Supercapacitor leak detection and management
View Patent ↗Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates the operation of a supercapacitor. During operation, the system measures an electrical parameter of the supercapacitor using a set of conductor rings surrounding a capacitor seal of the supercapacitor. Next, the system determines the presence of a leak in the supercapacitor based on the electrical parameter. Finally, the system manages the operation of the supercapacitor based on the presence of the leak.
1. A method for facilitating the operation of a supercapacitor, comprising:
measuring an electrical parameter of the supercapacitor using a set of conductor rings surrounding a capacitor seal of the supercapacitor;
determining the presence of a leak in the supercapacitor based on the electrical parameter; and
managing the operation of the supercapacitor based on the presence of the leak.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supercapacitor is used within a computer system.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the presence of the leak in the supercapacitor involves:
transmitting the electrical parameter to a leak-detection circuit coupled to the conductor rings;
providing the electrical parameter to a system controller in the computer system; and
analyzing the electrical parameter using the system controller.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the electrical parameter is provided to the system controller using a system bus on the computer system.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein managing the operation of the supercapacitor based on the presence of the leak involves at least one of:
notifying a technician of the leak using the system controller; and
shutting down the computer system using the system controller.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the electrical parameter of the supercapacitor using the conductor rings involves:
measuring a first instance of the electrical parameter between an outer ring and a middle ring of the conductor rings; and
measuring a second instance of the electrical parameter between the middle ring and an inner ring of the conductor rings.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the capacitor seal is larger than an outside diameter of the inner ring and smaller than an inside diameter of the outer ring.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first instance and the second instance of the electrical parameter are used to determine a direction of the leak from the supercapacitor.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical parameter corresponds to at least one of conductivity, capacitance, and resistance.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the presence of the leak is associated with an change in the electrical parameter.
11. A system for facilitating the operation of a supercapacitor, comprising:
a set of conductor rings surrounding a capacitor seal of the supercapacitor;
a leak-detection circuit configured to measure an electrical parameter of the supercapacitor using the conductor rings; and
a system controller configured to:
determine the presence of a leak in the supercapacitor based on the electrical parameter; and
manage the operation of the supercapacitor based on the presence of the leak.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the supercapacitor is used within a computer system.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the electrical parameter is transmitted to the system controller from the leak-detection circuit using a system bus on the computer system.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein managing the operation of the supercapacitor based on the presence of the leak involves at least one of:
notifying a technician of the leak using the system controller; and
shutting down the computer system using the system controller.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the leak-detection circuit is coupled to the conductor rings using at least one of a via, a trace, and a bus.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein measuring the electrical parameter of the supercapacitor involves:
measuring a first instance of the electrical parameter between an outer ring and a middle ring of the conductor rings; and
measuring a second instance of the electrical parameter between the middle ring and an inner ring of the conductor rings.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the capacitor seal is larger than an outside diameter of the inner ring and smaller than an inside diameter of the outer ring.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first instance and the second instance of the electrical parameter are used to determine a direction of the leak from the supercapacitor.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the electrical parameter corresponds to at least one of conductivity, capacitance, and resistance.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the presence of the leak is associated with an change in the electrical parameter.