METHOD AND DEVICE FOR VOLTAGE DETECTION AND CHARGING OF ELECTRIC BATTERY

• US 20120249083A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 10/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rally Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rally Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Garrastacho, Eddie, Hussaini, Saied, Castellanos, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,575,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/155
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007182 in response to battery voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A device and method for rated voltage detection and charging of electric batteries. The method comprises the steps of measuring a terminal voltage of the battery having first or second rated voltages, comparing the terminal voltage to a number of threshold voltages between a minimum threshold voltage and a maximum threshold voltage, determining a condition of the battery, which can be ready to charge or fault, based on a comparison of the terminal voltage to the threshold voltages, determining that the rated voltage of the electric battery is the second rated voltage if the determined condition of the electric battery is ready to charge, conducting a pre-charge process if the determined condition of the battery is neither ready to charge nor fault, determining the rated voltage of the electric battery based on a response to the pre-charge process, and charging the electric battery according to the determined rated voltage.

Claims

1. A method for rated voltage detection and charging of an electric battery, said method comprising the steps of:

connecting the electric battery to a power source;

measuring a terminal voltage of the electric battery having a rated voltage being one of a first rated voltage and a second rated voltage, said first rated voltage being less than said second rated voltage;

comparing said terminal voltage to a number of threshold voltages between a minimum threshold DC voltage V_MIN and a maximum threshold DC voltage V_MAX;

determining a condition of the battery based on a comparison of said terminal voltage to said threshold voltages, said condition of the electric battery being one of ready to charge and fault;

determining that said rated voltage of the electric battery being said second rated voltage if said determined condition of the electric battery being ready to charge;

conducting a pre-charge process if said determined condition of the battery is neither ready to charge nor fault;

determining said rated voltage of the electric battery based on a response to said pre-charge process; and

charging the electric battery according to said rated voltage determined in the preceding step.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said first rated voltage of the battery is one of 6 V and 12 V, and said second rated voltage of the battery is one of 12 V and 24 V.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said minimum threshold DC voltage V_MIN is 0.5 VDC;

and wherein said maximum threshold DC voltage V_MAX is one of 15 VDC and 30 VDC.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said pre-charge process, executed prior to the step of determining said rated voltage of the battery, includes the step of pre-charging the battery at a pre-charge DC voltage V_PRE for a first predetermined period of time by a pre-charge DC current I_PRE, said pre-charge voltage V_PRE is less than V_MAX and higher than V_MIN.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said pre-charge voltage V_PRE is one of 8 VDC and 16 VDC.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said pre-charge current I_PRE is one of 2 A, 4 A, 6 A and 10 A.

7. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said first predetermined period of time is 4 minutes.

8. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said pre-charge process further includes the step of stopping said pre-charge process for a second predetermined period of time in order to allow the battery to settle following the step of pre-charging the battery at said pre-charge DC voltage V_PRE for said first predetermined period of time by said pre-charge DC current I_PRE.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said second predetermined period of time is 1 minute.

10. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said fault condition of the battery is one of bad connection and bad battery.

11. The method as defined in claim 10, wherein said bad connection condition is determined when said terminal voltage of the battery is less than said minimum threshold DC voltage V_MIN.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein said bad battery condition is determined when said terminal voltage of the battery is equal or more than said minimum threshold DC voltage V_MIN and equal or less than a first threshold DC voltage V₁, or when said terminal voltage of the battery is more than said maximum threshold DC voltage V_MAX.

13. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said first threshold DC voltage V₁ is 1.5 VDC.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, wherein said ready to charge condition is determined when said terminal voltage of the battery is equal or more than a second threshold DC voltage V₂ and equal or less than a third threshold DC voltage V₃.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said second threshold DC voltage V₂ is one of 6.9 VDC and 13.8 VDC;

and wherein said third threshold DC voltage V₃ is one of 13.8 VDC and 27.6 VDC.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said pre-charge process is conducted when said terminal voltage of the battery is more than said first threshold DC voltage V₁ and less than said second threshold DC voltage V₂.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein said pre-charge process is conducted when said terminal voltage of the battery is equal or more than 1.6 VDC and equal or less one of 6.8 VDC and 13.7 VDC.

18. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of activating said pre-charge process is initiated manually or automatically.

19. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of determining said rated voltage of the battery, executed following said pre-charge process, includes the steps of:

measuring said terminal voltage of the battery following said pre-charge process;

determining that the battery has said first rated voltage if the terminal voltage of the battery after said pre-charge process is less than said second threshold DC voltage V₂; and

determining that the battery has said second rated voltage if said terminal voltage of the battery after said pre-charge process is equal or more than said second threshold DC voltage V₂.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, wherein the step of charging the battery comprises the step of:

charging the battery at a first charging DC voltage V_CH1 by a first charging current I_CH1 from the power source until fully charged if the battery is determined to have said first rated voltage; and

charging the battery at a second charging DC voltage V_CH2 by a second charging current I_CH2 from the power source until fully charged if the battery is determined to have said second rated voltage.

21. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein said first charging DC voltage V_CH1 is one of 7.3 VDC and 14.6 VDC, and said second charging DC voltage V_CH2 is one of 14.6 VDC and 28.8 VDC.

22. The method as defined in claim 20, wherein both said first charging current I_CH1 and said second charging current I_CH2 is 0.8 A.

23. The method as defined in claim 20, further comprising the step of stopping said charging the battery for a third predetermined period of time following the step of fully charging the battery.

26. The method as defined in claim 1, further comprising the step of charging the battery at said second charging DC voltage V_CH2 if said ready to charge condition is determined.

27. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said power source is AC power source.

24. The method as defined in claim 24, wherein said third predetermined period of time is 2 minutes.

25. The method as defined in claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

measuring the terminal voltage of the battery following the step of fully charging the battery; and

determining that the battery condition is bad battery if the terminal voltage of the battery after the step of fully charging the battery is less than said determined rated voltage of the battery.

28. A device for rated voltage detection and charging of an electric battery comprising:

a battery charging unit; and

a voltage detection unit operatively connected to said battery charging unit;

said voltage detection unit including a microprocessor in communication with said battery charging unit and configured to determine a condition of the electric battery based on a comparison of a terminal voltage of the battery to a number of threshold voltages between a minimum threshold DC voltage V_MIN and a maximum threshold DC voltage V_MAX, and a rated voltage of the battery based on a response to a pre-charge process;

said condition of the electric battery being one of ready to charge and fault;

said rated voltage of the electric battery being one of a first rated voltage and a second rated voltage, said first rated voltage being less than said second rated voltage;

said pre-charge process conducted if said determined condition of the electric battery is neither ready to charge nor fault;

said voltage detection unit further provided to activate said battery charging unit for charging the battery according to said determined rated voltage.