Borst Inc.

Total Battery Management, Inc.

Other

Advanced Charger Technology, Inc.

Gem Power, LLC

Boris Tsenter

Yury M Podrazhansky

John E James

Mikhail Golod

Alexei Petrov

Disclosed herein is a secondary lithium-water electrochemical battery cell-comprising a water splitting bi-functional electrode in contact with an inorganic electrolyte, a reversible lithium electrode in contact with an organic electrolyte, a lithium salt and a Li-ion conductive membrane disposed between the organic and inorganic electrolytes. Cell charged as Li&#x2014;O2 couple and discharged as Li&#x2014;H2 couple.

Li-water secondary electrochemical battery

Disclosed herein are secondary electrochemical cells using lithium and hydrogen elements as active materials. In the process of charging hydrogen delivers electron to lithium, Li-ion simultaneously cross Li-ion conductive separator and deposits as metallic lithium or in matrix intercalated lithium. During discharge, Li delivers electron to proton of catholyte and moves as Li-ion across Li-ion conductive separator. Reversible fuel cells, water electrolyzers, metal hydrides or lithium itself can be used as sources of hydrogen.

Lithium hydrogen secondary electrochemical cell

An invention is provided for determining a state of health of a battery. The invention includes applying a predefined load profile to a battery, and obtaining a plurality of battery response voltage data corresponding to points along the predefined load profile. The battery electrical double layer capacity data is calculated from the battery response voltage data, and thereafter utilized to determine the state of health of the battery.

State of health recognition of secondary batteries

An invention is provided for determining a state of health of a battery. The invention includes applying a predefined load profile to a battery, and obtaining a plurality of battery response voltage data corresponding to points along the predefined load profile. A matrix of parameters, which includes, among other data, battery ohm resistance data, battery chemical resistance data, and battery electrical double layer capacity data, is calculated from the battery response voltage data. Thereafter, the matrix of parameters is utilized to determine the state of health of the battery.

An electrochemical heat pump system comprising an electrochemical pump, refrigerant-based cooling system, and gas-driven compressor. The electrochemical pump is capable of reversibly producing and consuming hydrogen gas. The cooling system comprises a condenser, compressor, and evaporator in thermal communication with an object to be cooled. The compressor comprises a chamber having a fixed volume and a flexible separator that physically divides the chamber into a gas space and a refrigerant space containing vapor refrigerant. As hydrogen gas is produced in the gas space, the flexible separator extends into the refrigerant space thereby expanding the gas space and compressing the vapor refrigerant. As the vapor refrigerant is compressed, it is forced through the condenser where the refrigerant is liquefied. The liquid refrigerant then passes through the evaporator where the liquid refrigerant is evaporated by absorbing heat from the object to be cooled.

Electrochemical heat pump system

A reciprocal design for an electrochemical heat exchanger comprised of a gas-based driving system, a liquid-based cooling system, and a non-permeable flexible diaphragm to physically separate the contents of the driving system from the contents of the cooling system while maintaining a pressure based communication between the contents of the two systems. The gas-based driving system utilizes a hydrogen electrochemical pump to induce circulation of a liquid coolant through the cooling system. Said liquid coolant exchanges heat with the object to be cooled and transfers heat out of the heat exchange system by way of matched banks of radiator tubes.

Reciprocal heat exchanger

A method of charging a rechargeable battery which comprises charging the battery with a charging current; sampling conditions of the battery during charging to recognize potential adverse conditions within the battery; interrupting the charging current periodically to create current-free periods and sampling an open circuit voltage of the battery during each current-free period to identify potential overcharge conditions in the battery; lowering the charging current if any adverse conditions are identified and continuing charging with the charging current if adverse charging conditions are not identified; and terminating charging when a predetermined value is recognized. The method of charging nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium batteries is based on switching charging current as soon as temperature related battery open circuit voltage reaches the first predetermined value, tapering current and continuing charging up to terminating point.

Battery charger and method of charging nickel based batteries

An electrochemical heat exchanger which includes a housing, hydrogen producing/consuming portions separated by a proton exchange membrane and a gas space designed to contact an object in need of cooling. The gas space includes either hydrogen or a liquid gas which is placed in thermal contact with an item to be cooled. The hydrogen gas or liquid coolant exchanges heat with the element to be cooled and is constantly replenished by hydrogen or liquid coolant forced through the heat exchanger by a pressure differential created between the respective hydrogen electrodes.

