Battery charging based on real time electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements
AssigneeGBatteries Energy Canada Inc.
InventorsOleksandr Tkachenko, Mykola Sherstyuk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A battery charging circuit can produce a pulsed charging current to charge a battery. During charging, without disconnecting the pulsed charging current from the battery, EIS measurements can be made. In other words, the pulsed charging current can serve double-duty, for battery charging and as a drive signal for the EIS measurements. The EIS measurements can be used to alter parameters of the pulsed charging current to improve battery life. In some instances, the parameters of the pulsed charging current can be momentarily changed for the purpose of making the EIS measurements, and then restored subsequent to making the measurements to parameters suitable for battery charging.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- generating pulsed charging current from a power supply, wherein generating the pulsed charging current includes modulating an output of the power supply with a pulse train that comprises a plurality of pulses, and wherein the power supply is operatively connected to a battery, the battery thereby being charged by the pulsed charging current;
- concurrent to charging the battery with the pulsed charging current, making a plurality of measurements of the battery, wherein making the plurality of measurements includes using the pulsed charging current as a drive signal to measure a response of the battery over a range of frequencies of the drive signal;
- and
- varying the pulsed charging current as the battery is being charged based on the plurality of measurements, wherein varying the pulsed charging current includes varying at least one of:
- pulse lengths, pulse amplitudes, and pulse durations, of the plurality of pulses that comprise the pulse train.
A circuit, comprising:
- a terminal for a connection to a power supply;
- a terminal for a connection to a battery;
- a pulse train generator configured to generate a pulse train comprising a plurality of pulses;
- and
- control logic operative to:
- generate pulsed charging current from the power supply by modulating on output of the power supply with the pulse train that comprises the plurality of pulses, and wherein the power supply is operatively connected to a battery, the battery thereby being charged by the pulsed charging current;
- concurrent to the battery being charged with the pulsed charging current, make a plurality of measurements of the battery, wherein the plurality of measurements are made by use of the pulsed charging current as a drive signal to measure a response of the battery over a range of frequencies of the drive signal;
- and
- vary the pulsed charging current as the battery is being charged based on the plurality of measurements, wherein to vary the pulsed charging current, the control logic is operative to vary at least one of:
- pulse lengths, pulse amplitudes, and pulse durations of the plurality of pulses that comprise the pulse train.
A system, comprising:
- a pulse train generator configured to generate a pulse train comprising a plurality of pulses;
- and
- control logic operative to:
- generate pulsed charging current from a power supply by modulating an output of the power supply with the pulse train, wherein the power supply is operatively connected to a battery, the battery thereby being charged by the pulsed charging current;
- provide the pulsed charging current to the battery to charge the battery;
- delay a flow of the pulsed charging current to the battery for a particular period of time;
- make a plurality of measurements of the battery during the particular period of time, wherein the plurality of measurements include at least a measurement of a response of the battery over a range of frequencies of a drive signal, wherein the drive signal is obtained from the pulse train generator;
- and
- vary the pulsed charging current as the battery is being charged based on the plurality of measurements, wherein to vary the pulsed charging current, the control logic is operative to vary at least one of:
- pulse lengths, pulse amplitudes, and pulse durations of the plurality of pulses that comprise the pulse train.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.