External sensing for monitoring health of vehicle electrical energy storage

Abstract

This document describes external sensing for passively monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage. Techniques are described that depend on measurements reported by sensors disposed outside an energy storage device (ESD). The overall health of the ESD is inferred without relying on the charging circuit or self-diagnosis on the ESD. External measurements (e.g., capacitance, inductance, temperature) are used to identify other signs of potential physical deformation or physical failure of the ESD. These measurements provide an early warning to an impending ESD fault. Other ESD monitors may be unable to detect these conditions and / or too slow to prevent damage caused by thermal runaway or other catastrophic faults that may occur. A non-invasive ESD health monitoring is described to enhance ESD security; dangerous surface temperatures, physical expansion, or other unsafe conditions are detected as early as possible in order to intervene and stop operation before the time is late.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Electrical and computing systems are ubiquitous components in most vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks) that are used to enable vehicle operations related to driving. Vehicle systems typically obtain electrical power from different types of onboard energy storage devices (ESDs). With a few exceptions, many ESDs are not easily replaceable and can only be replaced under controlled conditions under the supervision of trained technicians. Rechargeable ESD technology is popular in vehicles because their computer systems can charge the ESD via an interface with an onboard or external charging system to replenish the vehicle energy storage. The driving environment is very harsh for vehicle ESD technology; extreme temperatures and high output requirements may cause early wear or physical damage. Individual cells of an unhealthy electric vehicle (EV) battery pack (or simply vehicle battery) may swell, especially when used when charging or meeting vehicle load requirements. For example, during high operating temperatures, thermal runaway may occur. The accumulation of internal gases (e.g., exhaust) causes the physical size of the battery and the components surrounding the battery pack to increase. Over time, frequent expansion may reduce service life and / or storage capacity. Too much expansion at once could cause a catastrophic ESD failure of the vehicle, which could release dangerous flammable gases causing personal injury and property damage. Summary of the invention

[0002] This document describes external sensing for monitoring the health of a vehicle's electrical energy storage. Techniques are described that rely on measurements reported by sensors placed external to an energy storage device (ESD). The overall health of the ESD is inferred without relying on charging circuitry or self-diagnostics performed on the vehicle or by the ESD. External measurements (e.g., capacitance, inductance, temperature) are used to identify potential physical deformation or other signs of physical failure of the ESD. These measurements provide early warning of impending ESD failure. Other ESD monitors may not detect these conditions, or may be too slow to prevent damage from thermal runaway or other catastrophic failures that may occur. A non-intrusive ESD health monitoring is described to enhance ESD safety; dangerous surface temperatures, physical expansion, or other unsafe conditions are detected early enough to intervene and stop ESD operation before it is too late.

[0003] For example, expansion or enlargement in an ESD typically results in a variable distance between the top and bottom exterior surfaces around an ESD cell of a battery pack that is packaged with other ESD cells in a protective shrink wrap or other enclosure. When the distance between the two surfaces varies so much that the dimensions of the ESD physically deform, a corresponding inconsistent capacitance or inductance can be detected from a sensor located near (or at the edge of) the deformation. Sensor data received from a sensor arranged adjacent to the surface of the ESD can detect changes in its measured capacitance or inductance, which indicates physical expansion or deformation of that portion of the ESD and is an early indicator of ESD failure or performance degradation. External ESD measurements can be captured using a simple sensor arrangement located outside of each cell of the ESD, which can provide a highly reliable and accurate detector of unsafe operating conditions involving one or more cells of the ESD.

[0004] In response to detecting an unexpected change in capacitance, inductance, or other sensor measurement relative to the ESD external, a notification about a potentially deformed and / or unhealthy ESD can be output to alert the vehicle 102 and / or occupants. The vehicle processor can trigger a warning or automatic intervention to terminate the charging session or other use of the ESD. Rather than trusting ESD self-diagnostics or other ESD monitoring circuits that focus on healthy power flowing into and out of the ESD, the described techniques can enable other types of safety monitoring, including monitoring for battery swelling and other dangers to ESD health, thereby protecting people and their vehicles in more situations where other systems cannot.

[0005] This document also describes methods performed by the systems summarized above and other configurations set forth herein, as well as computer-executable instructions and devices for performing these methods.

[0006] This Summary presents simplified concepts related to external sensing for monitoring the health of vehicle energy storage in the Detailed Description and Figures. This Summary is not intended to identify essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Details of one or more aspects of external sensing systems and techniques for monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage are described in this document with reference to the following drawings. The same numbers are generally used throughout the drawings to reference similar features and components: Figure 1 shows an example environment in which external sensing for monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage may be employed in accordance with the techniques of this disclosure; Figure 2An example configuration of an externally sensed vehicle system for monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage is shown; Figure 3 shows an example configuration of a battery system integrated with an example external sensing system for monitoring the health of a vehicle's electrical energy storage; Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2 Additional details of an external sensing system integrated with a vehicle electrical energy storage system are shown; Figure 5-1 to Figure 5-4 An example vehicle scenario is shown in which external sensing is used to monitor the health of the vehicle electrical energy storage in accordance with the techniques of this disclosure; Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-2 An example flow chart for monitoring the health of a vehicle's electrical energy storage is shown; and Figure 7 An example process for monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

[0008] As mentioned above, computing systems and electrical systems are ubiquitous components in most vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks), and computing systems and electrical systems typically rely on electrical power from onboard energy and energy storage devices (ESDs). In order to minimize the number of times a single battery is replaced, rechargeable batteries and ESD technology can be used on printed circuit boards, such as to achieve persistent storage of system-on-chip (SoC) memory. ESDs can provide energy to drive propulsion systems, vehicle heating and cooling systems, or other electrical systems. High voltage (e.g., 240V, 300V) electric vehicle (EV) battery packs and their low voltage (e.g., 12V, 24V) battery packs are further examples of ESD technology that is susceptible to physical degradation when used in a vehicle environment.

[0009] With a few exceptions, many vehicle ESDs are not designed to be replaced by untrained technicians. Instead, they consist of rechargeable ESD technology that can be replenished through computer-controlled charging sessions with onboard and / or external charging circuits. Some rechargeable batteries or other ESD technologies developed for vehicles are susceptible to swelling. This can cause physical deformation of the device itself, especially when driving or charging in high-temperature environments. For example, the driving environment is harsh on vehicle ESD technology; extreme temperatures and high output requirements can cause early wear or physical damage. During high temperatures, one or a few bad cells in an EV battery pack may swell due to thermal runaway, where the accumulation of internal gases (e.g., outgassing) causes an increase in physical size. Outgassing can be caused by a variety of factors, including poor manufacturing, manufacturing defects in the battery cells, overcharging, deep discharge, physical damage, or exposure to excessive temperature fluctuations, or natural aging. In the worst case, swelling can reduce service life and / or storage capacity over time. Excessive swelling can cause catastrophic ESD failure in the vehicle, which can release hazardous or even flammable gases, causing personal injury and property damage.

[0010] Existing systems do not consider external factors that indicate deterioration in battery health (such as physical signs of swelling) to identify parts of the ESD that may be damaged by outgassing. Some wired and / or wireless vehicle ESD charging systems may include diagnostics based on temperature, voltage, current, or humidity sensors. However, these charging systems do not monitor for potential battery deformation, let alone detect deformation and report the risk of continued operation leading to catastrophic failure. Because the warning systems provided by existing ESD chargers are incomplete, vehicles and occupants are often unaware of the potential risks in seemingly ordinary, safe vehicle charging or driving situations.

[0011] In contrast, this document describes technologies and systems related to external sensing for monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage. For example, expansion or expansion in an ESD typically results in a variable distance between the top and bottom outer surfaces around an ESD cell of a battery pack, which is encapsulated in a protective shrink wrap or other housing with other ESD cells. When the distance between the two surfaces varies so much that the size of the ESD is physically deformed, a corresponding inconsistent capacitance or inductance can be detected from a sensor arranged adjacent to one or both surfaces. Changes in the nominal measured capacitance or inductance of a sensor arrangement placed near or across different battery cells may indicate an unhealthy ESD. The technology can be used to monitor deformation of individual battery cells or damage to battery pack packaging. The example system can capture these external ESD measurements using a simple sensor arrangement that can be easily integrated into an existing vehicle structure for supporting ESD. For example, an external monitor is located around the ESD housing and / or embedded in a panel (e.g., a cooling plate) near a single or paired bag / battery cell to passively measure changes in capacitance, inductance, or other measurable inconsistencies across different sensors placed near different external areas of the ESD.

[0012] These changes indicate potential fault conditions and pose potential risks to personal and vehicle safety. In order to provide a highly reliable and accurate detector of unsafe operating conditions involving ESD and / or vehicle infrastructure, any unexpected changes in external sensor measurements are evaluated so that they may be reported to the vehicle system (e.g., triggering an interruption of charging operations or other vehicle functions using the ESD under load). An example system includes a processor for detecting when a vehicle ESD is being charged or used to supply a vehicle load. During a charging or operating session involving the use of an ESD, the processor obtains external sensor values ​​from multiple external sensors integrated on the vehicle or in an external location near the ESD external area and around an external location near the ESD external area, where physical deformation caused by exhaust may occur. The processor analyzes the capacitance, inductance and / or other sensor values ​​and determines whether they deviate from nominal or calibrated values. When the sensor data deviates from the stored ESD profile, an alarm can be output, indicating potential deformation of the rechargeable ESD or ESD charging unit, which may be caused by expansion or other damage. In response to detecting an unexpected change in capacitance, inductance, or temperature between the ESD and one or more external ESD sensors, the processor may output a notification of a potentially deformed and unhealthy ESD to cause a charging session or other use of the ESD to be terminated.

