Systems, methods, and devices for health monitoring of an energy storage device
A monitoring device for a battery pack, which includes a plurality of battery cells, has at least one ultrasound source and at least one ultrasound sensor. The ultrasound source can be configured to generate and direct ultrasound at one or more battery cells of the battery pack. The ultrasound sensor can be configured to detect ultrasound reflected from or transmitted through one or more cells of the battery pack. A battery management unit receives one or more signals from the ultrasound sensor responsive to the detected ultrasound. The battery management unit can be configured to determine a state of the battery pack based at least in part on the detected ultrasound.
1. A system for ultrasonic assessment of an energy storage device, the system comprising:
an ultrasound source disposed against a first side of the energy storage device and configured to generate and direct ultrasound into the energy storage device;
a sensor array comprising ultrasound sensors, wherein each of the ultrasound sensors is disposed against a second side of the energy storage device, and where in each of the ultrasound sensors detects ultrasound from an interior volume of the energy storage device and generates a response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound;
a charger connected to the energy storage device and configured to charge the energy storage device, a load connected to the energy storage device and configured to discharge the energy storage device, or both the charger and the load connected to the energy storage device; and
a controller that controls the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound and controls the ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound,
wherein the controller is configured to:
control the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load;
receive the response signals from the ultrasound sensors;
determine a state of the energy storage device based in part upon the received response signals, the determined state being a state of health; and
alter the charging or the discharging based at least in part on the determined state of health.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the ultrasound sensors is arranged to be opposite the ultrasound source.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ultrasound source is movable from a first location disposed against the first side to one or more additional locations disposed against the first side, and
the controller controls the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device at each additional location of the ultrasound source and controls each of the ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound and generate the response signal when the ultrasound source is disposed against the first side at each additional location.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the ultrasound source, when disposed against the first side at the first location and at each of the one or more additional locations, is opposite one of the ultrasound sensors disposed against the second side.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
one or more of the ultrasound sensors in the sensor array is movable from a first location disposed against the second side to one or more additional locations disposed against the second side, and
the controller controls the ultrasound source to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device at each additional location of one or more of the ultrasound sensors, and controls each of the ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound and generate the response signal when one or more of the ultrasound sensors is disposed against the second side at one of the additional locations.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the ultrasound source further comprises an additional ultrasound sensor included within a same structure as the ultrasound source and disposed against the first side of the energy storage device,
the additional ultrasound sensor detects ultrasound from an interior of the energy storage device and generates a response signal responsive to the ultrasound detected thereby,
the controller controls the additional ultrasound sensor to detect the ultrasound,
the controller receives the response signal therefrom, and
the controller further uses the response signal from the additional ultrasound sensor to determine the state of the energy storage device.
7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a source array of ultrasound sources that includes the ultrasound source and one or more additional ultrasound sources disposed against the first side of the energy storage device,
wherein the controller further controls each of the one or more additional ultrasound sources to generate and direct ultrasound into the energy storage device.
8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each ultrasound source of the source array is configured to correspond to a particular ultrasound sensor of the sensor array.
9. The system of claim 7 , wherein each ultrasound source of the source array is arranged opposite to a corresponding ultrasound sensor of the sensor array.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the energy storage device includes a plurality of electrode layers, and wherein the ultrasound source is arranged to generate and direct the ultrasound into the energy storage device perpendicular to at least one plane of the plurality of electrode layers.
11. A method for ultrasonic assessment of an energy storage device, the method comprising:
charging the energy storage device via a charger connected to the energy storage device, or discharging the energy storage device via a load connected to the energy storage device;
generating and directing ultrasound, via an ultrasound source disposed against a first side of the energy storage device, into the energy storage device while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load;
detecting ultrasound received from an interior volume of the energy storage device, at ultrasound sensors disposed against a second side of the energy storage device and included in a sensor array, each of the ultrasound sensors being configured to generate a response signal responsive to detecting the ultrasound;
determining, by a processor, a state of the energy storage device based upon the response signal from each of the ultrasound sensors, the determined state being a state of health; and
altering the charging or the discharging based at least in part on the determined state of health.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
arranging one of the ultrasound sensors to be opposite the ultrasound source; and
receiving, by the ultrasound sensor opposite the ultrasound source, ultrasound generated and directed into the energy storage device from the first side along a straight line through the energy storage device.
