Hybrid battery power system

• US 9,214,710 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Cowen, Steven James
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): O Donnell, Lucas J
• Application Number:
  US14/038,135
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/06 Dry cells, i.e. cells wherein the electrolyte is rendered non-fluid
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/16 Biochemical fuel cells, i.e. cells in which microorganisms function as catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/342 The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/0034
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A hybrid battery is configured to power at least one of a low current circuitry and a high current circuitry. The hybrid battery includes a primary battery configured to supply relatively constant, low current to the low current circuitry and a secondary battery configured to supply intermittent, high peak current to the high current circuitry. The hybrid battery also includes a controller configured to monitor energy load requirements of the low current circuitry and the high current circuitry, adaptively direct energy generated by the primary battery and the secondary battery to the low current circuitry and the high current circuitry respectively, and maintain a state of charge of the secondary battery by directing electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery.

Claims

1. A hybrid battery configured to power at least one of a low current circuitry and a high current circuitry, comprising:

a primary battery configured to supply relatively constant, low current to the low current circuitry, wherein the primary battery is a biological battery configured to harvest energy from redox reactions in bacteria-containing mud;

a secondary battery configured to supply intermittent, high current to the high current circuitry, wherein the primary battery supplies low current for a longer period of time than the secondary battery supplies high current; and

a controller configured to monitor energy load requirements of the low current circuitry and the high current circuitry and maintain a state of charge of the secondary battery by directing electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery.

2. The hybrid battery of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to direct the relatively constant, low current from the primary battery to low current circuitry and direct the intermittent high current from the secondary battery to the high current circuitry.

3. The hybrid battery of claim 1, wherein the primary battery comprises a string of biological battery cells.

4. The hybrid battery of claim 3, wherein the secondary battery comprises a plurality of series-connected strings of rechargeable nickel metal hydride cells.

5. The hybrid battery of claim 4, wherein steering diodes are inserted into each string of the primary battery and into each string of the secondary battery to isolate those strings of the primary battery and the secondary battery with failed cells.

6. The hybrid battery of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to measure voltage of the primary battery and voltage of the secondary batter to determine a state of charge of the primary battery and a state of charge of the secondary battery.

7. The hybrid battery of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to direct electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery when voltage of the secondary battery falls below a first predefined threshold.

8. The hybrid battery of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to stop directing electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery when voltage of the secondary battery rises above a first predefined threshold.

9. The hybrid battery of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to charge the secondary battery using a low duty cycle pulse charging method and minimize Tafel voltage of the secondary battery during a charging cycle.

10. A method for powering at least one of a low current circuitry and a high current circuitry with a hybrid battery including a biological primary battery and a secondary battery, the method comprises:

supplying, by the primary battery, relatively constant, low current from redox reactions in bacteria-containing mud to the low current circuitry;

supplying, by the secondary battery, intermittent, high current to the high current circuitry, wherein the primary battery supplies low current for a longer period of time than the secondary battery supplies high current;

monitoring, by a controller in the hybrid battery, energy load requirements of the low current circuitry and the high current circuitry;

adaptively directing, by the controller, energy generated by the primary battery and the secondary battery to the low current circuitry and the high current circuitry; and

maintaining, by the controller, a state of charge of the secondary battery by directing electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the adaptively directing comprises directing the relatively constant, low current from the primary battery to low current circuitry and directing the intermittent, high current from the secondary battery to the high current circuitry.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the primary battery and the secondary battery each comprise a string of battery cells, and further comprising inserting steering diodes into each string of the primary battery and into each string of the secondary battery to isolate those strings of the primary battery and the secondary battery with failed cells.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the maintaining comprises measuring voltage of the primary battery and voltage of the secondary batter to determine the state of charge of the primary battery and the state of charge of the secondary battery.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the maintaining comprises directing electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery when voltage of the secondary battery falls below a first predefined threshold.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the maintaining comprises stop directing electrical energy from the primary battery to the secondary battery when voltage of the secondary battery rises above a first predefined threshold.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the maintaining comprises charging the secondary battery using a low duty cycle pulse charging method and minimizing Tafel voltage of the secondary battery during a charging cycle.