Power recovery controller

• US 8,917,055 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bionatus, LLC
• Original Assignee: Colorado Energy Research Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Powell, Wayne J., Boehmer, Robert D., Johnson, Lee L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US14/161,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20140176052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 335 Days
• Field of Search: 320/107, 320/138, 320/139, 320/101
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

The inventive subject matter provides a circuit and a method for efficiently charging a battery. In one aspect of the invention, the circuit includes a constant current circuit configured to provide a direct current through the battery. The circuit also includes a pulsing current circuit that works with the constant current circuit and configured to simultaneously provide a series of pulsed current to the battery. In some embodiments, the series of current pulses includes constructive resonant ringing that is constructive with respect to the charging of the battery.

Claims

1. A method of charging a battery, comprising:

determining a resonant frequency of the battery;

simultaneously feeding through the battery a constant direct current and a series of current pulses at a frequency that corresponds to the resonant frequency, wherein each pulse in the series of the current pulses comprises constructive resonant ringing that is constructive with the respect to charging the battery; and

artificially enhancing the constructive resonant ringing of each pulse before feeding the pulse through the battery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the constructive resonant ringing comprises a decaying oscillation of current.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery comprises a primary battery.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the battery comprises a secondary battery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein feeding the series of current pulses comprises:

feeding a first subset of the series of current pulses through the battery at the frequency during a first interval of time;

providing a resting period of a duration that is at least as long as a time between three consecutive current pulses in the first subset of the series of current pulses, wherein no current pulse is fed through the battery during the resting period; and

feeding a second subset of the series of current pulses through the battery at the frequency during a subsequent, second interval of time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the resting period has a same duration as the first interval of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of current pulses is operated at a duty cycle of no more than 50%.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein feeding the series of current pulses comprises feeding the pulses at a frequency that is within 5% of the resonant frequency of the battery.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the resonant frequency of the battery is a frequency at which the battery accepts electric charges at a near optimal efficiency within a range of frequencies.

10. A circuit for charging a battery, comprising:

a first circuitry configured to provide a constant current through the battery;

a second circuitry configured to coordinate with the first circuitry to simultaneously provide a series of current pulses through the battery, wherein each current pulse in the series comprises constructive resonant ringing that is constructive with respect to charging the battery; and

a third circuitry configured to artificially enhance the constructive resonant ringing of each current pulse in the series before feeding the series of current pulses through the battery.

11. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the constructive resonant ringing comprises a decaying oscillation of current.

12. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the third circuitry comprises an inductor configured to artificially enhance the constructive resonant ringing.

13. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the battery comprises a primary battery.

14. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the battery comprises a secondary battery.

15. The circuit of claim 10, further comprising fourth circuitry coupled with the second circuitry and configured to control the second circuitry to:

feed a first subset of the series of current pulses through the battery at the frequency during a first interval of time;

provide a resting period of a duration that is at least as long as a time between three consecutive current pulses in the first subset of the series of current pulses, wherein no current pulse is fed through the battery during the resting period; and

feed a second subset of the series of current pulses through the battery at the frequency during a subsequent, second interval of time.

16. The circuit of claim 15, wherein the resting period has a same duration as the first interval of time.

17. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the second circuitry is configured to feed the series of current pulses at a duty cycle of no more than 50%.

18. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the second circuitry is configured to feed the series of current pulses at a frequency that is within 5% of the resonant frequency of the battery.

19. The circuit of claim 10, wherein the resonant frequency of the battery is a frequency at which the battery accepts electric charges at a near optimal efficiency within a range of frequencies.