Patents Examined by Jonathan Crepeau
  • Patent number: 11264649
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a wound electrode assembly (14) formed by spirally winding, via a separator (13), a positive electrode (11) and a negative electrode (12) in which a negative electrode mixture layer is formed on a negative electrode core, where: the negative electrode (12) includes a non-opposing portion (12a) that is wound 1.25 turns or more from an inner edge in a winding direction of the wound electrode assembly (14) without facing the positive electrode via the separator (13); the non-opposing portion (12a) includes a negative electrode mixture layer-formed portion (12c) in which the negative electrode mixture layer is formed on at least either side continuously in an inward winding direction from an outer edge in the winding direction; and the negative electrode mixture layer-formed portion (12c) is wound 0.75 turns or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Junichi Sugaya, Atsushi Mizawa, Yuji Yamagami, Tomomichi Ueda, Masahiro Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11261509
    Abstract: The present embodiments provide a metal lithium strip, a prelithiated electrode plate, and a prelithiation process. The metal lithium strip comprises a lithium substrate and a metal element doped in the lithium substrate, the metal element comprises at least two of magnesium, boron, aluminum, silicon, indium, zinc, silver, calcium, manganese and sodium; and the metal lithium strip has a strength a, a width w, and a thickness h, satisfying: ?2-(w/105h)2>0. In the present application, the strength of the lithium strip is adjusted by the doping of the metal elements; meanwhile, the strength of the adjusted lithium strip is matched with its width and thickness ensuring that in the process of rolling the metal lithium strip to a reasonable thickness, the phenomenon of edge cracking of the lithium strip is avoided, lithium metal resources and production costs can be saved, a uniform pre-lithiation effect for electrode plate can also be achieved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Zhijie Gong, Bin Xie, Shitong Chen
  • Patent number: 11264628
    Abstract: The present invention provides a relative humidity and condensed water estimator for a fuel cell and a method for controlling condensed water drain using the same. Here, the relative humidity and condensed water estimator is utilized in control of the fuel cell system involving control of anode condensed water drain by outputting at least two of signals comprising air-side relative humidity, hydrogen-side relative humidity, air-side instantaneous or cumulative condensed water, hydrogen-side instantaneous or cumulative condensed water, instantaneous and cumulative condensed water of the humidifier, membrane water contents, catalyst layer oxygen partial pressure, catalyst layer hydrogen partial pressure, stack or cell voltage, air-side catalyst layer relative humidity, hydrogen-side catalyst layer relative humidity, oxygen supercharging ratio, hydrogen supercharging ratio, residual water in a stack, and residual water in a humidifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Soon Il Jeon, Dae Jong Kim, Dong Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 11258103
    Abstract: A zinc alkaline secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode including a multi-valent oxide species, a separator system disposed between the electrodes, and an alkaline electrolyte in contact with the negative electrode. The alkaline electrolyte includes hexametaphosphate salt and zinc acetate. Ligands from the hexametaphosphate salt and zinc acetate are anchored to the negative electrode via chelation sites created by the multi-valent oxide species.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: ZAF ENERGY SYSTEMS, INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Melissa D. McIntyre, Ernest Rimanosky, Adam Weisenstein, Cody R. Carter, Allen Charkey
  • Patent number: 11258055
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, and more particularly, to a cathode active material for a lithium secondary battery, which includes a core portion and a shell portion surrounding the core portion, in which a total content of cobalt in the core portion and the shell portion is 5 to 12 mol %, and the content of cobalt in the core portion and the shell portion is adjusted to be within a predetermined range. In the cathode active material precursor and the cathode active material for a secondary battery prepared using the same according to the present invention, optimal capacity of a lithium secondary battery may be increased by adjusting the cobalt content in the particles of the cathode active material, and life characteristics may be enhanced by improving stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: ECOPRO BM CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sung Jin Jang, Moon Ho Choi, Jun Won Suh, Jung Han Lee, Ji Hyun Nam, Seung Woo Choi
  • Patent number: 11258132
    Abstract: In one example, a battery includes a negative terminal, a positive terminal, an electrolyte contained between the negative terminal and the positive terminal, and a hydrogel layer positioned between and physically separating the negative terminal and the positive terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignees: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION, JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION CARE, INC.
    Inventors: Paul S. Andry, Eric Lewandowski, Adam Toner, Daniel Otts, James Daniel Riall, Cornelia T. Yang
  • Patent number: 11258118
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery pack with enhanced cooling efficiency. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells respectively having electrode terminals formed thereon; a bus bar plate having a connection portion protrusively extending toward the electrode terminal to contact the electrode terminal to be electrically connected to the electrode terminal; and a heat dissipating member between the bus bar plate and the battery cell and having a connection hole into which the connection portion of the bus bar plate is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: LG ENERGY SOLUTION, LTD.
