Patents by Inventor Diane S. Erickson

Diane S. Erickson 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: 5983488
    Abstract: A process for manufacture of molten carbonate fuel cell matrices in which an aluminate precursor material and a lithium salt are mixed in an aqueous or organic solvent, resulting in formation of a suspension, the suspension is heated to a temperature less than a boiling of the solvent, resulting in formation of a slurry comprising a lithium aluminate precursor material, at least one casting additive is added to the slurry, the slurry is formed into a desired shape, the desired shape is dried or cured to yield a green molten carbonate fuel cell structure, and the green molten carbonate fuel cell structure is heated after assembly into a molten carbonate fuel cell to the molten carbonate fuel cell operating temperature, resulting in transformation of the lithium aluminate precursor material to lithium aluminate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1997
    Date of Patent: November 16, 1999
    Assignee: M-C Power Corporation
    Inventors: Diane S. Erickson, Charles R. Bernat
  • Patent number: 5312580
    Abstract: Porous metal components for high temperature fuel cells which are made by integrating the heretofore employed, separate tape casting and pack cementation processes. Particles of a base metal and a master alloy are suspended in a liquid medium in which a binding agent and a halide activator are dispersed. The suspension is cast into the shape wanted in the component, typically by tape casting; and the cast structure is heated to remove the liquid medium, leaving a flexible, green cast structure commonly referred to as a tape. The green tape is so heated as to: (a) burn out the binder in the tape; (b) form an alloy of the base metal and an alloying metal in the master alloy; and (c) sinter the alloy particles into a porous, coherent metal structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1992
    Date of Patent: May 17, 1994
    Inventors: Diane S. Erickson, Estela T. Ong
  • Patent number: 4999155
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method for forming porous oxide dispersion strengthened molten carbonate fuel cell anodes having improved anode creep resistance. The method comprises the steps of forming an alloy powder comprised of a base metal and an alloy metal, forming the alloy into a porous anode structure by sintering, and then placing the porous anode structure under conditions in which the base metal is reduced and the alloy metal is oxidized, thereby internally oxidizing the alloy metal to form oxide particles therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: March 12, 1991
    Assignee: Electric Power Research Institute, Inc.
    Inventors: Estela T. Ong, Diane S. Erickson, Leonard G. Marianowski