Integral light sources and detectors for an optical sensor to detect battery faults
First Claim
1. A battery structure for monitoring development of impending faults of a battery cell, the battery structure comprising:
- a cell housing;
a battery cell separator, located within the cell housing, formed of a light transmitting material that has light transmission characteristics that are a function of a state of an impending fault of the battery cell, wherein a configuration of the battery cell separator comprises one of;
the battery cell separator is folded to create a plurality of folds, orthe battery cell separator is rolled to create a plurality of roll layers;
a light source, located within the cell housing, for transmitting light into said battery cell separator; and
a light detector, located within the cell housing and external from an interior of the battery cell separator, arranged in optical communication with the battery cell separator to receive light transmitted through the battery cell separator,wherein an impending fault state of a portion of the battery cell associated with the light detector is determined based on the received light to cause generation of a fault warning.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Light is transmitted from a light source through or from a separator of a battery cell and received by one or more light detectors. The light that is normally transmitted through the separator is scattered, absorbed, wavelength-shifted or otherwise distorted by an impending fault in the vicinity of or within the separator. The change in light due to the impending fault is measured by a detector and a signal from the detector is processed to identify the impending fault so that a warning can be generated indicative of the impending fault. In particular, one or both of the light source and detector are enclosed within a battery cell housing.
27 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A battery structure for monitoring development of impending faults of a battery cell, the battery structure comprising:
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a cell housing; a battery cell separator, located within the cell housing, formed of a light transmitting material that has light transmission characteristics that are a function of a state of an impending fault of the battery cell, wherein a configuration of the battery cell separator comprises one of; the battery cell separator is folded to create a plurality of folds, or the battery cell separator is rolled to create a plurality of roll layers; a light source, located within the cell housing, for transmitting light into said battery cell separator; and a light detector, located within the cell housing and external from an interior of the battery cell separator, arranged in optical communication with the battery cell separator to receive light transmitted through the battery cell separator, wherein an impending fault state of a portion of the battery cell associated with the light detector is determined based on the received light to cause generation of a fault warning. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for monitoring development of impending faults of a battery cell of a battery structure, the battery structure comprising:
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a battery cell comprising electrodes and a battery cell separator, a battery cell housing which encloses the battery cell separator, wherein the battery cell separator is formed of a light transmitting material that has light transmission characteristics that are a function of a state of an impending fault of the battery cell, wherein a configuration of the battery cell separator comprises one of; the battery cell separator is folded to create a plurality of folds, or the battery cell separator is rolled to create a plurality of roll layers; and the method comprising; transmitting, from a light source located within the battery cell housing and external from an interior of the battery cell separator, light into said battery cell separator; receiving, at a light detector located within the battery cell housing, light transmitted through the battery cell separator; and determining an impending fault state of a portion of the battery cell associated with the light detector based on the received light. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification