Patents Examined by Olatunji A Godo
  • Patent number: 11127960
    Abstract: A processing method for a fuel cell system including a fuel cell stack configured to generate electric power when supplied with an anode gas and a cathode gas is started in a state in which the fuel cell stack is not supplied with the anode gas and the cathode gas and generation of electric power in the fuel cell stack is stopped. The processing method includes: a first process of starting supply of the cathode gas; a second process of starting supply of an inert gas to an anode when a voltage of the fuel cell stack increases and then becomes equal to or less than a predetermined first voltage; and a third process of stopping the supply of the inert gas when the voltage of the fuel cell stack increases and then becomes equal to or less than a predetermined second voltage after the second process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Michito Norimoto
  • Patent number: 11127972
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a battery, a method for preparing the same, an application method and an electronic device. The battery includes: a battery panel, in which the battery panel is capable of being switched between a first state and a second state, in the first state, the cation-transporting subunit is in contact with the ion-receiving subunit and one of the two ion-supplying subunits, and the anion-transporting subunit is in contact with the ion-receiving subunit and the other of the two ion-supplying subunits; in the second state, the cation-transporting subunit is not in contact with the ion-receiving subunit and one of the two ion-supplying subunits, and the anion-transporting subunit is not in contact with the ion-receiving subunit and the other of the two ion-supplying subunits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignees: BEIJING BOE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Huaxu Bao, Minghui Zhang, Wenxin Zhang
  • Patent number: 11121437
    Abstract: Electrochemical cells and methods of making electrochemical cells are described herein. In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a multi-layer sheet for encasing an electrode material for an electrochemical cell. The multi-layer sheet including an outer layer, an intermediate layer that includes a conductive substrate, and an inner layer disposed on a portion of the conductive substrate. The intermediate layer is disposed between the outer layer and the inner layer. The inner layer defines an opening through which a conductive region of the intermediate layer is exposed such that the electrode material can be electrically connected to the conductive region. Thus, the intermediate layer can serve as a current collector for the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2021
    Assignee: 24M Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ricardo Bazzarella, Alexander H. Slocum, Tristan Doherty, James C. Cross, III
  • Patent number: 11114708
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling a temperature of a battery pack, in which, when the battery pack is in an extremely low temperature state during charging/discharging, a PWM signal having a duty ratio value that increases as the temperature increases is outputted to intermittently drive a heat generating unit so that the battery pack stably increases in temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: LG CHEM, LTD.
    Inventors: Seung Hwan Kim, Dong Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 11114678
    Abstract: A bipolar plate seal assembly for a fuel cell is provided. The bipolar plate seal assembly includes: a bipolar plate having a flow field for a reactant medium on at least one of its main sides, and a supply area arranged adjacent to the flow field, in which supply ports for feeding and discharging the reactant medium and optionally for feeding and discharging a coolant are arranged; and at least one seal assembly having an electrically insulating layer covering at least one or more sections of the supply area of the bipolar plate and having recesses that correspond to the supply ports of the bipolar plate, and for each recess, a seal circumferential thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignees: VOLKSWAGEN AG, AUDI AG
    Inventors: Peter Bach, Andrew Desouza, Ian Stewart
  • Patent number: 11114683
    Abstract: An FC (fuel cell) system includes: a compressor supplying air to a CE (cathode electrode) of FC; an OV (outlet valve) connected to a discharge port through which air is discharged from CE; an injector supplying hydrogen gas to an AE (anode electrode) of FC; a CP (circulation pump) provided in a circulation path that returns the hydrogen gas discharged from AE to AE; and a controller controlling power generation of FC. In a case of removing a component that allows air to enter CE when removed, before the component is removed, the controller executes a first step of opening OV, driving the compressor, and supplying air to CE, and a second step of driving CP to cause hydrogen gas that remains inside AE and the circulation path to be circulated in a state in which the hydrogen gas is not supplied to AE from the injector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Michitaro Itoga
