Automatic battery charger with voltage controlled charging and ripple voltage test

A method of charging a battery for a charging time, said battery having battery terminals, said method comprising:

• initiating a battery charging process;
• applying a charging signal to the battery terminals;
• measuring a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• determining a ripple voltage component of the measured battery terminal voltage;
• comparing the determined ripple voltage component to a ripple voltage limit having a first value;
• terminating the charging process if the determined ripple voltage component is greater than the ripple voltage limit;
• adjusting the ripple voltage limit as a function of the charging time such that the ripple voltage limit decreases from the first value to a second value as the charging time increases.

A battery charger for charging a battery for a charging time, the battery including battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, said battery charger comprising:

• a controller selectively providing a power control signal;
• the controller including a monitoring function monitoring a voltage at the battery terminals;
• a power application circuit applying a charging signal to the battery terminals in response to the power control signal;
• the controller including a measuring function selectively measuring a ripple voltage associated with the voltage monitored at the battery terminals;
• the controller including a ripple voltage comparing function comparing the monitored ripple voltage to a ripple voltage limit having a first value;
• and
• the controller including a limit adjusting function adjusting the ripple voltage limit as a function of the charging time, wherein the ripple voltage limit decreases from the first value to a second value as the charging time increases.

A method of charging a battery including battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a predetermined gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, the method comprising:

• applying a charging signal to the battery terminals;
• measuring a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to a voltage threshold;
• and
• adjusting the applied charging signal as a function of the measured battery terminal voltage such that the measured battery terminal voltage substantially remains below the predetermined gassing potential;
• determining if the battery is sulfated;
• performing a desulfation process if the battery is determined to be sulfated, said desulfation process comprising:
• applying a pulse charge voltage charging profile to the battery terminals;
• and
• applying a charge acceptance charging voltage profile to the battery terminals upon completion of the application of the pulse charge voltage charging profile.

A method of charging a battery including battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a predetermined gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, the method comprising:

• applying a charging signal to the battery terminals;
• measuring a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to a voltage threshold;
• and
• adjusting the applied charging signal as a function of the measured battery terminal voltage such that the measured battery terminal voltage substantially remains below the predetermined gassing potential;
• determining if the battery is sulfated;
• performing a desulfation process if the battery is determined to be sulfated, said desulfation process comprising:
• applying a desulfation pulse charge charging voltage profile to the battery terminals for a first time interval;
• and
• applying a desulfation charge acceptance charging voltage profile to the battery terminals for a second time interval.

A method of charging a battery including battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a predetermined gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, the method comprising:

• applying an initial charging voltage to the battery terminals;
• measuring at the battery terminals a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to an upper voltage threshold;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to a lower voltage threshold;
• increasing the applied charging voltage if the measured battery terminal voltage is less than the lower voltage threshold;
• decreasing the applied charging voltage if the measured battery terminal voltage above the upper voltage threshold;
• and
• maintaining the applied charging voltage if the measured battery terminal voltage is above the lower voltage threshold and below the upper voltage threshold, such that the measured battery terminal voltage substantially remains below the predetermined gassing potential.

A battery charger for charging a battery including battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a predetermined gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, said battery charger comprising:

• a controller selectively providing a power control signal;
• the controller including a monitoring function monitoring a voltage at the battery terminals;
• a power application circuit selectively applying a charging signal to the battery terminals in response to the power control signal;
• and
• the controller including:
• an adjusting function adjusting the power control signal in response to the voltage monitored at the battery terminals such that the power control signal is adjusted to substantially inhibit the power application circuit from applying the charging signal at a level above the predetermined gassing potential;
• and a comparing function which compares the voltage monitored at the battery terminals to a sulfation threshold voltage to determine the charge state of the battery, said controller varying the power control signal such that the power application circuit applies a pulse charge to the battery terminals when the voltage monitored at the battery terminals is less than the sulfation threshold voltage.

A method of charging a battery having battery terminals, said method comprising:

• initiating a battery charging process;
• applying a charging signal to the battery terminals;
• measuring a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• determining a ripple voltage component of the measured battery terminal voltage;
• comparing the determined ripple voltage component to a ripple voltage limit having a first value;
• adjusting the ripple voltage limit from the first value to a second value as a function of a difference between the determined ripple voltage component and the ripple voltage limit;
• determining if the battery is sulfated;
• performing a desulfation process if the battery is determined to be sulfated, said desulfation process comprising:
• applying a pulse charge voltage charging profile the battery terminals;
• and
• applying a charge acceptance charging voltage profile to the battery terminals upon completion of the application of the pulse charge voltage charging profile.

A method of charging a battery comprising battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, said method comprising:

• initiating a battery charging process;
• applying a charging signal to the battery terminals;
• measuring a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• determining a ripple voltage component of the measured battery terminal voltage;
• comparing the determined ripple voltage component to a ripple voltage limit having a first value;
• adjusting the ripple voltage limit from the first value to a second value as a function of a difference between the determined ripple voltage component and the ripple voltage limit;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to a voltage threshold;
• determining a difference between the battery terminal voltage and the voltage threshold;
• and
• adjusting the charging signal as a function of the difference between the battery terminal voltage and the voltage threshold such that the measured battery terminal voltage substantially remains below the gassing potential.

A method of charging a battery comprising battery terminals, an electrolyte, and having a gassing potential at which the electrolyte tends to vaporize, said method comprising:

• initiating a battery charging process;
• applying a charging voltage to the battery terminals;
• measuring a battery terminal voltage associated with the battery;
• determining a ripple voltage component of the measured battery terminal voltage;
• comparing the determined ripple voltage component to a ripple voltage limit having a first value;
• adjusting the ripple voltage limit from the first value to a second value as a function of a difference between the determined ripple voltage component and the ripple voltage limit;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to an upper voltage threshold;
• comparing the measured battery terminal voltage to a lower voltage threshold;
• increasing the applied charging voltage if the measured battery terminal voltage is below the lower voltage threshold;
• and
• decreasing the applied charging voltage if the measured battery terminal voltage is above the upper voltage threshold.