Systems, methods, and devices for health monitoring of an energy storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12196715-B2
Application number	US-202117556990-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

A monitoring device for a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells, has at least one ultrasound source and at least one ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at one or more battery cells of the battery pack. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through one or more cells of the battery pack. A battery management unit receives one or more signals from the ultrasound sensor responsive to the detected ultrasound. The battery management unit can be configured to determine a state of the battery pack based at least in part on the detected ultrasound.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for ultrasonic assessment of an energy storage device, the system comprising:
an ultrasound source disposed against a first side of the energy storage device and configured to generate and direct ultrasound into the energy storage device;
a sensor array comprising ultrasound sensors, wherein each of the ultrasound sensors is disposed against a second side of the energy storage device, and where in each of the ultrasound sensors detects ultrasound from an interior volume of the energy storage device and generates a response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound;
a charger connected to the energy storage device and configured to charge the energy storage device, a load connected to the energy storage device and configured to discharge the energy storage device, or both the charger and the load connected to the energy storage device; and
a controller that controls the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound and controls the ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound,
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load;
receive the response signals from the ultrasound sensors;
determine a state of the energy storage device based in part upon the received response signals, the determined state being a state of health; and
alter the charging or the discharging based at least in part on the determined state of health.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the ultrasound sensors is arranged to be opposite the ultrasound source.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ultrasound source is movable from a first location disposed against the first side to one or more additional locations disposed against the first side, and
the controller controls the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device at each additional location of the ultrasound source and controls each of the ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound and generate the response signal when the ultrasound source is disposed against the first side at each additional location.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the ultrasound source, when disposed against the first side at the first location and at each of the one or more additional locations, is opposite one of the ultrasound sensors disposed against the second side.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
one or more of the ultrasound sensors in the sensor array is movable from a first location disposed against the second side to one or more additional locations disposed against the second side, and
the controller controls the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device at each additional location of one or more of the ultrasound sensors, and controls each of the ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound and generate the response signal when one or more of the ultrasound sensors is disposed against the second side at one of the additional locations.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ultrasound source further comprises an additional ultrasound sensor included within a same structure as the ultrasound source and disposed against the first side of the energy storage device,
the additional ultrasound sensor detects ultrasound from an interior of the energy storage device and generates a response signal responsive to the ultrasound detected thereby,
the controller controls the additional ultrasound sensor to detect the ultrasound,
the controller receives the response signal therefrom, and
the controller further uses the response signal from the additional ultrasound sensor to determine the state of the energy storage device.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a source array of ultrasound sources that includes the ultrasound source and one or more additional ultrasound sources disposed against the first side of the energy storage device,
wherein the controller further controls each of the one or more additional ultrasound sources to generate and direct ultrasound into the energy storage device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each ultrasound source of the source array is configured to correspond to a particular ultrasound sensor of the sensor array.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein each ultrasound source of the source array is arranged opposite to a corresponding ultrasound sensor of the sensor array.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device includes a plurality of electrode layers, and wherein the ultrasound source is arranged to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device perpendicular to at least one plane of the plurality of electrode layers.

11. A method for ultrasonic assessment of an energy storage device, the method comprising:
charging the energy storage device via a charger connected to the energy storage device, or discharging the energy storage device via a load connected to the energy storage device;
generating and directing ultrasound, via an ultrasound source disposed against a first side of the energy storage device, into the energy storage device while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load;
detecting ultrasound received from an interior volume of the energy storage device, at ultrasound sensors disposed against a second side of the energy storage device and included in a sensor array, each of the ultrasound sensors being configured to generate a response signal responsive to detecting the ultrasound;
determining, by a processor, a state of the energy storage device based upon the response signal from each of the ultrasound sensors, the determined state being a state of health; and
altering the charging or the discharging based at least in part on the determined state of health.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
arranging one of the ultrasound sensors to be opposite the ultrasound source; and
receiving, by the ultrasound sensor opposite the ultrasound source, ultrasound generated and directed into the energy storage device from the first side along a straight line through the energy storage device.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
moving the ultrasound source from a first location disposed against the first side to one or more additional locations disposed against the first side;
generating and directing ultrasound into the energy storage device at each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side;
detecting ultrasound received from the interior volume of the energy storage device at an ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side;
generating the response signal responsive to detecting ultrasound at the ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side;
receiving, by the processor, the response signal responsive to detecting ultrasound at the ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side; and
determining, by the processor, the state of the energy storage device further based upon the response signal responsive to detecting ultrasound at the ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the ultrasound source is positioned at the first location and at e

Assignees

• Univ Maryland

Inventors

• Sood Bhanu
• Pecht Michael G
• Osterman Michael D

Classifications

• H01M2010/4278

  Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller · CPC title

• H01M2010/4271

  Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing · CPC title

• 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

• H01M10/4257

  Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries · CPC title

• G01N29/26

  Arrangements for orientation or scanning {by relative movement of the head and the sensor (mechanical steering of sound transducers or their beams G10K11/35)} · CPC title