Patents Examined by Kaity V Chandler
  • Patent number: 11052364
    Abstract: An apparatus for carrying out endothermic reactions including a plurality of catalytic vessels, immersed in a combustion chamber having a contiguous overlaid convection chamber enclosing a top portion of the catalytic vessels wherein heat is recovered at a lower temperature level from the flue gases from the combustion chamber. The catalytic vessels may contain internal and coaxial heat recovery tubes creating an annular space filled in with a catalytic device. Both the external heat recovery through the catalyst tube outer surface and the internal heat recovery through the inner tube surface can be maximized by an enhanced catalytic device acting also as a heat transfer promoter in the process gas region. The apparatus provides enhanced and flexible heat recovery that permits to meet the request of minimum or none export steam production in one single apparatus, avoiding the need of a pre-reforming section and/or of a convective reformer downstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: KT KINETICS TECHNOLOGY SPA
    Inventors: Cristina Guazzotti, Emma Palo, Lorena Mosca
  • Patent number: 11050287
    Abstract: A battery pack system includes a battery pack, a battery management module, a discharge circuit module, a charge circuit module and an energy storage module. The battery pack is connected to the discharge circuit module in series and the battery pack is connected to the charge circuit module in series. The battery management module is configured to monitor a temperature of the battery pack, and if the temperature is lower than a first temperature threshold, send a switch-on instruction to the discharge circuit module and the charge circuit module alternately at a regulation frequency. The discharge circuit module is configured to switch on according to the switch-on instruction to enable electricity of the battery pack to flow into the energy storage module. The charge circuit module is configured to switch on according to the switch-on instruction to enable electricity of the energy storage module to flow into the battery pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Wei Zhang, Zhimin Dan, Yizhen Hou, Xiyang Zuo, Wenbin Lu, Xingyuan Wu, Taosheng Zhu
  • Patent number: 11021405
    Abstract: Moulded insulation bodies, processes for the production thereof and use thereof consisting essentially of ceramic material comprising SiO2 fibers and Al2O3 fibers which has been produced using Al2O3 sol as a binder and kilned at a temperature of above 800° C. for insulation of the ends of cracking tubes of a tubular reactor for performing a steam reforming process for generating synthesis gas which project out of the reactor heating space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Antonio Coscia, Hans-Werner Scholz
  • Patent number: 11018381
    Abstract: An interconnect board (ICB) assembly is used with a battery module and a battery controller. The ICB assembly includes a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) integrally formed from a printed circuit board (PCB) and a flex circuit. The PCB has a component surface populated with electronic components which measure and report parameters of the battery module to the battery controller. The flex circuit is constructed of conductive foil, and defines tabular flying leads that project from a periphery of the flex circuit. A window may be present in the flex circuit. A carrier frame has a support surface flanked by busbars. The PCBA is seated on the support surface, with the flying leads conductively joined to a corresponding busbar. A battery system includes the battery controller and the ICB assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Evan J. Dawley
  • Patent number: 10992004
    Abstract: A solid state battery cell can include a first polarity terminal, a second polarity terminal and a housing defining a cavity and functioning as a current collector for the first polarity terminal. The battery cell can include a membrane disposed in the cavity and dividing the cavity into a first portion and a second portion, an electrically conductive pin functioning as a current collector for the second polarity terminal, and an insulator electrically isolating the electrically conductive pin from the housing. A solid state anode material, including solid state anode particles, first solid state electrolyte particles and a first conductive additive, can be disposed in the first portion of the cavity. A solid state cathode material, including solid state cathode particles, second solid state electrolyte particles and a second conductive additive, can be disposed in the second portion of the cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: TeraWatt Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Derek Nathan Wong, Scott Quinlan Freeman Monismith, Jeremy Elsberry, Brennan Campbell, Ying Liu, Yifan Tang
  • Patent number: 10985405
    Abstract: A battery includes a first portion and a second portion, in which the first portion includes a first positive electrode layer, a first negative electrode layer, and a first solid electrolyte layer located between the first positive electrode layer and the first negative electrode layer, in which the second portion includes a second positive electrode layer, a second negative electrode layer, and a second solid electrolyte layer located between the second positive electrode layer and the second negative electrode layer, in which the first portion and the second portion are in contact with each other, the second portion is more sharply bent than the first portion, the first solid electrolyte layer contains a first binder, the second solid electrolyte layer contains a second binder, and the second solid electrolyte layer containing the second binder has higher flexibility than a flexibility of the first solid electrolyte layer containing the first binder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Komori, Izuru Sasaki
  • Patent number: 10978768
    Abstract: Disclosed is a battery system, including: a plurality of battery modules provided in a space formed between an upper casing and a lower casing; connection busbars respectively connected to terminals of the battery modules; an intermediate busbar connected to the connection busbars such that the connection busbars are electrically connected to each other; and an insulation protector provided with opposite end portions attached to the upper casing, and with a holding portion placed below the intermediate busbar at a position between the opposite end portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Coporation
    Inventors: Hae Kyu Lim, Jun Seok Choi, Yong Hwan Choi, Jeong Hun Seo, Jae Hoon Hoi, Yong Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 10961121
    Abstract: A method for improving thermal efficiency of steam production in a steam reforming based syngas plant is provided. In one embodiment, the method can include the steps of: preheating a hydrocarbon feed stream in a first heat exchanger from a first temperature to a second temperature; preheating the hydrocarbon feed stream in a second heat exchanger to a third temperature, wherein the third temperature is greater than the second temperature; introducing the hydrocarbon feed stream in the presence of steam to a steam methane reformer under conditions effective for producing a product stream comprising hydrogen, carbon oxides, and water vapor; and exchanging heat between the product stream and a boiler feed water stream in a third heat exchanger, wherein prior to exchanging heat with the product stream, the boiler feed water stream is used to provide the preheating to the hydrocarbon feed stream in the first heat exchanger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Paul Kong, Alexander Roesch
  • Patent number: 10957919
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for an active fuel cooling system (“fuel cooling system”). The fuel cooling system includes a fuel tank configured to store fuel. The fuel cooling system includes one or more pipes positioned adjacent to, in contact with, or within the fuel tank that are configured to deliver refrigerant that cools the fuel tank. The fuel cooling system includes a compressor for pumping the refrigerant through the one or more pipes to cool the fuel stored within the fuel tank. The fuel cooling system includes an electronic control unit connected to the compressor and configured to operate the compressor to pump the refrigerant through the one or more pipes to cool the fuel stored in the fuel tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventor: Dallas K. Fox
  • Patent number: 10946423
    Abstract: A multi-stage product gas generation system converts a carbonaceous material, such as municipal solid waste, into a product gas which may subsequently be converted into a liquid fuel or other material. One or more reactors containing bed material may be used to conduct reactions to effect the conversions. Unreacted inert feedstock contaminants present in the carbonaceous material may be separated from bed material using a portion of the product gas. A heat transfer medium collecting heat from a reaction in one stage may be applied as a reactant input in another, earlier stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: ThermoChem Recovery International, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Chandran, Daniel A. Burciaga, Daniel Michael Leo, Shawn Robert Freitas, Dave G. Newport, Justin Kevin Miller, Kaitlin Emily Harrington, Brian Christopher Attwood
  • Patent number: 10950912
    Abstract: A battery pack and a method of assembling a battery pack. The battery pack may include an outer housing; a cell module supportable by the outer housing, the cell module including a module housing, a plurality of battery cells supported by the module housing, the battery cells having an energy of at least about 60 Watt-hours, a controller operable to control an operation of the battery pack, a conductive strap electrically connected to at least one of the battery cells, a weld strap connected between the controller and the conductive strap, and a terminal electrically connected to the battery cells and operable to connect the battery cells to an electrical device for power transfer; and a vapor-deposited, hydrophobic nano coating applied to at least a portion of the cell module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
    Inventors: James P. Elfering, Cameron R. Schulz, Ryan B. Jipp, Samuel Sheeks, Kyle J. Radovich, Michael Kolden
  • Patent number: 10950831
    Abstract: A battery pack is provided which includes an enclosure. The enclosure includes a battery cell compartment and a vent. The battery cell compartment is a sealed compartment, except for the vent, and the vent facilitates pressure-induced venting of gas from the battery cell compartment. One or more battery cells are disposed within the battery cell compartment, and the battery pack also includes a filter system associated with the enclosure. The filter system filters the pressure-induced venting of gas from the battery cell compartment resulting from a thermal runaway event at a battery cell of the one or more battery cells within the battery cell compartment of the enclosure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Noah Singer, Prabjit Singh, John G. Torok, David C. Long
  • Patent number: 10946356
    Abstract: A gas generator and a method of generating a gas are provided. A gas generator includes a cartridge having a solid reactant and a liquid reactant distributor provided therein, and a liquid reactant supply in fluid communication with the liquid reactant distributor. The liquid reactant supply is configured to provide a liquid reactant under pressure to the liquid reactant distributor. The liquid reactant distributor comprises a plurality of normally closed holes configured to open at a predetermined fluid pressure to disperse the liquid reactant for reaction with the solid reactant in the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: TEMASEK POLYTECHNIC
    Inventors: Lei Wang, Ming Han, Yunzhong Chen
  • Patent number: 10944141
