Charging Devices

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery-to-battery charging device, a method of charging, and a method of using the charging device. The method comprises discharging a battery into a power connector using a charging engine, where a receiver battery is detachably connectable to the power connector, transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller, and adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, where the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or higher. The device can be used to provide fast battery-to-battery charging, particularly from a portable battery to a larger receiver battery (e.g., a battery in an electric vehicle or uninterruptible power supply).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Related Applications This application claims priority to and benefit of GB2118428.8, filed December 17, 2021, and GB2201822.0, filed February 11, 2022, the contents of both of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.

[0002] The present invention relates to a charging device, a method of charging, and a method of using a charging device. [Background technology]

[0003] One of the problems with using battery-powered devices is the time required to charge. Batteries required for large-scale applications such as industrial equipment, electric vehicles (EVs), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), as well as personal electronic devices such as smartphones or laptop computers, can take hours to charge, limiting their usefulness. Furthermore, charging may be required at inconvenient times when the battery-powered device must be used or no power source is available.

[0004] Another problem with using batteries is the uncertainty of how long a battery will power a device, especially in large-scale applications such as industrial equipment, electric vehicles (EVs), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), etc. For example, batteries used to power EVs have a limited capacity that varies with conditions and usage and is therefore difficult to predict.

[0005] For personal electronic devices, there is also uncertainty about how long the device's batteries will last, especially when conducting video and phone conversations, and using a battery-powered device to perform critical tasks, such as filling out online forms whose content is not saved if the power is interrupted, carries greater risk if the device runs the risk of running out of charge and powering off before the user can save their work.

[0006] The risk of running out of batteries is magnified by the lack of availability of power sources. For example, large applications such as industrial equipment or EVs may have limited availability of electricity due to their use in remote locations. In particular, the number of EV charging stations is relatively low compared to the large number of gas stations. These drawbacks reduce the uptake of EVs, especially for long distance trips, and prolong the use of gasoline-powered vehicles, which are known to have negative environmental impacts.

[0007] There is a need for a charging system that can provide quick and fast charging, especially in emergency situations where commercial power is not available, such as on the road. At the same time, it is desirable to be able to quickly recharge the charging system from a power source so that the charging system can be quickly reused. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 234248 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2021 / 074406 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2016 / 205124 [Patent Document 4] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0070655 [Patent Document 5] International Publication No. 2013 / 039753 [Patent Document 6] GB2552483 [Patent Document 7] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0274382 [Patent Document 8] EP3026780 [Patent Document 9] EP2612786 [Patent Document 10] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0305838 [Patent Document 11] US Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0354050 [Patent Document 12] US Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0159492 [Patent Document 13] US Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0056581 [Patent Document 14] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0238356 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] There are a limited number of known systems that can add a small amount of charge to a receiver battery, such as the battery in an EV. These systems provide slow charging of the receiver battery.

[0010] One example of such a system is the Blink® Portable Charger, which is a small, gasoline-powered generator. The Blink® Portable Charger uses AC current and only supports 240V charging, providing a maximum power output of approximately 9.6 kW. The Blink® Portable Charger does not provide fast charging. The charging time is quite long, limiting the real-world usability of the charger. Also, because the Blink Portable Charger relies on a gasoline generator, it emits fumes that can pollute the air and make it dangerous to use in enclosed spaces such as covered parking lots or garages. Also, the Blink Portable Charger is bulky with a volume of 635 liters and a heavy weight of 160 kg. This makes the Blink® Portable Charger difficult to transport and use.

[0011] Another example of a known emergency charging system is the Sparkcharge® Roadie. It is a modular battery pack system whose size and volume mean that it can only be practically carried in dedicated vehicles such as breakdown assistance vans. The charger uses DC current to provide charging from 150 to 500V, providing a maximum power output of 20kW. Each battery module has a capacity of 3.5kWh. The Sparkcharge® Roadie requires a very long charging time. Typically, the system can only be used once a day and must be charged overnight. This reduces the usable time of the device.

[0012] A further example of an existing mobile charger system is the ZipCharge Go®, a portable battery system that can be charged with 7.2 kW of power. The system also includes a management system that includes an AC-DC inverter. ZipCharge Go® has limited capacity and can only add 32 km of range to an EV in about 30 minutes.

[0013] Therefore, there is a need for a charging device that can provide improved charge rates, improved capacity and energy density to a receiver battery, and that can be quickly recharged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] Generally, the present invention relates to a method of charging a receiver battery from a charging device. The charging device includes a battery with a high discharge rate capability and other components that allow the battery to discharge at the fastest rate possible. The charging method includes discharging the battery to a power connector while other components of the device monitor data about the state of the battery to determine if the charging rate can be increased. In other words, if the data indicates that the battery is operating well or is in an acceptable state, the discharge rate can be increased. However, if the discharge rate has increased to a level where the data indicates that the battery is not operating well or is in a bad state, the discharge rate can be maintained or decreased. This method, together with the high discharge rate capability of the battery, allows for fast discharge of the battery and fast charging of the receiver battery (e.g., in a receiver device such as an EV).

[0015] In a first aspect, a method of charging a receiver battery from a charging device is provided, the charging device comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector in separable electrical communication with the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and a power output; and a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine, the method comprising: discharging the battery into a power connector using a charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller; and adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, the discharge rate being increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to the data.

[0016] In some embodiments, the battery comprises an electrochemical cell having a working electrode active material that includes a niobium-containing metal oxide.

[0017] In a second aspect, a charging device for charging a receiver battery is provided, the charging device comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector in separable electrical communication with the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and the power connector, the charging engine controlling a discharge rate of the battery; and a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine for adjusting the discharge rate of the battery in response to data about the condition of the battery to increase the discharge rate, up to a rate of 3C or greater.

[0018] In some embodiments, the battery comprises an electrochemical cell having a working electrode active material that includes a niobium-containing metal oxide.

[0019] In a third aspect, there is provided a use of the device of the second aspect for charging an electric vehicle, an uninterruptible power supply, or a mobile computing device.

[0020] Fast charging is often only possible with large, high-capacity batteries: smaller, lower-capacity batteries are usually not powerful enough to charge the receiver device at the maximum charging rate that the receiver device can accept, and therefore only allow slow charging.

[0021] Surprisingly, the charging device and method of the present invention allows for extremely fast charging of the battery of an EV or other receiver device, even from a battery that is small enough to be portable and may have a smaller capacity than the receiver battery. The charging device also ensures that high discharge rates are safe (e.g., avoid overheating) and do not adversely affect the capacity retention or life of the charging device's battery by monitoring data about the battery's condition and controlling the charge rate accordingly.

[0022] This device and method allows for increased reliability in using EVs for long distance travel and therefore increased real-world utility of EVs. Similarly, it increases the reliability of other battery-powered receiver devices by potentially allowing users to charge their batteries sufficiently to finish a job in progress. It also allows target portable batteries to be recharged extremely quickly, enhancing the usefulness of charging devices carried by, for example, breakdown assistance vans, where the charging device can be recharged directly from the engine.

[0023] The high charge and discharge rates of the charging device are made possible by a combination of the electrochemical properties of the cells that make up the battery and the circuitry that comprises the controller and charging engine: the battery's chemical properties facilitate a high discharge rate, while the controller and charging engine allow this high discharge rate to be optimized during discharge by monitoring the battery's condition so that a maximum discharge rate for multiple conditions can be achieved.

[0024] In particular, the controller and charging engine associated with the battery may be optimized for maximum efficiency and thermal management. This may involve, for example, a controller receiving voltage, current, and temperature information and optimizing the charge and discharge rate to be as fast as possible while staying within a safe temperature range.

[0025] The controller may also control proper balancing of active and passive cells in the battery to enhance safety during fast charging and discharging. By balancing the cells during charging and discharging, the device avoids over- or under-voltage of any individual cell, which may cause damage to the cells. This balancing may be performed during fast charging and discharging, which is important since the voltage of each cell is constantly changing. This differs from conventional systems that perform cell balancing only while the battery is not in use, thereby reducing convenience and discharge rate.

[0026] The controller and charging engine may also be physically positioned to optimize space utilization within the small casing and to allow for optimal thermal management, for example through the use of wind tunnels, fans, and thermally conductive materials.

[0027] In a first embodiment, a method of charging, a charging device and a charging system are provided, in which a discharge rate of a battery of a charging device is lower than a charge rate of a receiver battery.