[0013] The vehicle may automatically slow down or not continue its ESD operation and rely on backup or hydraulic / mechanical systems to provide power until the vehicle can be stopped in a safe location (e.g., away from other vehicles and personnel, in a maintenance garage). Rather than trusting ESD self-diagnostics or other ESD monitoring circuits, the described techniques can enable more accurate monitoring and earlier warning of battery swelling and other hazards to ESD health, including monitoring of battery swelling and other hazards to ESD health, thereby protecting people and their vehicles in more situations where other systems cannot. In this way, the described techniques involving external sensing for monitoring the health of a vehicle's electrical energy storage can improve ESD operational safety and potentially avoid dangerous and catastrophic failures by not allowing unsafe conditions to develop before being noticed by onboard alarms or occupants.

[0014] These examples are just some of the examples of the techniques and systems described for external sensing of monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage. This document describes many other examples and implementations that can be easily combined in various ways to suit specific vehicle applications. Operating Environment

[0015] Figure 1 An example environment 100 is shown in which external sensing for monitoring the health of a vehicle electrical energy storage may be employed in accordance with techniques of this disclosure. The environment 100 is shown as being in the vicinity of a charging station 104, however, the environment 100 may also include any other operating environment of a host vehicle 102 that relies on an energy storage device (ESD) 108, including in situations where the ESD is used to supply electrical power to one or more vehicle loads.

[0016] The vehicle 102 is parked on the ground 106 near the wired charging station 104-1 or the wireless charging station 104-2 to replenish the ESD 108 with power supplied from the power grid or other power source that provides energy to the charging station 104. After recharging the ESD 108, the host vehicle 102 can idle or drive away from the charging station 104; the ESD 108 can switch from operating in the charging mode to operating as an energy source for electric propulsion and / or for supplying other vehicle loads (e.g., vehicle electrical systems).

[0017] The host vehicle 102 may be a motor vehicle (e.g., a car, automobile, motorcycle, bus, tractor, semi-trailer truck), a watercraft (e.g., a boat), or an aircraft (e.g., an airplane) that includes an ESD 108 in addition to one or more external ESD sensors 110 and an ESD health monitor 112. In other implementations, the external ESD sensors 110 and / or the ESD health monitor 112 may be integrated within the charging station 104 itself. For example, the charging station 104 or other external device may have the ability to externally monitor the health of the ESD 108 during an ongoing charging session by detecting changes in the physical size of different regions (e.g., different cells) of the ESD 108 relative to its nominal size relative to other components of the vehicle 102.

[0018] The ESD 108 may be a rechargeable ESD, such as a rechargeable battery. For example, the ESD 108 may be a high voltage battery pack including a plurality of individual (e.g., lithium-ion) battery cells. The ESD 108 may be another storage device in the host vehicle 102 (e.g., a battery associated with an airbag system, a vehicle starter battery, a circuit board ESD). The terms "battery," "energy storage device," and "ESD" are used interchangeably in this document to refer to one or more electrochemical cells and other energy storage devices that are configured to provide electrical energy to a connected energy source or load during discharge and to receive and store electrical energy during charging from an energy source. The ESD 108 represents a rechargeable ESD that can be used in many personal, commercial, and automotive applications. These examples of the ESD 108 are available in various sizes and chemistries, including, for example, zinc-carbon, alkaline, lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-zinc, nickel-metal hydride, and lithium-ion. Additionally, batteries often must perform under a variety of conditions, including harsh environments (eg, with extreme temperatures); common applications for ESD 108 include embedded computers, embedded devices, communications radios, data processing circuits, and hybrid electric or all-electric vehicle systems.

[0019] The vehicle 102 includes a plurality of external ESD sensors 110 disposed outside the ESD 108 to obtain physical measurements of the ESD 108 by detecting changes in electrical characteristics of the ESD 108 relative to various sensors that are fixed relative to the vehicle 102. When the measurements deviate from nominal or previously stored values ​​that indicate good health, the measurements indicate that the ESD 108 is degrading or is in a state that is unhealthy for continued use.

[0020] The ESD sensor 110 may be a plurality of capacitive sensors located near one side (e.g., top, bottom) of the ESD 108 to measure the capacitance between the side of the ESD 108 and the nearby sensor. When deformation occurs, the dielectric constant of the medium (e.g., air) between the sensor and the ESD 108 changes; the distance between the ESD 108 and the sensor decreases due to the expansion of the size of the unit cell in the ESD 108. The ESD sensor 110 may include a plurality of inductive sensors configured to measure changes in inductance relative to different external areas of the vehicle 102 and the ESD 108. The ESD sensor 110 may include a plurality of pressure sensors (e.g., other types of sensors) configured to detect compression of the ESD sensor 110 in the material above the sensor pad.

[0021] The ESD sensor 110 generates sensor data for comparison with nominal data for monitoring degradation of the health of the ESD 108 that may not be detected by other onboard charging or battery management systems. The sensor data may include a capacitance value obtained from a capacitive sensor, an inductance value obtained from an inductive sensor, or other sensor data. The ESD sensor 110 is configured to report sensor data that can be compared to a threshold value associated with a nominal measurement to determine if an unfavorable health condition exists that may not be detected from built-in monitoring circuitry of the ESD 108, the vehicle 102, and / or the charging station 104.

[0022] Although shown as having only two ESD sensors 110 for simplicity of the drawing, the ESD sensors 110 may include many arrangements of sensors, including combinations of different sensor types. The ESD sensors 110 are carefully positioned at specific locations in the vehicle 102 relative to the ESD 108 and its mounting location within the vehicle 102. The ESD sensors 110 may be arranged in a horizontal array, a vertical array, or a combination thereof, including being attached near the ESD 108 or placed on an outer surface of the ESD 108 (e.g., a protective layer, shrink wrap, housing).

[0023] The ESD health monitor 112 reads or obtains measurements from the ESD sensor 110. Based on the measurements, the ESD monitor 112 determines whether the capacitance, inductance, temperature, or other sensor value (or change in value over time) indicates physical deformation of the ESD 108. For example, when the vehicle 102 is connected to the wired charging station 104-1 or parked above the wireless charging station 104-1, the ESD sensor measurement (e.g., capacitance) is generally consistent or nearly uniform across the ESD 108 because the ESD 108 has a uniform flatness near the location of the vehicle 102 where the ESD sensor 110 is attached. Typical measurements of the ESD 108 that are expected can be stored in a persistent memory (e.g., as a saved ESD profile) between vehicle power cycles.

[0024] The sensor measurements for each sensor and for each different ESD on the vehicle 102 may have calibration values ​​or previously stored (e.g., typical, steady-state) values ​​indicating that the ESD 108 is in good health (e.g., without any physical deformation). However, if the ESD 108 is deformed, its shape causes the size or size to be less uniform, and the sensor measurements may change. For example, a higher capacitance measurement may be received from an ESD sensor 110 located below or near the deformation caused by exhaust in the package or housing of the ESD 108. Air has a much lower dielectric constant than plastic, resulting in a portion of the ESD 108 and the ESD sensor 110. Capacitance, inductance, or other ESD sensor measurements due to less dielectric isolation (including plastic-air-plastic) may be measured differently (e.g., higher). The lower sensor measurement is caused by thicker dielectric isolation (e.g., plastic-to-plastic stacking), which allows more air or dielectric to exist between the ESD sensor 110 and the outside of the ESD 108. For high voltage EV battery systems, other materials other than plastic are often used to support the internal components of ESD108. For example, aluminized plastic, carbon fiber or other materials can provide structure for ESD 108 and also allow changes in ESD sensor measurements when ESD 108 is deformed. As described in more detail below, inferences based on physical deformations from the results of ESD sensor 110 can be determined based on reduced air gaps or dielectric layers formed between the surfaces of ESD 108 extending at or around ESD sensor 110. ESD 108 can be physically deformed externally to cause compression of ESD sensor 110 (e.g., their substrate layers). Compression causes changes in the measurement of the corresponding sensor pad relative to the measurement output before compression. When ESD sensor 110 and support structure are compressed under the force of protruding ESD 108, sensor measurements deviate from nominal values. When the measurement deviates too far from the steady-state value initially established when no deformation occurs, ESD health monitor 112 determines that ESD 108 may have physical deformation, which is a sign of health degradation.

[0025] External ESD sensor 110 represents a sensor circuit for monitoring the health of an energy storage device installed in a vehicle. As explained in more detail below, ESD sensor 110 (e.g., sensor circuit) may include multiple layers of stacked materials arranged to be fixed near an outer surface of an energy storage device (e.g., ESD 108). For example, Figure 5-1As shown, the multilayer may include at least one sensor layer to support individual sensor pads for a plurality of embedded sensors in addition to at least one substrate layer for isolating and maintaining individual sensor pads supported by the sensor layer at a nominal distance from an outer surface of the ESD 108. Additionally, the multilayer may include at least one signal layer operably coupled to the individual sensor pads to output measurements from the sensor pads of each embedded sensor in the ESD sensor.

[0026] The ESD health monitor 112 may include one or more processors, processing circuits, processing modules, microcontrollers, or other components configured to perform operations for monitoring the health of the ESD 108 using sensor circuits equipped with the ESD sensor 110. For example, at least one processor may operate with the sensor circuits to perform functions of the ESD health monitor 112, including determining, based on a measurement from the ESD sensor 110, whether any of the sensor pads corresponding to the measurement are closer to an outer surface of the ESD 108 than a nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer.

[0027] In some cases, detected deformation or compression resulting in measurement deviation results in output of a warning regarding a potential failure of ESD 108. That is, an alarm or warning may be output to advise or discontinue use of ESD 108 in response to determining that measurements from at least one sensor pad of ESD sensor 110 indicate deformation in ESD 108 detectable from compression induced in the substrate layer that causes an outer surface of ESD 108 to move closer to at least one sensor pad than a nominal distance (or previous measurement) to advise or discontinue use of ESD 108. Transportation Configuration

[0028] Figure 2 An example configuration 200 of a vehicle system for external sensing for monitoring the health of a vehicle electrical energy storage is shown. The vehicle system provided in configuration 200 includes a host vehicle 102 as shown equipped with an ESD 108, an ESD sensor 110, and an ESD health monitor 112. These elements and Figure 2 The additional components shown in Figure 1 is described in the context of .

