coupling portion that is coupled with the hinge pin, wherein the hinge coupling portion comprises a hinge pin receiving portion where the hinge pin is received and a hinge pin cover portion that covers the hinge pin, and one of the hinge pin and the hinge coupling portion comprises a coupling protrusion portion, and the other comprises a coupling groove portion corresponding to the coupling protrusion portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventors: Jinwoo Park, Tae Geun Kim
  • Patent number: 11824229
    Abstract: The present invention includes methods of manufacturing a metal infused graphitic material. Also described is how this device may be rendered impermeable. The present invention includes the electroplating/electroless deposition of metal on exposed internal and external surfaces of a porous graphitic substrate. The deposition of metal on the internal structure is accomplished by replacing the void space in the porous substrate with an electrolyte solution containing dissolved metallic species. The plating is initiated either through electrochemical means, electroless means, chemical vapor deposition means, or other means obvious to one familiar in the art of metal plating. A post-deposition bath is also described wherein the plating may be removed from one or both sides of the external surface without impacting the internal pore plating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: NEXGEN Materials, LLC
    Inventors: Alexander A. Bistrika, Jacob Donovan Tenhoff, Erica Viola Lewis, Jordan Loos, Gerard W. Kesselring, Bill Jay Brooks
  • Patent number: 11817540
    Abstract: Disclosed is a delivery unit (3) for an anode circuit (9) of a fuel cell system (1) for delivering a gaseous medium, in particular hydrogen, from an anode region (38) of a fuel cell (2), said delivery unit (3) comprising at least one recirculation fan (8) and being at least indirectly fluidically connected to the outlet of the anode region (38) by means of at least one connection line (23) and being fluidically connected to the inlet of the anode region (38) by means of an additional connection line (25). According to the invention, in addition to the recirculation fan (8), the delivery unit (3) comprises a jet pump (4), a metering valve (6) and a separator (10) as other components, and the flow contours of the components (4, 6, 8, 10) for the gaseous medium are at least almost entirely arranged in a common housing (7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Alexander Hero, Armin Merz
  • Patent number: 11811077
    Abstract: A pouch packaged lithium-ion battery with a tooth-shaped sealing edge, including a main body, which includes an aluminum-plastic film arranged with a jelly roll disposed therein. The jelly roll includes a cathode, an anode and a film separating the two. The cathode, the film and the anode are winded and overlaid. A cathode tab and an anode tab are respectively arranged on both sides of the jelly roll. A middle part of the aluminum-plastic film extends toward an outside of the lithium-ion battery to form a sealing edge. The cathode tab and the anode tab extend horizontally and penetrate the sealing edge. A joint between the cathode/anode and the sealing edge is covered with a tab sealant. The sealing edge, the cathode tab and the anode tab are bent to attach to a surface of the main body. The surface of the sealing edge is arranged with tooth-shaped grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: GUANGDONG VDL NEW ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Fangyu Wu
  • Patent number: 11811113
    Abstract: An operating method of a fuel cell system which includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks; a refrigerant passage configured to circulate a refrigerant circulated in a first fuel cell stack among the plurality of fuel cell stacks through a second fuel cell stack among the plurality of fuel cell stacks; and a first temperature acquisition unit and second temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the first fuel cell stack and upstream of the second fuel cell stack, includes, when the temperature of the refrigerant acquired by the first temperature acquisition unit and the second temperature acquisition unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, after start of the first fuel cell stack and after elapse of a delay time, starting the second fuel cell stack, and variably setting the delay time according to the temperature of the refrigerant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Naoki Yamano, Takuya Tamura
  • Patent number: 11811059
