Software Technology for Graphene supercapacitor design and manufacturing

The design and manufacturing processes have been improved to produce a graphene-based prismatic supercapacitor with large capacitance and a large storage energy density. It can be used to replace the cutting-edge batteries on the market.

Graphene as well as other nanotechnology carbon-based substances have received an increasing amount of attention in many areas. Particularly for capacitors and batteries technology, they provide a means to produce cheap conductors of very high conductancethat dramatically increase surface area that can be used for the accumulation of electrostatic charges in a supercapacitor.

A variety of research lines are searching for ways to increase the surface area, energy density and power density, with promising results. Graphene supercapacitors, when fully developed they will be able outperform other batteries available on the market. They are cost-effective, recyclable, and can be recycled. To achieve that goal though there are several aspects of the design and manufacturing of supercapacitors that require improvement.

There are many ways of making carbon based supercapacitors. The principle is simple. Two electrodes made of carbon are put in contact with a suitable electrolyte that accumulates charge via electrostatic processes. The advantage of using carbon is that it is a relatively inexpensive, easily available material that is extremely versatile and can be made into electrodes with very high surface area relatively easily. Furthermore, carbon remains inert when exposed to a large variety of electrolytes, allowing the creation of a greater variety of options in design.

Many people and institutions have presented their findings from studies with graphene, activated carbon as well as other carbon-based substances. The majority of reports show that with any electrolyte, shrinking the size of the electrodes to fit in an increased volume boosts the energy density of the device as well as enhances the area of an electrode.

Activated carbon was chosen as a material that is practical because it has a huge surface area relative to its volume, and is affordable to acquire and utilize. Activated carbon has the disadvantage of being difficult to transform into small, consistent electrodes that remain solid throughout the life of the device. Graphene offers the benefit of a larger surface area relative to its size, and the capability to create small electrodes. It’s also more difficult to make and work with as compared to activated carbon.

Numerous companies are already manufacturing carbon-based supercapacitors that offer superior performance for specific applications. The commercial devices, however they haven’t been capable of delivering enough energy or power density at an affordable cost to compete with the top-of-the-line lithium-ion battery currently on the market.

The primary reason for the poor performance is the design of the current supercapacitors that are constructed using the stacking of solid plates constructed of carbon (graphene, activated carbon, etc. ) Each plate produces an electrode. Each pair of plate electrodes is separated by an insulator in order to avoid short circuits should they touch. The design is based solely on the large surface area that a single plate can cover because of the structure of the carbon electrode, which is dependent on the plate’s area. Limitations regarding the structural strength of the plates require plates to be of a certain thickness, and the requirement of an insulator sheet between each pair of plate electrodes further limits the total surface areathat is offered for a particular volume (mass) which results in low energy density.

The technology is developing at a rapid pace and it’s reasonable to assume that in the near future supercapacitors will advance to the point that they can replace batteries in a very wide array of uses. Improved manufacturingtechniques using activated carbon, graphene or other materials such as carbon nanotubes or mixtures of more than one type of material may in the future provide a better compromise for energy density, power density and cost.

Advantages

The proposed invention has been designed considering multiple aspects of the production of a graphene or activated carbon supercapacitor. It provides the following benefits:

1) Massive increase in surface area of electrodes by morphing them into lines with very narrow width and high height, separated by small gaps instead of a simple solid plate resulting in the highest specific capacitance

2) An increase in energy density due to the use of thin substrates for the fabrication of electrodes.

3.) Increase in power density by using larger terminals, and not causing damage to the microstructure of the electrodes often caused by the steps of other manufacturing processes that aren’t perfect;

4) Simplification of the manufacturing process that allows the electrolyte and electrodes to be printed at very small sizes;

5) The packaging is simplified which allows the numerous printed sheets that make up a particular device to be stackable and then encased with a simple procedure that doesn’t require precise positioning or delicate tasks;

6) Cost savings of significant magnitude on the production of devices

7.) Allow the use of inks made from graphene, activated carbon nanotubes, charcoal or a mixture of two or more of these or other materials.

Click here to view the patent on USPTO website.

 

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A patent is granted by the government in order to protect the invention. It grants the inventor the exclusive right to develop, utilize and market the idea. Society is benefited when new technology is brought for sale. Benefits can be realized in the direct sense, since it can allow individuals to achieve previously unattainable things. Or indirectly, due to the opportunities for economic growth (business growth and employment) which the invention provides.

Patent protection is demanded out by many pharmaceutical companies and university researchers to protect their research and development. Patents can be granted for products, processes, or method for making new materials. To be granted patent protection an invention has to be useful, new and not apparent to other people in the same field.

Patents are a way to honor inventors who have commercially profitable inventions. They provide a reason for inventors to invent. Small companies and inventors are assured that they will get an income from the investment they make in technology development via patents. It means that they can make a living by their work.

Patents are a crucial part of businesses with the ability to:

Protect new products and services that are innovative;

Improve the value, the popularity, and appeal of your products market;

Differentiate yourself and your products from the rest.

Get technical and business information.

Be careful not to accidentally use third-party content or risking losing important information, creative outputs, and other outputs.

Patents convert knowledge of the inventor into a valuable asset that opens new avenues for job creation through joint ventures and licensing.

Small-scale businesses with patent protection will be more attractive to investors in the development and commercialization of technology.

Patenting could lead to the development of innovations and new ideas. This information could encourage innovation and may qualify for patent protection.

Patents can be used to prevent untrustworthy third parties from making money through the work of inventions.

Patent-protected technology revenues that are commercially profitable can be used to fund technology-related research and development (R&D), which can increase the chance for better technology in the future.

