Rapid battery charging
First Claim
1. A method for charging one or more batteries with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:
- providing one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector;
determining a charging pulse group based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse;
generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator;
sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries, recovering an energy from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices; and
monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries and determining whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries using the processor and the detector.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and battery charger for charging one or more batteries includes a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector. A recovery/discharge circuit is electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices are electrically connected to each of the recovery/discharge circuits. A charging pulse group, which includes a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse, is determined based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector. The charging pulse group is generated using the pulse generator, and sequentially applied to each of the batteries. Energy is recovered from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery/discharge circuits during the negative pulse, and the energy is stored in the one or more energy storage devices. The battery parameters are monitored and the charging pulse group may be adjusted.
-
Citations
29 Claims
-
1. A method for charging one or more batteries with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:
-
providing one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector; determining a charging pulse group based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse; generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator; sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries, recovering an energy from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices; and monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries and determining whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries using the processor and the detector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for charging one or more batteries with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:
-
providing one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector; measuring one or more parameters of the one or more batteries, wherein the one or more battery parameters comprise at least one of a parallel resistance, a series resistance, a parallel capacitance, a phase angle, a battery temperature, a battery internal pressure, a battery internal resistance, a battery terminal voltage and a voltage derivative with time; determining a charging pulse group based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse; generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator; sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries, recovering an energy from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices; monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries using the detector; adjusting the charging pulse group whenever the processor determines that an adjustment is required by changing at least one of a voltage, a current, the charging series time period, the charging time period, the rest time period, the positive pulse and the rest period; and repeating the generating step, the sequentially applying step, the monitoring step and the adjusting step until the one or more batteries are substantially charged, a specified charge level is obtained, or a specified charging time period has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A battery charging system for one or more batteries, comprising:
-
a battery charger comprising; a pulse generator configured to generate a charging pulse group comprising comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse and sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries, a detector configured to monitor one or more parameters of the one or more batteries, and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector, the processor configured to determine the charging pulse group and determine whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries; a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, wherein each recovery circuit 1s configured to recover an energy from each battery during the negative pulse; and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein each energy storage device is configured to store the energy recovered from the recovery circuits. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A method for charging one or more cells within a battery with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:
-
providing the battery having one or more cells electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each cell, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector; determining a charging pulse group based on one or more cell parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse; generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator; sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more cells, recovering an energy from each of the one or more cells using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices; and monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more cells and determining whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more cells using the processor and the detector.
-
-
29. A battery charging system for one or more cells within a battery, comprising:
-
a battery charger comprising; a pulse generator configured to generate a charging pulse group comprising comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse and sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more cells, a detector configured to monitor one or more parameters of the one or more cells, and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector, the processor configured to determine the charging pulse group and determine whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more cells; a recovery circuit electrically connected to each cell, wherein each recovery circuit is configured to recover an energy from each cell during the negative pulse; and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein each energy storage device is configured to store the energy recovered from the recovery circuits.
-
Specification