Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Harald Schlag

Gayatri Vyas

Jeffrey Allan Rock

Michael K Budinski

Brian K Brady

Kim R Griffith

Thomas A Trabold

Thomas W Tighe

Keith E Newman

Michael J Lukitsch

Rainer Immel

Ralf Senner

Michael K Lukitsch

Christoph Klunker

Matthias Hampel

A system and method for monitoring a state-of-charge (SOC) of a battery, where the system includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor provides a measurement signal that can track changes of a nominal volume of the battery by either measuring a size or pressure of the battery, where the nominal volume is the volume that the electrolyte, anode, cathode and current collectors would occupy if unconstrained. The controller is programmed to use a function to estimate the SOC from the measurement signal. The function can be established after constructing and finding a repeatable charging and discharging curve of the battery that graphs the measurement signal compared to the SOC of the battery.

SOC determination by evaluation of effects invoked by dimensional changes of battery cells

A fluid storage tank is disclosed, the storage tank including a first conduit disposed therein substantially adjacent an inner surface of a sidewall of the storage tank, and wherein the inner surface facilitates a heating of the first conduit and a fluid in the first conduit during extraction thereof from the storage tank.

Internal heating of a fluid in a storage tank

A product comprising a fuel cell component comprising a substrate and a coating overlying the substrate, the coating comprising nanoparticles having sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nanometers.

Fuel cell component with coating including nanoparticles

A pressure vessel is provided including a liner forming a cavity and having an inner surface and an outer surface, and a composite wrap including a plurality of composite layers disposed adjacent to the outer surface. The composite wrap has a desired strain modulus gradient across a thickness of the composite wrap. Also provided is a method for producing the pressure vessel.

Composite material with fibers with different stiffness for optimum stress usage

A cryogenic fluid storage tank having an inlet conduit, an outlet conduit, and a thermal shield in thermal contact with the inner vessel is disclosed, wherein the thermal shield is adapted to militate against heat transfer from the atmosphere to a cryogenic fluid by the inlet conduit and the outlet conduit.

Cryogenic storage tank with thermal shield

A pressure sensor adapted to provide a high resolution at a low pressure and a high pressure of an operating range is provided. The pressure sensor includes a body having an interface sur ace, a membrane sealingly disposed in the cavity adjacent the interface surface, and a sensing element in communication with the membrane. A fuel cell system including the pressure sensor is also provided.

Pressure sensor with nonlinear characteristic curve

Disclosed is a vessel and a method of forming the vessel including an inner shell, an outer shell, and a diffusion layer disposed therebetween, wherein the diffusion layer facilitates the venting of a fluid from between the inner shell and the outer shell.

Diffusion layer for pressure vessels

An electro-conductive plate assembly for a fuel cell has a pair of stamped plates joined together to define a coolant volume therein. Each of the pair of stamped plates has a flow field on a major outer surface arranged to maximize the contact area between major inner surfaces of the plates while allowing coolant to distribute and flow readily within the coolant volume. The flow fields formed on the major outer surfaces provide corresponding sets of lands on the major inner surfaces that contact to form a third flow field of the coolant volume. The third flow field formed by the lands includes a plurality of longitudinal channels and an array of flow disruptors. The bipolar plate assembly further includes a seal arrangement and integral manifolds to direct reactant gas and coolant flow through the fuel cell.

Stamped fuel cell bipolar plate

A separator assembly for use in a stack of electrochemical cells is provided, having a first conductive metallic substrate with a first surface and a second conductive metallic substrate with a second surface, wherein each of the first and second surfaces are overlaid with an ultra-thin electrically conductive metal coating. The first and second surfaces form electrically conductive paths at regions where the metal coating of the first and second layer contact one another. The contact of the surfaces overlaid with metal coating is sufficient to join the first and second substrates to one another. Preferred metal coatings comprise gold (Au). Methods of making such separator assemblies are also provided.

Low contact resistance bonding method for bipolar plates in a PEM fuel cell

A bipolar plate assembly for a fuel cell having a pair of stamped plates joined together to define a coolant volume therein. Each of the pair of stamped plates have a flow field arranged to maximize the contact area between the plates while allowing coolant to distribute and flow readily within the coolant volume. The bipolar plate assembly further includes a seal arrangement and integral manifold to direct gaseous reactant flow through the fuel cell.

Low contact resistance bonding method for bipolar plates in a pem fuel cell

A method of fabrication is adapted to weld paired metal plates, particularly fuel cell bipolar plates, using a partial vacuum to hold the paired metal plates together during the welding process. Each bipolar plate has a plurality of contact surfaces for joining the paired metal plates. The contact surfaces of a first plate are co-aligned with contact surfaces of a second plate. An outer perimeter and a plurality of reactant gas channels and ports of each plate pair are sealed to form a sealable interior volume. A partial vacuum is drawn in the interior volume to clamp each plate pair together at the contact surfaces and a weld joint is made between at least a plurality of the contact surfaces. Laser welding is preferably used for its ability to fuse the contact surfaces together without perforating the plates and thereby losing the partial vacuum.

Growing community of inventors

Ruesselsheim, Germany

Harald Schlag