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Subject: IBEX BATTERY MEASUREMENT

1. Brief of Measurement Principle

In general, to diagnose the SOH (State of Health) of each cell of a stationary battery, the
measurement technology of internal ohmic value or conductance value (of reverse value) has
been utilized, and two kinds of technology were developed: AC Measuring Method and
Instantaneous Discharging Method (Momentary Load Test, DC Measurement).

In Figure 1, the equivalent circuit of a battery is expressed by a serial/parallel of R-L-C, and the
value of internal impedance can be expressed by Z = R + jX. The magnitude of impedance can
be calculated by the square root of R² + X², and the real part of the impedance can be
expressed by R. Also, the admittance, which is a reverse value of internal impedance value, can
be expressed by Y = G + jB, where G expresses a conductance value (Siemens).

It is expressed in a number of IEEE papers that the internal ohmic value (R, real part of
impedance) is the reverse of conductance (G). It was proved that the internal ohmic value is
absolutely proportional to the SOH of a battery and power fade.

Figure 1 shows an equivalent circuit of a lead-acid battery, and Figures 2 and 3 show that the
internal ohmic value is absolutely proportional to the SOH and power fade of the battery.

Figure 1. Equivalent circuit of a lead-acid


battery

Figure 2. Correlation between resistance and


battery capacity

Figures 2 and 3 are from IEEE AUTOTESTCON Sept. 2008


Automotive Battery Management Systems

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V1.0
Figure 3. Equation of power fade, capacity fade and internal ohmic value

As an inputted current signal for testing is mixed with a charging ripple harmonic voltage during
measurement, the internal ohmic value may not be calculated exactly. In addition, when the
measurement is repeated, the internal ohmic value would be varied at the time.

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A new measurement and calculation method invented by Eagle Eye includes a
circuit technology patented in the United States, China, India and South Korea. The component
of low-frequency charging ripple current can now be excluded entirely by a synchronized
detection & calculation algorithm by integral process, and the real part of battery impedance can
be calculated correctly.

In addition, the internal ohmic value measurement circuit of Eagle Eye adopts the low
frequency (200~300 Hz) band of a test current signal to improve the measurement
discrimination and eliminate the high frequency component of the ripple current generated
on the both 50 Hz or 60 Hz of utility power. Thus, the Eagle Eye Battery Tester is qualified
to discriminate or measure only the impedance voltage signal among mixed ripple currents
on charging and induced noise on the related circuit by role of an economic high pass filter.
As shown in table 1, a lot of papers have announced that the selection of (200~300 Hz)
low frequency band can improve the measurement discrimination for the lead acid battery.

Figure 5: Comparison between measured


Figure 4. DFIS™ results for n = 2 conductance and that calculated from model
of Figure 4

The measurement and calculation circuit of Eagle Eye, which adopts a sine waveform
current (IS) as a test current and the induced voltage on the battery terminal, seems like
a

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conventional AC measuring method, but it has a special feature that can measure only an
internal ohmic value; Real part of battery internal impedance (Z) by the new algorithm process
developed by EAGLE EYE.

The following is the description of the conventional AC measuring method.


When a sine wave AC current (Is) from a high impedance voltage source is inputted to the
terminal of a battery cell by four terminal networks, the internal impedance voltage (VIs) on the
battery terminal is induced.

Because the internal impedance voltage (VIs) includes the DC voltage of the battery cell of top,
the voltage signal has to convert to a pure AC voltage signal by excluding the component of DC
voltage by a coupling circuit, and the pure AC voltage signal (VIs’) is converted to a voltage
signal by a current divider or DC converter and inputted to an A/D converter and CPU.

Figure 6. The concept of a conventional AC signal measurement

The calculation method of EAGLE EYE’s battery internal ohmic value is calculated by both
impedance voltage (VIs) RMS and sine wave AC current (Is) RMS in phase.

The applied equation is , and VIs, RMS is RMS of impedance voltage (VIs),

Is, RMS is RMS of a sine wave AC current (Is), and θ is the phase difference between VIs, RMS and

Is, RMS.

Furthermore, some may be confused that the measurement method of Eagle Eye is similar to
Megger’s AC impedance measurement, but they are very different.

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Using Megger’s method, the impedance value is obtained by dividing the impedance (VIs) RMS
voltage by the AC test current (Is), which has a 60 Hz frequency. The Eagle Eye method has
a special feature that calculates the real part of internal ohmic value (which is a reverse
value of conductance) by impedance voltage (VIs) and a sine wave AC test current (Is) in
phase by specialized technology. Accordingly, the Eagle Eye method is exactly the same
as the conductance method (which can calculate only the real part of impedance) in IEEE Std.

Especially in the case when battery capacity (Ah) is very high, the internal impedance value of
the battery is too low (0.4 mΩ in cas
e of 1,000Ah). To decrease the size of the Portable Battery
Tester and minimize the effect on the battery during measurement, it is recommended that a
smaller test current (under 1A) should be used for a testing current signal.
In this case, as the impedance voltage (VIs) of the battery is under a few mV, if there is/
was some noise mixed in, it is very difficult to measure the internal resistance exactly.

The ripple-removing algorithm developed by Eagle Eye, which is the technology that
removes the harmonic ripple current (VRP) induced by a charging current, can measure a
few mV of an impedance voltage (VIs) only among the larger noise signal and calculate
exactly an internal impedance or its effectiveness (resistance component).

On the other hand, an instantaneous discharging method (Momentary Load Test,


DC Measurement) is named as the resistance measurement in IEEE Std. 1188-1996.
It is commercialized and utilized by ALBER in the U.S., which is the method that
calculates the ohmic value by measuring an instantaneous voltage difference when a
momentary load is connected to the battery terminal to be measured.

The following is the Instantaneous Discharging Method brief:


When a momentary load is connected to the battery terminal or disconnected, an instantaneous
voltage drop or recovery occurs by the internal ohmic resistance of the battery. So by utilizing this
principle, if just before and just after voltage and current are measured when the load is
disconnected from the battery terminal, the battery’s internal ohmic resistance can be calculated
by the equation Rcell mΩ = △V/I.

The Instantaneous Discharging Method utilizes a normally large current of 20 to 70A to increase
the measurement accuracy, and then it may cause telecommunication equipment to
make electric-magnetic noise. In addition, it has a defect that also may damage the battery
during measurement by applying a huge load.

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2. Selecting Test Current Frequency to Implement Battery Aging Discrimination
When the internal ohmic value of a battery cell is measured on a floating charging condition
(when charger and load are connected as a normal floating charging condition), harmonic ripple
voltage occurs on the battery terminal as charging current has a harmonic ripple current.

When a charger is composed of multiple numbers of rectifier pulses, the ripple current
generated by a charging current during charging consists of multiple harmonics. If reviewing the
amplitude of each harmonic ripple current on charging condition, second to seventh harmonic
components, which are 120~350 Hz, are large magnitude and the other harmonics are less.

Figure 7 is an example waveform measured on a battery that is charging by 50 Hz or 60 Hz. In


this example, the impedance voltage waveform induced on a battery when a charging ripple
current is inputted includes a large ripple charging current of second to seventh harmonic
components of 50 Hz or 60 Hz frequency, 120~350 Hz, which is excessively varying.

Figure 7. Waveform in case an excessive ripple charging voltage is included

Even in this case, a synchronized-detection calculation algorithm developed by Eagle Eye


can remove the effect of a ripple charging voltage perfectly.

3. Introduction to the Calculation Method of Ripple Rejection Algorithm

The following is an example of an impedance measurement method with potential for error:
- the impedance voltage (VIs) and the RMS of the testing current (Is) are measured;
- the impedance is calculated accurately;
- the phase difference is measured accurately ;
- the phase difference is over 85°;
Consequently, the calculated internal ohmic value could have a significant margin of error. For
example, if θ were 85° or 85.42°, the phase difference would be only about 0.5%, but the
value difference between cos (85°) and cos (85.42°) would be approximately 10%.

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Per the above example, even if the internal impedance expressed as Z = R + jX can be
calculated, the calculation error of cos (θ) will effect the internal ohmic value of impedance real
part directly, and it will be 10%.

The internal ohmic value calculation based on the newest calculation algorithm is based on the
following three terms: the component of impedance voltage (VIs), RMS value of AC continuous
current (Is), and the equation V Is, RMS ÷ I s, RMS × Cos (θ), which multiply a phase difference
(θ).

V Is, RMS is an effective value of impedance voltage peak (VIΣ), and IΣ,PME is an effective value of
AC continuous current peak (Is).

To minimize the calculation error of cos (θ), like the description above of the synchronous
detection method utilized by an impedance peak (VIΣ) and AC continuous current peak (Is), is a
new method to calculate an internal ohmic value by means of MPU (Micro Process Unit). Its
process is the following:

Figure 8. Phase vector of impedance voltage peak and AC continuous current peak

Harmonic ripple voltage and impedance voltage (VIS) include harmonic noise or AC continuous
current (Is), and then multiply each cosine C1 or sine S1 including the same frequency and
same phase (θ). Seek for m1, m2, m3 and m4, and integrate m1, m2, m3 and m4 for a specific
time duration (TD). Exclude the component of harmonic ripple current, and then leave a DC
component like M1, M2, M3 and M4.

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As the above description can be expressed as , the equation (5) can

be computed by using equations (1), (2), (3) and (4).


In the above equation, V Is, RMS is an effective value of impedance voltage peak (VIΣ), and Is, PME

is an effective value of AC continuous current peak (Is). θ is the phase difference between
impedance voltage (VIS) and a continuous AC current (Is).

Equation (5)

That is, the equation (5) is same as a component of battery internal resistance (real part of
impedance), which is calculated impedance voltage (VIs) and a continuous AC current (Is) in
phase.

Accordingly, the ripple rejection calculation algorithm developed by Eagle Eye can remove
entirely the harmonic ripple voltage from ripple charging current by the charging system when
batteries comprise floating charging condition. It can also improve the resolution problem by
means of phase difference (θ).

As a result, it can measure and calculate the internal resistance (R, real part of impedance) with
great accuracy, which is in absolute proportion to the battery SOH or power fade.

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