Battery charger with battery state detection

• US 10,446,885 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Schumacher Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Schumacher Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Clarke, Patrick J., Whiting, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward
• Application Number:
  US15/594,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20170331162A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320132, 320149, 320150, 324427, 324430, 324433
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/203 Resistors used for electric measuring, e.g. decade resistors standards, resistors for comparators, series resistors, shunts resistors in general H01C; microwave or radiowave terminations H01P1/26; coupling devices H01R
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 13/02 for displaying measured electric variables in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/0069 measuring voltage or current standards
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/006 on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/364 Battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/378 specially adapted for the type of battery or accumulator
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/379 for lead-acid batteries
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3842 combining voltage and current measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/025 formed by the conductors of a cable end
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6616 with resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6625 with capacitive component
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6683 with built-in sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6691 with built-in signalling means H01R13/717 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00032 characterised by data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00047 : with provisions for charging different types of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0036 : using connection detecting circuits H02J7/0034 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 : Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 : Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0069 : Charging or discharging for charge maintenance, battery initiation or rejuvenation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 : the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00714 : in response to battery charging or discharging current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00718 : in response to charge current gradient
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007192 : in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 : of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A battery charger and method is disclosed for detecting when a battery has a low state of health while simultaneously charging or maintaining the battery. A battery charger includes a processor; a non-transitory memory device; a power management device to receive an input power and to output a charging current; a pair of electrical conductors to electrically couple with a battery, and a display electrically coupled to the processor. The display being configured to indicate a bad battery indicator when the battery has a low state of health and whether the battery is good to start.

Claims

1. A battery charger for identifying a bad battery, the battery charger comprising:

a processor operatively coupled with a voltage sensor;

a non-transitory memory device operatively coupled with the processor;

a power management device to receive an input power and to output a charging current during a charging process;

a display device electrically coupled to the processor, wherein the display device is configured to display a bad battery indicator; and

a pair of electrical conductors to electrically couple with a lead acid battery, wherein, to determine and display whether the lead acid battery has a low state of health, the battery charger is configured to;

measure, using the voltage sensor, a first battery voltage of the lead acid battery connected across the pair of electrical conductors;

compare, using the processor, the first battery voltage to a first predetermined voltage value stored to the non-transitory memory device;

measure, if the first battery voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage value, a second battery voltage of the lead acid battery using the voltage sensor after a first period of time;

compare the second battery voltage to a second predetermined voltage value stored to the non-transitory memory device;

instruct the display device to display the bad battery indicator if the second battery voltage is greater than or equal to the second predetermined voltage value; and

abort the charging process if the second battery voltage is greater than or equal to the second predetermined voltage value.

2. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to commence a desulfation process if the second battery voltage is greater than or equal to the second predetermined voltage value.

3. The battery charger of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to measure a third battery voltage of the lead acid battery connected across the pair of electrical conductors after a second period of time if the second battery voltage is greater than or equal to the second predetermined voltage value.

4. The battery charger of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the third battery voltage to the second predetermined voltage value, and wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the display device to not display the bad battery indicator if the third battery voltage is less than or equal to the second predetermined voltage value.

5. The battery charger of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the third battery voltage to the second predetermined voltage value, and wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the display device to display the bad battery indicator if the third battery voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage value and lack of progress is detected.

6. The battery charger of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to compare the third battery voltage to the second predetermined voltage value, and wherein the processor is further configured to instruct the display device to display the bad battery indicator if the third battery voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage value and a thermal runaway condition is detected.

7. A battery charger for identifying a bad battery, the battery charger comprising:

a processor operatively coupled with a voltage sensor;

a non-transitory memory device operatively coupled with the processor;

a power management device to receive an input power and to output current during a charging process;

a display device electrically coupled to the processor, wherein the display device is configured to display a bad battery indicator; and

a pair of electrical conductors to electrically couple with a lithium battery, wherein, to determine and display whether the lithium battery has a low state of health, the battery charger is configured to;

measure, using the voltage sensor, a first battery voltage of a lithium battery connected to the battery charger across the pair of electrical conductors;

compare, using the processor, the first battery voltage to a first predetermined voltage value stored to the memory device;

