Patents Examined by James M Erwin
  • Fuel cell stack
    Patent number: 11349143
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack includes a plurality of power generation cells and a stack case. A tab protrudes from an outer marginal portion of each of the power generation cells. The stack case contains the plurality of power generation cells that are stacked together in a stacking direction, and includes a pair of end plates provided at both ends of the power generation cells in the stacking direction. Further, the fuel cell stack includes a support bar extending inside the stack case in the stacking direction, and including a recess capable of accommodating the tab. One end of the support bar is joined to one of the end plates, and the other end of the support bar is supported by the other of the end plates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideharu Naito, Kosuke Takagi
  • Phosphonated polymers, and methods of production thereof, for use as polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) and/or catalyst ionomeric binders for electrodes in PEM fuel cells
    Patent number: 11335932
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides phosphonated polymers that can be used, for example, as polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) and/or catalyst ionomeric binders for electrodes in PEM fuel cells, and more particularly for high-temperature PEM fuel cells. High-temperature PEM fuel cells that use phosphonated polymers of the present disclosure suffer from reduced or no acid leaching because, in at least some examples, phosphonic acid moieties are covalently bound to the backbone of the polymers. A phosphonated polymer include a backbone having one or more aromatic monomers, with each aromatic monomer having one or more phosphonic acid groups. A phosphonic acid group may include phosphonic acid or a functional group that is hydrolysable into phosphonic acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Triad National Security, LLC
    Inventors: Eun Joo Park, Yu Seung Kim
  • Fuel cell interconnect with iron rich rib regions and method of making thereof
    Patent number: 11335914
    Abstract: A method of making an interconnect for a solid oxide fuel cell stack includes providing an iron rich material containing at least 25 wt. % iron into channels of a mold, providing a powder containing 4-6 wt. % Fe, 0-1 wt. % Y and balance Cr into the mold over the iron rich material containing at least 25 wt. % iron, compacting the iron rich material containing at least 25 wt. % iron and the powder comprising 4-6 wt. % Fe, 0-1 wt. % Y and balance Cr in the mold to form the interconnect, and sintering the interconnect to form a sintered interconnect having iron rich regions having an iron concentration greater than 10% in ribs of the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Harald Herchen, Cheng-Yu Lin, Tad Armstrong
  • Expander and fuel cell system
    Patent number: 11329298
    Abstract: Provided is an expander including: an expanding chamber that expands a working fluid introduced and discharges the expanded working fluid; a driving chamber housing a driving mechanism that is driven by expansion energy of the working fluid; an intermediate chamber interposed between the expanding chamber and the driving chamber ; a first seal member that seals a gap between the expanding chamber and the intermediate chamber ; a second seal member that seals a gap between the driving chamber and the intermediate chamber ; and a pressurizing unit that pressurizes a pressurized fluid filling the intermediate chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masakatsu Tsubouchi
  • Installation for assembling fuel cell membranes
    Patent number: 11329305
    Abstract: The invention relates to an installation (1) for assembling fuel cell membranes comprising: a first station (A1) for storing electrode membranes, a second station (A2) for storing reinforcing membranes, a station for stacking the membranes of the first (A1) and second (A2) storage stations, and a station (P) for pressing and heating a membrane assembly, means for conveying and handling (B1, B2) the membranes of the first (A1) and second (A2) storage stations, stacking of the stacking station and membrane assembly of the pressing and heating station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignees: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES, BERTIN TECHNOLOGIES
    Inventors: Pierrick Buvat, Stéphane Carriere, Laurent Chazot, Jérôme Serre, Jean-Jacques Bougy
  • Method for releasing a fuel cell system and fuel cell system
    Patent number: 11322761
    Abstract: A method for enabling a fuel cell system includes the steps of: i) detecting a pressure value, which is indicative of the pressure within a section of the anode sub-system, wherein the section begins downstream of a pressure reducer; ii) relieving the pressure of the section during a pressure relief time interval, if the pressure value is greater than a pressure limit value and a release request is present; and then iii) enabling the fuel cell system if the pressure value in the section after the pressure relief is less than the pressure limit value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Christopher Detmar, Andreas Pelger
  • Fuel cell module
    Patent number: 11316182
    Abstract: A fuel cell module has: a first stacked body including a plurality of unit cells stacked on each other; and a second stacked body including a plurality of magnetic body sheets stacked on each other. The magnetic body sheets includes a coil. The first stacked body is superposed on the second stacked body so as to be electrically connected to the coil. A conductor serving as a part of the coil is embedded in each magnetic body sheet. The conductor has a first end portion and a second end portion exposed from surfaces of each magnetic body sheet on opposite sides from each other. The first end portion of the conductor of one of a set of magnetic body sheets adjacent to each other, among the magnetic body sheets, contacts the second end portion of the conductor of the other of the set of magnetic body sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Masayuki Itou
  • Power tower for heat capture
    Patent number: 11309571
    Abstract: A power generating system includes power modules disposed in vertically stacked levels, exhaust plenums that extend vertically through the levels of power modules and are configured to receive exhaust output from the power modules, and an exhaust conduit that extends horizontally across an uppermost level of the power modules and is fluidly connected to the exhaust plenums.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Arne Ballantine, Jessica Mahler, Carl Cottuli, Daniel Baynes, Martin Perry
  • Electric power supply control apparatus for vehicle and electric power supply control method for vehicle
    Patent number: 11302937
    Abstract: The electric power supply control apparatus for a vehicle executes a driving prioritizing mode in which a supply of driving electric power is prioritized over a supply of temperature controlling electric power, and a temperature control prioritizing mode in which the supply of the temperature controlling electric power is prioritized over the supply of the driving electric power. While the modes are switched over, the apparatus controls the driving electric power or the temperature controlling electric power so that a sum of the powers stays at an upper limit value or smaller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ken Watanabe, Ryohei Hoshi, Fumiyuki Moriya, Hirofumi Yabe
  • Polymer electrolyte membrane, method for manufacturing same, and membrane electrode assembly comprising same
    Patent number: 11302949
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane, a method for manufacturing the same, and a membrane electrode assembly containing the polymer electrolyte membrane are disclosed. The polymer electrolyte membrane includes: a fluorine-based support containing a plurality of pores due to polymer microfibrillar structures; a hybrid porous support placed on one side or both surfaces of the fluorine-based support and comprising nanowebs obtained by integrating nanofibers into a nonwoven fabric containing a plurality of pores; and ion conductors with which the pores of the porous support are filled. The polymer electrolyte membrane can reduce hydrogen permeability while being excellent in both durability and ion conductivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Inventors: Dong-Hoon Lee, Na-Young Kim, Eun-Su Lee, Jung-Hwa Park
  • Water separator for a fuel cell system
    Patent number: 11296336
    Abstract: A water separator for a fuel cell system includes a closed housing with a gas connection, and a base plate arranged remotely from the gas connection and having a drainage outlet, an inside width of the housing at least in portions decreasing from the base plate towards the gas connection, and the height of the housing being less than the greatest inside width of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Inventors: Christian Wolff, Jens-Dietrich Kurre
  • Battery module constant current relay control systems and methods
    Patent number: 11296389
    Abstract: A battery module comprising a housing, a venting assembly, a plurality of battery cells disposed in the housing, a printed circuit configured to control operations of the battery module, a vent chamber of the venting assembly, and a lid including the venting assembly. Each of the plurality of battery cells comprises a battery cell vent for venting gases from within the corresponding battery cell upward in a direction of the printed circuit. The vent chamber is disposed between the plurality of battery cells and the printed circuit. The vent chamber is configured to direct the gases vented from the battery cell vent toward an opening for venting the gases from the battery module. The lid is disposed over the plurality of battery cells and holds the printed circuit above the plurality of battery cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings LLC
    Inventors: Ronald J. Dulle, Richard M. DeKeuster, Robert J. Mack, Edward J. Soleski, Matthew R. Tyler, Stephen D. Cash, Mikhail S. Balk
  • Fuel cell having a variable water permeability
    Patent number: 11289720
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell (100) comprising an anode chamber (10) for supplying a fuel-containing gas mixture, a cathode chamber (20) for supplying an oxygen-containing gas mixture, and a membrane (30) for transporting fuel ions from the anode chamber (10) into the cathode chamber (20). For this purpose, according to the invention, the membrane (30) has a graduated water permeability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
    Inventors: Mark Hellmann, Stefan Schoenbauer
  • Method for operating a fuel cell
    Patent number: 11289718
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for operating a fuel cell system and a correspondingly configured fuel cell system, comprising a fuel cell stack, an anode supply with a hydrogen reservoir, an anode supply path connecting the hydrogen reservoir to the fuel cell stack, a recirculation path connecting a fuel cell outlet to the anode supply path, and a conveying device for conveying recirculated anode exhaust gas. The method provides for a tank mass flow supplied from the hydrogen reservoir to the anode circuit to be determined by balancing the material flows supplied to and discharged from the anode circuit, wherein the tank mass flow enters the balancing as a material flow supplied to the anode circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Hable, Christian Lucas
  • Cooling system for fuel cell electric vehicle
    Patent number: 11283088
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a cooling system for a fuel cell electric vehicle. The cooling system includes a stack cooling line that cools a fuel cell stack of the fuel cell electric vehicle and a first cooling line of a closed loop type that cools at least some of first components that generate a larger amount of heat during braking of the vehicle than during driving of the vehicle, among components of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Jung Min Seo
  • Temperature controlled enclosure for controlling battery pack temperature
    Patent number: 11283117
    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: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: MILWAUKEE ELECTRIC TOOL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Matthew R. Polakowski, Kyle C. Fassbender
  • Fuel cell system and method of controlling fuel cell system
    Patent number: 11283091
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, auxiliary machinery, a tank, a storage amount detection unit that detects a measured value representing the amount of fuel gas stored in the tank, a secondary battery, a power accumulation amount detection unit that detects an amount of power accumulated in the secondary battery, a feed detection unit, and a control unit. The control unit stops the supply of the fuel gas to the fuel cell when the measured value is less than a threshold value, electrically disconnects the secondary battery from the auxiliary machinery when the amount of accumulated power is less than a lower limit amount of accumulated power, and electrically connects the secondary battery to the auxiliary machinery after the feeding of the fuel gas to the tank is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Ryosuke Oya
  • Fuel cell system
    Patent number: 11283086
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a gas-liquid separator and a fuel gas pump configured to return the fuel off-gas in the gas-liquid separator to the fuel cell stack. The gas-liquid separator has a first connecting portion extending upward. The fuel gas pump has an inner wall surface constituting a pump chamber, and a lower part of the inner wall surface is provided with an opening into which the first connecting portion is inserted. The lower part of the inner wall surface is inclined downward toward the opening. A tip end of the first connecting portion is disposed at a height equal to or lower than a height of an extension plane extending along the lower part of the inner wall surface. The tip end of the first connecting portion is provided with an inclined surface inclined downward toward the inner peripheral surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kozuka, Tateki Takayama
  • Optimal control logic for cooling power in battery thermal management
    Patent number: 11271263
    Abstract: Thermal management of a backup battery unit for datacenter applications is described. In one embodiment a method includes sending first control signals to a pump and a fan to set default speeds. The method includes collecting a battery discharge current from the battery and an ambient air temperature of the environment proximal to the battery. The method includes calculating an optimal control function based on the battery discharge current and the ambient air temperature. The method also includes determining an adjusted pump speed and an adjusted fan speed based on the optimal control function. The method includes sending the adjusted pump speed to the pump and the adjusted fan speed to the fan. A solution for optimizing the cooling power use of the fan and the pump is proposed and at the same time maintaining thermal conditions of the battery cells under dynamic and static conditions are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: BAIDU USA LLC
    Inventors: Shuai Shao, Huawei Yang, Tianyi Gao
  • Applications of low-cost, thermal and electrochemically stable organic compounds as high performance redox active materials in redox flow batteries
    Patent number: 11271238
    Abstract: Described herein are redox active materials based on functionalization of 2,5-di(pyridine-4-yl)thiazolo-[5,4-d]thiazole (Py2TTz). Also described herein are aqueous organic redox flow batteries that include a first redox active material and a second redox active material comprising a viologen compound or a salt thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Utah State University
    Inventor: Tianbiao Liu