SERIES-CONNECTED BATTERY PACKS, SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20170346334A1
• Filed: 05/24/2017
• Published: 11/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Mergener, Matthew J., Obermann, Timothy Ryan, Glasgow, Kevin L., Brozek, Jeffrey M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,483,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/20 Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0025 Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/06 with automatic change-over , e.g. UPS systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 9/068 Electronic means for switching from one power supply to another power supply, e.g. to avoid parallel connection
• CPC Class Codes: H02P 27/08 with pulse width modulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A power device, system and method. The device may include a housing defining a first support operable to support a first battery pack, and a second support operable to support a second battery pack; a circuit selectively electrically connecting the first battery pack and the second battery pack in series, the circuit including an output terminal to provide an output voltage to a powered device, a first bypass portion operable to selectively electrically disconnect the first battery pack from the circuit, and a second bypass portion operable to selectively electrically disconnect the second battery pack from the circuit; and a boost converter electrically connected to the circuit and operable to boost a voltage at the output terminal.

Claims

1. A power device comprising:

a housing defining a first support operable to support a first battery pack, and a second support operable to support a second battery pack;

a circuit selectively electrically connecting the first battery pack and the second battery pack in series, the circuit including

an output terminal to provide an output voltage to a powered device,

a first bypass portion operable to selectively electrically disconnect the first battery pack from the circuit, and

a second bypass portion operable to selectively electrically disconnect the second battery pack from the circuit; and

a boost converter electrically connected to the circuit and operable to boost a voltage at the output terminal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the boost converter is selectively electrically connected in series with the first battery pack and the second battery pack, the boost converter being operable to boost a first voltage of the first battery pack and a second voltage of the second battery pack to the output voltage.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to operate with a first battery pack having one of a first nominal voltage, a first capacity, and a first state of charge and with a second battery pack having a corresponding one of a second nominal voltage, a second capacity, and a second state of charge different than the first.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first support is operable to removably support a first battery pack and the second support is operable to removably support a second battery pack.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller operable to

determine characteristics or condition of the first battery pack, and

control operation of the first bypass portion.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein, when the first battery pack is to be disabled, the controller controls the first bypass portion to disconnect the first battery pack from the circuit.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein, when another battery pack is substituted for a disabled first battery pack, the controller is operable to determine whether to control the first bypass portion to connect the other battery pack to the circuit.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller operable to

determine an input voltage of the powered device, and

control the boost converter to the voltage at the output terminal to the input voltage.

9. A power system comprising:

a first battery pack;

a second battery pack; and

a battery power device operable to provide an output voltage to a powered device, the battery power device including

a housing defining a first support operable to support the first battery pack, and a second support operable to support the second battery pack,

a circuit selectively electrically connecting the first battery pack and the second battery pack in series, the circuit including

an output terminal to provide the output voltage to the powered device,

a first bypass portion operable to selectively electrically disconnect the first battery pack from the circuit, and

a second bypass portion operable to selectively electrically disconnect the second battery pack from the circuit, and

a boost converter electrically connected to the circuit and operable to boost a voltage at the output terminal.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the boost converter is selectively electrically connected in series with the first battery pack and the second battery pack, the boost converter being operable to boost a first voltage of the first battery pack and a second voltage of the second battery pack to the output voltage.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first battery pack has a first nominal voltage and the second battery pack has a second nominal voltage different than the first nominal voltage.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first battery pack has a first capacity and the second battery pack has a second capacity different than the first capacity.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first battery pack has a first state of charge and the second battery pack has a second state of charge different than the first state of charge.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the first battery pack includes

a battery pack housing removably supported by the first support,

a battery cell supported by the battery pack housing, and

a terminal operable to connect the battery cell to the circuit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the second battery pack includes

a battery pack housing removably supported by the second support,

a battery cell supported by the battery pack housing, and

a terminal operable to connect the battery cell to the circuit

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising a controller operable to

determine characteristics or condition of the first battery pack, and

control operation of the first bypass portion.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein, when the first battery pack is to be disabled, the controller controls the first bypass portion to disconnect the first battery pack from the circuit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, when another battery pack is substituted for a disabled first battery pack, the controller is operable to determine whether to control the first bypass portion to connect the other battery pack to the circuit.

19. The system of claim 9, further comprising a controller operable to

determine an input voltage of the powered device, and

control the boost converter to the voltage at the output terminal to the input voltage.

20. A method of powering a powered device, the method comprising:

selectively electrically connecting a first battery pack and a second battery pack in a circuit in series;

providing an output voltage at an output terminal;

boosting a voltage at the output terminal; and

when one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack reaches an end of discharge condition, selectively electrically disconnecting the one of the first battery pack and the second battery pack from the circuit.