60 -- Fiber Optic State-of-Charge Monitor for Batteries

Sandia National Laboratories has described a fiber-optic sensor that acts as a state-of-charge monitor for batteries which operates independently of the battery and provides a continuous in-situ measurement of the state-of-charge. The state-of-charge monitor is especially applicable to lead-acid batteries. A patent for this technology has been approved by the U.S. Patent Office (Patent #6,356,675). The state-of-charge monitor for batteries could be utilized in various applications. For example, measuring battery deterioration will become increasingly important as more hybrid electric/gas vehicles, with their high reliance on batteries, take to the highways. Another possible use for the device is for cheap, continual monitoring of battery banks maintained by local phone companies as back-up power to keep home phones working when wall-current electricity fails due to an outage. Sandia’s primary focus is in seeking companies interested in partnering opportunities for prototype development leading to commercial manufacturing of this technology.. Partnerships may take the form of Cooperative Research & Development Agreements (CRADA) and/ or commercial licenses. Commercial licensees will have the option to obtain, up to and including, an exclusive license to the intellectual property in a pre-negotiated, defined field of use for reasonable compensation. CRADAs are expected to include funds-in to the Lab. For further information, interested parties should contact Teresa Montoya at Sandia National Laboratories by fax at 505-844-8011 or by email at [email protected]. Please indicate the date and title of this FBO notice and the type of partnering agreements your company would be most interested in entering into.