Power conversion equipment monitor/controller method and apparatus

For use with a system including a battery charger, a battery, and a controller including a processor for storing into a memory connected thereto, the charge efficiency factor determination method comprising:

• a providing of a present charge efficiency factor, a maximum amp-hour charge level capacity of the battery, and a present status of amp-hour charge level;
• a storing of the present charge efficiency factor, the maximum amp-hour charge level capacity of the battery, and the present status of amp-hour charge level in the memory;
• a discharging of the battery and while discharging, decrementing the present status of amp-hour charge level;
• a recharging of the battery and a storing of the present status of amp-hour immediately before recharging in the memory as the lowest-recorded amp-hour charge level;
• a measuring of amp-hours used to recharge battery and a storing in memory the amp-hours used as amp-hours used-to-recharge the battery;
• a completing of the recharging of the battery;
• a determining of an intermediate charge efficiency factor by dividing amp-hours used-to-recharge battery by difference between the maximum amp-hour charge level capacity and the lowest-recorded amp-hour charge level;
• an averaging of the present charging efficiency factor with the intermediate charge efficiency factor to produce a result;
• and
• a storing of the result in memory as the present charging efficiency factor.

A battery charge monitoring apparatus for use with a battery charging system which includes a battery charger for storing AC-to-DC converted electric power in a battery connected thereto, wherein the battery has an amp-hour charge level, the apparatus comprising:

• an ammeter connected to the battery, the ammeter for measuring current flow through the battery;
• a processor for calculating a charge efficiency factor, wherein during a charging of the battery, the processor calculates a present status of the amp-hour charge level based on the charge efficiency factor and the processor is connected to the ammeter and connected to the battery charger;
• and
• a display that indicates the charge efficiency factor and the present status of the amp-hour charge level of the battery, wherein the display is connected to the processor.

A microcontroller-based monitor and control unit for interconnection with an electrical power system of the type that includes an inverter for supplying an AC signal for powering alternating current electrical loads, a battery charger having input terminals for receiving an AC input signal from an AC power source, and one or more batteries, at least one of the one or more batteries connected for supplying current to one or more direct current loads that include the inverter, the at least one of the one or more batteries being connected for receiving a charging current that includes current supplied by the battery charger, the battery charger being of the type that provides a multi-state battery charging sequence in which the relationship between charging current produced by the battery charger and the terminal voltage produced by the battery charger across the terminals of the at least one battery is established during each particular state of the multi-state charging sequence by a control parameter, said microcontroller-based monitor and control unit comprising:

• a programmable microprocessor operable in response to stored program instructions for selectively monitoring the terminal voltage of the at least one of the one or more batteries and for selectively monitoring the battery charging current supplied to the at least one of the one or more batteries and the current supplied by the at least one of the one or more batteries to the one or more direct current loads that include the inverter, said programmable microprocessor being further operable in response to stored program instructions for establishing the control parameter for at least one state of the multi-state charging sequence and for determining one or more power system status indications that include a state-of-charge indication for the at least one of the one or more batteries;
• a display unit operably interconnected with said programmable microprocessor for selective display of said one or more power system status indications;
• manually operable input means connected for supplying signals to said programmable microprocessor for establishing the control parameter for said at least one state of the multi-state charging sequence and for controlling said selective display of said one or more power system status indications by said display unit;
• and
• memory means for storing said program instructions for said programmable microprocessor and for storing the control parameter for said at least one state of the multi-state charging sequence.

A monitor and control unit for interconnection and use with an electrical power system of the type having an inverter for supplying AC power, the inverter being connected to a battery that provides DC current that includes at least a drive current for the inverter and the battery being connected for periodically receiving charging current that includes at least current that is supplied by a multi-state battery charger that is connectable to an AC power source, the multi-state battery charger being operable to provide a bulk charge cycle during which the multi-state battery charger supplies a substantially constant bulk charge current to increase the battery terminal voltage to an acceptance voltage value, the multi-state battery charger further being operable to provide an acceptance charge cycle during which the multi-state battery charger supplies a charging current sufficient to maintain the battery terminal voltage substantially equal to the acceptance voltage value, the multi-state battery charger being additionally operable to provide a float cycle during which the multi-state battery charger decreases the battery terminal voltage from the selected acceptance voltage value to a float voltage value, and supplies charging current sufficient to maintain the battery terminal voltage substantially equal to the float voltage value, said monitor and control unit connectable to the electrical power system for receiving signals representative of the battery terminal voltage and for receiving signals representative of the charging current supplied to the battery and the DC current supplied by the battery, said monitoring and control unit comprising:

• input means operable for selecting one or more operational parameters of the electrical power system from a group of operational parameters that includes a desired value for the substantially constant bulk charge current supplied by the multi-state battery charger during the bulk charge cycle, a desired value for the acceptance voltage value, and a desired value for the float voltage value;
• a display unit for displaying current and voltage values during operation of said input means to select one or more of said operational parameters of the electrical power system, said display unit also for displaying a battery state-of-charge value indicative of the charge condition of the battery;
• a microprocessor connected for receiving the signals representative of the battery terminal voltage and the signals representative of the charging current supplied to the battery and the DC current supplied by the battery, said microprocessor being responsive to stored program instructions for operative interaction with said input means and said display unit for establishing one or more the operational parameters of the electrical power system at a desired value and being responsive to stored program instructions for determining and displaying said battery state-of-charge value based upon said signals representative of the charging current supplied to the battery and the DC current supplied by the battery;
• and
• memory means interconnected with and operationally interactive with said microprocessor, said memory means for storing said program instructions and said operational parameters of the electrical power system, including any desired value established by operation of said input means for the substantially constant bulk charge current supplied by the multi-state battery charger during operation of the multi-state battery charger in the bulk charge cycle, any desired value established for the acceptance voltage value and any desired value established for the float voltage value, said memory means further including means for storing at least the present value of said battery state-of-charge value.

A microprocessor implemented method for controlling and monitoring a remotely located power conversion system that includes a battery for supplying DC current to one or more DC loads that include an inverter for supplying AC current to one or more AC loads, the battery being connected to a multi-state battery charger that provides a sequence of battery charging cycles in which the current supplied by the battery charger during each cycle of the battery charging sequence is determined by a control parameter that is associated with that particular cycle of the battery charging sequence, said method for monitoring and controlling comprising the steps of:

• storing at least a portion of the control parameters for the cycles of the multi-state charging sequence in a memory of a microprocessor that is operably coupled to the multi-state battery charger for controlling the charging current during at least a portion of the multi-state battery charging sequence;
• storing in the memory of the microprocessor a battery state-of-charge value that is representative of the then present charge state of the battery;
• monitoring with the microprocessor the current supplied to the remotely located battery during operation of the battery charger during each cycle of the multi-state battery charging sequence to determine when the current supplied to the battery by the battery charger is less than a predetermined current that indicates that the battery is fully charged;
• incrementing the battery state-of-charge value that is stored in memory when the multi-state battery charger is operating in each cycle of the multi-state battery charging sequence to maintain said battery state-of-charge indication substantially equal to the amount of charge stored by the battery;
• monitoring with the microprocessor the current supplied to the inverter by the battery when the inverter is supplying AC current to the one or more AC loads;
• and
• decrementing the stored value of the battery state-of-charge indication when the inverter supplies AC current to one or more AC loads to maintain the stored value of said battery state-of-charge indication substantially equal to the charge condition of the battery.