Method and apparatus to provide battery rejuvenation at or near resonance

• US 20080079397A1
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Talent Development Limited
• Original Assignee: Advanced Battery Management, LLC
• Inventors: Graham, Brian, Fee, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,120,324 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/131
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A system and method adapted to rejuvenate batteries at or near the resonant frequency of the battery. The present invention takes a battery and applies a modulated current charging signal to increase battery performance. A resonant signal is adapted to re-train and adjust battery materials for proper operation. By repeated charge/discharge cycling, battery memory decreases and/or battery capacity increases, thereby improving the battery capacity.

Claims

1. A system for providing battery rejuvenation, comprising:

a battery detection system adapted to determine whether a battery is present;

a state of charge system adapted to determine a resident charge within the battery;

a battery health system adapted to determine a useful capacity of the battery;

a modulated current charging signal generation system adapted to generate a modulated first current charging signal at or near a resonant frequency of the battery and provide the modulated current charging signal to the battery;

a reduced charging system adapted to generate a modulated second current charging signal at or near a resonant frequency of the battery, if the battery has a charge acceptance capacity lower than the battery'"'"'s rated capacity, the second current charging signal having a magnitude less than the first current charging signal; and

a full charge system adapted to provide the modulated first current charging signal to the battery at full rate.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery is a secondary battery.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery is a primary battery.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the primary battery is a NiCd, NiMH, lead acid, lithium, or other suitable battery chemistry.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the secondary battery is a NiCd, NiMH, lead acid, lithium, or other suitable battery chemistry.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first current charging signal is a harmonic of the resonant frequency of the battery.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first current charging signal is a derivative of the resonant frequency of the battery.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second current charging signal is a harmonic of the resonant frequency of the battery.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second current charging signal is a derivative of the resonant frequency of the battery.

10. A method for providing battery rejuvenation, comprising:

sampling a charger'"'"'s terminals;

determining whether a battery is present at the charger'"'"'s terminals;

determining a charge acceptance of the battery;

applying a modulated preparation current charging signal at or near a resonant frequency of the battery to the battery;

determining whether the battery needs to be rejuvenated;

applying a first modulated current charging signal to the battery if the battery does not need to be rejuvenated; and

applying a second modulated current charging signal to the battery if the battery needs to be rejuvenated.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the modulated first current charging signal is modulated with a microprocessor.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the modulated first current charging signal is modulated at a harmonic of a resonant frequency of the battery.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the modulated first current charging signal is modulated at a derivative of a resonant frequency of the battery.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the modulated second current charging signal is initiated at a current less than full strength, and slowly increased to full strength.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery does not need to be rejuvenated if the open-circuit battery pack voltage is at or near a specified operating voltage.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the battery does not need to be rejuvenated if the State Of Health is at or near the battery rated pack SOH rating.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the rejuvenation is controlled by a microprocessor.

18. A method for increasing battery capacity, comprising:

discharging a battery near or to depletion;

rejuvenating the battery a first time for a pre-determined charge cycle;

discharging the battery near or to depletion;

rejuvenating the battery a second time for a pre-determined charge cycle; and

repeating this cycle until maximum capacity is achieved.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the battery is discharged with a resistive or other suitable component.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the battery capacity is determined by a microprocessor.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the rejuvenation is controlled by a microprocessor.