METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING THE STATE OF CHARGE OF A BATTERY USING A REFERENCE BATTERY

• US 3,657,639 A
• Filed: 06/22/1970
• Issued: 04/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: C & D Power Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eugene A. Willihnganz
• Inventors: Willihnganz, Eugene A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolinec, Rudolph V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Corcoran, R. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/047,935
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 324/29.5 340/249 136/182 320/48
• US Class Current: 324/433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/379 for lead-acid batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/484 for measuring electrolyte level, electrolyte density or electrolyte conductivity
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A device for testing storage batteries particularly of the leadacid type to determine whether the individual cells of the battery are accepting charge and are in suitable condition to perform their intended function, which comprises a miniature reference cell cooperating with the cell being tested by means of a tube filled with electrolyte in electrical circuit with the cell electrolyte, so that electrical potentials between the negatives of the reference cell and the test cell, and also the potentials between the positives can be determined by a suitable voltmeter to indicate the condition of the respective negative and positive plates of the cell being tested.

Claims

1. The method of testing the condition of a cell of a battery, which consists of providing a reference battery cell of the same type, housed in a separate container, placing the electrolyte of the reference cell in electrical circuit with the electrolyte of the cell being tested, fully charging the reference battery and stabilizing its voltage to normal open cell voltage, and measuring positive to positive voltage between the two cells and the negative to negative voltage.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 further characterized by equalizing the gravity readings of the electrolytes of the two cells, before making the voltage readings.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 further characterized by placing both cells on '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'float'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' charge before making the voltage readings.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 further characterized by utilizing a lead-acid battery and stabilizing the voltage of the reference cell to a normal open circuit voltage of 2.065 to 2.055 volts.

5. In a device for testing the condition of the cells of a lead-acid baTtery having positive and negative terminals and an acid electrolyte, a reference lead-acid cell having a positive plate, a negative plate and an acid electrolyte housed in a separate container, said reference cell being in fully charged state with a stabilized open cell voltage, means to place in electrical circuit the electrolyte of the cell being tested and the electrolyte of the reference cell, and voltage measuring means to measure the voltage of the positive to positive and the negative to negative terminals of the two cells.

6. The device defined in claim 5 further characterized by the separate container for the reference cell being in the form of a vented funnel-shaped housing having a tubular depending extension filled with gelled electrolyte adapted to be inserted into the cell container of the cell to be tested to place the electrolyte of the two cells in electrical connection.

7. The device defined in claim 5 further characterized by placing both cells on '"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"'float'"'"''"'"''"'"''"'"' charge before taking the voltage readings.

8. The device defined in claim 7 further characterized by stabilizing the voltage of the reference cell to open circuit voltage 2.065 to 2.055 volts.