Systems and methods for detecting abnormalities in electrical and electrochemical energy units

• US 10,353,012 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2017
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Roumi, Farshid, Roumi, Jamshid
• Primary Examiner(s): McConnell, Wyatt P
• Application Number:
  US15/484,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20170315178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 29/0814 Field measurements related to measuring influence on or from apparatus, components or humans EMC, EMI and similar testing in general G01R31/001, e.g. in ESD, EMI, EMC, EMP testing, measuring radiation leakage; detecting presence of micro- or radiowave emitters; dosimetry; testing shielding; measurements related to lightning
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/50 Testing of electric apparatus, lines, cables or components for short-circuits, continuity, leakage current or incorrect line connections testing of sparking plugs H01T13/58
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/64 Testing of capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: H01G 11/14 Arrangements or processes for adjusting or protecting hybrid or EDL capacitors emergency protective circuit arrangements specially adapted for capacitors, and effecting automatic switching in the event of an undesired change from normal working conditions H02H7/16; emergency protective circuit arrangements for limiting excess current or voltages without disconnection H02H9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 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 Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A method for abnormality detection in an energy unit includes passively detecting an abnormality in an energy unit by detecting electromagnetic radiation generated by the abnormality, the energy unit comprising at least one of an electrical energy unit and an electrochemical energy unit. A method for detecting an abnormality in an energy unit includes (a) applying a signal to the energy unit, (b) performing a plurality of measurements, at a respective plurality of different locations within the energy unit, of a response of the energy unit to the signal, and (c) processing the plurality of measurements to identify the abnormality.

Claims

1. A method for detecting an abnormality in an energy unit, comprising:

applying a signal to the energy unit, the energy unit comprising at least one of;

an electrical energy storage system, an electrochemical energy storage system, an electrical energy harnessing system, and an electrochemical energy harnessing system, the step of applying comprising creating a short between an anode and a cathode of the energy unit;

performing a plurality of measurements, using a plurality of pickup coil sensors at a respective plurality of different locations within the energy unit, of a response of the energy unit to the applied signal; and

processing the plurality of measurements to identify the abnormality.

2. The method of claim 1, the step of applying a signal comprising applying an electrical signal to the energy unit with a transmitter unit electrically connected with the energy unit.

3. The method of claim 1, the step of applying a signal comprising applying electromagnetic radiation to the energy unit.

4. The method of claim 1, the step of applying including applying at least one voltage or current pulse to the positive and negative ends of the energy unit.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising invoking a control measure to at least a portion of the energy unit associated with the abnormality.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising identifying the abnormality in less than 10 milliseconds after applying the signal.

7. The method of claim 1, the abnormality being a short in an energy storage device in the energy unit.

8. The method of claim 1, the abnormality being a short in an electrical connection in the energy unit.

9. The method of claim 1, the abnormality being a change in state of health of the energy unit.

10. The method of claim 1, the step of processing comprising spatially locating the abnormality.

11. The method of claim 10, the step of spatially locating comprising utilizing information about configuration of the energy unit.

12. The method of claim 1, the step of performing comprising, at each respective location of the respective plurality of different locations, detecting the response via electromagnetic induction in a respective one of the plurality of pickup coil sensors.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the applied signal is a time varying signal, the step of performing comprising performing the plurality of measurements of a response of the energy unit to the applied time varying signal.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the response includes a varying induced electromagnetic field.

32. The method of claim 1, the step of applying comprising indirectly applying the signal to the energy unit.

33. The method of claim 1, the energy unit being in an operational condition during the applying and performing steps, the operational condition comprising generating an electric current or receiving an applied electric current.

34. The method of claim 1, the energy unit being in a non-operational condition during the applying and performing steps, the non-operational condition comprising an open circuit condition.

35. The method of claim 1, the method for determining state of health of said energy unit.

36. The method of claim 1, the method for determining state of charge of said energy unit.

13. A method for abnormality detection in an energy unit, comprising:

exposing the energy unit to an electromagnetic signal, wherein the energy unit includes at least one pickup coil sensor positioned proximate the energy unit, the step of exposing comprising creating a short between an anode and a cathode of the energy unit; and

measuring, using the at least one pickup coil sensor, a signal induced in the energy unit by the electromagnetic signal, thereby detecting the abnormality.

14. The method of claim 13, the abnormality comprising a short circuit in the energy unit or a change in state of health of the energy unit.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the energy unit includes a transmitter positioned proximate the energy unit for receiving the electromagnetic signal, the step of exposing comprising passing a current through the transmitter or applying a voltage to the transmitter.

16. The method of claim 15, the transmitter comprising a pickup coil.

17. The method of claim 15, the passing step comprising passing one or more current pulses through the transmitter or applying one or more voltage pulses to the transmitter.

18. The method of claim 13, the energy unit comprising at least one electrochemical cell.

21. The method of claim 13, the exposing step comprising generating the electromagnetic signal having a frequency selected from the range of 1 kHz to 10 GHz.

22. The method of claim 13, the measuring step comprising measuring an electrical signal induced in the energy unit in 10 milliseconds or less after the exposing step.

23. The method of claim 13, the energy unit being in an operational condition during the exposing and measuring steps, the operational condition comprising generating an electric current or receiving an applied electric current.

24. The method of claim 13, the energy unit being in a non-operational condition during the exposing and measuring steps, the non-operational condition comprising an open circuit condition.

25. The method of claim 13, the energy unit being in a state of partial manufacture during the exposing and measuring steps.

26. The method of claim 13, the energy unit being in a state of completed manufacture during the exposing and measuring steps.

27. The method of claim 13, the electromagnetic signal generated by a second energy unit proximate to the energy unit.

28. The method of claim 13, the exposing step comprising exposing the energy unit to an electromagnetic signal transmitted through an electrically non-conductive medium.

19. The method of 18, the abnormality comprising a short circuit between two or more components of the electrochemical cell.

20. The method of claim 19, the abnormality comprising a short circuit between any of an anode current collector or anode active material coating and any of a cathode current collector or cathode active material coating.

29. A method for detecting an abnormality in an energy unit, comprising:

applying a signal to the energy unit, the energy unit comprising at least one of;

an electrical energy storage system, an electrochemical energy storage system, an electrical energy harnessing system, and an electrochemical energy harnessing system, the step of applying comprising creating a short between an anode and a cathode of the energy unit;

performing a plurality of measurements at a respective plurality of different locations within the energy unit, of a response of the energy unit to the applied signal, the step of performing a plurality of measurements comprising, at each location of the plurality of different locations, detecting the response using a respective one of a plurality of pickup coil sensors positioned at the each location of the respective plurality of different locations within the energy unit; and

processing the plurality of measurements to identify the abnormality.