[0028] In the context of the first embodiment, the discharge rate of the charging device battery may be referred to as the first C-rate, and the charge rate of the receiver battery may be referred to as the second C-rate.

[0029] A first embodiment generally provides a battery-to-battery charging method and device that leverages modern fast charge battery technology to provide rapid charging at a convenient time, improving the utility of battery-powered devices and allowing users to take advantage of the availability of renewable energy sources and off-peak energy tariffs.

[0030] In a first embodiment, the charger device battery is typically larger in overall capacity than the receiver battery.

[0031] In a second embodiment, a method of charging, a charging device, and a usage of the charging device are provided, in which the discharge rate of the charging device battery is higher than the charge rate of the receiver battery.

[0032] In the context of the second embodiment, these methods and devices are convenient to use because they allow the relatively small battery of the charging device to be used to charge a larger receiver battery. The problem solved is how to charge a large battery as fast as possible when access to a power grid is not available and it is undesirable to carry a much larger spare battery that would normally be required to provide a high charging rate.

[0033] In a second embodiment, the charger device battery typically has a smaller overall capacity than the receiver battery.

[0034] The term "charger" is sometimes used interchangeably with "charging device," and the term "receiver" is sometimes used interchangeably with "receiver device." [Brief description of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1a] 1 is a schematic diagram of the system of the first embodiment, showing a charging device connected to a power receiver device; [Figure 1b] 1 is a schematic diagram of the system of the first embodiment, showing a charger device connected to a carrier and further connected to a receiver device; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a controller of the system of the first embodiment. [Figure 3a] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a charging engine and a system controller of a charging system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3b] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a power conditioning system, a battery management system, and an internal battery of a charging device of a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a process of connecting and charging a charging device and a power receiver in the first embodiment. [Figure 5a] 1 is a schematic diagram of a charging device according to a second embodiment, including a charging device connected to a receiver device and optionally connected to a utility power source, and FIGURE 2 is a diagram illustrating a charging device in which the receiver device is an electric vehicle. [Figure 5b] 1 is a schematic diagram of a charging device of a second embodiment, including a charging device connected to a power receiver device and optionally connected to a utility power source;FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a system in which the power receiver device is an uninterruptible power supply; [Figure 5c]1 is a schematic diagram of a charging device of a second embodiment, including a charging device connected to a receiver device and optionally connected to a mains power source. FIGURE 2 is a diagram illustrating a system in which the receiver device is a mobile computing device. [Figure 6a] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an exemplary charger of the system of the second embodiment. [Figure 6b] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary charging device of a second embodiment, including a controller and a charging engine of the charging device. [Figure 7a] 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a charging device of the second embodiment, and FIGURE 2 shows a charging device on board a moving vehicle. [Figure 7b] 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a charging device according to a second embodiment;FIG. 2 shows a portable charging device;FIG. [Figure 7c] 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of a charging device of the second embodiment;FIG. 2 shows a USB charging device;FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a process of connecting and charging / discharging a charging device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 1 is a graph of the charging rate of the charging device of the second embodiment compared to a conventional charging device when charging a battery of an EV. The graph shows the charging rate (%) over time (s). [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of an additional embodiment of a charging device of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a simulation of the change in charge over time for the charging device shown in FIG. 10 (upper line) compared to a conventional charging device including a conventional battery (lower line). The graph shows the accumulated charge (Ah) over time (s). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0036] In a first embodiment of the present invention, a charging system is provided comprising a charger comprising a first storage device including a plurality of battery cells operable to discharge at a first C-rate, and a receiver comprising a second storage device including a second plurality of battery cells, the receiver being operably coupled to the charger and operable to be charged by the charger at a second C-rate, the second C-rate being equal to or greater than the first C-rate, and at least one of the first plurality of battery cells or the second plurality of battery cells comprising a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide.

[0037] The rate may be any suitable charge or discharge rate measurement, such as power / energy ratio, C-rate, gravimetric current density, gravimetric power density, volumetric current density, or volumetric power density.

[0038] The term "operably coupled" refers to a connection between two or more storage devices, which allows for the transfer of energy between the two or more storage devices. The term "operable to be charged" refers to a connection between two or more electrochemical cells, which allows for the transfer of charge between two or more electrochemical cells. The transfer of energy or charge may be direct (e.g., via wires, including an optional controller as described herein, or via a "wireless" charging system, such as an inductive charging system), or indirect (via a storage device, such as an additional electrochemical cell, such as a carrier as described herein).

[0039] The second C-rate of the receiver being greater than or equal to the first C-rate of the charger means that the receiver's battery is operable to be charged at a higher C-rate than the charger's battery can provide.

[0040] Preferably, during the discharging step, the working electrode is the anode.

[0041] In some embodiments, at least one of the first plurality of battery cells comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide. In some embodiments, at least one of the second plurality of battery cells comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide. In some embodiments, the first plurality of battery cells and the second plurality of battery cells comprise a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide.

[0042] In some embodiments, the system further includes a carrier comprising a third storage device including a third plurality of battery cells, the carrier operably coupled to the charger and operable to be charged by the charger at a third C-rate, the carrier operably coupled to the receiver and operable to discharge at a fourth C-rate to charge the receiver, the third C-rate being higher than the first C-rate and the second C-rate being higher than the fourth C-rate.

[0043] In some embodiments, the fourth C-rate can be greater than or equal to the third C-rate. In some embodiments, the third plurality of battery cells comprises a working electrode active material that includes a metal oxide.

[0044] In some embodiments, the system includes two or more carriers. Preferably, the operable C-rates of the carriers increase from the carrier adjacent the charger to the carrier adjacent the receiver.

[0045] In some embodiments, the charger is a stationary device. A stationary device may be a device that is not portable, e.g., directly connected to a power grid. In another embodiment, the charger may be a mobile device. A mobile device may be a device that can be disconnected from a power source and moved, e.g., to a powered device that is not portable. Thus, a mobile device may be carried by a user, may be wheeled, may be self-propelled, or may be incorporated into an airborne device such as a drone.

[0046] The battery of a powered device, i.e., carrier or receiver, may be charged from any charge rate to 100% charge rate. Similarly, the battery of a charging device, i.e., charger or carrier, may be discharged from any charge rate to 0% charge rate. Thus, multiple powered devices may be charged from a single charging device, with each powered device partially discharging the battery of the charging device. Alternatively, multiple charging devices may be used to charge a single powered device, with each charging device partially charging the battery of the powered device. Additionally, the charging process may partially discharge the battery of the charging device and partially charge the battery of the powered device, for example, according to user instructions.

[0047] In some embodiments, the metal oxide is niobium oxide or niobium metal oxide. The metal oxide comprising the working electrode active material is preferably a niobium-based material such as niobium oxide, for example, as described in WO 2019 / 234248, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety, or a niobium metal oxide such as niobium nickel oxide, niobium tungsten oxide, niobium titanium oxide, niobium molybdenum oxide, niobium aluminum oxide, niobium gallium oxide, niobium germanium oxide, niobium copper oxide, or niobium zinc oxide.

[0048] In some embodiments, the working electrode active material is Nb2O5, Nb2NiO6, Nb 12 WO 33 , Nb 26 W4O 77 , Nb 14 W3O 44 , Nb 16 W5O 55 , Nb 18 W8O 69 , Nb2WO8, Nb 18 W 16 O 93 , Nb 22 W 20 O 115 , Nb8W9O 47 , Nb 54 W 82 O 381 , Nb20 W 31 O 143 , Nb4W7O 31 , NbW 15 O 50 , Nb2WO8, Nb2TiO7, Nb 10 Ti2O 29 , Nb 24 TiO 62 , Nb2Mo3O 14 , Nb 14 Mo3O 44、 Nb 12 MoO 44 , Nb 11 AlO 29 , Nb 11 GaO 29 , Nb 49 GaO 124 , Nb 18 GeO 47 , Nb 34 CuO 87 , or Nb 34 It may include Zn2O8.

[0049] This material has favorable lithium ion diffusion properties, so it exhibits excellent performance even when micron-sized particles of niobium-based material are used. Thus, working electrodes including niobium-based materials, such as niobium oxide or niobium metal oxide, exhibit extremely high volumetric energy density and high capacity at high charge and discharge rates, which allows for higher C-rates. In some embodiments, the charger is operable to provide a power density of at least 2 watts per cubic centimeter. In some embodiments, the charger is configured to charge the receiver in less than one minute, and charging comprises charging the receiver cell from less than 0.5V to 3V or more.

