High temperature electrochemical cell tester

Claim 2

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.

Claim 3

The improvement recited in claim 1, further including means for isolating the direct current component of the potential difference measuring system for the impressing means and the receiving means.

Claim 4

The improvement recited in claim 1, wherein the determining means includes means for converting the output altenating current signal to a direct current signal and means for determining the magnitude of a parameter of the direct current signal whereby the magnitude of this parameter is related to the resistance of the electrodes and electrolyte.

Claim 5

The improvement recited in claim 3, wherein the means for determining the magnitude of a parameter of the direct current signal includes means for determining the magnitude of the current in the direct current signal.

Claim 6

The improvement recited in claim 4, wherein the means for determining the magnitude of the current in the direct current signal includes an ammeter and a variable resistor.

Claim 7

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.

Claim 8

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.

Claim 9

The method recited in claim 6, wherein the step of determining the resistance across the electrodes includes the steps of: a. converting the alternating output current signal to a direct current signal; and b. determining the magnitude of a parameter of the direct current signal, the magnitude of this parameter being related to the resistance of the electrodes.

Claim 10

The method recited in claim 6, wherein the step of determining the magnitude of a parameter of the direct current signal comprises the step of determining the magnitude of the current in the direct current signal, the magnitude of the current being related to the resistance of the electrodes.

Claim 11

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.

Claim 12

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.

Claim 13

The electrochemical cell system recited in claim 9, further including means for isolating the direct current component of the measuring means from the impressing means and the receiving means.

Claim 14

The electrochemical system recited in claim 9, wherein the determining means includes means for converting the output alternating current signal to a direct current signal and means for determining the magnitude of a parameter of the direct current signal whereby the magnitude of this parameter is related to the resistance of the electrodes and electrolytes.

Claim 15

The electrochemical cell system recited in claim 11, wherein the means for determining the magnitude of a parameter of the direct current signal includes means for determining the magnitude of the current in the direct current signal.