Hawaii Patent of the Month – March 2022
Thermal runaway events are known problems in lithium ion batteries. They often occur during repeated charge and discharge cycles and are caused by an errant increase in temperature leading to a positive feedback loop resulting in damage. Manaflex, LLC has designed a system which prevents these events from initiating, saving the battery in turn.
One way the temperature might increase is due to escaped gas from one cell impinges onto another cell. The battery cell temperature then rises incredibly fast (think milliseconds). The energy stored in that battery is released very suddenly. This chain reaction creates extremely high temperatures (around 752 degrees Fahrenheit / 400 degrees Celsius). These temperatures can cause gassing of the battery and a fire that is so hot it can be nearly impossible to extinguish.
Headquartered in Hawaii, Manaflex specializes in designing, prototyping, and mass-producing aluminum based flexible printed circuits (FPCs). They’ve taken this expertise to improve and protect lithium ion batteries. Their design holds and protects each battery cell within a battery by pre fabricating a collector. The collector has a set of wells which envelope the cell. By fully enveloping the cell, the gas impingement to the battery cells can be prevented. This design prevents the gassing of the battery, mitigating the chance of thermal runaway or a fire.
Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
Who We Are:
Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.
Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.