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a composite end plate and a battery module. The composite end plate comprises an end plate body and a rigid connecting plate. The end plate body comprises a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to each other in its thickness direction, a first connecting segment, an intermediate transitional segment and a second connecting segment disposed successively in its width direction. The rigid connecting plate and the end plate body are made of different materials. The rigid connecting plate is disposed at the intermediate transitional segment, and comprises a transferring segment and a connecting arm embedded into the intermediate transitional segment such that the rigid connecting plate and the end plate body are fixedly connected. The transferring segment is located at the second surface. A surface of the transferring segment away from the intermediate transitional segment can be fixedly connected to an external structural component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited
    Inventors: Wenwen Liu, Gen Cao, Jihua Yao
  • Patent number: 10938024
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an anode for a secondary battery manufactured thereby. The anode for a secondary battery includes a first adhesive member and a second adhesive member to which a plurality of electrolytes are fused, a first case configured to be fused to the first adhesive member, and a second case configured to be fused to the second adhesive member and the first case and into which an anode active material and a liquid electrolyte are injected. The anode has an effect of maximizing a reaction area because an electrolyte is exposed at both surfaces of the anode for a secondary battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: UNIST (ULSAN NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)
    Inventors: Youngsik Kim, Young Jin Kim, Da Song Jeong, Jeong Sun Park
  • Patent number: 10933394
    Abstract: An apparatus for improving thermal efficiency of steam production is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: L'Air Liquide Societe Anonyme Pour L'Etude Et L 'Exploitation Des Procedes Georges Claude
    Inventors: Paul Kong, Alexander Roesch
  • Patent number: 10930911
    Abstract: Provided is a separator which can make the electric field on the surface of a negative electrode for a metal secondary battery homogeneous to thereby prevent the formation of dendrites. A porous separator for metal secondary batteries, which has a polymer electrolyte layer formed on the surface layer of at least one main surface of a porous polyimide film. It is preferred that the polymer electrolyte layer is composed of both a polymer electrolyte material which is supported on at least one main surface of the porous polyimide film and a polymer electrolyte material which is supported in voids in a layered region that extends from the main surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignees: TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD., TOKYO METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY, 3DOM INC
    Inventors: Hiroyoshi Sago, Kiyoshi Kanamura, Hirokazu Munakata, Kazuhiro Imazawa
  • Patent number: 10923750
    Abstract: An illustrative example fuel cell power plant includes a cell stack assembly, a single stage convertor configured to couple the cell stack assembly to a power network, and a controller that is configured to determine whether the fuel cell power plant has a DC voltage brownout condition during an islanded mode of operation. The controller dynamically adjusts the frequency droop gain of the power plant using an offset while satisfying at least three criteria of a set of criteria consisting of (i) avoiding overloading other fuel cell power plants of the power network, (ii) avoiding exceeding a maximum load step-up capability of the power network, (iii) avoiding exceeding a maximum load step-up capability of the fuel cell power plant, (iv) maintaining a system frequency within an acceptable frequency range, and (v) avoiding repeating the DC voltage brownout condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: DOOSAN FUEL CELL AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Fatih Cingoz, David Reale
  • Patent number: 10910622
    Abstract: A connection member and a rechargeable battery are provided. The connection member includes a guide plate, two first connection plates and a second connection plate; the two first connection plates are respectively connected to two sides of the guide plate in a width direction and are arranged bendably with respect to the guide plate; the second connection plate is connected to an upper end of the guide plate in a height direction Z, and the top ends of the two first connection plates are at different heights. In some examples, overcurrent capability of the connection member and rapid charging capability and safety performance of the rechargeable battery can be improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Jiandong Yang, Jian Guo, Chengyou Xing, Xiaowen Zhang, Haizu Jin, Yongshou Lin
  • Patent number: 10899612
    Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen production reactor as a reactor producing a reforming gas including hydrogen, in which a burning unit and a reforming unit are sequentially arranged and spaced apart from each other in a concentric structure based on a raw material transfer pipe positioned at a central axis of the reactor, including a heating raw material transfer pipe supplying a raw material to the burning unit, a burning unit burning the supplied raw material and supplying heat to the reforming unit, a reforming raw material phase change pipe positioned within the burning unit and heating the supplied raw material, and a reforming unit reforming the phase-changed raw material supplied from the reforming raw material phase change pipe, wherein the reforming raw material phase change pipe is provided as a coil surrounding an outer circumferential surface of a lower end of the heating raw material transfer pipe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: KOREA INSTITUTE OF ENERGY RESEARCH
    Inventors: Dong-joo Seo, Woohyun Kim, Sang-ho Park, Wang-lai Yoon