Patents Examined by Olatunji A Godo
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Patent number: 11223075Abstract: A two-voltage battery for a vehicle, having an earth point, having a plurality of battery cells, wherein groups of battery cells connected in series form battery cell blocks, and wherein at least one first battery cell block is preferably permanently connected to the earth point of the two-voltage battery, having a plurality of cell monitors for the battery cell blocks, wherein the cell monitors are designed to monitor a voltage provided by the individual battery cells in the particular battery cell block and/or a current through the battery cells in the particular battery cell block, and having a plurality of power switching elements for selectively connecting the battery cell blocks in parallel and/or in series.Type: GrantFiled: August 23, 2019Date of Patent: January 11, 2022Assignee: Hella GmbH & Co. KGaAInventors: Juergen Krieger, Hans Joachim Liebscher, Sebastian Kahnt
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Patent number: 11217800Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a target pressure value for the pressure in a fuel cell is set depending on a demand output value to the fuel cell. A turbine retains a set pressure line representing a relationship between an airflow rate supplied to the turbine and a pressure ratio corresponding to a ratio of a pressure upstream of the turbine and a pressure downstream of the turbine. A controller executes a first control when the target pressure value for the fuel cell is lower than the set pressure line and executes a second control when the target pressure value for the fuel cell is higher than the set pressure line. The controller controls an outlet valve so as not to be fully opened when a turbine bypass valve is fully closed.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOYOTA JIDOSHOKKIInventors: Hidefumi Mori, Junya Suzuki, Kazuki Okazaki
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Patent number: 11217799Abstract: The invention relates to a cooling system (10) for fuel cell stacks (22, 26), comprising a first cooling module (14) and a second cooling module (18). The first cooling module (14) comprises a fuel cell stack (22, 26), a supply line connection (30, 34) for connecting a supply line (38, 42) for supplying coolant to the fuel cell stack (22, 26), a discharge line connection (46, 50) for connecting a discharge line (54, 58) for discharging coolant from the fuel cell stack (22, 26), and a venting line connection (94, 98) for connecting a venting line (102, 106).Type: GrantFiled: June 30, 2020Date of Patent: January 4, 2022Assignees: Nikola Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbHInventors: Kevin Lynk, Jesse Schneider, Werner Belschner, Jorg Heyse, Markus Remlinger
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Patent number: 11211664Abstract: This application relates to a power tool system including a plurality of power tools, a plurality of battery packs and at least one battery pack charger and method for operating the power tools with the battery packs. This application also relates to a method for charging the battery packs and a method for monitoring a state of charge of the battery pack. In one implementation, the system includes an existing battery pack designed to provide (output) a relatively low voltage, an existing power tool designed to operate at the relatively low voltage, a new battery pack designed to provide (output) the relatively low voltage and a relatively high voltage, and a new power tool designed to operate at the relatively high voltage.Type: GrantFiled: June 24, 2019Date of Patent: December 28, 2021Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.Inventors: Luke R. Barton, Nathan J. Cruise, Abhisheka Moturu, Dustin Jefferies, Christine H. Potter, Michael W. Roberts, Michael Varipatis, Fugen Qin, Daniel J. Albrecht, Michael J. Aronoff
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Patent number: 11205809Abstract: Devices, methods and systems used to detect thermal incidents are disclosed. In one embodiment, there may be a thermal incident detection apparatus for a battery pack including one or more battery modules, the one or more battery modules comprising a plurality of battery cells arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein each battery cell in the one or more battery modules comprises a vent, the apparatus comprising a thermally anisotropic material positioned in proximity to one or more battery cells of the one of more battery modules, wherein the thermally anisotropic material has an in-plane thermal conductivity greater than a through-plane thermal conductivity; and a sensor positioned in proximity to the thermally anisotropic material to sense thermal energy transferred by one of more of the battery cells to the thermally anisotropic material.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2020Date of Patent: December 21, 2021Assignee: NIO USA, Inc.Inventors: Marc W. Juzkow, Yadunandana Yellambalase
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Patent number: 11196059Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system (100) having a fuel supply unit (8) and fuel cells (1, 2) having a cathode (4, 4?) and an anode (3, 3?), wherein the cathode (4, 4?) features a cathode feed line (40), the anode (3, 3?) features an anode feed line (30), and the flow in the anode (3, 3?) is connected with the flow in the fuel supply unit (8) via the anode feed line (30), in which a reforming apparatus (13) is arranged, and having an anode exhaust line (6) provided with at least one burner apparatus (22, 23).Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2017Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignees: AVL List GmbH, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.Inventors: Michael Reissig, Bernd Reiter, Jörg Mathé, Thomas Krauss, Stefan Planitzer, Vincent Lawlor, Jürgen Rechberger, Masanari Yanagisawa, Shinichi Miyazaki, Hayato Chikugo, Tadaki Mano, Tatsuya Yaguchi
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Patent number: 11196068Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell system includes providing an anode exhaust from a fuel cell stack to a water injector, supplying water to the water injector, and injecting the water from the water injector into the anode exhaust to vaporize the water and generate a humidified anode exhaust.Type: GrantFiled: January 14, 2020Date of Patent: December 7, 2021Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATIONInventors: David Weingaertner, Ivan Hartana, David Edmonston, Michael Petrucha, Martin Perry
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Patent number: 11177544Abstract: A battery device includes a case, a cell disposed within the case, and first and second conductive tabs each electrically connected to the cell and partly enclosed by the case. The first conductive tab has an elastic portion exposed from the case and compressible or stretchable when a force is applied thereto. By having the elastic portions that are elastically deformable, the effects of push or pull resulting from the swelling of the cell and case on the conductive tabs may be reduced. Consequently, damages or breakages of the conductive tabs can be avoided and the safety of battery device may be improved.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2018Date of Patent: November 16, 2021Assignee: DONGGUAN POWERAMP TECHNOLOGY LIMITEDInventors: Changjiang Li, Changjian Shao
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Patent number: 11171382Abstract: The electricity storage cell is an electricity storage cell in which battery elements are accommodated inside a cell can and an opening portion on the top of the cell can is sealed by an opening sealing body; inside the cell can, there is an expansion force absorber which is capable of absorbing expansion force of the battery elements by receiving expansion of the battery elements and compressing; the battery elements are disposed between the expansion force absorber and an inner wall surface of the cell can; and the expansion force absorber has a height corresponding to the height of the battery elements, and has a lower rigidity on the opening sealing body side than in a central portion of the height direction of the cell can, or has a smaller thickness on the opening sealing body side than in the central portion of the height direction of the cell can.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2019Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.Inventor: Atsushi Sakurai
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Patent number: 11171356Abstract: A secondary battery of the present invention includes at least a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separation layer that spatially separates the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an ion conductor that is held between the positive electrode and the negative electrode and has a function of conducting ions between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. In addition, in an initial stage of using the secondary battery, the secondary battery has a characteristic of a potential increase rate of the positive electrode immediately before completion of full charging being smaller than a potential decrease rate of the negative electrode immediately before the completion of full charging and a characteristic of a potential decrease rate of the positive electrode immediately before completion of full discharging being smaller than a potential increase rate of the negative electrode immediately before the completion of full discharging.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2018Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.Inventor: Yuukou Katou
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Patent number: 11171348Abstract: A method for operating a fuel cell system comprising a control unit and at least one fuel cell comprises a cycle of the following steps: recording of an actual U/I characteristic curve of the fuel cell, comparison of the recorded actual U/I characteristic curve of the fuel cell with a target U/I characteristic curve stored in a memory, at least within a predetermined or pre-determinable current range, and determination of the difference between the target U/I characteristic curve and the actual U/I characteristic curve within the current range, comprising the following steps: continuous or clocked repetition of the cycle until the difference reaches or exceeds a predetermined or pre-determinable difference limit value, and adjustment of at least one parameter of the control unit to reduce or minimize the difference.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2019Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: AUDI AGInventors: Markus Ruf, Kai Müller
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Patent number: 11171364Abstract: Solid-state laminate electrode assemblies and various methods for making the solid-state laminate electrode assemblies involve a lithium metal layer reactively bonded to a lithium ion conducting sulfide glass layer. During manufacture, highly reactive surfaces of the lithium metal layer and the lithium ion conducting sulfide glass layer are maintained in its substantially unpassivated state until they have been reactively bonded.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2020Date of Patent: November 9, 2021Assignee: PolyPlus Battery CompanyInventors: Steven J. Visco, Vitaliy Nimon, Ian Wogan, Yevgeniy S. Nimon, Lutgard C. De Jonghe, Bruce D. Katz
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Patent number: 11165126Abstract: A pouch-type battery comprising: a pouch-type battery case having a joined wall and a cell space within the pouch, a battery cell within the cell space, a terminal tab extending outwardly of the cell space from the battery cell, said joined wall comprising at least a first sealing portion having a first sealing strength, and a second sealing portion having a second sealing strength that is less than the first sealing strength such that the second sealing portion is adapted to fail before said first sealing portion, and an electrical contact located with the second sealing portion and adapted to change contact state upon failure of the second sealing portion.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2019Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: TECHTRONIC CORDLESS GPInventors: Denis Gaston Fauteux, Wing Keung Woo
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Patent number: 11165071Abstract: A separator for a fuel cell includes a metal separator base, crest sections, and a trough sections. Regions surrounded by the respective trough sections and a corresponding electrode layer each constitute a passage that supplies oxidation gas or fuel gas to the electrode layer. A first thin film is placed over the entire surfaces of the crest sections and the trough sections that face the corresponding electrode layer. The first thin film has conductivity and a corrosion resistance higher than that of the separator base. A second thin film having conductivity is placed at least on each of the parts of the first thin film that are placed on top surfaces of the crest sections. The second thin film on the top surface of each crest section has a groove. At least one end of the groove is connected to the passage.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Satoshi Kawabe
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Patent number: 11165080Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a supply device configured to supply a cathode gas to the fuel cell; and a control unit configured to execute recovery processing of causing a catalyst of the fuel cell to recover from performance deterioration by lowering an output voltage of the fuel cell. The control unit is configured to, when the recovery processing that has been executed is completed, control the supply device to place the fuel cell in a power generation paused state while making a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas lower than a stoichiometric ratio of the cathode gas in a normal operation state that is a state before execution of the recovery processing.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2020Date of Patent: November 2, 2021Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki KaishaInventors: Tomohiko Kaneko, Masayuki Ito, Hideyuki Kumei
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Patent number: 11152659Abstract: Disclosed are a secondary battery and a method for manufacturing the same. According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a secondary battery, including: an exterior material which includes a pouch film and a sealing portion formed at an outer side of the pouch film; and an electrode assembly which includes a plurality of electrode bodies laminated with a separator interposed therebetween and are packaged by the exterior material, wherein a pair of forming portions are formed within the pouch film to house the electrode assembly, and a predetermined interval is formed between the pair of forming portions.Type: GrantFiled: July 21, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.Inventor: Hee-Gyoung Kang
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Patent number: 11152674Abstract: The present application relates to a battery module, which may include: a plurality of secondary batteries disposed in a row, the plurality of secondary batteries are provided with explosion-proof valves; an insulating plate disposed above the secondary batteries; a monitoring cable set connected with the insulating plate, and the monitoring cable set is corresponding to a position of each of the explosion-proof valves; the monitoring cable set comprises two monitoring cables, and the monitoring cables includes wires and thermomelting insulating layers cladding the wires; when the explosion-proof valve of any of the secondary batteries explodes, the thermomelting insulating layers of the two monitoring cables melt, and two wires are in contact with each other and short-circuited.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2020Date of Patent: October 19, 2021Assignee: Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., LimitedInventors: Guoliang Hu, Chao Zeng, Shaozhen Chen, Quan Yang
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Patent number: 11145879Abstract: A water content estimation method includes: measuring, by a temperature sensor, the temperature of coolant for cooling a fuel cell stack; calculating, by a water content calculator, a current heat capacity of the fuel cell stack based on the measured temperature of coolant; and estimating, by the water content calculator, a water content of the fuel cell stack based on the calculated current heat capacity of the fuel cell stack.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2018Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATIONInventor: Jung Hwan Ryu
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Patent number: 11139525Abstract: The invention relates to a clamping device for clamping a cell stack having multiple battery cells disposed next to each other in a stacking direction (x), wherein the clamping device comprises at least one fastening element for fastening the clamping device to a battery housing, and first and second end plate units, wherein at least the first end plate unit includes an end plate which is firmly connected to the at least one fastening element and a deformation plate. The deformation plate is configured such that the deformation plate can be deformed by a deformation force (F) applied to the deformation plate in the case of a cell stack received in the clamping device when at least one battery cell of the cell stack swells.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2020Date of Patent: October 5, 2021Assignee: AUDI AGInventors: Martin Schuessler, Steffen Walter, Dirk Höfner
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Patent number: 11133513Abstract: A separator for a fuel cell includes a separator base, crest sections, and trough sections. Regions surrounded by the respective trough sections and a corresponding electrode layer each constitute a passage that supplies oxidation gas or fuel gas to the electrode layer. A thin film having conductivity is placed at least on the top surface of each crest section. The thin film on the top surface of each crest section has a groove that connects the passages on the opposite sides of the crest section to each other. Each trough section has a flow resistance increasing portion on the downstream side of the groove in the flow direction of the gas. The flow resistance increasing portion reduces the cross-sectional flow area of the passage such that the cross-sectional flow area at the flow resistance increasing portion is smaller than that at the section to which the groove is connected.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: September 28, 2021Assignee: TOYOTA BOSHOKU KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Satoshi Kawabe