Battery maintenance

• US 20080143299A1
• Filed: 12/14/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canadus Power Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Canadus Power Systems, LLC
• Inventors: Altman, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,675,268 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/139
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• 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 battery maintenance system including a battery, an electrical pulsation device configured to supply electrical pulsation energy to the battery during at least one pulsation period, a battery charger configured to transfer electrical energy to the battery during at least one charging period and a schedule configured for scheduling operation of the electrical pulsation device and the battery charger such that there is substantially no overlap between the pulsation period and the charging period.

Claims

1. A battery maintenance system comprising:

a battery;

an electrical pulsation device configured to supply electrical pulsation energy to said battery during at least one pulsation period;

a battery charger configured to transfer electrical energy to said battery during at least one charging period; and

a schedule configured for scheduling operation of said electrical pulsation device and said battery charger such that there is substantially no overlap between said pulsation period and said charging period.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said electrical pulsation device and said battery charger are associated with a single pulsation/charging unit.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery is a lead acid battery.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery is a traction battery employed within a lift truck.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said pulsation period is preceded by said charging period.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery charger is configured to perform non-equalization charging.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said battery charger is configured to perform equalization charging.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said pulsation period occurs periodically.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein two of said pulsation periods occur no more frequently than 15 hours apart.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein two of said pulsation periods occur no more frequently than once per week.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein a time lapse between two consecutive ones of said pulsation periods is a function of a working age of said battery.

12. A method for removing a deposit from a plate of at least one cell of a battery comprising the steps of:

determining whether said battery is being charged from an outside source; and

when said battery is not being charged from an outside source, applying an electrical pulsation energy to said battery for at least one pulsation period.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said applying step is preceded by a battery charging period.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said battery charging period includes non-equalization charging.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said battery charging period includes equalization charging.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said equalization charging occurs for a duration of about 5 days.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said pulsation period occurs periodically.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein two of said pulsation periods occur no more frequently than 24 hours apart.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein said battery is a lead acid battery and said deposit includes lead sulfate.

20. A battery maintenance system comprising:

a battery;

an electrical pulsation device configured to supply pulsation energy to said battery during at least one pulsation period;

a battery charger configured to transfer electrical energy to said battery during at least one charging period; and

a schedule configured for scheduling operation of said electrical pulsation device and said battery charger such that at least about 80 percent of said charging period occurs independently of said pulsation period.

21. A method for removing a deposit from a plate of at least one cell of a battery comprising the steps of:

supplying electrical pulsation energy to said battery during a pulsation period;

transferring electrical energy to said battery during a charging period; and

during said charging period, minimizing an overlap of said pulsation period with said charging period.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said battery is a lead-acid battery and said deposit includes lead sulfate.