Patents by Inventor Weiran Gao

Weiran Gao 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).

  • Convection-enhanced electrochemical energy storage devices and related methods
    Patent number: 12218316
    Abstract: A convection enhanced energy storage system includes an electrochemical cell with a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, a tank holding an electrolyte, and a pump connected to the electrochemical cell and the tank to circulate the electrolyte. The electrochemical cell has large ? and ? values, which has high transport resistance from diffusion and there is limited salt in the electrolyte solution to compensate. A computer system can implement a model of a convection enhanced energy storage system, for example for simulation to select parameters for such an energy storage system. The model includes: a convection term in a Nernst-Planck equation representing the convection enhanced energy storage system; boundary conditions of a cell of the convection enhanced energy storage system to account for forced convection at boundaries; gauging conservation of anions within an external tank; and calculating electrode active area as a function of porosity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2025
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Fikile Richard Brushett, Weiran Gao, Javit Drake, Michael Orella
  • THERMAL REGULATION OF CONVECTIVE FLOW BATTERIES AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20240136608
    Abstract: The systems and methods for monitoring and/or regulating thermal parameters in convective flow batteries is generally described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2023
    Publication date: April 25, 2024
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Fikile Richard Brushett, Weiran Gao, Javit Drake
  • CONVECTION-ENHANCED ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE DEVICES AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20220123377
    Abstract: A convection enhanced energy storage system includes an electrochemical cell with a positive electrode, a separator, and a negative electrode, a tank holding an electrolyte, and a pump connected to the electrochemical cell and the tank to circulate the electrolyte. The electrochemical cell has large ? and ? values, which has high transport resistance from diffusion and there is limited salt in the electrolyte solution to compensate. A computer system can implement a model of a convection enhanced energy storage system, for example for simulation to select parameters for such an energy storage system. The model includes: a convection term in a Nernst-Planck equation representing the convection enhanced energy storage system; boundary conditions of a cell of the convection enhanced energy storage system to account for forced convection at boundaries; gauging conservation of anions within an external tank; and calculating electrode active area as a function of porosity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Fikile Richard Brushett, Weiran Gao, Javit Drake, Michael Orella