Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus to determine the location and resistance of an electrical leak within a battery without measuring individual battery cells

US5811976A · kind A · utility

19Cited by
10References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJan 3, 1997
Grant dateSep 22, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 3, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01R31/52
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus and method for determining a location and resistance of an electrical leak in a battery having a first and second terminals. The apparatus includes a resistor, a switch assembly for selectively connecting the resistor to the first terminal of the battery and for selectively connecting the resistor to the second terminal of the battery, and a controller. When the apparatus determine the location of the leak, the controller is responsive to a first signal indicative of a voltage across the resistor, responsive to a second signal indicative of a feature of the battery, and calculates a quotient formed from first and second values and indicative of the location of the leak, the first value including a product of the first signal when the resistor is connected to the first terminal of the battery and the second signal, and the second value including a sum of the first signal when the resistor is connected to the first terminal of the battery and the first signal when the resistor is connected to the second terminal of the battery.

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