Patents by Inventor Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff

Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff 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: 12590915
    Abstract: A method for determining respective thermal characteristics of a plurality of electrochemical cell assemblies in an energy storage system includes (1) sensing open circuit voltage of each electrochemical cell assembly of the plurality of electrochemical cell assemblies over a measurement time period, (2) controlling temperature control equipment of the energy storage system to change a temperature setpoint of a heat transfer fluid during the measurement time period, (3) generating a respective voltage profile for each electrochemical cell assembly, (4) determining a respective electrical time constant for each electrochemical cell assembly from the respective voltage profile for the electrochemical cell assembly, and (5) determining a respective thermal characteristic for each electrochemical cell assembly at least partially based on the respective electrical time constant for the electrochemical cell assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2025
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2026
    Assignee: Element Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff, Corrado Cammi, Arnaud Devie
  • Patent number: 12474408
    Abstract: A method for determining a temperature characteristic of an electrochemical cell assembly includes (1) sensing a first voltage via one or more thermistors electrically coupled to the electrochemical cell assembly while loading circuitry electrically coupled to the thermistors is deactivated, (2) sensing a second voltage via the one or more thermistors while the loading circuitry is activated, and (3) determining the temperature characteristic of the electrochemical cell assembly at least partially from the first and second voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2025
    Assignee: Element Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Seth Marshall Kahn, Arnaud Devie, Corrado Cammi, Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff
  • Publication number: 20250300267
    Abstract: A method for thermal management performed by a controller of an energy storage system, where the energy storage system includes at least a first battery module, a second battery module, a first battery management system (BMS) node, and a second BMS node. The first BMS node is configured to control operation of the first battery module, and the second BMS node is configured to control operation of the second battery module. The method includes (a) determining a first temperature profile difference representing a difference between an actual temperature profile of the first battery module and a desired temperature profile of the first battery module, (b) determining a first operation adjustment representing a desired change in operation of the first battery module for decreasing the first temperature profile difference, and (c) controlling the first BMS node to change operation of the first battery module according to the first operation adjustment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2025
    Publication date: September 25, 2025
    Inventors: Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff, Corrado Cammi, Arnaud Devie, Rainer Johannes Fasching, Seth Marshall Kahn
  • Patent number: 12218328
    Abstract: A method for thermal management performed by a controller of an energy storage system, where the energy storage system includes at least a first battery module, a second battery module, a first battery management system (BMS) node, and a second BMS node. The first BMS node is configured to control operation of the first battery module, and the second BMS node is configured to control operation of the second battery module. The method includes (a) determining a first temperature profile difference representing a difference between an actual temperature profile of the first battery module and a desired temperature profile of the first battery module, (b) determining a first operation adjustment representing a desired change in operation of the first battery module for decreasing the first temperature profile difference, and (c) controlling the first BMS node to change operation of the first battery module according to the first operation adjustment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Element Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff, Corrado Cammi, Arnaud Devie, Rainer Johannes Fasching, Seth Marshall Kahn
  • Publication number: 20230025900
    Abstract: A method for determining a temperature characteristic of an electrochemical cell assembly includes (1) sensing a first voltage via one or more thermistors electrically coupled to the electrochemical cell assembly while loading circuitry electrically coupled to the thermistors is deactivated, (2) sensing a second voltage via the one or more thermistors while the loading circuitry is activated, and (3) determining the temperature characteristic of the electrochemical cell assembly at least partially from the first and second voltages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: January 26, 2023
    Inventors: Seth Marshall Kahn, Arnaud Devie, Corrado Cammi, Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff
  • Patent number: 11269012
    Abstract: A method for determining a temperature characteristic of an electrochemical cell assembly includes (1) sensing a first voltage via one or more thermistors electrically coupled to the electrochemical cell assembly while loading circuitry electrically coupled to the thermistors is deactivated, (2) sensing a second voltage via the one or more thermistors while the loading circuitry is activated, and (3) determining the temperature characteristic of the electrochemical cell assembly at least partially from the first and second voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Element Energy, Inc.
    Inventors: Seth Marshall Kahn, Arnaud Devie, Corrado Cammi, Nathan Thomas Brinkerhoff