| Patent application number | Description | Published |
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| 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 |
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| 20080241699 | Lithium-Ion Battery Electrolytes - A rechargeable lithium-ion battery includes an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte containing one or more dispersed lithium salts. The electrolyte is composed of one or more solvent materials. A principal solvent constituent compound is at least one of γ-valerolactone, methyl isobutyryl acetate, 2-methoxyethyl acetate, 2-ethoxyethyl acetate, and diethyl oxalate. | 10-02-2008 |
| 20080271569 | CAVITATION PROCESS FOR TITANIUM PRODUCTS FROM PRECURSOR HALIDES - A titanium halide and, optionally, other precursor halides compound are reduced to a predetermined titanium product, suitably at or near ambient conditions. Titanium tetrachloride, for example, is added to an anhydrous liquid reaction medium containing one or more alkali metals or alkaline earth metals as reductants. The metal reductants are dispersed as very small globules in the liquid by cavitation of the liquid reaction medium, such as by application of high intensity ultrasonic vibrations or high-shear mixing to the reaction vessel. Continued cavitation of the liquid medium affects relatively low temperature reduction of the precursor halide(s) to produce a titanium-containing product such as titanium metal, a titanium alloy or compound, or a titanium matrix-ceramic composite material, or the like. | 11-06-2008 |
| 20080295645 | CAVITATION PROCESS FOR PRODUCTS FROM PRECURSOR HALIDES - A precursor halide compound is reduced to a predetermined product at substantially ambient conditions. The halide is added to an anhydrous liquid reaction medium containing one or more alkali metals or alkaline earth metals as reductants. The metal reductants are dispersed as very small globules in the liquid by cavitation of the liquid, such as by application of high intensity ultrasonic vibrations or high-shear mixing to the reaction vessel. Continued cavitation of the liquid medium affects low temperature reduction of the precursor halide(s) to produce a metal, metal alloy, metal compound, ceramic material, metal matrix-ceramic composite material, or the like. The practice may be applied, for example, to titanium tetrachloride, alone or with other chlorides, to produce titanium metal, titanium alloys (for example Ti-6Al-4V), and titanium compounds (TiSi | 12-04-2008 |
