Patents by Inventor Maria Helena SOUSA SOARES DE OLIVEIRA BRAGA

Maria Helena SOUSA SOARES DE OLIVEIRA BRAGA 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: 20240242898
    Abstract: The present invention is an energy storage and/or harvesting device that may also perform as a structural component, a coaxial cable or another element of an electrical circuit. The device is an energy storage and/or harvesting device constituted by a cylindrical like internal element, which constitutes one electrode and current collector, surrounded by a dielectric material that is also an electrolyte and may, or may not, be a ferroelectric material. The external shell holds, or is the second electrode, and current collector. The outer cylinder is electrically insulated and may be reinforced by materials that enhance the device's structural properties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Publication date: July 18, 2024
    Inventors: Maria Helena SOUSA SOARES DE OLIVEIRA BRAGA, Pedro Manuel PONCES RODRIGUES DE CASTRO CAMANHO, Federico DANZI
  • Patent number: 12040398
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a one-electrode cell and series of two or more cells as a device at temperatures from below to above room temperature comprising a very high permittivity ferroelectric. In a device constituted by one or more ferroelectricity-induced superconductor cells, the cells do not have to be in physical contact with one another; one terminal can be connected to a first cell and the other connected to a third cell without physical contact between any of the three cells. With the spontaneous and dynamic alignment of the dipoles of the ferroelectric, a potential difference is induced in different points of the surface of the cell, cells or device and a current can be harvested by conductor-terminals. The present invention can be used for contactless charging of energy storage devices and as a part of several components or products.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO
    Inventor: Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Publication number: 20230361696
    Abstract: Disclosed is a kinetic energy harvest and electrical energy storage feedback cell that combines the 2-dimensional superconductor behaviour induced by a ferroelectric-metal with a quantum. Hall Effect placed within two conductor/semiconductor materials with different chemical potentials. The feedback corresponding to external and internal conduction and tunnelling of the electrons in the cell allows the electrical potential difference to increase during discharge of the cell with a load. The feedback cell harvests kinetic energy, heat and store electrostatic and electrochemical energy that at room temperature the supercurrent can be induced during several years in feedback and can be used as part of a transistor, a computer, a photovoltaic cell or panel, a wind turbine, a vehicle, a ship, a satellite, an airplane, a remote access circuit, a building, smart grid, electric power transmission, transformers, power storage devices, electric motors and as a part of other several components or products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Publication date: November 9, 2023
    Inventor: Maria Helena SOUSA SOARES DE OLIVEIRA BRAGA
  • Publication number: 20220223742
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a one-electrode cell and series of two or more cells as a device at temperatures from below to above room temperature comprising a very high permittivity ferroelectric. In a device constituted by one or more ferroelectricity-induced superconductor cells, the cells do not have to be in physical contact with one another; one terminal can be connected to a first cell and the other connected to a third cell without physical contact between any of the three cells. With the spontaneous and dynamic alignment of the dipoles of the ferroelectric, a potential difference is induced in different points of the surface of the cell, cells or device and a current can be harvested by conductor-terminals. The present invention can be used for contactless charging of energy storage devices and as a part of several components or products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2020
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventor: Maria Helena SOUSA SOARES DE OLIVEIRA BRAGA
  • Patent number: 11177474
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a rechargeable electrochemical cell including an electrolyte side, a cathode side, and a polymer/plasticizer. The electrolyte side includes a solid glass electrolyte including an electrolyte mobile cation and electric dipoles, as well as an anode including a metal of the electrolyte mobile cation and contacting the solid glass electrolyte at an anode: solid glass electrolyte interface. The cathode side includes a cathode including a cathode active material into which a cathode guest cation is reversibly extracted/inserted. The cathode active material has a voltage versus lithium (Li) metal of between 3V and 15V. The polymer/plasticizer contacts the solid glass electrolyte at a solid glass electrolyte:polymer/plasticizer interface and the cathode at a polymer/plasticizer:cathode interface such that the cathode guest cation is confined to the cathode side and the electrolyte mobile cation is confined to the anode side during charge and discharge of the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: HYDRO-QUÉBEC
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Patent number: 11049667
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Hydro-Quebec
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Andrew Murchison
  • Publication number: 20200402729
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 24, 2020
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Andrew Murchison
  • Patent number: 10804040
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Hydro-Quebec
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Andrew Murchison
  • Publication number: 20200176813
    Abstract: Glassy electrolyte for lithium or sodium ions conduction The present disclosure relates to the development and improvement of sodium or lithium-ion electrochemical devices, in particular to the development of a new glassy electrolyte comprising high ionic conductivity for batteries, capacitors, and other electrochemical devices comprising a solid electrolyte glass comprising the formula R3-2xMxHalO wherein R is selected from the group consisting of lithium or sodium: M is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium or barium; Hal is selected from the group consisting of flourine, chlorine, bromine, iodine or mixtures thereof; X is the number of moles of M and 0?x?0.01 and the solid electrolyte glass has a glass transition point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Applicants: UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO, LABORATÓRIO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA E GEOLOGIA
    Inventors: Maria Helena SOUSA SOARES DE OLIVEIRA BRAGA, José Jorge DO AMARAL FERREIRA
  • Publication number: 20200090877
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Andrew Murchison
  • Patent number: 10511055
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical storage cell including a battery. The battery includes an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy, an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A3-xHxOX, in which 0?x?1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide, and a cathode including a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy. During operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal plates dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode. Also during operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal further plates on the cathode current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Andrew Murchison, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Patent number: 10490360
