# US 2013/0154656 A1 · Battery pack distributed isolation detection circuitry > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154656 A1 - Document ID: US20130154656A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/329,835 - Filed: 2011-12-19 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Benjamin A. Tabatowski-Bush - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154656A1 ## CPC - B60L 50/16: with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion - B60L 50/52: characterised by DC-motors - B60L 58/18: of two or more battery modules - B60L 58/21: having the same nominal voltage - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - G01R 31/36: Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC] - Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries - Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors - B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A power system for a vehicle includes at least two battery packs spaced away from each other. A first battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells and a switching element electrically connected with the battery cells. A second battery pack includes a resistor electrically connected in series with the switching element, and sense circuitry configured to detect voltage across the resistor indicative of leakage current associated with the first battery pack. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle comprising: first and second battery packs spaced away from each other within the vehicle; and a leakage detection circuit (i) including a first precision resistor disposed within the first battery pack and electrically connected with chassis ground, and a switching element and first series limiting resistor disposed within the second battery pack and electrically connected in series with the first precision resistor, and (ii) configured to respond to leakage currents within the second battery pack. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a second series limiting resistor electrically connected in series with the first precision resistor and disposed within the first battery pack. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising sense circuitry disposed within the first battery pack and configured to measure voltage across the first precision resistor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vehicle of claim 3 further comprising at least one controller configured to determine presence of leakage current associated with the second battery pack based on the voltage across the first precision resistor. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The vehicle of claim 4 further comprising another isolation detection circuit disposed within the first battery pack and including a second precision resistor electrically connected with chassis ground. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vehicle of claim 5 wherein the sense circuitry is further configured to measure voltage across the second precision resistor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle of claim 6 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to determine presence of leakage current associated with the first battery pack based on the voltage across the second precision resistor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising an electric machine configured to transform electrical power from the battery packs into motive power to move the vehicle. ### Claim 9 A vehicle comprising: a plurality of battery packs positioned at different locations within the vehicle, one of the packs including (i) a plurality of resistors each being electrically connected with chassis ground and a different one of the packs and (ii) sense circuitry configured to detect voltage across each of the resistors; and at least one controller configured to determine presence of leakage currents associated with other of the packs based on the detected voltages. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The vehicle of claim 9 wherein the resistors are precision resistors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The vehicle of claim 10 further comprising a switching element and series limiting resistor disposed within each of the battery packs and electrically connected in series with one of the precision resistors. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The vehicle of claim 11 wherein the at least one controller is further configured to selectively close the switching elements to cause current to flow through the switching elements and the precision resistors electrically connected to the switching elements. ### Claim 13 A power system for a vehicle comprising: a first battery pack including a plurality of battery cells and a switching element electrically connected with the battery cells; and a second battery pack spaced away from the first battery pack and including (i) a resistor electrically connected in series with the switching element and (ii) sense circuitry configured to detect voltage across the resistor indicative of leakage current associated with the first battery pack. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The system of claim 13 wherein the resistor is a precision resistor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the first battery pack further includes a series limiting resistor electrically connected between the switching element and the precision resistor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the second battery pack further includes a series limiting resistor electrically connected between the switching element and the precision resistor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14 wherein the second battery pack further includes another precision resistor and wherein the sense circuitry is further configured to detect voltage across the another precision resistor indicative of leakage current associated with the second battery pack.