[0050] In some embodiments, the voltage profile of the cells of the first storage device is the same as the voltage profile of the cells of the second storage device. Preferably, the first storage device and the second storage device have a sloped voltage profile rather than a flat one.

[0051] The use of niobium-based materials is also beneficial because it allows for symmetric charge and discharge rates. In other words, it is possible to charge and discharge niobium-based cells at the same or similar C-rates. This is not possible with lithium batteries, which require a size disparity to achieve the same result.

[0052] Alternatively, the metal oxide comprising the working electrode active material may comprise another metal oxide, such as lithium titanium oxide, titanium dioxide, silicon oxide, or vanadium oxide, which typically exhibit electrochemical properties similar to niobium oxide or niobium metal oxide.

[0053] The metal oxides may be combined with other suitable active materials such as carbon, graphite, and other metal oxides.

[0054] The components of the battery as used in the charging device of the second embodiment are as follows:

[0055] In a second embodiment, the present invention generally relates to a method of charging a receiver battery from a charging device. In general, the charging device comprises a battery of cells capable of fast charging and fast discharging, each cell of the battery comprising a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide (e.g., a niobium-containing metal oxide) along with a controller, a charging engine, and a power connector to enable fast discharge into the receiver battery. The charging device is operable to be connected to an electric vehicle (EV) or other receiver device to charge the integrated battery of the receiver device. The receiver battery of the receiver device may be charged to any charge rate up to 100%.

[0056] Preferably, to make the charging device portable and improve its practicality, the charging device is physically smaller than the battery of the EV or another receiver device. Typically, the output power / energy ratio of the charging device exceeds the input power / energy ratio of the receiver battery it is charging. Moreover, to further increase the convenience of the charger, the charger typically has the ability to be quickly recharged, such as with an input power / energy ratio similar to or exceeding its output power / energy ratio. This allows the battery to be charged, for example, from a DC fast charger.

[0057] Preferably, the cells of the battery of the charging device should be capable of being discharged with a power / energy ratio of 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and most preferably 10 or more. Power / energy ratio may be used interchangeably with C-rate.

[0058] Preferably, the battery cells of the charging device should be capable of being charged with a power / energy ratio of 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and most preferably 10 or more.

[0059] Preferably, the charging device has a smaller capacity than the device for which it is utilized. 3 It occupies the following volume:

[0060] Typically, the charging device has a smaller overall capacity than the receiver battery of the receiver device, such as an EV.

[0061] The components of the electrochemical cell as used in the charging device of the second embodiment are as follows: The cell comprises an anode and / or a cathode comprising a metal oxide, preferably a niobium-containing metal oxide, such as niobium tungsten oxide, niobium titanium oxide, and / or niobium molybdenum oxide, as described, for example, in WO 2019 / 234248, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0062] WO 2019 / 234248 and WO 2021 / 074406 describe various niobium-based electrochemical cells. These documents do not describe using the cells of a charging device to charge a receiver battery.

[0063] WO 2016 / 205124 describes an auxiliary battery for an e-reader (see FIG. 1). Paragraph

[0032] states that the cell may comprise a mixed metal oxide, but does not mention the preferred niobium metal oxide. The mixed metal oxide is mentioned as being included as part of the cathode, not the anode as in the preferred battery chemistry of the present invention. The document does not mention the C-rate of the battery.

[0064] US 2020 / 0070655 describes a charging system (see FIG. 3) in which a battery is discharging at 1C to a receiver battery (car) that is charging at 10C. US 2020 / 0070655 describes a battery that includes a selenium-based cathode or anode. The discharge rate of the battery is only 1C.

[0065] WO 2013 / 039753 relates to an energy management system which, in one embodiment, includes a battery array adapted to charge a vehicle battery pack (see paragraph

[0078] and Figure 1). The system also switches between batteries in the battery array individually, rather than regulating the discharge rate of the batteries in the charging device.

[0066] GB2552483 is a battery-to-battery charging system for vehicles. A high voltage battery (used to drive the car) is arranged to transfer power to a low voltage battery used for the car's electrical system (see pages 17-18). These two batteries are not separably connected, but are always connected, and the system is triggered when the voltage of the smaller battery falls below a threshold.

[0067] US Patent Application Publication No. 2020 / 0274382 describes an energy storage unit for recharging a vacuum cleaner battery (see paragraph

[0182] ). This document does not describe an electrochemical cell having the preferred niobium metal oxide. This document proposes using a capacitor rather than a battery to provide a higher rate.

[0068] WO 2016 / 205124, US 2020 / 0070655, WO 2013 / 039753, GB2552483, and US 2020 / 0274382 do not describe a removable power connector, a charging engine, and a controller. These documents do not disclose the step of transmitting data about the battery and adjusting the discharge rate to increase the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or higher. The chemical properties of the preferred niobium metal oxide-based anode cell are also not mentioned in these documents.

[0069] Method for charging a receiver battery from a charging device In a first aspect, a method of charging a receiver battery from a charging device is provided, the charging device comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector in separable electrical communication with the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and a power output; and a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine, the method comprising: discharging the battery into a power connector using a charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller; and adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, the discharge rate being increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to the data.

[0070] The method may be a computer-implemented method. Any or all steps of the method may be computer-implemented. For example, the data transmitting step and the rate adjusting step may be computer-implemented.

[0071] EP3026780 describes a portable power bank, including a built-in battery, power input / output, a converter, and a protection circuit (see FIG. 1B and paragraphs

[0020] -

[0021] ). A protection circuit (BMS) is mentioned as monitoring the battery to start / stop charging (see paragraphs

[0026] -

[0027] ). The document proposes using a lithium iron phosphate battery, which has a low discharge rate (see paragraph

[0029] ).

[0072] EP2612786 relates to a system for transferring power between two electric vehicle batteries. The system includes a battery along with a buck-boost converter, a power connector, and a pack controller (see FIG. 1, the Abstract, and paragraphs

[0017] -

[0021] ). The pack controller is mentioned as monitoring data from the system and communicating with the battery to control the transfer of power (see paragraphs

[0034] -

[0035] ). EP2612786 proposes to limit the charge rate (see Table II), but this limit is not based on data from the battery.

[0073] US Patent Application Publication No. 2021 / 0305838 is directed to a portable power station for a battery charger (see paragraphs

[0018] and

[0020] ) and includes a battery module and a switching system connected to an energy output (see FIG. 1). The switching system appears to monitor the state of the battery (see paragraph

[0028] ) and charge / discharge to other components (see paragraphs

[0036] to

[0038] ). Monitoring the state of the battery is used to determine whether a battery is connected so that the battery management system can select which of the battery modules can be used to supply power to the load.

[0074] US Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0354050 describes a backup battery system in which a power source, a battery, and a load are in series. The backup battery is for powering the load. The system includes a rechargeable battery, a charge / discharge switch for controlling charging / discharging, and a control circuit for monitoring battery capacity and current information (see FIG. 2 and paragraph

[0011] ). In a particular embodiment, the load can be another battery (e.g., a phone battery, see paragraph

[0027] ). The system controller switches the power bank on / off during charging and discharging.

[0075] US Patent Application Publication No. 2014 / 0159492 relates to a power bank circuit. Paragraph

[0021] describes that the circuit includes a power conversion circuit and various monitoring or temperature detection circuits for monitoring the cells. A current distribution circuit controller sends a signal to the charger circuit to adjust the output current of the cells according to the state of the cells.

[0076] US Patent Application Publication No. 2012 / 0056581 describes charging a portable device from a vehicle battery. The document describes a controller monitoring the voltage of the vehicle battery and converting the voltage appropriately. The system uses a lookup table of the ratio of portable device "charge amount" to EV battery "voltage bandwidth."

[0077] US Patent Application Publication No. 2008 / 0238356 describes a portable charger in which a controller receives measurements from the battery (e.g., temperature, voltage, etc.) and responsively adjusts the current from the battery to prevent overcharging (see paragraphs

[0082] -

[0085] ).

[0078] EP3026780, EP2612786, US2021 / 0305838, US2014 / 0354050, US2014 / 0159492, US2012 / 0056581, and US2008 / 0238356 do not describe adjusting the discharge rate in response to data about the battery such that the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3 C or higher. None of these documents mentions the preferred niobium metal oxide-based battery chemistry.

[0079] receiver battery The receiver battery may refer to the battery of the receiver device. The receiver battery and receiver device may be, but are not limited to, an EV, a UPS, or a personal computing device such as a laptop, a phone tablet, etc. This refers to the battery being charged by the charging device of the present invention.

[0080] The receiver battery typically comprises a number of electrochemical cells, each comprising a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte. The electrochemical cells may be lithium-ion cells.

[0081] The receiver battery may comprise any number of electrochemical cells and may consist of one or more sub-batteries. The battery may be a modular system such that the sub-batteries are replaceable.

[0082] The receiver battery may comprise electrochemical cells that are the same as or different from the electrochemical cells that make up the battery of the charging device.

[0083] Preferably, the maximum operable discharge rate of the charger battery is higher than the higher maximum operable charge rate of the receiver battery. The maximum operable discharge rate of the battery is the maximum discharge rate at which the capacity retention for 100 complete cycles is greater than 90%, preferably greater than 95%, more preferably greater than 97%, and even more preferably greater than 99%.

[0084] Preferably, the total capacity of the charger batteries is less than the total capacity of the receiver batteries.

[0085] In some embodiments, the receiver device may comprise a charging device similar to the charging device of the present invention, as described herein. In some embodiments, the receiver device is in communication with the charging device, for example, via a power connector. In some embodiments, the controller of the charging device receives data from the receiver device and / or the receiver battery. As described below, the data may be transmitted from the receiver battery to the controller of the charging device and used to increase the discharge rate of the battery.

[0086] The batteries may also be referred to as "plurality of battery cells." In a first embodiment, the first plurality of battery cells refers to batteries of a charger (i.e., a charging device). In a first embodiment, the second plurality of battery cells refers to batteries of a receiver (i.e., a receiver device). In a first embodiment, the third plurality of battery cells refers to batteries of a carrier.

[0087] Discharge Step The method for charging the receiver battery from a charging device is as follows: Discharging the battery into a power connector using the charging engine, this step is sometimes known as the "discharging step."

[0088] The discharging step is a step of discharging the battery of the charging device to provide output power to the power connector for charging a receiver battery detachably connected to the power connector. The charging engine may control and / or regulate the output power. The charging engine may control the discharge rate of the battery.

[0089] The discharging step may include inverting the output power (i.e., changing direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC)) or converting the output power (i.e., from AC to DC or from DC to DC). Typically, a converter or inverter is included in the charging engine. Suitable inverters or converters are known in the art.

[0090] The discharging step may include changing the voltage of the output power. Typically, a converter is included in the charging engine. Suitable DC-DC converters, such as a step-down converter, a step-up converter, or a step-down / step-up converter, are known in the art. Suitable AC-AC converters, such as a transformer, are known in the art.

[0091] The discharging step may include increasing or decreasing the voltage of the output power, preferably increasing the voltage of the output power. The increase in voltage may be determined by the desired voltage of the receiver battery.

[0092] In some embodiments, the discharging step comprises converting the discharging power from AC to DC using a converter in the charging engine.

[0093] The discharging step may include a step of power conditioning the output power. Typically, a power conditioner is included in the charging engine. Suitable power conditioners, such as surge detectors, frequency correctors, and voltage correctors, are known in the art. Power conditioning may improve the stability of the output power.

[0094] Typically, the discharge step begins after a signal from the controller. The controller may send a signal to the charging engine to begin the discharge step. The controller may be triggered to send a signal to begin the discharge based on an input, such as an input from a user (e.g., via an input to a user interface) or an input from a charging device (e.g., from a connection of a receiver battery). The connection of a receiver battery may be identified by a sensor in the power connector, by detection of a change in an electrical characteristic (e.g., voltage or resistance) at the power connector, or by a signal sent from the receiver battery (e.g., receiver device) to the controller.

[0095] In some embodiments, the method includes initiating a discharge, the controller signals the charging engine to initiate discharging of the battery, hi some embodiments, the initiating a discharge is triggered by connection of the receiver battery to the power connector.

[0096] Typically, the discharge step stops after a signal from the controller. The controller may send a signal to the charging engine to stop the discharge step. As described above, the controller may be triggered by the same means as for starting the discharge step. The controller may be triggered by data about the state of the battery, such as the battery's charge rate falling below a minimum threshold (e.g., 10%).

[0097] In some embodiments, the method includes stopping the discharge, and the controller signals the charging engine to stop discharging the battery. In some embodiments, the stopping the discharge is triggered by disconnecting the receiver battery from the power connector.

[0098] Data transmission step The method for charging the receiver battery from a charging device is as follows: The method includes transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller. This step is sometimes known as the "data transmission" step.

[0099] Typically, the data transmitting step involves transferring data about the battery to a controller. The data transmitting step may further comprise transmitting data about the charging engine to the controller.

[0100] The data is about the condition of the battery and / or the charging engine. The data may be measured using any suitable means. The data may be measured by the charging engine or a battery management system (BMS). The charging engine and / or battery management system typically sends data about the condition of the battery to the controller. The data is any data that can be used to indicate the condition of the battery during discharge. The data may be used to determine if the battery can be discharged faster or if the battery needs to be discharged slower.

[0101] In some embodiments, the data is selected from a list comprising at least one of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery insulation resistance, discharge current, battery charge rate, battery balancing status, and battery power availability.

[0102] In some embodiments, the data comprises battery voltage, discharge current, and battery temperature.

[0103] The data may be measured using any suitable means known in the art: for example, voltage may be measured using a voltmeter, current may be measured by an ammeter, resistance may be measured by an ohmmeter, temperature may be measured by a thermocouple, insulation resistance may be measured by a high input impedance ohmmeter, charge rate, balancing state, and power availability may be measured by a voltmeter or indirectly by an ammeter (e.g., by "Coulomb counting").

[0104] The data may be transmitted to the controller by any suitable means known in the art, such as by electrical communication.

[0105] The data may be processed prior to transmission to the controller. The data may be processed by the BMS or the charging engine and then transmitted to the controller. Alternatively, unprocessed data may be transmitted to the controller and the data may be processed by the controller.

[0106] The frequency of the data transmission step is appropriate for determining the condition of the battery and whether the discharge rate can be increased. The frequency refers to how often the data is transmitted from the battery and the charging engine to the controller. The frequency may also refer to the measurement frequency of the data at the battery and the charging engine. The frequency of the data transmission step may be 0.01 to 10 seconds, preferably 0.1 to 1 second, and more preferably 0.2 to 0.5 seconds. The frequency of the data transmission step is about every 0.25 seconds.

[0107] Rate Adjustment Step The method for charging the receiver battery from a charging device is as follows: The step of adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate is included, the discharge rate being increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to the data.

[0108] This step is sometimes known as the "rate adaptation" step.

[0109] Typically, the rate adjusting step involves reviewing the data from the data transmitting step and adjusting the discharge rate in response to the data. Typically, the controller compares the data to an acceptable range and determines whether the discharge rate should be increased or decreased. If the data is within the acceptable range, the discharge rate is increased. If the data is outside the acceptable range, the discharge rate is decreased. The controller may send a signal to the charging engine as to whether to increase or decrease the discharge rate.

[0110] The rate adjusting step increases the discharge rate to a rate of 3 C or greater. Preferably, the rate adjusting step increases the discharge rate to a rate of 5 C or greater, preferably 10 C or greater, more preferably 20 C or greater. Alternatively, the rate adjusting step increases the discharge rate to a rate of 1500 mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 Increase the discharge rate to above power density.

[0111] In some embodiments, the rate adjusting step increases the discharge rate to provide an output power of 100 kW or more, preferably 200 kW or more, more preferably 300 kW or more, and even more preferably 400 kW or more.

[0112] In a first embodiment, the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a discharge rate that is lower than the charge rate of the receiver battery.

[0113] In a second embodiment, the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a higher discharge rate than the charge rate of the receiver battery.

[0114] Battery discharge rates are explained in more detail below.

[0115] The battery of the present invention allows high discharge rates to be achieved while keeping the battery condition within an acceptable range. The controller can increase the discharge rate when the data is within the acceptable range.

[0116] In some embodiments, the discharge rate of the battery is increased by at least 1 C, preferably at least 2 C, and more preferably at least 3 C. This increase is as compared to the initial discharge rate. In some embodiments, the discharge rate of the battery is increased by at least 100 mW g -1 More than 300mW·g -1 More than 500mW·g -1 This increase is compared to the initial discharge rate.

[0117] The rate adjustment step may balance the electrochemical cells of the battery. The rate adjustment step may adjust the discharge rate of individual or groups of electrochemical cells of the battery, thereby balancing the electrochemical cells of the battery. The rate adjustment step may increase the discharge rate of cells having a higher charge rate (e.g., higher voltage) and / or decrease the discharge rate of cells having a lower charge rate (e.g., lower voltage). This may balance the cells of the battery and reduce the amount of overvoltage or undervoltage of any individual cell. This reduces possible damage to the cells and increases the safety of the battery during discharge.

[0118] In some embodiments, adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate comprises independently adjusting the discharge rates of two or more electrochemical cells of the battery to balance the two or more electrochemical cells of the battery.

[0119] Balancing of electrochemical cells uses the same data transmission and adjustment steps as for batteries, except the data pertains to individual electrochemical cells or groups thereof, as described herein.

[0120] In some embodiments, the rate adjustment step comprises: (i) determining whether data about the state of the battery that is to be sent to the controller is within range; (ii) increasing the discharge rate if the data is within the range or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the range; (iii) repeating steps (i)-(ii) until the controller sends a signal to the charging engine to stop discharging the battery; Equipped with.

[0121] The step (i) of determining whether the data about the battery's condition is within range is sometimes known as the "comparison step."

[0122] Typically the comparison step involves determining whether the data is within a range by comparing the data with a range, which comparison is typically performed by a controller.

[0123] For example, if the data is a temperature, the controller compares the temperature data to an acceptable temperature range. For example, if the battery temperature is 30° C. and the range is 10 to 50° C., the temperature data is within the acceptable range. Alternatively, if the battery temperature is 60° C. and the range is 10 to 50° C., the temperature data is outside the acceptable range.

[0124] The range may be a predetermined range. The predetermined range may be recorded in the controller. The predetermined range may be based on the composition of the battery. The predetermined range may be determined by testing on the battery.

[0125] The range may be a variable range. The variable range may depend on external factors such as the external temperature. For example, if the external temperature rises (e.g., from 30° C. to 31° C. or higher), the variable range may be changed to prevent overheating (e.g., the allowable cell temperature range may be lowered from 10-50° C. to 10-40° C., or the allowable current range per cell may be lowered from 4-10 A to 4-8 A). Similarly, for example, if the external temperature drops (e.g., from 5° C. to 4° C. or lower), the variable range may be changed to avoid damaging the battery (e.g., the allowable temperature range may be changed from 10-50° C. to 5-50° C., or the allowable current range may be changed from 4-10 A to 2-10 A).

[0126] The variable range may depend on the voltage of the battery cells or the charge rate of the battery. For example, if the battery voltage drops (e.g., from 2.4V or more to 2.3V or less), the variable range may be changed (e.g., the allowable current range may be changed from 4-10A to 4-8A) to avoid damaging the battery at low charge rates.

[0127] The range of variability may depend on the receiver battery. Information about the receiver battery may be provided manually (e.g., by user input) to the charging device. Alternatively, the receiver battery may communicate (e.g., by electrical communication, wireless communication, etc.) with a controller of the charging device. As described below, the range of variability may be determined by data from the receiver battery.

[0128] The variable range may operate on a discrete scale. The variable range may operate on a continuous scale.

[0129] The charging device may be equipped with means for measuring external factors that affect the range of variation.

[0130] The step (ii) of increasing the discharge rate if the data is within range or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the range is sometimes known as an optimization step.

[0131] Typically, the optimization step involves the controller increasing the discharge rate if the battery condition is within an acceptable range, or decreasing the discharge rate if the battery condition is outside the acceptable range. As explained above, whether the battery condition is within or outside the acceptable range is determined by a comparison step. This optimization step allows for maximizing the discharge rate of the battery to allow for the fastest possible discharge.

[0132] Increasing or decreasing the discharge rate is typically accomplished by a controller sending a signal to the charging engine to increase or decrease the discharge rate. The charging engine may increase or decrease the discharge rate by any suitable means, such as by changing the current of the output power or by changing the voltage of the output power.

[0133] The step (iii) of repeating steps (i)-(ii) until the controller signals the charging engine to stop discharging the battery is sometimes known as an iterative step.

[0134] Typically, the iterative step involves repeating steps (i)-(ii) to continuously adjust the discharge rate in response to the condition of the battery, allowing the device to respond to the condition of the battery and achieve the fastest possible discharge without damaging or unsafely discharging the battery.

[0135] The steps may be repeated at a frequency equivalent to the data transmission step. The steps may be repeated every 0.01 to 10 seconds, preferably every 0.1 to 1 second, more preferably every 0.2 to 0.5 seconds. The frequency of the data transmission step is about every 0.25 seconds.

[0136] In some embodiments, the method further comprises: transmitting data about the condition of the receiver battery to a controller; and adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, the discharge rate being increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to data about the condition of the receiver battery.

[0137] The step of transmitting data from the receiver battery to the controller is the same as the data transmission step described above, except that the data relates to the status of the receiver battery and is transmitted from the receiver battery to the controller of the charging device.

[0138] The step of adjusting the battery discharge rate to increase the discharge rate in response to data from the receiver battery may be the same as the rate adjustment step described above, except that the data is from the receiver battery and the acceptable range is for the receiver battery.

[0139] In some embodiments, the receiver battery transmits data regarding the status of the power that the receiver battery is adapted to receive.

[0140] In some embodiments, the receiver battery transmits data regarding whether the receiver is adapted to be charged by AC power or DC power. In some embodiments, the receiver battery transmits data regarding whether the receiver is adapted to be charged at a particular voltage. In some embodiments, the receiver battery transmits data regarding whether the receiver is adapted to be charged at a particular power. And, adjusting the discharge rate may further comprise selecting a type of power (e.g., AC or DC), a voltage, or a power in response to the data transmitted from the receiver battery.

[0141] In some embodiments, adjusting the discharge rate of the battery in response to data from the receiver battery to increase the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater comprises: (i) determining whether data transmitted from the receiver battery to the controller is within range; (ii) increasing the discharge rate if the data is within the range or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the range; (iii) repeating steps (i)-(ii) until the controller sends a signal to the charging engine to stop discharging the battery; Equipped with.

[0142] Steps (i), (ii), and (iii) are as described above for data about the condition of the charging device battery, except that the data is about the condition of the receiver battery.

[0143] Preferably, the controller monitors data about the condition of both the charging device battery and the receiver battery, and increases the discharge rate of the battery to a maximum rate while keeping the condition of both batteries within an acceptable range. In this manner, the discharge rate of the receiver battery is maximized and charging time is reduced without damaging the battery or causing unsafe discharge.

[0144] Charging the battery of your charging device In some embodiments, the present invention further comprises: charging the battery through a power connector using the charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller; and adjusting the charge rate of the battery to increase the charge rate, the charge rate being increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to the data.

[0145] In some embodiments, the charge rate of the battery is increased to a charge rate of 5 C or more, preferably 10 C or more, and more preferably 20 C or more. Alternatively, the charge rate of the battery is increased to a charge rate of 1500 mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 The power density can be increased to above 1000W.

[0146] In some embodiments, the charging rate is such that the charging device receives input power of 100 kW or more, preferably 200 kW or more, more preferably 300 kW or more, and even more preferably 400 kW or more.

[0147] In some embodiments, the charge rate of the battery is increased by at least 1 C, preferably at least 2 C, and more preferably at least 3 C. This increase is compared to the initial discharge rate. In some embodiments, the charge rate of the battery is increased by at least 100 mW·g -1 More than 300mW·g -1 More than 500mW·g -1 This increase is compared to the initial discharge rate.

[0148] In a first embodiment, the charge rate of the battery is increased to a discharge rate that is lower than the discharge rate of the battery.

[0149] Additionally or alternatively, in the first embodiment, the charging rate of the battery is increased to a charging rate that is lower than the charging rate of the receiver battery.

[0150] In a second embodiment, the charge rate of the battery is increased to a discharge rate that is higher than the discharge rate of the receiver battery.

[0151] Additionally or alternatively, in a second embodiment, the charge rate of the battery is increased to a charge rate that is higher than the charge rate of the receiver battery.

