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Tesla patents method to detect dangerous electrical arcs in vehicle systems

Patent drawing
Patent drawing from the official filing.

Tesla has filed a patent for a system that injects a specific electrical signal into a vehicle's power transmission components to monitor for faults. The system measures the energy of this signal at both ends of the component and uses the difference to identify if an electrical arc, or spark, has occurred.

Why it mattersThis technology could improve the safety of electric vehicles by providing a more precise way to detect internal electrical faults before they cause damage.

In the filing’s own words

An electrical system includes a power transmission component that has a first terminal and a second terminal, a signal generator, one or more electrical components connected to the first terminal and the second terminal, and a processing circuit. The signal generator injects an electrical signal to the one or more electrical components. The processing circuit measures first signal energy associated with the electrical signal at one or more particular frequencies at the first terminal, measures second signal energy associated with the electrical signal at the one or more particular frequencies at the second terminal, and determines an occurrence of an electrical arc associated with the one or more electrical components based at least in part on the first signal energy and the second signal energy.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. An electrical system with electrical arc detection, the electrical system comprising: a power transmission component having a first terminal and a second terminal, the power transmission component comprising a signal generator configured to inject an electrical signal to one or more electrical components that are coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal; the one or more electrical components; a first circuit electrically connected to the first terminal, the first circuit configured to measure first signal energy associated with the electrical signal at one or more particular frequencies at the first terminal; a second circuit electrically connected to the second terminal, the second circuit configured to measure second signal energy associated with the electrical signal at the one or more particular frequencies at the second terminal; and a detection circuit in communication with the first circuit and the second circuit, the detection circuit configured to detect an occurrence of an electrical arc associated with the one or more electrical components based at least in part on the first signal energy and the second signal energy.

Facts

Company
Tesla (Tesla, Inc.)
Official title
SIGNAL INJECTION BASED ELECTRICAL ARC DETECTION
Publication number
US20260309766A1
Application number
19170624
Filed
Apr 4, 2025
Published
Oct 8, 2026
Inventors
1
Claims
20

Classified under

G01R 31/14 Physics & computingG01R 35/005 Physics & computing
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.