Rapid battery charging

• US 10,193,366 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chargetek Inc., Potential Difference, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chargetek Inc., Potential Difference, Inc.
• Inventors: Josephs, Louis C, Small, Jr., Elliott C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kebede, Tessema
• Application Number:
  US14/993,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20160204625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,113 Days
• Field of Search: 320139
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00711 with introduction of pulses during the charging process

Abstract

A method and battery charger for charging one or more batteries includes a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector. A recovery/discharge circuit is electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices are electrically connected to each of the recovery/discharge circuits. A charging pulse group, which includes a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse, is determined based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector. The charging pulse group is generated using the pulse generator, and sequentially applied to each of the batteries. Energy is recovered from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery/discharge circuits during the negative pulse, and the energy is stored in the one or more energy storage devices. The battery parameters are monitored and the charging pulse group may be adjusted.

Claims

1. A method for charging one or more batteries with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector;

determining a charging pulse group based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse;

generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator;

sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries, recovering an energy from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices; and

monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries and determining whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries using the processor and the detector.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries, wherein the one or more battery parameters comprise at least one of a parallel resistance, a series resistance, a parallel capacitance, a phase angle, a battery temperature, a battery internal pressure, a battery internal resistance, a battery terminal voltage and a voltage derivative with time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the negative pulse immediately precedes the positive pulse.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the negative pulse immediately follows the positive pulse.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of providing the one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger comprises the step of electrically connecting the one or more batteries to the battery charger.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of using the energy stored in the one or more energy storage devices to recharge the one or more batteries.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more energy storage devices comprise an AC storage device, a DC storage device, a tertiary storage device, or a combination thereof.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

generating a discharge pulse using the pulse generator;

applying the discharge pulse to each of the one or more batteries; and

detecting the one or more battery parameters using the detector.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring step further comprises the step of adjusting the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries using the processor and the detector by changing at least one of a voltage, a current, the charging series time period, the charging time period, the rest time period, the positive pulse and the rest period.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the adjusting step is performed on each battery such that the charging pulse group comprises a first charging pulse group for a first battery and a second charging pulse group for a second battery.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the generating step, sequentially applying step, monitoring step and the adjusting step are repeated until the one or more batteries are substantially charged, a specified charge level is obtained, or a specified charging time period has elapsed.

12. A method for charging one or more batteries with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector;

measuring one or more parameters of the one or more batteries, wherein the one or more battery parameters comprise at least one of a parallel resistance, a series resistance, a parallel capacitance, a phase angle, a battery temperature, a battery internal pressure, a battery internal resistance, a battery terminal voltage and a voltage derivative with time;

determining a charging pulse group based on one or more battery parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse;

generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator;

sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries, recovering an energy from each of the one or more batteries using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices;

monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries using the detector;

adjusting the charging pulse group whenever the processor determines that an adjustment is required by changing at least one of a voltage, a current, the charging series time period, the charging time period, the rest time period, the positive pulse and the rest period; and

repeating the generating step, the sequentially applying step, the monitoring step and the adjusting step until the one or more batteries are substantially charged, a specified charge level is obtained, or a specified charging time period has elapsed.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the negative pulse immediately precedes the positive pulse.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the negative pulse immediately follows the positive pulse.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the step of providing the one or more batteries electrically connected to the battery charger comprises the step of electrically connecting the one or more batteries to the battery charger.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the step of using the energy stored in the one or more energy storage devices to recharge the one or more batteries.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the one or more energy storage devices comprise an AC storage device, a DC storage device, a tertiary storage device, or a combination thereof.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

generating a discharge pulse using the pulse generator;

applying the discharge pulse to each of the one or more batteries; and

detecting the one or more battery parameters using the detector.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the adjusting step is performed on each battery such that the charging pulse group comprises a first charging pulse group for a first battery and a second charging pulse group for a second battery.

20. A battery charging system for one or more batteries, comprising:

a battery charger comprising;

a pulse generator configured to generate a charging pulse group comprising comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse and sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more batteries,

a detector configured to monitor one or more parameters of the one or more batteries, and

a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector, the processor configured to determine the charging pulse group and determine whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries;

a recovery circuit electrically connected to each battery, wherein each recovery circuit 1s configured to recover an energy from each battery during the negative pulse; and

one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein each energy storage device is configured to store the energy recovered from the recovery circuits.

21. The battery charging system as recited in claim 20, wherein the detector is further configured to measure the one or more parameters of the one or more batteries, wherein the one or more battery parameters comprise at least one of a parallel resistance, a series resistance, a parallel capacitance, a phase angle, a battery temperature, a battery internal pressure, a battery internal resistance, a battery terminal voltage and a voltage derivative with time.

22. The battery charging system as recited in claim 20, wherein the negative pulse immediately precedes the positive pulse.

23. The battery charging system as recited in claim 20, wherein the negative pulse immediately follows the positive pulse.

24. The battery charging system as recited in claim 20, wherein the recovery/discharge circuit comprises an isolated circuit having a high frequency transformer as substantially shown in FIG. 18 or a non-isolated circuit as substantially shown in FIG. 19.

25. The battery charging system as recited in claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more batteries using the processor and the detector by changing at least one of a voltage, a current, the charging series time period, the charging time period, the rest time period, the positive pulse and the rest period.

26. The battery charging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the charging pulse is adjusted for each battery such that the charging pulse group comprises a first charging pulse group for a first battery and a second charging pulse group for a second battery.

27. The battery charging system as recited in claim 22, wherein the processor is configured to charge the one or more batteries until the one or more batteries are substantially charged, a specified charge level is obtained, or a specified charging time period has elapsed.

28. A method for charging one or more cells within a battery with a battery charger, comprising the steps of:

providing the battery having one or more cells electrically connected to the battery charger, a recovery circuit electrically connected to each cell, and one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein the battery charger comprises a pulse generator, a detector and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector;

determining a charging pulse group based on one or more cell parameters using the processor and the detector, wherein the charging pulse group comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse;

generating the charging pulse group using the pulse generator;

sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more cells, recovering an energy from each of the one or more cells using the recovery circuits during the negative pulse, and storing the energy in the one or more energy storage devices; and

monitoring the one or more parameters of the one or more cells and determining whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more cells using the processor and the detector.

29. A battery charging system for one or more cells within a battery, comprising:

a battery charger comprising;

a pulse generator configured to generate a charging pulse group comprising

comprises a positive pulse, a rest period and a negative pulse and sequentially applying the charging pulse group to each of the one or more cells,

a detector configured to monitor one or more parameters of the one or more cells, and a processor communicably coupled to the pulse generator and the detector, the processor configured to determine the charging pulse group and determine whether to adjust the charging pulse group for the one or more cells;

a recovery circuit electrically connected to each cell, wherein each recovery circuit is configured to recover an energy from each cell during the negative pulse; and

one or more energy storage devices electrically connected to each of the recovery circuits, wherein each energy storage device is configured to store the energy recovered from the recovery circuits.