Patents Examined by Stephen J. Kalafut
  • Patent number: 8178254
    Abstract: There is provided an SOFC cell and manufacturing method thereof whereby the occurrence of Cr poisoning of the air electrode can be satisfactorily suppressed in an SOFC cell formed by joining together an air electrode with a Cr-containing alloy or the like. A Cr(VI) oxide suppressing state is induced for suppressing the formation of Cr(VI) oxides in an alloy or oxide during a firing process in which an alloy or oxide and an air electrode are fired in a state of being joined together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuichi Inoue, Hidemasa Nonaka, Satoru Uenoyama
  • Patent number: 8178230
    Abstract: A battery pack comprises a plurality of electrochemical cells and a housing. The cells have similar shape and size. The shape is a rectangular prism with opposing major faces. The cells are aligned in a stack along an axis of the pack so that one of the major faces of each cell contacts the major face of the adjacent cell. The housing comprises a top portion and a bottom portion. The top portion comprises a top plate and four side plates joined to the top plate so as to form a cavity with an opening. The cross-sectional area of the opening is at least slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the stack, and the cross-sectional area of the cavity in a plane closer to the top plate is sized so that the stack fits snugly therein. The battery stack is disposed in the housing. The bottom portion closes the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: BYD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jianhua Zhu, Weixin Zheng, Hao Hu, Xi Shen
  • Patent number: 8178238
    Abstract: A positive-electrode active material for a lithium-ion secondary battery has an average composition expressed by the following formula (1): LixCo1-y-zMyCezOb-aXa ??(1) wherein M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of boron B, magnesium Mg, aluminum Al, silicon Si, phosphorous P, sulfur S, titanium Ti, chromium Cr, manganese Mn, iron Fe, cobalt Co, nickel Ni, copper Cu, zinc Zn, gallium Ga, yttrium Y, zirconium Zr, molybdenum Mo, silver Ag, tungsten W, indium In, tin Sn, lead Pb, and antimony Sb, X represents a halogen element, and x, y, z, a, and b satisfy 0.2<x?1.2, 0?y?0.1, 0.5<z?5.0, 1.8?b?2.2, and 0?a?1.0, respectively, and the concentration of cerium Ce is higher in the vicinity of the surface than in the inside.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Masanori Soma, Masayuki Ihara, Kenichi Kawase, Atsumichi Kawashima
  • Patent number: 8178231
    Abstract: In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a cathode composition is provided that includes at least one transition metal or a transition metal salt, wherein the transition metal is at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel, iron, cobalt, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, and antimony; an alkali metal halide; a salt comprising an alkali metal halide and a metal halide; and a metal polysulfide compound MSn wherein M is a metal and n is an integer equal to or greater than 2. The salt comprising an alkali metal halide and a metal halide has a melting point of less than about 300° C. An energy storage device comprising the electrode composition is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Grigorii Lev Soloveichik, Richard Louis Hart, Roy Christie Galloway
  • Patent number: 8178225
    Abstract: In one aspect, a battery comprises a battery main body, a protective jacket that surrounds the battery main body, and a cooling medium disposed between the protective jacket and the battery main body. In another aspect, a battery comprises a battery main body, a protective jacket that surrounds and connects to the battery main body, and a cooling medium disposed between the protective jacket and the battery main body. The cooling medium has a specific heat capacity of about 1-5 kJ kg?1K?1. In yet another aspect, a method for preparing a battery comprises providing a protective jacket, placing a battery main body in the protective jacket, and disposing a cooling medium between the protective jacket and the battery main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: BYD Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yingliang Ji, Jianhua Zhu, Xi Shen
  • Patent number: 8173285
    Abstract: Provided is a system for managing a lithium battery system having a plurality of cells. The battery system comprises a variable-resistance element electrically connected to a cell and located proximate a portion of the cell; and a device for determining, utilizing the variable-resistance element, whether the temperature of the cell has exceeded a predetermined threshold. A method of managing the temperature of a lithium battery system is also included.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company
    Inventor: Thomas J. Dougherty
  • Patent number: 8163434
    Abstract: A method of preparing a solid oxide fuel cell is described herein, as well as the fuel cell itself. The method comprises forming a cathode layer comprising a strontium composition on a ceramic electrolyte layer; and forming a barrier layer between the cathode layer and an overlying interconnect structure comprising chromium, so as to substantially prevent the formation of strontium chromate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Anteneh Kebbede, Gabriel Kwadwo Ofori-Okai, Frederic Joseph Klug, Matthew Joseph Alinger, Daniel Joseph Lewis
  • Patent number: 8163428
    Abstract: The invention relates to a fuel cell system and method comprising a reformer with a thermal starting device, at least one gas processing stage downstream of the reformer, at least one fuel cell disposed downstream of the gas processing stage and a plurality of bipolar plates, the fuel cell having an inner region of a reaction with anode, cathode and electrolyte, and an outer region with at least one cooling channel permitting a coolant to flow through the cooling channel, wherein the outer region is not in fluid connection with the inner region. Upstream of the fuel cell, the fuel cell system has a switching device, which is switchable between a start-up position and an operating position, wherein in the operating position the product gases from the reformer and/or the thermal starting device are guided to the inner region of the fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Enymotion GmbH
    Inventor: Steffen Wieland
  • Patent number: 8163438
    Abstract: A composite electrolyte membrane uses a metal-oxide hydrate which has a number of hydration water molecules of 2.7 or more and 10 or less and/or which is in the form of particles having a particle diameter of 1 nm or more and 10 nm or less. The composite electrolyte membrane exhibits its expected original performance, has both a high proton conductivity and a low methanol permeability, and provides a high-output membrane electrolyte assembly for a fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Hirashige, Makoto Morishima, Mikio Kishimoto, Yuko Sawaki, Kazutaka Matsuo
  • Patent number: 8163040
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a cylindrical battery includes allowing a cylindrical battery case (5) with a bottom to contain an electrode plate group, carrying out a groove-forming processing on an outside periphery of an opening of the battery case, disposing a sealing plate in the opening of the battery case through a gasket, and crimping and sealing the end of the opening of the battery case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventor: Kazutaka Teramoto
  • Patent number: 8158287
    Abstract: A fuel cell system which provides stable cell outputs at startup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takaaki Matsubayashi
  • Patent number: 8153296
    Abstract: A primary cell having an anode comprising lithium and a cathode comprising a metal doped iron sulfide and carbon particles. A cathode slurry is prepared comprising the metal doped iron sulfide powder, carbon, binder, and a liquid solvent. The mixture is coated onto a conductive substrate and solvent evaporated leaving a dry cathode coating on the substrate. The anode and cathode can be spirally wound with separator therebetween and inserted into the cell casing with electrolyte then added.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Zhiping Jiang, Rimma Sirotina, Nikolay Iltchev
  • Patent number: 8153310
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus system includes an electronic apparatus and a fuel cell device which supplies electricity to the electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus includes a housing, a heat generating component located in the housing, and a thermal radiation mechanism. The fuel cell device includes an electromotive section which has an anode and a cathode and generates the electricity based on a chemical reaction, a fuel tank containing a fuel, a circulation system which allows air and a fuel supplied from the fuel tank to circulate through the electromotive section, and a gas purifying filter arranged in the circulation system and having a catalyst section which decontaminates a gas component in an exhaust from the electromotive section. The gas purifying filter is located adjacent to the thermal radiation mechanism so as to be heatable by heat from the radiation mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Tomohiro Hirayama
  • Patent number: 8148001
    Abstract: An energy storage device includes at least one nanotube. An energy storage mechanism converts energy external to the device into the appropriate levels of strain on the at least one nanotube to produce stored energy, and an energy recovery mechanism converts the energy released by relaxing the at least one nanotube back to energy external to the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Timothy F. Havel, Carol Livermore-Clifford
  • Patent number: 8142955
    Abstract: A utility supply system supplies a fluid containing an antioxidant of a gaseous phase to a stack of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, for efficient removal of hydroxyl radicals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masashi Ito
  • Patent number: 8142918
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to methods of making a cathode for a lithium battery. The batteries include: (a) treating a cathode current collector with flame or corona; (b) coating a slurry containing iron disulfide, a first solvent, and a binder onto the cathode current collector obtained from step (a) to form a coated cathode current collector, in which the slurry contains about 73-75% by weight solids and the binder contains a polymer selected from the group consisting of linear di- and tri-block copolymers, linear tri-block copolymers cross-linked with melamine resin, ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers, tri-block fluorinated thermoplastics, hydrogenated nitrile rubbers, fluoro-ethylene-vinyl ether copolymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, thermoplastic olefins, and polyvinylidene fluoride homopolymers; and (c) drying the coated cathode current collector obtained from step (b) to provide a cathode, in which the cathode contains no more than 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: The Gillette Company
    Inventors: Christopher Boczer, Frank M. Delnick, Rosario Del Rosauro, Minkoo Kang, Lucyna M. Pawlowska, Michael Pozin, Dharmendra Rana, Maya Stevanovic, John J. Weckesser
  • Patent number: 8137843
    Abstract: A negative electrode active material contains a metal-displaced lithium-titanium oxide of a ramsdellite structure expressed by the formula Li(16/7)-xTi(24/7)-yMyO8 (where M is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, Mo, and W, and x and y are respectively numbers in the range of 0<x<16/7 and 0<y<24/7).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Harada, Norio Takami, Hiroki Inagaki, Tomokazu Morita
  • Patent number: 8137861
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a membrane for direct-liquid fuel cell, comprised of a layered cation-exchange membrane whose one side is constituted by A) a cation-exchange membrane layer of low water content type having a water content of 1 to 15% by mass at a relative humidity of 50% RH (25° C.) and whose other side is constituted by B) a cation-exchange membrane layer of high water content type having, at a relative humidity of 100% RH (25° C.), a water content which is higher, by 3% by mass ore more, than the water content of the cation-exchange membrane layer of low water content type at a relative humidity of 100% RH (25° C.), the layered cation-exchange membrane having an electrical resistance of 0.5 to 0.01 ?·cm2 in a 1 mol/L aqueous sulfuric acid solution at 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Tokuyama Corporation
    Inventors: Kenji Fukuta, Hiroshi Inoue, Takenori Isomura
  • Patent number: 8133602
    Abstract: A rechargeable battery includes an electrode assembly, a case, a cap assembly, and an arc interrupter. The electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, and a separator interposed between the anode and the cathode. The case houses the electrode assembly and has an opening for the electrode assembly, and the cap assembly is coupled to the opening of the case and is electrically connected to the electrode assembly. The arc interrupter includes an interrupting member movably disposed in the cap assembly and a driving member connected to the interrupting member to transfer the interrupting member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tae-Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 8133632
    Abstract: An Au plated film 12 is formed on the surface of a plate-formed metal base 13 composed of a metal less noble than Au, and the product is cut along a planned cutting line 18 reflecting a contour of a desired component, to thereby form a separator 10. Thus-formed separator 10 has the Au plated film 12 formed on the main surface 10a thereof, and has a cutting plane 16 formed as an end face 16 stretched up to the main surface 10a. The metal base 13 exposes in a part of the cutting plane 16, in a width of the exposed region of 1 mm or less. This is successful in providing a metal component for fuel cell which is satisfactory in the corrosion resistance and allows easy fabrication at low costs, a method of manufacturing the same, and also in providing a fuel cell having thus-fabricated metal component for fuel cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Assignee: Daido Tokushuko Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shinobu Takagi, Masaki Shinkawa, Mikio Ura, Shinichi Yagi, Yasushi Kaneta, Tatsuo Hisada