Patents by Inventor Raffaello Ardanese

Raffaello Ardanese 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: 12334520
    Abstract: A fixture assembly for testing or measuring a portion of a battery electrode includes a top plate, a baseplate, a connector and a support member. The top plate includes holes for creating a low-pressure region along a top surface of the top plate to hold the portion of the battery electrode to the top plate. The baseplate includes a bottom plate and side walls. The side walls extend upward from the bottom plate and define a vacuum chamber with the top plate. The connector is attached to the baseplate and configured to be connected to a vacuum hose for drawing air from the vacuum chamber to pull the portion of the battery electrode to the top plate. The support member is attached to the baseplate and configured to hold the fixture assembly in place relative to a measuring device that measures a physical characteristic of the battery electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Robin James, Stephen J. Andersen, James Joseph Deininger, Raffaello Ardanese
  • Publication number: 20250100075
    Abstract: A system comprises a donor foil, a carrier substrate disposed adjacent the donor foil, an optical system configured to generate a laser beam through the donor foil and the carrier substrate to create a plurality of cathode voxels, and a current collector foil defined by an X-Y plane and configured to collect the plurality of cathode voxels in the X-Y plane, wherein a first set of the plurality of cathode voxels at a first location on the X-Y plane are diluted with a first amount of a solvent and a second set of the plurality of cathode voxels at a second location on the X-Y plane are diluted with a second amount of a solvent, the second amount of the solvent being less than the first amount of the solvent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2023
    Publication date: March 27, 2025
    Applicant: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: James Joseph Deininger, Bradley R. Frieberg, Roland J. Koestner, Raffaello Ardanese
  • Patent number: 12220862
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for building a product by additive manufacturing and creating hollow volumes without including build supports in the hollow volume for the layers above the hollow volume. An additive manufacturing cell includes a material handling device, a printer a material delivery system and an energy source to feed the sheets, print on the sheets, apply a powder on the printed sheets, build a hollow volume into the sheets and consolidate the sheets into a product with a contiguous structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2025
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, James Joseph Deininger, Andrew Thomas Cunningham, Mark Allen Leavitt
  • Publication number: 20240379986
    Abstract: A system including a flow straightener for a fuel cell cathode subsystem is provided. The system includes an intake manifold including a tube configured for providing an airflow to a compressor of the fuel cell cathode subsystem. The intake manifold includes an inlet configured for receiving the airflow into the intake manifold. The system further includes a mass air flow sensor disposed upon the intake manifold and a flow straightener disposed within the intake manifold between the inlet and the mass air flow sensor. The intake manifold includes an upstream portion between the flow straightener and the intake manifold inlet. The intake manifold further includes a downstream portion between the flow straightener and the mass air flow sensor. The flow straightener is configured for causing the airflow within the downstream portion to be less turbulent than the airflow within the upstream portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2023
    Publication date: November 14, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Orgil Erica, Hussein Awkal, Raffaello Ardanese, James J. Deininger, Alexander W. Marks
  • Patent number: 12111197
    Abstract: A quality control system analyzes the quality of a battery cell, with the battery cell defining a gas pouch configured to expand from a deflated configuration to an inflated configuration when filled with a gas formed during a cell formation process. The system comprises a computational system comprising a processor and a memory and a measurement instrument in electronic communication with the computational system. The measurement instrument is arranged to measure a distance defined by the gas pouch and transmit a signal to the computational system corresponding to the distance. The computational system is arranged to analyze the distance with the processor and determine a volumetric measurement of the gas within the gas pouch and compare the volumetric measurement to a threshold in the memory to assess a quality score for the battery cell. A corresponding method analyzes the quality of the battery cell with the quality control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Dmitriy Bruder, James R. Salvador, Raffaello Ardanese, Ryan C. Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Sean Robert Wagner, Ronald M Lesperance
  • Publication number: 20240304793
    Abstract: Electrodes and batteries comprising such electrodes are provided. The electrodes include a current collector, and a coating on the current collector. The coating includes more than one layer that includes an active material. The coating also includes a first surface facing away from the current collector that has a maximum height (Sz) surface roughness of greater than 60 micrometers (?m), a maximum peak height (Sp) surface roughness of greater than 40 micrometers (?m), and an arithmetical mean height (Sa) surface roughness greater than 10 micrometers (?m).
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2023
    Publication date: September 12, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James Joseph Deininger, Raffaello Ardanese
  • Patent number: 12051786
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include degas equipment and degassing process schemes for providing high throughput extraction of battery cell formation gas. An exemplary method can include loading a battery cell in a sampling chamber of a degas station and creating an opening in the battery cell to release formation gas. A first portion of the formation gas can be routed to a collection chamber of the degas station while the formation gas is prevented from venting. After routing the first portion of the formation gas to the collection chamber, a second portion of the formation gas can be vented until degassing is complete. The first portion of the formation gas can be diluted with a dilution fluid and the diluted first portion of the formation gas can be routed to a cell quality control gas manifold configured to measure battery cell formation gas compositions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, Thomas A. Yersak, James R. Salvador, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Publication number: 20240246287
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for building a product by additive manufacturing and creating hollow volumes without including build supports in the hollow volume for the layers above the hollow volume. An additive manufacturing cell includes a material handling device, a printer a material delivery system and an energy source to feed the sheets, print on the sheets, apply a powder on the printed sheets, build a hollow volume into the sheets and consolidate the sheets into a product with a contiguous structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2023
    Publication date: July 25, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, James Joseph Deininger, Andrew Thomas Cunningham, Mark Allen Leavitt
  • Publication number: 20240194958
    Abstract: A fixture assembly for testing or measuring a portion of a battery electrode includes a top plate, a baseplate, a connector and a support member. The top plate includes holes for creating a low-pressure region along a top surface of the top plate to hold the portion of the battery electrode to the top plate. The baseplate includes a bottom plate and side walls. The side walls extend upward from the bottom plate and define a vacuum chamber with the top plate. The connector is attached to the baseplate and configured to be connected to a vacuum hose for drawing air from the vacuum chamber to pull the portion of the battery electrode to the top plate. The support member is attached to the baseplate and configured to hold the fixture assembly in place relative to a measuring device that measures a physical characteristic of the battery electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2022
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Inventors: Robin JAMES, Stephen J. Andersen, James Joseph Deininger, Raffaello Ardanese
  • Patent number: 11982660
    Abstract: A quality control system analyzes the quality of a battery cell, with the battery cell defining a gas pouch configured to be filled with a gas. The quality control system includes a computational system including a processor and a memory, a manifold defining a passageway extending between an inlet port for receiving the gas and an outlet port, and at least one sensor in electronic communication with the computational system. The sensor is arranged to measure a physical property of the gas and transmit a signal to the computational system corresponding to the physical property of the gas. The computational system analyzes the physical property of the gas, accesses a threshold value corresponding to the physical property, compares the physical property to the threshold value, and assess a quality score for the battery cell. A corresponding method analyzes the quality of the battery cell with the quality control system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, James R. Salvador, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Patent number: 11757082
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an anode for a lithium ion battery cell is described and includes forming a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on a raw anode prior to assembly into a battery cell by applying a first SEI-generating electrolyte to the raw anode to form a first intermediate anode, applying a second SEI-generating electrolyte to the first intermediate anode to form a second intermediate anode, and applying a third SEI-generating electrolyte to the second intermediate anode to form a cell anode, wherein the cell anode includes the raw anode having the SEI layer. Thus, a cell anode is formed by sequentially applying SEI-generating electrolytes to a raw anode to form the cell anode with an SEI layer, and a lithium ion battery cell is formed by assembling the cell anode into a cell pack, with a cathode, and a separator, and adding a cell electrolyte prior to sealing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jin Liu, Jiazhi Hu, Raffaello Ardanese, Ryan C. Sekol, Lei Wang, Michael P. Balogh
  • Publication number: 20230178816
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include degas equipment and degassing process schemes for providing high throughput extraction of battery cell formation gas. An exemplary method can include loading a battery cell in a sampling chamber of a degas station and creating an opening in the battery cell to release formation gas. A first portion of the formation gas can be routed to a collection chamber of the degas station while the formation gas is prevented from venting. After routing the first portion of the formation gas to the collection chamber, a second portion of the formation gas can be vented until degassing is complete. The first portion of the formation gas can be diluted with a dilution fluid and the diluted first portion of the formation gas can be routed to a cell quality control gas manifold configured to measure battery cell formation gas compositions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, Thomas A. Yersak, James R. Salvador, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Patent number: 11668759
    Abstract: A method of analyzing the quality of a battery cell includes performing a high-throughput quality check on the battery cell with a quality control system, assessing a quality score to the battery cell, with quality score identifying the battery cell as low-quality or high-quality, and performing a comprehensive quality check on the battery cell if identified as low-quality. The method further includes assessing an enhanced quality score to the battery cell superseding the quality score of the quality control system identifying the battery cell as confirmed low-quality or confirmed high-quality and providing revised production instructions for manufacturing successive battery cells if confirmed low-quality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: James R. Salvador, Debejyo Chakraborty, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Sean R. Wagner, Charles W. Wampler, Ronald M. Lesperance, Raffaello Ardanese, Thanh-Son Dao, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Publication number: 20230160962
