Patents by Inventor Kevin L. Gering

Kevin L. Gering 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: 20240086588
    Abstract: An energy storage device (ESD) manager may be configured to utilize and/or develop aging models configured to model age-related performance degradation predicted to be incurred by an ESD under respective operating conditions. The aging model of an ESD may be used to determine operating conditions that satisfy the performance and/or endurance requirements of an application. The ESD manager may generate a policy to manage operation of the ESD in accordance with the determined operating conditions. For example, the aging model may be used to determine discharge conditions predicted to ensure that performance degradation incurred by the ESD remains below a threshold for a specified usage period. The discharge conditions may be used to determine a discharge configuration adapted to configure the application to utilize the ESD in accordance with the determined discharge conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Publication date: March 14, 2024
    Applicant: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Patent number: 11815557
    Abstract: An energy storage device (ESD) manager determines charge conditions that result in charge-related aging of an energy storage device (ESD), such as a battery, cell, or the like. The ESD manager may determine charge-related costs for charge operations, which may quantify charge-related aging imposed by subjecting ESD to specified charge conditions. The ESD manager may evaluate and/or modify charge operations to reduce charge-related aging. The ESD manager may be further configured to model charge-related aging behavior over time and/or under variable charge conditions. The ESD manager may configure charge operations to ensure that charge-related performance loss remains below a threshold for a specified usage duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Publication number: 20230306152
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a method of analyzing changes in a system that occur over time. A battery is an example of such a system. The changes may result from discrete interactions. The method may include defining an electrode of a battery. The method may also include obtaining an expression for discrete interactions between the electrode and one or more of a solvent, a salt component, and an event that affects the battery. The method may also include modeling the discrete interactions between the electrode and the one or more of the solvent, the salt component, and the event. The method may also include obtaining, based on the modeling of the discrete interactions, an aging profile. The aging profile may be indicative of changes in the battery resulting from the discrete interactions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Publication date: September 28, 2023
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Publication number: 20230258733
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include methods, systems and/or devices configured to generate historical parameters of a sigmoidal rate expression based on the sigmoidal rate expression and measured data of a battery. The embodiments may further be configured to predict future parameters of the sigmoidal rate expression based on the sigmoidal rate expression and the historical parameters. The embodiments may further be configured to predict an aging state of the battery based on the sigmoidal rate expression and the future parameters. Additional embodiments are directed to methods, systems, and/or devices configured to synthesize training data based on measured battery data, a sigmoidal rate expression, and ranges for parameters of the sigmoidal rate expression. The additional embodiments may further be configured to train a machine-learning model using the synthesized training data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin L. Gering, Zonggen Yi, Sangwook Kim
  • Publication number: 20220299575
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a device including a lithium-ion battery and a battery-management system. The battery-management system may be configured to measure charge states of the lithium-ion battery over a number of charging cycles at specified conditions. The battery-management system may also be configured to obtain an expression for lithium-metal-deposition (LMD)-based capacity fade. The battery-management system may also be configured to determine an LMD state of the lithium-ion battery responsive to a comparison between the measured charge states and the expression. Related devices and systems are also disclosed herein. Additional embodiments are directed to methods, systems, and/or devices configured to generate an expression for LMD-based capacity fade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2022
    Publication date: September 22, 2022
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Publication number: 20210072323
    Abstract: An energy storage device (ESD) manager determines charge conditions that result in charge-related aging of an energy storage device (ESD), such as a battery, cell, or the like. The ESD manager may determine charge-related costs for charge operations, which may quantify charge-related aging imposed by subjecting ESD to specified charge conditions. The ESD manager may evaluate and/or modify charge operations to reduce charge-related aging. The ESD manager may be further configured to model charge-related aging behavior over time and/or under variable charge conditions. The ESD manager may configure charge operations to ensure that charge-related performance loss remains below a threshold for a specified usage duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Applicant: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Patent number: 10036779
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining self-discharge currents in an energy storage cell and detecting internal shorts are disclosed. A system includes a DC voltage source configured to provide a constant test voltage selected to be less than an open-circuit voltage of an energy storage cell to the energy storage cell. The system also includes a current measuring device operably coupled between the DC voltage source and the energy storage cell, and control circuitry operably coupled to the current measuring device. A method includes applying the constant test voltage, and measuring the test current flowing between the DC voltage source and the energy storage cell until after the test current switches from a negative current to a positive current. The method also includes determining a self-discharge current of the energy storage cell by analyzing the measured test current with computational models that capture physical processes tied to the test methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Sergiy V Sazhin, Eric J Dufek, Kevin L Gering
  • Patent number: 9761910
    Abstract: An electrolyte solution comprising at least one phosphoranimine compound and a metal salt. The at least one phosphoranimine compound comprises a compound of the chemical structure where X is an organosilyl group or a tert-butyl group and each of R1, R2, and R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, or an aryloxy group. An energy storage device including the electrolyte solution is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: John R. Klaehn, Eric J. Dufek, Harry W. Rollins, Mason K. Harrup, Kevin L. Gering
  • Publication number: 20170179530
    Abstract: An ionic liquid including a phosphazene compound that has a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. One pendant group of the at least one pendant group comprises a positively charged pendant group. Additional embodiments of ionic liquids are disclosed, as are electrolyte solutions and energy storage devices including the embodiments of the ionic liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2017
    Publication date: June 22, 2017
    Inventors: Kevin L. Gering, Mason K. Harrup, Harry W. Rollins
  • Publication number: 20170153290
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining self-discharge currents in an energy storage cell and detecting internal shorts are disclosed. A system includes a DC voltage source configured to provide a constant test voltage selected to be less than an open-circuit voltage of an energy storage cell to the energy storage cell. The system also includes a current measuring device operably coupled between the DC voltage source and the energy storage cell, and control circuitry operably coupled to the current measuring device. A method includes applying the constant test voltage, and measuring the test current flowing between the DC voltage source and the energy storage cell until after the test current switches from a negative current to a positive current. The method also includes determining a self-discharge current of the energy storage cell by analyzing the measured test current with computational models that capture physical processes tied to the test methods.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Publication date: June 1, 2017
    Inventors: SERGIY V. SAZHIN, ERIC J. DUFEK, KEVIN L. GERING
  • Patent number: 9625532
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable medium are described for characterizing performance loss of an object undergoing an arbitrary aging condition. Baseline aging data may be collected from the object for at least one known baseline aging condition over time, determining baseline multiple sigmoid model parameters from the baseline data, and performance loss of the object may be determined over time through multiple sigmoid model parameters associated with the object undergoing the arbitrary aging condition using a differential deviation-from-baseline approach from the baseline multiple sigmoid model parameters. The system may include an object, monitoring hardware configured to sample performance characteristics of the object, and a processor coupled to the monitoring hardware.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Patent number: 9342876
    Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein in the form of methods, systems, and computer-readable media deal with the application of advanced “projectional” morphological algorithms for solving a broad range of problems. In a method of performing projectional morphological analysis, an N-dimensional input signal is supplied. At least one N-dimensional form indicative of at least one feature in the N-dimensional input signal is identified. The N-dimensional input signal is filtered relative to the at least one N-dimensional form and an N-dimensional output signal is generated indicating results of the filtering at least as differences in the N-dimensional input signal relative to the at least one N-dimensional form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventors: Michael V. Glazoff, Kevin L. Gering, John E. Garnier, Sergey N. Rashkeev, Yuri Petrovich Pyt'ev
  • Publication number: 20160056506
    Abstract: An ionic liquid including a phosphazene compound that has a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. One pendant group of the at least one pendant group comprises a positively charged pendant group. Additional embodiments of ionic liquids are disclosed, as are electrolyte solutions and energy storage devices including the embodiments of the ionic liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: KEVIN L. GERING, MASON K. HARRUP, HARRY W. ROLLINS
  • Patent number: 9206210
    Abstract: An ionic liquid including a phosphazene compound that has a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. One pendant group of the at least one pendant group comprises a positively charged pendant group. Additional embodiments of ionic liquids are disclosed, as are electrolyte solutions and energy storage devices including the embodiments of the ionic liquid.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Gering, Mason K. Harrup, Harry W. Rollins
  • Publication number: 20150340739
    Abstract: An electrolyte solution comprising at least one phosphoranimine compound and a metal salt. The at least one phosphoranimine compound comprises a compound of the chemical structure where X is an organosilyl group or a tert-butyl group and each of R1, R2, and R3 is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl group, an aryl group, an alkoxy group, or an aryloxy group. An energy storage device including the electrolyte solution is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: JOHN R. KLAEHN, ERIC J. DUFEK, HARRY W. ROLLINS, MASON K. HARRUP, KEVIN L. GERING
  • Patent number: 8871385
    Abstract: An electrode comprising a polyphosphazene cyclomatrix and particles within pores of the polyphosphazene cyclomatrix. The polyphosphazene cyclomatrix comprises a plurality of phosphazene compounds and a plurality of cross-linkages. Each phosphazene compound of the plurality of phosphazene compounds comprises a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units, and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. Each phosphorus-nitrogen unit is bonded to an adjacent phosphorus-nitrogen unit. Each cross-linkage of the plurality of cross-linkages bonds at least one pendant group of one phosphazene compound of the plurality of phosphazene compounds with the at least one pendant group of another phosphazene compound of the plurality of phosphazene compounds. A method of forming a negative electrode and an electrochemical cell are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Gering, Frederick F. Stewart, Aaron D. Wilson, Mark L. Stone
  • Patent number: 8521497
    Abstract: A system includes an electrochemical cell, monitoring hardware, and a computing system. The monitoring hardware periodically samples performance characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system determines cell information from the performance characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system also develops a mechanistic level model of the electrochemical cell to determine performance fade characteristics of the electrochemical cell and analyzing the mechanistic level model to estimate performance fade characteristics over aging of a similar electrochemical cell. The mechanistic level model uses first constant-current pulses applied to the electrochemical cell at a first aging period and at three or more current values bracketing a first exchange current density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Publication number: 20130196223
    Abstract: An electrode comprising a polyphosphazene cyclomatrix and particles within pores of the polyphosphazene cyclomatrix. The polyphosphazene cyclomatrix comprises a plurality of phosphazene compounds and a plurality of cross-linkages. Each phosphazene compound of the plurality of phosphazene compounds comprises a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units, and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. Each phosphorus-nitrogen unit is bonded to an adjacent phosphorus-nitrogen unit. Each cross-linkage of the plurality of cross-linkages bonds at least one pendant group of one phosphazene compound of the plurality of phosphazene compounds with the at least one pendant group of another phosphazene compound of the plurality of phosphazene compounds. A method of forming a negative electrode and an electrochemical cell are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventors: KEVIN L. GERING, FREDERICK F. STEWART, AARON D. WILSON, MARK L. STONE
  • Patent number: 8467984
    Abstract: A system includes an electrochemical cell, monitoring hardware, and a computing system. The monitoring hardware periodically samples charge characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system periodically determines cell information from the charge characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The computing system also periodically adds a first degradation characteristic from the cell information to a first sigmoid expression, periodically adds a second degradation characteristic from the cell information to a second sigmoid expression and combines the first sigmoid expression and the second sigmoid expression to develop or augment a multiple sigmoid model (MSM) of the electrochemical cell. The MSM may be used to estimate a capacity loss of the electrochemical cell at a desired point in time and analyze other characteristics of the electrochemical cell. The first and second degradation characteristics may be loss of active host sites and loss of free lithium for Li-ion cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin L. Gering
  • Publication number: 20130089793
    Abstract: An ionic liquid including a phosphazene compound that has a plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units and at least one pendant group bonded to each phosphorus atom of the plurality of phosphorus-nitrogen units. One pendant group of the at least one pendant group comprises a positively charged pendant group. Additional embodiments of ionic liquids are disclosed, as are electrolyte solutions and energy storage devices including the embodiments of the ionic liquid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 5, 2011
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: BATTELLE ENERGY ALLIANCE, LLC
    Inventors: Kevin L. Gering, Mason K. Harrup, Harry W. Rollins