Battery charging system
First Claim
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1. A method of charging a battery comprising the steps of:
- sensing the charging current and terminal voltage of the battery, charging said battery with a relatively high and substantially constant current during a high current stage until said terminal voltage rises relatively rapidly indicating a transition phase;
tapering the charging current from the relatively high value to a pedetermined finishing current in a taper current stage, said tapering being at a rate which causes continual rise in said terminal voltage of said battery during said tapering;
monitoring the total charge delivered to said battery during said high and taper current stages;
further charging said battery with said finishing current for a time period based upon said total charge and thereafter terminating said charging of said battery.
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Abstract
Apparatus and method for charging storage batteries by continuously sensing particular battery parameters and controlling the charging current in response thereto to charge a single battery, or a string of batteries. The batteries are charged in a charging cycle including a high charging current stage, a controlled charge tapering stage, and a finishing current stage so that the batteries are charged in as short a time as possible without injuring the batteries regardless of their age or condition.
40 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of charging a battery comprising the steps of:
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sensing the charging current and terminal voltage of the battery, charging said battery with a relatively high and substantially constant current during a high current stage until said terminal voltage rises relatively rapidly indicating a transition phase; tapering the charging current from the relatively high value to a pedetermined finishing current in a taper current stage, said tapering being at a rate which causes continual rise in said terminal voltage of said battery during said tapering; monitoring the total charge delivered to said battery during said high and taper current stages; further charging said battery with said finishing current for a time period based upon said total charge and thereafter terminating said charging of said battery. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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2. The method of charging a battery defined in claim 2 including the step of:
decreasing said relatively high current at a very slight slope compared to the slope of said taper current during said high current stage. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4)
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5. A method of charging a battery comprising the steps of:
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monitoring the terminal voltage of the battery; charging said battery with a relatively high and substantially constant current until said terminal voltage rises relatively rapidly in a transition phase; further charging said battery during said transition phase with a taper charge current from said high current to a finishing current value, the current tapering being at a rate which causes the continued rise in said terminal voltage of said battery; estimating the amount of charge delivered to said battery during said high and taper current stages from said terminal voltage and the time period of said high current and taper current stages; and further charging said battery with said finishing current value for a time period based upon said estimated charge delivered to said battery.
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9. A method of charging a battery with a battery charger comprising the steps of:
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monitoring the terminal voltage of said battery; delivering a first high charging current in a high current stage to said battery when the value of said terminal voltage indicates that said battery is substantially discharged, said first high charging current being delivered to said battery until said terminal voltage rises relatively rapidly indicating a transition phase; tapering the charging current from said first high charging current to a predetermined finishing current in a taper current stage, the tapering current being at a preset rate permitting continued charging of said battery during said taper current stages; estimating the amount of charge delivered to said battery during said high and taper current stages from said terminal voltage and the time period of said high and taper current stages; and further charging said battery with said finishing current for a second time period upon said estimated charge delivered to said battery. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A battery-charging system comprising:
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means for monitoring the terminal voltage of said battery; means for delivering a first high charging current in a high current stage to said battery when the value of said terminal voltage indicates that said battery is substantially discharged, said first high charging current being delivered to said battery until said terminal voltage rises relatively rapidly indicating a transition phase; means for tapering said first high charging current to a predetermined finishing current in a taper current stage, the tapering current being at a preset rate permitting continued charging of said battery during said taper current stage; means for estimating the amount of charge delivered to said battery, during said high and taper current stages, from said terminal voltage and the time period of said high and taper current stages; and means for further charging said battery with said finishing current for a second time period based upon said estimated charges delivered to said battery. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 16, 17, 18)
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15. means for monitoring the charging current delivered to said battery;
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means connected to said current-monitoring means for substantially smoothing said charging current during said high current stage.
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Specification