Patents Examined by Jonathan Crepeau
  • Patent number: 11881603
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a mass flow rate measuring unit, an oxygen consumption mass flow rate acquiring unit, an exhaust-side air temperature acquiring unit, and an exhaust-side air humidity estimating unit. The mass flow rate measuring unit measures a first mass flow rate of intake-side air and a second mass flow rate of exhaust-side air. The oxygen consumption mass flow rate acquiring unit acquires a mass flow rate of oxygen consumption. The exhaust-side air humidity estimating unit estimate humidity in the exhaust-side air, on the basis of a difference between a flow rate of intake gas in the fuel cell system and a flow rate of exhaust gas from the fuel cell system, and the mass flow rate of the oxygen consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takumi Nunokawa
  • Patent number: 11876237
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a cylindrical waterproof battery box, including a box body, a compartment body, and a box cover. One end of the box body is provided with a mounting opening, the compartment body is configured to be mounted into the mounting opening and extend to an inner cavity of the box body, the box cover and the compartment body are assembled to form an external thread assembly portion, an internal thread portion is disposed in the mounting opening, and the external thread assembly portion is configured to be fitted with the internal thread portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Inventor: Xiaofeng Zhang
  • Patent number: 11870118
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell that generates power using a fuel gas and an oxygen-containing gas, a reformer including a vaporizing section and a reforming section, a raw fuel supply that supplies raw fuel, a reformed water supply that supplies reformed water, and a controller. The controller has multiple calculation formulas for calculating an amount of reformed water to be used in the reforming section in response to a requested power level from an external unit, and selects, based on an increase or a decrease in a requested current level from the external unit, a formula from the multiple calculation formulas in response to the increase in the requested current level, and a formula different from the formula to be selected for the increase from the multiple calculation formulas in response to the decrease in the requested current level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: KYOCERA Corporation, DAINICHI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyosuke Yamauchi, Naoki Yokoo, Hidetaka Ikarashi, Yutaro Sakata, Hiroyuki Sato
  • Patent number: 11870113
    Abstract: A method for accurately measuring the impedance of the fuel cell stack in the vehicle during operation of the vehicle includes determining whether measuring the impedance of the fuel cell stack is requested during driving of the vehicle driven by using a power of a fuel cell stack, switching a DC-DC converter connecting the fuel cell stack and a battery to each other to a buck mode when measuring the impedance is requested, thereby blocking output current of the fuel cell stack from flowing to the battery through the DC-DC converter, determining a first current value of the fuel cell stack for measuring the impedance, controlling a resistance value of a COD variable resistor consuming the output current of the fuel cell stack according to the first current value, and measuring the impedance of the fuel cell stack while the output current of the fuel cell stack is maintained at the first current value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2024
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Gun Hyung Park
  • Patent number: 11862774
    Abstract: Exemplary systems and methods enable efficient and reliable positioning, assembly, retention, interconnection, and management of battery cells in battery packs, for example battery packs utilized in electric vehicles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: MULLEN AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
    Inventors: W. Porter Harris, Kenneth Kawanishi, W. Hunter Greene, Robert Wesley Thibault, Arun Gunasekaran
  • Patent number: 11862800
    Abstract: An anode active material for a lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery are provided. The anode active material includes a carbon-based particle including pores formed in at least one of an inside of the particle and a surface of the particle and having a pore size of the carbon-based particle is 20 nm or less, and silicon formed at an inside of the pores of the carbon-based particle or on the surface of the carbon-based particle. Silicon has an amorphous structure or a crystallite size of silicon measured by an XRD analysis is 7 nm or less. Difference between volume expansion ratios of carbon and silicon can be reduced to improve life-span property of the secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: SK ON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gwi Ok Park, Seok Keun Yoo, Ju Ho Chung
  • Patent number: 11862806
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a button cell and an electronic device. In the button cell, a conductive member covers an opening of a top cover, and the top cover is connected to the conductive member. A cell is placed in an accommodating cavity of a bottom shell. A first tab is welded to an inner bottom wall of the bottom shell, and then the top cover having the conductive member is connected to the bottom shell in a sealed manner, with a second tab on the cell being electrically connected to the conductive member. Finally, an electrolyte solution is injected into the accommodating cavity. After the electrolyte solution is injected, a sealing member covers the liquid injection port, and the sealing member is connected to the liquid injection port in a sealed manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventors: Ning Peng, Bin Xie
  • Patent number: 11855318
    Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a fuel battery system improved in reliability by accurately detecting when a fuel electrode gas or an air electrode gas has leaked. A fuel battery cell according to the present invention includes a first electrode, an electrolyte membrane, and a second electrode which are layered on a support substrate. Further, at least any one of the first electrode, the electrolyte membrane, and the second electrode is electrically isolated by an insulating member to form a first region and a second region. The insulating member is disposed at a position where the insulating member does not overlap with an opening portion of the support substrate (refer to FIG. 3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: HITACHI HIGH-TECH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Munenori Degawa, Noriyuki Sakuma, Yoshitaka Sasago, Aritoshi Sugimoto, Nobuyuki Mise, Takashi Tsutsumi
  • Patent number: 11848442
    Abstract: A lithium secondary battery includes a cathode formed of a cathode active material including a lithium metal oxide particle having a concentration gradient, and a coating formed on the lithium metal oxide particle, the coating including aluminum, titanium and zirconium, an anode, and a separator interposed between the cathode and the anode. The cathode active material includes 2,000 ppm to 4,000 ppm of aluminum, 4,000 ppm to 9,000 ppm of titanium and 400 ppm to 700 ppm of zirconium, based on the total weight of the cathode active material. The performance of the secondary battery may be maintained under a high temperature condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Assignee: SK ON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kyung Bin Yoo, Duck Chul Hwang
  • Patent number: 11843145
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for reducing an exhaust hydrogen concentration in a fuel cell system includes a first air cut-off valve (ACV) blocking ambient air supplied to a cathode, a second ACV blocking exhaust hydrogen discharged from the cathode, and an air suction valve (ASV) operating in a first mode connecting the cathode and an intake port of an air compressor and in a second mode blocking connection between the cathode and the intake port of the air compressor. The apparatus also includes a controller for operating the ASV in the first mode to store air of the cathode while the first ACV is opened and the second ACV is closed when hydrogen is supplied to an anode, and for operating the ASV in the second mode to discharge ambient air through an exhaust line while the first ACV is opened and the second ACV is opened when ambient air is supplied to the cathode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Won Uk Lee, Nam Woo Lee
  • Patent number: 11843142
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack, a first cooling line having first cooling water that passes via the fuel cell stack and circulates therein, a first radiator that cools the first cooling water, an air conditioning system that forms a heating loop with a first cooling line, a first cooling fan that blows exterior air to the first radiator, a first pump that pumps the first cooling water, a valve that switches a flow path of the first cooling water to the fuel cell stack or the first radiator, and a controller connected to the first cooling fan, the first pump, and the valve, and configured to detect a failure of the valve, control RPMs of the first pump and the first cooling fan to respective maximum levels, and control an RPM of a blower of the air conditioning system to a maximum level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong Bo Won, Sung Kyung Choi
  • Patent number: 11837735
    Abstract: Disclosed are a catalyst, a method for producing the catalyst, an electrode comprising the catalyst, a membrane-electrode assembly comprising the electrode, and a fuel cell comprising the membrane-electrode assembly, the catalyst having superb catalytic activity that can be obtained by means of a simple post-treatment process of the raw catalyst. The catalyst according to the present invention comprises a support, and metal particles supported therein, wherein the metal particles comprise main particles and an additional metal layer thereon, and the main particles and additional metal layer comprise the same metal elements. The metal particles have a budding structure or a rod structure by having just a particular latticed active surface of the main particles grow to form the additional metal layer, or a core-shell structure by having the entire latticed active surface of the main particles grow to form the additional metal layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.