[0152] Additionally or alternatively, the charge rate of the charger device battery may be increased to a charge rate higher than the discharge rate of the charger device battery. Preferably, the charger device battery is increased to a charge rate of 3C or higher, such as 5C or higher, 10C or higher, 15C or higher, 20C or higher, 25C or higher, 30C or higher, 35C or higher, 40C or higher, 50C or higher, 60C or higher, and the charger device battery has a discharge rate less than the charge rate. More preferably, the charge rate of the charger device battery is increased to a charge rate of 60C or higher and the charger device battery has a discharge rate less than 60C.

[0153] Battery charging rates are explained in more detail below.

[0154] The step of using the charging engine to charge the battery through the power connector is sometimes known as the "charging step."

[0155] The charging step is a step of charging the battery of the charging device from a power source detachably connected to the power connector. The charging engine may control and / or regulate the input power.

[0156] The charging step may include inverting the input power (i.e., changing direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC)) or converting the input power (i.e., from AC to DC or from DC to DC). Typically, a converter or inverter is included in the charging engine. Suitable inverters or converters are known in the art.

[0157] The charging step may include changing the voltage of the input power. Typically, a DC-DC converter is included in the charging engine. Suitable DC-DC converters, such as a step-down converter, a step-up converter, or a step-down / step-up converter, are known in the art. Suitable AC-AC converters, such as a transformer, are known in the art. The change in voltage may be determined by the desired voltage of the battery and the voltage of the power source.

[0158] The charging step may include increasing the voltage of the input power. The charging step may include decreasing the voltage of the input power.

[0159] In some embodiments, the charging step comprises converting the input power from AC to DC using a converter of the charging engine.

[0160] The charging step may include power to regulate the input power. Typically, a power conditioner is included in the charging engine. Suitable power conditioners, such as surge detectors, frequency correctors, and voltage correctors, are known in the art. The power conditioner may increase the uniformity of the input power.

[0161] Typically, the charging step begins after a signal from the controller. The controller may send a signal to the charging engine to begin the charging step. The controller may be triggered to send a signal to begin charging based on input, such as input from a user (e.g., pressing a button or input via a user interface) or input from the charging device (e.g., from connection of a power source). Connection of a power source may be identified by a sensor in the power connector, by detection of a change in an electrical characteristic (e.g., voltage or resistance) at the power connector, or by a signal sent from the power source to the controller.

[0162] In some embodiments, the method includes initiating charging, and the controller signals the charging engine to begin charging the battery. In some embodiments, the initiating discharge is triggered by connection of a power source to the power connector.

[0163] Typically, the charging step stops after a signal from the controller, which may send a signal to the charging engine in the same manner as described above to start charging.

[0164] In some embodiments, the method includes stopping charging, and the controller signals the charging engine to stop charging the battery. In some embodiments, the stopping of charging is triggered by disconnecting the power source from the power connector. In some embodiments, the stopping of charging is triggered by the controller detecting that the battery has reached a certain charge percentage (e.g., 95%).

[0165] The step of transmitting data about the state of the battery to the controller during charging may be as described above for discharging.

[0166] The step of adjusting the charge rate of the battery to increase the charge rate may be as described above for discharging. The rate adjustment step during charging may also be as described above for discharging, except that discharging is replaced by charging and the receiver battery is replaced by a power source.

[0167] In some embodiments, the power source transmits data about the power source to the controller, which may include whether the power source provides AC or DC power, the voltage of the power, the frequency (for AC power), and the current of the power, and adjusting the charge rate may further include selecting a type of power conditioning in the charging engine (e.g., inverter operation or converter operation, as described above) in response to the data transmitted from the power source.

[0168] Charge and Discharge Rates For discharge, the rate adjustment step increases the discharge rate to a rate of 3 C or greater, which may be referred to herein as the "discharge rate."

[0169] For charging, the rate adjustment step may increase the charge rate to a rate of 3 C or higher, which may be referred to herein as the "charge rate."

[0170] The charge or discharge rate may be any suitable measure of charge or discharge rate, such as C-rate, gravimetric current density, gravimetric power density, volumetric current density, or volumetric power density.

[0171] The charge rate may be described in terms of charging or discharging a battery (also known as the charging device battery) or a receiver battery (also known as the receiver device battery).

[0172] Discharging a battery in a charging device typically refers to transferring energy from the battery to a receiver battery, typically via a power connector, such as a charging engine and an output power connector.

[0173] Charging a battery in a charging device typically refers to transferring energy from a power source to the battery, typically via a charging engine and a power connector, such as an input power connector.

[0174] The "first rate" refers to the discharge rate of the battery of the charging device. The "second rate" refers to the charge rate of the battery of the receiver device. The "third rate" refers to the charge rate of the carrier as described in the first embodiment. The "fourth rate" refers to the discharge rate of the carrier as described in the first embodiment.

[0175] The "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" rates may refer to C-rates, gravimetric current densities, gravimetric power densities, volumetric current densities, or volumetric power densities. For example, they may be referred to as a "first C-rate" or a "first volumetric power density."

[0176] The charge or discharge rate may be described in terms of a C-rate.

[0177] As used herein, the term "nominal rate" refers to the actual charge or discharge rate regardless of the capacity of the cell.

[0178] The term "C-rate" has a common meaning in the art and refers to a normalized charge or discharge rate obtained by dividing the total discharge capacity of a cell (Ah) by the total duration of one hour (h). C-rate may be written as "3C" to mean a C-rate of 3.

[0179] For example, if a battery with a discharge capacity of 1.6 ampere-hours (Ah) is discharged at a C-rate of 1C, the nominal discharge rate is 1.6 amperes (A), and if a larger battery with a discharge capacity of 2 Ah is discharged at a C-rate of 1C, the nominal discharge rate is 2 A. The C-rate is a measure of the rate at which a battery is discharged relative to the battery's maximum capacity.

[0180] The C-rate can be defined as the inverse of the number of hours it takes to reach a stated theoretical capacity. Typically, the C-rate is defined for one electron transfer per transition metal, e.g., Nb 16 W5O 55 So, the current required to discharge at 1C is 171.3 mA per gram of active material, and at 20C it is 3426 mA per gram of active material. The theoretical capacity is

[0181]

number

[0182] where n is the number of electrons transferred per formula unit, F is the Faraday constant, and 3.6 is the conventional unit of coulombs and mA h g -1 where m is the mass per formula unit. Thus, a 1C rate is the conversion factor between 1 C and 1 H for Nb 16 W5O 55 This corresponds to the reaction (ie, insertion or removal) of 21 lithium ions per formula unit because this material contains 21 transition metals per formula unit.

[0183] Charge or discharge rates are sometimes also stated in terms of current density (per unit weight), e.g., a current density of at least 800 mA g -1 or 1000mA·g -1 The current density can be used in place of the C-rate in the present invention. The current density is

[0184]

number

[0185] It is related to the C rate by

[0186] Therefore, using the conventions established in this work, Nb 16 W5O 55 So, 800mA·g -1 The current density of Nb corresponds to a C rate of 4.67C. 18 W 16 O 93 So, 800mA·g -1 This current density corresponds to a C-rate of 5.36C.

[0187] All capacities (by weight) are given based on the mass of active electrode material.

[0188] Charge or discharge rates may also be described in terms of power density (per unit weight). Power density may be used in place of C-rate in the present invention. Power density is directly proportional to current density. Power density is: Power density = current density x potential difference is related to the current density by

[0189] When fully charged, the cell potential difference may be 2.0 V or more, preferably 2.25 V or more, more preferably 2.5 V or more. The power density of the cell may therefore be calculated by multiplying the current density as described above by the cell potential difference.

[0190] All (gravimetric) power densities are given based on the mass of active electrode material.

[0191] Charge or discharge rates may also be described in terms of (volumetric) power density, which may be used in place of C-rate in the present invention.

[0192] The power density per volume is related to the power density per gravitational force by the following formula: Power density per volume = power density per weight x density of working electrode

[0193] All (volumetric) power densities are given based on the volume of active electrode material.

[0194] Charge rate of the first embodiment In a first embodiment, the first C-rate can be a C-rate of 5 C or less, for example, a C-rate of 5 C or less for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material. Preferably, the first C-rate is 10 C or less, 15 C or less, 20 C or less, 25 C or less, 30 C or less, 35 C or less, 40 C or less, 50 C or less, 60 C or less, or 80 C or less.