supply, using the power management device, a first current from the battery charger to the lithium battery for a first period of time if the first battery voltage is less than the first predetermined voltage value;

measure, using the voltage sensor, a second battery voltage of the lithium battery during the first period of time;

compare, using the processor, the second battery voltage to a second predetermined voltage value stored to the memory device;

supply, using the power management device, a second current from the battery charger to the lithium battery if the second battery voltage is (1) greater than the first predetermined voltage value and (2) less than the second predetermined voltage value;

measure, using a voltage sensor, a third battery voltage of the lithium battery after a second period of time;

compare, using the processor, the third battery voltage to a second predetermined voltage value;

abort the charging process if the third battery voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage value after the second period of time; and

supply a third current to the lithium battery if the third battery voltage is (1) greater than the second predetermined voltage value and (2) less than a third predetermined voltage value.

8. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the battery charger is further configured to enter a maintenance mode if the third battery voltage is greater than or equal to the third predetermined voltage value.

9. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the maintenance mode includes periodically supplying a fourth current to the lithium battery.

10. The battery charger of claim 9, wherein the first current is between 0.01 and 0.5 amps, the second current is between 0.25 and 1.0 amps, the third current is between 1.0 and 3.0 amps, and the fourth current is between 0.1 and 0.3 amps.

11. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the battery charger is further configured to supply the third current to the lithium battery if a measured battery voltage drops below a fourth predetermined voltage value.

12. The battery charger of claim 11, wherein the lithium battery is a nominal 12-volt battery, and wherein the first predetermined voltage value is between 5.0 and 12.4 volts, the second predetermined voltage value is between 8.0 and 12.0 volts, the third predetermined voltage value is between 14.0 and 15.0 volts, and the fourth predetermined voltage value is between 12.5 and 13.5 volts.

13. The battery charger of claim 12, wherein the lead acid battery is a nominal 12-volt battery and the first predetermined voltage value is between 12.0 and 12.4 volts.

14. The battery charger of claim 12, wherein the lead acid battery is a nominal 12-volt battery and the second predetermined voltage value is between 14.0 and 16.0 volts.

15. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the battery charger is further configured to display a bad battery indicator via a display device on the battery charger if the processor aborts the charging process.

16. The battery charger of claim 7, wherein the battery charger is further configured to display a bad battery indicator via a display device on the battery charger if the third battery voltage is less than the second predetermined voltage value after the second period of time.

17. A battery charger for identifying a bad battery, the battery charger comprising:

a processor operatively coupled with a voltage sensor;

a non-transitory memory device operatively coupled with the processor;

a power management device to receive an input power and to output current during a charging process;

a display device electrically coupled to the processor, wherein the display device is configured to display a bad battery indicator; and

a pair of electrical conductors to electrically couple with a lithium battery, wherein, to determine and display whether the lithium battery has a low state of health, the battery charger is configured to;

determine a state of charge for a lead acid battery connected across the pair of electrical conductors;

measure, using the voltage sensor, a first battery voltage of the lead acid battery;

measure, using the voltage sensor, a second battery voltage of the lead acid battery after a first period of time;

calculate, using the processor, a first rate of change for the first period of time;

display a bad battery indicator via the display device if the first rate of change is greater than or equal to a first predetermined rate of change value stored to the non-transitory memory device; and

abort the charging process if the first rate of change is greater than or equal t the first predetermined rate of change value.

18. The battery charger of claim 17, wherein the first predetermined rate of change value is a function of the state of charge for the lead acid battery.

19. The battery charger of claim 17, wherein the battery charger is further configured to measure a third battery voltage of the lead acid battery after a second period of time.

20. The battery charger of claim 19, wherein the battery charger is further configured to calculate, using the processor, a second rate of change for the second period of time.

21. The battery charger of claim 20, wherein the battery charger is further configured to display the bad battery indicator via the display device if the second rate of change is greater than or equal to a second predetermined rate of change value, wherein the second predetermined rate of change value is a function of the state of charge for the lead acid battery and wherein the second predetermined rate of change value is not equal to the first predetermined rate of change value.