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Andrew Murchison
  • Publication number: 20190326629
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical storage cell including a battery. The battery includes an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy, an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A3-xHxOX, in which 0?x?1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide, and a cathode including a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy. During operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal plates dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode. Also during operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal further plates on the cathode current collector.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Andrew Murchison, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Patent number: 10446845
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a rechargeable electrochemical cell including an electrolyte side, a cathode side, and a polymer/plasticizer. The electrolyte side includes a solid glass electrolyte including an electrolyte mobile cation and electric dipoles, as well as an anode including a metal of the electrolyte mobile cation and contacting the solid glass electrolyte at an anode:solid glass electrolyte interface. The cathode side includes a cathode including a cathode active material into which a cathode guest cation is reversibly extracted/inserted. The cathode active material has a voltage versus lithium (Li) metal of between 3V and 15V. The polymer/plasticizer contacts the solid glass electrolyte at a solid glass electrolyte:polymer/plasticizer interface and the cathode at a polymer/plasticizer:cathode interface such that the cathode guest cation is confined to the cathode side and the electrolyte mobile cation is confined to the anode side during charge and discharge of the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Publication number: 20190312272
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a rechargeable electrochemical cell including an electrolyte side, a cathode side, and a polymer/plasticizer. The electrolyte side includes a solid glass electrolyte including an electrolyte mobile cation and electric dipoles, as well as an anode including a metal of the electrolyte mobile cation and contacting the solid glass electrolyte at an anode: solid glass electrolyte interface. The cathode side includes a cathode including a cathode active material into which a cathode guest cation is reversibly extracted/inserted. The cathode active material has a voltage versus lithium (Li) metal of between 3V and 15V. The polymer/plasticizer contacts the solid glass electrolyte at a solid glass electrolyte:polymer/plasticizer interface and the cathode at a polymer/plasticizer:cathode interface such that the cathode guest cation is confined to the cathode side and the electrolyte mobile cation is confined to the anode side during charge and discharge of the electrochemical cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 18, 2019
    Publication date: October 10, 2019
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Patent number: 10411293
    Abstract: Glassy electrolyte for lithium or sodium ions conduction The present disclosure relates to the development and improvement of sodium or lithium-ion electrochemical devices, in particular to the development of a new glassy electrolyte comprising high ionic conductivity for batteries, capacitors, and other electrochemical devices comprising a solid electrolyte glass comprising the formula R3-2xMxHalO wherein R is selected from the group consisting of lithium or sodium; M is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium or barium; Hal is selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine or mixtures thereof; X is the number of moles of M and 0?x?0.01 and the solid electrolyte glass has a glass transition point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: UNIVERSIDADE DO PORTO, LABORATÓRIO NACIONAL DE ENERGIA E GEOLOGIA
    Inventors: Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, José Jorge Do Amaral Ferreira
  • Patent number: 10381683
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical storage cell including a battery. The battery includes an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy, an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A3-xHxOX, in which 0?x?1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide, and a cathode including a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy. During operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal plates dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode. Also during operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal further plates on the cathode current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Andrew Murchison, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Patent number: 10361454
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical storage cell including a battery. The battery includes an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy, an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A3-xHxOX, in which 0?x?1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide, and a cathode including a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy. During operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal plates dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode. Also during operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal further plates on the cathode current collector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Andrew Murchison, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga
  • Publication number: 20190148763
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an electrochemical cell including a solid glass electrolyte including an alkali metal working ion that is conducted by the electrolyte, and a dipole, an anode having an effective anode chemical potential ?A, and a cathode having an effective cathode chemical potential ?C. One or both of the cathode and anode substantially lack the working ion prior to an initial charge or discharge of the electrochemical cell. At open-circuit prior to an initial charge or discharge, an electric double-layer capacitor is formed at one or both of an interface between the solid glass electrolyte and the anode and an interface between the solid glass electrolyte and the cathode due to a difference between ?A and ?C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 9, 2019
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Jose Jorge Do Amaral Ferreira, Joana Cassilda Rodrigues Espain De Oliveira, Andrew Murchison
  • Publication number: 20190115162
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a heat energy-powered electrochemical cell including an anode, a cathode, and a solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte. The solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte includes between 1% and 50% metal polymer by weight as compared to total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight and between 50% and 90% solid glass electrolyte by weight as compared to the total solid metal polymer/glass electrolyte weight. The solid glass electrolyte includes a working cation and an electric dipole. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be used to capture heat from a variety of sources, including solar hear, waste heat, and body heat. The heat energy-powered electrochemical cells may be fabricated at large-area, thin cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Publication date: April 18, 2019
    Inventors: John B. Goodenough, Maria Helena Sousa Soares De Oliveira Braga, Andrew Murchison