Stand-by power system

• US 3,930,192 A
• Filed: 05/20/1974
• Issued: 12/30/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gates Energy Products, Inc. (Schneider Electric SE)
• Original Assignee: Leonard R. Dinkler
• Inventors: Dinkler, Leonard R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Broome, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hickey, Robert J.
• Application Number:
  US05/471,593
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 320/6-8,15-18,2,14,21,19 307/66
• US Class Current: 320/119
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

A charging system for a stand-by power supply comprising a battery having plurality of series-connected cells and a switching means for periodically and sequentially charging sections of the battery, thereby to minimize voltage variation between the normal DC power source voltage and the stand-by power supply discharge voltage applied to a load during the nonfunctioning of the DC power source.

Claims

1. A battery charging apparatus for a high voltage stand-by power system, said system comprising a power source connected in circuit with a load, a supplemental battery section, and a battery of rechargeable cells coupled across said load to provide stand-by power upon the non-functioning of said source, said battery being divisible into a plurality of sections of at least one cell each for charging, said apparatus comprising:

a. charging means for supplying a source of charging current;

b. switching means, coupled between said charging means and said battery, for sequentially disconnecting one section at a time, each of said plurality of sections from said battery and for connecting said disconnected section to said charger for charging; and

c. a supplemental switching means, coupled between said supplemental section and said battery, for connecting said supplemental section in parallel with each of said plurality of sections, one section at a time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising load resistance means for causing each of said plurality of sections to slowly decay in voltage after charging.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said charging means comprises means for supplying pulsed charge current.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising signal generating means coupled to said source for generating a signal when the voltage level of said source falls below a predetermined level.

5. A stand-by power system for a load normally powered by a power source connected in circuit with said load comprising:

a. a battery comprising a plurality of cells coupled across said load to provide stand-by power upon the non-functioning of said source, said battery being divisible into a plurality of sections of at least one cell each for charging;

b. charging means for supplying charge current;

c. switching means, coupled between said charging means and said battery, for sequentially disconnecting, one section at a time, each of said plurality of sections from said battery and for connecting said disconnected section, to said charging means for charging;

d. a supplemental battery section; and

e. a supplemental switching means, coupling said battery and supplemental section, for electrically connecting said supplemental section in parallel with each of said plurality of sections, one section at a time.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said charging means comprises means for supplying pulsed charge current.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said battery is floating across said source.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising signal generating means, coupled to said source, for generating a signal when the voltage level of said source falls below a predetermined level.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising load resistance means for causing each of said plurality of sections to discharge after charging.

10. A method for charging a stand-by power system designed to supply electrical power to a load during the non-functioning of the normal power source for said load, said system comprising a plurality of rechargeable cells connected in circuit, said cells being divisible, for charging, into a plurality of sections of at least one cell each and a supplemental section of at least one cell, said method comprising the steps, in sequence, of:

a. connecting said supplemental section in parallel with one of said plurality of sections;

b. disconnecting said one section from the remaining sections, thereby to leave said supplemental section in series with said Remaining sections;

c. connecting said one section to a source of charging current;

d. disconnecting said one section from said charger after charging;

e. reconnecting said one section in parallel with said supplemental section; and

f. repeating steps (a) through (e) for a second one of said plurality of sections.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

d. providing a supplemental section of at least one cell;

e. connecting said supplemental section in parallel with said one section prior to connecting said one section to said charging source of charging current;

f. disconnecting said one section from said remaining sections prior to connecting said one section to said source of charging current and after said connection of said supplemental section in parallel with said one section, thereby to leave said supplemental section in series with said remaining sections;

g. disconnect said one section from said charging source after charging;

h. reconnect said one section in parallel with said supplemental section after disconnection from said charging source; and

i. repeat steps (e) through (h) for said second section.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of causing said one section to decay in voltage after charging and prior to reconnection to said battery.