Inductive Battery Swelling Sensing for Safe Device Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Batteries are susceptible to damage from over-charging, over-discharging, or extended use at high load, leading to swelling that can harm the device or pose safety issues.
Innovation Solution
A battery system with an inductive sensor and processing unit that applies an excitation signal to detect swelling by measuring the distance between the sensor and the battery's conductive surface, generating a metric, and controlling the device through alerts or parameter adjustments based on this metric.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If an inductive sensor is used to detect battery swelling, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical contact sensors with an inductive sensor that uses electromagnetic fields to detect battery swelling. The inductive sensor measures changes in inductance caused by the battery's physical expansion, eliminating the need for direct mechanical contact while maintaining high measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spacer as an intermediary element between the inductive sensor and the battery surface. This spacer provides a consistent air gap that ensures reliable inductive coupling while protecting the sensor, thereby improving measurement precision without significantly increasing overall device complexity.
2Reliability
If real-time monitoring is implemented, then reliability is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic monitoring of battery swelling through the inductive sensor rather than continuous monitoring. The system can adjust the monitoring frequency based on battery state and risk levels, providing reliable safety detection while minimizing energy consumption by keeping the sensor in low-power states between measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the inductive sensor measurements to dynamically adjust monitoring intensity. When the battery is in a safe state, monitoring frequency is reduced to conserve energy. When swelling indicators are detected, the system increases monitoring frequency and triggers appropriate responses, optimizing the balance between reliability and energy consumption.
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
Prevents further damage by providing timely alerts and controlling device operations, such as restricting charging or shutting down, thereby protecting the battery and device from swelling-related harm.
Implementation Method 1
an inductive sensor... configured to apply an excitation signal to the inductive sensor, determine a battery swelling metric based on a response, in the conductive surface, to the excitation signal
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment of the techniques presented herein, a device has a battery with a conductive surface, an inductive sensor, a spacer between the inductive sensor and the conductive surface, and a processing unit connected to the inductive sensor and configured to apply an excitation signal to the inductive sensor, determine a battery swelling metric based on a response, in the conductive surface, to the excitation signal, and control the device based on the battery swelling metric. In an embodiment of the techniques presented herein, a method includes applying an excitation signal to an inductive sensor spaced apart from a conductive surface of a battery, determining a battery swelling metric based on a response, in the conductive surface, to the excitation signal, and controlling a device comprising the battery based on the battery swelling metric.