Battery electrolyte-level and electrolyte-stratification sensing system
First Claim
1. In a battery wet cell monitoring system, an electrolyte level sensing device, comprising:
- a. a probe housing of electrically insulating and electrolyte nonreactive material;
said probe housing being of suitable size and shape for extending into the electrolyte of a wet cell battery;
b. a plurality of electrical coils embedded within said probe housing at various predetermined levels and insulated from coming into contact with the battery cell electrolyte;
each of said plurality of electrical coils comprising three adjacent commonly-wound coils of a balanced transformer;
c. a pulse generator means connected to apply a signal to the center coil of each of said plurality of three commonly-wound transformer coils;
each of said plurality of three commonly-wound transformer coils being series connected such that the sum voltage is zero in air;
d. the output of each said balanced transformer being connected to a comparator and detector circuit, wherein, as said transformer coils are sequentially surrounded by electrolyte the change in the Q of the coils results in an increase in transformer voltage output, which output, when it exceeds a predetermined amount, causes said comparator and detection circuit to produce an output that indicates the presence of a predetermined amount of electrolyte;
e. read-out means connected to said detection circuit wherein indicator signals from said detection circuit are used to indicate the electrolyte level within the battery cell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The device uses a sensor probe in which a plurality of electrolyte level sensor coils and/or specific gravity stratification indicators are stacked vertically in the walls of a hollow electrically insulating and chemically nonreactive elongated probe housing such that the sensor coils never come into contact with the electrolyte. Balanced transformers or series resonant coils are used to sense changes in electrolyte level and/or changes in specific gravity at various respective levels to indicate stratification of electrolyte. The fields of the sensors are changed by the amount of electrolyte in the area of the sensor coils. These changes operate to produce signals that are read as digital or analog outputs.
16 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a battery wet cell monitoring system, an electrolyte level sensing device, comprising:
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a. a probe housing of electrically insulating and electrolyte nonreactive material;
said probe housing being of suitable size and shape for extending into the electrolyte of a wet cell battery;b. a plurality of electrical coils embedded within said probe housing at various predetermined levels and insulated from coming into contact with the battery cell electrolyte;
each of said plurality of electrical coils comprising three adjacent commonly-wound coils of a balanced transformer;c. a pulse generator means connected to apply a signal to the center coil of each of said plurality of three commonly-wound transformer coils;
each of said plurality of three commonly-wound transformer coils being series connected such that the sum voltage is zero in air;d. the output of each said balanced transformer being connected to a comparator and detector circuit, wherein, as said transformer coils are sequentially surrounded by electrolyte the change in the Q of the coils results in an increase in transformer voltage output, which output, when it exceeds a predetermined amount, causes said comparator and detection circuit to produce an output that indicates the presence of a predetermined amount of electrolyte; e. read-out means connected to said detection circuit wherein indicator signals from said detection circuit are used to indicate the electrolyte level within the battery cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. In a battery wet cell monitoring system, an electrolyte stratification sensing device, comprising:
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a. a probe housing of electrically insulating and electrolyte nonreactive material;
said probe housing being hollow and of suitable shape for extending into the electrolyte of a battery wet cell;
said hollow probe housing being provided with a plurality of passageways therein to provide for efficient circulation of electrolyte therethrough;b. a plurality of electrical coils embedded within said probe housing at various predetermined electrolyte depths and insulated from coming into contact with the battery cell electrolyte;
each of said plurality of electrical coils comprising three adjacent commonly-wound coils of a balanced transformer;c. a pulse generator means connected to apply a signal to the center coil of each of said plurality of three commonly-wound transformer coils;
each of said plurality of three commonly-wound transformer coils being series connected such that the sum voltage is zero in air;d. the output of each said balanced transformer being connected to a comparator and detector circuit, wherein, as said transformer coils are sequentially surrounded by electrolyte the change in the Q of the coils results in an increase in transformer voltage output, which output, when it exceeds a predetermined amount, causes said comparator and detection circuit to produce an output that indicates the presence of a predetermined amount of electrolyte; e. a specific gravity float means associated with each said plurality of balanced transformers, respectively, and retained within said hollow probe housing;
each specific gravity float means being retained within said housing in a specific area for operation relative to its respective balanced transformer;f. each specific gravity float means being operable to displace a predetermined amount of electrolyte such that when a float means moves to a location within the area of its respective balanced transformer the amount of electrolyte surrounding the balanced transformer is reduced (and vice versa) thereby causing a change in the Q of the transformer coils and resulting in a change in voltage across the coils; g. read-out means connected to said detection circuit wherein indicator signals from said detection circuit are operable to indicate a change in electrolyte specific gravity at each respective electrolyte depth within the battery cell. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification