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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016197382-A1
Application number	US-201414912113-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2014
Priority date	Aug 15, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A health monitoring device includes an ultrasound source and an ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at an energy storage device. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through the energy storage device and to generate a signal responsive to the detected ultrasound from the energy storage device. A control unit can be configured to determine a state of health of the energy storage device based on the signal from the ultrasound sensor.

First claim

1 . A health monitoring device comprising:
an ultrasound source configured to generate and direct ultrasound at an energy storage device; and an ultrasound sensor configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through the energy storage device and to generate a signal responsive to the detected ultrasound from the energy storage device.

2 - 14 . (canceled)

15 . The health monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit that receives the signal from the ultrasound sensor, the control unit being configured to determine a state of health of the energy storage device responsive to said signal.

16 . (canceled)

17 . The health monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a lithium-ion battery cell and the control unit is configured to determine the state of health of the lithium-ion battery cell.

18 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . The health monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the energy storage device is a battery cell within a battery pack that includes a plurality of individual battery cells, the control unit comprises a battery management system for the battery pack, and the control unit is further configured to determine a state of health of the battery pack based on the signal from the ultrasound sensor.

21 . The health monitoring device of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the ultrasound source and the ultrasound sensor to perform an A-scan and to determine the state of health based on at least one of amplitude of the detected ultrasound and timing of the detected ultrasound.

22 . The health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the generated and detected ultrasound comprises one or more ultrasonic pulses having a frequency greater than 1 MHz.

23 . The health monitoring device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a testing platform comprising the ultrasound source and the ultrasound sensor; and a selection device that selects individual energy storage devices from a plurality of energy storage devices for respective assessment by the ultrasound source and the ultrasound sensor of the testing platform.

24 - 25 . (canceled)

26 . The health monitoring device of claim 23 ,
wherein the selection device comprises a conveying system that moves the individual energy storage devices from the plurality of energy storage devices to the testing platform for the respective assessment, and further comprising a control unit that receives the signal from the ultrasound sensor and determines a state of health of the energy storage device responsive to said signal, wherein the control unit controls the conveying system to direct energy storage devices from the testing platform responsive to the determined state of health from the respective assessment.

27 . (canceled)

28 . The health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery cell and further comprising:
a second sensor configured to measure battery cell internal resistance, battery cell discharge profile, battery cell charging time, battery cell current or voltage, battery cell temperature, battery cell strain, battery cell dimensions, or gas venting from the battery cell and to generate a measurement signal responsively thereto.

29 - 30 . (canceled)

31 . The health monitoring device of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a lithium-ion battery cell with multiple electrode layers, the ultrasound source being arranged so as to direct the generated ultrasound perpendicular to a plane of one or more of the electrode layers.

32 . (canceled)

33 . A method of monitoring an energy storage device, the method comprising:
applying ultrasound to an energy storage device; detecting ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through the energy storage device; and generating a signal indicative of the detected ultrasound.

34 - 35 . (canceled)

36 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the applying and detecting ultrasound comprises applying and detecting one or more ultrasonic pulses having a frequency greater than 1 MHz.

37 . (canceled)

38 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a lithium-ion battery cell.

39 . The method of claim 33 , further comprising determining a state of health of the energy storage device based at least in part on the generated signal indicative of the detected ultrasound.

40 . The method of claim 39 , wherein the determining a state of health is based on at least one of amplitude of the detected ultrasound and timing of the detected ultrasound.

41 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the energy storage device is a battery cell within a battery pack that includes a plurality of individual battery cells, and further comprising:
measuring battery cell internal resistance, battery cell discharge profile, battery cell charging time, battery cell current or voltage, battery cell temperature, battery cell strain, battery cell dimensions, or gas venting of one of the battery cells; generating a measurement signal indicative of a result of said measuring; and determining a state of health of the battery pack based on the measurement signal and the signal indicative of the detected ultrasound.

42 - 60 . (canceled)

61 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the energy storage device comprises a battery cell with multiple electrode layers, and the applying ultrasound comprises directing generated ultrasound perpendicular to a plane of one or more electrode layers.

62 . A battery system with state of health monitoring, the battery system comprising:
a battery pack comprising a plurality of individual lithium-ion battery cells; one or more ultrasonic health monitoring devices, each ultrasonic health monitoring device being arranged to assess one of the lithium-ion battery cells, each ultrasonic health monitoring device including an ultrasound source that directs ultrasound at the respective lithium-ion battery cell and an ultrasound sensor that detects ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through the respective lithium-ion battery cell and generates a signal responsive thereto; and a battery management system configured to receive the signal from each ultrasound sensor and to determine a state of health of the battery pack based at least in part on said signal.

63 - 69 . (canceled)

70 . The battery system of claim 62 , further comprising one or more second sensors, each second sensor being arranged to assess one or more of the lithium-ion battery cells, each second sensor being configured to measure battery cell internal resistance, battery cell discharge profile, battery cell charging time, battery cell current or voltage, battery cell temperature, battery cell strain, battery cell dimensions, or gas venting from the battery cell and to generate a measurement signal responsively thereto.

71 - 76 . (canceled)

77 . The battery system of claim 62 , wherein the battery pack is constructed for use in an automotive vehicle.

Assignees

• Univ Maryland

Inventors

• Sood Bhanu
• Pecht Michael G
• Osterman Michael D

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

• 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

• G01N29/11 Primary

  by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves · CPC title

• H01M10/0525

  Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries · CPC title