Patents by Inventor Zhijun Gu

Zhijun Gu 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: 20210226227
    Abstract: A hybrid bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell includes a formed cathode half plate and a stamped metal anode half plate. The stamped metal anode half plate is nested with and affixed to the formed cathode half plate. Each of the half plates has a reactant side and a coolant side, a feed region, and a header with a plurality of header apertures. The coolant side of the formed cathode half plate has support features that can be different from and need not correspond with cathode flow channels formed on the opposite reactant side. The coolant side of the stamped metal anode half plate has lands corresponding with anode channels formed on the opposite oxidant side. The lands define a plurality of coolant channels on the coolant side of the stamped metal anode half plate and abut the coolant side of the formed cathode half plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2018
    Publication date: July 22, 2021
    Applicant: Jiangsu Horizon New Energy Technologies Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhijun GU
  • Publication number: 20210210767
    Abstract: A cathode structure of a fuel cell is disclosed. The cathode structure comprises a cathode diffusion layer, wherein an air permeability adjusting structure is arranged around the cathode diffusion layer, and the cathode air permeability of the air permeability adjusting structure gradually varies in the flow direction of fluid. According to the cathode structure of a fuel cell, by means of arranging the air permeability adjusting structure, with variable cathode air permeability around the cathode diffusion layer, the difference caused by different temperatures and humidity is subtly compensated for, thus improving the problem of water accumulation or dehydration in a cathode structure of a fuel cell, and effectively improving the water management of the fuel cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2017
    Publication date: July 8, 2021
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Koschany Arthur
  • Publication number: 20200227762
    Abstract: A fuel cell system comprises a fuel cell, a switch control module and at least two switch modules; the switch modules each is coupled to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the fuel cell, and comprises switch units; the switch units each comprises a switch; the switch comprises a control terminal, a current input terminal and a current output terminal; in at least one of the at least two switch modules, the switch unit further comprises a voltage division structure; the voltage division structure is coupled in series between the current input terminal and the positive electrode of the fuel cell, or, the voltage division structure is coupled in series between the current output terminal and the negative electrode of the fuel cell; the switch control module is respectively coupled to the control terminals of the switches of the at least two switch modules to respectively control on-off of the switches.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2017
    Publication date: July 16, 2020
    Inventors: Ke JIN, Arthur KOSCHANY, Yong LU, Zhijun GU
  • Publication number: 20200119371
    Abstract: A hybrid bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell includes a formed cathode half plate and a stamped metal anode half plate. The stamped metal anode half plate is unnested with and affixed to the formed cathode half plate. Each of the half plates has a reactant side and a coolant side, a feed region, and a header with a plurality of header apertures. The coolant side of the formed cathode half plate need not correspond with cathode flow channels formed on the opposite reactant side. The coolant side of the stamped metal anode half plate has lands corresponding with anode channels formed on the opposite oxidant side. The lands define a plurality of coolant channels on the coolant side of the stamped metal anode half plate and abut the coolant side of the formed cathode half plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: April 16, 2020
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Steve Goebel, Chen Jie, Gary M. Robb
  • Patent number: 10322932
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator and methods of generating hydrogen are described in which a hydride is hydrolyzed in a reaction chamber in an exothermic reaction by the addition of liquid water to be vaporized in the reaction chamber, and/or the added water is controlled in relation to the hydrogen generated according to a value x defined by equations, which, for a divalent metal, reads: MH2+xH2O?(2?x)MO+(x?1)M(OH)2+2H2, wherein M symbolizing the divalent metal and x is preferred in the interval of 1.2 to 1.3. The equation as well as the values of x depend on the sort of hydride, i.e. whether a 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-valent hydride is applied. The hydrogen generator has a reaction chamber and an operably coupled water storage vessel acting also as condenser for recycled water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: HES Energy Systems Pte. Ltd.
