Method for checking power status of batteries

• US 6,850,036 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Issued: 02/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Handsun Electronic Enterprise Co., Ltd., Hsin-An Lin, Kuo-Hsien Tsai
• Original Assignee: Handsun Electronic Enterprise Co., Ltd., Hsin-An Lin, Kuo-Hsien Tsai
• Inventors: Lin, Hsin-An, Tsai, Kuo-Hsien
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/373,033
• Publication Number:
  US 20040164712A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/135, 320/152, 320/DIG.18, 320/DIG.21, 324326-434, 340/636.11, 340/636.12, 340/636.13, 340/636.15, 340/636.18, 340/636.19, 702/63
• US Class Current: 320/127
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm

Abstract

A method of checking power status of the batteries is disclosed. New batteries are first prepared for discharge tests with different discharge rates, and the standard discharge data for different types of batteries are recorded in a data base for use in power estimation. Afterwards, the battery set installed in an uninterrupted power supply (UPS) system is connected to a monitoring device for continuous monitoring of the test discharge data and discharging time in repeated random discharge tests. The characteristic data including current output, operating temperature, and terminal voltage of the tested battery are then collected and compared with the relevant standard discharge data retrieved from the data base to produce a true estimation of the remaining power of the tested battery.

Claims

1. A method for checking power status of a battery set having multiple batteries, the method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the battery set is in a discharging mode;

collecting discharge data and a discharging time of each battery;

determining when the discharging mode of the battery is terminated;

comparing collected discharge data of the battery with standard discharge data to calculate a remaining power capacity of the battery;

wherein

the standard discharge data are obtained from discharge data of different types of new batteries and all the standard data are saved in a standard discharge data base.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard discharge data is selected by a computer for comparison with the collected discharge data from the battery with one-to-several matching, that is to use one set of the standard discharge data to compare with the collected discharge data of several batteries having similar specifications.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard discharge data is selected by computer for comparison with the collected discharge data from the batteries with several-to-several matching, that is to use multiple sets of the standard discharge data to compare with multiple sets of collected discharge data from their respective batteries having different specifications.

4. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a maximum number of the discharge data to be retrieved in one time for use in discharge data comparison is equal to a number of the batteries of the battery set.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein after an estimation of the remaining power capacity of the tested battery is produced a subsequent step checks whether the tested battery is below a limit, and issues a warning message calling for battery check-up if the condition is met.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the the standard discharge data base can be used to produce a comparative chart of the battery capacity for various types of batteries.

7. The method for as claimed in claim 1, wherein the standard discharge data base can be used to construct a characteristic curve of the battery capacity distribution for a particular type of battery throughout the service life.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharge data of the battery includes a terminal voltage, a discharging current and an operating temperature.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the discharging time of the occupies more than 6% of a predetermined testing period.