Patent · US Expired

Monitoring system for batteries during charge and discharge

US5206578A · kind A · utility

99Cited by
7References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 15, 1991
Grant dateApr 27, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 15, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S320/21
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A monitoring circuit is provided to monitor batteries while they are being charged or discharged, where the batteries comprise a series of modules or cells that are connected in series. A terminal is placed between each adjacent pair of modules and at each end of the battery, so that voltage across each module may be measured at the pair of terminals that define the module. Several different determinations of module voltage may be made during charge and/or discharge of the battery including the resistance free voltage of the module, and the module voltage while current is flowing through the battery. Generally, some or all of the modules are tested periodically, where the interruption interval for internal resistance free voltage determination may be in the order of 2 to 3 ms, and the testing frequency for the battery may be in the order of 0.5 to 25 Hz. Alarms may be triggered in the event of module voltages being sensed that are outside of predetermined limits, meaning that the charging and/or discharging characteristics of any of the modules has changed and is significantly different than those of the other modules. By such alarm indications, the module may be changed before ser…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.