[0029] As discussed above, when monitoring the health of an ESD, physical deformation is one of the indicators that the ESD is damaged or faulty. In this state, when the ESD is in poor health and faulty, initiating a charging session to charge one or more bad cells of the ESD may cause a critical failure, thereby damaging property or even causing injury.

[0030] To help ensure that the ESD has not been damaged and is safe for charging or other vehicle operations, the vehicle 102 relies on information provided from the ESD health monitor 112. The ESD health monitor 112 processes sensor data obtained from the ESD sensors 110 to monitor indicators of whether external measurements of the ESD 108 are poor or satisfactory ESD health based on the placement of the ESD sensors 110 with respect to different portions of the ESD 108.

[0031] For example, the host vehicle 102 includes a display 202, one or more processors 204, and a computer readable storage medium (CRM) 206. The display 202 can be integrated into a center console or dashboard of the host vehicle 102. For example, the display 202 outputs graphical information to provide the driver or passenger with the status of the ESD 108 during a charging session or when the ESD 108 is used when operating under vehicle load. The processor 204 (e.g., an energy processing unit, an electronic control unit, or a microcontroller) can be a microprocessor or a system on a chip. The processor 204 executes instructions stored in the CRM 206, one or more disks, memories, or other non-transitory computer readable storage media.

[0032] The ESD health monitor 112 may include executable instructions and data stored on the CRM 206. The processor 204 may retrieve instructions from the CRM 206 so that the functions of the ESD health monitor 112 are performed on the vehicle 102. For example, the processor 204 processes measurements from the ESD sensor 110 and executes instructions loaded from the CRM 206, which cause the processor 204 to monitor the capacitance, inductance, temperature, or other external sensor values ​​associated with the ESD 108 and determine whether physical deformation has occurred. When executing the ESD health monitor 112, the processor 204 is configured to monitor and report (e.g., via a display to other vehicle systems) about the situation when a potential failure of the ESD 108 occurs. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 may cause the processor 204 to output notifications to various systems on the vehicle 102 to issue warnings when critical physical ESD deformations are detected. The display 202 may be configured to output visual warnings about ESD health.

[0033] While executing the ESD health monitor 112, the processor 204 may notify the driver that a previous charging error of the ESD 108 was detected and ask the user whether to start or continue the current charging session. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 causes a graphical user interface on the display 202 to indicate a warning about the overall ESD health to the driver or occupant of the vehicle 102. User input (e.g., including an authorization code from a technician or an external device) may be required at the user interface to manually prevent the ESD 108 from charging or using, even if it may be faulty. Health notifications output from the ESD health monitor 112 may be transmitted to other components on the vehicle 102 to take appropriate actions to further safely operate the vehicle 102. For example, in addition to implementing a vehicle interface between the processor 204 for executing the ESD health monitor 112 and other components on the vehicle 102, one or more communication devices of the vehicle 102 may also implement a sensor interface between an external ESD sensor and the processor 204.

[0034] Data regarding ESD health and measurements made by external ESD sensors 110 may be communicated through the sensor interface and vehicle interface to enable safe vehicle operation. ESD health monitoring data, including charging errors and driver inputs (e.g., overrides), may be transmitted throughout vehicle components via wired or wireless links, which may further exchange data between the vehicle 102 and a remote system (e.g., mobile phone, remote server). The vehicle 102 may include a Using a local area network (LAN), using dedicated short-range communications (e.g. The hardware, software and / or firmware required for the communication of information transmitted and received using vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications, infrared), communication on a vehicle communication bus or via a cellular connection.

[0035] The ESD health monitor 112 may include a sensor data comparator 208 and may also maintain a saved ESD profile / history 210. The sensor data comparator 208 periodically or occasionally analyzes measurements from the electrical external ESD sensor 110 to determine whether ESD deformation has occurred. In other words, over time, the sensor data comparator 208 compares the measurement output to a signal layer configured to propagate the measurement from the ESD sensor 110 to the processor 204. Based on the measurements output over time, it is determined whether any sensor pad of the ESD sensor 110 is closer to the outer surface of the ESD 108 than the nominal distance determined by the substrate layer. As described below, battery deformation (e.g., vehicle battery deformation) or other ESD irregularities may be indicated by a large variance or standard deviation of the measurements relative to a profile or history of measurements maintained for the ESD 108.

[0036] By accessing the ESD provision / history 210, the ESD health monitor 112 can record or index the measurements of each ESD (e.g., ESD 108 among other ESDs on the vehicle 102) to assist in the analysis performed by the sensor data comparator 208. The ESD profile / history 210 can also be stored in the CRM 206 or another CRM. The ESD profile / history 210 can also maintain previous charging errors of a particular ESD, so that the ESD health monitor 112 can provide an indication or alarm to the user on the display 202 to request user input before starting or continuing the operation of the ESD. For example, a predetermined threshold, an average of previous measurements, or a separate measurement is stored in the ESD profile / history 210. The saved profile 210 can also include a default profile for popular models and types of ESDs to assist in detecting battery deformation during the first charging session of a particular ESD in the vehicle 102. The saved profile 210 can also include knowledge of the life of each index or entry therein, which can be continuously updated with new entries throughout the life of the ESD. In some examples, other sensors (e.g., heat, moisture, humidity, pressure) may be used to maintain a more accurate record in the saved profile 210. For example, heat or moisture measurements may be used to calibrate or compensate for the nominal values ​​expected from the ESD sensor 110. Ongoing calibration or compensation may enable the ESD health monitor 112 to adapt to the easily changing operating conditions of the ESD 108 to accurately detect ESD deformations under conditions that differ slightly from the nominal values.

[0037] As described in more detail below, the ESD health monitor 112 uses one or more arrays of external ESD sensors 110 to detect changes in the surface geometry of the ESD 108 (e.g., from mostly flat to variable thickness). The ESD sensor 110 may include an array of one or more capacitive sensors 110-1 configured to measure the capacitance of the ESD 108 at different physical locations (e.g., different cells, top and bottom surfaces) on the exterior of the ESD 108. When deformation occurs, one or more inductive sensors 110-2 may similarly detect changes in inductance between these different regions of the ESD 108. As described above, the ESD sensor 110 may include other sensors 110-n (e.g., thermal sensors, temperature sensors, moisture sensors, humidity sensors) to enhance monitoring. For example, sensor data from other sensing 110-n may enable calibration of the capacitive sensor 110-1 and the inductive sensor 110-2 for changes in driving conditions. Other sensors 110-n may implement further measurements to detect other external characteristics of the ESD 108 (e.g., high temperature) to provide more accurate warnings about signs of thermal runaway or gas leaks, which may indicate an impending failure if the vehicle 102 instead relies on built-in ESD sensors integrated within the ESD 108, or other complex, expensive embedded monitoring circuits for measuring the internal state of individual battery cells distinct from the ESD sensors 110 and ESD health monitors, to assess the overall health of the ESD 108.

[0038] The ESD health monitor 112 enables the sensor data comparator 208 to detect deviations from nominal values ​​associated with measurements received from the ESD sensor 110. For example, by measuring changes in capacitance between different sensor electrodes of a capacitive sensor 110-1 attached or positioned near one or both sides of the ESD 108 (e.g., on a cooling plate that holds the bag or battery cell of the ESD 108 in place). Similar methods can be used with rechargeable batteries including cylindrical cells, cylindrical battery packs, or prismatic cells. An array of sensors can be distributed outside the ESD 108 to monitor changes in capacitance or inductance measurements caused by movement of the relative position of the ESD 108 relative to the sensors at these locations. For example, the capacitive sensor 110 occasionally (e.g., periodically) collects capacitance values ​​associated with the ESD 108 (e.g., before or during a charging session) to detect battery deformation. The capacitance value is provided to the ESD health monitor 112 for reporting to the vehicle 102 or occupants as a measure of ESD health. Example System

[0039] Figure 3An example configuration 300 of a battery system integrated with an example external sensing system for monitoring the health of a vehicle electrical energy storage is shown. Configuration 300 Figure 3 1 is shown as a partially exploded view of a battery system 108 - 1 , which is an example of an ESD 108 in combination with an ESD sensor 110 .

[0040] The battery system 108-1 includes a plurality of battery modules 302; the battery modules 302 are individually labeled as battery modules 302-1, 302-2, ..., and 302-n. Each battery module 302 provides a fixed amount of energy storage capacity to the battery system 108-1. When operably coupled in the battery system 108-1, the battery modules 302 provide a combined energy storage capacity equal to the sum of the fixed amounts provided by each battery module. For ease of description, reference is made to Figure 3 1, 2, and 3. The exploded view of battery module 302-1 in FIG. 302-1 describes battery module 302-1 in more detail. Other battery modules 302-2 through 302-n may each include components similar to battery module 302-1. In some examples, only some of the battery modules 302 are similar to battery module 302-1, and other battery modules 302 include different or fewer components. For example, battery modules 302-1 and 302-2 each include external ESD sensing technology, as described herein; and to minimize cost, battery module 302-n omits additional hardware.

[0041] Each battery module configured to perform health monitoring based on an external ESD sensor can be similar to the battery module 302-1, which includes a corresponding cooling plate 304 of a size and shape similar to the battery cell 306. The cooling plate 304 provides support and rigidity to the mounting surface of the battery cell 306, as well as heat dissipation of the battery cell 306 when the battery system 108-1 is charged or under load. The cooling plate 304 is supported by a frame 308 (e.g., metal-coated plastic, plastic, composite material) that partially surrounds the battery cell 306. The cooling plate 304 can be shared by two different battery cells 306, each battery cell 306 being associated with a different battery module in the battery module 302. For example, the cooling plate 304 for the battery module 302-1 can be a shared heat exchanger for the battery cell 306 associated with the battery module 302-2. Every two battery modules 302 can share a single cooling plate 304 between their respective battery cells 306.

[0042] The cooling plate 304 is supported by a frame 308 that partially surrounds one or more battery cells 306 (which are also commonly referred to as "pouch cells"). The battery cells 306 include a plurality of regions 312 associated with different physical regions of the battery cells 306. The frame 308 may surround the plurality of regions 312 within coolant tubes contained within the frame 308 to allow coolant liquid to circulate through the battery system 108-1 from a cooling inlet 314 to a cooling outlet 316. The liquid coolant flowing around the cooling plate 304 facilitates heat dissipation and thermal regulation of the internal temperature of the battery system 108-1.

[0043] Also shown is a module controller 318 that controls the functions of the battery system 108-1, including monitoring internal health, storage capacity, voltage, current, input power, load demand, module temperature, and other internal battery parameters. Shown separately from the module controller 318, the ESD health monitor 112 has an interface 310 to each battery module 302 or at least to some of the battery modules 302 (such as battery module 302-1 and battery module 302-2). The interface 310 enables the ESD health monitor 112 to read sensor measurements captured by the ESD sensor 110 without interfering with the module controller 318. The module controller 318 can include its own battery system monitor circuitry that includes embedded sensors fabricated within the battery cells and external packaging. However, these systems are expensive and increase battery costs, making EVs more unaffordable. As opposed to monitoring from outside the battery system 108-1 from a sensor location outside or external to the battery system 108-1 itself, as is done using the ESD sensor 110, the ESD sensor 110 is arranged on the cooling plate 304 or between two cooling plates 304 to monitor physical deformation in each individual battery module 302 or in each pair of battery modules 302.

[0044] The ESD sensors 110 are arranged on the surface of the cooling plate 304 in a pattern or arrangement that provides adequate measurement capabilities across most or all of the area 312. The area 312 corresponds to the surface area of ​​the cooling plate 304 where the battery cells 306 may swell. Each ESD sensor 110 may correspond to a different one of the areas 312 to provide a separate sensor measurement for that particular area.

[0045] The ESD sensors 110 may be arranged or configured as sensor arrays of different sizes or shapes, including one or more types of sensors positioned at locations on the cooling plate 304 corresponding to the regions 312, with the regions 312 distributed across the cooling plate 304. Including a greater number of ESD sensors 110 enables higher fidelity health monitoring; however, if their locations are carefully selected to detect deformation across all of the different regions 312, a sparse sensor arrangement or a smaller number of ESD sensors 110 may be sufficient to monitor the overall health of the ESD 108 without the need to precisely position precise regions. For example, Figure 3 As shown, the external ESD sensor 110 can form a two-dimensional array of capacitive sensors 110-1, which has five rows of capacitive sensors 110-1 arranged in the longitudinal or horizontal direction, and five columns of capacitive sensors 110-1 arranged in the transverse or vertical direction. Capacitive sensors 110-1 are shared between rows and columns; or rows and columns combine a total of nine capacitive sensors 110-1. In other implementations, more or fewer capacitive sensors 110-1 can be used along the longitudinal or transverse direction. The sensor array 110-1 can also include a sparsely populated array (e.g., in a waffle design) in which one or more capacitive sensors 110 are missing along the longitudinal or transverse direction.

[0046] The ESD sensors 110 (e.g., embedded sensors) can be arranged in at least one of a horizontal array, a vertical array, or a combination of a horizontal array and a vertical array to obtain measurements from sensor pads located at different locations along the horizontal axis or the vertical axis of the outer surface of the ESD 108. For example, when arranged in rows and columns, the rows and columns of the sensor array can form a T-shape or a cross shape (e.g., as shown). The rows and columns of the sensor array 308-3 are ideally located near the midpoint of the cooling plate 304 (e.g., near the midpoint along the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction, respectively). The rows and columns can include the same or different numbers of ESD sensors 110 to capture measurements of the exterior of the ESD across different sizes.

[0047] In response to detecting an abnormal measurement obtained from the ESD sensor 110, the ESD health monitor 112 can output an indication of potential deformation and / or impending failure associated with the area of ​​the battery system 108-1 where the abnormal measurement was detected. In this way, the ESD sensor 110 disposed or embedded in the battery system 108-1 provides external ESD monitoring for determining degraded health, including deformation in the external or outboard packaging, as a warning indicator of thermal runaway and venting conditions.

[0048] Figure 4-1 and Figure 4-2 Additional details of an external sensing system integrated with a vehicle electrical energy storage system are shown. Figure 4-1An exploded view of a vehicle system 400 is shown, which includes a cooling plate 304-1, which is arranged to support an ESD sensor 110 to measure deformation in a battery cell 306-1, and the battery cell 306-1 contacts the cooling plate 304-1 on the top surface. The cooling plate 304-1 is an example of a cooling plate 304. In some cases, the cooling plate 304-1 and the ESD sensor 110 are also used to measure deformation in a battery cell 306-2. The battery cell 306-2 can be arranged to contact the cooling plate 304-1 from the side opposite to the top surface, for example, where the cooling plate 304-1 contacts the battery cell 306-1. In this way, a single group of ESD sensors 110 (e.g., a single sensor array) can be inserted (e.g., embedded on the cooling plate 304-1) between paired battery cells 306. This enables the ESD sensor 110 to detect abnormal expansion of one or two different battery cells 306.

[0049] The ESD sensor 110 includes a sensor circuit 402 having a plurality of sensor pads arranged to measure deformation at the battery cell 306-1 and / or the battery cell 306-2. The sensor circuit 402 arranges the sensor pads to provide a pattern that provides sufficient measurement capabilities across different regions 312, which may produce deformations as described above due to various factors. Depending on the specific physical properties of the battery cell 306-1 and the battery cell 306-1, a T pattern, a cross pattern, a sparse or complete grid, or other arrangements of sensor pads may be used. If the battery cell 306-1 typically includes one or more recessed areas or depressions in the housing adjacent to the sensor circuit 402, the sensor pads of the ESD sensor 110 can be spaced apart and arranged away from the normal, pre-existing, recesses, grooves, or physical deformations of the battery cell 306-1, which are not signs of failure. In contrast, measurements recorded from sensor pads placed near the mostly flat portion of the battery cell 306-1, the sensor pads directly contact the cooling plate 304-1.

[0050] The sensor circuit 402 is constrained by a thermal interface 404 that is configured to conduct thermal energy when in contact with a corresponding thermal material 406 of the cooling plate 304-1. The thermal material 406 can be recessed into the cooling plate 304-1 to receive the sensor circuit 402 for supporting the ESD sensor 110 so that the thermal interface 404 can dissipate thermal energy from the sensor circuit 402. Adhesives, metal solders or welds, mechanical fixtures (e.g., pins, screws), and other fasteners or attachment techniques can be used to position the ESD sensor 110 to be flat relative to the cooling plate 304-1 and the rest of the thermal interface 404. Although primarily described as being integrated on the cooling plate 304-1, in other examples, the sensor circuit 402 can be attached to the ESD 108 (e.g., each battery cell 306 can be monitored by a corresponding sensor circuit 402 fixed to the outside of the battery cell). Regardless of whether the sensor circuit 402 is attached to the cooling plate 304 - 1 or to individual battery cells of the ESD 108 , the sensor circuit 402 is operable to detect changes in capacitance, inductance, temperature, or other external sensor measurements made across the plurality of regions 312 .

[0051] like Figure 4-1 As shown, the cooling plate 304-1 provides a cavity 408 to allow the ESD sensor 110 to also measure the deformation of the battery cell 306-2. The cooling plate 304-1 is shaped to frame the cavity 408 as a window through which the ESD sensor 110 can measure sensor values ​​from either side of the cooling plate 304-1. The sensor circuit 402 can operate with the cavity 408 to measure the deformation in either or both of the battery cell 306-1 and the battery cell 306-2 using a single sensor circuit, as opposed to using two sensor circuits to measure each battery cell 306 separately. The cavity 408 exposes the sensor pads on the sensor circuit 402 to the external area of ​​the battery cell 306.

[0052] Figure 4-2 FIG. 4 shows a top view of a sensor circuit 402 integrated in a vehicle system 400. To simplify the drawing, battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 are omitted; when battery cell 306-1 is located above sensor circuit 402, battery cell 306-2 may be arranged below sensor circuit 402. Figure 4-2, the sensor circuit 402 is shown as being arranged in or through the perimeter of the cavity 408 of the cooling plate 304-1. The sensor circuit 402 includes a plurality of sensor pads 416. Each sensor pad 416 in the sensor circuit 402 includes an optional grounding area 418 that can help reduce noise propagating between the sensor pads 416 (e.g., hatching to reduce parasitic capacitance). When a capacitive sensor is used, the sensor pads 416 can form a solid conductive surface (e.g., copper). When a capacitive sensor is used, the sensor pads 416 can include a spiral conductor (e.g., a metal trace) instead of a solid conductive surface.

[0053] The solder resist area 410 of the sensor circuit 402 is shown as being separated from the contact area 412 with the sensor circuit 402, which fills the cavity 408 between the sensor pads 416 to provide a rigid surface for supporting and contacting the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 (e.g., when placed on or under the cooling plate 304-1). The contact area 412 can be a printed circuit board (PCB) layer, and the solder resist area 410 can be integrally formed with the same PCB layer to support power electronics, microcontrollers, etc. The contact between the battery cell 306-1 and / or the battery cell 306-2 can occur directly at the contact area 412 indirectly (e.g., thermal contact) due to contacting the thermal interface 404.

[0054] Although not shown, the sensor circuit 402 may include a top cover and a bottom cover (e.g., a metal cap) to protect the sensor circuit 402 from the harsh environment and / or from wear and tear from external friction of the ESD 108. When integrated into the vehicle 102, the top cover provides a solid surface relative to the outside of the ESD (e.g., the battery cell 306-1). The ESD sensor 110 can be fixed to the bottom or lower side surface of the top cover or fixed to the bottom or lower side surface of the top cover. With respect to the bottom cover, the ESD sensor 110 can be fixed to the top surface or upper surface of the bottom cover or fixed to the top surface or upper surface of the bottom cover, which provides another solid surface relative to the outside of the ESD (e.g., the battery cell 306-2). The ESD health monitor 112 shares the interface 310 with the sensor circuit 402, and the sensor circuit 402 may include a control circuit for outputting sensor data to the ESD health monitor 112.

