Battery Health Monitoring System and Method

• US 20130141109A1
• Filed: 12/05/2012
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Inventors: Swider-Lyons, Karen, Love, Corey T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,465,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/430
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• 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

Abstract

A method and system for monitoring the health of a battery is provided. A precision frequency can be determined for the battery by applying one of an AC current or voltage perturbation across a frequency sweep with impedance spectroscopy equipment to obtain an impedance response; collecting data related to the impedance response at a plurality of various states of charge within a recommended voltage window of the battery; plotting the collected data on one or more impedance curves; and analyzing the one or more impedance curves at the various states of charge to determine the precision frequency. Next, one of an AC current or voltage perturbation can be applied at the precision frequency resulting in an impedance response. The value of the impedance response can be recorded, and a determination can be made of a battery classification zone that the impedance value falls within.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the health of a battery, comprising the steps of:

determining a precision frequency for the battery;

applying one of an AC current or voltage perturbation at the precision frequency resulting in an impedance response;

recording a value of the impedance response; and

determining a battery classification zone that the impedance value falls within.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the precision frequency is determined by statistical analysis of baseline impedance measurements taken between normal operating voltage ranges of the battery.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step of determining a precision frequency for the battery comprises the steps of:

applying one of an AC current or voltage perturbation across a frequency sweep with impedance spectroscopy equipment to obtain an impedance response;

collecting data related to the impedance response at a plurality of various states of charge within a recommended voltage window of the battery; and

plotting the collected data on one or more impedance curves.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of analyzing the one or more impedance curves at the various states of charge to determine the precision frequency.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the precision frequency is determined by where the impedance values are nearly the same.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the health of the battery can be determined in real time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the health of the battery can be determined during periods of battery rest, charge or discharge.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is able to diagnose internal battery degradation due to abuse.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the abuse can comprise battery overcharge and battery over-discharge.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery classification zones comprise a healthy battery zone, a damaged battery zone, and an unsafe battery zone.

11. A battery health monitoring system, comprising:

impedance spectroscopy equipment configured to determine a precision frequency for a battery;

apply one of an AC current or voltage perturbation at the determined precision frequency resulting in an impedance response; and

record a value of the impedance response; and

a battery classification zone module configured to determine a battery classification zone that the recorded impedance value falls within.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the impedance spectroscopy equipment comprises a potentiostat configured to apply one of an AC current or voltage perturbation.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the impedance spectroscopy equipment comprises an impedance gain-phase analyzer configured to measure the impedance response.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the wherein the impedance spectroscopy equipment comprises at least two leads to connect to a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the battery.

17. The system of claim 11, further comprising a display configured to display the determined battery classification zone.

12. The system of claim 12, wherein the impedance spectroscopy equipment is configured to determine the precision frequency by applying one of an AC current or voltage perturbation across a frequency sweep to obtain an impedance response;

collect data related to the impedance response at a plurality of various states of charge within a recommended voltage window of the battery.

13. The system of claim 13, further comprising a precision frequency computer module configured to plot the collected data on one or more impedance curves, and analyze the one or more impedance curves at the various states of charge to determine the precision frequency.