# US 11,444,339 B2 · Battery fast-charging system and method of operating same

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- Number: US 11,444,339 B2
- Document ID: US11444339B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/519,891
- Filed: 2019-07-23
- Published: 2021-01-28
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-07-23
- Assignees: Global Graphene Group, Inc.
- Applicants: Global Graphene Group, Inc.
- Inventors: Yu-Sheng Su; Yu-Ming Chen; Hao-Hsun Chang; Bor Z. Jang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444339B2

## CPC

- H02J 7/485: {with provisions for charging different types of batteries}
- B60L 1/02: to electric heating circuits
- B60L 50/64: Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
- B60L 53/11: {DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4}
- B60L 53/67: Controlling two or more charging stations
- B60L 55/00: Arrangements for supplying energy stored within a vehicle to a power network, i.e. vehicle-to-grid [V2G] arrangements
- B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage
- B60L 58/26: by cooling
- B60L 58/27: by heating
- H01M 10/425: {Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing (printed circuits H05K1/00)}
- H01M 10/441: {for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially}
- H01M 10/443: {in response to temperature}
- H01M 10/46: Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus (circuits for charging H02J7/00)
- H01M 10/486: {for measuring temperature}
- H01M 10/613: Cooling or keeping cold
- H01M 10/615: Heating or keeping warm
- H01M 10/625: Vehicles
- H01M 10/653: characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
- H01M 10/6551: Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
- H01M 10/6553: Terminals or leads
- H01M 10/6572: Peltier elements or thermoelectric devices
- H02J 7/575: {Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit}
- H02J 7/82: Control of state of charge [SOC]
- H02J 7/977: {of the battery}
- B60L 2240/545: Temperature
- H01M 2010/4278: {Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller}
- Y02E 60/00: Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y04S 10/126: the energy generation units being or involving electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV], i.e. power aggregation of EV or HEV, vehicle to grid arrangements [V2G]
- H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y04S: SYSTEMS INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO POWER NETWORK OPERATION, COMMUNICATION OR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVING THE ELECTRICAL POWER GENERATION, TRANSMISSION, DISTRIBUTION, MANAGEMENT OR USAGE, i.e. SMART GRIDS

## Abstract

Provided is a rechargeable battery comprising an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, a heat-spreader element disposed at least partially inside the protective housing and configured to receive heat from an external heat source at a desired heating temperature Th to heat up the battery to a desired temperature Tc for battery charging. Preferably, the heat-spreader element does not receive an electrical current from an external circuit (e.g. battery charger) to generate heat for resistance heating of the battery. Charging the battery at Tc enables completion of the battery in less than 15 minutes, typically less than 10 minutes, and more typically less than 5 minutes without adversely impacting the battery structure and performance.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A battery charging system comprising at least one charging circuit to charge at least one rechargeable battery cell and a heat source to provide heat that is transported through a heat spreader element, implemented fully or partially inside said at least one battery cell, to heat up said battery cell to a desired temperature Tc before or during charging of said battery cell, wherein said heat source is disposed outside said at least one battery cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein said rechargeable battery cell comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte disposed between the anode and the cathode, and a protective housing that at least partially encloses the anode, the cathode and the electrolyte, wherein said heat-spreader element is disposed partially or entirely inside the protective housing and configured to receive heat from said heat source at a desired heating temperature Th to heat up the battery cell to the desired temperature Tc for battery cell charging.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein said system comprises multiple charging stations to heat and charge multiple rechargeable battery cells and wherein each charging station comprises one charging circuit and one heat source.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat-spreader element does not receive an electrical current from said charging circuit to generate heat inside the battery cell for resistance heating of the battery cell.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein said at least a battery cell comprises at least a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature of the battery and sending a signal of said internal temperature to said charging circuit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat-spreader element acts as a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature of the battery.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein said heat-spreader element comprises a high thermal conductivity material having a thermal conductivity no less than 10 W/mK.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein said heat-spreader element comprises a material selected from a graphene film, flexible graphite sheet, artificial graphite film, Ag, Ag, Cu, Al, brass, steel, Ti, Ni, Mg alloy sheet, silicon nitride, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, boron arsenide, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The battery charging system of claim 8, wherein said graphene film contains a graphene selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat source is heated by using laser heating, resistance heating, dielectric heating, thermal-electric heating, microwave heating, radio frequency heating, hot fluid heating, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat-spreader element is in a heat-spreading relation to an anode or a cathode of a battery cell and provides heat thereto before or during charging of the battery cell.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat source has an attachment clip to reversibly grip or connect with a tab of said heat spreader element.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat-spreader element has a tab protruded outside of the protective housing, wherein said tab is configured to controllably make thermal contact with the external heat source and get disconnected with the external heat source when a battery temperature reaches the desired temperature Tc.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the battery has an anode terminal and a cathode terminal for operating the battery and the heat-spreader element is in thermal contact with the anode terminal or the cathode terminal wherein the anode terminal or the cathode terminal is configured to receive heat from the external heat source.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the heat-spreader element is in thermal contact with the protective housing or a cap of the protective housing.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the battery is a lithium-ion battery, lithium metal secondary battery, lithium-sulfur battery, lithium-air battery, lithium-selenium battery, sodium-ion battery, sodium metal secondary battery, sodium-sulfur battery, sodium-air battery, magnesium-ion battery, magnesium metal battery, aluminum-ion battery, aluminum metal secondary battery, zinc-ion battery, zinc metal battery, zinc-air battery, nickel metal hydride battery, lead acid battery, lead acid-carbon battery, lead acid-based ultra-battery, lithium-ion capacitor, or supercapacitor.

### Claim 17

A method of operating a battery charging system comprising multiple charging stations, said method comprising: (a) positioning multiple rechargeable battery cells respectively in said multiple charging stations; (b) operating at least a heat source in said battery charging system to provide heat that is transported through a heat spreader element, implemented fully or partially inside each of said battery cells, to heat up said battery cells to a desired temperature Tc, wherein said heat source is disposed outside said battery cells; and (c) activating at least one charging circuit in said battery charging system to charge said battery cells at or near Tc until said battery cells reach a desired degree of charge.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein each of said battery cells comprises therein a heat spreader element having an end connected to an electrode terminal of the battery cell or having a tab protruded out of a protective housing of the battery cell and wherein said step (b) comprises bringing the electrode terminal or the tab in thermal contact with said external heat source, allowing heat from the heat source to transfer into the battery cell for heating the battery to a desired temperature Tc.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising a step of operating a temperature sensor for measuring an internal temperature of the battery cells.

### Claim 20

A method of operating a battery charging system comprising multiple charging stations, said method comprising: (a) positioning multiple rechargeable battery cells respectively in said multiple charging stations; (b) operating at least a heat source in said battery charging system to provide heat that is transported through a heat spreader element, implemented fully or partially inside each of said battery cells, to heat up said battery cells to a desired temperature Tc, wherein a time for heating the battery cells to temperature Tc is no greater than 15 minutes; and (c) activating at least one charging circuit in said battery charging system to charge said battery cells at or near Tc until said battery cells reach a desired degree of charge.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein said heat-spreader element comprises a material selected from graphene film, flexible graphite sheet, artificial graphite film, Ag, Ag, Cu, Al, brass, steel, Ti, Ni, Mg alloy sheet, silicon nitride, boron nitride, aluminum nitride, boron arsenide, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein said graphene film contains a graphene selected from pristine graphene, graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, graphene fluoride, graphene chloride, graphene bromide, graphene iodide, hydrogenated graphene, nitrogenated graphene, chemically functionalized graphene, or a combination thereof.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the step of implementing a heat spreader element inside the battery cell comprises placing the heat-spreader element in physical or thermal contact with the anode or the cathode for providing heat thereto.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the heat-spreader element has a tab protruded outside of the protective housing and wherein said step (b) comprises controllably making the tab in thermal contact with the external heat source and disconnecting the tab from the external heat source when a battery cell temperature reaches the desired temperature Tc.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the battery cell has an anode terminal and a cathode terminal for operating the battery cell and the heat-spreader element is in thermal contact with the anode terminal or the cathode terminal and wherein step (b) comprises bringing the anode terminal or the cathode terminal in physical or thermal contact with the external heat source.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the heat-spreader element is in thermal contact with the protective housing or a cap of the protective housing and said step (b) comprises bringing the external heat source to thermally or physically contact the protective housing or the cap, supplying heat thereto.