Patents by Inventor Anthony M. Coppola

Anthony M. Coppola has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240405312
    Abstract: A rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) includes battery cells, each having a respective gas vent. The RESS also includes a cell support assembly with thermal runaway mitigation and has a cell holder for supporting the battery cells. The cell holder defines apertures arranged in rows and each aperture fluidly communicates with one cell vent. The assembly also includes multiple thermal-barrier strips adhered to the holder. Each thermal-barrier strip extends parallel to a respective aperture row to thermally insulate each corresponding cell from gases expelled by neighboring cells during a thermal runaway. The assembly additionally includes multiple potting elements. Each potting element is arranged in one of the apertures between a respective cell and a corresponding thermal-barrier strip to thereby adhere to the cell and to the corresponding thermal-barrier strip and maintain position of the cell on the holder. A motor vehicle may employ such a RESS.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Daniel M. Wang, Ryan P. Hickey, Evan D. Griffith, Kris Killen, Anthony M. Coppola, Mohammad Kirmani
  • Publication number: 20240405346
    Abstract: A method for constructing a cell support assembly with thermal runaway mitigation for a multi-cell rechargeable energy storage system (RESS) include forming a cell holder configured to support the RESS battery cells. The cell holder has a holder body defining a plurality of apertures arranged in rows, such that each aperture is configured to align and be in fluid communication with a cell vent of one of the RESS battery cells. Individual embodiments of the method also include various techniques of arranging a plurality of thermal-barrier strips and potting elements to align with apertures of the cell holder body and adhering the thermal-barrier strips to the potting elements and to the cell holder. The resultant cell support assembly operates to channel thermal runaway energy away from the affected battery cell(s) and out of the RESS enclosure without triggering thermal runaway in adjacent cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ryan P. Hickey, Mohammad Kirmani, Anthony M. Coppola, Evan D. Griffith, Daniel M. Wang, Kris Killen
  • Patent number: 12132010
    Abstract: Presented are metal-coated, polymer-encapsulated power semiconductor modules, methods for making/using such power modules, and vehicles with traction power inverters containing such power modules. A power electronics assembly includes one or more power semiconductor modules packaged inside an assembly housing. Each power module includes a substrate, a semiconductor device mounted on the substrate, a polymeric encapsulant encasing therein the substrate and semiconductor device, and an electrical lead connected to the semiconductor device and projecting from the polymeric encapsulant. A metallic or ceramic coating is applied to select sections of the polymeric encapsulant's exposed exterior surface. The metallic/ceramic coating may be a single metallic layer that covers substantially all of the exposed surface area of the polymeric encapsulant's exterior surface. An optional hydrophobic polymer layer, passivated layer, and/or oxidized layer may cover the exterior surface of this metallic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Seongchan Pack, Ming Liu
  • Patent number: 12088146
    Abstract: Rotor for electric machines and methods for fabricating rotors for electric machines are provided. An exemplary method includes assembling a stack of laminations to form a rotor core having an external surface. The rotor core defines one to five layers of internal cavities and an interior permanent magnet is positioned in a selected internal cavity. The method also includes locating a non-magnetic structural element in the selected internal cavity. Further, the method includes applying a compressive force on the external surface of the rotor core with an annular sleeve.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Anthony M Coppola, Derek F Lahr, Alan G Holmes
  • Patent number: 11936239
    Abstract: A bi-material permanent magnet for an electric machine includes a core including a first magnetic material and a shell portion located on the core and made of a second magnetic material. The first magnetic material comprises a magnet material with an energy less than 20 Mega Gauss Oersteds (MGOe). The second magnetic material comprises a magnet material with an energy greater than 30 MGOe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Anil K. Sachdev, Jian Yao, Anthony M. Coppola, Thomas W. Nehl, Chengwu Duan
  • Patent number: 11876034
    Abstract: A power module is provided and includes first stack, second stack, and third stacks of layers, a heat pipe, and at least one cold plate or heat sink. The third stack of layers is disposed between the first and second stacks of layers and includes a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die and a center spacer layer disposed between the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die. The heat pipe extends at least partially into the center spacer layer. The at least one cold plate or heat sink receives thermal energy from the first stack of layers and the second stack of layers. The first stack of layers, the second stack of layers, the third stack of layers, the heat pipe and the at least one cold plate or heat sink facilitate dual sided cooling of each of the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Muhammad H. Alvi, Ming Liu, Rashmi Prasad, Anthony M. Coppola
  • Patent number: 11817750
    Abstract: A planar power module includes a second substrate arranged parallel to a first substrate, with the substrates respectively having a dielectric layer interposed between two conductive layers, such that one of the conductive layers of each substrate together forms parallel external conductive surfaces of the power module. The power module includes direct current (DC) bus bars, alternating current (AC) bus bars, and semiconductor switching dies arranged between the substrates. The dies are electrically connected to the bus bars, with each respective die electrically connected to a conductive layers of the first or second substrates. A polymer molding material partially surrounds the substrates and the switching dies. An electric powertrain system includes an electric machine, a propulsion battery pack, and a traction power inverter module (TPIM) having the power module. The power module is a three-phase full-bridge inverter circuit. An electric powertrain and motor vehicle use the power module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Ming Liu, Anthony M. Coppola, Muhammad H. Alvi
  • Patent number: 11757321
    Abstract: A stator assembly for an electric machine includes stator teeth connected to a stator yoke to form a stator core. Adjacent teeth define a stator slot. Stator windings are disposed within the slot. A molding material fills the slot around the windings, providing a desired thermoelectrical performance level at different slot regions, including electrical insulation, thermal conductivity, and/or electrostatic shielding levels. A method insulates the stator assembly by inserting a molding tool(s) into the slot to define a void volume, filling the void volume with the dielectric molding material, and curing the dielectric molding material to form a slot liner layer adjacent to the tooth walls. A slot opening between adjacent teeth is filled with an electrically-conductive resin to form an electrostatic shielding layer. An electrical system includes an AC voltage bus connected to a power inverter module and to the electric machine having the above-described stator assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Anthony M. Coppola, Farzad Samie, Thomas W. Nehl
  • Patent number: 11710993
    Abstract: An electric machine includes a stator with stator slots securing therein electrically conductive windings. A rotor is rotatably mounted adjacent the stator and includes a stack of rotor laminates. Each laminate includes circumferentially spaced poles, each of which includes a magnet slot spaced from an insert slot. These laminate magnet slots cooperatively define the rotor's magnet slots. Likewise, the laminates' insert slots cooperatively define the rotor's insert slots. Magnets are mounted inside the rotor's magnet slots, and non-magnetic inserts are mounted inside the rotor's insert slots. One or more poles of each laminate includes a structural web that extends radially through the magnet and insert slots of that pole. Multiple poles of each rotor laminate lack a radially extending structural web. Each rotor laminate is rotated with respect to a neighboring rotor laminate such that each pole with a structural web axially aligns with a pole without a structural web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Alireza Fatemi, Yew Sum Leong, Alan G. Holmes
  • Patent number: 11689074
    Abstract: An adhesive-reinforced rotor for a rotary electric machine includes rotor lamination layers (“rotor lams”) having axial inner surfaces collectively defining rotor openings through the rotor lams. The rotor also includes reinforcement blocks disposed within a respective one of the rotor openings. A polymer primer/adhesive layer of the rotor having a bond line thickness of less than 1 mm is disposed between the one or more reinforcement blocks and the axial inner surfaces of the rotor lams. The reinforcement blocks and the primer/adhesive layer each have a tensile strength of at least 50 MPa. A modulus of elasticity of the reinforcement blocks is at least three times greater than that of the materials of the polymer primer/adhesive layer. A method of constructing an adhesive-reinforced rotor is also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Kestutis A. Sonta, Alireza Fatemi, Gayatri V. Dadheech, Yew Sum Leong, Xiaosong Huang
  • Patent number: 11667091
    Abstract: Methods for forming vascular components include providing a composite sacrificial body comprising a first sacrificial material having an outer surface and a second sacrificial material applied to at least a portion of the outer surface, molding a solid substrate around the composite sacrificial body, removing the first sacrificial material by deflagration such that at least a portion of the second sacrificial material remains in the same orientation relative to the substrate as originally molded, and subsequently removing the second sacrificial material by a non-deflagration process to form a vascular component. The second sacrificial material can include a phase change material, a syntactic foam including hollow beads bound together with a polymeric binder or a sintered aggregation of hollow beads, a polymeric foam, a water-soluble resin, or an aerogel. The non-deflagration process can include mechanical pulverization, contacting the second sacrificial material with a solvent or chemical etching agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Nicole Ellison
  • Patent number: 11658525
    Abstract: An electric motor assembly includes a housing having a generally cylindrical inner surface defining a generally cylindrical cavity within the housing, a stator operatively disposed within the generally cylindrical cavity, the stator including a plurality of stacked laminations wherein each lamination has an outer circumferential edge and a plurality of finger elements extending inward, and a layer of polymer disposed between a generally cylindrical outer surface of the stator and the generally cylindrical inner surface of the housing, such that the stator is fastened to the housing by the polymer. A method of manufacturing the electric motor assembly includes disposing a stator within a housing such that a gap is defined between the stator and the housing and the stator is not directly connected to the housing, and substantially filling the gap with a polymer capable of fastening the stator to the housing by only the polymer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Alireza Fatemi, William T. Ivan, Song He, Yew Sum Leong
  • Publication number: 20230070394
    Abstract: Rotor for electric machines and methods for fabricating rotors for electric machines are provided. An exemplary method includes assembling a stack of laminations to form a rotor core having an external surface. The rotor core defines one to five layers of internal cavities and an interior permanent magnet is positioned in a selected internal cavity. The method also includes locating a non-magnetic structural element in the selected internal cavity. Further, the method includes applying a compressive force on the external surface of the rotor core with an annular sleeve.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2021
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Anthony M. Coppola, Derek F. Lahr, Alan G. Holmes
  • Publication number: 20230054794
    Abstract: A stator assembly for an electric machine includes stator teeth connected to a stator yoke to form a stator core. Adjacent teeth define a stator slot. Stator windings are disposed within the slot. A molding material fills the slot around the windings, providing a desired thermoelectrical performance level at different slot regions, including electrical insulation, thermal conductivity, and/or electrostatic shielding levels. A method insulates the stator assembly by inserting a molding tool(s) into the slot to define a void volume, filling the void volume with the dielectric molding material, and curing the dielectric molding material to form a slot liner layer adjacent to the tooth walls. A slot opening between adjacent teeth is filled with an electrically-conductive resin to form an electrostatic shielding layer. An electrical system includes an AC voltage bus connected to a power inverter module and to the electric machine having the above-described stator assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Alireza Fatemi, Anthony M. Coppola, Farzad Samie, Thomas W. Nehl
  • Patent number: 11575299
    Abstract: A method for constructing a rotor assembly for use with a rotary electric machine includes forming annular rotor laminations from metal blanks. Each lamination has a radial axis and an outer diameter surface. Multiple magnet web regions are defined in proximity to the outer diameter surface. Each web regions includes asymmetrical openings defined by a radially-extending strut and arcuate peripheral bridges. The method includes coaxially stacking the laminations into a rotor stack, including positioning every other lamination a predetermined angular distance with to unmask the bridges and/or struts and mask remaining surface area of the laminations. The rotor stack is subjected to a heat-treating process to harden only the unmasked bridges and/or struts. The method includes connecting a rotor shaft to the stack to construct the rotor assembly, with the web regions corresponding to a respective rotor magnetic pole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Derek F. Lahr, Alireza Fatemi, Anthony M. Coppola, Sean R. Wagner
  • Patent number: 11491749