Electrochemical hydrogen pump and uses thereof for heat exchange applications

An apparatus and method for charging a battery are described in a technique wherein charge pulses are followed by discharge pulses and then first rest periods and other discharge pulses followed by second rest periods. Selected ones of the second rest periods are extended in time to enable a battery equilibrium to be established and the open circuit voltage of the battery to settle down and reflect an overcharging condition of the battery. By comparing the open circuit voltages measured during different extended second rest periods small voltage decreases can be reliably detected and used to determine an overcharging condition such as when gases are generated and affect the open circuit voltage. Once overcharging is detected the battery charging is stopped.

Method and apparatus for determining when to terminate charging of a

A method of charging a rechargeable battery which comprises charging the battery with a charging current; sampling a charging voltage of the battery during charging to recognize potential adverse conditions within the battery; interrupting the charging current periodically to create current-free periods and sampling an open circuit voltage of the battery at a plurality of points during each current-free period to identify potential overcharge conditions in the battery; lowering the charging current if any of the above-identified adverse conditions are identified and continuing charging with the charging current if the potential adverse charging condition is not identified; and terminating charging when a negative slope on a chemical polarization versus time curve is identified below a pre-determined minimum level. The battery charger and method of the present invention may also be utilized to determine the type, design, and chemistry of the battery being charged based on pre-determined chemical polarization values.

Battery charger and method of charging rechargeable batteries

A method of charging a rechargeable lithium battery which comprises charging the battery with a charging current; sampling a charging voltage of the battery during charging to recognize potential electrolyte decomposition; interrupting the charging current periodically to create current-free periods and sampling an open circuit voltage of the battery at a plurality of points during each current-free period to identify potential shunting and unequal states of charge among individual cells of the battery; lowering the charging current if any of the above-identified adverse conditions are identified and continuing charging with the charging current if the potential adverse charging condition is not identified; and terminating charging when the charging current is lowered below a pre-determined minimum level.

Energy transfer and equalization in rechargeable lithium batteries

A battery charger and method of charging a rechargeable battery which comprises charging the battery with an initial charging current and measuring and comparing the charging temperature to an initial temperature to identify a temperature factor which either identifies a need to lower the current or terminate the charging current. The temperature factor may be a temperature gradient .DELTA.T. The open circuit voltage may be monitored from the beginning or may begin when .DELTA.T is identified. V.sub.OCV is plotted with respect to time t elapsed to identify a point or points on the V.sub.OCV (t) curve, such as an inflection point in the dV.sub.OCV /dt data or a transition point in the d.sup.2 V.sub.OCV /dt.sup.2 which indicate the onset of overcharge. If the open circuit voltage V.sub.OCV of the battery is sampled from the beginning of charging the second order differential information should be ignored until a predetermined temperature gradient is realized. If a point indicating onset of overcharge is not recognized then charging is continued and the steps above are repeated until a point or points indicating onset of overcharge are identified. As a safeguard against overcharge, the inflection point on dV.sub.OCV /dt curve is utilized to indicate onset of overcharge even if the inflection point on the d.sup.2 V.sub.OCV /dt.sup.2 curve is not identified and the negative slope--dV.sub.OCV /dt is utilized to indicate onset of overcharge if the inflection point on the dV.sub.OCV /dt data is not identified.

Battery charger and method of charging batteries

An electrochemical heat exchanger including a housing, at least one electrochemical cell within the housing with a first electrode and a hydrogen electrode at least partially immersed in a liquid electrolyte, and positive and negative terminals of the electrochemical cell connected through the housing to respective positive and negative ends of a power supply. The housing includes a gas space which is in communication with a heat exchange chamber. The heat exchange chamber can be a flexible chamber capable of expanding in response to an increase in pressure in the electrochemical cell and contracting in response to a decrease in pressure in the electrochemical cell or it can be a conduit whereby an element to be cooled is placed in thermal contact with either hydrogen gas or a liquid coolant. The hydrogen gas or liquid coolant exchanges heat with the element to be cooled and is constantly replenished by cooler hydrogen or liquid coolant forced through the heat exchanger by a pressure differential created in the electrochemical cell.

Electrochemical heat exchanger

An apparatus and method of recognizing a shunt caused by formation of dendrites in a rechargeable lithium battery which comprises charging the battery with a charging current, sampling the charging current voltage of the battery at pre-determined time intervals in order to identify one or more point indicating onset of shunting, and terminating charging if the shunt or dendrite is indicated. If a shunt is not recognized charging is continued. Dendrite formation or the beginning of shunting due to such formation is indicated by any one of the following conditions: a negative gradient in sampled voltage values; a negative gradient in sampled steady open circuit values; and a negative gradient in the chemical polarization voltage values which may be calculated by sampling both the open circuit voltage soon after current interruption and steady open circuit voltages during a plurality of currentless phases.

Growing community of inventors

Roswell, GA, United States of America

Boris Tsenter