Equalizer for series of connected battery strings

• US 20050140335A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 06/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Lee, Chun-Hsien, Lin, Pao-Chuan
• Application Number:
  US10/882,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20050140335A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/118
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits

Abstract

A terminal voltage equalization circuit is used to equalize the terminal voltage of the series of connected battery strings so that each battery in the series of connected battery strings can be equally charged. When voltage of a certain battery in the battery string is higher than that of the other batteries, the battery voltage sensing and controlling circuit will output a high frequency signal to drive the switch devices to transit power from the high voltage batteries to the low voltage batteries by transformer. By the high switching switches, the charging currents through the batteries with high terminal voltages can be reduced, the charging currents through the batteries with low terminal voltages can be enhanced, and therefore the damages to the batteries due to overcharging can be avoided and speedy balance of the terminal voltages between each battery can be achieved.

Claims

1. A equalizer, wherein said equalizer comprising:

a transformer, which is constituted by a primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding being constituted by a plurality of windings with the identical number of windings and the identical polarity, the number of windings of said secondary winding being identical to the sum of the number of windings of said primary winding; and

a switch means, said switch means is constituted by a plurality of switch devices, each of said switch devices of said switch means being coupled with said plurality of windings in identical polarity separately in said primary winding;

wherein

when said plurality of switch devices being driven by a control signal simultaneously, said plurality of winding in said primary winding becoming a primary winding and a secondary winding to each other.

2. The equalizer according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of first conductor devices, which are coupled with said switch means in parallel separately.

3. The equalizer according to claim 1, further comprising a second conductor device, which is coupled with said secondary winding.

4. The equalizer according to claim 1, wherein the polarity of said secondary winding is opposite to said primary winding.

5. The equalizer according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of switch devices is a three-terminal device.

6. The equalizer according to claim 5, wherein said three-terminal device is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

7. The equalizer according to claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of first conductor devices is said three-terminal device.

8. The equalizer according to claim 7, wherein said three-terminal device is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

9. The equalizer according to claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of first conductor devices is a two-terminal device.

10. The equalizer according to claim 9, wherein said two-terminal device is a diode device.

11. The equalizer according to claim 3, wherein said second conductor device is the same as said first conductor device.

12. The equalizer according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of first conductor devices are internal parasitic devices of metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs).

13. The equalizer according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of switch devices are driven by the control signals separately.

14. An equalizer of connected battery strings, comprising:

a series of connected battery string apparatus, which is comprising a plurality of series of batteries, wherein one end of said series of connected battery string apparatus being coupled with the positive terminal of a current source, and the other end of said series of connected battery string apparatus being coupled with the negative terminal of said current source;

a battery voltage sensing and controlling apparatus, comprising a plurality of high frequency signal output ports and a plurality of input ports, wherein said plurality of input ports being coupled with said plurality of batteries separately;

an equalizer, comprising;

a transformer, which is constituted by a primary winding and a secondary winding, said primary winding being constituted by a plurality of windings with the identical number of windings and the identical polarity, the number of windings of said secondary winding being identical to the sum of the number of windings of said primary winding; and

a switch means, which is constituted by a plurality of switch devices, each of said switch devices of said switch means being coupled with said plurality of windings and said plurality of high frequency signal output ports in identical polarity in said primary winding;

wherein

when said plurality of switch devices being driven by a high frequency control signal simultaneously from said battery voltage sensing and controlling apparatus, then said plurality of windings in said primary winding becoming a primary winding and a secondary winding to each other.

15. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, further comprising a plurality of first conductor devices, which are coupled with said switch means in parallel individually.

16. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, further comprising a second conductor device, which is coupled with said secondary winding.

17. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein the polarity of said secondary winding is opposite to said primary winding.

18. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of switch devices is a three-terminal device.

19. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 18, wherein said three-terminal device is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

20. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of first conductor devices is said three-terminal device.

21. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 20, wherein said three-terminal device is a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

22. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 15, wherein each of said plurality of first conductor devices is a two-terminal device.

23. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 22, wherein said two-terminal device is a diode device.

24. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 16, wherein said second conductor device is the same as said first conductor device.

25. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein said high frequency signal outputted from said battery voltage sensing and controlling means is a Pulse-Width-Modulated (PWM) signal.

26. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein said battery voltage sensing and controlling means is a micro-controller.

27. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of switch devices are driven by the high frequency signals outputted from said battery voltage sensing and controlling means separately.

28. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein said current source is a direct current source.

29. The equalizer of connected battery strings according to claim 14, wherein said equalizer is able to equalize indefinite numbers of battery by selecting in said series of connected battery string by the different connections between said equalizer and said series of connected battery string.