BATTERY CHARGING AND MAINTAINING WITH DEFECTIVE BATTERY MONITORING

• US 20130328522A1
• Filed: 06/05/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CPS Technology Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Johnson Controls Technology Company (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Brockman, Daryl C., Liedhegner, Joseph E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,702,939 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0031 using battery or load disconnect circuits H02J9/002 takes precedence

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for charging or maintaining a battery that includes power conversion circuitry configured to provide output power for charging or maintaining the battery. The system also includes electrical conductors coupled to the power conversion circuitry and configured to be coupled to the battery for charging or maintaining the battery. Additionally, the system includes control circuitry coupled to the power conversion circuitry and configured to monitor charging or maintaining of the battery. The control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the battery may be defective or failing based upon the output power and a time threshold.

Claims

1. A system for charging or maintaining a battery, comprising:

power conversion circuitry configured to provide output power for charging or maintaining the battery;

electrical conductors coupled to the power conversion circuitry and configured to be coupled to the battery for charging or maintaining the battery; and

control circuitry coupled to the power conversion circuitry and configured to monitor charging or maintaining of the battery, the control circuitry being further configured to determine whether the battery may be defective or failing based upon the output power and a time threshold.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry determines whether a charging or maintaining current of the output power has exceeded a current threshold for at least the time threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the current threshold is between approximately 1 and 10 Amps.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the current threshold is between approximately 2 and 8 Amps.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the current threshold is approximately 3 Amps.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset a timer if the charging or maintaining current of the output power falls below the current threshold before the time threshold is reached.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the time threshold is between approximately 6 and 72 hours.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the time threshold is between approximately 12 and 48 hours.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the time threshold is approximately 24 hours.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset a timer if a monitored parameter of the output power falls below a threshold before the time threshold is reached.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset the timer if the charging or maintaining current of the output power again rises above the current threshold.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to interrupt charging or maintaining if the battery is identified as defective.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide a user notice if the battery is identified as defective or failing.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein averaging is used to determine if the current threshold is met or exceeded.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the time threshold is based upon the size of the battery.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset the timer if an average of the monitored parameter of the output power falls below the threshold before the time threshold is reached.

17. A system for charging or maintaining a battery, comprising:

power conversion circuitry configured to provide output power for charging or maintaining the battery;

electrical conductors coupled to the power conversion circuitry and configured to be coupled to the battery for charging or maintaining the battery; and

control circuitry coupled to the power conversion circuitry and configured to monitor charging or maintaining of the battery, the control circuitry being further configured to determine whether the battery may be defective based upon a charging or maintaining current, a current threshold, and a time threshold based upon the size of the battery.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry determines whether the battery is defective by determining whether the charging or maintaining current has exceeded the current threshold for at least the time threshold.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset a timer if the charging or maintaining current falls below the threshold before the time threshold is reached.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the control circuitry is configured to reset the timer is the charging or maintaining current again rises above the current threshold.

21. A method of charging or maintaining a battery, comprising:

monitoring an output power provided by power conversion circuitry for charging or maintaining the battery; and

identifying the battery as defective or failing based upon the output power and a time threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, comprising resetting a timer if a monitored parameter of the output power falls below a threshold before the time threshold is reached.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising resetting the timer if the charging or maintaining current of the output power again rises above the threshold.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising interrupting charging or maintaining if the battery is identified as defective or failing.

25. A method of charging or maintaining a battery, comprising:

monitoring one or more parameters of the battery and a charger or maintainer, allowing the calculation of an output power provided by power conversion circuitry for charging or maintaining the battery; and

identifying the battery as defective or failing based upon the output power and a time threshold.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising resetting a timer if a monitored parameter of the output power falls below a threshold before the time threshold is reached.

27. The method of claim 26, comprising resetting the timer if the charging or maintaining current of the output power again rises above the threshold.