REAL-TIME ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY APPARATUS (EISA) TESTING

• US 20190317152A1
• Filed: 03/25/2019
• Published: 10/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bloom Energy Corporation
• Inventors: BALLANTINE, Arne, CRONIN, John, BODKIN, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US16/363,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20190317152A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/026 Dielectric impedance spectroscopy electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for measuring corrosion G01N17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) may include testing various voltages and currents, storing and sending the data to an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) network, where the data may be compared to historical data to determine a safety threshold that may provide preferred operating use of a device battery, and in response to a battery level exceeding a safety threshold, the battery may be halted.

Claims

1. A method for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analysis of a battery, comprising:

performing an EIS test on a battery;

identifying a battery condition based on analysis of EIS test results; and

implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an EIS test on the battery, identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results, and implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition are performed by a battery fail module coupled to the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

performing an EIS test on a battery comprises;

applying a test waveform to the battery;

determining a response waveform of the battery; and

determining an impedance response of the battery at a frequency of the test waveform based on a comparison of the response waveform to the applied test waveform; and

identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises determining the battery condition based on the impedance response of the battery at the frequency of the test waveform.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

performing an EIS test on a battery comprises;

applying a plurality of different test waveforms to the battery;

determining a response waveform of the battery for each of the plurality of different test waveforms; and

determining an impedance response of the battery for each of the plurality of different test waveforms based on a comparison of each response waveform to each applied test waveform; and

identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises determining the battery condition based on the impedance response of the battery for each of the plurality of different test waveforms.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

performing an EIS test on a battery comprises;

applying a test waveform to the battery; and

determining a response waveform of the battery; and

identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises comparing the test waveform and the response waveform and determining a score based on the comparison of the test waveform and the response waveform; and

implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition comprises;

determining the battery protection action from an entry in a battery protection decision matrix corresponding to the determined score; and

executing the determined battery protection action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition comprises performing one or more of charging the battery, generating a notification on a graphical user interface, powering down a device coupled to the battery, or disconnecting the battery from a device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein performing an EIS test on a battery comprises applying a first test waveform to the battery and determining a first response waveform of the battery, the method further comprising:

uploading the first response waveform to a server;

receiving parameters for a second test waveform from the server;

applying the second test waveform to the battery; and

determining a second response waveform of the battery,

wherein identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises identifying the battery condition based on comparisons of the first response waveform to the first test waveform and of the second response waveforms to the second test waveform.

8. A electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) device for use on a battery powered device, comprising:

a battery tester circuit configured to performing an EIS test on a battery; and

a control device coupled to the battery tester and configured to perform operations comprising;

performing an EIS test on the battery;

identifying a battery condition based on analysis of EIS test results; and

implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition.

9. The EIS device of claim 8, wherein the control device comprises a processor within a battery fail module coupled to the battery tester circuit.

10. The EIS device of claim 8, wherein the battery tester circuit comprises:

a test waveform generator configured to generate a test waveform in response to parameters provided by the control device; and

a response waveform detector configured to measure at least one of voltage or current across the battery at a sampling interval to determine a response waveform.

11. The EIS device of claim 10, wherein the control device is further configured to perform operations such that:

performing an EIS test on a battery comprises determining an impedance response of the battery at a frequency of the test waveform based on a comparison of the response waveform to the applied test waveform; and

identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises determining the battery condition based on the impedance response of the battery at the frequency of the test waveform.

12. The EIS device of claim 10, wherein the control device is further configured to perform operations such that:

performing an EIS test on a battery comprises determining an impedance response of the battery for each of a plurality of different test waveforms based on a comparison of each response waveform to each applied test waveform; and

identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises determining the battery condition based on the impedance response of the battery for each of the plurality of different test waveforms.

13. The EIS device of claim 10, wherein the control device is further configured to perform operations such that:

identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises comparing the test waveform and the response waveform and determining a score based on the comparison of the test waveform and the response waveform; and

implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition comprises;

determining the battery protection action from an entry in a battery protection decision matrix corresponding to the determined score; and

executing the determined battery protection action.

14. The EIS device of claim 10, wherein the control device is further configured to perform operations such that implementing a battery protection action responsive to the identified battery condition comprises performing one or more of signaling a battery charger to charge the battery, generating a notification on a graphical user interface, signaling the battery powered device to power down, or opening a switch to disconnect the battery from the battery powered device.

15. The EIS device of claim 10, wherein:

the control device is further configured to perform operations such that performing an EIS test on a battery comprises;

applying a first test waveform to the battery; and

determining a first response waveform of the battery; and

the control device is configured to perform operations further comprising;

uploading the first response waveform to an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) server;

receiving parameters for a second test waveform from the EISA server;

applying the second test waveform to the battery; and

determining a second response waveform of the battery,

the control device is further configured to perform operations such that identifying a battery condition based on the analysis of EIS test results comprises identifying the battery condition based on comparisons of the first response waveform to the first test waveform and of the second response waveforms to the second test waveform.

16-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for managing sharing of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) battery testing data, comprising:

receiving an EIS test waveform for an EIS test on a battery, a response waveform for the EIS test, and performance parameters of the battery from an EIS system;

storing the EIS test waveform, the response waveform, and the performance parameters in a learned database as associated with the battery, and

comparing the EIS test waveform, the response waveform, and the performance parameters with historical EIS test waveforms, historical response waveforms, and historical performance parameters associated with a type of battery corresponding to the type of battery for the battery and a poor performance event for the battery to determine EIS testing information for the battery exhibiting the poor performance event.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising identifying patterns in the historical performance parameters associated with the type of battery that correlate with poor performance events.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein analyzing the EIS test waveform, the response waveform, and the performance parameters with historical EIS test waveforms, historical response waveforms, and historical performance parameters comprises calculating a correlation between the EIS test waveform, the response waveform, and the performance parameters and the historical EIS test waveforms, the historical response waveforms, and the historical performance parameters, and

wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the calculated correlation exceeds a threshold; and

providing a further EIS test waveform and further EIS test commands associated with the poor performance event in response to determining that the calculated correlation exceeds the threshold.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising updating an entry associating battery type and the poor performance event to include the calculated correlation.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising

determining whether there is a request to upload from the EIS system, wherein receiving an EIS test waveform for an EIS test on a battery, a response waveform for the EIS test, and performance parameters of the battery, storing the EIS test waveform, the response waveform, and the performance parameters in a learned database as associated with the battery, and analyzing the EIS test waveform, the response waveform, and the performance parameters with historical EIS test waveforms, historical response waveforms, and historical performance parameters occur in response to determining that there is a request to upload from the EIS system;

and

sending the further EIS test waveform and the further EIS test commands to the EIS system.