It is possible to use intellectual property ownership to convince investors and lenders that your product is a viable commercial value. One powerful patent may provide many financing opportunities. You can use patents and other IP assets as collateral or security to secure financing. You can also show investors your patent assets to increase the value of your business. Forbes and other sources have pointed out that each patent can add anything from $500,000 to a million dollars in company valuation.

A solid business plan is essential for start-ups. It must be founded on IP and explain the way your product or service is distinctive. Investors will also be amazed if your IP rights are secure or in the process to becoming secure, and that they support your business strategy.

It is essential to keep an invention secret prior to filing a patent application. The public divulging an invention could frequently devalue its originality and invalidate it. Pre-filing disclosures, such as for investors, test marketing, or any other business partners, must be done after signing a confidentiality contract.

There are many kinds of patents, and understanding the different types is crucial to protect your invention. Patents for utility are used to protect inventions and processes that are new. Design patents cover ornamental designs. Utility patents are the most effective and shield the owner from copycats and other competitors. Utility patents are often granted to improve or alter existing inventions. Utility patents also cover enhancements and modifications to existing inventions. A process patent will describe the methods or actions to perform a specific action. A chemical composition would include an amalgamation of components.

What is the typical length of a patent? Although utility patents are valid for 20 years from the date of their earliest filing, they may be extended through delay in the patent office.

Do you want to protect your idea? As patents are only granted for applicants who are first to file You must start filing quickly. Call a patent attorney at PatentPC to file your invention now!

When you are writing an application for patents when you are writing a patent application, it is important to conduct a patent search, as it will provide you with some insights into other people’s ideas. This can help you limit the potential of your invention. You can also discover the current latest developments in your area of invention. This will allow you to know the extent of your invention and help prepare you for the filing of your patent application.

How to Search for Patents

A patent search is the first step towards obtaining your patent. You can do a google patent search or do a USPTO search. Patent-pending refers to the product covered by the patent application. You can use for the public pair to locate the patent application. When the patent office is satisfied with your application, you’ll be able to do a patent number look to find the patent that was issued. Your product will then be patentable. You can also use the USPTO search engine. Check out the following article for more information. For assistance, you can consult a patent attorney or patent attorney. In the US patents are granted through the US patent and trademark office, or the United States patent and trademark office, which is also responsible for examining trademark applications.

Are you interested in similar patents? These are the steps you should follow:

1. Think of terms to describe your invention, based on its intended purpose, composition and application.

Write down a short and precise explanation of your invention. Be sure to avoid using terms that are generic such as “device,” “process,” and “system.” Instead, consider synonyms to the terms you initially chose. Then, take note of important technical terms and key words.

To help you identify the key words and concepts, try the questions below.

• What is the purpose of the invention Is it a utilitarian device or an ornamental design?
• Is the invention a way of creating something or carrying out some function? Or is it a thing or procedure?
• What is the basis of the invention? What is the physical composition of the invention?
• What’s the objective of this invention?
• What are the technical words and terms that describe the nature of an invention? A technical dictionary can help you identify the correct terms.

2. These terms will allow you to look up pertinent Cooperative Patent Classifications using the Classification Search Tool. If you’re unable to find the correct classification to describe your invention, look through the class Schemas (class schedules) and try again. You may want to consider substituting the terms that you’re using for describing your invention, if you do not receive any results from the Classification Text Search with synonyms such as the terms you used in Step 1.

3. Examine 3. Go over the CPC Classification Definition to verify the validity of the CPC classification that you have found. If the selected classification title has a blue box which contains “D” and “D”, then the link to the CPC classification definition will be given. CPC classification definitions can help you determine the applicable classification’s scope of application so that you can select the most relevant. Additionally, these definitions can include some tips for searching and other information which could be helpful for further research.

4. Find patent documents that have the CPC classification from the Patents Full-Text and Image Database. By focusing on abstracts and representative drawings you can narrow your search for the most relevant patent publications.

5. Take advantage of this list of most pertinent patent documents to study each one in depth for any the similarities to your invention. Take note of the specifications and claims. Consult the applicant and patent examiner to obtain additional patents.

6. It is possible to find published patent applications that fit the CPC classification that you chose in Step 3. It is possible to use the same search strategy as in Step 4. You can narrow your results to the relevant patent application by examining the abstract and representative drawings on each page. Then, you must carefully review the patent applications that have been published and pay particular attention to the claims as well as additional drawings.

7. Find additional US patent publications using keyword searches in the PatFT and AppFT databases, classification searching of non-U.S. patents as described below, and searching for non-patent literature disclosures of inventions using web search engines. For instance:

• Add keywords to your search. Keyword searches may turn up documents that are not well-categorized or have missed classifications during Step 2. For example, US patent examiners often supplement their classification searches with keyword searches. Think about the use of technical engineering terminology rather than everyday words.
• Search for foreign patents using the CPC classification. Then, re-run the search using international patent office search engines such as Espacenet, the European Patent Office’s worldwide patent publication database of over 130 million patent publications. Other national databases include:
• European Patent Office (EPO) provides esp@cenet to access a network of Europe’s patent databases with access to machine translation of European patents. 
• Japan Patent Office (JPO) – with access to machine translations of Japanese patents.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) offers PATENTSCOPE with a full-text search of published international patent applications and machine translations for some documents, as well as a list of international patent databases.
• Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS)
• State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) with machine translation of Chinese patents.
• Other International Intellectual Property Offices with online patent databases include Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Israel, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan.
• Search non-patent literature. Inventions can be made public in many non-patent publications. It is recommended that you search journals, books, websites, technical catalogs, conference proceedings, and other print and electronic publications.

To review your search, you can hire a registered patent attorney to assist. A preliminary search will help one better prepare to talk about their invention and other related inventions with a professional patent attorney. In addition, the attorney will not spend too much time or money on patenting basics.