Battery system for monitoring a battery

1. A battery system, comprising:

a battery having a first plurality of cells electrically coupled in series to one another between a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal, the first plurality of cells comprising a second plurality of cells and a third plurality of cells coupled together at a node, each cell of the first plurality of cells having a desired output voltage level during desired operation; and

a battery monitor electrically coupled to the battery at the node and at the first and second battery terminals, the battery monitor configured to measure a first voltage level of the first plurality of cells of the battery when the first plurality of cells are not coupled to a load, the battery monitor further configured to measure a second voltage level at the node between the second plurality of cells and the third plurality of cells when the first plurality of cells are coupled to the load, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a first number of failed cells of the first plurality of cells based on the first voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and a number of cells in the first plurality of cells, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a second number of failed cells of the second plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells, and the battery monitor further configured to calculate a third number of failed cells of the third plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells.

2. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the battery monitor is further configured to generate battery failure information indicative of a failed operational condition of the battery based upon at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells.

3. The battery system of claim 2 , further comprising an indicator coupled to the battery monitor and responsive to the battery failure information for alerting service personnel to a failure of the battery.

4. The battery system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller operably coupled to the battery monitor, the controller configured to disconnect the battery by causing a switch to electrically decouple the first battery terminal from the load based on the battery failure information.

5. The battery system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to charge the battery by causing the switch to couple the first battery terminal to an electrical power source; and wherein the controller is further configured to discharge the battery by causing the switch to couple the first battery terminal to the load.

6. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the battery monitor is further configured to determine when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells.

7. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the battery monitor is further configured to determine when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells and wherein the statistical test further indicates the cell failures are not random to a statistical confidence level.

8. The battery system of claim 1 , wherein the battery monitor is further configured to determine when the battery has a failed operational condition based on at least one statistical test using at least two of the group comprising the first number of failed cells, the second number of failed cells and the third number of failed cells and wherein the statistical test further indicates the cell failures are not random based upon a sequence of the cell failures.

9. A locomotive, comprising:

an electrically powered traction motor;

a battery configured to supply electrical power to the traction motor, the battery having a first plurality of cells electrically coupled in series to one another between a first battery terminal and a second battery terminal, the first plurality of cells comprising a second plurality of cells and a third plurality of cells coupled together at a node, each cell of the first plurality of cells having a desired output voltage level during desired operation; and

a battery monitor electrically coupled to the battery at the node and at the first and second battery terminals, the battery monitor configured to measure a first voltage level of the first plurality of cells of the battery when the first plurality of cells are not coupled to a load, the battery monitor further configured to measure a second voltage level at the node between the second plurality of cells and the third plurality of cells when the first plurality of cells are coupled to the load, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a first number of failed cells of the first plurality of cells based on the first voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and a number of cells in the first plurality of cells, the battery monitor further configured to calculate a second number of failed cells of the second plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells, and the battery monitor further configured to calculate a third number of failed cells of the third plurality of cells based on the second voltage level, the desired output voltage level of each cell of the first plurality of cells and the first number of failed cells.