Patents Examined by Karie O'Neill Apicella
  • Patent number: 10910659
    Abstract: A method and system for diagnosing a state of fuel cell are provided. The system includes a signal measurement unit that has a high pass filter with a predetermined cut-off frequency and a voltage measurement circuit, and that measures a first AC voltage to measure the fuel cell state diagnosis signal and a noise measurement unit including a band pass filter that has a predetermined pass band and a voltage measurement circuit, and that measures a second AC voltage to measure the fuel cell state diagnosis noise. A controller calculates a signal to noise ratio (SNR) of fuel cell state diagnosis data based on the first and second AC voltages, determines the corresponding fuel cell state diagnosis data to be reliable when the SNR value is greater than a predetermined reference value, and applies the fuel cell state diagnosis data to a control of a fuel cell vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Sangbok Won, Young Bum Kum, Kwi Seong Jeong
  • Patent number: 10910636
    Abstract: A method for making a battery electrode is provided. A carbon nanotube material is provided. The carbon nanotube material is placed into a furnace containing carbon dioxide. The furnace is heated to a temperature about 800° C. to about 950° C., and the carbon nanotube material is oxidized. The oxidized carbon nanotube material is dispersed in a first solution to form a carbon nanotube suspension. An active material is ultrasonically dispersed in a second organic solvent to form an active material dispersion. The carbon nanotube suspension is mixed with the active material dispersion to form a second solution. The second solution is stirred by ultrasonic means and dried after filtering.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignees: Tsinghua University, HON HAI PRECISION INDUSTRY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Da-Tao Wang, Ke Wang, Jia-Ping Wang, Shou-Shan Fan
  • Patent number: 10903518
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of preparing a sulfide-based solid electrolyte for an all-solid battery having an argyrodite-type crystal structure through a solution process. The method including obtaining a precursor solution by dissolving lithium sulfide, phosphorus sulfide and a halogen compound in a solvent, obtaining a precursor powder by removing the solvent from the precursor solution. Solid electrolyte for an all-solid battery can be produced by such method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Yong Jun Jang, Pil Gun Oh, Hong Seok Min, Yong Sub Yoon, Sa Heum Kim, Ju Yeong Seong
  • Patent number: 10897038
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a positive electrode which includes a lithium transition metal composite oxide and a binder polymer, wherein the binder polymer has a functional group capable of adsorbing the transition metal ions of the lithium transition metal composite oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2021
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventor: Dae-Soo Kim
  • Patent number: 10864824
    Abstract: A vehicle thermal management system including a cabin thermal loop, a battery thermal loop, a parallel valve assembly, and a controller is provided. The cabin thermal loop may include a first chiller. The battery thermal loop may include a second chiller and a high-voltage (HV) battery. The parallel valve assembly selectively may link the thermal loops. The controller may be programmed to, responsive to detection of a high load condition, command the parallel valve assembly to link the thermal loops such that the chillers operate together to cool a vehicle cabin and the HV battery. The parallel valve assembly may include a three-way valve and a conduit system selectively connecting the chillers, the three-way valve, and the HV battery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Bradley Szkrybalo, Hamish Lewis, Dinakara Karanth
  • Patent number: 10868319
    Abstract: An air cleaner for a fuel cell vehicle includes: a case having an inlet and an outlet; and a filter element fixed to the case, the filter element being configured to section the case into an inlet side and an outlet side and filter air flowing from the inlet side to the outlet side. A locking projection projecting toward the inside of the case is provided on the inlet side in the case. A first prefilter, a second prefilter, and a chemical filter are sandwiched between the locking projection and the filter element in the order of the first prefilter, the chemical filter, and the second prefilter from the upstream side as the inlet side of the filter element inside the case toward the downstream side as the outlet side of the filter element inside the case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, Toyota Boshoku Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tetsuya Ichikawa, Kimiko Yoshida, Jun Goto, Ryu Hirata, Noriaki Miki
  • Patent number: 10847837
    Abstract: A binder for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery electrode, containing a crosslinked polymer or salt thereof having a carboxyl group and a use thereof, and a method of manufacturing the polymer or salt. The polymer has a structural unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer in an amount of 50 to 99 mass % of total structural units and a structural unit derived from a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer in an amount of 1 to 50 mass % of the total structural units, the monomer is a compound having a substituent with a carbon atom number of 6 or more, and a particle diameter of the crosslinked polymer is 0.1 to 7.0 ?m in a volume-based median diameter when the crosslinked polymer is neutralized to a neutralization degree of 80 to 100 mol %, subjected to water swelling in water, and then dispersed in a 1 mass % NaCl aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOAGOSEI CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Matsuzaki, Naohiko Saito, Kinuko Fujikura, Atsushi Nishiwaki, Akitsugu Shibata
  • Patent number: 10840571
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a unit area which is arranged inside the motor vehicle body. The unit area has at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet. The unit area is divided into at least one cold area and at least one warm area which is isolated from the cold area by a separating wall. The warm area accommodates at least one unit emitting heat and the air emerging from the air outlet and entering into the air inlet flows through at least the warm area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Juergen Glaesser, Klaus Amberger, Oliver Haff
  • Patent number: 10833326
    Abstract: Low-voltage rechargeable microbatteries having a vanadium-based cathode are provided. In one aspect, a method of forming a battery is provided. The method includes the steps of: forming a first contact on a substrate; forming a cathode on the first contact, wherein the cathode is formed from a vanadium-containing material; forming a solid electrolyte on the cathode; forming an anode on the solid electrolyte; and forming a second contact on the anode. A battery having a vanadium-based cathode is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin W. Brew, Oki Gunawan, Saurabh Singh, Teodor K. Todorov
  • Patent number: 10818968
    Abstract: A method of preparing a gallium-doped LLZO solid electrolyte includes (a) preparing a solid electrolyte precursor slurry by subjecting a mixed solution comprising a metal aqueous solution including lanthanum (La), zirconium (Zr) and gallium (Ga), a complexing agent and a pH controller to coprecipitation; (b) preparing a solid electrolyte precursor by washing and drying the solid electrolyte precursor slurry; (c) preparing a mixture by mixing the solid electrolyte precursor with a lithium source; (d) preparing a gallium-doped LLZO solid electrolyte represented by Chemical Formula 1 below by calcining the mixture at 600 to 1,000° C.; and (e) thereafter sintering the solid electrolyte represented by Chemical Formula 1 at 1,000 to 1,300° C. By adjusting amounts of starting materials and controlling flow rates of supplied materials, a high-precision cubic structure with improved sintering properties is obtained and ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Korea Institute of Industrial Technology
    Inventors: Ho Sung Kim, Seung Hoon Yang, Min-young Kim, Ha Young Jung, Da Hye Kim
  • Patent number: 10818913
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a metal battery, the negative electrode a metal substrate; and a protective layer disposed directly on at least a portion of the metal substrate, wherein the protective layer comprises an ion-conductive oligomer, wherein the ion-conductive oligomer comprises an ion-conductive structural unit in at least one of a main chain and a side chain of the an ion-conductive oligomer, and at least two hydrogen-bond-forming functional groups at different ends of the ion-conductive oligomer, and wherein the protective layer has a thickness of 5 micrometers or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignees: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO, LTD., SAMSUNG SDI CO, LTD.
    Inventors: Yonggun Lee, Saebom Ryu, Toshinori Sugimoto, Dongmin Im, Wonseok Chang
  • Patent number: 10811659
    Abstract: An object is to provide a separator excellent in adhesiveness to electrodes and a separator for an electricity storage device also excellent in handling performance. A separator for an electricity storage device having a polyolefin microporous film and a thermoplastic polymer coating layer covering at least a part of at least one of surfaces of the polyolefin microporous film, in which the thermoplastic polymer coating layer, on the polyolefin microporous film, has a portion containing a thermoplastic polymer and a portion not containing the thermoplastic polymer in a sea-island configuration, the thermoplastic polymer coating layer contains the thermoplastic polymer having at least two glass-transition temperatures, at least one of the glass-transition temperatures is in a range of less than 20° C. and at least one of the glass-transition temperatures is in a range of 20° C. or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: Asahi Kasei E-materials Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroshi Miyazawa, Keitaro Ameyama, Takashi Shuto
  • Patent number: 10811662
    Abstract: An embodiment is directed to a contact plate configured to establish electrical bonds between battery cells in a battery module, including at least one primary conductive layer, and a set of bonding connectors that are configured to provide direct electrical bonds between the contact plate and terminals of a group of battery cells, the set of bonding connectors being configured to connect the group of battery cells in parallel with each other, wherein at least one bonding connector in the set of bonding connectors is configured with a higher fuse rating than each other bonding connector in the set of bonding connectors so as to contain arcs among the set of bonding connectors to the at least one bonding connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TIVENI MERGECO, INC.