[0055] The ESD health monitor 112 utilizes the ESD sensors 110 to detect changes in the surface geometry of the battery cell 306 by measuring changes in capacitance, inductance, temperature, or other sensor variables at or between various ESD sensors. As described in more detail below, in the event of a battery deformation, the surface of the battery cell 306 becomes rounded (e.g., forms a bulge). For example, depending on the direction, the deformation may cause the capacitance value measured at the capacitive sensor in a shallow cavity below or near the deformation to be much higher (allowing it to penetrate or shrink the cavity). Sample Application

[0056] Figure 5-1 to Figure 5-4 An example vehicle scenario is shown in which external sensing is used to monitor the health of the vehicle electrical energy storage in accordance with the techniques of this disclosure. Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-3 Cross-sectional views of vehicle system 400 - 1 and vehicle system 400 - 2 , each of which is an example of vehicle system 400 , are shown. Figure 5-2 and Figure 5-4 Graphs 500 - 1 and 500 - 2 are shown, each representing sensor data monitored from the interface 310 between the sensor circuit 402 and the ESD health monitor 112 .

[0057] For example, Figure 5-1 and Figure 5-2 The vehicle system 400-1 is shown when the vehicle system 400-1 is operating under nominal ESD conditions; the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 show no physical deformation. The exterior of the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 are mostly flat and consistent with respect to either side of the cooling plate 304-1. Figure 5-3 and Figure 5-4 Vehicle system 400 - 2 is shown experiencing a potential ESD failure. Figure 5-3 The battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 are visibly deformed; physical deformation (e.g., expansion, bulging) occurs on the exterior of the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 such that one or both are no longer flat against the cooling plate 304-1. The pressure exerted on the cooling plate 304-1 by the bulging battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 causes some portions of the cooling plate 304-1 to deflect inwardly and away from the deformed regions 312 of the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2. For example, Figure 5-3 It is clearly seen that if cavity 512 is uncovered, the exterior of cells 306 - 1 and 306 - 2 may deflect into the recess of cavity 512 , which may result in a measurable change in capacitance or inductance at a respective one of the cells depending on the process used.

[0058] Graph 500-1 represents sensor data captured from sensor circuit 402 when battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 are not deformed. In contrast, graph 500-2 would be Figure 5-1 The sensor data captured under nominal conditions is shown juxtaposed with different sensor data captured from the sensor circuit 402 when the battery cells 306 - 1 and 306 - 2 are deformed and about to fail (eg, burst, burn).

[0059] The ESD health monitor 112 is configured to evaluate the difference between the measurements recorded in the chart 500-1 and the measurements recorded in the chart 500-2. The evaluation of changes in these measurements enables the ESD health monitor 112 to detect the condition of the external portion of the battery system 108-1, which is used as an indicator of good or poor battery health. The sensor data comparator 208 can enable the ESD health monitor 112 to determine whether the battery system 108-1 has physical deformation or other changes in size or shape based on the comparison. For example, based on whether the measurement in the chart 500-2 is within a sufficient tolerance or threshold established by the measurement originally recorded in the chart 500-1, the sensor data comparator 208 outputs an indication as to whether the measurement is acceptable or unhealthy. In response to the latter, the ESD health monitor 112 can trigger a warning or output an alarm to the vehicle 102 to cause a vehicle safety function to intervene (e.g., a protection circuit).

[0060] Vehicle systems 400-1 and 400-2 each embed their respective ESD sensors 110 in the cooling plate 304-1 at different locations near the outer surface area (e.g., area 312) of any one of the battery cells 306-1 and the battery cells 306-1. The cross-sections of vehicle systems 400-1 and 400-2 highlight their different layers or structures. These layers are assembled within the thickness of the cooling plate 304-1 and can include additional or fewer layers and structures than the layers and structures shown. For example, the layers of vehicle systems 400-1 and 400-2 can be about the thickness of the PCB assembly (e.g., several millimeters). As shown, vehicle systems 400-1 and 400-2 provide double-sided monitoring of ESD health by being arranged in a shared cooling plate between paired battery cells or ESD bags. In other examples, vehicle systems 400-1 and 400-2 can be used to monitor only one battery cell arranged on one side of the cooling plate.

[0061] Starting from the side of the cooling plate 304-1 closest to the battery cell 306-1, an optional upper cap 502-1 (e.g., made of metal) provides rigidity and strength to the systems 400-1 and 400-2; this can improve durability during the service life of the vehicle 102. For example, the upper cap 502-1 can prevent wear, abrasion, or environmental debris from interfering with the internal components of the systems 400-1 and 400-2, which are provided by the other layers shown. These and other layers described can be thin and flexible to allow deformation in the ESD 108 to cause proportional inward deflection in the upper cap 502-1 and other layers of the systems 400-1 and 400-2. On the opposite side of the cooling plate 304-1 closest to the battery cell 306-2, an optional lower cap 502-2 (e.g., made of metal) provides similar functions (e.g., rigidity, strength, protection) to the upper cap 502-1 provided above to the systems 400-1 and 400-2. Embedded ESD sensors 110 are located in sensor layers 508-1, 508-2, and 508-3 and are secured to opposite sides of upper cap layer 502-1 or lower cap layer 502-2 (eg, from the side of the cap layer adjacent to the outer surface of ESD 108).

[0062] From the upper cap 502-1 downward, the systems 400-1 and 400-2 each include a thermal metal layer 504 (e.g., a copper layer). The thermal metal layer 504 is thin and formed without any solder or with minimal resistive properties to improve heat transfer from the systems 400-1 and 400-2 to the cooling area (e.g., thermal material 406) of the cooling plate 304-1.

[0063] Next, a plurality of substrate layers 506-1 to 506-5 (e.g., PCB layers, prepreg layers) are stacked and interspersed with a plurality of sensor layers 508-1 to 508-3 and a plurality of signal / ground plane layers 510-1 and 510-2. The stacking of layers 506, 508, and 510 is confined between the outer layers of systems 400-1 and 400-2 (e.g., below upper cap 502-1 and above lower cap 502-2) to provide a cavity (e.g., air pocket) of dielectric between sensor pads 416 and the exterior of battery cells 306-1 and 306-2.

[0064] The isolation layers 506-1 to 506-5 give the systems 400-1 and 400-2 a specific size and shape, which surrounds the cavity 408 and conforms to the top or bottom surface contour of the cooling plate 304-1. The isolation between the conductive layers is achieved by a non-conductive substrate material (e.g., prepreg) that fills the isolation layers 506-1 to 506-5 so that there is a certain isolation distance between adjacent conductive layers.

[0065] Sensor layers 508-1 through 508-3 are conductive layers that support sensor pads 416 (e.g., spiral inductive copper elements, uniform capacitive sensing surfaces) of each integrated ESD sensor 110. Signal / ground plane layers 510-1 and 510-2 are grounding regions 418 that support each integrated ESD sensor 110 and electrically couple sensor layers 508-1 through 508-3 to an interface 310 shared with the ESD health monitor 110.

[0066] exist Figure 5-1 In the illustrated case, six ESD sensors 110 are shown integrated into the vehicle system 400-1; each ESD sensor 110 is associated with one of the six sensor cavities 512-1 to 512-6. During these nominal conditions, the sensor cavities 512-1 to 512-6 have specific dimensions and cause their corresponding sensors to output sensor data or measurements, such as those shown in the diagram 500-1. Measurements (e.g., sensor data) from the sensor circuit 402 can be transmitted on the signal / ground plane layers 510-1 and 510-2 to enable a microcontroller or processing element implementing the ESD health monitor 112 to establish a baseline measurement that can be used to detect potential deformation in the battery cell 306-1 or 306-2.

[0067] In operation, under potential fault conditions, compression of substrate layer 506 occurs near cavity region 512 within multiple layers of sensor circuit 402. Each embedded sensor in sensor circuit 402 is associated with a different cavity region 512 within the multiple layers. With this in mind, Figure 5-3 In the case shown, the vehicle system 400-2 is experiencing a potential fault condition. As shown, the size of the battery system 108-1 at the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 increases and causes the outer portions thereof to push the layers 502-1, 502-2, and 504 closer to the sensor layers 508-1 to 508-3. The deformation of the outer dimensions of the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 results in deformed cavities 512'-1 to 512'-6 near the ESD sensors 110 in the sensor layers 508-1 to 508-3. Since there is less air or dielectric between the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 and the sensor pads 416 embedded at these locations, this results in a change in the dielectric constant at the sensor pads 416. The sensor cavities 512-1 to 512-6 are deformed due to the ESD protrusion, thereby deforming the cavities 512'-1 to 512'-6. Changes in sensor data recorded in the vicinity of the deformed sensor cavity 512 ′ may cause the ESD health monitor 112 to report a potential fault condition of the ESD 108 , including a failed battery or pouch.

[0068] Figure 5-3Only one example of deformation is shown, where each of the sensor cavities 512-1 to 512-6 becomes one of the deformed cavities 512'-1 to 512'-6. In other cases, only some of the cavities 512-1 to 512-6 change size. Due to the smaller deformation on the exterior of the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2, some cavities 512 can maintain their shape and only some cavities 512 will become deformed cavities 512'. In this way, early warning of deformation at a specific one of the areas 312 in the battery cells 106-1 and 106-2 can be accurately determined as a potential failure. The ESD health monitor 112 (e.g., a battery microcontroller) can disable the failed battery and degrade the performance of the vehicle 102 to minimize further wear on the ESD 108 until the failed battery or ESD 108 components can be replaced.

[0069] exist Figure 5-4 , the sensor data shows how the upper cap 502-1 and / or the lower cap 502-2 deflect inward from the respective sides of the cooling plate 304-1 when the battery cells 306-1 and 306-2 expand or deform. This causes a change in the capacitance or inductance measured near the cavity 512. The sensor pad 416 of each capacitive sensor 110-1 can measure the capacitance C of the dielectric material within each sensor cavity 512. The capacitance C measured at each cavity 512 is indicated in the chart 500-1. The charts 500-1 and 500-2 each label these capacitance measurements with a common sensor unit, which is not intended to represent actual counts, capacitance, or inductance, but rather to more easily convey how the described techniques for capacitance monitoring can be similarly applied across different types of ESD sensors 110.

[0070] Three capacitive sensors 110-1 are shown embedded in sensor layer 508-1 near a first surface of cooling plate 304-1. The other three capacitive sensors 110-1 are shown embedded in sensor layers 508-2 and 508-3 near a second surface of cooling plate 304-1 opposite the first surface. At sensor pads 416 corresponding to each of the three capacitive sensors 110-1 in sensor layer 508-1, the capacitance of cavities 512-1, 512-2, and 512-3 is measured. At sensor pads 416 corresponding to each of the three capacitive sensors 110-1 in sensor layers 508-2 and 508-3, the capacitance of cavities 512-4, 512-5, and 512-6 is measured. When deformation occurs in either of battery cells 306-1 or 306-2, the nearest sensor cavity (e.g., one of cavities 512) partially collapses to cause the dielectric constant of the cavity to change. Cavity 512' has a shallower depth relative to cavity 512 before being compressed by the protruding battery cell. Vehicle system 400 is formed of copper, PCBRG, and other slightly ductile materials that allow cavity 512 to be filled with air and reduce the amount of dielectric material (e.g., air) within cavity 512. Sensor cavity 512 can change shape and deflect inwardly in response to sufficient force of external deformation of battery cells 106-1 and 106-2. In this way, some of the ESD sensors 110 in sensor circuit 402 are used to monitor deformation in battery cell 306-1, and the remainder of the ESD sensors 110 are used to monitor deformation in battery cell 306-2.

[0071] The difference in capacitance caused by the expansion is measurable when the cavity 512' changes shape and encloses a smaller volume of air dielectric than the cavity 512. Similar techniques and changes in the design of the layers of the vehicle system 400 can be used to provide similar ESD health monitoring for battery pouches and batteries of various shapes, including cylindrical cells, cylindrical battery packs, and prismatic cells, each of which may be susceptible to expansion due to venting. Example Process

[0072] Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-2 An example flow chart 600 for monitoring the health of a vehicle electrical energy storage is shown. The flow chart 600 is shown as spanning a single Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-2602 to 630 performed by the two parts shown in the flowchart; the two parts are connected by transition steps marked as "start", "end", "A", "B" and "C". However, flowchart 600 can be changed or include steps arranged in a different manner; the process indicated by flowchart 600 is not necessarily limited to the order or combination of operations shown in this document. In addition, any one or more operations can be repeated, combined or reorganized to provide other flowcharts. In the following discussion, reference can be made to Figures 1 to 5-4 Entities detailed in , reference is made to them for example only. The technology is not limited to being performed by one entity or multiple entities. Although flowchart 600 provides example operations for a vehicle system, the same or similar operations can be implemented to detect deformation in various systems, including embedded batteries and backup batteries in applications other than vehicles.

[0073] In operation, the vehicle 102 may perform operations 602 to 630 to monitor the ESD 108 when the ESD 108 is used to supply or be charged to a vehicle load. At the beginning, the ESD health monitor 112 may perform operation 602. At operation 602, the ESD health monitor 112 may perform a handshake with the ESD 108 or another component on the vehicle 102 to detect the ESD 108. The microcontroller of the ESD 108 may report its presence on the vehicle communication bus. The ESD 108 110 may send a data packet identifying itself and provide configuration and setup information to the vehicle 102 and / or the ESD health monitor 112. Based on the data packet received from the ESD 108, the ESD health monitor 112 may check the saved ESD profile / history 210 associated with the ESD 108.

[0074] At operation 604, it is determined whether the ESD 108 has been previously identified based on whether the ESD detected at operation 602 has a saved ESD profile (or history). For example, the ESD health monitor 112 queries the ESD profile / history 210 for an identifier of the ESD 108 detected in operation 602. If there is no saved or created profile, then the flowchart 600 proceeds from operation 604 to perform operation 610. If a saved profile is identified for the ESD 108, then the flowchart 600 proceeds from operation 604 to perform operation 606.

[0075] At operation 606 , if the ESD 108 has been previously identified, a saved profile of the ESD 108 is retrieved. For example, if the ESD 108 has been previously identified by the ESD health monitor 108 , the ESD health monitor 108 retrieves a saved profile / history 210 associated with the ESD 108 .

[0076] At operation 608, it is determined whether a previous operating error has been recorded. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 determines whether the saved ESD profile / history 210 or another record associated with the ESD 108 indicates a previous charging or operating error recorded for the ESD 108 during previous use. At operation 608, if a previous charging error has not been recorded, the flowchart proceeds to operation 610. However, if a previous error has been recorded, the flowchart 600 proceeds to "B" and instead performs operation 628 instead of operation 610.

[0077] At operation 610, if a previous charging error has not been recorded or if the ESD has not been previously identified, an external ESD sensor is read. For example, a capacitive sensor 110-1, an inductive sensor 110-2, or another type of ESD sensor 110 is examined by the ESD health monitor 112 for sensor data indicating current measurements taken near the ESD 108 to detect deformation of an external portion of the ESD 108.

[0078] At operation 612, a saved ESD profile is created or updated based on the values ​​read from the ESD sensor at operation 610. For example, the sensor data comparator 208 of the ESD health monitor 112 updates the long-term (e.g., over multiple measurement cycles) and short-term (e.g., for the most recent measurement cycle) averages of capacitance, inductance, or other sensor values ​​that measure deformation in the cavity 512. The sensor data comparator 208 may also determine the long-term and short-term standard deviation, variance, range, and / or minimum value of the sensor values.

[0079] At operation 614, a time to capture or read the next set of external ESD sensor measurements is set or otherwise determined. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 and / or the sensor comparator 208 sets or reads a predetermined value that is used to set a timer for obtaining additional sensor measurements or values ​​from the ESD sensor 110. The ESD health monitor 112 and / or the sensor comparator 208 may be preprogrammed to obtain or read the ESD sensor 110 at a particular frequency (e.g., every 10 seconds).

[0080] At operation 616, vehicle operation (e.g., a charging session) using the ESD is allowed to continue, and flowchart 600 proceeds to "A". For example, the ESD health monitor 112 starts, resumes, or otherwise allows charging of the ESD 108 to continue. The ESD health monitor 112 may allow energy to be drawn from the ESD 108 to supply the vehicle load. Vehicle operation may not be allowed to continue and proceed to "A" until the sensor data comparator 208 determines that the sensor data read at operation 610 indicates that no battery deformation has occurred.

[0081] At operation 618, it is determined whether it is time to read the external ESD sensor. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 determines whether it is time for the next measurement cycle of the capacitive sensor 110-1, the inductive sensor 110-2, or any other sensor 110-n. If it is time to read the capacitive sensor 110-1 and / or the inductive sensor 110-2 (e.g., for the next measurement cycle), the ESD health monitor 112 proceeds to "C" where the operations of the flowchart 600 are performed, returning to perform operation 610.

[0082] At operation 620, if it is not yet time to read the capacitive sensor (again), a determination is made as to whether the ESD is still being detected for vehicle operation, or whether the ESD is disabled or not being used on the vehicle 102. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 determines whether the ESD 108 is still enabled and charged or allowed to provide power to a load.

[0083] At operation 620, if no ESD is detected or is no longer actively being used to perform vehicle functions, the flowchart 600 proceeds to operation 626 and ESD health monitoring is terminated. For example, if a wireless charging operation utilizing the ESD 108 is ongoing in the environment 100, and the ESD health monitor 112 determines that the vehicle 102 has moved away from the wireless charging station 104-2, the ESD health monitor 112 may stop monitoring the ESD 108 and may cause or itself terminate the charging session to reduce the risk of injury or damage. A new ESD health monitoring session may begin where the last one ended, for example, monitoring the health of the ESD 108 after switching modes and supplying energy to the vehicle load.

[0084] At operation 622, if ESD is still detected for ongoing vehicle operation, it is determined whether the sensor data (e.g., capacitance value, inductance value) indicates deformation of the ESD. For example, the sensor data comparator 208 determines whether the capacitance at any sensor cavity 512 is different from the nominal measurement or the previous measurement recorded in the ESD profile / history 210.

[0085] If the difference between the short term average of the capacitance values ​​and the long term average of the capacitance values ​​(e.g., all previous measurement cycles or a set number of previous measurement cycles) is greater than a threshold, the sensor data comparator 208 may identify potential deformation of the ESD 108. Because expansion may introduce air gaps in the ESD 108, the outer cover of the ESD 108 adjacent to the upper cap 502-1 or the lower cap 502-2 may cause them to deflect inwardly toward the capacitance sensor 110-1 located between the caps 502-1 and 502-1 within the sensor cavity 512. The short term average will be significantly lower than the long term average prior to deformation.

[0086] Similarly, capacitance comparator 208 can identify deformation based on short-term standard deviation, variance, or range being greater than a corresponding threshold. Deformation can also be indicated by the difference between short-term and long-term standard deviation, variance, or range being greater than another threshold. A short-term minimum or comparison with a long-term minimum can indicate that ESD 108 has expanded.

[0087] Often times, deformation is caused by expansion or expansion of the ESD 108, which results in variable distances or air gaps within multiple layers 502, 504, 506, and 508 between outer layers of the sensor circuitry closest to the ESD 108 and an outer surface of at least one sensor pad.

[0088] In some examples, when a cap layer is arranged between a substrate layer 506-1, 506-2, 506-3, 506-4, or 506-5 and an outer surface of the ESD 108 (e.g., upper cap 502-1, lower cap 502-2), the cap layer includes a rigid material (e.g., metal) that allows bending due to compression caused by a protruding battery cell or pouch to allow the outer surface of the ESD 108 to move closer to at least one sensor pad 416 than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer 506-1, 506-2, 506-3, 506-4, or 506-5 prior to compression.

