Electric arc detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10317454-B2
Application number	US-201415105533-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2014
Priority date	Dec 17, 2013
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A method for detecting electric arcs in a closed chamber having no openings larger than 5 mm and defining a gas volume to be monitored. The method includes a step of measuring a sound level captured by a microphone, placed inside the chamber, at frequencies greater than about 60 kHz while filtering out the lower frequencies, and a step of comparing the level with a threshold.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of detecting electric arcs in a closed chamber, the method comprising:
a step of measuring a sound level, captured by a microphone inside of the chamber, at frequencies higher than approximately 60 kHz while filtering out lower frequencies than approximately 60 kHz, wherein the chamber comprises no openings larger than 5 mm and defines a gas volume to be monitored; and
a step of comparing said sound level with a first threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first threshold is determined according to a noise level captured in the absence of electric arcs.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement takes into account the frequencies in a range from approximately 60 Hz to approximately 300 kHz, preferably in a range from approximately 60 kHz to approximately 150 kHz.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of comparing, with a second threshold, the result of a correlation between a model of the time response of an electric arc and the measurement.

5. An electric arc detection system, comprising:
a closed chamber, comprising no openings larger than 5 mm, defining a gas volume to be monitored; and
an acoustic measurement device filtering out frequencies lower than approximately 60 kHz and comprising a microphone inside of the chamber.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the measurement device is sensitive to frequencies contained within a range from approximately 60 kHz to approximately 300 kHz, preferably within a range from approximately 60 kHz to approximately 150 kHz.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the response of the microphone excludes frequencies lower than approximately 60 kHz.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein said device comprises an electronic filter of frequencies lower than approximately 60 kHz.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microphone is configured to detect vibrations in a gaseous medium inside the chamber.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the no openings larger than 5 mm attenuate at least one sound originating outside the chamber.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chamber includes a plurality of interconnected batteries powering a vehicle.

12. The system of claim 5 , wherein the microphone is configured to detect vibrations in a gaseous medium inside the chamber.

13. The system of claim 5 , wherein the no openings larger than 5 mm attenuate at least one sound originating outside the chamber.

14. The system of claim 5 , wherein the chamber includes a plurality of interconnected batteries powering a vehicle.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Perichon Pierre

Classifications

• H02H1/0023

  sensing non electrical parameters, e.g. by optical, pneumatic, thermal or sonic sensors · CPC title

• G01R31/1209 Primary

  using acoustic measurements (acoustic measurements G01H3/00) · CPC title

• B60L3/00

  Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption (methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00) · CPC title

• B60L3/12

  Recording operating variables {; Monitoring of operating variables} · CPC title

• B60L3/0046

  relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors · CPC title