Battery charger and method
AssigneesConvertec Limited, National University of Ireland
InventorsWilliam Gerard Hurley, Yuksum Wong, Werner Wölfle
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for compensating for temperature effects in a pulsed battery-charging scheme with an average charging current less than the root-mean-square (rms) current. The method comprises varying the ratio of the average charging current to rms current as a function of the battery ambient temperature. The method may also comprise varying an upper threshold charging voltage as a function of the battery ambient temperature. The invention also relates to a battery charger.
Claims10
A method for compensating for temperature effects in a pulsed battery-charging scheme with an average charging current less than the root-mean-square (rms) current, and not maintaining constant power charging regardless of temperature comprising:
- when the battery ambient temperature is less than or equal to a threshold temperature, increasing the ratio of the average charging current to rms current as the battery ambient temperature increases and maintaining the upper threshold charging voltage at a constant level;
- and
- when the battery ambient temperature is higher than the threshold temperature, maintaining the ratio of the average charging current to rms current at a constant level and decreasing the upper threshold charging voltage as the battery ambient temperature increases.
A battery charger using a pulsed battery-charging scheme with an average charging current less than the root-mean-square (rms) current, and not maintaining constant power charging regardless of temperature constructed and arranged to:
- increase the ratio of the average charging current to rms current as the battery ambient temperature increases and maintain the upper threshold charging voltage at a constant level when the battery ambient temperature is less than or equal to a threshold temperature;
- and
- maintain the ratio of the average charging current to rms current at a constant level and decrease the upper threshold charging voltage as the battery ambient temperature increases when the battery ambient temperature is higher than the threshold temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.