LITHIUM STARTER BATTERY AND SOLID STATE SWITCH THEREFOR

• US 20130241498A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LithiumHub Technologies, LLC (LithiumHub, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Martin Koebler
• Inventors: Koebler, Martin
• Granted Patent: US 9,412,994 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/135
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/26 responsive to difference between voltages or between currents; responsive to phase angle between voltages or between currents
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Apparatus for increasing the efficiency of a starter battery for a starter motor of an internal combustion engine in a battery pack arrangement with one or more lithium based cells. The invention includes a solid state switching configuration for high powered battery systems for protecting against over-charging, over-discharging and short circuiting of batteries, especially starter batteries for internal combustion engines.

Claims

1. A battery pack for driving an electrical device in a 12 volt to 120 volt operating system, said battery pack comprising:

a battery pack housing; and

at least one lithium-based rechargeable cell within said housing;

wherein a total discharging amount of each lithium-based cell in the battery pack is from three (3) Ah to 5000 Ah, and charging voltage per one cell is 3.0 to 4.2 V.

2. A battery pack according to claim 1 wherein the lithium-based cell is a lithium iron phosphate cell.

3. A battery pack according to claim 2, wherein the lithium iron phosphate cell is selected from the group consisting of LiFePO, LiFePO₄, LiFeMgPO₄, and LiFeYPO₄ cells.

4. A battery pack according to claim 1 wherein the lithium-based cell is selected from the group consisting of LiCoO₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiNiCoA10₂, LiNiMnCoO₂, and Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ cells.

5. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said battery pack comprises four lithium-based rechargeable cells in series in said housing.

6. A battery pack according to claim 1, wherein said battery pack comprises an even number of lithium-based rechargeable cells in said housing.

7. A battery pack according to claim 1 wherein said electrical device is an internal combustion engine starting device connected to an internal combustion engine.

8. A battery pack according to claim 1, further comprising a protection circuit board within said housing.

9. A battery pack according to claim 8, wherein said protection circuit board is a cut-off board or a cell balancing circuit board.

10. A battery pack according to claim 9, wherein said protection circuit board is a cut-off board comprising a controller, said controller having associated means for periodically measuring a load to detect a change in load impedance, further comprising a switch between said battery pack and said device, and means for turning on said switch to provide power to the electrical device to restart the device.

11. A battery pack according to claim 9 wherein said protection circuit board is a cut-off board comprising a controller, said battery pack being connected to a current monitor, said current monitor being connected to a current comparator and a set-reset latch,

whereby upon the occurrence of a short circuit, the set-reset latch will turn off an associated switch.

12. Solid state switching apparatus for one or more cells in a battery pack encased in a battery pack housing, said battery pack having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, each of said cells having a positive pole and a negative pole, said apparatus comprising:

at least a pair of solid state switches within said battery pack housing, each switch having a source and a drain, with drains connected;

said solid state switches being connected to the positive pole of said one or more cells in series, and to said positive terminal, the negative pole of said one or more cells being connected to said negative terminal.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the solid state switches are MOSFETs or IGBTs.

14. Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the solid state switches are transistors, FET, JFET, BJT, CMOS, VMOS, TMOS, vertical DMOS or HEXFET.

15. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the solid state switches are either n-type or p-type.

16. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said one or more cells are selected from the group consisting of LiFePO, LiFePO₄, LiFeMgPO₄, LiFeYPO₄, LiCoO₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiNiCoAlO₂, LiNiMnCoO₂, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂, lead-acid, NiCd, and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

17. Apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising a housing for said one or more cells, batteries, wherein said solid state switches are within said housing.

18. Solid state switching apparatus for one or more cells in a battery pack encased in a battery pack housing, said battery pack having a positive terminal and a negative terminal, each of said cells having a positive pole and a negative pole, said apparatus comprising:

at least a pair of solid state switches within said battery pack housing, each switch having a source and a drain, with sources connected;

said solid state switches being connected to the negative pole of said one or more cells in series, and to said negative terminal, the positive pole of said one or more cells being connected to said positive terminal.

19. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the solid state switches are transistors, FET, MOSFET, IGBT, JFET, BJT, CMOS, VMOS, TMOS, vertical DMOS or HEXFET.

20. Apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said one or more cells are selected from the group consisting of LiFePO, LiFePO₄, LiFeMgPO₄, LiFeYPO₄, LiCoO₂, LiMn₂O₄, LiNiCoAlO₂, LiNiMnCoO₂, Li₄Ti₅O₁₂, lead-acid, NiCd, and nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.