Lead-acid battery desulfator/rejuvenator

• US 5,677,612 A
• Filed: 08/02/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Army
• Original Assignee: The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army
• Inventors: Pellegrino, Anthony, DiCarlo, Joseph, Keane, William, Jarvis, Louis P., Campagnuolo, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/700,332
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 320/3, 320/4, 320/10, 320/12, 320/13, 320/14, 320/21, 320/29, 320/30, 320/31, 320/32, 320/39, 320/43, 320/48
• US Class Current: 320/141
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5033 used as charging means for another battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5088 Initial activation; predischarge; Stabilisation of initial voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/16 Removal of memory effect in batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/22 Line impedance, e.g. resistor

Abstract

A lead-acid (SLI) battery desulfator which is powered by the batteries wh it is conditioning when a motor associated with the batteries is off. The desulfator activates whenever an alternator supplies charge to the battery then deactivates itself upon expiration of a set time or is reset upon starting of the motor.

Claims

1. A lead acid (SLI) battery life extender comprising:

a lead acid battery for a mechanized apparatus, said lead acid battery having a positive terminal and a negative terminal;

a multivibrator circuit connected to said lead acid battery, said multivibrator circuit having a positive input terminal and a positive output terminal, a negative input terminal and a negative output terminal, and wherein said multivibrator circuit positive input terminal is electrically connected to said lead acid battery positive terminal and said multivibrator negative input terminal is electrically connected to said lead acid battery negative terminal, and further wherein said multivibrator positive output terminal is connected to said lead acid battery positive terminal, and said multivibrator negative output terminal is electrically connected to said lead acid battery negative terminal;

wherein battery DC voltage of said lead acid battery applied to said multivibrator circuit is transformed into high frequency electrical pulses which are fed back to said lead acid battery thereby removing lead sulfate from the plates of said lead acid battery and thereby increasing the life of said lead acid battery.

2. The lead acid (SLI) battery life extender of claim 1 comprising a resistance for controlling the amount of electrical current flow between said lead acid battery and said multivibrator circuit.

3. The lead acid (SLI) battery life extender of claim 1 comprising a fuse to limit current between said lead acid battery and said multivibrator circuit.

4. The lead acid (SLI) battery life extender of claim 1 wherein said multivibrator circuit further comprises a timer circuit which maintains the multivibrator in an "ON" mode for a period of time after a "start" of said mechanized apparatus, after which said multivibrator is placed in an "OFF" mode by said timer circuit after said period of time.

5. The lead acid (SLI) battery life extender of claim 1 wherein the frequency of said high frequency pulses fed back to said lead acid battery increases as said battery DC voltage decreases wherein the bonding states of the lead sulfate on the plates of said lead acid (SLI) battery are caused to break down.

6. The lead acid (SLI) battery life extender of claim 1 wherein said multivibrator circuit is contained within an enclosure containing said lead acid (SLI) battery.

7. A lead acid battery desulfator for use with mechanized apparatus comprising:

an alternator means on a mechanized apparatus,

a lead acid battery means connected to said alternator means to enable said alternator means to charge said lead acid battery means,

a lead acid battery desulfator means connected to said lead acid battery means, said desulfator means comprising;

a multivibrator circuit connected to said lead acid battery, said multivibrator circuit having a positive input terminal and a positive output terminal, a negative input terminal and a negative output terminal, and wherein said multivibrator circuit positive input terminal is electrically connected to said lead acid battery positive terminal and said multivibrator negative input terminal is electrically connected to said lead acid battery negative terminal, and further wherein said multivibrator positive output terminal is connected to said lead acid battery positive terminal, and said multivibrator negative output terminal is electrically connected to said lead acid battery negative terminal;

wherein battery DC voltage of said lead acid battery applied to said multivibrator circuit is transformed into high frequency electrical pulses which are fed back to said lead acid battery thereby removing lead sulfate from the plates of battery and battery and thereby increasing the life of said lead acid battery,

a timer means connected to said alternator means, said lead acid battery means, and said desulfator means wherein said timer means upon sensing an apparatus startup, energizes said desulfator means for a set period of time during which said desulfator means operates, and at the end of said set period of time the desulfator turns off to prevent said lead acid battery means from discharging to a level below a starting level for said mechanized apparatus.

8. The lead acid battery desulfator of claim 7, wherein said high frequency electrical pulses which are fed back to said lead acid battery increase in frequency as said battery DC voltage of said lead acid battery decreases.