    Abstract: A device for simulating a battery condition includes a plurality of electrically conductive plates, the plurality of electrically conductive plates including a set of opposing plates having a first plate and a second plate. The device also includes an electrically conductive material extending between the first plate and the second plate, the electrically conductive material in electrical contact with the first plate and the second plate and defining at least part of an electrical path from the first plate to the second plate, the electrically conductive material having a resistance selected to simulate the battery condition in response to activating the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Publication date: May 25, 2023
    Inventors: Erik Damon Huemiller, James Joseph Deininger, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Raffaello Ardanese, Shaomoa Xu
  • Patent number: 11630158
    Abstract: A system for testing a battery cell includes a test fixture configured to enclose the battery cell, a battery cycler configured to alternately charge and discharge the battery cell, an antenna mounted on a surface of the test fixture, the antenna configured to detect an electromagnetic signature of the battery cell and generate a signal indicative of the electromagnetic signature, and a detection module configured to receive the signal and detect characteristics of the battery cell based on the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Erik Damon Huemiller, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Shaomao Xu, Duane S. Carper, Nahel Eshaq, Raffaello Ardanese
  • Publication number: 20230097287
    Abstract: A system for testing a battery cell includes a test fixture configured to enclose the battery cell, a battery cycler configured to alternately charge and discharge the battery cell, an antenna mounted on a surface of the test fixture, the antenna configured to detect an electromagnetic signature of the battery cell and generate a signal indicative of the electromagnetic signature, and a detection module configured to receive the signal and detect characteristics of the battery cell based on the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Publication date: March 30, 2023
    Inventors: Erik Damon HUEMILLER, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Shaomao Xu, Duane S. Carper, Nahel Eshaq, Raffaello Ardanese
  • Publication number: 20220404431
    Abstract: A method of analyzing the quality of a battery cell includes performing a high-throughput quality check on the battery cell with a quality control system, assessing a quality score to the battery cell, with quality score identifying the battery cell as low-quality or high-quality, and performing a comprehensive quality check on the battery cell if identified as low-quality. The method further includes assessing an enhanced quality score to the battery cell superseding the quality score of the quality control system identifying the battery cell as confirmed low-quality or confirmed high-quality and providing revised production instructions for manufacturing successive battery cells if confirmed low-quality.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: James R. Salvador, Debejyo Chakraborty, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Sean R. Wagner, Charles W. Wampler, Ronald M. Lesperance, Raffaello Ardanese, Thanh-Son Dao, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Publication number: 20220404186
    Abstract: A quality control system analyzes the quality of a battery cell, with the battery cell defining a gas pouch configured to expand from a deflated configuration to an inflated configuration when filled with a gas formed during a cell formation process. The system comprises a computational system comprising a processor and a memory and a measurement instrument in electronic communication with the computational system. The measurement instrument is arranged to measure a distance defined by the gas pouch and transmit a signal to the computational system corresponding to the distance. The computational system is arranged to analyze the distance with the processor and determine a volumetric measurement of the gas within the gas pouch and compare the volumetric measurement to a threshold in the memory to assess a quality score for the battery cell. A corresponding method analyzes the quality of the battery cell with the quality control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Dmitriy Bruder, James R. Salvador, Raffaello Ardanese, Ryan C. Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Sean Robert Wagner, Ronald M. Lesperance
  • Publication number: 20220404325
    Abstract: A quality control system analyzes the quality of a battery cell, with the battery cell defining a gas pouch configured to be filled with a gas. The quality control system includes a computational system including a processor and a memory, a manifold defining a passageway extending between an inlet port for receiving the gas and an outlet port, and at least one sensor in electronic communication with the computational system. The sensor is arranged to measure a physical property of the gas and transmit a signal to the computational system corresponding to the physical property of the gas. The computational system analyzes the physical property of the gas, accesses a threshold value corresponding to the physical property, compares the physical property to the threshold value, and assess a quality score for the battery cell. A corresponding method analyzes the quality of the battery cell with the quality control system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 22, 2022
    Inventors: Raffaello Ardanese, James R. Salvador, Ryan Curtis Sekol, Thomas A. Yersak, Dmitriy Bruder
  • Publication number: 20220271268
    Abstract: A method for fabricating an anode for a lithium ion battery cell is described and includes forming a solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer on a raw anode prior to assembly into a battery cell by applying a first SEI-generating electrolyte to the raw anode to form a first intermediate anode, applying a second SEI-generating electrolyte to the first intermediate anode to form a second intermediate anode, and applying a third SEI-generating electrolyte to the second intermediate anode to form a cell anode, wherein the cell anode includes the raw anode having the SEI layer. Thus, a cell anode is formed by sequentially applying SEI-generating electrolytes to a raw anode to form the cell anode with an SEI layer, and a lithium ion battery cell is formed by assembling the cell anode into a cell pack, with a cathode, and a separator, and adding a cell electrolyte prior to sealing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Publication date: August 25, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Jin Liu, Jiazhi Hu, Raffaello Ardanese, Ryan C. Sekol, Lei Wang, Michael P. Balogh