Battery Sensor Differential Conductance High Resistance Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

In vehicles with automatic stop-start systems, the absence of a redundant power source when the battery fails poses safety risks, as existing methods struggle to accurately detect high resistance conditions in battery connections, leading to potential engine failure and safety hazards.

Innovation Solution

A method involving a battery sensor that measures voltage and current changes, calculates differential conductance, and determines fault conditions by ensuring the voltage change exceeds a threshold, thereby avoiding division by zero issues and accurately detecting high-impedance states, allowing for timely engine deactivation to prevent breakdowns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional battery monitoring methods are used to detect battery failures, then basic voltage and current monitoring is available, but high resistance conditions in battery connections cannot be accurately detected

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracy of high resistance conditionsVSAvoidsafety risk of engine failure
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the monitoring parameter from basic voltage and current to differential conductance (Gdiff = ΔI/ΔU). This parameter transformation enables accurate detection of high resistance conditions in battery connections, directly resolving the inability to detect connection issues while maintaining system reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces conventional mechanical/electrical monitoring methods with a mathematical modeling approach. By using differential conductance calculation based on measured voltage and current changes, the system achieves precise detection of high resistance states without requiring additional physical sensors or complex circuit modifications

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

2Productivity

If differential conductance is calculated without voltage change threshold checking, then calculation can proceed continuously, but division by zero errors occur when voltage change approaches zero

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous monitoring capabilityVSAvoiddivision by zero errors
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary checking of the voltage change threshold before calculating differential conductance. By evaluating whether |ΔU| exceeds a predefined threshold before performing the division operation, the system prevents division by zero errors while maintaining continuous monitoring capability through proper error handling

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a threshold value as an intermediary parameter between the raw voltage measurement and the differential conductance calculation. This threshold acts as a protective barrier that prevents invalid calculations while allowing the monitoring system to continue operating by detecting when measurements are sufficient for processing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3433627B1Method for determining an error state, battery sensor and vehicle electrical system
Publication Date: 2020.01.01 CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH
  • EP3433627B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3433627B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3433627B1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for determining an error state of a battery which is based on a calculation of a differential conductance value. The invention also relates to an associated battery sensor and to an associated electrical system.