Patents Examined by Victoria H Lynch
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Patent number: 11688896Abstract: A cell count determination device is configured to determine a cell count of a battery pack having installed therein a plurality of battery cells. The cell count determination device includes a plurality of switch elements provided in association with the plurality of battery cells, which can be increased or decreased in number in the battery pack. Each of the switch elements is configured to enter a conductive state if, while connected to the battery pack, a corresponding battery cell is present, and enter a non-conductive state if the corresponding battery cell is not present. The cell count determination device further includes a determination unit that is configured to determine the cell count of the connected battery pack on the basis of a combination of conductive states and non-conductive states among the plurality of switch elements.Type: GrantFiled: October 22, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: LAPIS SEMICONDUCTOR CO., LTD.Inventors: Hisao Ohtake, Koji Suzuki
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Patent number: 11688867Abstract: To provide a fuel cell system capable of evaluating degradation of an electrolyte membrane by quantifying metal ions involved in degradation of an electrolyte membrane instead of evaluating degradation of an electrolyte membrane itself. A fuel cell system comprising a fuel cell, a fuel gas system for supplying fuel gas to an anode of the fuel cell, an oxidant gas system for supplying oxidant gas to a cathode of the fuel cell, a voltage detector for detecting a voltage of the fuel cell, and a controller.Type: GrantFiled: March 9, 2022Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventor: Tokio Kato
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Patent number: 11682770Abstract: Disclosed is a catalyst layer for a fuel cell that has good gas diffusion properties in the entire catalyst layer and in which coarsening of catalyst particles can be suppressed. The catalyst layer for a fuel cell includes fibrous conductive members and catalyst particles. The fibrous conductive members are inclined relative to the surface direction of the catalyst layer, and the length L of the fibrous conductive members and the thickness T of the catalyst layer satisfy the relational expression: L/T?3. Each of the catalyst particles includes a core portion and a shell portion that covers the core portion, and contains a component different from that of the core portion.Type: GrantFiled: December 26, 2018Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.Inventors: Hitoshi Ishimoto, Kazuya Yamasaki, Shinichiro Imura, Takeshi Minamiura, Yukihiro Shimasaki, Kenichi Ezaki
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Patent number: 11682799Abstract: A battery monitoring system for a battery pack having battery cells including a test cell and a reference voltage. The battery monitoring system includes built-in-test circuitry associated with the test cell. The built-in-test circuitry has a monitoring control operable to permit electric current between the reference voltage and the test cell and an enabling control operable to permit electric current between the reference voltage and the test cell. The battery monitoring system also includes battery monitoring circuitry having cell monitoring voltage interfaces configured to receive cell voltages associated with the battery cells and a built-in-test interface operable upon actuation by the battery monitoring circuitry to operate the monitoring control. A method for operating circuitry associated with the battery monitoring system is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2020Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: Air Transport Safety Inc.Inventors: Inder J. Verma, Willard A. Blevins
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Patent number: 11682791Abstract: A solid electrolyte includes a compound having an argyrodite crystal structure represented by Formula 1, LiaMxPSbBrcXd.??Formula 1 wherein Formula 1, M is Na, K, Fe, Mg, Ca, Ag, Cu, Zr, Zn, or a combination thereof; X is Cl, I, or a combination thereof; and 0?x<1, 5?(a+x)<7, 5?a?6, 4?b?6, 0<(c+d)?2, and (c/d)>4.Type: GrantFiled: September 29, 2020Date of Patent: June 20, 2023Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.Inventors: Hyunseok Kim, Saebom Ryu, Seoksoo Lee, Soyeon Kim
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Patent number: 11670812Abstract: The invention provides a thermal management device for energy storage system, a method for controlling the thermal management device for energy storage system, and an energy storage system, wherein the thermal management device for energy storage system comprises a heat dissipation system, a temperature transducer, a data acquisition module, a management module and a data interaction module; the heat dissipation system comprises refrigerant circulating heat exchange components for heat dissipation of energy storage system, wherein the refrigerant circulating heat exchange components perform heat exchange through phase change of refrigerant; the data acquisition module is connected with the temperature transducer, and is used for acquiring the external environment temperature and the working environment temperature of energy storage system; the management module is used for conducting heating value analysis of energy storage system, and then performing heat dissipation control and management according to the hType: GrantFiled: November 15, 2022Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: SHENZHEN KUBO ENERGY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTDInventors: Zijian Guo, Xi Zheng, Kuan Li, Jinlai Shang, Xiaoli Guo, Guoping Hu
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Patent number: 11671181Abstract: A battery system includes a plurality of battery modules, each of the battery modules including a plurality of stacked battery cells and a battery module monitor (BMM) configured to monitor the respective battery cells; a battery system monitor (BSM) configured to communicate with and control the BMMs; a housing enclosing the battery modules and the BSM, the battery modules being arranged in the housing such that a swelling compensation channel is formed between the battery module and the housing; and an optical communication system (OCS) configured to connect the BSM with the BMMs via optical signals propagating along the swelling compensation channel.Type: GrantFiled: February 22, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: SAMSUNG SDI CO., LTD.Inventors: Maximilian Hofer, Roland Klobasa, Gernot Kraberger
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Patent number: 11670786Abstract: The low efficiency power generation part of a control device is provided with an operating point setting part setting a target current and a target voltage defining an operating point of the fuel cell at the time of low efficiency power generation and a generated electric power control part making the generated electric power of the fuel cell increase and decrease at the time of low efficiency power generation by controlling the current of the fuel cell to the target current while making the flow rate of feed of oxidizing agent gas supplied to the fuel cell fluctuate so that the voltage of the fuel cell increases and decreases above and below the target voltage within a range where the charged and discharged electric powers of the rechargeable battery do not become larger than the allowable charged and discharged electric powers.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryouichi Namba, Asuka Takasaki, Hiroyuki Tsunekawa
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Patent number: 11667201Abstract: An electrolyte station is used for electrolyte replacement in a redox flow battery that is mounted to a vehicle. The electrolyte station includes: a stand that includes a connector that connects to a connection socket that connects to an electrolyte tank in the redox flow battery; a recovery tank that stores a recovered electrolyte; a filling tank that stores a charged electrolyte; a recovery line that connects the connector in the stand and the recovery tank; and a filling line that connects the connector in the stand and the filling tank. In response to the connector being connected to the connection socket, the electrolyte station enables the used electrolyte removed from an electrolyte tank to be recovered to the recovery tank through the recovery line, and enables the charged electrolyte stored in the filling tank to be supplied the electrolyte tank through the filling line.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: DENSO CORPORATIONInventors: Hiroomi Funakoshi, Atsushi Nakajima
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Patent number: 11670804Abstract: A lithium-based energy storage system includes an electrolyte and an electrode. The electrode has a conformal coating of parylene. The parylene forms an artificial solid electrolyte interface (SEI). The electrode may include a material chosen from silicon, graphene-silicon composite, carbon-sulfur, and lithium. The use of parylene to form a conformal coating on an electrode in a lithium-based energy storage system is also disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteInventors: Rahul Mukherjee, Eklavya Singh, Nikhil Koratkar, Toh-Ming Lu
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Patent number: 11670762Abstract: Disclosed are a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery and a rechargeable lithium battery including the same. The negative active material includes: a silicon particle core comprising a silicon particle having a particle size in a micrometer range; an oxide layer having a thickness in a range of about 65 nm to about 450 nm, on the silicon particle core; and a conductive layer on the oxide layer.Type: GrantFiled: February 16, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventor: Chul Youm
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Patent number: 11670938Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a battery management system (BMS) having a protection circuit. In one example, a vehicle battery system may include the BMS, the BMS including a cutoff circuit coupled to a short-circuit protection circuit, and a battery pack, wherein the short-circuit protection circuit may include a diode array, cathodes of the diode array being coupled to a positive terminal post of the battery pack and anodes of the diode array being coupled to a negative terminal post of the battery pack. In some examples, the cutoff circuit may further be coupled to a reverse bias protection circuit including a switchable current path arranged between a control input of the cutoff circuit and an output of the cutoff circuit. In this way, the vehicle battery system may be protected from unexpected voltage conditions via the BMS redirecting and dissipating excess current away from the cutoff circuit.Type: GrantFiled: June 8, 2021Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Assignee: A123 Systems, LLCInventors: Yue Li, Steve Gierlach, Weiwei Lin, Brian Large, Jiaping Zhang, Ke Xu
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Patent number: 11661343Abstract: A process for preparing a porous carbon material. The process comprises the process steps: providing a carbon source; providing an amphiphilic species; contacting the carbon source and the amphiphilic species to obtain a precursor; and heating the precursor to obtain the porous carbon material; wherein the carbon source comprises a carbon source compound, wherein the carbon source compound comprises an aromatic ring having one or more attached OH groups and an ester link.Type: GrantFiled: October 26, 2018Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: HERAEUS BATTERY TECHNOLOGY GMBHInventors: Julie Michaud-Bernlochner, Daniel Weingarth, Andreas Kuhn, Dominik Samuelis
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Patent number: 11664535Abstract: An electrolyte for a lithium secondary battery according to exemplary embodiments of the present inventing includes an organic solvent, a lithium salt, a first additive represented by a predetermined chemical formula, and a second additive represented by a predetermined chemical formula. A protective film is formed by the additives to suppress an expansion of a lithium secondary battery and improve storage property at high temperature.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: SK ON CO., LTD.Inventors: In Haeng Cho, Dong Gun Lee, Joo Hyun Lee, Sung Jin Kim