[0195] The second C-rate is equal to or greater than the first C-rate. The second C-rate can be equal to or greater than 5C, for example, equal to or greater than 5C for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material. Preferably, the second C-rate is equal to or greater than 10C, equal to or greater than 15C, equal to or greater than 20C, equal to or greater than 25C, equal to or greater than 30C, equal to or greater than 35C, equal to or greater than 40C, equal to or greater than 50C, equal to or greater than 60C, or equal to or greater than 80C.

[0196] In a first embodiment, the third C-rate is equal to or greater than the first C-rate. The third C-rate may be equal to or greater than 5C, for example, equal to or greater than 5C for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material. Preferably, the third C-rate is equal to or greater than 10C, equal to or greater than 15C, equal to or greater than 20C, equal to or greater than 25C, equal to or greater than 30C, equal to or greater than 35C, equal to or greater than 40C, equal to or greater than 50C, equal to or greater than 60C, or equal to or greater than 80C.

[0197] In a first embodiment, the second C-rate is equal to or greater than the fourth C-rate. The fourth C-rate can be a C-rate of 5C or less, for example, a C-rate of 5C or less for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material. Preferably, the fourth C-rate is 10C or less, 15C or less, 20C or less, 25C or less, 30C or less, 35C or less, 40C or less, 50C or less, 60C or less, or 80C or less.

[0198] In a first embodiment, the first plurality of battery cells is operable to discharge at a first current density and the second plurality of battery cells is operable to charge at a second current density. Thus, in some embodiments, the second current density is greater than or equal to the first current density.

[0199] Preferably, the first current density is 750 mA g -1 Preferably, the first current density is 800 mA·g -1 Below 850mA g -1 Below, 900mA g -1 Below, 950mA g -1 Below 1000mA g -1Below, 1050mA g -1 Below, 1100mA g -1 Below, 1200mA g -1 Less than or equal to 1300mA·g -1 The following is the result.

[0200] Preferably, the second current density is 750 mA g -1 Preferably, the second current density is 800 mA g -1 More than 850mA g -1 More than 900mA g -1 More than 950mA g -1 More than 1000mA g -1 More than 1050mA g -1 More than 1100mA g -1 More than 1200mA g -1 or more, or 1300mA·g -1 That's all.

[0201] In the first embodiment, the third plurality of battery cells is operable to charge at a third current density and discharge at a fourth current density. Thus, in some embodiments, the third current density is greater than or equal to the first current density and the second current density is greater than or equal to the fourth current density.

[0202] Preferably, the third current density is 750 mA g -1 Preferably, the third current density is 800 mA g -1 More than 850mA g -1 More than 900mA g -1 More than 950mA g -1 More than 1000mA g -1 More than 1050mA g -1 More than 1100mA g -1 More than 1200mA g -1 or more, or 1300mA·g -1 That's all.

[0203] Preferably, the fourth current density is 750 mA g -1 Preferably, the fourth current density is 800 mA g -1Below 850mA g -1 Below, 900mA g -1 Below, 950mA g -1 Below 1000mA g -1 Below, 1050mA g -1 Below, 1100mA g -1 Below, 1200mA g -1 Less than or equal to 1300mA·g -1 The following is the result.

[0204] In a first embodiment, the first plurality of battery cells is operable to discharge at a first power density and the second plurality of battery cells is operable to charge at a second power density. Thus, in some embodiments, the second power density is greater than or equal to the first power density.

[0205] Preferably, the first power density is 1500 mW g -1 Preferably, the first power density is 1600 mW·g -1 Below, 1700mW·g -1 Below, 1800mW·g -1 Below, 1900mW·g -1 Below, 2000mW·g -1 Below, 2100mW·g -1 Below, 2200mW·g -1 Below, 2400mW·g -1 or less than 2600mW g -1 The following is the result.

[0206] Preferably, the second power density is 1500 mW g -1 Preferably, the second power density is 1600 mW·g -1 More than 1700mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 1900mW·g -1 More than 2000mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 More than 2200mW·g -1 More than 2400mW·g -1 or more than 2600mW·g -1 That's all.

[0207] In the first embodiment, the third plurality of battery cells is operable to charge at a third power density and discharge at a fourth power density. Thus, in some embodiments, the third power density is greater than or equal to the first power density and the second power density is greater than or equal to the fourth current density.

[0208] Preferably, the third power density is 1500 mW g -1 Preferably, the third power density is 1600 mW·g -1 More than 1700mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 1900mW·g -1 More than 2000mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 More than 2200mW·g -1 More than 2400mW·g -1 or more than 2600mW·g -1 That's all.

[0209] Preferably, the fourth power density is 1500 mW g -1 Preferably, the fourth power density is 1600 mW·g -1 Below, 1700mW·g -1 Below, 1800mW·g -1 Below, 1900mW·g -1 Below, 2000mW·g -1 Below, 2100mW·g -1 Below, 2200mW·g -1 Below, 2400mW·g -1 or less than 2600mW g -1 The following is the result.

[0210] In a first embodiment, the first plurality of battery cells is operable to discharge at a first volumetric power density and the second plurality of battery cells is operable to charge at a second volumetric power density. Thus, in some embodiments, the second volumetric power density is greater than or equal to the first volumetric power density.

[0211] Preferably, the first volumetric power density is 1500 mW (cm 3 ) -1 Preferably, the first power density per volume is 1600 mW (cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2000mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or less than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 The following is the result.

[0212] Preferably, the second volumetric power density is 1500 mW (cm 3 ) -1 Preferably, the second power density per volume is 1600 mW (cm 3 ) -1 More than 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2000mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or more than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 That's all.

[0213] In a first embodiment, the third plurality of battery cells is operable to charge at a third volumetric power density and discharge at a fourth volumetric power density. Thus, in some embodiments, the third volumetric power density is greater than or equal to the first volumetric power density and the second volumetric power density is greater than or equal to the fourth volumetric power density.

[0214] Preferably, the third volumetric power density is 1500 mW (cm 3 ) -1 Preferably, the third power density per volume is 1600 mW (cm 3 ) -1 More than 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2000mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or more than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 That's all.

[0215] Preferably, the fourth volumetric power density is 1500 mW (cm 3 ) -1 Preferably, the fourth power density per volume is 1600 mW (cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2000mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1Below, 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or less than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 The following is the result.

[0216] Charge rate of the second embodiment The charging rate of the charger device battery can be a C-rate of 3C or greater, such as 5C or greater, 10C or greater, 15C or greater, 20C or greater, 25C or greater, 30C or greater, 35C or greater, 40C or greater, 50C or greater, 60C or greater, or 80C or greater, for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material.

[0217] The discharge rate of the charger device battery is a C-rate of 3C or greater, such as 5C or greater, 10C or greater, 15C or greater, 20C or greater, 25C or greater, 30C or greater, 35C or greater, 40C or greater, 50C or greater, 60C or greater, or 80C or greater, for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material.

[0218] Charger The device battery charging rate is 800mA g -1 More than 850mA g -1 More than 900mA g -1 More than 950mA g -1 More than 1000mA g -1 More than 1050mA g -1 More than 1100mA g -1 More than 1200mA g -1 or more, or 1300mA·g -1 More than 750mA g -1 The current density may be greater than or equal to 100 .mu.m.

[0219] Charger device battery discharge rate is 800mA g -1 More than 850mA g -1 More than 900mA g -1 More than 950mA g -1 More than 1000mA g -1 More than 1050mA g-1 More than 1100mA g -1 More than 1200mA g -1 or more, or 1300mA·g -1 More than 750mA g -1 The current density may be greater than or equal to 100 .mu.m.

[0220] Charger device battery charging rate is 1600mW·g -1 More than 1700mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 1900mW·g -1 More than 2000mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 More than 2200mW·g -1 More than 2400mW·g -1 or more than 2600mW·g -1 More than 1500mW·g -1 The power density per unit weight may be equal to or greater than 100 W.

[0221] The charger device battery discharge rate is 1600mW·g -1 More than 1700mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 1900mW·g -1 More than 2000mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 More than 2200mW·g -1 More than 2400mW·g -1 or more than 2600mW·g -1 More than 1500mW·g -1 The power density per unit weight may be equal to or greater than 100 W.

[0222] The charger device battery charging rate is 1600mW (cm 3 ) -1 More than 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2000mW·(cm 3 )-1 More than 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or more than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 More than 1500mW (cm 3 ) -1 or more power density per volume.

