Advance indication of short-circuit conditions in a wet-cell battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10147982-B2
Application number	US-201715426485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 7, 2017
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A wet-cell in a battery is configured with a set of i-electrodes. A collection surface inside the wet-cell is identified where electrically conductive debris accumulates to an expected height. A first i-electrode of a first polarity in the set of i-electrodes is configured to be located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell. A second i-electrode of a second polarity in the set of i-electrodes is configured to be located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell. A first indication device is installed where the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode are configured in an electrical circuit via the first indication device, wherein when the electrically conductive debris has accumulated up to the expected height, makes simultaneous electrical contact with the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode and activates the first indication device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a wet-cell in a battery, the wet-cell comprising a set of i-electrodes;
a collection surface inside the wet-cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the surface to an expected height;
a first i-electrode of a first polarity in the set of i-electrodes located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell;
a second i-electrode of a second polarity in the set of i-electrodes located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell;
a first indication device, wherein the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode are configured in an electrical circuit via the first indication device; and
the electrically conductive debris, when accumulated up to the expected height, makes simultaneous electrical contact with the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode and activates the first indication device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third i-electrode of the first polarity in the set of i-electrodes located at substantially a second expected height inside the wet-cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the collection surface to the second expected height; and
a second indication device, wherein the third i-electrode and the second i-electrode are configured in an electrical circuit via the second indication device, wherein when the electrically conductive debris has accumulated up to the second expected height, makes simultaneous electrical contact with the third i-electrode and the second i-electrode and activates the second indication device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first impedance device, wherein the first impedance device is electrically coupled with the first indication device and the second indication device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first impedance device, wherein the first impedance device is configured according to an electrical property of the first indication device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first surface that is perpendicular to collection surface in the direction of the expected height from the collection surface, wherein the first i-electrode is located on the first surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second surface that is perpendicular to collection surface in the direction of the expected height from the collection surface, wherein the second i-electrode is located on the second surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are each a part of a common surface, and wherein the first i-electrode is laterally separated from the second i-electrode by a distance on the common surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are located at opposite edges of the collection surface and wherein the first surface and the second surface do not share a common edge.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first surface and the second surface are located at adjacent edges of the collection surface and wherein the first surface and the second surface share a common edge between the first surface and the second surface.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first i-electrode obtains a positive polarity from a positively charged electrode in the battery, and wherein the second i-electrode obtains a negative polarity from a negatively charged electrode in the battery.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first i-electrode obtains a negative polarity from a negatively charged electrode in the battery, and wherein the second i-electrode obtains a positive polarity from a positively charged electrode in the battery.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a disconnecting device, wherein the disconnecting device automatically deactivates the first indication device after a period.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first indication device is a light emitting device.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first indication device outputs a first type of indication when the debris reaches the expected height as compared to a second indication device configured to output a second type of indication when the debris reaches a second expected height.

15. A method comprising:
constructing a wet-cell in a battery, the wet-cell comprising a set of i-electrodes;
identifying a collection surface inside the wet-cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the surface to an expected height;
configuring, by causing a processor and a memory to manipulate a fabrication machine, a first i-electrode of a first polarity in the set of i-electrodes, the first i-electrode being located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell;
configuring a second i-electrode of a second polarity in the set of i-electrodes, the second i-electrode being located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell; and
installing a first indication device, wherein the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode are configured in an electrical circuit via the first indication device, wherein when the electrically conductive debris has accumulated up to the expected height, makes simultaneous electrical contact with the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode and activates the first indication device.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
configuring a third i-electrode of the first polarity in the set of i-electrodes located at substantially a second expected height inside the wet-cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the collection surface to the second expected height; and
installing a second indication device, wherein the third i-electrode and the second i-electrode are configured in an electrical circuit via the second indication device, wherein when the electrically conductive debris has accumulated up to the second expected height, makes simultaneous electrical contact with the third i-electrode and the second i-electrode and activates the second indication device.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
configuring a first impedance device, wherein the first impedance device is electrically coupled with the first indication device and the second indication device.

18. A computer usable program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to construct a wet-cell in a battery, the wet-cell comprising a set of i-electrodes;
program instructions to identify a collection surface inside the wet-cell, wherein electrically conductive debris accumulates on the surface to an expected height;
program instructions to configure, by causing a processor and a memory to manipulate a fabrication machine, a first i-electrode of a first polarity in the set of i-electrodes, the first i-electrode being located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell;
program instructions to configure a second i-electrode of a second polarity in the set of i-electrodes, the second i-electrode being located at substantially the expected height inside the wet-cell; and
program instructions to install a first indication device, wherein the first i-electrode and the second i-electrode are configured in an electrical circuit via the first indication device, wherein when the electrically conductive debris has accumulated up to the expected height, makes simultaneous electrical contact with the first i-electr

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Coq Marc H
• Fishbune Richard J
• Maresh Mark E
• Swenson Eric B

Classifications

• H01M10/48 Primary

  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 title

• H01M10/488

  Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density · CPC title

• H01M50/574

  Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current · CPC title

• H01M10/4235

  Safety or regulating additives or arrangements in electrodes, separators or electrolyte (H01M10/4242 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2/34

  Electricity · mapped topic