Patents by Inventor Christopher Richard Smith

Christopher Richard Smith 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).

  • Patent number: 10177354
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an energy storage device having improved thermal performance. More specifically, the energy storage device includes a housing with side walls that define an internal volume. The side walls include bottom and front side walls, with the front side wall having an air inlet and outlet configured to circulate cooling air therethrough. The energy storage device also includes a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix within the internal volume atop the bottom side wall. Further, the cells define a top surface. Further, the energy storage device includes an exhaust manifold adjacent to the front side wall between at least a portion of the cells and the air inlet. Thus, the exhaust manifold is configured to direct airflow from the top surface towards the bottom side wall and then to the air outlet so as to provide an airflow barrier between cooling air entering the air inlet and the cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Michael Stanley Zanoni, Kenneth McClellan Rush, Christopher Richard Smith, James Thorpe Browell, Wenpeng Liu
  • Publication number: 20170069885
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an energy storage device having improved thermal performance. More specifically, the energy storage device includes a housing with side walls that define an internal volume. The side walls include bottom and front side walls, with the front side wall having an air inlet and outlet configured to circulate cooling air therethrough. The energy storage device also includes a plurality of cells arranged in a matrix within the internal volume atop the bottom side wall. Further, the cells define a top surface. Further, the energy storage device includes an exhaust manifold adjacent to the front side wall between at least a portion of the cells and the air inlet. Thus, the exhaust manifold is configured to direct airflow from the top surface towards the bottom side wall and then to the air outlet so as to provide an airflow barrier between cooling air entering the air inlet and the cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2015
    Publication date: March 9, 2017
    Inventors: Michael Stanley Zanoni, Kenneth McClellan Rush, Christopher Richard Smith, James Thorpe Browell, Wenpeng Liu
  • Publication number: 20160043580
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for reducing current variability between a plurality of energy storage devices, e.g. battery modules. In one embodiment, the method includes determining a resistance of at least two of the plurality of energy storage devices. Another step includes modifying an operating temperature of one or more of the plurality of energy storage devices when the resistance of one or more of the energy storage devices is outside of a predetermined tolerance range for the energy storage devices. Thus, the step of modifying the operating temperature of one or more of the plurality of energy storage devices causes the plurality of energy storage devices to operate within the predetermined tolerance range.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2014
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Kenneth McClellan Rush, JR., Christopher James Chuah, Chester Stanley Jezierski, JR., Leng Mao, David E. James, Christopher Richard Smith