    Inventors: Heiner Fees, Andreas Track, Alexander Eichhorn, Ralf Maisch, Jörg Damaske, Martin Eberhard
  • Patent number: 10797351
    Abstract: An energy storage apparatus is described and claimed herein comprising, generally, a battery housing enclosing a negative electrode, a positive electrode, and an electrolyte, wherein the electrolyte comprises a salt dissolved in either an amide-based solvent. In various embodiments, the amide-based solvent is a tertiary amide. Moreover, the energy storage apparatus may be a lithium ion battery that comprises an electrolyte with a lithium salt dissolved in a tertiary amide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Inventors: Daniel Kuroda, Kristen Fulfer, Kaylee Theresa Woodard
  • Patent number: 10790542
    Abstract: A binder for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery electrode, containing a crosslinked polymer or salt thereof having a carboxyl group and a use thereof, and a method of manufacturing the polymer or salt. The polymer has a structural unit derived from an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer in an amount of 50 to 99 mass % of total structural units and a structural unit derived from a nonionic ethylenically unsaturated monomer in an amount of 1 to 50 mass % of the total structural units, the monomer is a compound having a substituent with a carbon atom number of 6 or more, and a particle diameter of the crosslinked polymer is 0.1 to 7.0 ?m in a volume-based median diameter when the crosslinked polymer is neutralized to a neutralization degree of 80 to 100 mol %, subjected to water swelling in water, and then dispersed in a 1 mass % NaCl aqueous solution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2020
    Assignee: TOAGOSEI CO. LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Matsuzaki, Naohiko Saito, Kinuko Fujikura, Atsushi Nishiwaki, Akitsugu Shibata
  • Patent number: 10784529
    Abstract: There is provided a frame for a fuel cell. The frame include a frame body having a channel opening defined therein and a feed opening and a discharge opening defined therein, wherein the feed opening and discharge opening are spaced apart from each other with the channel opening being disposed therebetween; and a plurality of anti-deformation support structures protruding from a top face of the frame body, in a first region between the channel opening and the feed opening and in a second region between the channel opening and the discharge opening, wherein each of the plurality of anti-deformation support structures has an elliptical cross-sectional shape having a major axis and a minor axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: MICO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong-Woo Choi, Song Ho Choi, Jin Ah Park
  • Patent number: 10770743
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an electrode having a laminated body including an insulating layer laminated on an electrode active material layer, said method comprising: a step of laminating an insulating layer on an electrode active material layer formed on a base, such that a thickness value of the insulating layer is at least twice a surface roughness Rz value of the electrode active material layer, the surface roughness Rz value being a ten point average roughness as measured in accordance with JIS B0601 1994.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Rie Teranishi, Kenichi Shinmei, Masashi Kanoh, Akio Shokaku, Shinichiro Ito
  • Patent number: 10763559
    Abstract: An object is especially to provide a metal-air battery that ensures a high output and continuance of the output over a long period of time as compared with a conventional one. A metal-air battery in the present invention includes a case, air electrodes disposed on both sides of the case, and a plurality of metal electrodes disposed inwardly separately from the air electrodes. The metal electrodes are opposed to one another via a space (S). The metal-air battery of the present invention can inhibit the reaction product from depositing between the air electrode and the metal electrode. A degree of freedom of a distance between the air electrode and the metal electrode is high. As described above, the high output and the continuance of the output over a long period of time are ensured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: FUJIKURA RUBBER LTD.
    Inventors: Masaki Takahashi, Tsutomu Narita, Yoshiharu Nakajima, Hiroshi Sakama
  • Patent number: 10763533
    Abstract: An interconnect for a fuel cell stack includes an interconnect body having an air surface having air flow channels and ribs and a fuel surface having fuel flow channels and ribs, an electrically conductive contact layer located on the air surface of the interconnect, the electrically conductive contact layer containing at least one of Co and Mn, and a corrosion barrier layer containing zirconium silicate and magnesium aluminosilicate crystals located over the electrically conductive contact layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Emad El Batawi, Sanchit Khurana, Michael Gasda, Tad Armstrong
  • Patent number: 10763498
    Abstract: A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery of the present disclosure includes a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode composite material layer formed on the surface of the negative electrode current collector. The negative electrode composite material layer includes a negative electrode active material containing silicon oxide and heat expandable microcapsules. The ratio of silicon oxide to the total amount of the negative electrode active material is 30 mass % or less. The blending ratio of the heat expandable microcapsules to the total amount of the negative electrode active material is 0.5 mass % or more. The ratio of the heat expandable microcapsules in contact with silicon oxide to the amount of the heat expandable microcapsules contained in the negative electrode composite material layer is 70 mass % or more.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Kazuhisa Takeda, Yuji Yokoyama