    Inventors: Seong-Ju Hwang, Jae-Young Jang
  • Patent number: 11250994
    Abstract: The electrode (10) includes an electrically conductive surface (14) with a galvanic pellicle, or carbon nanotube mat (18), secured to the conductive surface (14). The pellicle (18) has a first surface (20) and an opposed outer surface (22) and defines an uncompressed thickness dimension (24) as a longest length of a straight axis (26) extending from the first surface (20) to the outer surface (22) of an uncompressed section (28) of the galvanic pellicle (18). Uncompressed sections (28) of the pellicle are defined between connected areas (30) and continuous connected areas (32) of the pellicle (18). Any point (35) within any uncompressed section (28) is no more distant from one of a nearest connected area (30) and/or a nearest segment (34) of a continuous connected area (32) than about ten times the uncompressed thickness dimension (24) of the pellicle (18), thereby achieving significantly reduced contact resistance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Global Energy Science, LLC
    Inventor: Halbert P. Fischel
  • Patent number: 11251451
    Abstract: The present invention provides a relative humidity and condensed water estimator for a fuel cell and a method for controlling condensed water drain using the same. Here, the relative humidity and condensed water estimator is utilized in control of the fuel cell system involving control of anode condensed water drain by outputting at least two of signals comprising air-side relative humidity, hydrogen-side relative humidity, air-side instantaneous or cumulative condensed water, hydrogen-side instantaneous or cumulative condensed water, instantaneous and cumulative condensed water of the humidifier, membrane water contents, catalyst layer oxygen partial pressure, catalyst layer hydrogen partial pressure, stack or cell voltage, air-side catalyst layer relative humidity, hydrogen-side catalyst layer relative humidity, oxygen supercharging ratio, hydrogen supercharging ratio, residual water in a stack, and residual water in a humidifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Soon Il Jeon, Dae Jong Kim, Dong Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 11245106
    Abstract: An electrode assembly and a rechargeable battery including the same are disclosed. The electrode assembly includes a plurality of unit cells overlapping in a thickness direction of the plurality of unit cells and a functional unit cell disposed with the plurality of unit cells. The functional unit cell includes a positive electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive current collector, a positive active material layer on at least one surface of the positive current collector and including a positive active material having a first reference potential, and a functional layer on the positive active material layer and including an active material having a lower reference potential than the first reference potential.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaehwan Ha, Kijun Kim, Junghyun Nam, Hoon Seok, Heeeun Yoo, Yeonhee Yoon, Kyuseo Lee, Bokkyu Jeon
  • Patent number: 11245126
    Abstract: The present invention provides a relative humidity and condensed water estimator for a fuel cell and a method for controlling condensed water drain using the same. Here, the relative humidity and condensed water estimator is utilized in control of the fuel cell system involving control of anode condensed water drain by outputting at least two of signals comprising air-side relative humidity, hydrogen-side relative humidity, air-side instantaneous or cumulative condensed water, hydrogen-side instantaneous or cumulative condensed water, instantaneous and cumulative condensed water of the humidifier, membrane water contents, catalyst layer oxygen partial pressure, catalyst layer hydrogen partial pressure, stack or cell voltage, air-side catalyst layer relative humidity, hydrogen-side catalyst layer relative humidity, oxygen supercharging ratio, hydrogen supercharging ratio, residual water in a stack, and residual water in a humidifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Soon Il Jeon, Dae Jong Kim, Dong Hun Lee
  • Patent number: 11239492
    Abstract: A solid electrolyte material according to an aspect of the present disclosure is represented by the following Compositional Formula (1): Li6-3zYzX6 where, 0<z<2 is satisfied; and X represents Cl or Br.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Asano, Akihiro Sakai, Satoru Ohuchi, Masashi Sakaida, Akinobu Miyazaki, Shinya Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11239528
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a pressure relief element (11) to be used as an overpressure safety means in devices where a gaseous medium must be rapidly released in case of overpressure, wherein the pressure relief element (11) has at least one notch (9) which is designed as a predetermined breaking point where the pressure relief element (11) breaks at a certain level of overpressure, thereby irreversibly opening an exhaust path for the gaseous medium. The present invention also relates to a pressure relief device of an electrochemical battery, comprising such a pressure relief element and a battery comprising such a pressure relief device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: CLARIOS ADVANCED SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Ralf Joswig, Martin Wiegmann, Helge Brenner, Markus Hoh, Kevin Chladek
  • Patent number: 11233248
