Temperature sensor thermal contact testing method and circuit

Abstract

The present invention relates to a testing method for the thermal contact between a temperature sensor () and a battery cell () of a battery module (), wherein the method comprises the steps of measuring a temperature Tof the temperature sensor () at a time point t, heating the temperature sensor () for a defined time (t−t), measuring a temperature Tof the temperature sensor () at a time point tand/or a temperature Tof the temperature sensor () at a time point t, and determining the thermal contact between the temperature sensor () and the battery cell () based on at least one of the temperature differences ΔT=(T−T), ΔT=(T−T) and/or ΔT=(T−T). The invention further relates to a testing circuit () for a temperature sensor () of a battery module (), comprising a thermistor () with a first node () connected to a first supply voltage () and a second node () connected to ground (), a switch () interconnected between the first node () of the thermistor () and a second supply voltage (), and an analog-to-digital converter () connected in parallel to the thermistor (). The invention further relates to a cell supervision circuit () for a battery module (), comprising a circuit carrier (), a testing circuit () according to any one of the claimsto, and a temperature sensor () surface mounted to the circuit carrier () and comprising a measuring head () with a thermistor () configured to be brought into thermal contact with a battery cell () of the battery module ().