Battery cell charge equalization
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsRandy L. Brandt, Daniel I. Taira
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Battery cell charge equalization devices, systems and methods are provided. A particular method includes receiving a charging current at a battery charge equalization circuit coupled to a battery cell of a multi-cell battery. The method also includes routing at least a portion of the charging current away from the battery cell when a voltage of the battery cell satisfies a first voltage threshold. The method further includes establishing a second voltage threshold in response to the voltage of the battery cell satisfying the first voltage threshold. The second voltage threshold is lower than the first voltage threshold. The charging current is routed away from the battery cell while the voltage of the battery cell satisfies the second voltage threshold.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a battery comprising a plurality of battery cells coupled in series;
- first circuitry to monitor a voltage of a first battery cell, wherein the first circuitry compares the voltage of the first battery cell to a voltage threshold, wherein the voltage threshold has an initial value equal to a first value, wherein, in response to applying a charging current to the battery, the first circuitry routes at least a portion of the charging current to bypass the first battery cell in response to the voltage of the first battery cell satisfying the voltage threshold, wherein the first circuitry dynamically activates a divider circuit in response to the voltage of the first battery cell satisfying the voltage threshold, wherein activating the divider circuit changes the voltage threshold to a second value by changing a voltage divider ratio of a voltage divider of the first circuitry, and wherein the second value is lower than the first value;
- and
- second circuitry to monitor the voltage of the first battery cell, wherein, in response to applying the charging current to the battery, the second circuitry generates a monitor output in response to the voltage of the first battery cell satisfying a monitor threshold, wherein the monitor threshold is equal to a third value, and wherein the third value is higher than the first value.
A method of battery cell charge equalization, the method comprising:
- receiving a charging current at a battery charge equalization circuit coupled to a battery cell of a multi-cell battery;
- comparing a voltage of the battery cell to a voltage threshold, wherein the voltage threshold has an initial value equal to first value;
- and
- in response to the voltage of the battery cell satisfying the voltage threshold, routing at least a portion of the charging current away from the battery cell by dynamically activating a circuit, wherein dynamically activating the circuit changes the voltage threshold to a second value by changing a voltage divider ratio of a voltage divider of the battery charge equalization circuit, wherein the second value is lower than the first value, and wherein the charging current is routed away from the battery cell while the voltage of the battery cell satisfies the voltage threshold.
A battery cell charge equalization device comprising:
- a voltage reference device coupled to a battery cell, wherein the voltage reference device compares a voltage of the battery cell to a voltage threshold, wherein the voltage threshold has an initial value equal to first value, wherein in response to the voltage of the battery cell satisfying the voltage threshold, the voltage reference device activates, wherein activation of the voltage reference device enables current flow through a first circuit path, and wherein in response to the voltage of the battery cell being below the voltage threshold, the voltage reference device deactivates;
- a first switching device coupled to the first circuit path, wherein the first switching device is activated by the current flow through the first circuit path to enable current flow through a second circuit path, wherein the current flow through the second circuit path causes the voltage threshold to change to a second value, and wherein the second value is different than the first value;
- and
- a second switching device coupled to the first circuit path, wherein the second switching device is activated by the current flow through the first circuit path to activate a third circuit path, and wherein the third circuit path routes at least a portion of a charging current away from the battery cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.