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Patent number: 11660704Abstract: The present invention relates to a secondary battery capable of improving the coupling force between a safety vent and a cap-up. For example, disclosed is a secondary battery comprising: an electrode assembly; a case for accommodating the electrode assembly; a cap assembly coupled to the upper part of the case; and a gasket interposed between the cap assembly and the case, wherein the cap assembly includes a cap-up and a safety vent, which is provided at the lower part of the cap-up and has a vent extension part extending to the upper part of the cap-up so as to encompass the edge of the cap-up, a welding region, in which the safety vent and the cap-up are welded and coupled by laser welding, is formed in the vent extension part, and the welding region is formed in a line shape.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2018Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Samsung SDI Co., Ltd.Inventors: Sung Gwi Ko, Dae Kyu Kim, Jin Young Moon
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Patent number: 11664507Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a separator for a fuel cell includes a step of applying a laser beam to a surface of a plate-shaped metal plate having a rectangular shape such that an application range of the laser beam extends linearly. In the step, the laser beam is applied such that the application range includes a high-energy region in which energy to be given by the laser beam per unit distance in a direction where the application range extends linearly is high, and a low-energy region in which the energy is low. The high-energy region includes a first region, a second region, a third region, and a fourth region. The first region and the second region extend in parallel to one of long sides of the rectangular shape. The third region and the fourth region extend in parallel to the other one of the long sides.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2021Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Ryota Sakanoi, Hiroomi Kobayashi, Yuta Watanabe, Yoichi Hanakura
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Patent number: 11658351Abstract: Disclosed are a wireless battery management system, a node for wireless communication, and a method of assigning slot, which respectively assign dedicated slots having different time intervals to monitor nodes to support smooth and stable communication between the monitor nodes and a manager node. The wireless battery management system includes a manager node checking number of monitor nodes joining in a short-range wireless network for battery management, dividing a transmission slot, assigned for data transmission, by the number of monitor nodes to generate a plurality of dedicated slots, and respectively assigning the plurality of dedicated slots to the monitor nodes and a monitor node collecting battery data and transmitting the collected battery data to the manager node during an assigned dedicated slot.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2020Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: SILICON WORKS CO., LTD.Inventors: Seung Jun Choi, Heung Lyeol Lee, Ju Pyo Hong, Deog Soo Kim, Young Ho Seo
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Patent number: 11658312Abstract: A manufacturing method for manufacturing a fuel cell includes a laser application step and a bonding step. In the laser application step, a laser beam is applied to a carbon film of a separator including a metal plate and the carbon film covering a surface of the metal plate such that the metal plate is exposed by removing the carbon film within an application range of the laser beam. In the bonding step, the separator is bonded to a resin member within a range including at least part of a range where the metal plate is exposed.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 23, 2023Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHAInventors: Atsuhiro Miura, Kenji Sato, Takuya Kurihara, Takayuki Furuhata, Atsushi Fukunishi, Tomohiro Hangai, Hiroomi Kobayashi
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Patent number: 11652214Abstract: Disclosed are a mixed catalyst, a method for preparing same, a method for forming an electrode by using same, and a membrane-electrode assembly comprising same, the mixed catalyst having uniform physical features within a predetermined range, which are suitable for the manufacture of an electrode and membrane-electrode assembly having desired performance and durability. The mixed catalyst comprises: a first catalyst, which includes a first support and first catalyst metal particles distributed on the first support, and has a first BET surface area and a first total pore volume; and a second catalyst, which includes a second support and second catalyst metal particles distributed on the second support, and has a second BET surface area different from the first BET surface area and a second total pore volume different from the first total pore volume.Type: GrantFiled: April 5, 2021Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: KOLON INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Jung Ho Kim, Kah-Young Song, Nakwon Kong, Jusung Lee, Kyoungsik Nam, Chanmi Park
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Patent number: 11643338Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a lithium transition metal oxide, comprising, A) mixing a lithium salt and a precursor, adding the mixture into a reactor for precalcination; the lithium salt has a particle size D50 of 10-20 ?m and the precursor has a particle size D50 of 1-20 ?m, and the precursor is one or more selected from transition metal oxyhydroxide, transition metal hydroxide and transition metal carbonate; and B) adding the product obtained from the precalcination into a fluidized bed reactor, subjecting to a first calcination and a second calcination to obtain the lithium transition metal oxide. Raw materials for the lithium transition metal oxide further includes a main-group metal compound containing oxygen, which is added in the precalcination, the first calcination or the second calcination; and the main-group metal compound containing oxygen has an average particle size of 10-100 nm. A fluidized bed reactor is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 2, 2019Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: SHANDONG ZSTONE NEW MATERIAL TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.Inventors: Huibin Zhang, Ying Wang, Jinfu Wang, Longwei Niu, Hongdong Zhao