    Inventor: Zhijun Gu
  • Publication number: 20160023897
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator and methods of generating hydrogen are described in which a hydride is hydrolysed in a reaction chamber in an exothermic reaction by the addition of liquid water to be vaporized in the reaction chamber, and/or the added water is controlled in relation to the hydrogen generated according to a value x defined by equations, which, for a divalent metal, reads: MH2+xH2O?(2-x)MO+(x-1)M(OH)2+2H2, wherein M symbolizing the divalent metal and x is preferred in the interval of 1.2 to 1.3. The equation as well as the values of x depend on the sort of hydride, i.e. whether a 1-, 2-, 3- or 4-valent hydride is applied. The hydrogen generator has a reaction chamber and an operably coupled water storage vessel acting also as condenser for recycled water.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: January 28, 2016
    Inventor: Zhijun Gu
  • Patent number: 9187322
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator (1), particularly for supplying a fuel cell, is described comprising a supply (3, 29) of a fuel, i.e. a chemical hydride, which can be hydrolyzed to be reacted in a reaction chamber (14, 33) communicating with the first supply (3, 29) to produce hydrogen gas and an at least partially liquid exhaust reaction product, the reaction chamber communicating with outlet pathways (16, 17) for the hydrogen gas and for the exhaust reaction product, the latter (17) leading to a supply of an absorbent material (21) suitable for immobilizing the exhaust reaction product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: HORIZON FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES PTE. LTD
    Inventor: Zhijun Gu
  • Patent number: 8494622
    Abstract: A system, method, and memory medium for operating on an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. A multiscale short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is perform on a set of ECG samples {s(n)} to obtain a transform array. For each sufficiently energetic peak in the transform array, a refined window width value and a refined window displacement value is generated by: computing an inner product between the set of samples and each of a plurality of functions, where the plurality of functions are sufficiently close to a coarse approximation function given by the peak location; and solving a linear system Av=c for the unknown vector v, where the vector c is determined by the inner products, where the matrix A is determined by the center times of the plurality of functions. After appropriate selection, the refined window width and refined window displacement may be used to represent ECG waveform features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Nanxiong Zhang, Shie Qian
  • Patent number: 8367258
    Abstract: An electric power source arrangement is described, comprising a fuel cell means (2) having a nominal voltage and a specified voltage-current characteristic, to be connected to a load (1), and comprising a variable DC-DC voltage converter (3), a by-pass branch (11) by-passing the DC-DC voltage converter, a switch (13) alternatively connecting the fuel cell to the DC-DC voltage converter or to the by-pass branch, and a control unit (12) controlling the switch, which control unit (12) comprises a measuring device coupled to the fuel cell means (2) for detecting the operating point thereof and is configured to connect the by-pass branch (11) if the fuel cell means voltage is within a selected range of section (5) of the voltage-current characteristic of the fuel cell means and to disconnect the by-pass branch in the remaining range of sections (4, 6, 7) of said characteristic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2013
    Assignee: Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Ke Jin, Yong Lu
  • Publication number: 20120195825
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator working by hydrolysis of the metal borohydride is described comprising a reaction chamber (7) which in its bottom part has a liquid collecting area (30) and leads by short and non-complex connecting components to a conduit end (38) through which the exhaust products (31) of the reaction are discharged into the environment, generally the atmosphere and thereby saving weight and volume. By using given high pressures and temperatures for the reaction, the danger of crystallization of exhaust products is prevented.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: August 2, 2012
    Inventors: Arthur Koschany, Zhijun Gu
  • Publication number: 20120179059
    Abstract: A system, method, and memory medium for operating on an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. A multiscale short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is perform on a set of ECG samples {s(n)} to obtain a transform array. For each sufficiently energetic peak in the transform array, a refined window width value and a refined window displacement value is generated by: computing an inner product between the set of samples and each of a plurality of functions, where the plurality of functions are sufficiently close to a coarse approximation function given by the peak location; and solving a linear system Av=c for the unknown vector v, where the vector c is determined by the inner products, where the matrix A is determined by the center times of the plurality of functions. After appropriate selection, the refined window width and refined window displacement may be used to represent ECG waveform features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2012
    Publication date: July 12, 2012
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Nanxiong Zhang, Shie Qian
  • Patent number: 8214028
    Abstract: A system, method and memory medium for operating on an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. A multiscale short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is performed on a set of ECG samples {s(n)} to obtain a transform array. For each sufficiently energetic peak in the transform array, a refined window width value and a refined window displacement value is generated by: computing an inner product between the set of samples and each of a plurality of functions, where the plurality of functions are sufficiently close to a coarse approximation function given by the peak location; and solving a linear system Av=c for the unknown vector v, where the vector c is determined by the inner products, where the matrix A is determined by the center times of the plurality of functions. After appropriate selection, the refined window width and refined window displacement may be used to represent ECG waveform features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2012
    Assignee: National Instruments Corporation
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Nanxiong Zhang, Shie Qian
  • Publication number: 20120087843
    Abstract: A hydrogen generator (1), particularly for supplying a fuel cell, is described comprising a supply (3, 29) of a fuel, i.e. a chemical hydride, which can be hydrolyzed to be reacted in a reaction chamber (14, 33) communicating with the first supply (3, 29) to produce hydrogen gas and an at least partially liquid exhaust reaction product, the reaction chamber communicating with outlet pathways (16, 17) for the hydrogen gas and for the exhaust reaction product, the latter (17) leading to a supply of an absorbent material (21) suitable for immobilizing the exhaust reaction product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Inventor: Zhijun Gu
