# US 2024/0201267 A1 · Partial discharge fault detector for battery testing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0201267 A1 - Document ID: US20240201267A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/081,415 - Filed: 2022-12-14 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-14 - Assignees: Keysight Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Keysight Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Georg Gramse; Manuel Kasper - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201267A1 ## CPC - G01R 31/382: Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC - G01R 31/392: Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health - H01M 10/4285: {Testing apparatus} - Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract An apparatus, a method and a system for testing a battery are disclosed. A voltage source adapted to apply a voltage to an assembly having a first battery electrode, a second battery electrode and a separator layer disposed between the first and second battery electrodes. A current logger is adapted to measure a current caused by partial discharges in the separator layer caused by the contaminants or voids in the separator layer, or at an interface between the first battery electrode and the separator layer, or at an interface between the second battery electrode and the separator layer, or in the separator layer. The voltage is less than a threshold value of a characteristic breakdown voltage of the separator layer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for testing a battery, the apparatus comprising: a voltage source adapted to apply a voltage to an assembly comprising a first battery electrode, a second battery electrode and a separator layer disposed between the first and second battery electrodes; and a current logger connected to the second battery electrode, and adapted to measure a current caused by partial discharges in the separator layer caused by the contaminants or voids in the separator layer, or at an interface between the first battery electrode and the separator layer, or at an interface between the second battery electrode and the separator layer, or in the separator layer, wherein the voltage is less than a threshold value of a characteristic breakdown voltage of the separator layer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, the current logger has a bandwidth greater than approximately 100 kilosamples/second (kSa/s) and a noise floor less than approximately 1 nA. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the current logger is adapted to output plots of dwell time and counts versus current to determine a pass or a fail for the assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein when the dwell time is less than a threshold value of a dwell of an intact separator layer of a same type of separator material and same dimensions, a count value is greater than a threshold value of a count value of the intact separator layer, and a mean value of partial discharge current is greater than threshold value of a mean value of a partial discharge current of the intact separator layer, the assembly fails. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a measurement fixture adapted to contain the assembly, wherein the measurement fixture comprises an electrically conductive material that is grounded to shield the assembly from ambient electrical signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contaminants comprise one or more of particles or voids in the separator layer, cathode particles from the first battery electrode, anode particles from the second battery electrode, and aluminum platelets. ### Claim 7 A method of testing a battery, the method comprising: applying a voltage to an assembly comprising a first battery electrode, a second battery electrode and a separator layer disposed between the first and second battery electrodes, wherein the voltage is less than a threshold value of a characteristic breakdown voltage of the separator layer; logging measures of a current caused by partial discharges in the separator layer caused by the contaminants or voids in the separator layer, or at an interface between the first battery electrode and the separator layer, or at an interface between the second battery electrode and the separator layer, or in the separator layer; and outputting the measures of the current of the partial discharges caused by the partial discharges to determine a pass or a fail for the assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising providing plots of dwell time and counts versus current to determine the pass or the fail for the assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein when the dwell time is less than a threshold value of a dwell of an intact separator layer of a same type of separator material and dimensions, a count value is greater than a threshold value of a count value of the intact separator layer, and a mean value of partial discharge current is greater than threshold value of a mean value of a partial discharge current of the intact separator layer, and the outputting indicates when the assembly passes or fails. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises shielding the assembly from ambient electrical signals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the contaminants comprise one or more of particles or voids in the separator layer, cathode particles from the first battery electrode, anode particles from the second battery electrode, and aluminum platelets. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the method further comprises, before the applying the voltage to the assembly, performing a preconditioning procedure to substantially remove static charges from the assembly. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein the preconditioning procedure further comprises applying a voltage ramp from a voltage lower than the voltage to the voltage. ### Claim 14 A system for testing batteries, the system comprising: a controller comprising a processor; a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores instructions, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to: apply a voltage from a voltage source to an assembly comprising a first battery electrode, a second battery electrode and a separator layer disposed between the first and second battery electrodes, wherein the voltage is less than a threshold value of a characteristic breakdown voltage of the separator layer; control a current logger connected to the second battery electrode to measure a current caused by partial discharges in the separator layer caused by the contaminants or voids in the separator layer, or at an interface between the first battery electrode and the separator layer, or at an interface between the second battery electrode and the separator layer, or in the separator layer; and determine a pass or a fail for the assembly. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the current logger comprises the processor, and the instructions cause the processor to output plots of dwell time and counts versus current to determine whether the assembly passes or fails. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, the current logger has a bandwidth greater than approximately 100 kilosamples/second (kSa/s) and a noise floor less than approximately 1 nA. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the current logger is adapted to output plots of dwell time and counts versus current to determine a pass or a fail for the assembly. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein when the dwell time is less than a threshold value of a dwell of an intact separator layer of a same type of separator material and same dimensions, a count value is greater than a threshold value of a count value of the intact separator layer, and a mean value of partial discharge current is greater than threshold value of a mean value of a partial discharge current of the intact separator layer, the assembly fails. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, further comprising a measurement fixture adapted to contain the assembly, wherein the measurement fixture comprises an electrically conductive material that is grounded to shield the assembly from ambient electrical signals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the contaminants comprise one or more of particles or voids in the separator layer, cathode particles from the first battery electrode, anode particles from the second battery electrode, and aluminum platelets.