Systems and methods for monitoring temperatures of batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10352777-B2
Application number	US-201514591310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 7, 2015
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

A method for monitoring a temperature of a battery is provided. The method includes applying a thermochromatic coating to a surface of the battery. The method additionally includes directing electromagnetic radiation towards the thermochromatic coating, observing a thermochromatic response of the thermochromatic coating to the electromagnetic radiation, and identifying at least one portion of the battery that has experienced a temperature above a predefined threshold temperature, based on the thermochromatic response.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for monitoring a temperature of a battery, the method comprising:
disposing a battery having a first cell and a second cell within a container;
applying a first thermochromatic coating to the first cell;
applying a second thermochromatic coating to the second cell;
applying a third thermochromatic coating to the battery;
applying a fourth thermochromatic coating to the container;
directing electromagnetic radiation towards the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating;
observing a thermochromatic response emitted by the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating; and
identifying at least one portion of the battery that has experienced temperatures exceeding a predefined threshold temperature and amount of time at temperatures exceeding the predefined threshold temperature based on the thermochromatic response.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings further comprises applying a thermochromatic paint and a thermochromatic tape.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the directing the electromagnetic radiation further comprises directing ultraviolet light towards the first, second, third, and fourth thermochromatic coatings.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observing the thermochromatic response further comprises generating one or more images of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, and the container using an imaging device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a plurality of images of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, and the container obtained over a time period; and
identifying a heating pattern in the stored plurality of images.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the observing the thermochromatic response further comprises detecting a change in a color or an intensity of the thermochromatic response.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the amount of time of at least one of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, or the container above the predefined threshold temperature; and
replacing the at least one of the first cell, the second cell, the battery, or the container in response to the determining.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising installing the battery in an aircraft.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the first thermochromatic coating to the first cell comprises coating an entire outer surface of the first cell with the first thermochromatic coating, wherein the applying the second thermochromatic coating to the second cell comprises coating an entire outer surface of the second cell with the second thermochromatic coating, wherein the applying the third thermochromatic coating to the battery comprises coating an entire outer surface of the battery with the third thermochromatic coating, and wherein the applying the fourth thermochromatic coating to the container comprises coating an entire outer surface of the container with the fourth thermochromatic coating.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of probes configured to emit the thermochromatic response in response to exposure to a frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation, the thermochromatic response indicative of an amount of time at temperatures exceeding the predefined threshold temperature, the predefined threshold temperature comprising a minimum temperature at which the plurality of probes are activated.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the applying the first thermochromatic comprises applying the first thermochromatic coating that includes first probes configured to activate at a first threshold temperature, wherein the applying the second thermochromatic comprises applying the second thermochromatic coating that includes second probes configured to activate at the first threshold temperature or a second threshold temperature that is different from the first threshold temperature, wherein the applying the third thermochromatic coating comprises applying the third thermochromatic coating that includes third probes configured to activate at a third threshold temperature that is different from the first threshold temperature and the second threshold temperature, and wherein the applying the fourth thermochromatic coating to the container comprises applying the fourth thermochromatic coating that includes fourth probes configured to activate at a fourth threshold temperature that activate at a fourth threshold temperature that is different from the first, second, and third threshold temperatures.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to exposure to a first frequency range of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the second thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to exposure to a second frequency range of electromagnetic radiation, wherein the third thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to exposure to a third frequency range of electromagnetic radiation that differs from at least one of the first and second frequency ranges of electromagnetic radiation, and wherein the fourth thermochromatic coating fluoresces in response to a fourth frequency range of electromagnetic radiation that differs from at least one of the first, second, and third frequency ranges of electromagnetic radiation.

13. A method for monitoring a temperature of a battery having a first cell and a second cell, the battery contained within a battery container, the method comprising:
applying a first thermochromatic coating to a surface of the battery container, wherein the first thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of first probes configured to emit a first thermochromatic response when exposed to a predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a first predefined threshold temperature;
applying a second thermochromatic coating to an entire outer surface of the first cell, wherein the second thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of second probes configured to emit a second thermochromatic response when exposed to the predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a second predefined threshold temperature;
applying a third thermochromatic coating to an entire outer surface of the second cell, wherein the third thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of third probes configured to emit a third thermochromatic response when exposed to the predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a third predefined threshold temperature;
applying a fourth thermochromatic coating to an entire outer surface of the battery, wherein the fourth thermochromatic coating includes a plurality of fourth probes configured to emit a fourth thermochromatic response when exposed to the predefined frequency range of electromagnetic radiation within a predefined time period after exceeding a fourth predefined threshold temperature;
directing the electromagnetic radiation towards the first thermochromatic coating, the second thermochromatic coating, the third thermochromatic coating, and the fourth thermochromatic coating;
observing the first thermochromatic response and identifying at least one portion of the battery container that has e

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Georgeson Gary E
• Safai Morteza

Classifications

• 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

• H01M10/486 Primary

  for measuring temperature · CPC title

• G01K2205/00

  Application of thermometers in motors, e.g. of a vehicle · CPC title

• G01K11/12 Primary

  using changes in colour, translucency or reflectance · CPC title

• Y02E60/122

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic