Battery Internal Resistance Measurement Using Periodic Square Wave Excitation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing battery internal resistance measurement systems drain significant power from the battery and are time-consuming, making them inefficient for rapid health state assessments.

Innovation Solution

A system comprising a processor, load module, current sense subsystem, multiplexer module, and level shifting, filtering, and amplification subsystem that applies a load to the battery, senses current and voltage changes, filters and amplifies signals to reduce bandwidth, and calculates internal resistance quickly, allowing for faster and less power-intensive measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional measurement systems are used to measure battery internal resistance, then measurement accuracy can be achieved, but the measurement process drains significant power from the battery and takes a long time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinternal resistance measurement accuracyVSAvoidbattery power drain
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies a periodic square wave current signal to the battery rather than continuous current, allowing the battery to recover between measurement cycles. This periodic excitation reduces cumulative power drain while maintaining measurement accuracy through multiple sampling points across the waveform cycle.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces traditional high-current discharge methods with a low-current measurement approach using operational amplifiers and precision voltage sensing. This substitution maintains measurement accuracy while dramatically reducing the power extracted from the battery during testing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Measurement precision

If traditional measurement systems are used to measure battery internal resistance, then measurement accuracy can be achieved, but the measurement process is time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinternal resistance measurement accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement duration
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously samples voltage across the battery terminals throughout the entire current waveform cycle rather than taking discrete measurements. This continuous monitoring captures the complete voltage response, enabling accurate internal resistance calculation in a single test cycle and eliminating the need for multiple sequential measurements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-charges coupling capacitors and establishes steady-state conditions before applying the measurement current. This preliminary preparation ensures that voltage readings taken during the measurement cycle are not affected by transient charging effects, allowing immediate accurate measurement without extended warm-up or stabilization periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If fast measurement is implemented, then measurement speed increases, but measurement precision and resolution deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemeasurement speedVSAvoidvoltage measurement resolution
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces operational amplifiers as intermediary devices between the battery voltage and the measurement circuitry. These amplifiers provide high input impedance to minimize loading effects while delivering low-impedance output signals to the ADC, enabling fast sampling rates without sacrificing voltage measurement resolution.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms the measurement parameters by measuring voltage drop across a known small resistance value during the current pulse. By changing from measuring absolute battery voltage to measuring differential voltage across a precision resistor, the system achieves both high speed and high resolution in the internal resistance calculation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 system enables rapid and low-drain battery internal resistance measurements, reducing test duration and increasing measurement resolution, thus improving battery health assessment efficiency.

Implementation Method 1

a current sense subsystem for sensing the current flowing to the load module and generating a sensed current signal in accordance therewith

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectOhm's Law: Ohm's Law

Implementation Method 2

a multiplexer module in communication with the current sense subsystem for detecting voltages across the load module and generating a pair of voltage signals in accordance therewith

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectVoltage measurement: Ohm's Law

Implementation Method 3

filters the voltage signals to reduce a bandwidth of each of the voltage signals, to thus produce reduced bandwidth voltage signals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSignal filtering: Filter (electronic)

Implementation Method 4

amplifies the level shifted voltage signals to produce a pair of modified voltage signals

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSignal amplification: Magnetic Amplifier

Data Source

PatentEP2260282B1System and method for measuring battery internal resistance
Publication Date: 2021.05.19 VERTIV CORP
  • EP2260282B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2260282B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2260282B1 patent drawingFigure 3A

AI summary

In one aspect the present disclosure relates to a system (50) for measuring an internal resistance of a battery. The system may involve: a processor (54); a load module (70) responsive to the processor for applying a load across the battery; a current sense subsystem (72) for sensing the current flowing to the load module and generating a sensed current signal in accordance therewith; a multiplexer module (58) in communication with the current sense subsystem for detecting voltages with the load coupled across the battery and uncoupled from the battery, and generating voltage signals in accordance therewith; and a filtering and amplification subsystem (52) responsive to the multiplexer module, for filtering and amplifying a level of each of the voltage signals to produce modified voltage signals for use by the processor in determining the battery internal resistance.