Battery charger with high frequency transformer

• US 8,188,708 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2007
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Altekruse, Kenneth, Kimball, James D., Sigl, Dennis, Vogel, Bernard J., Lonigro, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIGGUSH, AARON C
• Application Number:
  US11/853,094
• Publication Number:
  US 20090066290A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/108, 320/137, 320/104, 323/355, 363/64, 363/171
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/302 Cooling of charging equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2005/022 wound on formers with several winding chambers separated by flanges, e.g. for high voltage applications
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 2038/026 non-linear inductive arrangements for converters, e.g. with additional windings
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/323 Insulation between winding turns, between winding layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 27/325 Coil bobbins formers for coils in general H01F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 30/04 having two or more secondary windings, each supplying a separate load, e.g. for radio set power supplies
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor

Abstract

A battery-charging system includes a power supply having a high-frequency transformer and is configured to deliver a battery charging power to charge at least one battery. The high-frequency transformer has a bobbin including an elongated top and bottom surfaces and first and second substantially semi-circular end surfaces connecting the top surface with the bottom surface to form an elongated first coil winding surface having a central axis. A first coil is wound around the first coil winding surface, and a second coil is magnetically coupled to the first coil and wound thereto.

Claims

1. A daisy chained battery charging system for charging a plurality of vehicle batteries, the charging system comprising:

a plurality of power supplies, each power supply electrically coupled in a daisy chain configuration and each power supply sharing a common input power, each power supply including a high-frequency transformer, and each power supply configured to deliver a DC battery charging power to charge at least one vehicle battery;

each power supply including a wind tunnel, the wind tunnel formed by a first end and a second end coupled to a base, an L-shaped assembly coupled to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base, and a side coupled to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base;

the high-frequency transformer positioned within the wind tunnel of each power supply including;

a bobbin including an elongated top and bottom surfaces and first and second substantially semi-circular end surfaces connecting the top surface with the bottom surface to form an elongated first coil winding surface having a central axis;

a first coil wound around the first coil winding surface; and

a second coil magnetically coupled to the first coil and wound thereto.

2. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the high-frequency transformer further includes an insulating shroud disposed between the first coil and the second coil, wherein the insulating shroud includes elongated top and bottom surfaces and first and second substantially semi-circular end surfaces connecting the top surface of the insulating shroud with the bottom surface of the insulating shroud to form a second coil winding surface, and further wherein the second coil is wound around the second coil winding surface.

3. The battery charging system of claim 2, wherein the second coil includes a plurality of second coil turns and further wherein the high-frequency transformer includes a plurality of locating bosses disposed on the second coil winding surface to maintain each of the plurality of second coil turns in a desired location.

4. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the high-frequency transformer further includes an insulating shroud disposed between the first coil and the second coil, wherein the insulating shroud includes a second coil winding surface and first and second insulating shroud sidewalls each disposed along opposite sides of the second coil winding surface, wherein the second coil winding surface substantially conforms to the shape of the first coil, and further wherein the second coil is wound around the second coil winding surface between the first and second insulating shroud sidewalls.

5. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the bobbin includes a central opening disposed inside of the first coil winding surface and further wherein the high-frequency transformer includes a magnetic core disposed in the central opening wherein the magnetic core has a rectangular cross-section immediately adjacent one of the first or second substantially semi-circular end surfaces.

6. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the second coil includes a plurality of second coil turns, and further wherein the high-frequency transformer includes a plurality of locating spacers disposed to maintain a desired spacing between each of the plurality of second coil turns.

7. The battery charging system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of locating spacers are disposed such that there is at least one locating spacer between each second coil turn.

8. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the bobbin further includes first and second bobbin sidewalls each disposed along opposite sides of the first coil winding surface to form a winding window, and further wherein the bobbin includes first and second wire exits adjacent to and in open communication with the winding window, and further wherein the first coil includes a first lead end exiting the winding window through the first wire exit and a second lead end exiting the winding window through the second wire exit such that the first lead end and the second lead end exit the bobbin in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to the central axis.

9. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the second coil is wound concentric to the first coil, and further wherein the high-frequency transformer includes a cover disposed such that the first coil and the second coil are compressed between the first coil winding surface and the cover.

20. The battery charging system of claim 1, wherein the power supply includes an input circuit to receive an input signal from a source of power and provide an output signal to the high frequency transformer, and an output circuit to receive an input signal from the transformer and provide the DC battery charging power to charge the at least one vehicle battery.

10. A vehicle battery charging and monitoring system, comprising:

a power supply including a high-frequency transformer and configured to deliver a direct current battery charging power to charge a vehicle battery;

a battery module simultaneously carried by and connected to the vehicle battery, the battery module to provide control and monitoring of the vehicle battery to assess the vehicle battery health, the charging process, charging and discharging history, and fleet operations data;

a wind tunnel, the wind tunnel formed by a first end and a second end coupled to a base, an L-shaped assembly coupled to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base, and a side coupled to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base;

the high-frequency transformer positioned within the wind tunnel and having;

a bobbin having a first coil winding surface;

a first coil wound around the first coil winding surface;

a second coil wound concentric to the first coil; and

a cover, wherein the first coil and the second coil are compressed between the first coil winding surface and the cover.

11. The battery charging system of claim 10, wherein the transformer further includes a plurality of compression bosses wherein each of the plurality of compression bosses contacts one of the first or second coils to compress the first coil and the second coil between the first coil winding surface and the cover.

12. The battery charging system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the plurality of compression bosses is located on at least one of the cover and the first coil winding surface.

13. The battery charging system of claim 10, wherein the second coil is disposed on the outside of the first coil.

14. The battery charging system of claim 10, further including an insulating shroud disposed between the first coil and the second coil.

15. A daisy chained battery charging system for charging at least one vehicle battery, the system comprising:

a plurality of power supplies, each of the plurality of power supplies being electrically coupled in a daisy chain configuration and each of the plurality of power supplies sharing a common input power, each of the plurality of power supplies including a high-frequency transformer, each of the plurality of power supplies configured to deliver a DC battery charging power to charge the at least one vehicle battery;

a battery module carried by and connected to at least one of the at least one vehicle battery, the battery module to provide control and monitoring of the at least one vehicle battery to assess vehicle fleet operations data;

each of the plurality of power supplies including a wind tunnel, the wind tunnel formed by a first end and a second end coupled to a base, an L-shaped assembly coupled to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base, and a side coupled to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base;

the high frequency transformer positioned within the wind tunnel and having;

a first coil;

a second coil magnetically coupled to the first coil, the second coil including a plurality of second coil turns; and

a plurality of locating spacers disposed to maintain a desired spacing between each of the plurality of second coil turns; and

at least one battery charging cable extending from the power supply, the at least one battery charging cable including a connector for coupling to the battery within the vehicle.

16. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of locating spacers is disposed such that there is one locating spacer between each second coil turn.

17. The battery charging system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of locating spacers are disposed such that there is one locating spacer on each side of each of the plurality of second coil turns.

18. A method of manufacturing a vehicle battery charging system, the method comprising the steps of:

constructing a vehicle battery charging power supply including electrical connections for receiving a high-frequency transformer;

forming a wind tunnel, the wind tunnel formed by coupling a first end and a second end to a base, coupling an L-shaped assembly to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base, and coupling a side to at least one of the first end, the second end, and the base;

forming the high-frequency transformer by;

providing a first coil;

winding a second coil concentric to the first coil;

compressing the first coil and the second coil together to reduce the leakage inductance between the first coil and the second coil to a desired value;

mounting the high-frequency transformer within the wind tunnel and to the vehicle battery charging power supply through the electrical connections, such that the vehicle battery charging power supply is configured to deliver a DC battery charging power to charge at least one vehicle battery; and

providing a battery module to be simultaneously carried by and connected to the vehicle battery, the battery module providing control and monitoring of the vehicle battery and assessing the vehicle battery health, the charging process, charging and discharging history, and vehicle fleet operations data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the winding step includes the substep of mounting the first coil and the second coil to a bobbin.