  • Patent number: 11108070
    Abstract: A method for forming an electrode catalyst layer by putting catalyst ink within an insulative container having a conductive nozzle in communication with the interior of the container and applying an electrospray voltage to the nozzle to cause electrospray of the catalyst ink through the tip end of the nozzle and thereby to form an electrode catalyst layer, the method includes preparing catalyst ink containing a mixture of at least electrode catalyst, polymer electrolyte binder and volatile organic compound and/or water, putting the catalyst ink within the container with a space remaining inside thereof and air-tightly sealing the container, and electrospraying with the space inside of the air-tightly sealed container being conditioned to have a negative pressure of a level at which the catalyst ink cannot drip off from the nozzle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF YAMANASHI
    Inventors: Makoto Uchida, Katsuyoshi Kakinuma
  • Patent number: 11108068
    Abstract: Disclosed is a control system for a fuel cell system that includes at least two or more fuel cell groups which each have at least one fuel cell connected in parallel. The fuel cell control system comprises: a unit level controller configured to control an output of an individual fuel cell; a group level controller configured to determine the output distribution of the individual fuel cells within the fuel cell group based on the performance decrease rates of the individual fuel cells within the fuel cell group; and a system level controller configured to determine the total output of the fuel cell system according to the power demand for the grid and determine the output distribution for each of the fuel cell groups in correspondence to the total output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: FCI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ingab Chang, Tae Won Lee
  • Patent number: 11101488
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a plurality of fuel cell stacks, a power generation control unit that controls power generation of the plurality of fuel cell stacks based on a required power for the plurality of fuel cell stacks, and a refreshing control unit configured to perform a refreshing process of decreasing a voltage on the plurality of fuel cell stacks. The refreshing control unit performs the refreshing process on the first fuel cell stack when the required power changes from a state in which the required power is less than a first predetermined value to a state in which the required power is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and when the required power is in a range which is equal to or greater than the first predetermined value and less than the second threshold value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masayuki Ito
  • Patent number: 11101513
    Abstract: Techniques regarding a thin film battery, which can comprise one or more sealing layers, and a method of manufacturing thereof are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can regard an apparatus that can comprise a thin film battery cell encapsulated in a multi-layer stack comprising an adhesive layer located between a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer. The apparatus can also comprise a metal sealing layer at least partially surrounding the multi-layer stack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Qianwen Chen, Bing Dang, Bo Wen, Marlon Agno, John Knickerbocker
  • Patent number: 11101479
    Abstract: A system includes a canister and a fuel cell. The canister defines an internal volume configured to have a hydride bed positioned therein. The canister includes at least 1.0 kWH/kg of energy based on a heating value of 120 kJ/g of hydrogen present. The hydride bed includes lithium aluminum hydride, aluminum hydride, or a combination thereof. The hydride bed is configured to release hydrogen gas when heated to a predetermined temperature. The fuel cell is configured to receive the hydrogen gas from the canister and to use the hydrogen gas as fuel to produce power for a load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Jason Graetz, Adam E. Sorensen, John J. Vajo
  • Patent number: 11094934
    Abstract: An electrode slurry contains (A) a cellulose fiber and (C) an electrode active material, the electrode active material (C) contains at least a silicon particle and may contain a silicon particle and a carbonaceous particle. The slurry may further contain (B) a carboxymethyl-group-containing cellulose ether or a salt thereof. The average fiber length L (1 to 750 ?m) of the cellulose fiber (A) is larger than the average particle size DSi (1 nm to 1 ?m) of the silicon particle as the electrode active material (C). The average particle size ratio L/DSi is 5 to 15,000. The electrode slurry can improve a discharge capacity and is useful for forming an electrode of a non-aqueous secondary battery (lithium-ion secondary battery) that can maintain a high discharge capacity after repeated charging and discharging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignees: DAICEL CORPORATION, DAICEL FINECHEM LTD.
    Inventors: Masao Iwaya, Shinya Ono, Naoki Doi
  • Patent number: 11094983
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SK INNOVATION CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hee-Gyoung Kang
  • Patent number: 11088406
    Abstract: A valuable material recovery method includes a discharge step of discharging a lithium-ion battery; a thermal decomposition step of reducing a lithium compound, which is a cathode active material, into a magnetic oxide by thermally treating the lithium-ion battery after being discharged; a crushing step of crushing the lithium-ion battery, after being thermally decomposed, into fragments of a size suitable for wind sorting, allowing part of the magnetic oxide to remain in the aluminum foil; a sieving step of sieving a crushed material to separate the crushed material into an oversized product and an undersized product; a wind sorting step of separating the oversized product into a heavy product and a light product; and a magnetic sorting step of sorting and recovering the aluminum foil with a residue of the magnetic oxide, as a magnetized material, and recovering the copper foil as a non-magnetized material from the light product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Shu Muraoka, Hiroshi Hayashi, Hiromichi Koizumi, Ryutaro Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 11088415
    Abstract: An apparatus and method, according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a battery tray configured to support a plurality of battery cells and at least one cross member positioned between adjacent battery cells. The at least one cross member comprises a base portion that is fixed to the battery tray and an elongated body extending outwardly from the base portion. The elongated body extends from a first end at the base portion to a second end that is opposite the first end, and wherein the first end has a first width and the second end has a second width that is less than the first width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Mike Popovski, Ihab Grace, Abigail Christensen, Saravanan Paramasivam, Anil Reddy Pullalarevu, Michael William Danyo, John Jardine
  • Patent number: 11088386
    Abstract: A fuel cell monitoring device includes: an impedance measuring part measuring an impedance at each fuel cell and an impedance at a fuel cell stack as a whole; a water content estimating part calculating a water content estimated value at each fuel cell using a gas diffusion resistance obtained from a measurement result about the impedance at each fuel cell, and calculating a water content reference estimated value indicating a water content in each fuel cell using a gas diffusion resistance obtained from a measurement result about the impedance at the fuel cell stack as a whole; and a determining part detecting at least either the occurrence of deterioration of catalyst in the fuel cell or the occurrence of a distribution failure of reactive gas at the fuel cell by determining based on the magnitude of the water content estimated value relative to the water content reference estimated value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Chiaki Mizutani, Ikuyasu Kato, Miho Hatazaki, Kazuo Yamamoto, Shigeki Hasegawa
  • Patent number: 11088363
    Abstract: A lithium-ion secondary battery including a lithium-containing complex phosphate as a positive electrode active material is provided. Furthermore, a positive electrode active material with high diffusion rate of lithium ions is provided to provide a lithium-ion secondary battery with high output. A positive electrode active material of a lithium-ion secondary battery includes a first plate-like component and a second plate-like component, a third prismatic component between the first component and the second component, and a space between the first component and the second component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teppei Oguni, Takuya Miwa
  • Patent number: 11081763
    Abstract: To counteract the potentially destructive effects of temperature increases in primary batteries during short circuit conditions, a current interrupt may be positioned within an anode conductive path. The current interrupt may comprise a thermoplastic substrate having a low glass transition temperature, and having a conductive coating thereon to form a portion of the anode conductive path. During a short circuit, the temperature within the battery increases above the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic substrate, thereby causing the current interrupt to deform, thereby degrading the portion of the anode conductive path defined by the current interrupt, decreasing the amount of current flowing through the anode conductive path, and effectively limiting the temperature increase within the battery interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Energizer Brands, LLC
    Inventor: Frederick Whitestone Marcaly
  • Patent number: 11081715
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes: a fuel cell; a voltage detector; a current detector; an alternating current signal supply unit; a phase difference calculation unit configured to calculate, based on detected alternating voltage and detected alternating current, a phase difference between the detected alternating current and the detected alternating voltage; and an estimation unit configured to estimate, in accordance with the phase difference, an electric power generation distribution feature amount representing an electric power generation distribution in a cell surface of the fuel cell, with use of a predetermined relationship between the electric power generation distribution feature amount and the phase difference. The electric power generation distribution feature amount includes a value indicating a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of local current density in the cell surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Chiaki Mizutani, Shigeki Hasegawa, Kazuo Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11081683
    Abstract: A method for predicting the likelihood of coagulation of active material particles contained in a slurry for electrode preparation includes measuring rheological properties before and after the slurry is subjected to a shear. The estimation method enables a prediction of filter clogging with a slurry, and thus makes it possible to estimate the likelihood of filter clogging with a slurry without passing the slurry directly through the filter, thereby improving the efficiency of a battery manufacturing process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventors: Jeongyong Lee, Ki Yeon Jo, Hyejin Han, Sangeun Kim, Myunghan Lee, Changkwon Chung