Single transformer high-power balancer
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsWilliam Henry VON NOVAK, Linda IRISH
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide apparatus and methods for balancing charge in a plurality of cells in a battery. In one example apparatus, the primary winding of the transformer may be coupled to a bus, and the secondary winding may be coupled to a cell of the plurality of cells in the battery. The apparatus also includes a switch coupled to the primary winding of the transformer and one or more control circuits coupled to the switch. The control circuit may be configured to control the first switch based on a voltage at a first terminal of the primary winding to control transfer of power between the cell and the bus via the transformer.
Claims28
An apparatus for balancing charge in a plurality of cells in a battery, comprising:
- a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding of the transformer being coupled to an interface for coupling to a bus, and the secondary winding being coupled to another interface for coupling to a cell of the plurality of cells in the battery;
- a first switch coupled to the primary winding of the transformer;
- and
- one or more control circuits coupled to the first switch and configured to control the first switch based on a voltage at a first terminal of the primary winding to control transfer of power between the other interface for coupling to the cell and the interface for coupling to the bus via the transformer.
A method for balancing charge in a plurality of cells in a battery, comprising:
- sensing a voltage at a first terminal of a primary winding of a transformer, wherein:
- the primary winding of the transformer is coupled to an interface for coupling to a bus;
- a secondary winding of the transformer is coupled to another interface for coupling to a cell of the plurality of cells in the battery;
- and
- the sensed voltage at the first terminal is representative of a voltage of the cell;
- and
- operating a first switch coupled to the primary winding based on the sensed voltage to control transfer of power between the other interface for coupling to the cell and the interface for coupling to the bus via the transformer.
An apparatus for balancing charge in a plurality of cells in a battery, comprising:
- a transformer comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, the primary winding of the transformer being coupled to an interface for coupling to a bus, and the secondary winding being coupled to another interface for coupling to a cell of the plurality of cells in the battery;
- a first switch coupled to the secondary winding of the transformer;
- and
- a control circuit configured to:
- sense a voltage at a first terminal of the secondary winding representative of a voltage of the bus;
- and
- control the first switch based on the sensed voltage at the first terminal of the secondary winding to control transfer of power between the other interface for coupling to the cell and the interface for coupling to the bus via the transformer.
A system for balancing charge in a plurality of cells in a battery, comprising:
- a plurality of transformers, each comprising a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein each of the primary windings is coupled to an interface for coupling to a bus, and wherein each of the secondary windings is coupled to another interface for coupling to one of the plurality of cells;
- a plurality of switches, wherein each of the primary windings is coupled to one of the plurality of switches;
- and
- at least one control circuit coupled to the plurality of switches and configured to control the plurality of switches based on one or more voltages at a first terminal of the primary windings to control transfer of power between the other interfaces for coupling to the plurality of cells and the interfaces for coupling to the bus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.