Battery Sensor Malfunction Detection via Physical Law Consistency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing battery management systems (BMS) often incorrectly assume a battery fault when a sensor provides an abnormal value, leading to unnecessary disconnection and costly diagnostic procedures, as they fail to distinguish between sensor malfunctions and actual battery failures.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the value of a faulty sensor's measurement using other sensors and physical laws such as Kirchhoff's laws for electrical systems or thermal diffusion equations, allowing for the differentiation between sensor failures and battery failures, thereby avoiding restrictive safety measures when they are not necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant sensors are added to detect sensor malfunctions, then measurement reliability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own existing sensors and physical laws to detect malfunctions. Instead of adding redundant sensors, the method makes the existing sensor system self-diagnosing by checking whether sensor readings are consistent with physical laws (Kirchhoff's laws for electrical systems or thermal diffusion equations for thermal systems), thereby eliminating the need for additional hardware while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
Physical laws serve as intermediaries to verify sensor readings. The method introduces physical laws (Kirchhoff's laws, thermal diffusion equations) as mediators that connect multiple sensor readings, allowing the system to detect inconsistencies without adding physical sensors. The processing unit uses these physical law-based relationships to identify faulty sensors
2Reliability
If battery disconnection is implemented as a safety measure, then battery protection is improved, but productivity and user convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the fault detection process into two distinct parts: sensor malfunction detection and actual battery fault detection. By using physical law-based consistency checks, the system can identify whether an abnormal reading comes from a faulty sensor or a real battery problem, allowing selective response rather than blanket disconnection
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of assuming battery failure when abnormal values are detected, the method inverts the logic by first checking whether the abnormality originates from the sensor itself through consistency verification with physical laws. This inversion prevents unnecessary safety measures while maintaining protection when needed
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
This approach enables reliable and cost-effective detection of BMS malfunctions, reducing unnecessary battery disconnections and allowing for targeted repairs, thus avoiding costly and inconvenient procedures.
Implementation Method 1
a step of determining by calculation, by means of the processing unit, based on the values read during the first reading step, the expected temperature at the level of at least one first sensor of the system after a period of diffusion
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention concerns a method for detecting a malfunction of a battery control system comprising a plurality of sensors (Vi, Ai) intended to measure separate physical quantities of the battery, the method comprising the following steps: a) reading output values of the sensors; and b) determining, by means of a processing unit (101), whether the read values are consistent with a physical phenomenon conditioning relationships between at least two of the quantities.