Patents Examined by Jonathan Jelsma
  • Patent number: 10062918
    Abstract: An aqueous electrolyte for a metal-halogen flow battery includes an electrolyte that includes zinc bromide, a chelating agent, and a metal plating enhancer. The metal plating enhancer may include Bi, Pb, Te, Se, and/or Tl, salts thereof, or any combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignees: PRIMUS POWER CORPORATION, COVENTYA, INC.
    Inventors: Nicholas Williams, John Joseph Curley, Hooman Hafezi, George S. Bokisa, Sr., Stephen Joseph Carpmail, Joseph Brian Apisdorf
  • Patent number: 10056636
    Abstract: A metal-halogen flow battery system includes an electrolyte composition that includes an aqueous solution including a metal halide, a halogen, a metal plating enhancer and at least one of an anti-dendrite agent, and an anti-corrosion agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: PRIMUS POWER CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Curley, Gerardo Jose la O', Nicholas Williams, Kevin Cheung, Hooman Hafezi
  • Patent number: 9994960
    Abstract: Articles and methods for forming ceramic/polymer composite structures for electrode protection in electrochemical cells, including rechargeable lithium batteries, are presented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Sion Power Corporation
    Inventors: Michael G. Laramie, Yuriy V. Mikhaylik, James A. Phipps, Veronika G. Viner
  • Patent number: 9991526
    Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin Perry, David Edmonston
  • Patent number: 9972875
    Abstract: An alkaline storage battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode containing, as an active material, at least one of a metal capable of forming dendrites and a metal compound thereof, and an alkaline electrolyte solution, wherein a compound having a primary amino group and having no carboxyl group is contained in the alkaline electrolyte solution in an amount greater than or equal to 7% by volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignees: GS Yuasa International Ltd., KYORO UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Tadashi Kakeya, Akiyoshi Nakata, Toshiro Hirai, Hajime Arai, Junichi Yamaki, Zempachi Ogumi
  • Patent number: 9954237
    Abstract: A fuel cell and a fuel cell stack. A cathode (41) of a fuel cell (3) assumes the form of a square plate and is composed of a lower layer (61) on a side toward a solid oxide body (37), and an upper layer (63) which covers the outer surface of the lower layer (61). The lower layer (61) is square in planar shape, and its four side surfaces stand upright in its thickness direction. The upper layer (63) is square in planar shape and has a square main surface (outer surface) (65) which faces outward in its thickness direction, and side surfaces at its four sides. Opposite side surfaces (67) and (69) residing in a flow path extending between an oxidizing gas inlet side and an oxidizing gas outlet side are flat and inclined toward the center of the outer surface (65).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takeshi Ohno, Dai Nishijima
  • Patent number: 9954249
    Abstract: A polymer electrolyte having improved reliability and safety by increasing thermal stability of a polymer of the polymer electrolyte and crosslinking density of a matrix of the polymer while improving electrode impregnation capability by inducing low viscosity in a pre-gel composition, and a lithium rechargeable battery including the same are disclosed. The polymer electrolyte is a cured product of a polymer electrolyte composition including a lithium salt, a non-aqueous organic solvent, and a pre-gel composition including a first monomer represented by Chemical Formula 1, a second monomer represented by Chemical Formula 2 and a third monomer represented by Chemical Formula 3.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwangjo Cheong, Yongbeom Lee, Soomi Eo
  • Patent number: 9947925
    Abstract: Provided are an anode active material for lithium ion rechargeable batteries and an anode, which are capable, when used in a lithium ion rechargeable battery, of providing excellent charge/discharge capacity and cycle characteristics, and also high rate performance, as well as a lithium ion rechargeable battery using the same. The anode active material contains particles having a crystal phase represented by RAx, wherein R is at least one element selected from the group consisting of rare earth elements including Sc and Y but excluding La, A is Si and/or Ge, and x satisfies 1.0?x?2.0, and a crystal phase consisting of A. The material is thus useful as an anode material for lithium ion rechargeable batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: SANTOKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Sakaguchi, Hiroyuki Usui, Tadatoshi Murota, Masatoshi Kusatsu
  • Patent number: 9941525
    Abstract: Various hot box fuel cell system components are provided, such as heat exchangers, steam generator and other components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Martin Perry, Navaneetha Krishnan, Nilanjana Basu, Ram Ramanan
  • Patent number: 9929406
    Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a negative electrode current collector foil; and a negative electrode mixture layer that is arranged on the negative electrode current collector foil. The negative electrode mixture layer contains a plurality of granulated particles. Each of the granulated particles contains a negative electrode active material and a coating film. The coating film is formed on a surface of the negative electrode active material. The coating film includes a first film and a second film. The first film is formed on the surface of the negative electrode active material. The second film is formed on the first film. The first film contains a carboxymethyl cellulose polymer. The second film contains a polyacrylic acid polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Hiroya Umeyama, Tatsuya Hashimoto, Naoyuki Wada, Yusuke Fukumoto, Naoto Onodera, Yuji Yokoyama
  • Patent number: 9923242
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery is provided such that the positive electrode comprises graphite, the negative electrode also comprises graphite, and the electrolyte is a solution of lithium bromide in an ester of succinic acid or an ester of glutaric acid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: John E. Stauffer
  • Patent number: 9917321
    Abstract: A direct carbon fuel cell DCFC system (5), the system comprising an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell (10) comprising a cathode (30), a solid state first electrolyte (25) and an anode (20), wherein, the system further comprises an anode chamber containing a second electrolyte (125) and a fuel (120). The system, when using molten carbonate as second electrolyte, is preferably purged with CO2 via purge gas inlet (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: University Court of the University of St Andrews
    Inventors: John Thomas Sirr Irvine, Gael Corre, Cairong Jiang
  • Patent number: 9912018
    Abstract: A battery pack, an integrated device for sensing individual battery voltage in a battery pack and a method of forming an integrated voltage-sensing circuit for use in a battery-powered automobile propulsion system. The integrated voltage-sensing circuit includes a busbar, a terminal pin and a voltage-sensing fuse electrically disposed between the busbar and the terminal pin. The construction of the voltage-sensing circuit is such that it forms an integral structure upon being coupled to the modular housing or related structure that may subsequently be secured to a frame that is used to provide support to each battery cell within the battery pack. In one form, the modular housing and voltage-sensing circuit may be secured to the frame during a frame molding process such that upon completion of the molding, the housing and at least a portion of the voltage-sensing circuit are encapsulated within the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Evan J. Dawley, Glenn F. Carroll
  • Patent number: 9905822
    Abstract: An energy storage unit having plural energy storage devices, each of which includes a container housing an electrode assembly and positive and negative electrode terminals electrically connected to the electrode assembly and extending from the container in the same direction, includes: a bus bar electrically connecting a first terminal, which is one of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of a first energy storage device included in the plural energy storage devices, and a second terminal, which is one of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of a second energy storage device included in the plural energy storage devices and opposite in polarity to the first terminal; a packing member interposed between the first terminal and the container of the first energy storage device; and an insulating member interposed between the bus bar and the container of the first energy storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: GS YUASA INTERNATIONAL LTD.
    Inventors: Sumio Mori, Tomonori Kako, Akihiko Miyazaki, Kenta Nakai
  • Patent number: 9905826
    Abstract: The electric storage device is provided with a case body and an electrode assembly accommodated in the case body. The electrode assembly includes positive and negative electrode sheets each having an active material layer. The case body includes at least one primary inner wall surface, at least one secondary inner wall surface, and corner surfaces. A plane that includes the boundary line between a primary inner wall surface and the corresponding corner surface and faces the corresponding secondary inner wall surface is defined as an imaginary boundary plane. An edge of the active material layer of a positive electrode sheet facing the corresponding secondary inner wall surface is positioned on the surface of the imaginary boundary plane, or is positioned in a region spaced further apart from the secondary inner wall surface facing the edge than the position of the imaginary boundary plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKI
    Inventors: Motoaki Okuda, Atsushi Minagata, Hiroyasu Nishihara
  • Patent number: 9905870
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method of forming an electrode for an electrochemical device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of mixing at least a first amount of a catalyst and a second amount of an ionomer or uncharged polymer to form a solution and delivering the solution into a metallic needle having a needle tip. The method further includes the steps of applying a voltage between the needle tip and a collector substrate positioned at a distance from the needle tip, and extruding the solution from the needle tip at a flow rate such as to generate electrospun fibers and deposit the generated fibers on the collector substrate to form a mat with a porous network of fibers. Each fiber in the porous network of the mat has distributed particles of the catalyst. The method also includes the step of pressing the mat onto a membrane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Peter N. Pintauro, Wenjing Zhang
  • Patent number: 9903649
    Abstract: A dryer for an electrode substrate of a rechargeable battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a drying oven for drying an electrode substrate by feeding the electrode substrate to an inlet and discharging it through an outlet; fixed guide rolls provided at a distance from each other between the inlet and the outlet to guide the electrode substrate; lifting guide rolls ascended or descended at one side of the respective fixed guide rolls to guide the moving electrode substrate; driving rolls disposed to correspond to locations of the lifting guide rolls; and a shuttle moving toward the outlet from the inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwan-Seop Song, Kyoung-Heon Heo, Ji-Hyang Park, Gi-Sung Kim, Seon-Hyeok An
  • Patent number: 9899669
    Abstract: An electrode structure has an interdigitated layer of at least a first material and a second material, the second material having either higher or similar electrical conductivity of the first material and being more ionically conductivity than the first material, a cross-section of the two materials being non-rectangular.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: PALO ALTO RESEARCH CENTER INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Corie Lynn Cobb
  • Patent number: 9893375
    Abstract: Disclosed is a module system for a microbial fuel cell used in the field of a microbial fuel cell, in which a plurality of unit cells electrically connected to each other in series cannot share an anode part solution. In the module system for the microbial fuel cell, the unit cells are electrically connected to each other in series, so that power is produced in a commercial scale. An anode part is given to each individual cell, so that voltage drop does not occur. The unit cells share an anode part solution together, so that the module system for the microbial fuel cell is simply designed. The module system for the microbial fuel cell is applicable when effectively producing power in the commercial scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: GWANGJU INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
    Inventors: In Seop Chang, Daehee Kim, Junyeong An
  • Patent number: 9893331
    Abstract: A battery adhesion-fixation structure includes battery cells, a holder, an adhesive agent, bus bars, and an insulator. The holder includes holder holes for holding the battery cells therein. The adhesive agent adheres the battery cells with the holder within the holder holes. The bus bars electrically connect the battery cells with each other. The insulator intervenes between the bus bars and the holder. The bus bars include a bus-bar hole, and a terminal tab. The bus-bar hole faces face-to-face to an electrode terminal of the battery cells. The terminal tab projects into the bus-bar hole to be electrically connected with the electrode terminal. The insulator includes a face, and a dent opening in the face. The face opposes to the holder. The dent opens in the face, and accommodates the adhesive agent overflown toward the insulator therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOYODA GOSEI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroaki Hongo, Yoshiki Nakamura, Kosuke Kusaba