Hybrid battery pack and methods of charging and discharging the same
First Claim
1. A hybrid battery pack, comprising:
- a first power source having a first switching circuit;
a second power source connected to the first power source in parallel and having a second switching circuit;
a current sensor configured to sense the current of the first and second power sources; and
a controller configured to obtain the voltages of the first and second power sources and to control the first and second switching circuits so that the first and second power sources are not over-charged or over-discharged and to calculate the capacity of the first and second power sources,wherein the current sensor is connected to both the first and second power sources and is directly connected to both the first and second switching circuits, wherein the controller is configured to control the first and second switching circuits based on the current sensed by the current sensor, and wherein the first and second switching circuits are configured to affect charging and discharging of the first and second power sources based on the current sensed by the current sensor.
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Abstract
A hybrid battery pack and methods of charging and discharging the same make it possible to manage at least two power sources by one circuit. The hybrid battery pack includes a first power source having a first switching circuit, a second power source connected to the first power source in parallel and having a second switching circuit, a current sensor serially connected to the first and second power sources to sense the currents of the first and second power sources, and a controller to obtain the voltages of the first and second power sources so that the first and second power sources are not over-charged or over-discharged and to calculate the entire capacity of the first and second power sources using the amount of currents obtained by the current sensor.
13 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A hybrid battery pack, comprising:
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a first power source having a first switching circuit; a second power source connected to the first power source in parallel and having a second switching circuit; a current sensor configured to sense the current of the first and second power sources; and a controller configured to obtain the voltages of the first and second power sources and to control the first and second switching circuits so that the first and second power sources are not over-charged or over-discharged and to calculate the capacity of the first and second power sources, wherein the current sensor is connected to both the first and second power sources and is directly connected to both the first and second switching circuits, wherein the controller is configured to control the first and second switching circuits based on the current sensed by the current sensor, and wherein the first and second switching circuits are configured to affect charging and discharging of the first and second power sources based on the current sensed by the current sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17)
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14. A method of controlling a hybrid battery pack comprising at least two power sources, at least two switching circuits, each connected to one of the power sources, and a controller configured to control power supplied from a charging circuit to charge the hybrid battery pack, the method comprising:
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electrically opening charging paths of all power sources; stopping the charging circuit from generating a charging current; requesting from the controller information on which of the power sources is to be charged; selecting a power source to be charged based on a capacity of the power sources calculated with information from a current sensor connected to each of the power sources and directly connected to each of the switching circuits, and connecting the selected power source to the charging circuit; transmitting information on the selected power source to be charged and a charging preparation completion signal to the charging circuit; generating a charging current with the charging circuit; supplying the charging current to the selected power source; and discontinuing the charging current with the switching circuit connected to the selected power source based on a signal from the current sensor.
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15. A method of controlling a hybrid battery pack comprising at least two power sources, at least two switching circuits, each connected to one of the power sources, and a controller configured to control power supplied to a load to discharge the hybrid battery pack, the method comprising:
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electrically opening a charging path of one of the power sources to electrically disconnect the one power source from the load; selecting a power source to be discharged based on a capacity of the power sources calculated with information from a current sensor connected to each of the power sources and directly connected to each of the switching circuits; electrically opening a charging path of the selected power source to electrically disconnect the selected power source from the load; electrically connecting the selected power source to the load with a discharging path; electrically opening a discharging path of the one power source to electrically disconnect the one power source from the load; and discontinuing the discharging current with the switching circuit connected to the selected power source based on a signal from the current sensor. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification