Sensor device for monitoring the dielectric strength of a dielectric fluid, in particular a fluid for the thermal conditioning of a battery

A sensor device for monitoring dielectric strength of a dielectric fluid, the sensor device having a sensor body which supports a sensitive part designed for contact with the dielectric fluid,

• wherein the sensitive part comprises at least one pair of electrodes having respective surface portions set at a predefined micrometric or sub-micrometric distance from one another, to define therebetween at least one detection gap through which part of the dielectric fluid is able to penetrate,
• wherein the sensor device has a circuit arrangement which comprises:
• means for generating an electric field between the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes starting from a known or predefined supply voltage, and
• means for measuring a representative voltage representing possible occurrence of an electric discharge between the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes through the dielectric fluid present in the at least one detection gap, following upon generation of the electric field,
• and wherein the circuit arrangement comprises at least:
• a voltage source to supply the known or predefined voltage,
• at least one capacitor having a known or predefined capacitance,
• controllable circuit means, for:
• connecting and disconnecting the at least one capacitor with respect to the voltage source,
• connecting and disconnecting the at least one capacitor with respect to the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes, and
• measuring circuit means for measuring a value of the representative voltage across the at least one capacitor after the electric field has been generated, or after the capacitor has been disconnected with respect to the voltage source and connected with respect to the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes.

A sensor device for monitoring dielectric strength of a dielectric fluid, the sensor device having a sensor body which supports a sensitive part designed for contact with the dielectric fluid,

• wherein the sensitive part comprises at least one pair of electrodes having respective surface portions set at a predefined micrometric or sub-micrometric distance from one another, to define therebetween at least one detection gap through which part of the dielectric fluid is able to penetrate,
• wherein the sensor device has a circuit arrangement which comprises:
• means for generating an electric field between the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes starting from a known or predefined supply voltage, and
• means for measuring a representative voltage representing possible occurrence of an electric discharge between the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes through the dielectric fluid present in the at least one detection gap, following upon generation of the electric field,
• and wherein the circuit arrangement comprises:
• a voltage source to supply the known or predefined voltage,
• a resistive voltage divider, comprising a plurality of reference resistors,
• controllable circuit means for selectively connecting and disconnecting the reference resistors between the voltage source and at least one electrode of the at least one pair of electrodes,
• measuring circuit means for measuring a value of the representative voltage across the terminals of the resistive voltage divider or between the electrodes of the at least one pair of electrodes after the electric field has been generated, or after each reference resistor has been connected between the voltage source and the at least one electrode of the at least one pair of electrodes.