Ec Power, LLC

The Penn State Research Foundation

Panasonic Corporation

Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Chao-Yang Wang

Takashi Akiyama

Guoqiang Lu

Shanhai Ge

Yan Ji

Hideyuki Ueda

Tianren Xu

Fuqiang Liu

Puneet K Sinha

Yuusuke Sato

Masahiro Takada

Eiichi Sakaue

Kei Matsuoka

Yosuke Ishikawa

Wei Zhao

Wenpeng Liu

Christian E Shaffer

Ou Jung Kwon

Seung Hun Jung

Yongjun Leng

Shinsuke c/o Matsushita Battery Industrial Co Ltd Fukuda

A rapid heating-charging process for charging a rechargeable battery is disclosed. Such a process can be implemented by an integrated heating and battery system can include a rechargeable battery and a heating element in thermal contact with the at least one cell of the battery and electrically connected in series to a switch wherein the heating element and switch form a switch-heater assembly. The switch-heater assembly can be electrically connected in parallel with the battery to form a battery-switch-heater circuit. Advantageously, the battery-switch-heater circuit is configured to be directly electrically engaged with a charger so that the heating element is powered mainly by the charger and electrically connected to the battery when the heating element is powered by the charger. Such a system can be used in a charging operation to pre-heat the battery to a predetermined charging temperature which advantageously improves charge kinetics and reduce charge overpotential, thereby enabling fast charging and charging at a variety of temperatures.

Systems and method of battery charging assisted by heating

Provided is an all solid-state lithium battery including solid battery materials and whose ohmic resistance is modulated according to temperature. The all solid-state lithium battery can include a solid electrolyte; at least two terminals for operating the battery at one level of internal resistance (R) over a temperature range of the battery between a first temperature (T) and a second temperature (T); at least one high resistance terminal for operating the battery at a second level of internal resistance (R) outside of either Tor T; and a switch that activates Rwhen the temperature of the battery is outside of either Tor T. The battery can be configured to include at least one resistor sheet embedded within a cell of the battery and electrically connected to the at least one high resistance terminal.

All solid state lithium battery

Rechargeable batteries, charging methods and systems for fast charging of the battery under all environmental temperatures and without causing battery degradation are disclosed. A charging control system for charging a rechargeable battery can include an ohmically modulated battery, a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of the battery: a switch that can electrically engage the battery to a source of electrical current through either a low-resistance terminal or a high-resistance terminal of the battery: and a controller electrically connected to the temperature sensor and the switch and that can receive input from the temperature sensor and is programmed to determine whether to electrically engage the battery to the source of electrical current through either the low-resistance terminal or the high-resistance terminal through the switch based on input from the temperature sensor.

Systems and methods for fast charging batteries at low temperatures

Fuel cell systems, e.g. systems including proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, are engineered to have more than one internal electrical resistance that can change according to temperature. Such changes in internal electrical resistance levels allow rapid heat-up of the fuel cells from low temperatures to an elevated temperature that is optimal for water management and fuel cell operation. The fuel cell systems can include at least one fuel cell and at least one resistor-switch unit electrically connected to the at least one fuel cell. The at least one resistor-switch unit includes a resistor and a switch in which the switch is electrically connected in parallel with the resistor.

Self-heating fuel cell systems

A rechargeable battery whose ohmic resistance is modulated according to temperature is disclosed.

Ohmically modulated battery

A rechargeable battery, module or a pack, having different levels of internal resistance that operate at different temperatures are disclosed. In a subfreezing environment, the battery can exhibit high resistance which once operated or activated, generates heat internally to warm up the battery quickly. Once the batter reaches normal operating temperatures, the battery can switch to a low resistance operating mode, thereby delivering superior power and energy despite operating in a very low ambient temperature.

All climate battery and manufacturing and using the same

Electrochemical cells that include resistor switch assemblies that can operate according to temperature and batteries and power systems including such cells are disclosed.

Operation of electrochemical energy systems

A rechargeable battery that features two or more levels of internal resistance according to various temperature ranges is disclosed.

Rechargeable battery with multiple resistance levels

A battery with three types of terminals is disclosed. The terminals include at least one negative terminal, at least one positive terminal, and at least one sensor terminal. The negative and positive terminals carry current during battery operation, while the sensor terminal is used to sense, communicate and/or control certain aspects of the battery. The sensor terminal can also be connected to external electronic units for sensing, communication and control of the battery usage.

Multi-terminal battery with sensor terminal

A cathode for use in a direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) comprises a gas diffusion medium (GDM) including a backing layer and a microporous layer comprising a fluoropolymer and an electrically conductive material, wherein loading of the fluoropolymer in the microporous layer is in the range from about 10 to about 60 wt. %. In use, a concentrated solution of a liquid fuel is supplied to an anode and an oxidant to the cathode of the fuel cell, and the fuel cell may be operated at a low oxidant stoichiometry &#x3be;not greater than about 2.5.

Direct oxidation fuel cells with improved cathode gas diffusion media for low air stoichiometry operation

A controller in a charging control system controls a charger to heat a battery at a low temperature by pulse charging and discharging up to a desired temperature and then moves to a normal charging mode. The controller calculates an ion concentration of an active material at electrode portions of the battery on the basis of the temperature data and the electric current data obtained, switch the pulse charging and discharging between a charging mode and a discharging mode on the basis of a pulse width when the ion concentration reaches a threshold.

Method of charging battery based on calcualtion of an ion concentration of a solid active material and battery charging control system

A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) having a liquid fuel and an anode electrode configured to generate power. The anode electrode includes a gas diffusion layer (GDL) and a microporous layer, such that a decrease in the porosity of the GDL achieves an increase in the power density of the DOFC.

Low-porosity anode diffusion media for high concentration direct methanol fuel cells and method of making

A direct oxidation fuel cell (DOFC) system comprises at least one fuel cell assembly including a cathode and an anode with an electrolyte positioned therebetween; a source of liquid fuel in fluid communication with an anode inlet; an oxidant supply in fluid communication with a cathode inlet; a liquid/gas (L/G) separator in fluid communication with anode and cathode outlets for: (1) receiving unreacted fuel and liquid and gaseous products of electrochemical reactions at the cathode and anode, and (2) supplying the unreacted fuel and liquid product to the inlet of said anode; and a control and/or regulation system for determining a fuel efficiency value of the DOFC system during operation and determining and regulating and/or controlling oxidant stoichiometry of the DOFC system at an appropriate value in response to the determined fuel efficiency value.

Growing community of inventors

State College, PA, United States of America

Chao-Yang Wang