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The Interrogator Platform

The Interrogator™ technology is a hand held, fully portable frequency response analysis (FRA) device, a well-known diagnostic and analysis methodology used in the electrochemical field.

What makes the Interrogator™ different is that it can be used almost anywhere to provide the same high-quality results that are expected in the laboratory. This makes the testing in situ using FRA analysis a possibility where in the past this powerful analysis technique has been completely confined to the research laboratory.

FRA analysis (often called impedance spectroscopy) is based on the fact that any electrochemical system will respond differently to electrical excitation (voltage or current signals) at different frequencies. During the analysis process, the captures specific information from the electrochemical response of the tested cell or battery. By using powerful noise rejection techniques to remove line noise from the received signals (a common and limiting problem with existing signal analysis techniques), the response data are captured and then analyzed using on-board proprietary CEL-Scan™ algorithms.

In the case of lead acid batteries, algorithms for the detection and measurement of the most common failure modes (capacity loss due to sulfation and electrolyte dryout) have already been developed.

As additional failure mechanisms for lead acid batteries become known and tested, these will be added to the existing Interrogator™ lead acid system through simple firmware updates. This flexibility in firmware operation allows the Interrogator™ platform to operate on other electrochemical systems such as lithium-ion, nickel metal hydride as well as fuel cells and other complex electrochemical systems.

World Energy Labs uses N.I.S.T. traceable shunts for traceability of the real impedance characteristics of the Interrogator™ 4210. The Solartron Analytical™ 1260A Impedance/Gain-Phase Analyzer and 1287A Potentiostat calibrated lab instruments are also used for calibration and traceability for the frequency response characteristics of the Interrogator™ 4210.

Note: A complete detailed specification of both the 1260 and 1287 can be found at the Solartron Analytical WEB site. The figures below are comparisons of the frequency response of the Solartron 1260A/1287A with the Interrogator™ 4210.

FIGURE 1. Comparison of the Solartron Analytical 1260A/1287A with the Interrogator™ 4210 on a standard test circuit. Ten (10) sweeps were performed with each instrument and error bars are shown as +/- 1% standard deviation. The error is so small that it is not visible.

FIGURE 2. Comparison of the Solartron Analytical 1260A/1287A with the Interrogator 4210A on a standard test circuit. Ten (10) sweeps were performed with each instrument and error bars are shown as +/- 1% standard deviation. The error is so small that it is not visible.

In the case of lead acid batteries, algorithms for the detection and measurement of the most common failure modes (sulfation and electrolyte dryout) have already been developed. As additional failure mechanisms for lead acid batteries become known and tested, these will be added to the existing Interrogator™ lead acid system through simple firmware updates. This flexibility in firmware operation allows the Interrogator™ platform to operate on other electrochemical systems such as lithium-ion, nickel metal hydride as well as fuel cells, other electrical and electrochemical and systems.