PULSE BATTERY CHARGER METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR IMPROVED CHARGING OF BATTERIES

• US 20140375275A1
• Filed: 09/10/2014
• Published: 12/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Evgentech, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Evgentech, Inc.
• Inventors: Hung, Stephen T., O'Brien, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US14/483,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20140375275A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/139
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/10 Air crafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/003 relating to inverters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/11 DC charging controlled by the charging station, e.g. mode 4
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The inventions herein relate to devices and methods to impart charge to battery cells. Still further, the present invention incorporates to pulse charging methods and systems related thereto that provide improvements in charging speed, efficiency and additional benefits.

Claims

1. A process for charging batteries, wherein the process comprises:

a) providing at least one battery, wherein the battery comprises;

i) a series internal resistance (R_s);

ii) a maximum allowable battery terminal voltage (V_max);

iii) a battery terminal voltage (V_Batt); and

iv) an instantaneous open circuit voltage (OCV_inst); and

b) applying to the battery a plurality of charging pulses,

i) wherein each charging pulse, independently, comprises an ON time and an OFF time, wherein the ON time follows the OFF time,

ii) wherein the process during the OFF time presents to the battery the nature of an open circuit, and

iii) wherein the battery terminal voltage, V_Batt, applied during the ON time portion of each of the plurality of voltage pulses, independently, is determined according to the formula;

V_Batt=I_Batt×

R_s+OCV_inst

and

I_Batt=I_BattCavg×

(pulse period)/(on-time duration);

where I_BattCavg comprises the desired cycle average current applied to the battery.

2. A process for charging batteries, wherein the process comprises:

a) providing at least one battery, wherein the battery comprises;

i) a series internal resistance (R_s);

ii) a maximum allowable battery terminal voltage (V_max);

iii) a battery terminal voltage (V_Batt); and

iv) an instantaneous open circuit voltage (OCV_inst); and

b) applying to the battery a plurality of voltage pulses,

i) wherein each voltage pulse, independently, comprises an ON time and an OFF time, wherein the ON time follows the OFF time,

ii) wherein the process during the OFF time presents to the battery the nature of an open circuit, and

iii) wherein the battery terminal voltage, V_Batt, applied during the ON time portion of each of the plurality of voltage pulses, independently, rises with substantially no overshoot (with or without feedback control) from OCV_inst to the minimum voltage necessary to induce an ON time battery current I_Batt=I_BattCavg×

(pulse period)/(on-time duration), where I_battCavg comprises the desired cycle average current applied to the battery.