Procedure for performing battery reconditioning on a space vehicle designed with one battery
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsPhilip Stanley Johnson, Glenn Michael Gabor, Christopher Romeyn Ashley, Harout Vram Ayvazian
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Abstract
A method of reconditioning a battery having a plurality of cells in a plurality of packs comprises electrically connecting the plurality of packs in series. A selected pack for reconditioning is electrically isolated from the remaining packs. A current produced by the battery is bypassed around the pack to be reconditioned by a bypass circuit. The selected pack is discharged. While being discharged, the current produced by the remaining battery is passed to an electrical load. Upon discharging, the selected pack is recharged.
Claims34
A method of reconditioning a battery having a plurality of cells, comprising:
- electrically connecting said plurality of cells in series;
- electrically isolating one of said cells;
- bypassing a current produced by said battery around said one of said cells;
- discharging said one of said cells;
- and
- recharging said one of said cells.
A method of reconditioning a battery having a plurality of cells in a plurality of packs, comprising:
- electrically connecting said plurality of packs in series;
- bypassing a current produced by said battery around one of said packs;
- discharging said one of said packs;
- passing said current from at least another of said packs to an electrical load while discharging said one of said packs;
- and
- recharging said one of said packs.
A method of powering a space vehicle, comprising:
- generating power from solar cells when said vehicle receives sunlight;
- and
- generating power from a single battery when said vehicle cannot receive sunlight, said battery including:
- a plurality of packs in series;
- an isolation circuit associated with at least one of said packs;
- a bypass circuit associated with said at least one of said packs;
- and
- a reconditioning circuit associated with said at least one of said packs.
A reconditionable battery having a plurality of cells in series, comprising:
- an isolation circuit associated with at least one of said cells;
- a bypass circuit associated with said at least one of said cells;
- and
- a reconditioning circuit associated with said at least one of said cells.
A reconditionable battery having a plurality of cells in a plurality of packs in series, comprising:
- an isolation circuit associated with at least one of said packs;
- a bypass circuit associated with said at least one of said packs;
- and
- a reconditioning circuit associated with said at least one of said packs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.