Nissan North America, Inc.

Other

Ellazar Niangar

Taehee Han

Nilesh Dale

Gregory DiLeo

Rameshwar Yadav

Kenzo Oshihara

Kan Huang

Peter Aurora

Xiaoguang Hao

Nagappan Ramaswamy

Kevork Adjemian

Vijay K Ramani

Electrocatalysts having non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles are provided as well as the method of making the electrocatalysts and the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles. Embodiments of the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particle consists essentially of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide. Active catalyst particles of a platinum alloy are deposited onto each non-carbon composite support particle. The electrocatalyst can be used in fuel cells, for example.

Non-carbon mixed-metal oxide electrocatalysts

A non-carbon support particle is provided for use in electrocatalyst. The non-carbon support particle consists essentially of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide. The titanium and ruthenium can have a mole ratio ranging from 1:1 to 9:1 in the non-carbon support particle. Also disclosed are methods of preparing the non-carbon support and electrocatalyst taught herein.

Non-carbon mixed-metal oxide support for electrocatalysts

Methods of preparing fuel cell electrodes having catalyst with high density catalyst support are provided. One method of fabricating a fuel cell electrode comprises adjusting an active catalyst particle loading to increase catalyst layer thickness to within a desired range.

Fuel cell electrodes using high density support material

Provided are methods and apparatus for charging a lithium sulfur (Li&#x2014;S) battery. The Li&#x2014;S battery has at least one unit cell comprising a lithium-containing anode and a sulfur-containing cathode with an electrolyte layer there between. One method provides controlled application of voltage pulses at the beginning of the charging process. An application period is initiated after a discharge cycle of the Li&#x2014;S battery is complete. During the application period, voltage pulses are provided to the Li&#x2014;S battery. The voltage pulses are less than a constant current charging voltage. Constant current charging is initiated after the application period has elapsed.

Lithium sulfur battery pulse charging method and pulse waveform

Electrocatalysts having non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles are provided as well as the method of making the electrocatalysts and the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particles. Embodiments of the non-corrosive, non-carbon support particle consists essentially of titanium dioxide and ruthenium dioxide. The electrocatalyst can be used in fuel cells, for example.

Methods for the rapid synthesis of catalyst are provided, as well as catalyst formed from such methods. One method of the rapid synthesis of catalyst comprises forming a homogenous solution comprising a precious metal precursor and a catalyst substrate, reducing the precious metal precursor to precious metal nanoparticles, and depositing the precious metal nanoparticles onto the catalyst substrate to form catalyst particles. The reducing and depositing steps comprise controlling a rate of increase in temperature of the solution with microwave irradiation until the solution is a predetermined temperature and maintaining the solution at the predetermined temperature with microwave irradiation. The method further comprises detecting completion of the reduction and deposition and ceasing microwave irradiation upon detection.

Rapid synthesis of fuel cell catalyst using controlled microwave heating

Disclosed herein are catalyst degradation detection assemblies and methods of catalyst degradation detection that can be performed in-situ. One embodiment of an in-situ fuel cell catalyst degradation detection assembly comprises a humidified hydrogen supply configured to supply humidified hydrogen to an anode of a fuel cell, a humidified nitrogen supply configured to supply humidified nitrogen to a cathode of the fuel cell, a collection cell containing a liquid, the collection cell configured to receive either cathode exhaust from the fuel cell through a cathode exhaust line or anode exhaust from the fuel cell through an anode exhaust line and means for detecting a gas.

Apparatus and method of in situ catalyst degradation detection during fuel cell operation

Methods and apparatus are provided for discharging a Li&#x2014;S battery having at least one battery unit comprising a lithium-containing anode and a sulfur-containing cathode with an electrolyte layer there between. One method comprises electrochemically surface treating the sulfur-containing cathode during discharge of the battery. A method of electrochemically surface treating a cathode of a lithium-sulfide battery comprises applying at least one oxidative voltage pulse during a pulse application period while the lithium-sulfur battery discharges and controlling pulse characteristics during the pulse application period, the pulse characteristics configured to affect a morphology of lithium sulfide forming on the sulfur-containing cathode during discharge.

Lithium sulfur battery cathode electrode surface treatment during discharge

Disclosed herein are systems and methods of diagnosing in situ the health of a fuel cell stack while it is in operation in a vehicle. One such system of diagnosing in situ the health of a fuel cell stack while it is in operation in a vehicle comprises at least one gas sensor configured to detect a gas in exhaust from the fuel cell stack and a control unit configured to receive data from the gas sensor. The control unit has baseline data particular to a catalyst of the fuel cell stack and is programmed to determine information from the baseline data and the data from the gas sensor, the information providing a condition of the fuel cell stack. A display unit is configured to display an indication of the condition.

System and method of in-situ diagnosis of fuel cell health during vehicle operation

Disclosed herein are embodiments of ultralow loading catalyst. Also disclosed are membrane electrode assemblies and fuel cells utilizing the ultralow loading catalyst. One embodiment of an ultralow loading catalyst includes support particles comprised of a non-precious metal catalyst material and precious metal particles supported on the support particles.

Ultralow loading fuel cell catalyst

Methods for the rapid synthesis of catalyst are disclosed herein, as well as catalyst formed from such methods. One method of the rapid synthesis of catalyst comprises first forming a solution that comprises a solvent, a precious metal precursor, a catalyst substrate, a reducing agent and a stabilizer. The solution is homogenized. The precious metal precursor is reduced to nanoparticles of the precious metal and the nanoparticles are deposited onto the catalyst substrate to form catalyst particles. Reducing and depositing comprise increasing a temperature of the solution with microwave irradiation at a controlled rate to a predetermined temperature and holding the solution at the predetermined temperature with microwave irradiation until the reduction and depositing are detected to be complete.

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Farmington Hills, MI, United States of America

Ellazar Niangar