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US 9,806,551 B2Granted
Circuits and methods for using parallel separate battery cells
AssigneeMaster Lock Company LLC
InventorMichael B. Jonely
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Circuits and methods allowing virtually any number of batteries to be connected in parallel without the supply voltage being substantially reduced, while allowing their capacities to add directly as well as increasing the current capability of the batteries by placing the batteries' internal resistances in parallel.
Claims18
A circuit providing electrical power to a load from parallel batteries, comprising:
- a first battery cell having a first cell voltage and providing electrical power to the load via a first active element;
- a second battery cell having a second cell voltage and providing electrical power to the load via a second active element;
- a first control circuit electrically connected to the load and with the first active element and actively controlling the first active element to prevent the second battery cell from charging the first battery cell;
- and
- a second control circuit electrically connected to the load and with the second active element and actively controlling the second active element to prevent the first battery cell from charging the second battery cell;
- and
- wherein the first control circuit actively controls the first active element to increase the resistance of the first active element to prevent the second battery cell from charging the first battery cell;
- and
- wherein the second control circuit actively controls the second active element to increase the resistance of the second active element to prevent the first battery cell from charging the second battery cell;
- and
- further comprising a load voltage divider providing a load reference voltage from a load voltage;
- and
- each control circuit having a corresponding cell voltage divider providing a corresponding cell reference voltage from a corresponding cell voltage, the cell voltage divider providing as the cell reference voltage a smaller percentage of the corresponding cell voltage than the percentage of the load voltage provided by the load voltage divider as the load reference voltage;
- and
- each control circuit controlling the corresponding active element based on the difference between the load reference voltage and the corresponding cell reference voltage to prevent the corresponding battery cell from being charged by the other battery cells.
12 more elements
A method of providing electrical power to a load from parallel batteries, comprising:
- providing electrical power to the load via a first active element from a first battery cell having a first cell voltage;
- actively controlling the first active element to prevent the second battery cell from charging the first battery cell;
- providing electrical power to the load via a second active element from a second battery cell having a second cell voltage;
- and
- actively controlling the second active element to prevent the first battery cell from charging the second battery cell;
- and
- further comprising:
- actively controlling the first active element to increase the resistance of the first active element to prevent the second battery cell from charging the first battery cell;
- and
- actively controlling the second active element to increase the resistance of the second active element to prevent the first battery cell from charging the second battery cell;
- and
- providing a load reference voltage from a load voltage, and
- for each cell, providing a corresponding cell reference voltage from a corresponding cell voltage, the cell voltage divider providing as the cell reference voltage a smaller percentage of the corresponding cell voltage than the percentage of the load voltage provided by the load voltage divider as the load reference voltage, and
- controlling the corresponding active element based on the difference between the load reference voltage and the corresponding cell reference voltage to prevent the corresponding battery cell from being charged by the other battery cells.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.