BATTERY FLEET CHARGING SYSTEM

• US 20170117723A1
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Published: 04/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pure Watercraft, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pure Watercraft, Inc.
• Inventors: REBELE, Andrew H., LOUKUSA, Kerwin M., MULLINS, Keith A., SCHAEFER, Michael V.
• Granted Patent: US 11,342,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/62 in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/67 Controlling two or more charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00036 Charger exchanging data with battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0019 using switched or multiplexed charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/06 using discharge tubes or semiconductor devices
• 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

Abstract

A battery fleet charging system for charging two or more battery packs simultaneously, at independently controlled charge rates. The present invention can intelligently distribute the available charge power among multiple batteries, either symmetrically or asymmetrically, as specified by a controller that specifies and regulates the charge voltage.

Claims

1. A battery fleet charging system for simultaneously charging two or more batteries at independently controlled charge rates and intelligently distributing available charge power among the two or more batteries up to a battery max charge rate, either symmetrically or asymmetrically, as specified by a central controller that specifies and regulates a charge voltage comprising:

two or more batteries;

a single AC-to-DC power stage that feeds into at least one separate transistor switching circuit for one or more output channels, wherein each separate switching circuit can control a charge rate to a first output channel independently of a second output channel, and wherein the one or more output channels are connected to the two or more batteries; and

a central controller managing the available power to the one or more output channels so that a sum of charge rates at each output channel adds up to the available charge rate up to the battery max charge rate.

2. The battery fleet charging system of claim 1 wherein the at least one separate transistor switching circuit for the one or more output channels contain one or more electrically controlled switches.

3. The battery fleet charging system of claim 2 wherein the one or more electrically controlled switches is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT).

4. The battery fleet charging system of claim 2 uses pulse width modulation wherein the central controller can turn the one or more electrically controlled switches on and off rapidly to vary an output voltage at each channel, and hence the charge current.

5. The battery fleet charging system of claim 4 wherein the charging system is part of a closed-loop control system whereby the output voltage and charge current are monitored in real time and communicated back to the central controller, which can adjust the pulse width modulation to match the charge current or a charge voltage set point.

6. The battery fleet charging system of claim 5 wherein the charge voltage set point for each output channel can be independently specified such that a battery on the first output channel can be charged at different rates simultaneously as on the second output channel.

7. The battery fleet charging system of claim 6 further comprising firmware, wherein the charge voltage set point is specified by a user or hard coded into the battery fleet charging system firmware.

8. The battery fleet charging system of claim 1 further comprising two diodes on a positive terminal of the one or more batteries and wherein a single pole double throw (SPDT) switch is used to prevent current flow between the two or more batteries at different voltages.

9. The battery fleet charging system of claim 1 further comprising a communication protocol between the central controller and the two or more batteries using any established wired or wireless method of data exchange.

10. The battery fleet charging system of claim 1 wherein the two or more batteries connected in parallel can be charged on a single channel at an equal charge voltage.

11. A method of simultaneously charging two or more batteries in a battery fleet charging system at independently controlled charge rates and intelligently distributing available charge power among the two or more batteries up to a battery max charge rate, either symmetrically or asymmetrically, as specified by a central controller that specifies and regulates a charge voltage comprising the steps of:

e) monitoring conditions of the two or more batteries;

f) drawing AC power from a power grid and converting it into DC power;

g) supplying the DC power into at least one separate transistor switching circuit for one or more output channels wherein each of the one or more outputs channels contain one or more electrically controlled switches and is connected to the two or more batteries; and

h) managing the available power to the one or more output channels with a central controller so that a sum of charge rates at each output channel adds up to the available charge rate up to the battery max charge rate.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising using pulse width modulation with the central controller turning the at least one or more electrically controlled switches on and off rapidly to vary an output voltage at each channel, and hence the charge current.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising monitoring the output voltage and charge current in real time and communicating back to the central controller, which can adjust the pulse width modulation to match the charge current or a charge voltage set point.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising requesting the voltage of the two or more batteries connected to the one or more output channels prior to closing a charge circuit.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising continuously performing safety checks including requiring communication in each charging channel between the battery and charger and requiring that predetermined conditions are met before charging is initiated.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising sending a request to the two or more batteries to close an internal electrically controlled switch or contactor once the predetermined conditions are met, thereby establishing an electrically conductive path between the energy storage devices with the battery and the external connectors.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising communicating between charger and batteries using any established method of wired or wireless data exchange.