Current balancing for battery strings
First Claim
1. In a battery plant having a plurality of battery strings connected electrically in parallel where each of said battery strings is formed by a plurality of batteries connected electrically in series, the improvement comprising:
- magnetic circuit means for balancing the electrical current flow through said battery strings, said magnetic circuit means being associated with said battery strings such that conductors carrying the electrical current flow through each of said battery strings pass through said magnetic circuit means in directions which cause the electromagnetic fields of at least one predetermined pair of said conductors to oppose each other.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A battery plant is described which features magnetic circuit means for balancing the electrical current flow through a pluraliircuitbattery strings which are connected electrically in parallel. The magnetic circuit means is associated with the battery strings such that the conductors carrying the electrical current flow through each of the battery strings pass through the magnetic circuit means in directions which cause the electromagnetic fields of at least one predetermined pair of the conductors to oppose each other. In an alternative embodiment, a low voltage converter is associated with each of the battery strings for balancing the electrical current flow through the battery strings.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. In a battery plant having a plurality of battery strings connected electrically in parallel where each of said battery strings is formed by a plurality of batteries connected electrically in series, the improvement comprising:
magnetic circuit means for balancing the electrical current flow through said battery strings, said magnetic circuit means being associated with said battery strings such that conductors carrying the electrical current flow through each of said battery strings pass through said magnetic circuit means in directions which cause the electromagnetic fields of at least one predetermined pair of said conductors to oppose each other. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 16)
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9. A battery plant system comprising:
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power conditioning means for converting alternating current electrical power to direct current electrical power during the charging of said battery plant and converting direct current electrical power to alternating current electrical power during the discharging of said battery plant; a plurality of battery strings connected electrically in parallel across common bus conductors to said power conditioning means; a plurality of battery modules connected electrically in series to form each of said battery strings; bypassing switching means, in association with each of said battery modules, for redirecting electrical current flow around a failed battery module in response to a failure condition; and magnetic circuit means for balancing the electrical current flow through said battery strings in response to at least one failed battery module, said magnetic circuit means being associated with battery strings such that conductors carrying the electrical current flow through each of said battery strings pass through said magnetic circuit means in directions which cause the electromagnetic fields of at least one predetermined pair of said conductors to oppose one another. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17)
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18. A battery plant system, comprising:
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power containing means for converting alternating current electrical power to direct current electrical power during the charging of said battery plant and converting direct current electrical power to alternating current electrical power during the discharging of said battery plant; a plurality of battery strings conected electrically in parallel across common bus conductors to said power conditioning means; a plurality of battery modules connected electrically in series to form each of said battery strings; control circuit means for providing a control signal which is a function of the voltage across said common bus conductors and an average of the voltages across said battery strings; and converter means in association with each of said battery strings and connected to a source of alternating current for balancing the electrical current flow through said battery strings in response to said control signal by equalizing the voltages across said common bus conductors for each of said battery strings. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification