Patents Examined by Olatunji Godo
  • Patent number: 12002953
    Abstract: The present invention relates to positive electrode active materials in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries having a difference in cobalt concentration between the center and the edge of particle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignees: UMICORE, UMICORE KOREA LTD.
    Inventors: Maxime Blangero, Liang Zhu, YuRi Lee, Kris Driesen
  • Patent number: 12003007
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprising (i) at least one fuel cell stack (30) comprising at least one intermediate-temperature solid oxide fuel cell, and having an anode inlet (41) and a cathode inlet (61) and (ii) a reformer (70) for reforming a hydrocarbon fuel to a reformate, and a reformer heat exchanger (160); and defining: an anode inlet gas fluid flow path from a fuel source (90) to said reformer (70) to said fuel cell stack anode inlet (41); a cathode inlet gas fluid flow path from an oxidant inlet (140, 140?, 140?) through at least one cathode inlet gas heat exchanger (110, 150) to said reformer heat exchanger (160) to said fuel cell stack cathode inlet (61); wherein said at least one cathode inlet gas heat exchanger (110, 150) is arranged to heat relatively low temperature cathode inlet gas by transfer of heat from at least one of (i) an anode off-gas fluid flow path and (ii) a cathode off-gas fluid flow path; wherein said reformer heat exchanger is arranged for heating said anode inlet gas from said relative
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2024
    Assignee: Ceres Intellectual Property Company Limited
    Inventors: Oliver John Postlethwaite, Simone Stefano Dozio, Simone Bertoni, Paul Adrian Barnard
  • Patent number: 11996584
    Abstract: Provided are an ICB assembly suitable for a battery module of a horizontal stack structure wherein unidirectional battery cells are stacked such that cell leads face each other, a battery module including the same and a method for manufacturing the same. The ICB assembly of the present disclosure includes an ICB frame configured to accommodate cell leads of unidirectional battery cells having the cell leads formed on one side such that the cell leads face each other are placed on the top surface and the bottom surface of the ICB frame; and a bus bar adapted to electrically connect to the cell leads by being assembled to the ICB frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: LG Energy Solution, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hee-Jun Jin, Dal-Mo Kang, Kyung-Mo Kim, Seung-Joon Kim, Jin-Yong Park, Ho-June Chi
  • Patent number: 11990654
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a hydrogen tank to store hydrogen, a fuel cell to receive hydrogen gas from the hydrogen tank to generate electricity, a temperature controller to adjust a temperature inside the hydrogen tank, and a control unit to control the temperature controller based on the amount of hydrogen remaining in the hydrogen tank, the control unit being configured to increase the temperature inside the hydrogen tank when the amount of the remaining hydrogen is equal to or less than a first predetermined value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takahiro Takaki, Yukifumi Yamanaka
  • Patent number: 11990655
    Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a purge valve that discharges hydrogen on a hydrogen supply line passing a fuel cell stack, an operation state monitoring device that monitors an operation state of the fuel cell stack, and a controller that determines a purge frequency based on the operation state and controls the purge valve with reference to the determined purge frequency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: HYUNDAI MOBIS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Se Hoon Song, Sun Ho Lee
  • Patent number: 11988293
    Abstract: A valve for forming a passage through an inside and an outside of a packaging container constituted by resin molded articles or films are in communication with each other includes a breakable valve that's arranged to block the passage and splits open when internal pressure of the packaging container increases due to gas generated inside the packaging container, a check valve that's arranged on a secondary side located on an outer side to the breakable valve in the passage and through which the gas is discharged from the inside of the packaging container to the outside thereof according to internal pressure of the packaging container after the breakable valve has split open, and an attachment portion that delimits at least a portion of the passage and is fixed to the packaging container in a state of being sandwiched between the resin molded articles or the films constituting the packaging container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: DAI NIPPON PRINTING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Miho Sasaki, Atsuko Takahagi
  • Patent number: 11984579
    Abstract: A positive electrode material includes secondary particles formed from primary particles. The positive electrode material satisfies the following relational expression: 15%?(Dv50a?Dv50b)/Dv50b?80%, where Dv50a represents Dv50 directly measured by a laser particle size analyzer for the positive electrode material without ultrasonic treatment, Dv50b represents Dv50 measured by the laser particle size analyzer for the positive electrode material after ultrasonic treatment, and Dv50 represents a particle size of the positive electrode material at a cumulative volume of 50% in a volume-based particle size distribution as measured by starting from small particle sizes. The secondary particles of the positive electrode material that meets the foregoing condition can form soft agglomerates, so that the electrochemical device is of high cycle performance and high safety performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignees: NINGDE AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, DONGGUAN AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY LIMITED
    Inventors: Wenyuan Liu, Gang Peng, Ye Lang
  • Patent number: 11984605
    Abstract: A positive electrode of a lithium secondary battery includes a sheet-like positive electrode current collector having conductivity, and a positive electrode active material plate that is a plate-like ceramic sintered compact joined to the positive electrode current collector via a conductive joint layer. The positive electrode active material plate includes at least one active material plate element. This at least one active material plate element is joined to the positive electrode current collector. A main surface of the active material plate element that opposes the positive electrode current collector includes a joint region in which the conductive joint layer exists between the positive electrode current collector and the active material plate element and a non-joint region in which the conductive joint layer does not exist between the positive electrode current collector and the active material plate element. The non joint region is arranged around the joint region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Masahiko Hibino, Takayuki Kondo, Tetsushige Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11984551
    Abstract: The present disclosure sets forth battery components for secondary and/or traction batteries. Described herein are new solid-state lithium (Li) conducting electrolytes including monolithic, single layer, and bi-layer solid-state sulfide-based lithium ion (Li+) conducting catholytes or electrolytes. These solid-state ion conductors have particular chemical compositions which are arranged and/or bonded through both crystalline and amorphous bonds. Also provided herein are methods of making these solid-state sulfide-based lithium ion conductors including new annealing methods. These ion conductors are useful, for example, as membrane separators in rechargeable batteries.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: QuantumScape Battery, Inc.
    Inventors: Tim Holme, Kim Van Berkel, William Hudson, Kian Kerman, Sunil Mair, Amal Mehrotra, Zhebo Chen
  • Patent number: 11978930
    Abstract: A hydrogen supply system that supplies hydrogen gas to a fuel cell and causes the fuel cell to generate electricity includes a plurality of hydrogen tanks that each store hydrogen gas, and a hydrogen gas supply path that supplies the hydrogen gas to the fuel cell from each of the plurality of hydrogen tanks. At least one hydrogen tank of the plurality of hydrogen tanks is a first reserve tank that is connected to a hydrogen gas collecting pipe or a hydrogen gas recovery pipe, and that stores hydrogen gas that was not used in generating electricity in the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: KUBOTA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yukifumi Yamanaka, Takahiro Takaki
  • Patent number: 11978882
    Abstract: Provided is a method for manufacturing an active material mixture, the method including: supplying and dispersing a solid electrolyte in a dispersion medium while circulating the dispersion medium (a first dispersion step); and thereafter supplying and dispersing an active material and a conductive material in the dispersion medium (a second dispersion step), wherein an average rotation speed of the rotor in the second dispersion step is lower than an average rotation speed of the rotor in the first dispersion step. Aggregation of the solid electrolyte can be suppressed by separately performing the first dispersion step and the second dispersion step, and the increase in temperature of the active material mixture can be reduced by lowering the rotation speed of the rotor in the second dispersion step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, NIHON SPINDLE MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Ishigaki, Keiichiro Onishi, Keiichi Asami
  • Patent number: 11978934
    Abstract: An integrated fuel cell and combustor assembly, and a related method. The assembly includes a combustor having a combustor geometry and a combustor exit temperature. The assembly further includes multiple fuel cells fluidly coupled to the combustor, the multiple fuel cells being configured to generate a fuel cell power output using fuel and air directed into the multiple fuel cells and to direct a fuel and air exhaust from the multiple fuel cells into the combustor. The multiple fuel cells include multiple fuel cell control groups arranged in a predetermined electrical configuration about the combustor geometry. Each of the multiple fuel cell control groups has an adjustable electrical current bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Honggang Wang, Michael A. Benjamin
  • Patent number: 11973248
    Abstract: A method for diagnosing degradation of a fuel cell stack, including: S10, qualitatively determining a degradation type of the fuel cell stack according to a voltage-current curve of the fuel cell stack; S20, quantitatively measuring parameter values of each of individual cells of the fuel cell stack according to the degradation type, and quantitatively determining a degradation degree of each of the individual cells according to the parameter values; S30, determining a uniformity degradation degree among the individual cells of the fuel cell stack according to a non-uniformity degree of a voltage distribution of the individual cells. By qualitatively determining the degradation type of the fuel cell stack, the degradation condition of the entire fuel cell stack may be obtained.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jian-Qiu Li, Zun-Yan Hu, Liang-Fei Xu, Ming-Gao Ouyang
  • Patent number: 11949008
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate having a front side and a back side opposite the front side. The semiconductor structure also includes a first contact metal layer disposed on the front side of the substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes a III-V compound semiconductor layer disposed between the substrate and the first contact metal layer. Moreover, the semiconductor structure includes a via hole penetrating through the substrate and the III-V compound semiconductor layer from the back side of the substrate. The bottom of the via hole is defined by the first contact metal layer, and the first contact metal layer includes molybdenum, tungsten, iridium, palladium, platinum, cobalt, ruthenium, osmium, rhodium, rhenium, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: WIN SEMICONDUCTORS CORP.
    Inventors: Chang-Hwang Hua, Chia-Hao Chen
  • Patent number: 11942636
    Abstract: The present application relates to the electrochemical field, and in particular, to a positive electrode material, and an electrochemical energy storage apparatus having thereof. The present application provides a positive electrode material, including a substrate. The substrate includes secondary particles containing primary particles. A surface of the substrate is coated with an oxide coating layer. The oxide coating layer comprises a coating element, and the coating element is selected from one or more of Al, Ba, Zn, Ti, Zr, Mg, W, Y, Si, Sn, B, Co, or P. The electrochemical energy storage apparatus comprises the foregoing positive electrode material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOGY CO., LIMITED
    Inventors: Rui Du, Yongchao Liu, Sihui Wang, Deyu Zhao, Na Liu
  • Patent number: 11936078
    Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide fuel cell system capable of stable start-up and method for starting the fuel cell system. Fuel cell system includes SOFC, a turbocharger, oxidizing gas supply line, a control valve, oxidizing gas blow line, start-up air line for supplying the start-up air to the oxidizing gas supply line with a blower, and a control unit that, in state in which the control valve is closed and the blow valve is opened to supply the start-up air to the oxidizing gas supply line with the blower when the turbocharger is started, decreases the opening of the blow valve and, after the timing at which the opening of the blow valve starts to decrease, increases the opening of the control valve and then stops the supply of the starting air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Ozawa, Yasushi Iwai, Kimi Kodo, Kenta Araki
  • Patent number: 11916251
    Abstract: A multi-cell rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) includes a plurality of battery cells organized into battery modules and a first enclosure configured to house the battery modules. The RESS also includes a first vent arranged on the first enclosure and configured to direct air from inside the first enclosure to an environment external to the first enclosure. The RESS additionally includes a second vent arranged on the first enclosure and configured to direct air into the first enclosure from the environment external to the first enclosure. The RESS further includes a phase-change material (PCM) device arranged on the second vent and configured to melt in response to at least one of the battery modules experiencing a thermal runaway event. In combination with the first vent, the PCM generates crossflow ventilation through the first enclosure to cool the battery modules therein and mitigate thermal runaway.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Benjamin G. Wroblewski, Jordan Mullins, Brian Carrier
  • Patent number: 11912879
    Abstract: Provided is a film forming method of a corrosion resistant film having a corrosion resistance under acidic atmosphere and a corrosion resistant member on which the corrosion resistant film is coated. The film forming method of the corrosion resistant film includes: bringing a substrate made of aluminum into contact with an aqueous solution containing sulfate ions and fluoride ions; and heating the substrate to boil the aqueous solution on a surface of the substrate and forming a corrosion resistant film containing at least oxygen, fluorine, and sulfur in the aluminum derived from the substrate on the surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tomoharu Kataoka, Masao Watanabe, Yuya Kusano
  • Patent number: 11909085
    Abstract: Disclosed are air electrode materials suitable for use in solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOCs). The disclosed cells can operate in a dual function modes, i.e., as a fuel cell and as an electrolysis cell. In both cases, chemical energy and electrical energy can be directly convert from one mode to the other; thereby providing a highly efficient energy conversion process that can be used as a sustainable energy source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: Phillips 66 Company, Georgia Tech Research Corporation
    Inventors: Weilin Zhang, Meilin Liu, Ying Liu, Yucun Zhou
  • Patent number: 11888196
    Abstract: Self-refueling power-generating systems and methods of configuring them are provided, which enable operation in a self-sustained manner, using no external resource for water, oxygen or hydrogen. The systems and methods determine the operation of reversible device(s) in fuel cell or electrolyzer mode according to power requirements and power availability, supply oxygen in a closed circuit, compressing received oxygen in the electrolyzer mode, and supplying water or dilute electrolyte in a closed circuit in conjunction with the closed oxygen supply circuit by separating oxygen produced by the reversible device(s) in the electrolyzer mode from the water or dilute electrolyte received from the reversible device(s). Membrane assemblies may comprise a binder and be hot-pressed to enhance their long-term performance and durability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: HYDROLITE LTD
    Inventors: Miles Page, Ervin Tal-Gutelmacher