Power controller for managing arrays of smart battery packs
First Claim
1. A controller for managing at least one group of battery packs, comprising:
- at least one charger circuit capable of charging at least one battery pack;
a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel to form a battery pack group, each battery pack being connected to a charger circuit; and
at least one processor able to receive at least one parameter associated with at least one battery pack and to manage the battery pack group by controlling the operation of the charger circuits.
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Abstract
A power controller combines a multitude of smart battery packs into a single large bank, providing balanced charging and discharging. Battery packs are connected in parallel to form groups that may then be connected in series, while the specification limits for current and voltage of individual packs are maintained through microprocessor control of the battery pack charging circuits. The state of each pack is monitored, and charging of a pack at too high a charge is inhibited until the other packs in the group are sufficiently charged to allow balanced current-sharing. The state of each battery is broadcast on a bus to all processors so that each may determine whether there are enough packs of similar charge to safely source a load. The system preferably incorporates management firmware that allows user monitoring of the status of the power subsystem and all connected battery packs.
110 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A controller for managing at least one group of battery packs, comprising:
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at least one charger circuit capable of charging at least one battery pack;
a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel to form a battery pack group, each battery pack being connected to a charger circuit; and
at least one processor able to receive at least one parameter associated with at least one battery pack and to manage the battery pack group by controlling the operation of the charger circuits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for managing groups of battery packs, comprising the steps of:
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connecting a plurality of battery packs in parallel, forming at least one battery pack group;
connecting each battery pack in each battery pack group to a charger circuit capable of charging at least one battery pack; and
managing at least one battery pack group by receiving at least one parameter associated with at least one battery pack and controlling the operation of at least one charger circuit in response. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method for increasing the current, capacity, and voltage that can be provided by a battery system, comprising the steps of:
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providing at least two battery pack groups connected in series, each battery pack group comprising;
at least one charger circuit capable of charging at least one battery pack;
a plurality of battery packs connected in parallel to form a battery pack group, each battery pack being connected to a charger circuit; and
at least one processor able to receive at least one parameter associated with at least one battery pack and to manage the battery pack group by controlling the operation of the charger circuits; and
managing the connected battery pack groups to control a charge state, current, or voltage of at least one battery pack in the battery pack group. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification