METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR RECHARGING A BATTERY
First Claim
1. A method of charging a rechargeable battery having multiple voltage plateaus wherein the battery has a voltage, VBatt, that is less than its highest voltage plateau comprising:
- charging the battery with a first charging current, I1, wherein the first charging current, I1, is applied until the battery is charged to a voltage, V1; and
controlling the first charging current, I1, when the voltage of the battery is V1, so that the voltage of the battery is maintained at V1 with a deviation of no more than about ±
20% of V1,wherein voltage, V1, is less than the voltage of a natural polarization peak, VPP, associated with a voltage plateau, VP, wherein VP is greater than VBatt, and V1 is greater than the voltage plateau, VP.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a novel method for charging silver-zinc rechargeable batteries and an apparatus for practicing the charging method. The recharging apparatus includes recharging management circuitry; and one or more of a silver-zinc cell, a host device or a charging base that includes the recharging management circuitry. The recharging management circuitry provides means for regulating recharging of the silver-zinc cell, diagnostics for evaluating battery function, and safety measures that prevent damage to the apparatus caused by charging batteries composed of materials that are not suited for the charging method (e.g., non-silver-zinc batteries).
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Citations
80 Claims
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1. A method of charging a rechargeable battery having multiple voltage plateaus wherein the battery has a voltage, VBatt, that is less than its highest voltage plateau comprising:
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charging the battery with a first charging current, I1, wherein the first charging current, I1, is applied until the battery is charged to a voltage, V1; and controlling the first charging current, I1, when the voltage of the battery is V1, so that the voltage of the battery is maintained at V1 with a deviation of no more than about ±
20% of V1,wherein voltage, V1, is less than the voltage of a natural polarization peak, VPP, associated with a voltage plateau, VP, wherein VP is greater than VBatt, and V1 is greater than the voltage plateau, VP. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 48, 49, 50, 51)
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60. A method of charging a rechargeable battery having multiple voltage plateaus wherein the battery has an OCV that is less than about 80% of the voltage of a first sequential voltage plateau, VP1, comprising:
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charging the battery with a recovery charging current, Irecov, that is substantially constant for a period of no more than about 120 min after the voltage of charging battery reaches the first sequential voltage plateau, VP1 that is greater than VBatt; charging the battery with a first charging current, I1, wherein the first charging current, I1, is substantially constant until the battery is charged to a voltage, V1; and controlling the first charging current, I1, when the voltage of the battery reaches the voltage, V1, so that the voltage of the battery is maintained at V1 with a deviation of no more than about ±
20% of V1, for a period of from about 6 s to about 900 s,wherein voltage, V1, is less than the voltage of the natural polarization peak, VPP, for a voltage plateau, VP, that is higher than VP1, and V1 is greater than the voltage plateau, VP. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method of charging a rechargeable battery having multiple voltage plateaus and an initial SOC of greater than 50% of its rated capacity, wherein the battery has a voltage, VBatt, that is less than or equal to its highest voltage plateau comprising:
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charging the battery with a substantially constant charging current, I2, until the battery is charged to a voltage, V2; and controlling charging current, I2, so that the voltage of the battery is maintained at V2 with a deviation of no more than about ±
20% of V2,wherein voltage, V2, is greater than the voltage of a voltage plateau, VP, and less than the voltage of a natural polarization peak, VPP. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method of charging a rechargeable 2.0 V silver-zinc battery having an OCV of less than 1.65 V comprising:
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charging the battery with first charge current, I1, having an amperage of 10 mA or less; clocking time once the battery is charged to a voltage of 1.90 V; modulating the first charge current, I1, so that the voltage of the battery is restricted to 2.03 V or less, and the first charge current, I1, has a maximum amperage of about 10.0 mA or less; arresting the charging of the battery with the first charge current, I1, once 20 minutes has been clocked; charging the battery with second charge current, I2, wherein the charge current, I2, is modulated so that the voltage of the battery is restricted to 2.0 V or less, and the second charge current has a maximum amperage of about 10.0 mA or less; and arresting the modulated second charge current, I2, when the amperage of the charge current is less than the amperage of termination current, I2end, for a continuous period of 60 seconds or less, wherein the battery is charged to a SOC of about 80-150% of the battery'"'"'s rated capacity; wherein
I2end=IChg+ITemp, andIchg is the charge compensation current, ITemp is the temperature compensation current, IChg=(T2×
I1)/TChg, wherein T2 is the integrated time in hours starting when the charge current reaches 1.90V and ending when the charge current begins to modulate to a value less than I2; and
Tchg is the cell time constant, determined for each battery size and construction;
orarresting charge current I2 when the charging current is below 1.0 mA, for a period of about 5 min or less; and the voltages have a deviation of ±
1%, the current amperages have deviations of ±
2%, the temperature measurement accuracy has a deviation of no more than ±
5°
C., and clocked times have a deviation of ±
2%.- View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78)
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79. A method of charging a rechargeable 2.0 V silver-zinc battery having an OCV of greater than 1.65 V comprising:
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charging the battery with a modulated charge current I2, wherein the charge current I2 is modulated so that the voltage of the battery is restricted to 2.0 V or less (e.g., 1.98 V), and the charge current has a maximum amperage, Imax, of about 6.0 mA or less; clocking time 15 seconds after charging begins; measuring the amperage of charge current I2 when time is being clocked; and arresting charge current I2 when the amperage of I2 is below I2end for a period of 60 continuous seconds if the amperage of I2 is Imax for a period of 5 or more continuous seconds when time is being clocked, wherein I2end is the temperature dependent termination charge current level when the battery is charged to an SOC of about 100% to 150% of its rated capacity;
orarresting charge current I2 once the battery is charged to an SOC of about 100% to 150%, if the amperage of I2 is Imax for a period less than 5 continuous seconds when time is being clocked, wherein the charge current is integrated until 50% of the battery'"'"'s rated capacity is counted;
orarresting charge current I2 when the amperage of I2 is below 1.0 mA for a period of about 5 min or less after the clocking time is complete.
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Specification