High temperature electrochemical cell tester
AssigneeSuntech, Inc.
InventorGeorge R. Bahl
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for testing the electrolyte of a high temperature electrochemical cell and a system for carrying out this testing method so that the condition of the electrolyte can be monitored during its use. The method includes impressing an alternating current across the electrodes of the electrolyte of the high temperature electrochemical cell to determine the resistance of the electrolyte and the electrodes connected to the electrolyte.
Claims12
In an electrochemical cell system having an electrolyte completely separating two chambers with an electrode located on each side of the electrolyte, and which indicates a relationship between the contents of one chamber and the contents of the other chamber by the potential difference created across the two electrodes when the cell is heated to a predetermined high temperature, and has a direct current measuring system for indicating this potential difference, an improvement for detecting the resistance of the combination of the electrodes and electrolyte without removing the electrodes and electrolyte from the electrochemical cell and without interfering with the continuous operation of the cell, said improvement comprising:
- a. means for impressing an alternating current input signal across the electrodes;
- and
- b. means, responsive to an output alternating current signal from the electrodes, for determining the magnitude of a parameter of the output alternating current, this magnitude being related to the resistance between the two electrodes, said resistance value indicating the quality of the electrodes and electrolyte.
In an electrochemical cell system having an electrolyte completely separating two chambers with an electrode located on each side of the electrolyte, and which indicates a relationship between the contents of one chamber and the contents of the other chamber by the potential difference created across the two electrodes when the cell is heated to a predetermined high temperature, and has a direct current measuring system for indicating this potential difference, a method for detecting the resistance of the combination of the electrodes and electrolyte in the high temperature electrochemical cell without removing the electrodes and electrolyte from the electrochemical cell, and without interferring with the continuous operation of the cell, said method comprising the steps of:
- a. impressing an alternating current input signal across the electrodes;
- and
- b. determining the resistance across the electrodes by measuring the magnitude of a parameter of the alternating output current signal from the electrodes, the magnitude of this parameter being related to the resistance of the electrodes.
An electrochemical cell system having a testing system for determining the quality of the electrolyte and electrodes of the electrochemical cell without removal from the cell and without interferring with the continuous operation of the cell, said electrochemical cell system comprising:
- a. housing means for defining an enclosure;
- b. spacing means located in the housing means to form two separate chambers, a reference chamber and a sample chamber, wherein said spacing means comprises an electrolyte with an electrode on each side of the electrolyte, with one electrode in each chamber;
- c. first fluid communication means connecting the reference chamber so that a first fluid can be circulated through the reference chamber, said first fluid having a known amount of oxygen contained therein;
- d. second fluid communication means connecting the sample chamber so that a second fluid can be circulated through the sample chamber, said second fluid having an unknown amount of oxygen contained therein;
- e. means for measuring the direct current potential difference across the electrodes when the electrochemical cell is at a predetermined temperature, said potential difference being related to the relation of the difference in the amounts of oxygen in the chambers;
- f. means for impressing an alternating current input signal across the electrodes;
- and
- g. means responsive to an output alternating current signal from the electrodes, for determining the magnitude of a parameter of the output alternating current, this magnitude being related to the resistance between two electrodes, said resistance valve indicating the quality of the electrodes and electrolyte.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.