13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
moving the ultrasound source from a first location disposed against the first side to one or more additional locations disposed against the first side;
generating and directing ultrasound into the energy storage device at each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side;
detecting ultrasound received from the interior volume of the energy storage device at an ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side;
generating the response signal responsive to detecting ultrasound at the ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side;
receiving, by the processor, the response signal responsive to detecting ultrasound at the ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side; and
determining, by the processor, the state of the energy storage device further based upon the response signal responsive to detecting ultrasound at the ultrasound sensor of the sensor array for each additional location of the ultrasound source disposed against the first side.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein when the ultrasound source is positioned at the first location and at each of the additional locations of the first side, the ultrasound source is opposite an ultrasound sensor disposed against the second side.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
disposing an additional ultrasound sensor against the first side within a same structure as the ultrasound source;
detecting, by the additional ultrasound sensor, ultrasound received from the interior volume of the energy storage device; and
generating, by the additional ultrasound sensor, a response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound, wherein the processor further uses the response signal from the additional ultrasound sensor to determine the state of the energy storage device.
16. A system for ultrasonic assessment of an energy storage device, the system comprising:
a source array comprising ultrasound sources disposed against a first surface of the energy storage device, each ultrasound source being configured to generate and direct ultrasound into an interior volume of the energy storage device;
a sensor array comprising ultrasound sensors disposed against a second surface of the energy storage device, each ultrasound sensor being configured to detect ultrasound from an interior volume of the energy storage device and to generate a response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound;
a charger connected to the energy storage device and configured to charge the energy storage device, a load connected to the energy storage device and configured to discharge the energy storage device, or both the charger and the load connected to the energy storage device; and
a controller configured to control:
each of the ultrasound sources to generate and direct ultrasound while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load,
each of the ultrasound sensors to detect ultrasound while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load,
determine a state of the energy storage device based in part upon the response signal of each of the ultrasound sensors, the determined state being a state of health, and
alter the charging or the discharging based at least in part on the determined state of health.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein each response signal comprises a time component and an amplitude component.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the controller includes one or more data gates configured to selectively track the amplitude component of each response signal at a selected time component of the response signal.
19. The system of claim 16 , wherein each of the response signals responsive to the detected ultrasound includes detected ultrasound that is reflected from or scattered by surfaces within the interior volume of the energy storage device.
20. The system of claim 16 , wherein:
the energy storage device includes a plurality of electrode layers, and
the ultrasound sources are arranged to generate and direct ultrasound perpendicular to a plane of one or more of the electrode layers.
21. The system of claim 16 , wherein a number of ultrasound sources of the source array is equal to a number of ultrasound sensors of the sensor array.
22. The system of claim 16 , wherein each of the ultrasound sources disposed against the first surface is positioned at a different location of the first surface.
23. The system of claim 22 , wherein each of the ultrasound sensors disposed against the second surface is positioned opposite to one of the ultrasound sources disposed against the first surface.
24. The system of claim 16 , wherein the ultrasound generated and directed into the energy storage device by each of the ultrasound sources comprises a pulse of ultrasound energy.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein a frequency of the pulse is 1 MHz or more.
26. The system of claim 24 , wherein a frequency of the pulse is in a range of 1 MHz to 5 MHz.
27. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller controls the ultrasound sources to generate and direct the ultrasound simultaneously.
28. The system of claim 16 , wherein the controller controls the ultrasound sources to generate and direct the ultrasound sequentially.
29. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:
additional ultrasound sensors disposed against the first surface of the energy storage device, each additional ultrasound sensor being configured to detect ultrasound from the interior volume of the energy storage device,
wherein the controller is configured to control each of the additional ultrasound sensors to detect the ultrasound and to each generate a response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound, and
the controller is further configured to determine the state of the energy storage device based in part upon the response signal from each of the ultrasound sensors disposed against the second surface, in conjunction with the response signal from each of the additional ultrasound sensors disposed against the first surface.
30. The system of claim 29 , wherein each of the additional ultrasound sensors is coupled to a corresponding ultrasound source of the source array.
31. The system of claim 30 , wherein:
each of the ultrasound sources is housed within a separate structure, and
each of the additional ultrasound sensors is housed within the same structure as its coupled ultrasound source.
32. A method for ultrasonic assessment of an energy storage device, the method comprising:
disposing ultrasound sources against the energy storage device;
disposing ultrasound sensors against the energy storage device;
charging the energy storage device via a charger connected to the energy storage device, or discharging the energy storage device via a load connected to the energy storage device;
generating and directing ultrasound into an interior volume of the energy storage device by each of the ultrasound sources while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load;
detecting ultrasound from an interior volume of the energy storage device by each of the ultrasound sensors while the energy storage device is charging via the charger or discharging via the load;
generating, by each of the ultrasound sensors, a response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound;
receiving, by a processor, the response signal responsive to the detected ultrasound from each of the ultrasound sensors;
determining, by the processor, a state of the energy storage device based in part upon the response signal of each of the ultrasound sensors, the determined state being a state of health; and
altering the charging or the discharging based at least in part on the determined state of health.
33. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
receiving, by the processor, a temperature measurement signal corresponding with a measured temperature of the energy storage device during the ultrasonic assessment,
wherein the determining a state of the energy storage device is based in part upon the response signal of each of the ultrasound sensors and in part on the temperature measurement signal.
34. The method of claim 32 , wherein the generating and directing ultrasound into an interior volume of the energy storage device by each of the ultrasound sources is performed simultaneously.
35. The method of claim 32 , wherein the generating and directing ultrasound into an interior volume of the energy storage device by each of the ultrasound sources is performed sequentially.
36. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
disposing the ultrasound sources against a first surface of the energy storage device; and
disposing the ultrasound sensors against a second surface of the energy storage device.
37. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
disposing each of the ultrasound sources opposite from a corresponding ultrasound sensor.
38. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
disposing the ultrasound sources and the ultrasound sensors against a same side of the energy storage device,
wherein each of the ultrasound sensors is coupled to a corresponding ultrasound sensor, and
each of the ultrasound sensors is housed within a same structure as its coupled ultrasound source.
39. The method of claim 32 , further comprising:
disposing a first number of the ultrasound sources and a first number of the ultrasound sensors against a first side of the energy storage device, the first number of the ultrasound sources and the first number of the ultrasound sensors being the same; and
disposing a remaining number of the ultrasound sources and a remaining number of the ultrasound sensors against a second side of the energy storage device, the remaining number of the ultrasound sources being a difference between a total number of the ultrasound sources and the first number of the ultrasound sources, the remaining number of the ultrasound sensors being a difference between a total number of the ultrasound sensors and the first number of the ultrasound sensors, and the remaining number of the ultrasound sources and the remaining number of the ultrasound sensors being the same,
wherein each of the first number of the ultrasound sources at the first side of the energy storage device is coupled to a corresponding ultrasound sensor of the first number of ultrasound sensors at the first side,
each of the first number of the ultrasound sensors at the first side is housed within a same first side structure as its coupled ultrasound source,
each of the remaining number of the ultrasound sources at the second side of the energy storage device is coupled to a corresponding ultrasound sensor of the remaining number of ultrasound sensors at the second side, and
each of the remaining number of the ultrasound sensors at the second side is housed within a same second side structure as its coupled ultrasound source.
40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the ultrasound sensor within each first side structure detects ultrasound directed into the interior volume of the energy storage device by its coupled ultrasound source and then reflected back towards the first side of the energy storage device.
41. The method of claim 39 , wherein the ultrasound sensor of each first side structure detects ultrasound directed into the interior volume of the energy storage device by one or more ultrasound sources of the second side structures.
42. The method of claim 39 , wherein the ultrasound sensor within each second side structure detects ultrasound directed into the interior volume of the energy storage device by its coupled ultrasound source and then reflected back towards the second side of the energy storage device.
43. The method of claim 39 , wherein the ultrasound sensor of each second side structure detects ultrasound directed into the interior volume of the energy storage device by one or more ultrasound sources of the first side structures.