IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,150,208
Granted Patent B2
US 11,150,208 · App. 16/363,361 · Granted Oct 19, 2021

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (“EISA”) chip for a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)

Inventors: Arne Ballantine (Palo Alto, CA); John Cronin (Jericho, VT); Joseph Bodkin (Williston, VT)
Assignee: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
G01N27/026G01N27/128G01R31/389
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,150,208
App. No.
16/363,361
Granted
Oct 19, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various embodiments may provide an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) chip for a microelectromechanical system (MEMS). In various embodiments, the EISA chip may perform an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test on a battery and may gather sensor data associated with a battery from sensors on the MEMS.

Claims (71)

1. A microelectromechanical system (MEMS), comprising:

an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) chip configured to perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests on a battery connected to the MEMS, the EISA chip including:

a tester configured to run an EIS test on the battery using at least one test waveform; and

an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the tester; and

power electronics configured to connect the tester to the battery when the battery is connected to the MEMS; and

a first sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter, the first sensor configured to gather a first type of sensor data associated with the battery and provide the first type of sensor data to the analog-to-digital converter.

2. The MEMS of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter, the second sensor configured to gather a second type of sensor data associated with the battery and provide the second type of sensor data to the analog-to-digital converter; and

a third sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter, the third sensor configured to gather a third type of sensor data associated with the battery and provide the third type of sensor data to the analog-to-digital converter.

3. The MEMS of claim 2 , wherein the first sensor is positioned within the battery, the second sensor is a thermal sensor, and the third sensor is a chemical sensor.

4. The MEMS of claim 1 , wherein the EISA chip further comprises:

a control module running on a controller of the EISA chip in communication with the tester and the analog-to-digital converter.

5. The MEMS of claim 4 , further comprising:

a memory storing an EISA chip memory MEMS database and an EISA chip memory sensor range database, the memory in communication with the control module,

wherein the control module is configured to:

control the tester to run the EIS test on the battery using the at least one test waveform;

receive, from the analog-to-digital converter, a response waveform result from running the EIS test on the battery using the at least one test waveform;

store the response waveform result in a data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database;

receive, from the analog-to-digital converter, the first type of sensor data associated with the battery; and

store the first type of sensor data associated with the battery in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database.

6. The MEMS of claim 5 , wherein the control module is further configured to:

determine whether the first type of sensor data in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database is within a range indicated in the EISA chip memory sensor range database; and

send the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database to a device processor in response to determining that the first type of sensor data in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database is not within the range indicated in the EISA chip memory sensor range database.

7. A device, comprising:

a battery;

a graphical user interface (GUI);

a device memory storing a device response database;

a device processor coupled to the GUI and the device memory; and

a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) connected to the battery and coupled to the device processor, the MEMS comprising:

an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) chip configured to perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (“EIS”) tests on the battery, the EISA chip including:

a tester configured to run an EIS test on the battery using at least one test waveform; and

an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the tester; and

power electronics configured to connect the tester to the battery when the battery is connected to the MEMS;

a first sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter, the first sensor configured to gather a first type of sensor data associated with the battery and provide the first type of sensor data to the analog-to-digital converter; and

a memory storing an EISA chip memory MEMS database, the EISA chip memory MEMS database including at least both a response waveform result from running the EIS test on battery and the first type of sensor data associated with the battery, wherein the device processor is configured to:

receive the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database from the EISA chip;

compare the received data entry to the device response database to identify a matching data entry; and

display a recommendation correlated to the matching data entry from the device response database in the GUI.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein the MEMS further comprises:

a second sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter, the second sensor configured to gather a second type of sensor data associated with the battery and provide the second type of sensor data to the analog-to-digital converter; and

a third sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter, the third sensor configured to gather a third type of sensor data associated with the battery and provide the third type of sensor data to analog-to-digital converter.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first sensor is positioned within the battery, the second sensor is a thermal sensor, and the third sensor is a chemical sensor.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the EISA chip further comprises:

a control module running on a controller of the EISA chip in communication with the memory, the tester, and the analog-to-digital converter,

wherein:

the memory further comprises an EISA chip memory sensor range database, and

the control module is configured to:

control the tester to run the EIS test on the battery using the at least one test waveform;

receive, from the analog-to-digital converter, the response waveform result from running the EIS test on the battery using the at least one test waveform;

store the response waveform result in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database;

receive, from the analog-to-digital converter, the first type of sensor data associated with the battery; and

store the first type of sensor data associated with the battery in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the control module is further configured to:

determine whether the first type of sensor data in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database is within a range indicated in the EISA chip memory sensor range database; and

send the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database to the device processor in response to determining that the first type of sensor data in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database is not within the range indicated in the EISA chip memory sensor range database.

12. The device of claim 10 , further comprising:

a device sensor,

wherein the control module is configured to control the tester to run the EIS test on the battery in response to the device sensor being triggered.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the device processor is further configured to adjust the device or the device sensor based on the recommendation correlated to the matching data entry from the device response database.

14. A method for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) testing of a battery, comprising:

performing an EIS test on the battery by an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analyzer (EISA) chip of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) connected to the battery at least in part using power electronics connecting a tester of the EIS chip configured to apply at least one test waveform to the battery, the EISA chip including an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the tester;

storing a response waveform result from running the EIS test on the battery in a data entry of an EISA chip memory MEMS database of the EISA chip;

receiving, from the analog-to-digital converter, a first type of sensor data associated with the battery from a first sensor connected to the battery and the analog-to-digital converter;

storing the first type of sensor data associated with the battery in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database;

determining whether the first type of sensor data in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database is within a range indicated in an EISA chip memory sensor range database of the EISA chip; and

sending the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database to a device processor in response to determining that the first type of sensor data in the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database is not within the range indicated in the EISA chip memory sensor range database.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

receiving, in the device processor, the data entry of the EISA chip memory MEMS database;

comparing, by the device processor, the received data entry to a device response database to identify a matching data entry; and

displaying, by the device processor, a recommendation correlated to the matching data entry from the device response database in a graphical user interface (GUI) of the device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the EIS test on the battery is performed in response to a device sensor being triggered.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2019
From: BALLANTINE, ARNE; CRONIN, JOHN; BODKIN, JOSEPH
To: BLOOM ENERGY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050280/0080 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62647340 · Mar 23, 2018
Related Publication 20190310215A1 · Oct 10, 2019