    Abstract: Methods for forming composite components with sealed bi-material interfaces include applying a sacrificial material to a surface of a substrate, over-molding the substrate and the sacrificial material with an over-molding material such that the over-molding material covers at least a portion of the sacrificial material and at least one surface of the substrate, removing the sacrificial material by deflagration to form a composite component with a channel between the substrate and the over-molding material, introducing an uncured sealant into the channel, and curing the sealant to form a sealed composite component. The method can further include removing a portion of the sealant prior to the sealant fully curing. The sealed composite component can include a passage, encircled by the channel, extending between the substrate and the over-molding material. The substrate can be a metal, a polymer, a polymer composite, a ceramic, or a continuous fiber composite material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Anthony M. Coppola
  • Publication number: 20220328427
    Abstract: Presented are metal-coated, polymer-encapsulated power semiconductor modules, methods for making/using such power modules, and vehicles with traction power inverters containing such power modules. A power electronics assembly includes one or more power semiconductor modules packaged inside an assembly housing. Each power module includes a substrate, a semiconductor device mounted on the substrate, a polymeric encapsulant encasing therein the substrate and semiconductor device, and an electrical lead connected to the semiconductor device and projecting from the polymeric encapsulant. A metallic or ceramic coating is applied to select sections of the polymeric encapsulant's exposed exterior surface. The metallic/ceramic coating may be a single metallic layer that covers substantially all of the exposed surface area of the polymeric encapsulant's exterior surface. An optional hydrophobic polymer layer, passivated layer, and/or oxidized layer may cover the exterior surface of this metallic layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2021
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Seongchan Pack, Ming Liu
  • Publication number: 20220310481
    Abstract: A power module is provided and includes first stack, second stack, and third stacks of layers, a heat pipe, and at least one cold plate or heat sink. The third stack of layers is disposed between the first stack of layers and the second stack of layers and includes a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die and a center spacer layer disposed between the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die. The heat pipe extends at least partially into the center spacer layer. The at least one cold plate or heat sink receives thermal energy from the first stack of layers and the second stack of layers. The second stack of layers, the third stack of layers, the heat pipe and the at least one cold plate or heat sink facilitate dual sided cooling of each of the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Muhammad H. ALVI, Ming LIU, Rashmi PRASAD, Anthony M. COPPOLA
  • Publication number: 20220230938
    Abstract: A vascular jet cooling system for use with a planar power module and a coolant supply includes a manifold housing and one or more jet impingement plates. The manifold housing is constructed of a dielectric polymer molding material, and defines a coolant inlet port configured to fluidly connect to the coolant supply, an internal cavity in fluid communication with the coolant inlet port and containing the power module, and a coolant outlet port in fluid communication with the internal cavity. The jet impingement plate(s) is arranged in the internal cavity. Openings of the plates direct coolant passing through the coolant inlet port onto a respective major surface of the power module. A power module assembly includes a planar power module and the vascular jet cooling system. A method of constructing the power module assembly uses sacrificial materials and overmolding of the jet impingement plates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: July 21, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Anthony M. Coppola, Alireza Fatemi, Ronald O. Grover, JR., Ming Liu, Chih-hung Yen
  • Publication number: 20220224206
    Abstract: A planar power module includes a second substrate arranged parallel to a first substrate, with the substrates respectively having a dielectric layer interposed between two conductive layers, such that one of the conductive layers of each substrate together forms parallel external conductive surfaces of the power module. The power module includes direct current (DC) bus bars, alternating current (AC) bus bars, and semiconductor switching dies arranged between the substrates. The dies are electrically connected to the bus bars, with each respective die electrically connected to a conductive layers of the first or second substrates. A polymer molding material partially surrounds the substrates and the switching dies. An electric powertrain system includes an electric machine, a propulsion battery pack, and a traction power inverter module (TPIM) having the power module. The power module is a three-phase full-bridge inverter circuit. An electric powertrain and motor vehicle use the power module.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Ming Liu, Anthony M. Coppola, Muhammad H. Alvi