Battery Cell Monitoring Circuit for Precise Fault Location

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current battery monitoring systems are inefficient in precisely locating battery failures, are heavy and costly, and do not adequately ensure safety, particularly in aerospace applications where lightness and simplicity are critical.

Innovation Solution

A battery monitoring device with multiple sensing switches and monitoring circuits that trigger based on predetermined parameters such as temperature, gas, or pressure, allowing for precise detection and location of defective battery cells, while maintaining simplicity and reducing false alarms, and incorporating a safety system for immediate disconnection in case of overheating.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If individual monitoring of each battery cell is implemented, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and weight increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection precisionVSAvoidmonitoring complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the battery pack into multiple groups, with each group containing multiple battery cells. Instead of monitoring each cell individually, the system monitors groups collectively using fewer sensors. This segmentation approach reduces the total number of monitoring components while maintaining adequate detection capability for the entire battery pack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple battery cells into groups that are monitored together. By merging the monitoring function at the group level rather than the individual cell level, the system reduces device complexity and weight while still providing effective monitoring coverage across the entire battery pack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Measurement precision

If more temperature sensors are added to monitor each battery cell, then measurement precision is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature detection precisionVSAvoidmonitoring device weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the battery pack into groups and assigns monitoring responsibilities at the group level. This reduces the total number of temperature sensors required, directly decreasing the weight of the monitoring device while maintaining sufficient temperature monitoring capability to detect abnormalities in the battery pack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Reliability

If individual battery cell monitoring is implemented, then reliability is improved, but ease of manufacture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery safetyVSAvoidmanufacturing simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent organizes battery cells into groups for monitoring purposes. This segmentation simplifies the manufacturing process by reducing the number of individual monitoring connections that need to be made, while still providing reliable safety monitoring at the group level to ensure battery pack safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Ease of manufacture

If monitoring systems are made simpler and lighter, then ease of manufacture is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidfailure detection precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses group-based monitoring that simplifies manufacturing by reducing the number of sensors and connections required. At the same time, the segmentation into groups maintains adequate measurement precision by ensuring that temperature monitoring coverage is distributed throughout the battery pack, allowing detection of thermal runaway conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces group-level monitoring as an intermediary between individual cell monitoring and pack-level monitoring. This intermediary approach simplifies the system compared to individual cell monitoring while maintaining better precision than simple pack-level monitoring, as it provides spatial distribution of monitoring points throughout the battery pack.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables precise detection and location of defective battery cells, reduces false alarms, and ensures safety by immediately disconnecting the battery from the electrical circuit when overheating is detected, thus preventing critical failures and maintaining the battery's integrity.

Implementation Method 1

sensing switches (13, 14) adapted to be triggered depending on at least one predetermined parameter of at least one battery cell (15) of the battery

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectTemperature sensing: Thermal Expansion

Implementation Method 2

sensing switches (13, 14) adapted to be triggered depending on at least one predetermined parameter of at least one battery cell (15) of the battery

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas detection: Absorption (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP3605128B1Electrical battery monitoring device and battery
Publication Date: 2024.06.26 AIRBUS DEFENCE & SPACE GMBH
  • EP3605128B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3605128B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a battery and an electrical battery monitoring device comprising a first group of sensing switches (13) connected in series on a first monitoring circuit (11), said sensing switches, a second group of electrical sensing switches (14) connected in series on a second monitoring circuit (12), an input unit (16) to provide an input to the first and second monitoring circuits, a monitoring unit (17) to receive an output from the first and second monitoring circuits, wherein the monitoring unit receives at least two outputs from two measuring points of the first monitoring circuit, the two measuring points being separated by at least one sensing switch. The location of a defective battery cell may be early detected and precisely located by the monitoring of the battery cells in rows and columns.