Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080218325 | Method for measuring the amount of air in a fluid - One embodiment of the invention includes a method comprising measuring the level of a fluid in a system in a vehicle comprising measuring an electrical property of the fluid indicative of the amount of air in the fluid; and comparing the measured electrical property to a reference. | 09-11-2008 |
20100151295 | ANODE MATERIALS FOR PEM FUEL CELLS - The incorporation of tungsten-containing hydrogen spillover materials into a composite fuel cell anode can be helpful in preserving the carbon catalyst support materials in the fuel cell cathode during periods of hydrogen starvation. Preferred examples of such tungsten-containing hydrogen spillover materials are tungsten oxides and tungsten silicides. These materials, when physically mixed with catalyst-loaded carbon support particles in a composite anode, have shown the ability to promote hydrogen storage in amounts that, during a disruption of hydrogen gas flow, can postpone an anodic potential excursion into the oxygen evolution region for a period of at least several seconds. | 06-17-2010 |
20100250156 | DETERMINATION OF END OF LIFE OF OIL BY ELECTRICAL MEANS - Electrical measures of resistivity and permittivity of engine lubricating oil are gathered continuously under normal vehicle engine operating conditions and combined into a composite parameter, the aggregated electrical measure, which, is indicative of engine oil condition and when plotted over the useful life of the oil displays a first linear slope anticipatory of the end of oil life followed by a second, steeper slope indicative of the end of oil life. An algorithm, implementable in an on-vehicle computer, to reliably detect these features is described. | 09-30-2010 |
20100300188 | ON-VEHICLE EVALUATION OF OIL FORMULATION - This invention is a method for determining the quality of lubrication oil added to a quantity of used oil in an operating engine or mechanism such as occurs during an oil change or when additional oil is added to maintain the vehicle manufacturer's specified total volume of oil. The method is based on identifying the electrical resistivity characteristics of the oil addition, representative of both the base oil formulation and its additive package, and, through comparison with previously-generated resistivity data on multiple oils identifying the oil addition. The added oil may then be compared with manufacturer specifications for the specific application to determine whether it meets recommended manufacturer requirements. | 12-02-2010 |
20110081600 | CARBON-TITANIUM OXIDE ELECTROCATALYST SUPPORTS FOR OXYGEN REDUCTION IN PEM FUEL CELLS - A high surface area support material is formed of an intimate mixture of carbon clusters and titanium oxide clusters. A catalytic metal, such as platinum, is deposited on the support particles and the catalyzed material used as an electrocatalyst in an electrochemical cell such as a PEM fuel cell. The composite material is prepared by thermal decomposition and oxidation of an intimate mixture of a precursor carbon polymer, a titanium alkoxide and a surfactant that serves as a molecular template for the mixed precursors. | 04-07-2011 |
20110111308 | ELECTROLYTE FOR A LITHIUM ION BATTERY - An electrolyte for a lithium ion battery includes a vitreous eutectic mixture represented by the formula A | 05-12-2011 |
20110125425 | ON-BOARD METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MONITORING ONSET OF RAPID OIL OXIDATION AND SLUDGE FORMATION IN ENGINE OILS - In one exemplary embodiment, the state of engine oil degradation is monitored and determined using the size of viscosity hysteresis during heating-cooling cycles. In another exemplary embodiment, the state of engine oil degradation is monitored and determined using the sign of viscosity hysteresis during heating-cooling cycles. In yet another exemplary embodiment, the state of engine oil degradation is monitored and determined using relative viscosity changes hysteresis during heating-cooling cycles. | 05-26-2011 |
20110151333 | LITHIUM ION BATTERY - In a lithium ion battery, one or more chelating agents may be attached to a microporous polymer separator for placement between a negative electrode and a positive electrode or to a polymer binder material used to construct the negative electrode, the positive electrode, or both. The chelating agents may comprise, for example, at least one of a crown ether, a podand, a lariat ether, a calixarene, a calixcrown, or mixtures thereof. The chelating agents can help improve the useful life of the lithium ion battery by complexing with unwanted metal cations that may become present in the battery's electrolyte solution while, at the same time, not significantly interfering with the movement of lithium ions between the negative and positive electrodes. | 06-23-2011 |
