Method of charging a multiplicity of batteries

• US 5,391,973 A
• Filed: 05/22/1992
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Elin Energieanwendung GmbH, Vionx Energy Corp.
• Original Assignee: S.E.A. Studiengesellschaft fur Energiespeicher und Antriebssysteme Gesellschaft mbH
• Inventors: Tomazic, Gerd
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dougherty, Thomas M.
• Application Number:
  US07/887,054
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 320/16-21, 320/57
• US Class Current: 320/120
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 12/085 Zinc-halogen cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/77 with external circulating path
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A method is provided for charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storage, such as cells, cell stacks, and/or batteries. For each storage aqueous electrolytic liquids are infed and outfed at least periodically, or continuously, to and from individual anode and cathode spaces in hydraulic parallel circuits. During the charging of each storage, metallic zinc is separated at the cathode as a layer and bromine is separated at the anode which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water. Each electrolyte liquid is provided with a separate circuit, a separate supply container, and also pumps. During the charging operation, at a predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storage is determined, and upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of the corresponding electrochemical storage, the charging operation thereof is interrupted.

Claims

1. A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of:

at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage;

charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte;

determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages;

upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof; and

decreasing the predetermined time intervals in length as the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages increases.

2. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

using cells as the electrochemical storages.

3. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

using cell stacks as the electrochemical storages.

4. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

using batteries as the electrochemical storages.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:

the step of at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding aqueous electrolyte liquids entails continuously infeeding and outfeeding aqueous electrolyte liquids in a hydraulic parallel circuit to individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage.

6. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

electrically connecting in parallel the storages during the charging operation; and

providing means for separately disconnecting each storage from the charging operation.

7. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

performing voltage measurements at the individual storages in order to determine the charging state of each storage.

8. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

carrying out charging of the storages by using a common primary winding of an electrical transformer having a plurality of secondary windings provided with rectifiers, and each of which secondary windings is operatively connected with an associated storage.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of:

determining the charging state of each storage entails first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages; and

then determining the charging state of each storage.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein:

the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages is accomplished by activating respective switches.

11. The method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

maintaining in circulation the electrolytic liquids during the determination of the charging state of each storage.

12. A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of:

at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage;

charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte;

determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and

upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof;

the step of determining the charging state of each storage entailing first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages and then determining the charging state of each storage;

the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages being accomplished by activating respective switches;

the method further including the step of;

using for each of the respective switches a switch having different selective operating positions for selectively electrically connecting the storages in series or parallel.

13. A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of:

at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage;

charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte;

determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and

upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof;

Wherein the step of determining entails measuring a potential of one or more of the electrochemical storages and determining if a measured potential exceeds 5 percent of an arithmetic mean of potentials of all the electrochemical storages; and

wherein the step of interrupting entails interrupting the charging operation of each electrochemical storage that has a measured potential that exceeds 5 percent of the arithmetic mean of potentials of all the electrochemical storages.

14. A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of:

at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage;

charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte;

determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages; and

upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage, interrupting the charging operation thereof;

the step of determining the charging state of each storage entailing first interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages and then determining the charging state of each storage;

the step of interrupting an electrical connection between a charging current source for all of the storages being accomplished by activating respective switches;

each of the respective switches a memory metal; and

the step of activating each of the respective switches heating the memory metal.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein:

the step of heating entails electrically heating the memory metal.

16. A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, comprising the steps of:

at least periodically infeeding and outfeeding in a hydraulic parallel circuit aqueous electrolyte liquids to and from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage;

charging each storage in order to separate at the cathode a layer of metallic zinc and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water containing a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte;

determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages;

upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage interrupting the charging operation thereof;

connecting the storages in series; and

altering the sequence of the series connection of the storages.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

the step of altering the sequence of the series connection of the storages entails connecting together electrical infeed and outfeed lines of the storages, which were previously connected with an electrical load, and connecting other electrical infeed and outfeed lines of the storages, which were previously connected to each other, with the electrical load.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein:

the step of altering the sequence of the series connection of the storages, entails connecting with one another electrical infeed and outfeed lines previously connected with a current source and connecting other electrical infeed and outfeed lines previously connected with one another with the current.

19. A method of charging a multiplicity of electrochemical storages, in particular cells, cell stacks, and batteries, wherein at each storage there is at least periodically infed to and outfed from individual anode and cathode spaces of each storage, in a hydraulic parallel circuit, aqueous electrolyte liquids, and during charging of the storages there is separated at the cathode metallic zinc as a layer and at the anode bromine which is converted by a complex former dissolved in aqueous electrolyte into a complex which is essentially insoluble in water, each electrolyte liquid being provided with a separate circuit and separate supply container and pump means, the improvement comprising the steps of:

determining, during the charging operation, at predetermined time intervals the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages;

upon reaching a predetermined value of the charging state of a given electrochemical storage interrupting the charging operation thereof; and

decreasing the predetermined time intervals in length as the charging state of each of the electrochemical storages increases.