Ultrasonic Battery Monitoring for Rapid Charging and Lifespan
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for managing the states of charge and health of batteries in fleets of vehicles, such as electric automobiles and aerial vehicles, are slow and inefficient, leading to reduced battery lifespan and operability.
Innovation Solution
A maintenance system that includes a charging power source, ultrasonic battery state detection using sensors to measure charge and health, and a control system to adjust charge states and storage temperatures, allowing for rapid charging and extended battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing monitoring systems are used to measure battery states of charge and health, then battery management is achieved, but the systems are slow and inefficient, reducing battery lifespan and operability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional electrical monitoring systems with acoustic sensing technology. Acoustic sensors detect sound waves generated by electrochemical reactions within battery cells, enabling non-intrusive measurement of state of charge and state of health. This substitution eliminates the need for electrical connections during monitoring, preventing parasitic currents and thermal effects that degrade batteries, while providing rapid real-time data for efficient fleet management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces acoustic waves as an intermediary medium to probe battery internal states. Sound waves propagate through the battery electrolyte and interact with electrochemical reactions, carrying information about charge levels and cell health without direct electrical contact. This intermediary approach enables indirect measurement that avoids the harmful effects of direct electrical monitoring while maintaining high measurement speed and accuracy.
2Speed
If rapid charging is implemented to improve fleet availability, then charging speed increases, but battery aging accelerates and useful life decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements real-time feedback loops using acoustic sensors to continuously monitor battery state of charge and state of health during charging operations. The system analyzes acoustic signatures to detect early signs of stress or degradation, then dynamically adjusts charging parameters to optimize the balance between charging speed and battery longevity. This feedback mechanism enables rapid charging while preventing excessive aging by modulating charge rates based on real-time battery condition assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic charging control that adapts charging parameters in real-time based on acoustic monitoring data. Rather than using fixed high-rate charging protocols, the system continuously adjusts current and voltage levels according to the battery's instantaneous state, as revealed by acoustic signatures. This dynamic approach allows the system to exploit periods when the battery can accept high charge rates while reducing rates when degradation risk increases, thereby achieving fast charging without proportionally accelerating aging.
3Measurement precision
If traditional battery monitoring methods are used, then charge states can be measured, but the measurement process is slow and affects battery operability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces slow electrical measurement methods with acoustic sensing technology. Acoustic sensors detect high-frequency sound waves generated by electrochemical reactions within milliseconds, providing near-instantaneous measurements of state of charge and state of health. This mechanical/acoustic approach eliminates the time-consuming electrical polarization effects inherent in traditional voltmeter-based methods, enabling rapid fleet-wide battery assessment without disrupting operability.
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
Enables efficient charging and maintenance of batteries within a fleet, maximizing their lifespan and ensuring availability while minimizing aging, allowing for rapid charging and extended operational readiness.
Implementation Method 1
a sensor configured to emit ultrasonic waves toward the power supply and receive echoes of the emitted ultrasonic waves from the power supply
Implementation Method 2
receive echoes of the emitted ultrasonic waves from the power supply
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods to measure states of charge of a battery may include an ultrasonic sensor and a control system. For example, the control system may instruct the ultrasonic sensor to emit ultrasonic waves toward a battery, and may instruct the ultrasonic sensor to receive echoes of the emitted ultrasonic waves reflected back from the battery. In addition, the control system may process data associated with the emitted waves and received echoes, including properties associated with the waves and echoes, such as a time of flight, frequency, amplitude, wavelength, phase, duration, or others. Based on the properties of the received echoes, and by comparison with expected properties, various physical, mechanical, chemical, and/or material characteristics of the battery may be determined, based on which a state of charge and/or a state of health of the battery may further be determined.