Electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12482837-B2
Application number	US-202217836755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2022
Priority date	Jun 9, 2022
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

An electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device. The device includes a first magnetic device adjacent a first side of a first catalyst material associated with a first electrode. The device further includes a second magnetic device adjacent a second side of the first catalyst material. The first or second magnetic device is configured to generate a magnetic field. The other of the first and second magnetic devices is configured to receive a magnetic response from the first catalyst material. The device also includes a controller configured to receive the magnetic response and to determine magnetic response data of the first catalyst material in response to the magnetic response. The magnetic response data is indicative of a state of health.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device comprising:
a first magnetic device adjacent a first side of a first catalyst material associated with a first electrode; a second magnetic device adjacent a second side of the first catalyst material, the first or second magnetic device configured to generate a magnetic field, the other of the first and second magnetic devices configured to receive a magnetic response from the first catalyst material in response to the magnetic field; and a controller configured to receive the magnetic response and to determine magnetic response data of the first catalyst material in response to the magnetic response, the magnetic response data indicative of a state of health of the first catalyst material.

2 . The electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic response data includes a particle size distribution and/or a saturation magnetization of the first catalyst material at first and second times, the controller is configured to measure the state of health of the first catalyst material in response to the particle size distribution and/or the saturation magnetization at the first and second times.

3 . The electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the particle size distribution and/or the saturation magnetization of the first catalyst material using the following equation:

M
=

M
s

⁢

V
0

⁢

∫

0
∞

⁢

(

cth
⁢

M
s

⁢
VH

k
B

⁢
T

-

k
B

⁢
T

M
s

⁢
VH

)

⁢

f
⁡
(
V
)

⁢
dV

where M is a magnetization, M s is a saturation magnetization, V 0 is a total cathode volume, Vis a particle volume, T is a temperature, f(V) is a distribution of particle volumes in a sample, and H is an applied magnetic field.

4 . The electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the first magnetic device is an electromagnet, and the second magnetic device is a magnetometer.

5 . The electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein first catalyst material includes Pt 1-x M x nanoparticles, where 0≤x≤1 and M is Co, Ni, Fe, a rare earth metal, or a combination thereof.

6 . The electrochemical cell catalyst state of health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the first or second magnetic devices is configured to receive the magnetic response at an isolation frequency isolating the magnetic response from eddy currents induced within the first catalyst material.

7 . An electrochemical cell for monitoring catalyst state of health, the electrochemical cell comprising:
first and second electrodes including first and second catalyst materials, respectively; a polymer electrolyte material extending between the first and second electrodes; a first magnetic device adjacent a first side of the first catalyst material; and a second magnetic device adjacent a second side of the first catalyst material, the first or second magnetic device configured to generate a magnetic field, the other of the first and second magnetic devices configured to receive a magnetic response from the first catalyst material in response to the magnetic field, the magnetic response indicative of magnetic response data of the first catalyst material indicative of a state of health of the first catalyst material.

8 . The electrochemical cell of claim 7 , further comprising
a controller configured to receive the magnetic response and to determine the magnetic response data of the first catalyst material in response to the magnetic response.

9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 8 , wherein the magnetic response data includes a particle size distribution and/or a saturation magnetization of the first catalyst material at first and second times, the controller is configured to measure the state of health of the first catalyst material in response to the particle size distribution and/or the saturation magnetization at the first and second times.

10 . The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the particle size distribution and/or the saturation magnetization of the first catalyst material using the following equation:

M
=

M
s

⁢

V
0

⁢

∫

0
∞

⁢

(

cth
⁢

M
s

⁢
VH

k
B

⁢
T

-

k
B

⁢
T

M
s

⁢
VH

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Kitchaev Daniil A
• Kornbluth Mordechai
• Cheng Lei
• Saravanan Kuppan
• Braaten Jonathan
• Craig Nathan
• Tuffile Charles

Classifications

• G01R31/392

  Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health · CPC title

• G01N27/90

  using eddy currents · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/04313 Primary

  characterised by the detection or assessment of variables; characterised by the detection or assessment of failure or abnormal function · CPC title

• H01M10/48 Primary

  Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte (constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569) · CPC title