20110165459 | LITHIUM ION BATTERY - In a lithium ion battery, one or more chelating agents may be attached to a microporous polymer separator for placement between a negative electrode and a positive electrode or to a polymer binder material used to construct the negative electrode, the positive electrode, or both. The chelating agents may comprise, for example, at least one of a crown ether, a podand, a lariat ether, a calixarene, a calixcrown, or mixtures thereof. The chelating agents can help improve the useful life of the lithium ion battery by complexing with unwanted metal cations that may become present in the battery's electrolyte solution while, at the same time, not significantly interfering with the movement of lithium ions between the negative and positive electrodes. | 07-07-2011 |
20110200863 | LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES WITH COATED SEPARATORS - A porous polymer sheet or membrane is provided with a thin coating of an electrically non-conductive ceramic composition and the coating conforms to all surfaces, including the pore surfaces, of the membrane. Such a coated membrane serves well, for example, as an intra-cell separator in a lithium ion battery. The coating increases the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the separator in battery operation and retains electrolyte. The coating may be formed by a two-step vapor-phase process in which atoms of one or more metals such as aluminum, calcium, magnesium, titanium, silicon and/or zirconium are deposited in a conformal layer on a workpiece surface. The metal atoms may then be reacted with ammonia, carbon dioxide, and or water to form their respective non-conductive nitrides, carbides, and/or oxides on the surface. The two-step process is repeated as necessary to obtain a ceramic material coating of desired thickness. | 08-18-2011 |
20120315384 | METHOD OF APPLYING NONCONDUCTIVE CERAMICS ON LITHIUM-ION BATTERY SEPARATORS - Methods of coating a nonconductive oxide ceramic on lithium-ion battery separators are provided. A separator is placed in a solution of a volatile organic solvent and an organometallic compound. The separator is coated with a ceramic formed from a metal oxide component of the organometallic compound when the volatile organic solvent evaporates. | 12-13-2012 |
20120328938 | LITHIUM SALTS OF FLUORINATED BORATE ESTERS FOR LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES - Lithium salts with fluorinated chelated orthoborate anions are prepared and used as electrolytes or electrolyte additives in lithium-ion batteries. The lithium salts have two chelate rings formed by the coordination of two bidentate ligands to a single boron atom. In addition, each chelate ring has two oxygen atoms bonded to one boron atom, methylene groups bonded to the two oxygen atoms, and one or more fluorinated carbon atoms bonded to and forming a cyclic bridge between the methylene groups. | 12-27-2012 |
20130052509 | LITHIUM ION BATTERY WITH ELECTROLYTE-EMBEDDED SEPARATOR PARTICLES - A lithium ion battery in which electrically-non conducting ceramic particles are interposed between the anode and cathode to enforce separation between them and prevent short circuits is described. The particles, preferably equiaxed or monodisperse, may be generally uniformly dispersed in a non-aqueous gelled or high viscosity electrolyte. The electrolyte may be applied to one or both of the anode and cathode in suitable thickness to deposit the particles with the electrolyte and form a layered composite with substantially uniformly spaced particles suitable for holding the opposing anode and cathode faces in spaced-apart relation. The thickness of the applied electrolyte layer will be selected to enable deposition of the particles substantially as a fractional monolayer, a monolayer, or a multilayer as required for the application. | 02-28-2013 |
20130071742 | LITHIUM ION BATTERIES - A lithium ion battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a microporous polymer separator soaked in an electrolyte solution. The microporous polymer separator is disposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode. An ion exchange polymer material is any of i) incorporated as a binder in any of the positive electrode or the negative electrode, ii) deposited onto a surface of any of the positive electrode or the negative electrode, iii) incorporated into the microporous polymer separator, or iv) deposited onto a surface of the microporous polymer separator. Examples of methods for making the ion exchange polymer material for use in the lithium ion batteries are also disclosed herein. | 03-21-2013 |
20130099159 | PRODUCTION OF METAL OR METALLOID NANOPARTICLES - One embodiment may include a method of making nanoparticles comprising elemental metals or metalloids and/or alloys thereof. The method may include reducing a metal halide or a metalloid halide with an alkali metal to produce a reaction product comprising particles of the desired metal or metalloid and a halide salt. One embodiment may include introducing reactants to each other in the presence of a non-reactive solvent and/or inducing cavitation in the reactants and/or the non-reactive solvent when present. Certain metals or metalloids such as tin, aluminum, silicon, antimony, indium or bismuth may be useful in electrochemical cells such as lithium-ion cells when produced by these illustrative methods. One embodiment of a battery electrode may include nanoparticles that may be produced by these or other methods. | 04-25-2013 |
20130183582 | LITHIUM ION BATTERY - A lithium ion battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a microporous polymer separator disposed between the negative electrode and the positive electrode, and a polymer having a chelating agent tethered thereto. The polymer is incorporated into the lithium ion battery such that the chelating agent complexes with metal cations in a manner sufficient to not affect movement of lithium ions across the microporous polymer separator during operation of the lithium ion battery. | 07-18-2013 |
20140068927 | Reverse Osmosis Membranes Made with PFSA Ionomer and ePTFE - A method for forming a membrane includes a step of dissolving a lithium salt in a solution including an ionomer that includes protogenic groups to form a modified solution. A membrane is formed from the solution containing the lithium salt and the ionomer that includes protogenic groups. The membrane is dried and then contacted with water to form a plurality of pores therein. | 03-13-2014 |
20140069233 | TITANIUM METAL POWDER PRODUCED FROM TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE USING AN IONIC LIQUID AND HIGH-SHEAR MIXING - Titanium tetrahalide (preferably titanium tetrachloride) is reduced to titanium metal particles by reaction with an alkali metal dispersed in a non-aqueous, organic ionic liquid. The dispersion is enhanced using high-shear mixing. By-product alkali metal chloride salt(s) is dissolved in the ionic liquid. Precipitated titanium metal powder is readily separated from the ionic liquid solution as a product. And the separated solution may be subjected to electrolysis to recover chlorine gas, electrodeposited alkali metal, and the ionic liquid. Other metal halides may be added with the titanium halide to form titanium-based alloys or other titanium based products. | 03-13-2014 |
20140072900 | Metal Ionophores in PEM Membranes - A membrane electrode assembly for fuel cells includes a proton conducting membrane having a first side and a second side. The proton conducting membrane in turn includes a first polymer including cyclic polyether groups and a second polymer having sulfonic acid groups. The membrane electrode assembly further includes an anode disposed over the first side of the proton conducting layer and a cathode catalyst layer disposed over the second side of the proton conducting layer. | 03-13-2014 |
20140242452 | LITHIUM ION BATTERY - A lithium-ion cell has a positive electrode comprising at least one active material comprising a lithium transition metal compound in a binder comprising at least one binder material with functional groups selected from alkali and alkaline earth salts of acid groups and hydroxyl groups, amine groups, isocyanate groups, urethane groups, urea groups, amide groups, and combinations of these; a negative electrode comprising metallic lithium or a lithium host material with appropriately low operation voltage vs. metallic lithium; a nonaqueous solution of a lithium salt; and an electrically nonconductive, ion-pervious separator positioned between the electrodes. | 08-28-2014 |
20140329143 | LITHIUM ION BATTERY - In a lithium ion battery, one or more chelating agents may be attached to a microporous polymer separator for placement between a negative electrode and a positive electrode or to a polymer binder material used to construct the negative electrode, the positive electrode, or both. The chelating agents may comprise, for example, at least one of a crown ether, a crown ether, a podand, a lariat ether, a calixarene, a calixcrown, or mixtures thereof. The chelating agents can help improve the useful life of the lithium ion battery by complexing with unwanted metal cations that may become present in the battery's electrolyte solution while, at the same time, not significantly interfering with the movement of lithium ions between the negative and positive electrodes. | 11-06-2014 |