    Abstract: An object of the present disclosure is to provide a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery that can suppress lowering in capacity due to high-temperature storage of the battery. The nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery (10) includes: a positive electrode (11) containing one or more positive electrode active materials; a negative electrode (12); and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a fluorine compound, where: the positive electrode active materials include a complex oxide A containing Li, Ni, and W and a complex oxide B containing Li, Ni, and W as an optional element; W content in the complex oxide A is 5 mol % or more; W content in the complex oxide B is 0.5 mol % or less; and a mass ratio of the complex oxide A is 0.002% or more and 0.1% or less relative to the total of the complex oxide A and the complex oxide B.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC ENERGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiro Kinoshita, Kaoru Nagata
  • Patent number: 11811038
    Abstract: A temperature controlled enclosure that includes a temperature control device for controlling the temperature within an internal cavity of the temperature controlled enclosure. The temperature controlled enclosure also includes one or more charging ports for receiving and charging a battery pack. A controller within the temperature controlled enclosure controls the temperature within the internal cavity to a predetermined or desired temperature (e.g., 20° C.). When a battery pack is received in the one or more charging ports, the temperature of the battery pack can be determined. If, for example, the temperature of the battery pack is below 0° C., the battery pack is allowed to warm up inside the temperature controlled enclosure before the battery pack is charged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew R. Polakowski, Kyle C. Fassbender
  • Patent number: 11804607
    Abstract: A method for operating a propulsion system for an aircraft, the propulsion system including a gas turbine engine and a fuel cell assembly, the fuel cell assembly including a fuel cell stack having a solid oxide fuel cell defining an outlet positioned to remove output products from the solid oxide fuel cell during operation, the method including: operating the fuel cell assembly to provide output products to a combustor of a combustion section of the gas turbine engine; and operating the fuel cell assembly, the gas turbine engine, or both such that a pressure within an anode of the solid oxide fuel cell is less than a pressure within a cathode of the solid oxide fuel cell, is less than a pressure within a combustion chamber of the gas turbine engine, or both while operating the gas turbine engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Honggang Wang, Michael Anthony Benjamin, Seung-Hyuck Hong, Richard L. Hart
  • Patent number: 11804614
    Abstract: The power supply system includes: a fuel cell, capable of generating power; a power storage device, storing power generated by the fuel cell; and a control device, controlling at least the fuel cell. The control device, under a tendency that power consumption of a load at least connected with the fuel cell and the power storage device decreases, determines a first lower limit power based on power generated by the fuel cell before a predetermined time, causes the fuel cell to generate second power equal to or greater than the first lower limit power when first power generated by the fuel cell determined based on a power supplied to the load drops below the first lower limit power, and determines the first lower limit power with a tendency that the greater the generated power, the greater a difference between the generated power and the first lower limit power is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryoji Sakai, Takuto Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 11799113
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrolyte membrane including an antioxidant containing elemental sulfur or a sulfur compound to improve antioxidant activity and resistance to acids. In addition, a membrane-electrode assembly including the electrolyte membrane is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation, Industry Foundation of Chonnam National University
    Inventors: In Yu Park, Jong Kil Oh, Sun Ju Song, Jae Woon Hong, Aniket Kumar, Ye Jin Yun
  • Patent number: 11791490
    Abstract: A housing that houses a fuel cell system including: a hydrogen storage unit; a fuel cell stack that generates electric power using hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen storage unit; a pipe that connects the hydrogen storage unit and the fuel cell stack; and a power storage unit, the housing includes: an upper surface portion; a plurality of side surface portions; a ventilation hole, provided with the upper surface portion, configured to ventilate an inside and an outside of the housing; a ventilation hole, provided with a side surface portion of the plurality of side surface portions, configured to ventilate the inside and the outside of the housing; and an air supply device configured to discharge air taken in through one ventilation hole of the ventilation hole of the upper face portion and the ventilation hole of the side face portion from the other ventilation hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Murakami, Shinji Matsunaga, Takashi Arai, Akiji Ando
  • Patent number: 11784328
    Abstract: To provide an air-cooled fuel cell system configured to suppress thermal runaway. An air-cooled fuel cell system, wherein the air-cooled fuel cell system comprises: a fuel cell, a first temperature acquirer, a second temperature acquirer and a controller; wherein the fuel cell comprises a cooling fin made of a metal; wherein the first temperature acquirer is disposed at a position which is near a cooling air inlet of the fuel cell and which is apart from the cooling fin; wherein the second temperature acquirer is disposed to come into contact with the cooling fin; wherein the controller monitors temperatures acquired by the first and second temperature acquirers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Nobuaki Nonoyama
  • Patent number: 11777099
    Abstract: A storage device having excellent cycle lifetime, an electrode used in this storage device, and a production method of the electrode are provided. An electrode comprising an active material and a conductive carbon including oxidized carbon. A surface of the active material is covered by the conductive carbon. A Raman spectrum of the active material covered by the conductive carbon includes a peak intensity (a) derived from the active material and a peak intensity (b) of D-band derived from the conductive carbon. A peak intensity ratio (b)/(a) between the peak intensity (a) and the peak intensity (b) is 0.25 or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: NIPPON CHEMI-CON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoshi Kubota, Shuichi Ishimoto
  • Patent number: 11777145
    Abstract: A battery includes a substrate; a composite cathode disposed on the substrate; a solid-state electrolyte disposed on the composite cathode; and a lithium anode disposed on the solid-state electrolyte, such that the composite cathode comprises a gel polymer electrolyte layer and a porous cathode active material layer. A method of forming a cathode for a solid-state battery includes mixing an active cathode material, at least one of a conductive carbon component and an electronic conductive component, and a polymer binder to form a slurry; immersing the slurry in an alcohol reagent to form a porous disc structure by phase conversion; and immersing the porous disc structure in a liquid electrolyte to form the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignees: CORNING INCORPORATED, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Inventors: Michael Edward Badding, Mingli Cai, Jun Jin, Zhen Song, Zhaoyin Wen, Tongping Xiu, Liu Yao
  • Patent number: 11764375
    Abstract: A fuel cell system for a mobile body includes a fuel cell, an oxidant gas supply system, and a controller. The oxidant gas supply system includes an air compressor. The air compressor includes a rotor, an air bearing, and a housing. The controller includes a movement speed detector configured to measure a movement speed of the mobile body, and an acceleration detector configured to predict an acceleration to be applied to the mobile body. The controller is configured to determine whether the acceleration predicted by the acceleration detector is equal to or higher than a predetermined acceleration threshold, and control a rotation speed of the air compressor to be equal to or higher than a predetermined first rotation speed when determination is made that the acceleration predicted by the acceleration detector is equal to or higher than the acceleration threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Rei Morinaga
  • Patent number: 11764399
    Abstract: Provided is an all-solid-state battery with high charge-discharge efficiency. Disclosed is an all-solid-state battery, wherein the all-solid-state battery comprises a cathode comprising a cathode layer, an anode comprising an anode layer, and a solid electrolyte layer disposed between the cathode layer and the anode layer; wherein the anode layer contains at least one selected from the group consisting of a lithium metal and a lithium alloy; and wherein a protective layer comprising a composite metal oxide represented by Li-M-O (where M is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Mg, Au, Al and Sn) is disposed between the anode layer and the solid electrolyte layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ximeng Li, Masafumi Nose
  • Patent number: 11757115
    Abstract: An air compression system for a fuel cell system, the air compression system has a main air compressor with a maximum air flow output approximately equal to a continuous mode air flow requirement of the fuel cell system. The main air compressor weighs less than an air compressor having a maximum air flow output approximately equal to a peak air flow requirement of the fuel cell system such that the weight of the air compression system is reduced compared to a conventional air compression system. The air compression system also includes a supplemental oxygen supply system which is fluidically coupled with the fuel cell system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: ZeroAvia, Inc.
    Inventors: Valery Miftakhov, Ilya Henry Grishashvili