[0089] At operation 624, if the ESD sensor value indicates deformation, the error condition is recorded in a saved profile and the user is alerted. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 records the error condition in a saved ESD profile / history 210 or other record associated with the ESD 110 in response to the capacitance value 404 indicating deformation of the battery cells 306-1 and / or 306-2. The ESD health monitor 112 also provides an alert of the error condition to the vehicle 102 and / or the user (e.g., driver, occupant). For example, the ESD health monitor 112 can output an alert to a vehicle communication bus to notify other vehicle systems of an unsafe ESD condition. As described in reference Figure 2 As mentioned, the ESD health monitor 112 can control a graphical user interface in the vehicle 102 and cause an alert regarding an adverse ESD to be provided on a display 202 in the vehicle 102 (e.g., an infotainment display in a center console), or a remote display (e.g., integrated into or located on the ESD 108 (e.g., a small screen or LED that can indicate an error condition), or on the charging station 104.

[0090] At operation 626 , ESD health monitoring is terminated. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 causes the vehicle 102 to terminate the charging session or cease operation of the ESD 108 .

[0091] After it has been determined during operation 608 that a previous operating error has been recorded for the ESD 108 , the flowchart 600 proceeds from “B” to operation 628 .

[0092] At operation 628, an error is indicated while awaiting instructions to continue. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 determines that the saved ESD profile / history 210 or another record associated with the ESD 108 indicates that a previous charging or operating error was recorded for the ESD 108 during a previous use (e.g., during operation 624). For example, the ESD health monitor 112 may optionally suspend a charging session with the ESD 108 in response to the capacitance value indicating deformation of the ESD 108.

[0093] The previous charging error may be output as an alert to the vehicle processor or user. The processor 204 may determine whether to continue using the ESD 108 (e.g., if continued use is safer than not) or output a notification requesting user input (e.g., from the driver, from a technician) to confirm the unsafe ESD and / or to override the vehicle operation that suspended the use of the ESD.

[0094] For example, the request processor 204 or the user is asked whether to continue vehicle operation in response to the ESD health monitor 112. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 may indicate a previous charging error on a display and prompt the user to indicate whether the ESD 108 should continue to be used.

[0095] At operation 530, it is determined whether the processor or user agrees to continue using the ESD 108. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 determines whether the user indicates that the charging session of the ESD 108 should continue or be initiated despite the previous error. The driver, technician, or processor-controlled vehicle camera may have controls to determine to initiate or continue vehicle operation using the ESD 108 after a visual inspection of the exterior of the ESD 108 and no visible signs of deformation. The driver, technician, or processor may also be aware of a repair or replacement of the ESD 108, which may make the previous error no longer applicable as an indication of ESD health.

[0096] If consent is given at operation 630 to continue or begin vehicle operation using the ESD 108, the flowchart 600 proceeds to "C" and operation 610 continues the process of reading the ESD sensor 110 for possible deformation in the ESD 108. In this case, the ESD health monitor 112 may clear or delete the previous charging error from the saved ESD profile / history 210 associated with the ESD 108. If the user, processor 204, and / or technician does not consent to continue or begin charging, the flowchart 600 proceeds to operation 626 and terminates.

[0097] Figure 7 An example process 700 for monitoring the health of vehicle electrical energy storage is shown. Process 700 is shown as a series of operations (or actions) 702 to 710 that are performed in the order or combination of operations shown herein (but not necessarily limited to). In addition, any one or more of operations 702 and 710 may be repeated, combined, or reorganized to provide other methods. In the following discussion, reference may be made to Figure 1 to Figure 6-2 Entities or operations detailed in the ; references to them are made for example only. The technology is not limited to one or more operations being performed by one entity or multiple entities.

[0098] At step 702, an energy storage device for supplying onboard energy to power vehicle loads is detected. For example, the processor 204 may execute operations of the ESD health monitor 112 to determine that the ESD 108 that may have failed is a storage device on the vehicle 102. The ESD health monitor 112 may determine an identity of the ESD 108. Based on the identity of the ESD 108, the ESD health monitor 112 may query the saved ESD profile / history 210 to obtain information about nominal measurements expected when monitoring the ESD 108.

[0099] At step 704, sensor data indicative of a change in the external dimensions of the energy storage device is obtained from sensor circuitry on the vehicle. For example, a saved profile or a default profile associated with the identification of the energy storage device is retrieved and then used to determine whether any physical change in the dimensions of the ESD 108 indicates the presence of a physical deformation by comparing the new sensor data to the saved profile or the default profile.

[0100] At step 706, based on the sensor data, it is determined whether the change in size indicates a physical deformation of the energy storage device. For example, the capacitance value can be obtained from a plurality of capacitance sensors 110-1 integrated into or on the cooling plate 304-1. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 obtains or reads the capacitance value from the capacitance sensor 110-1. The capacitance sensor 110-1 is arranged to obtain the capacitance value from different positions along the horizontal (or longitudinal) axis or the vertical (or transverse) axis of the ESD 108.

[0101] In some implementations, the ESD health monitor 112 may ignore or delete capacitance values ​​or other sensor measurements for a measurement period of a monitoring session. For example, in response to detecting or receiving notification of a vibration event (e.g., the vehicle 102 is traveling on train tracks), the measurement may be ignored. The vibration event may be detected using an inertial measurement unit of the ESD health monitor 112, the vehicle 102, or the ESD 108, and is an indication of poor sensor results. In response to detecting a vibration event, the ESD health monitor 112 may ignore the measurement for that period.

[0102] At step 708, deformation of the energy storage device is determined from the sensor data. For example, the sensor data comparator 208 may analyze the capacitance values ​​and determine whether they indicate battery deformation caused by expansion or enlargement of the ESD 108 resulting in a smaller distance or narrower air gap between the sensor circuit 402 and the exterior of the ESD. In other words, the deformation may cause the cavity 512 to shrink and become a deformed cavity 512'.

[0103] The sensor data comparator 208 can use various analytical and statistical methods to identify battery deformation. For example, battery deformation can be determined based on at least one of the following: the current (or short-term) average value of the capacitance value is less than the previous average value (or long-term or rolling average value) of the capacitance value or less than a threshold average value, which can be set for a specific device based on an initial average value or based on the ESD type. The standard deviation of the capacitance value is greater than the previous standard deviation of the capacitance value or a threshold standard deviation value; or at least one of the capacitance values ​​(e.g., the minimum capacitance value) is below a threshold. The threshold value can be determined based on a saved ESD profile / history 210 or a default profile associated with the ESD 108.

[0104] In other implementations, determining whether the measurements indicate that any sensor pad is closer to the outer surface than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer is performed using a machine learning model; the model can identify the deformation based on the capacitance or inductance values ​​included in the measurements. In other words, determining whether the change in size indicates a physical deformation can include using a machine learning model to identify the physical deformation based on the capacitance or inductance values ​​in the sensor data and whether they deviate from the nominal value or previously recorded values.

[0105] For example, the sensor data comparator 208 can use a machine learning model to identify battery deformation based on sensor data (e.g., capacitance values, inductance measurements, pressure readings). The machine learning model can be trained to receive sensor data output from the sensor circuit 402 via the interface 310 and classify the ESD 108 as deformed or undeformed. The machine learning model can perform classification, tracing, and / or other tasks related to identifying potential battery deformation during charging or other vehicle operations involving the ESD 108.

[0106] For classification, supervised learning techniques can be used to train a machine learning model. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 or an offline system can train a machine learning model with training data (e.g., valid ground truth data) that includes capacitance values ​​labeled as deformed or undeformed. The labels can be applied manually by an engineer or provided by other techniques (e.g., based on data from other charging systems). The training data set can include capacitance values ​​similar to those input to the machine learning model during operation of the ESD health monitor 112.

[0107] The machine learning model 122 can be trained offline, for example, in a training computing system, and then provided for storage and implementation on one or more wireless chargers. For example, the training computing system can include a model trainer. The training computing system can be included in a processor that implements the machine learning model or can be separate from the processor.

[0108] In some implementations, the machine learning model can implement logistic regression, decision trees, or multi-layer perceptrons. If the processor of the ESD health monitor 112 has limited processing power, these machine learning models can be selected. If the processor has greater processing power, other types of models can be used. Logistic regression uses a sigmoid function to map the final output to an interval between 0 and 1, representing the probability of the input in each category (e.g., deformed or undeformed). Features extracted from capacitance values ​​or other sensor data monitored by the ESD health monitor can be used to improve the performance of logistic regression. Decision trees use white box models to show which extracted features are important in classification. A multi-layer perceptron is a feedforward neural network that uses a linear combination of features and a nonlinear activation function to generate a classification output. During the training phase, the weights of the activation function are iteratively updated or learned using a gradient-based optimization method (e.g., via back propagation).

[0109] The ESD health monitor 112 may also periodically obtain or read sensor measurements including capacitance values. For example, in response to the expiration of a cycle time, the ESD health monitor 112 obtains new sensor data. Based on the new sensor data (compared to old or previously recorded data), the ESD health monitor 112 determines whether the new change in size indicates a physical deformation. Thus, in response to the expiration of a cycle time, the ESD health monitor 112 obtains or reads a new capacitance value from the capacitance sensor. The sensor data comparator 208 determines whether the new capacitance value or other new sensor measurement indicates a battery deformation.

[0110] At step 710, an alarm is output to terminate or request consent before continuing to use the vehicle operation of the energy storage device. For example, the ESD health monitor 112 can terminate, not start, not continue or end a charging session or other vehicle operation involving the ESD 108 as a way to prevent damage or injury caused by deformation. The ESD health monitor 112 can terminate the charging session in response to determining that the capacitance value or new capacitance value (e.g., from a later measurement cycle) indicates that the battery is deformed. The ESD health monitor 112 can also record the charging error or battery deformation in the saved ESD profile / history 210 in the entry or record associated with the ESD 108. In some cases, the alarm is output to the vehicle processor. The output of the alarm can drive a graphical display and be provided as an alarm to the vehicle occupant or user (e.g., on the display 202) to warn and request consent to continue using the ESD 108. Additional Examples

[0111] In the following sections, additional examples are provided.

[0112] Example 1: A system comprising: a sensor circuit for monitoring the health of an energy storage device installed in a vehicle, the sensor circuit comprising a multilayer stacked material fixedly arranged near an outer surface of the energy storage device, the multilayer comprising: at least one sensor layer, the at least one sensor layer for supporting individual sensor pads of a plurality of embedded sensors; at least one substrate layer, the at least one substrate layer for isolating and maintaining the individual sensor pads supported by the sensor layer at a nominal distance from the outer surface; at least one signal layer, the at least one signal layer operably coupled to the individual sensor pads to output measurements from the sensor pads of each of the embedded sensors; and at least one processor operable with the sensor circuit to: determine based on the measurements whether any of the sensor pads are closer to the outer surface than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer; and output a warning about a potential failure of the energy storage device in response to determining that the measurements from at least one sensor pad indicate a deformation in the energy storage device, the deformation causing compression of the substrate layer causing the outer surface to move closer to the pad of at least one sensor than the nominal distance.

[0113] Example 2: The system of Example 1, wherein the processor is further operable with the sensor circuit to: compare measurements output to the signal layer over time; and determine whether any of the sensor pads are closer to the external surface than a nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer based on the measurements output over time.

[0114] Example 3: The system of Example 1 or Example 2, wherein the deformation is caused by expansion or expansion of the energy storage device, which expansion or expansion causes a variable distance or air gap within the multiple layers between an outer layer of the sensor circuit closest to the outer surface and at least one sensor pad.

[0115] Example 4: The system of any of the preceding examples, wherein the multiple layers further include a cap layer disposed between the substrate layer and the outer surface, the cap layer comprising a rigid material that allows bending due to compression to allow the outer surface to move closer to at least one sensor pad than a nominal distance maintained by the substrate prior to compression.

[0116] Example 5: The system of Example 4, wherein the embedded sensor is secured to a side of the cap layer opposite a side of the cap layer adjacent to an outer surface of the energy storage device.

[0117] Example 6: The system of any preceding example, wherein the compression causes a change in a measurement from at least one sensor pad relative to a measurement output prior to the compression.

[0118] Example 7: The system of any preceding example, wherein the embedded sensor comprises a plurality of capacitive sensors or a plurality of inductive sensors.

[0119] Example 8: The system of any preceding example, wherein the embedded sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors.

[0120] Example 9: The system of any of the preceding examples, wherein the embedded sensors are arranged in at least one of a horizontal array, a vertical array, or a combination of a horizontal array and a vertical array to obtain measurements from sensor pads located at different positions along a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of the outer surface.

[0121] Example 10: The system of any preceding example, wherein compression of the substrate layer occurs at a cavity region within the multiple layers, and each of the embedded sensors is associated with a different cavity region within the multiple layers.

[0122] Example 11: The system of any of the preceding examples, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the measurement indicates that any of the sensor pads is closer to the external surface than a nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer by using a machine learning model to identify deformation based on capacitance or inductance values ​​included in the measurement.

[0123] Example 12: The system of any preceding example, wherein the processor is configured to: in response to detecting a vibration event, ignore the measurement of the period, the vibration event being detected using an inertial measurement unit of the system or vehicle.

[0124] Example 13: A method comprising: detecting, by a processor on a vehicle, an energy storage device for supplying onboard energy to power a vehicle load; obtaining sensor data indicating a change in a dimension of an exterior of the energy storage device from a sensor circuit on the vehicle; determining, based on the sensor data, whether the change in dimension indicates a physical deformation of the energy storage device; and in response to determining that the sensor data indicates deformation of the energy storage device, outputting an alert to terminate or request consent before continuing vehicle operation using the energy storage device.

[0125] Example 14: The method of Example 13, wherein the sensor data comprises a capacitance value obtained from a capacitance sensor of the sensor circuit, and determining whether the change in size indicates a physical deformation comprises determining whether the capacitance value indicates a physical deformation.

[0126] Example 15: The method of Example 14, wherein determining whether the capacitance values ​​indicate a physical deformation includes at least one of the following: determining that an average value of the capacitance values ​​is greater than a previous average value of the capacitance values ​​or greater than a threshold average value; determining that a standard deviation of the capacitance values ​​is greater than a previous standard deviation of the capacitance values ​​or greater than a threshold standard deviation value; or determining that at least one of the capacitance values ​​is higher than a threshold.

[0127] Example 16: The method of any preceding example, wherein determining whether the change in size indicates a physical deformation comprises using a machine learning model to identify the physical deformation based on capacitance values ​​or inductance values ​​in the sensor data.

[0128] Example 17: The method of any preceding example, wherein the method further comprises: obtaining new sensor data in response to expiration of the cycle time; and determining whether the new change in size indicates a physical deformation based on the new sensor data.

[0129] Example 18: The method of any of the preceding examples, wherein the method further comprises: determining an identification of the energy storage device; and retrieving a saved profile or a default profile associated with the identification of the energy storage device, wherein determining whether the change in size indicates a physical deformation comprises comparing the sensor data to the saved profile or the default profile.

[0130] Example 19: The method of any preceding example, wherein the energy storage device comprises a vehicle battery or battery pack comprising a plurality of cells or pouches.

[0131] Example 20: A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, and the computer-executable instructions, when executed by a processor of a vehicle, cause the processor to perform the method of any of the preceding examples.

[0132] Example 21: A system for a vehicle, the system comprising means for performing the method of any of the preceding examples. Conclusion

[0133] Although various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto, but can be implemented in various ways within the scope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system, comprising: A sensor circuit for monitoring the health of an energy storage device installed in a vehicle, the sensor circuit comprising a multi-layer stack of materials fixedly arranged near an outer surface of the energy storage device, the multi-layer comprising: at least one sensor layer, the at least one sensor layer being used to support respective sensor pads of the plurality of embedded sensors; at least one substrate layer for isolating and maintaining the individual sensor pads supported by the sensor layer at a nominal distance from the outer surface; at least one signal layer operatively coupled to the respective sensor pads to output measurements from the sensor pads of each of the embedded sensors; and at least one processor operable with the sensor circuit to: determining, based on the measuring, whether any of the sensor pads are closer to the outer surface than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer; A warning regarding a potential failure of the energy storage device is output in response to determining that the measurements from at least one sensor pad indicate a deformation in the energy storage device, the deformation causing compression of the substrate layer such that the outer surface moves closer to the at least one sensor pad than the nominal distance.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The processor is further operable with the sensor circuit to: comparing said measurements output to said signal layer over time; Based on the measurements output over time, it is determined whether any of the sensor pads are closer to the outer surface than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The deformation is caused by expansion or expansion of the energy storage device, which results in a variable distance or air gap within the multiple layers between an outer layer of the sensor circuit closest to the outer surface and the at least one sensor pad.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The multilayer further includes a cap layer disposed between the substrate layer and the outer surface, the cap layer including a rigid material that allows bending due to the compression to allow the outer surface to move closer to the at least one sensor pad than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate prior to the compression.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The embedded sensor is secured to an opposite side of the cap from a side of the cap adjacent to the outer surface of the energy storage device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The compression causes a change in the measurement from the at least one sensor pad relative to the measurement output prior to the compression.

7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The embedded sensor includes a plurality of capacitive sensors or a plurality of inductive sensors.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein: The embedded sensor includes a plurality of pressure sensors.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein: The embedded sensors are arranged in at least one of a horizontal array, a vertical array, or a combination of the horizontal array and the vertical array to obtain the measurements from the sensor pads located at different positions along a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of the outer surface.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The compression of the substrate layer occurs at cavity regions within the multiple layers, and each of the embedded sensors is associated with a different cavity region within the multiple layers.

11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that The processor is configured to determine whether the measurement indicates that any of the sensor pads is closer to the outer surface than the nominal distance maintained by the substrate layer by identifying the deformation using a machine learning model based on a capacitance value or an inductance value included in the measurement.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured to: The measurement of the period is disregarded in response to detecting a vibration event, the vibration event being detected using an inertial measurement unit of the system or the vehicle.

13. A method comprising: detecting, by a processor on the vehicle, an energy storage device for supplying onboard energy to power vehicle loads; obtaining sensor data indicative of a change in a dimension of an exterior of the energy storage device from sensor circuitry on the vehicle; determining, based on the sensor data, whether the change in the dimension indicates a physical deformation of the energy storage device; as well as In response to determining that the sensor data indicates deformation of the energy storage device, an alert is output to terminate or request consent before continuing vehicle operation using the energy storage device.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The sensor data includes a capacitance value obtained from a capacitance sensor of the sensor circuit, and determining whether the change in the size is indicative of the physical deformation includes determining whether the capacitance value is indicative of the physical deformation.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that Determining whether the capacitance value indicates the physical deformation comprises at least one of: determining that the average value of the capacitance values ​​is greater than a previous average value of the capacitance values ​​or greater than a threshold average value; determining that a standard deviation of the capacitance values ​​is greater than a previous standard deviation of capacitance values ​​or greater than a threshold standard deviation value; or It is determined that at least one of the capacitance values ​​is above a threshold value.

16. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that Determining whether the change in the size indicates the physical deformation includes using a machine learning model to identify the physical deformation based on a capacitance value or an inductance value in the sensor data.

17. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: Responsive to expiration of the cycle time, obtaining new sensor data; and Based on the new sensor data, it is determined whether a new change in size is indicative of the physical deformation.

18. The method according to claim 13, characterized in that The method further comprises: determining an identity of the energy storage device; and retrieving a saved profile or a default profile associated with the identification of the energy storage device, Wherein determining whether the change in the size indicates the physical deformation comprises comparing the sensor data to the saved profile or the default profile.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein: The energy storage device comprises a vehicle battery or battery pack comprising a plurality of cells or pouches.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a vehicle, cause the processor to: detecting an energy storage device for supplying onboard energy to power vehicle loads; obtaining sensor data indicative of a change in a dimension of an exterior of the energy storage device from sensor circuitry on the vehicle; determining, based on the sensor data, whether the change in the dimension indicates a physical deformation of the energy storage device; as well as In response to determining that the sensor data indicates deformation of the energy storage device, an alert is output to terminate or request consent before continuing vehicle operation using the energy storage device.

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