Patent ID: 9037424
Filing Date: 2015-05-19
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for detecting a short-circuited ultracapacitor cell on a machine, the method comprising: performing, by one or more processors, cell balancing among a plurality of ultracapacitor cells arranged within a plurality of ultracapacitor modules, each ultracapacitor module including at least two ultracapacitor cells connected in series; measuring, by the one or more processors, a module voltage generated by each of the plurality of ultracapacitor modules after performing the cell balancing and prior to applying a load of the machine to the ultracapacitor modules; and determining, by the one or more processors, that an ultracapacitor cell among the plurality of ultracapacitor cells is short-circuited when a module unbalanced voltage exceeds a threshold voltage, the module unbalanced voltage being equal to a difference between a maximum module voltage and a minimum module voltage determined from among the measured module voltages.