Electricity Storage Device Tester Using Reverse Current Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for determining the defectiveness of electricity storage devices are time-consuming and lack accuracy due to contact resistance variations and voltage measurement inaccuracies, which are influenced by charge voltage and environmental conditions.
Innovation Solution
An electricity storage device tester that applies a direct-current voltage opposite to the device's voltage, using an ammeter to measure current and a voltage control unit to adjust the output voltage, allowing for quick defectiveness determination based on current values, with a configuration of power source devices connected in series to manage output voltage and reduce test time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If voltage measurement is used to determine defectiveness, then the measurement method is simple, but the measurement accuracy is poor and test time is long
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from voltage to current. By measuring discharge current instead of voltage, the system achieves higher measurement accuracy and faster test results. The current measurement is less affected by contact resistance variations and can reach stable values more quickly than voltage measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the voltage measurement system with a current measurement system. This substitution involves using an ammeter instead of a voltmeter, and changing the measurement methodology from monitoring voltage decay to monitoring current discharge characteristics, thereby improving both accuracy and speed.
2Measurement precision
If contact resistance is reduced for accurate voltage measurement, then measurement accuracy improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the need for low-contact-resistance voltage measurement by substituting it with current measurement. This substitution removes the requirement for special low-contact-resistance connections and simplified the measurement system, as current measurement is inherently less sensitive to contact resistance variations.
3Measurement precision
If let-stand time is extended to reach significant voltage decrease, then defectiveness determination accuracy improves, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the measurement parameter from voltage to current, which allows for faster and more accurate defectiveness determination without requiring extended measurement times. Current measurements reach stable, distinguishable values much faster than voltage measurements, thereby improving both accuracy and productivity simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the testing process to skip the long wait time required for significant voltage decrease by directly measuring current. This allows the system to reach a conclusive defectiveness determination much faster, effectively rushing through the measurement process while maintaining or improving accuracy.
4Loss of time
If current measurement is used instead of voltage measurement, then test time is reduced and accuracy improves, but measurement results become influenced by charge voltage and environment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms that use the measured current values to determine defectiveness. By establishing reference current values under different conditions and comparing measured values against these references, the system can account for variations in charge voltage and environmental conditions, making the measurement robust against such variations.
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 rapid and accurate determination of defectiveness regardless of environmental variations, reducing test time and improving measurement precision compared to traditional voltage-based methods.
Implementation Method 1
a voltage application unit configured to apply to a circuit a direct-current voltage in an opposite direction from a voltage of an electricity storage device
Implementation Method 2
an ammeter configured to acquire a current value of the circuit
Data Source
AI summary
An electricity storage device tester including: a voltage application unit configured to apply to a circuit a direct-current voltage; an ammeter configured to acquire a current value of the circuit; a voltage control unit configured to control an output voltage of the voltage application unit; and a determination unit configured to determine whether the electricity storage device is defective or not based on the value acquired by the ammeter. The voltage application unit includes a plurality of power source devices connected in series with each other. One of the power source devices is a specific power source device which is configured to have a variable output voltage and of which both a maximum value and a step width of the output voltage are smaller than the power source devices other than the specific power source device.