Patents by Inventor Seung-Woo Chu

Seung-Woo Chu 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: 20250253394
    Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure include a bi-polar electrode design for secondary metal ion battery cells and methods of manufacturing the same. An exemplary vehicle includes an electric motor and a battery pack electrically coupled to the electric motor. The battery pack includes a battery cell that includes a bi-polar current collector, an anode coating layer formed on a first surface of the bi-polar current collector, and a cathode coating layer formed on a second surface of the bi-polar current collector. The battery cell further includes a roll-to-roll ionic channel blocker positioned along a first edge of the bi-polar current collector and a sheet-by-sheet ionic channel blocker positioned along a second edge and a third edge of the bi-polar current collector orthogonal to the first edge. The battery cell further includes an ionic conducting gel electrolyte formed over the anode coating layer and the cathode coating layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 6, 2024
    Publication date: August 7, 2025
    Inventor: SEUNG-WOO CHU
  • Publication number: 20250246707
    Abstract: An electrical system includes a battery pack having a battery cell. The battery cell includes a housing having at least one side and forming a chamber, an electrode assembly disposed within the chamber, and an insulation assembly disposed in the chamber between the electrode assembly and the at least one side of the housing. The insulation assembly includes a heat absorbent material enclosed by a plastic cover. The heat absorbent material has a non-flammable liquid stored therein. The plastic cover is configured to shrink when a temperature of the plastic cover is above a threshold temperature, thereby releasing the non-flammable liquid from the heat absorbent material into the chamber to reduce a flow of heat from outside of the housing to the electrode assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2024
    Publication date: July 31, 2025
    Inventors: Seung-Woo Chu, Kan Huang, Mansu Park
  • Publication number: 20250192392
    Abstract: A battery includes a plurality of cells arranged in a stack. The cells include a first set of cells and every cell in the first set of cells includes an internal energy storage element disposed within a sealed pouch. The internal energy storage element includes an anode terminal extending through the pouch from a first end of the internal power storage element and a cathode terminal extending through the pouch from a second end of the internal power storage element with the second end being opposite the first end. A conductive element connects the cathode terminal to a sensor terminal on the first end. The conductive element passes internal to at least an outermost layer of the sealed pouch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Publication date: June 12, 2025
    Inventors: Andrew P. Oury, Andrew Geoffrey Balding, Seung-Woo Chu
  • Publication number: 20250167238
    Abstract: A bipolar electrode for use in a lithium-ion battery includes a current collector, an anode having high aspect ratio conductive carbon particles and an anode binder, and a cathode having cathode active particles in a cathode binder. The high aspect ratio conductive carbon particles in the anode are aligned so that a long axis of the high aspect ratio conductive carbon particles is substantially perpendicular to the current collector. The cathode active particles are paramagnetic, diamagnetic, or magnetic and have been magnetically aligned, the cathode further comprises high aspect ratio conductive particles aligned so that a long axis of the high aspect ratio conductive particles is substantially perpendicular to the current collector, or both. The bipolar electrode can be made by subjecting the current collector coated with slurries including the components for the anode and the cathode to a magnetic field while drying.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: May 22, 2025
    Inventors: Seung-Woo Chu, Mark Daniel Gottlieb
  • Publication number: 20250132400
    Abstract: A method of forming a battery cell, a secondary lithium ion battery cell, and a secondary lithium ion battery cell for a vehicle. The secondary lithium ion battery cell including a cathode electrode including a lithium and a transition metal, an anode electrode, a porous separator sandwiched between the cathode electrode and the anode electrode, an electrolyte permeated in the porous separator and contacting the cathode electrode and anode electrode, and a zeolite particle layer between the porous separator and at least one of the cathode electrode and the anode electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2023
    Publication date: April 24, 2025
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Patent number: 12266811
    Abstract: A system for a high-performance prismatic lithium-ion battery cell is provided. The system includes a battery cell stack including an electrode sub-assembly including a plurality of pairs of anode electrodes and cathode electrodes and including a planar side. The battery cell stack further includes a polymeric shell disposed around the electrode sub-assembly and configured for providing mechanical protection and electrical insulation to the electrode sub-assembly. The battery cell stack further includes a metal foil sheet attached to the polymeric shell and disposed next to and in contact with the planar side of the electrode sub-assembly, wherein the metal foil sheet is configured for exchanging heat with the electrode sub-assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Publication number: 20250062447
    Abstract: A battery cell including a can body of an enclosure comprising a sheet of metal that is folded into an open cylindrical shape and welded. The can body includes a first opening and a second opening at opposite ends of the can body. The can body is configured to receive a battery cell stack. A lid portion of the enclosure is attached to the first opening of the can body. A bottom portion of the enclosure is attached to the second opening of the can body.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2023
    Publication date: February 20, 2025
    Inventors: Diptak BHATTACHARYA, Anil K. SACHDEV, Seung-Woo CHU, Mark W. VERBRUGGE, Ryan Patrick HICKEY
  • Publication number: 20240421456
    Abstract: A method for making a battery cell includes: disposing an electrode assembly within a battery can; assembling a top cap assembly to the battery can to form a battery cell having at least a first filling hole and a second filling hole; disposing a first portion of a liquid solution within the battery cell via the first filling hole, the liquid solution including an organic solvent, a cross-linkable polymer and a cross-linking agent; converting the first portion of the liquid solution into a first conductive layer disposed between the electrode assembly and the battery can; disposing a second portion of the liquid solution within the battery cell via the second filling hole; converting the second portion of the liquid solution into a second conductive layer disposed between the electrode assembly and the battery can; and filling the battery cell with a liquid electrolyte via an electrolyte filling hole.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Publication number: 20240356149
    Abstract: A battery including a composite enclosure is provided. The battery includes a metal cell can enclosure including a plurality of faces. One of the plurality of faces is configured for locally failing during a thermal runaway event. The battery further includes a multilayer polymeric laminated film and a battery cell including a pair of electrodes including an anode and a cathode, a separator, and an electrolyte. The battery cell is hermetically sealed within the multilayer polymeric laminated film. The multilayer polymeric laminated film is contained within the metal cell can enclosure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: October 24, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Patent number: 12126044
    Abstract: A separator for a lithium-containing electrochemical cell is provided herein. The separator includes a porous substrate having a first side and an opposing second side and a coating layer disposed adjacent to at least the first side of the porous substrate. The coating layer includes three-dimensionally (3D) ordered porous ceramic particles. An electrochemical cell including such a separator is also provided herein. The electrochemical cell may or may not include a negative electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Publication number: 20240283015
    Abstract: An electrochemical battery cell may include an electrode assembly, a liquid electrolyte, a metallic battery enclosure or “can,” and a liquid solution. The electrode assembly and the electrolyte solution may be disposed within the battery can. The liquid solution may be disposed between the electrode assembly and the battery can. The liquid solution may include an organic solvent, a cross-linkable polymer and a cross-linking agent which may be converted into a conductive layer by reacting the cross-linkable polymer and the cross-linking agent of the liquid solution to form a reaction product. The liquid solution may include an ion conducting salt. The reaction product may be a polymer matrix and the organic solvent and/or the ion conducting salt may be contained within the polymer matrix. Reacting the cross-linkable polymer and the cross-linking agent may include applying heat to the liquid solution to convert the liquid solution into the reaction product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 9, 2023
    Publication date: August 22, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Seung-Woo Chu, Mansu Park, Hwanchul Kim
  • Publication number: 20240106021
    Abstract: A battery module includes neighboring first and second battery cells and a heat sink in contact with and configured to absorb thermal energy from each of the battery cells. The module additionally includes a module enclosure surrounded by ambient environment, housing each of the first and second battery cells and the heat sink, and configured to include a thermal conductivity path from the first cell to at least one of the second cell and the heat sink and from the heat sink to the enclosure. The battery module further includes a metal-hydroxide element configured to undergo a chemical decomposition and discharge moisture within the thermal conductivity path in response to thermal energy released by the first cell when the first cell undergoes a thermal runaway event. The metal-hydroxide element thereby controls propagation of the thermal runaway event from the first cell to the second cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2022
    Publication date: March 28, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Seung-Woo Chu, Scott W. Lananna
  • Publication number: 20240072346
    Abstract: A system for a high-performance prismatic lithium-ion battery cell is provided. The system includes a battery cell stack including an electrode sub-assembly including a plurality of pairs of anode electrodes and cathode electrodes and including a planar side. The battery cell stack further includes a polymeric shell disposed around the electrode sub-assembly and configured for providing mechanical protection and electrical insulation to the electrode sub-assembly. The battery cell stack further includes a metal foil sheet attached to the polymeric shell and disposed next to and in contact with the planar side of the electrode sub-assembly, wherein the metal foil sheet is configured for exchanging heat with the electrode sub-assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Publication number: 20240072259
    Abstract: A system including a lithium-ion battery cell is disclosed. The lithium-ion battery cell includes a first electrode. The first electrode includes a current collector including a surface and an electrode coating formed from an electrode coating slurry and disposed on the current collector. The electrode coating slurry includes a plurality of flakes of flake graphite. Each of the plurality of flakes includes two parallel planar surfaces and an edge plane defined by the two parallel planar surfaces. The edge planes of the plurality of flakes are statistically facing toward the surface of the current collector. The first electrode further includes a conductive material including a high aspect ratio nano-sized carbon material. The carbon material is configured for providing attractive forces between components of the electrode coating. The lithium-ion battery cell further includes a second electrode, a separator disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and an electrolyte.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Michael A. Lelli, Seung-Woo Chu, Gayatri V. Dadheech
  • Publication number: 20230197928
    Abstract: The concepts herein provide for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery cell having an anode with improved properties, including a capability to suppress formation of lithium dendrites after cell formation and in-use. This includes an anode for a rechargeable battery that includes a current collector having an indium nitride layer, wherein the indium nitride layer includes indium nitride, an electrically conductive material, and a polymeric binder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo Chu
  • Publication number: 20230155174
    Abstract: An electrolyte for a lithium metal battery includes a nonaqueous aprotic organic solvent, a lithium salt dissolved in the nonaqueous aprotic organic solvent and, by volume, from 1% to 10% of a flame retardant additive. The flame retardant additive is at least one of an organophosphate compound, an organophosphite compound, organophosphonate compound, or a phosphazene compound.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2021
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Seung-Woo Chu, Li Yang, Umamaheswari Viswanathan, Mary E Fortier
  • Publication number: 20220359949
    Abstract: A separator for a lithium-containing electrochemical cell is provided herein. The separator includes a porous substrate having a first side and an opposing second side and a coating layer disposed adjacent to at least the first side of the porous substrate. The coating layer includes three-dimensionally (3D) ordered porous ceramic particles. An electrochemical cell including such a separator is also provided herein. The electrochemical cell may or may not include a negative electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventor: Seung-Woo CHU
  • Patent number: 9178197
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery, comprising a cathode, an anode, a non-aqueous solution containing a lithium salt and an organic solvent, and a safety vent for removing increased internal pressure, the non-aqueous solution having the prescribed composition and the safety vent having the prescribed operational characteristics. The lithium secondary battery of the present invention can ensure its safety even when overcharged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Ho Jeon, Yong-Gon Lee, Seung-Woo Chu, Shul-Kee Kim, Hyun-Yeong Lee, Jae-Deok Jeon
  • Publication number: 20140093758
    Abstract: The present invention provides a lithium secondary battery, comprising a cathode, an anode, a non-aqueous solution containing a lithium salt and an organic solvent, and a safety vent for removing increased internal pressure, the non-aqueous solution having the prescribed composition and the safety vent having the prescribed operational characteristics. The lithium secondary battery of the present invention can ensure its safety even when overcharged.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Ho Jeon, Yong-Gon Lee, Seung-Woo Chu, Shul-Kee Kim, Hyun-Yeong Lee, Jae-Deok Jeon
  • Patent number: 8361660
    Abstract: Disclosed are a non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery and a lithium secondary battery comprising the same. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution for a lithium secondary battery may include difluorotoluene having a lowest oxidation potential among components of the non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The lithium secondary battery may have improvement in basic performance including high rate charge/discharge characteristics, cycle life characteristics, and the like, and may remarkably reduce swelling caused by decomposition of an electrolyte solution under high voltage conditions such as overcharge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: LG Chem, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jong-Ho Jeon, Yong-Gon Lee, Seung-Woo Chu, Shul-Kee Kim, Hyun-Yeong Lee, Jae-Deok Jeon