    Inventor: Jung Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 11831029
    Abstract: A battery and a battery manufacturing method are provided. The battery includes a main body portion, a cover plate assembly, a tab portion, and a connecting piece. The cover plate assembly is located on a top surface of the main body portion and includes a pole. The tab portion extends out from a side surface of the main body portion and is bent toward a first large surface of two opposite large surfaces of the main body portion. The connecting piece is bent into a first section, located on the top surface and connected with the pole, and a second section, parallel or almost parallel to the side surface and welded to a surface of one side of the tab portion facing or facing away from the main body portion. A surface where the connecting piece is connected with the second section is disposed opposite to the main body portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignees: CALB Co., Ltd., CALB Technology Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Binwei Qi, Yongjie Zhang, Ci Zhang
  • Patent number: 11824231
    Abstract: A fuel cell separator includes a separator body and porous structure. The porous structure is stacked on a body surface with pores therein to provide a fluid flow path. The body includes: an inlet part having a space into which the fluid is introduced, a reaction region receiving the fluid, and a diffusion part between the inlet part and the reaction region and a passage to provide a path supplying fluid within the inlet part to the reaction region. The porous structure is stacked on a reaction region surface. A first inlet region, provided at the same height as the inlet part in a height direction in a porous structure inlet region facing the diffusion part, is provided closer to a central region of the porous structure than a second inlet region except for the first inlet region in the inlet region of the porous structure facing the diffusion part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Corporation
    Inventors: Sung Bum Choi, Kyung Min Kim
  • Patent number: 11817561
    Abstract: An electrolyte solution according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises water, a lithium salt, and a polycarboxylic acid having two or more carboxylic acid groups. A secondary battery according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and the electrolyte solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kenji Matsubara, Nobuhiko Hojo, Hiroyuki Matsumoto, Atsushi Fukui
  • Patent number: 11817545
    Abstract: A secondary electrochemical cell comprises an anode, a cathode including electrochemically active cathode material, a separator between the anode and the cathode, and an electrolyte. The electrolyte comprises at least one salt dissolved in at least one organic solvent. The separator in combination with the electrolyte has an area-specific resistance of less than about 2 ohm-cm2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: DURACELL U.S. OPERATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Nikolai Nikolaevich Issaev, Alexander Kaplan, Junan Kao, Kirakodu Seetharama Nanjundaswamy, Michael Pozin, Fan Zhang
  • Patent number: 11811111
    Abstract: A control method for a fuel cell system includes: acquiring a poisoning rate of an electrode catalyst of a fuel cell; performing a potential maintaining operation of maintaining a potential of the fuel cell in a first potential range when the poisoning rate of the electrode catalyst is greater than a prescribed value ?; and performing a potential changing operation of repeating a cycle in which the potential of the fuel cell is changed between an upper-limit potential and a lower-limit potential of a second potential range which is higher than the first potential range after the potential maintaining operation has been performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sugata
  • Patent number: 11804613
    Abstract: A method of controlling a fuel battery system of the present disclosure is a method of controlling a fuel battery system, including a measurement process in which a power generation voltage at a predetermined current density of a fuel battery cell is measured, a first calculation process in which a poisoning rate of an electrode catalyst at the power generation voltage measured in the measurement process is calculated from a predetermined relationship between the power generation voltage at the predetermined current density and the poisoning rate of the electrode catalyst of the fuel battery cell, and a second calculation process in which a generation rate of hydrogen peroxide at the poisoning rate of the electrode catalyst calculated in the first calculation process is calculated from a predetermined relationship between the poisoning rate of the electrode catalyst and the generation rate of hydrogen peroxide of the fuel battery cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Sugata
  • Patent number: 11804624
    Abstract: A battery module having a plurality of battery cells (2), in particular lithium-ion battery cells (20), which are each electrically conductively interconnected with one another in series and/or in parallel, and a switching device (3), which has a first terminal (31) and a second terminal (32), wherein a first connecting element (41) of electrically conductive design electrically conductively connects the first terminal (31) to a voltage tap (5) of a battery cell (2, 21) arranged at an end and a second connecting element (42) of electrically conductive design electrically conductively connects the second terminal (32) to a voltage tap (6) of the battery module (1), wherein the first connecting element (41) and/or the second connecting element (42) are received in a thermally conductive manner in a receptacle (7, 71, 72) of the housing (10) of the battery module (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2023
    Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventors: Frank Gottwald, Ralph Glemser
  • Patent number: 11786970
    Abstract: Methods for fabricating an interconnect for a fuel cell stack that include providing a protective layer over at least one surface of an interconnect formed by powder pressing pre-alloyed particles containing two or more metal elements and annealing the interconnect and the protective layer at elevated temperature to bond the protective layer to the at least one surface of the interconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Tad Armstrong