# US 5,708,347 A · Method for accelerating the depolarization of a polarized battery to facilitate battery testing

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- Number: US 5,708,347 A
- Document ID: US5708347A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/688,318
- Filed: 1996-07-30
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1996-07-30
- Assignees: AlliedSignal Inc.
- Inventors: Thirumalai Gounder Palanisamy; John Anthony Hosty; Harmohan Narinjan Singh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708347A

## CPC

- H01M 10/44: Methods for charging or discharging (circuits for charging H02J7/00)
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- 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

A method for depolarizing polarized batteries before determining the capacity of the battery by first discharging the polarized battery for a minimum time of about thirty seconds and under a current load of about 0.5 amps and then sensing the battery terminal voltage and discharging the battery again if the rate of change of the battery voltage exceeds 10 mV/30 seconds or the voltage to cell ration exceeds 2.13.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for depolarizing a polarized battery having a declining open circuit voltage comprising the steps:
a. discharging said polarized battery;
b. sensing said open circuit voltage; and
c. repeating step (a) if said open circuit voltage continues to decline above a minimum rate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein step (a), said polarized battery is discharged for a minimum of thirty seconds.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein step (a) further comprises discharging said battery at a current load from between about 0.5 to about 1.0 percent of the current capacity of said battery.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein said current load is 0.5 amps.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said minimum rate is 10 mV/30 seconds.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) further comprises waiting for a period of time of about five minutes before repeating step (a).

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein said battery is a lead acid battery.

### Claim 8

A method for depolarizing a polarized battery having a declining open circuit voltage comprising the steps:
a. discharging said polarized battery until said open circuit voltage decreases an amount of no less than 0.1 volts;
b. sensing said open circuit voltage; and
c. repeating step (a) if said open circuit voltage continues to decline above a minimum rate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein said minimum rate is 10 mV/30 seconds.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein step (c) further comprises waiting for a period of time of about five minutes before repeating step (a).

### Claim 11

A method for depolarizing a polarized battery having an open circuit voltage that exceeds a minimum voltage to cell ratio comprising the steps:
a. discharging said polarized battery;
b. sensing said open circuit voltage; and
c. repeating step (a) if said voltage to cell ratio exceeds said minimum voltage to cell ratio.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein step (a), said polarized battery is discharged for a minimum of thirty seconds.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein step (a) further comprises discharging said battery at a current load from between about 0.5 to about 1.0 percent of the current capacity of said battery.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein said current load is 0.5 amps.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11 wherein said minimum voltage to cell ratio is 2.13.

### Claim 16

A method for depolarizing a polarized battery comprising the steps:
a. discharging said polarized battery;
b. sensing a maximum peak open circuit voltage; and
c. repeating step (a) if said maximum peak open circuit voltage is greater than a predetermined minimum open circuit voltage.