PCT No. PCT / NZ97 / 00053 Sec. 371 Date Nov. 3, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Nov. 3, 1998 PCT Filed May 2, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO97 / 42695 PCT Pub. Date Nov. 13, 1997Loosely coupled inductive power for charging batteries is rectified from a first power
pickup winding and the resulting
current source is connected to a battery unit. Each
current source is controlled by shorting a second resonant winding. Battery banks may be charged using multiple isolated position-tolerant pickups independently controlled according to the condition of the connected battery unit and by overall commands communicated over an isolated link. The battery unit may be a single
cell. In a self-stabilizing
bank or monoblock a primary inductive conductor is energized using all the cells, individual cells are separately monitored by control means and any below-average
cell can be individually charged from the inductive conductor, thus correcting between-
cell variations. The charge in all cells within a
bank can be held within 30% to 70% of full charge and prevented from drifting towards full or empty during repetitive
charge and discharge times.