METHOD OF CHARGING A STORAGE BATTERY AND OF DETECTING THE TERMINATION OF CHARGING

• US 3,808,487 A
• Filed: 05/12/1972
• Issued: 04/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Georges Feuillade
• Original Assignee: Georges Feuillade
• Inventors: Feuillade, Georges
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, J. D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hickey, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/252,802
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 320/21,22,39,40,48,43 324/29.5
• US Class Current: 320/139
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0047 with monitoring or indicating devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007186 obtained with the battery disconnected from the charge or discharge circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/02 for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method of charging a storage battery and of detecting the termination of charging, including detecting by suitable means, the variations of at least one of the parameters of the modified charging signal, known as the answer signal, after its passage through the battery. The answer signal is a function of the operational impedance of the battery. A significant change in the answer signal occurs at the completion of the charging.

Claims

1. A method of charging a storage battery and detecting the completion of the charging comprising the steps of a generating a pulsed periodic charging signal having a markspace ratio equal to approximately 1;

b applying said charging signal to said storage battery; and

c continuously monitoring an answer signal comprising variations in at least one of the parameters of said charging signal after it has been applied to said storage battery, said answer signal varying in accordance with the operational impedance of said storage battery, wherein a significant change in said answer signal occurs when said battery is completely charged, said parameters being amplitude.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said charging signal comprises a single component, pulsed periodiCally at a very low frequency.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein said frequency is preferably between 0.1 and 0.01 Hertz.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said charging signal has a positive amplitude which is substantially higher than its negative amplitude.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said answer signal is the voltage of said battery and said charging signal the current.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said answer signal is the current through said battery and the charging signal the voltage.

7. A method according to claim 1, further including automatically interrupting said charging signal in response to a predetermined amplitude of said answer signal.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said answer signal has an increasing mean value and a decreasing peak-to-peak amplitude during an initial stabilization period, an increasing mean value and a constant peak-to-peak value during charging, and a relatively rapid increase in mean value and peak-to-peak amplitude when charging is substantially complete.

9. A method of charging a storage battery and detecting the completion of the charging comprising the steps of:

a generating a first charging signal having a predetermined magnitude;

b generating a second charging signal having a sinusoidal variation in magnitude;

c combining said first and second charging signals and applying the combined signal to the storage battery; and

d continuously monitoring an answer signal comprising variations in at least one of the parameters of said charging signal after it has been applied to said storage battery, said answer signal varying in accordance with the operational impedance of said storage battery, wherein a significant change in said answer signal occurs when said battery is completely charged, said parameters consisting of amplitude and shape.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said answer signal has a relatively large peak-to-peak value during an initial stabilization period, a relatively small peak-to-peak value during charging and an increasing peak-to-peak value at the completion of charging.

11. A method of charging a storage battery and detecting the completion of the charging comprising the steps of a generating a pulsed periodic charging signal having a mark-space ratio equal to approximately 1;

b applying said charging signal to said storage battery; and

c continuously monitoring an answer signal comprising variations in at least one of the parameters of said charging signal after it has been applied to said storage battery, said answer signal varying in accordance with the operational impedance of said storage battery, wherein a significant change in said answer signal occurs when said battery is completely charged, said parameter being shape.