Process and apparatus for charging lithium cells or the like

• US 5,631,539 A
• Filed: 10/24/1994
• Issued: 05/20/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Norand Corporation (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Beard, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIN, KYUNG E
• Application Number:
  US08/328,250
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 320/21, 320/22, 320/23, 320/24, 320/30-34, 320/39-40, 320/25-26, 320/43-45, 320/48, 320/13, 320/14, 320/15, 320/9
• US Class Current: 320/157
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0071 with a programmable schedule
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A process for charging one or more lithium containig electrochemical cells which exhibit a plurality of characteristics with respect to time while either being charged with or while discharging energy, wherein the charging process includes an unpetrify phase, a fast phase, a top up phase, a done phase, a good phase, and a low phase.

Claims

1. A process for charging one or more electrochemical cells wherein one or several of the component parts of said cells are fabricated from lithium or any ion, nuclide, variation, combination, compound or derivative thereof, said cells exhibiting a plurality of characteristics with respect to time while either being charged with or while discharging energy, such process comprising:

(a) an unpetrify charging phase;

(b) a fast charging phase;

(c) a top up charging phase;

(d) a done charging phase;

(e) a good charging phase; and

(f) a low charging phase.

2. The process according to claim 1 wherein the unpetrify charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charge rate until a voltage condition is satisfied.

3. The process according to claim 1 wherein the fast charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charge rate until a voltage condition is satisfied.

4. The process according to claim 1 wherein the fast charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charge rate until a current condition is satisfied.

5. The process according to claim 1 wherein the top up charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charge rate until a current condition is satisfied.

6. The process according to claim 1 wherein the top up charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charge rate until a time condition is satisfied.

7. The process according to claim 1 wherein the done charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charging rate so long as a current condition is satisfied.

8. The process according to claim 1 wherein the good charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charging rate until a current condition is satisfied.

9. The process according to claim 1 wherein the good charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charging rate until a current condition is satisfied.

10. The process according to claim 1 wherein the good charging phase includes charging said cells at a predetermined charging rate until a voltage condition is satisfied.

11. The process according to claim 1 wherein the low charging phase includes charging said cells until a current condition is satisfied.