    Abstract: The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell according to one form of the present disclosure includes the steps of: vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas; introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas containing the precursor gas and a reactive gas to a reaction chamber; applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the precursor gas and reactive gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a metal nitride coating layer on a substrate; introducing a carbon layer-forming gas containing a carbonaceous gas to the reaction chamber; and applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the carbonaceous gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a carbon coating layer on the metal nitride coating layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kwang Hoon Choi, Woong Pyo Hong, Chi Seung Lee, Hyun Dal Park, Bokyung Kim, Jungyeon Park, In Woong Lyo, Jiyoun Seo
  • Patent number: 11233227
    Abstract: A manufacturing method of a belt-shaped electrode plate includes: forming an active material layer by drying a wet active material layer by heating in a drying furnace; and bringing n pieces of cooling rolls or the like into contact with the belt-shaped electrode plate carried out from the drying furnace, so as to cool down the belt-shaped electrode plate by the cooling rolls or the like while the belt-shaped electrode plate is bent in the thickness direction and conveyed in the longitudinal direction by the cooling rolls or the like. The n pieces of cooling rolls or the like are disposed such that a contact length is shorter as a temperature difference of the belt-shaped electrode plate is larger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Naoya Kishimoto
  • Patent number: 11228043
    Abstract: A porous metal body including a skeleton having a three-dimensional mesh-like structure, the porous metal body having a plate-like overall shape. The skeleton has a hollow structure and includes a primary metal layer and at least one of a first microporous layer and a second microporous layer. The primary metal layer is composed of nickel or a nickel alloy. The first microporous layer contains nickel and chromium and is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the primary metal layer. The second microporous layer contains nickel and chromium and is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the primary metal layer, the inner peripheral surface facing the hollow space of the skeleton.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuki Okuno, Takahiro Higashino, Masatoshi Majima, Tomoyuki Awazu
  • Patent number: 11228066
    Abstract: An electrochemical cell includes a mist elimination system that prevents mist from escaping from the cell chamber and conserves moisture within the cell. An exemplary mist elimination system includes a spill prevention device that reduces or prevents an electrolyte from escaping from the cell chamber in the event of an upset, wherein the electrochemical cell is tipped over. A mist elimination system includes a recombination portion that reacts with hydrogen to produce water, that may be reintroduced into the cell chamber. A mist elimination system includes a neutralizer portion that reacts with an electrolyte to bring the pH closer to neutral, as acid/base reaction. A mist elimination system includes a filter that captures mist that may be reintroduced into the cell chamber. A mist elimination system includes a hydrophobic filter on the outer surface to prevent water and other liquids from entering into the mist elimination system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: FORM ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ramkumar Krishnan, Joel Hayes, Scott Klug, Patrick Samuleson, Craig Trzebny
  • Patent number: 11217865
    Abstract: An object is to prevent deterioration of a battery or to prevent decrease in capacity in storage so as to maximize the charge and discharge performance of the battery and maintain the charge and discharge performance of the battery for a long time. A third electrode or a fourth electrode is provided between a positive electrode and a negative electrode of a secondary battery and a signal (current, voltage, or the like) for inhibiting self-discharge is applied to the third electrode or the fourth electrode, whereby a potential difference between the third electrode and the positive electrode or a potential difference between the third electrode and the negative electrode is adjusted and a chemical reaction in the secondary battery is controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11217809
    Abstract: A solid-state fuel battery comprises an anode, a cathode spaced from the anode, and a solid-state electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode. A material of the solid-state electrolyte is a hydrogen-containing transition metal oxide having a structural formula of ABOxHy, wherein A is one or more of alkaline earth metal elements and rare-earth metal elements, B is one or more of transition metal elements, x is a numeric value in a range of 1 to 3, and y is a numeric value in a range of 0 to 2.5. A method for making the solid-state electrolyte for the solid-state fuel battery is further provided in the present disclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2022
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Pu Yu, Nian-Peng Lu, Jian Wu, Shu-Yun Zhou
  • Patent number: 11211622
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell that includes an anode and a cathode and generates electricity by reducing a mediator at the cathode; a regenerator that oxidizes the mediator reduced by the cathode; a first path that leads from the cathode to the regenerator and through which the mediator reduced by and discharged from the cathode is guided to the regenerator; a second path that leads from the regenerator to the cathode and through which the mediator oxidized at the regenerator is returned to the cathode; and a first heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a first fluid and a second fluid, the first fluid being a fluid flowing in the first path and containing the mediator reduced by cathode, and the second fluid being a fluid flowing in the second path and containing the mediator oxidized at the regenerator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Marine Fayolle, Satoru Tamura, Yosuke Kitazawa, Takao Hayashi