Charger capable of performing integrated control and separate control of parallel operations

• US 8,102,149 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Issued: 01/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Signet Incorporated (SK Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Signet System Inc.
• Inventors: Hwang, Ho Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Koval, Melissa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baldridge, Benjamin M
• Application Number:
  US12/255,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20090160407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 320/119
• US Class Current: 320/119
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007184 in response to battery voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage

Abstract

The present invention relates to a charger capable of performing the integrated control and separate control of parallel operations. The charger includes a plurality of charging modules connected in parallel with each other. Each of the charging modules includes a rectification unit for converting input AC power into DC power. The system also includes a power conversion unit, a switching control unit, a DC unit, a detection unit, and a computation control unit. The computation control unit receives the voltage and current, detected by and fed back from the detection unit, computes the voltage and the current, and transmits a control signal required to allow the DC unit to supply a primary constant current, a constant voltage, and a secondary constant current to a battery.

Claims

1. A charger capable of performing integrated control and separate control of parallel operations, comprising:

a plurality of charging modules connected in parallel with each other, each charging module comprising;

a rectification unit for converting input AC power into DC power;

a power conversion unit for dropping the power input through the rectification unit by switching the power;

a switching control unit for controlling a switching operation of the power conversion unit;

a DC unit for converting the switched power, input through the power conversion unit, into DC power, and supplying the DC power to a battery;

a detection unit for detecting an output voltage and an output current of the DC unit; and

a computation control unit for receiving the voltage and current, detected by and fed back from the detection unit, computing the voltage and the current, and transmitting a control signal required to allow the DC unit to sequentially supply a primary constant current, a constant voltage, and a secondary constant current to a battery;

wherein the computation control unit of each of the charging modules is connected to memory for storing various types of data, including the primary constant current, the constant voltage, and the secondary constant current, and a timer operated from a time at which the charging module enters a secondary constant current period; and

in order to minimize inconsistency occurring between time points at which the timers of the parallel-connected charging modules start operations due to a difference between an actual output voltage of the DC unit and the voltage detected by the detection unit, the memory of each of the charging modules stores a secondary constant current voltage greater than the stored constant voltage by a predetermined level, and the commutation control unit operates the timer when the voltage transmitted through the detection unit reaches the secondary constant current voltage value, and

wherein the memory of each of the charging modules stores a secondary constant current compensation reference value and a first set time; and

the computation control unit computes a voltage rising rate for the voltage transmitted through the detection unit during a period ranging from a time point at which the timer starts an operation to the first set time, compares the computed voltage rising rate with the secondary constant current compensation reference value, and transmits results of comparison to the switching control unit, thus adjusting magnitude of the secondary constant current output from the DC unit.

2. The charger according to claim 1, wherein:

the memory of each of the charging modules stores a second set time and a third set time; and

the computation control unit transmits a charging termination signal to the switching control unit when a condition selected from among (a) the voltage transmitted in real time through the detection unit is in a boosted state and time counted by the timer is equal to or greater than the second set time, (b) the voltage transmitted in real time through the detection unit is dropped, and a time point at which the voltage is dropped is equal to or greater than the second set time, and (c) the time counted by the timer is equal to or greater than the third set time, is satisfied.

3. The charger according to claim 1, further comprising a controller individually connected to the plurality of charging modules and configured to transmit manipulation signals from a user and to receive signals related to operating states of respective charging modules.

4. The charger according to claim 2, further comprising a controller individually connected to the plurality of charging modules and configured to transmit manipulation signals from a user and to receive signals related to operating states of respective charging modules.