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US 7,018,731 B2Granted
End-of-discharge control apparatus for a battery of rechargeable electrochemical cells
AssigneeAlcatel
InventorSerge Maloize
Life of this patent
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AssigneeAlcatel
InventorSerge Maloize
Estimating the term…
A battery assembly (E) comprises firstly a battery (B) having at least one module (1-i) constituted by at least two secondary electrochemical cells (2-j) connected in series, and secondly control apparatus comprising control means (4) for acting at the end of charging the battery (B) to determine the number of cells (1-i) that are in working condition in each module (2-j) and then for determining a threshold voltage value for each module (1-i) as a function of said number, and finally for acting at the end of discharge of the battery (B) to compare an end-of-discharge voltage measured across the terminals of each module (1-i) with the corresponding threshold voltage as previously determined so as to interrupt operation of the battery (B) when at least one measured end-of-discharge voltage (VFD-i) is less than the corresponding value determined for the threshold voltage.
Apparatus for controlling the end of discharge of a battery (B), the battery comprising at least one module (1-i) made up of at least two secondary electrochemical cells (2j) connected in series, said apparatus comprising control means (4) arranged to act at the end of discharge of said battery (B) to compare an end-of-discharge voltage (VFD-i) measured across the terminals of each module (1-i) with a module threshold voltage value (TS1-i) so as to interrupt operation of said battery when at least one measured end-of-discharge voltage (VFD-i) is less than said module threshold voltage value (TS1-i), wherein said control means (4) are arranged, at the end of charging said battery (B), to determine the number of cells (1-i) that are in working condition in each module (2-j), and then to determine each module threshold voltage value (TS1-i) for use in performing said comparison as a function of said number of cells (2j) in working condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.