  • Publication number: 20120043221
    Abstract: A method and device for charging a metal hydride hydrogen store (13) is described. It comprises generating gaseous hydrogen in an electrolyser (1), transporting the gaseous hydrogen to the metal hydride store and feeding the metal hydride store with the hydrogen. For having the hydrogen free of water contamination, the gaseous hydrogen is first transported under a first pressure of at least 1 MPa which pressure is then reduced by a pressure adjusting means (11) to a second, designated pressure lower to the first pressure, the second pressure being the feeding pressure to the metal hydride store. FIG. 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: February 23, 2012
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Zheng Yang
  • Patent number: 8067128
    Abstract: A sealing structure for a fuel cell and a method for manufacturing the same, in this structure, a first gas separator, a first gas diffusion layer and a first catalyst on the one side, a proton exchange membrane, a second catalyst, a second gas diffusion layer and a second gas separator on the other side, are in turn stacked, wherein an area of the second gas diffusion layer is smaller than an area of the proton exchange membrane. The area of the proton exchange membrane is not larger than an area of the first gas diffusion layer, and the area of the first gas diffusion layer is smaller than an area of the first gas separator, therefore, the shape of the front edges of these elements are step-shaped. The area obverse to the step shape is filled with cured sealing material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies, Pte., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tianyu Cui, Zhijun Gu
  • Publication number: 20110190648
    Abstract: A system, method and memory medium for operating on an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. A multiscale short-time Fourier transform (STFT) is perform on a set of ECG samples {s(n)} to obtain a transform array. For each sufficiently energetic peak in the transform array, a refined window width value and a refined window displacement value is generated by: computing an inner product between the set of samples and each of a plurality of functions, where the plurality of functions are sufficiently close to a coarse approximation function given by the peak location; and solving a linear system Av=c for the unknown vector v, where the vector c is determined by the inner products, where the matrix A is determined by the center times of the plurality of functions. After appropriate selection, the refined window width and refined window displacement may be used to represent ECG waveform features.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Publication date: August 4, 2011
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Nanxiong Zhang, Shie Qian
  • Publication number: 20100261085
    Abstract: An electric power source arrangement is described, comprising a fuel cell means (2) having a nominal voltage and a specified voltage-current characteristic, to be connected to a load (1), and comprising a variable DC-DC voltage converter (3), a by-pass branch (11) by-passing the DC-DC voltage converter, a switch (13) alternatively connecting the fuel cell to the DC-DC voltage converter or to the by-pass branch, and a control unit (12) controlling the switch, which control unit (12) comprises a measuring device coupled to the fuel cell means (2) for detecting the operating point thereof and is configured to connect the by-pass branch (11) if the fuel cell means voltage is within a selected range of section (5) of the voltage-current characteristic of the fuel cell means and to disconnect the by-pass branch in the remaining range of sections (4, 6, 7) of said characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2010
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Zhijun GU, Ke Jin, Yong Lu
  • Publication number: 20090317693
    Abstract: A sealing structure for a fuel cell and a method for manufacturing the same, in this structure, a first gas separator, a first gas diffusion layer and a first catalyst on the one side, a proton exchange membrane, a second catalyst, a second gas diffusion layer and a second gas separator on the other side, are in turn stacked, wherein an area of the second gas diffusion layer is smaller than an area of the proton exchange membrane. The area of the proton exchange membrane is not larger than an area of the first gas diffusion layer, and the area of the first gas diffusion layer is smaller than an area of the first gas separator, therefore, the shape of the front edges of these elements are step-shaped. The area obverse to the step shape is filled with cured sealing material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2007
    Publication date: December 24, 2009
    Inventors: Tianyu Ciu, Zhijun Gu
  • Publication number: 20090239107
    Abstract: The invention relates to a gas storage system for a fuel cell system comprising at least one gasbag whose volume increases and decreases with the increase and decrease in the amount of hydrogen contained therein, at least two hydrogen interface valves that are located at two ends of the gas storage system, an anode gas chamber for the fuel cell and pipes configured to interconnect the anode gas chamber of the fuel cell, the gasbag and the hydrogen interface valves, wherein the ratio of the capacity of the gas storage system including the gasbag before gas inflation to the capacity after full gas inflation is less than 50%. The invention also relates to a method for using the gas storage system, which comprises charging and discharging the gasbag at different ends thereof. The advantages of the present invention include high hydrogen purity after inflation, perfect effect in purging impure gas on discharging, and relatively stable Nernst voltage on operation when compared with that of the prior art.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Inventors: Zhijun Gu, Xuming Zhu
  • Publication number: 20090233138
    Abstract: The invention discloses an assembly of a membrane electrode and a current collecting board used for an electrochemical cell, the assembly comprising a membrane layer, a gas diffusion layer on the one side and a layer of porous current collecting board on the one side which are stacked in sequence and wherein the gas diffusion layer on the one side is located between the porous current collecting board on the one side and the membrane. The area surrounding the periphery of the gas diffusion layer on the one side is filled with sealing material which is cured subsequently. The invention further discloses an electrochemical cell module comprising at least one electrochemical single cell which includes an end plate with gas channels, an assembly therefor, and an end plate with gas channels on the other side which are stacked in sequence. When compared with the prior art, this assembly provides a simpler structure and assembly process, thereby decreasing production cost when used on a large scale.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2009
    Publication date: September 17, 2009
    Inventor: Zhijun Gu