Accumulator battery monitoring over power circuit
First Claim
1. A method for carriage of a communications over a direct-current power circuit comprising of:
- a. constructing a toroidal coupling coil with a low-permeability core material as a means of coupling the alternating-current high-frequency carrier onto the power circuit;
b. constructing the toroidal coupling coil with at least 25 windings thus forming the secondary winding;
c. threading a power conductor of the direct-current power circuit through the center of the coupling coil, thus forming the primary winding;
d. generating an alternating voltage carrier signal of a certain frequency such that the dimension of the power circuit is smaller than one-quarter wavelength of said frequency, such as to prevent electro-magnetic radiation of the carrier and prevent induced interference at said frequency;
e. modulating the alternating voltage carrier signal with a packet of digital information;
f. applying the modulated alternating voltage signal to the secondary winding of the coupling coil for transmission, which is then induced as alternating-current onto the primary winding, superimposed on direct-current flowing through the power circuit; and
g. inducing the alternating-current onto another similar coupling coil threaded onto another conductor of the same power circuit, as its primary winding, which is induced onto the secondary winding to result in alternating voltage input to a receiver-demodulator.
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Abstract
The invention is in the field of monitoring and controlling of rechargeable battery arrays as used in telecommunications power plants and vehicles equipped with all-electrical or hybrid-electrical power train. The invention presents a method of embedding a microcontroller into each individual cell in the array, which executes measurements of cell voltage, temperature and optionally instantaneous current. These measurements are aimed to reflect the cell state-of-charge and its overall maintenance state, i.e. health or life expectancy. The measured data is then transmitted over the same wires that conduct the electrical energy to and from the battery cells using a Rogowsky type coil (a.k.a. current transformer) to superimpose a high-frequency alternating-current modulated signal over any direct current flowing through the power wires. A central digital signal processor with a similar current transformer connected to the power lines detects, demodulates and decodes the measurements data for the use of overall battery array control and maintenance.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for carriage of a communications over a direct-current power circuit comprising of:
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a. constructing a toroidal coupling coil with a low-permeability core material as a means of coupling the alternating-current high-frequency carrier onto the power circuit; b. constructing the toroidal coupling coil with at least 25 windings thus forming the secondary winding; c. threading a power conductor of the direct-current power circuit through the center of the coupling coil, thus forming the primary winding; d. generating an alternating voltage carrier signal of a certain frequency such that the dimension of the power circuit is smaller than one-quarter wavelength of said frequency, such as to prevent electro-magnetic radiation of the carrier and prevent induced interference at said frequency; e. modulating the alternating voltage carrier signal with a packet of digital information; f. applying the modulated alternating voltage signal to the secondary winding of the coupling coil for transmission, which is then induced as alternating-current onto the primary winding, superimposed on direct-current flowing through the power circuit; and g. inducing the alternating-current onto another similar coupling coil threaded onto another conductor of the same power circuit, as its primary winding, which is induced onto the secondary winding to result in alternating voltage input to a receiver-demodulator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A data acquisition device that measures analogue electrical operational parameters of a rechargeable battery cell and that transmits these parameters in digital format over the direct-current power circuit of same battery cell to other cells in the array and to power source and electric load comprising of:
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a. a digital micro-controller acquiring and processing analogue values, formatting said values onto a digital information packets and modulating said packets onto a high-frequency alternating voltage carrier signal; b. a toroidal coupling coil constructed using low-permeability core material, with at least 25 windings forming the secondary winding; c. the output of the digital micro-controller carrying the modulated high-frequency signal connected to the secondary winding; d. a conductor carrying direct-current power connected to one of the electrodes of a battery cell that is threaded through the center of the toroidal coil to form the primary winding; e. inducting the high-frequency carrier signal modulated with a digital packet containing the acquired analogue battery cell operating parameters onto the direct-current conductor connected to the cell electrode and superimposing said modulated carrier signal onto the direct-current flowing through the battery cell; and f. where the high-frequency is such that the dimension of the power circuit is smaller than one-quarter wavelength of said frequency. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A data-collection device that detects and demodulates a high-frequency alternating current on the direct-current power circuit and recovers digital data packets modulated on a high-frequency signal consisting:
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a. a toroidal coupling coil constructed with a low-permeability core material and containing at least 25 windings, forming a secondary winding; b. a power conductor carrying direct-current electricity with a superimposed alternating-current carrier signal threaded through the center of the coupling coil thus forming a primary winding; c. an electronic amplifier, filter and demodulator connected to the secondary winding; d. where the high-frequency carrier signal is fed from the secondary winding to the amplifier and filter; e. where the demodulator extracts the digital information packets from the carrier signal output from the amplifier and filter; f. a digital controller decodes and process the packets of digital information and verifies its integrity using redundancy codes in the packet; g. the digital controller formats and transmits the digital information to an external battery system controller that supervises battery cell array operation, charging and discharging profiles and alerts other systems of the state of charge and health of the battery array; and h. where the high-frequency is such that the dimension of the power circuit is smaller than one-quarter wavelength of said frequency. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A direct-current electric power storage and supply system comprising:
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a. an array of rechargeable accumulator battery cells connected in series by power conductor connecting the electrodes of opposing polarity of any two adjacent cells, a power source charger and a plurality of electrical loads connected to the said array of battery cells at the extreme electrodes; b. where a plurality of power conductors are threaded through the center of a plurality of toroidal coupling cols that couple high-frequency alternating current signals onto the direct-current flowing through the system; c. where each battery cell is augmented with a data acquisition device powered from the cell and acquires the cell operating conditions; d. where the operating conditions comprising battery cell voltage and temperature; e. where the plurality of data acquisition devices transmit digital data packets modulated onto a high-frequency carrier, and induced onto the power circuit by means of the coupling coil; f. where the high-frequency is such that the dimension of the power circuit is smaller than one-quarter wavelength of said frequency; g. where a plurality of data collection devices are each coupled to a power conductor by means of a coupling coil, receiving demodulating and processing the operating conditions of a plurality of cells in the array; h. where the data collection device is connected to a power system controller and provides it with operating conditions of the battery cells to enable the optimization of the power circuit efficiency and prolong the useable life of said battery cells. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification