Battery conditioner and charger

• US 7,786,702 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2006
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paul Nicholas Chait
• Original Assignee: Paul Nicholas Chait, Stanley Chait
• Inventors: Chait, Paul Nicholas, Chait, Stanley
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): BOATENG, ALEXIS ASIEDUA
• Application Number:
  US11/489,094
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 320/152, 320/150, 320/104, 320/127, 320/129, 320/134, 320/135, 320/136, 320/137, 320/139, 320/141, 320/145, 320/147, 320/148, 320/149, 320/156, 320/157
• US Class Current: 320/145
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process

Abstract

An apparatus for charging either a normal or a sulfated type of a storage battery includes a first charging stage, a second charging stage, and a final third charging stage. The first charging stage applies a pulsed voltage with a high peak and average voltage to the battery until an average current of about 12 amperes is attained, at which time transition into the second charging stage occurs. A pulse width modulator reduces the average voltage and average current to a safe level and continue to charge the battery for about 20 minutes. At that time transition into the third charging stage occurs wherein a low ripple 14.8 VDC steady state current-limited voltage is applied to the battery for a second duration of about four hours, after which charging is complete and the apparatus shuts itself off.

Claims

1. A battery conditioner and charger for use with a lead-acid type of storage battery, comprising:

(a) a power supply that is adapted to supply a first DC voltage to a storage battery and wherein said first DC voltage includes a peak voltage that is approximately equal to or greater than double the normal voltage output of said storage battery; and

(b) means for regulating the application of said first DC voltage to said battery, wherein said means for regulating includes means for limiting an average voltage through said battery, wherein said means for limiting an average voltage includes a pulse width modulator that is adapted to supply to said battery a pulsed DC waveform of said first DC voltage, wherein said pulsed DC waveform includes a repetition rate that is equal to or greater than 120 pulses per second and equal to or less than 400 pulses per second.

2. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 wherein said means for regulating includes means for limiting an average current through said battery.

3. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 2 wherein said means for limiting an average current through said battery includes a current regulator.

4. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 wherein said means for limiting an average voltage includes a voltage regulator.

5. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 including feedback means for supplying an electrical signal to said pulse width modulator, and wherein said pulse width modulator varies a duty cycle of said pulsed DC waveform in response to said electrical signal.

6. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 for use with a 12 volt type of a lead-acid storage battery, comprising:

(a) a first charging stage wherein a pulsed DC voltage that includes a peak voltage of approximately 42 VDC and a fifty percent duty cycle is applied to said storage battery;

(b) a second charging stage wherein a second pulsed DC voltage that includes a peak voltage of approximately 42 VDC and a duty cycle that is less than fifty percent is applied to said storage battery for a first period of time; and

(c) a third charging stage wherein a steady state DC voltage is applied to said storage battery for a second period of time.

7. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 6 wherein a transition from said first charging state into said second charging state occurs when an average current through said battery increases to 12 amperes.

8. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 6 wherein a transition from said second charging state into said third charging state occurs after a first period of time has elapsed.

9. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 8 wherein said first period of time includes twenty minutes.

10. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 8 wherein said third charging state terminates after a second period of time has elapsed and wherein when said third charging state terminates, said battery conditioner and charger shuts off.

11. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 10 wherein said second period of time includes four hours.

12. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 6 including means for monitoring a temperature of said battery, and wherein said battery conditioner and charger will cease to apply an electrical charge current to said battery when said temperature of said battery rises to a predetermined maximum temperature and wherein said battery conditioner and charger will resume to apply said electrical charge current to said battery when said temperature of said battery falls to a predetermined safe minimum temperature.

13. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 12 wherein said means for monitoring includes a temperature sensor that is adapted for placement proximate a cell of said battery and wherein said temperature sensor includes an output signal that is in proportion to said temperature of said battery.

14. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 12 wherein said predetermined maximum temperature is 113 degrees Fahrenheit and said predetermined safe minimum temperature is 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

15. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 for use with a 12 volt type of a lead-acid storage battery,

wherein said power supply that supplies a regulated first regulated voltage output of 42 VDC and a regulated current output of 30 amperes;

and comprising a voltage and current regulator for supplying a feedback signal useful for regulating an average current that is applied to said battery and an average voltage that is applied to said battery; and

wherein said pulse width modulator applies a pulsed DC voltage to said battery from said power supply, and controls a duty cycle of said pulsed DC voltage, and wherein said feedback signal is supplied to said pulse width modulator and is used by said pulse width modulator to control an amount of electrical energy that is supplied to said battery.

16. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 for use with a 12 volt type of a lead-acid storage battery,

wherein said power supply supplies a regulated first regulated voltage output of 42 VDC and a regulated current output of 30 amperes;

and comprising a voltage and current regulator for supplying a feedback signal useful for regulating an average current that is applied to said battery and an average voltage that is applied to said battery;

wherein said pulse width modulator applies a pulsed DC voltage to said battery from said power supply, and controls a duty cycle of said pulsed DC voltage, and wherein said feedback signal is supplied to said pulse width modulator and is used by said pulse width modulator to control an amount of electrical energy that is supplied to said battery; and

wherein said battery conditioner and charger includes three charging states; and

wherein a first of said three charging states includes said pulsed DC voltage that includes a peak voltage of approximately 42 VDC and a fifty percent duty cycle is applied to said storage battery until a predetermined average rate of current flow of twelve amperes through said battery is reached, and wherein a second of said three charging stages includes a second pulsed DC voltage that includes a peak voltage of approximately 42 VDC and a duty cycle that is less than fifty percent that is applied to said battery until a first period of time has elapsed, and wherein a third of said three charging states includes a steady state DC voltage is applied to said battery for a second period of time.

17. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 16 including a capacitor adapted for storing an electrical charge from said power supply and wherein when said pulse width modulator is applying said pulsed DC voltage to said battery from said power supply a total amount of current that is available to said battery includes at least a portion of said electrical charge that is stored in said capacitor plus the instantaneous output of said power supply.

18. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 16 wherein a first reference voltage of 21 VDC is applied to said voltage and current regulator during said first charging stage and wherein a second reference voltage of 14.8 VDC is applied to said voltage and current regulator during said second charging stage, and wherein said pulse width modulator is adapted to vary said duty cycle of said pulsed DC voltage that is applied to said battery so that an average voltage that is applied to said battery is equal to said first reference voltage during said first charging stage and is equal to said second reference voltage during said second charging stage.

19. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 18 wherein said voltage and current regulator is adapted to limit an average current to twenty amperes during said second charging stage.

20. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 wherein said first DC voltage includes a peak voltage that is greater than 2.8 Volts DC per cell of said storage battery.

21. The battery conditioner and charger of claim 1 wherein said first DC voltage includes a peak voltage per cell of said storage battery that if applied to said storage battery at a steady state would result in an out-gassing from said storage battery of an unsafe level of hydrogen gas from said battery.