[0223] The charger device battery discharge rate is 1600mW (cm 3 ) -1 More than 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2000mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 More than 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or more than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 More than 1500mW (cm 3 ) -1 or more power density per volume.

[0224] The charge rate of the receiver device battery can be less than the discharge rate of the charger device battery. The charge rate can be measured in terms of power density, such as C-rate, current density, gravimetric power density, or volumetric power density.

[0225] The charge rate of the receiver device battery can be a C-rate of 3C or less, such as a C-rate of 5C or less, 10C or less, 15C or less, 20C or less, 25C or less, 30C or less, 35C or less, 40C or less, 50C or less, 60C or less, or 80C or less, for one electron transfer per transition metal per formula unit of the working electrode active material.

[0226] The charging rate for the receiver device battery is 800mA·g -1 Below 850mA g -1 Below, 900mA g -1 Below, 950mA g -1 Below 1000mA g -1 Below, 1050mA g -1 Below, 1100mA g -1 Below, 1200mA g -1 Less than or equal to 1300mA·g -1 750mA·g, such as -1 The current density may be:

[0227] The charging rate of the receiver device battery is 1600mW·g -1 Below, 1700mW·g -1 Below, 1800mW·g -1 Below, 1900mW·g -1 Below, 2000mW·g -1 Below, 2100mW·g -1 Below, 2200mW·g -1 Below, 2400mW·g -1 or less than 2600mW g -1 1500mW·g -1 The gravimetric power density may be:

[0228] The charging rate of the receiver device battery is 1600mW (cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1700mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1800mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 1900mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2000mW·(cm3 ) -1 Below, 2100mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2200mW·(cm 3 ) -1 Below, 2400mW·(cm 3 ) -1 or less than 2600mW (cm 3 ) -1 For example, 1500mW (cm 3 ) -1 The power density per volume may be:

[0229] Additionally or alternatively, the maximum input power to energy ratio of the charger device battery may be greater than the maximum output power to energy ratio, i.e. the charge rate of the charger device battery may be higher than the discharge rate of the charger device battery. Advantageously, this means that the device has a longer operational life, since the time required to charge the charger device is shorter than the time it takes for the device to discharge into the receiver battery.

[0230] The charge rate of the charger device battery may be higher than the discharge rate of the charger device battery. In some embodiments, the charger device battery has a charge rate of 3C or higher, such as 5C or higher, 10C or higher, 15C or higher, 20C or higher, 25C or higher, 30C or higher, 35C or higher, 40C or higher, 50C or higher, 60C or higher, and the charger device battery has a discharge rate lower than the charge rate. Preferably, the charger device battery has a charge rate of 60C or higher and a discharge rate less than 60C.

[0231] In the method of the present invention, the charge rate of the battery may be increased to a maximum charge rate and the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a maximum discharge rate, the maximum charge rate being higher than the maximum discharge rate. In some embodiments, the maximum charge rate is 5C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 5C, preferably the maximum charge rate is 10C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 10C, more preferably the maximum charge rate is 20C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 20C, and even more preferably the maximum charge rate is 60C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 60C.

[0232] The maximum operable charge rate of the charger device battery may be higher than the maximum operable discharge rate of the charger device battery. In some embodiments, the charger device battery has a maximum operable charge rate of 3C or more, such as 5C or more, 10C or more, 15C or more, 20C or more, 25C or more, 30C or more, 35C or more, 40C or more, 50C or more, 60C or more, and the charger device battery has a maximum operable discharge rate less than the maximum operable charge rate. Preferably, the charger device battery has a maximum operable charge rate of 60C or more and a maximum operable discharge rate less than 60C.

[0233] Charging Devices In a second aspect, a charging device for charging a receiver battery is provided, the charging device comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector for detachably electrically connecting to the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and a power connector that controls a discharge rate of the battery; and a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine for adjusting the discharge rate of the battery in response to data about the state of the battery to increase the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater.

[0234] In some embodiments, the battery comprises an electrochemical cell having a working electrode active material that includes a niobium-containing metal oxide.

[0235] As described above, the charging device may be used in a method of charging.

[0236] In general, a charging device includes a battery, the battery is dischargeable by a charging engine through a power connector, and the charging engine controls the discharge rate. The power connector is detachably connectable to a receiver battery (e.g., of a receiver device), and discharging the battery into the power connector charges the receiver battery. A controller signals the charging engine how fast to discharge the battery in response to data about the battery's status sent to the controller. The discharge rate can be increased, within the limits of the battery, to maximize the battery discharge rate and the receiver battery charge rate without damaging the battery or compromising the safety of the discharge.

[0237] battery The battery of the charging device is a battery that includes an electrochemical cell. Typically, the electrochemical cell has a working electrode active material that includes a metal oxide, preferably a niobium-containing metal oxide. Alternatively, the electrochemical cell may be made of graphite, silicon, SiO x (x is 0 to 2), or LTO particles.

[0238] The battery is in electrical communication with the charging engine and the power connector, as described below. The battery is also in communication with the controller. Data about the status of the battery is transmitted to the controller, as described for the data transmission step above.

[0239] A battery refers to a plurality of electrochemical cells. An electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode. The working electrode can be the anode or the cathode during the discharging step, for example in a lithium-ion battery. Usually, the working electrode is the anode during the discharging step.

[0240] Typically, the electrochemical cell further comprises a counter electrode and an electrolyte. The electrochemical cell may comprise a current collector.

[0241] The electrochemical cell can be a lithium ion cell.

[0242] The counter electrode can be the anode or the cathode during the discharging step, for example in a lithium ion battery. Usually, the counter electrode is the cathode during the discharging step.

[0243] When there are multiple cells, these may be arranged in series, in parallel, or with a mixture of series and parallel cells.

[0244] A battery may comprise any number of cells and may consist of one or more sub-batteries. The battery may be a modular system such that the sub-batteries are replaceable.

[0245] The electrochemical cell may have a capacity retention at 10C of at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%, maintained over at least 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1200, 1500, 1800, or 2000 cycles.

[0246] The electrochemical cell may have a capacity retention at 20C of at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100%, maintained over at least 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1200, 1500, 1800, or 2000 cycles.

[0247] Preferably, the maximum operable discharge rate of the charger battery is higher than the higher maximum operable charge rate of the receiver battery. The maximum operable discharge rate of the battery is the maximum discharge rate at which the capacity retention is at least 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% maintained for at least 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1200, 1500, 1800, or 2000 cycles. Preferably, the maximum operable discharge rate is 3C or higher, preferably 5C or higher, and more preferably 10C or higher.

[0248] In some embodiments, the maximum operable discharge rate is 3C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 70% over 1000 cycles, preferably 5C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 70% over 1000 cycles, and more preferably 10C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 70% over 1000 cycles.

[0249] In some embodiments, the maximum operable discharge rate is 3C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 80% over 1000 cycles, preferably 5C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 80% over 1000 cycles, and more preferably 10C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 80% over 1000 cycles.

[0250] In some embodiments, the maximum operable discharge rate is 3C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 90% over 1000 cycles, preferably 5C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 90% over 1000 cycles, and more preferably 10C or greater, where the capacity retention is at least 90% over 1000 cycles.

[0251] An electrochemical cell may be considered fully charged when the voltage passes a threshold. For example, an electrochemical cell with a lithium metal anode and a niobium tungsten oxide cathode may have a voltage of Li / Li + It may be considered fully charged when the voltage exceeds a practical level, such as greater than 2.0V relative to the battery, for example greater than 2.25V or 2.5V.

[0252] An electrochemical cell may be considered fully discharged when the voltage passes a threshold. For example, an electrochemical cell with a lithium metal anode and a niobium tungsten oxide cathode may have a voltage of Li / Li + It may be considered fully discharged when the voltage falls below a useful level, such as below 1.5V relative to the battery, for example below 1.25V or 1.0V.

[0253] An electrochemical cell may also refer to a battery comprising multiple electrochemical cells. The electrochemical cells may be connected in series or in parallel.

[0254] Additionally or alternatively, the charger device battery may have an energy density of 100 Wh / L or greater, preferably 150 Wh / L or greater, more preferably 200 Wh / L or greater.

[0255] working electrode The working electrode can be the anode or the cathode during the discharging step, for example in a lithium ion battery. Preferably, the working electrode is the anode during the discharging step. The working electrode is electrically conductive and can be electrically connected to a counter electrode, for example in an electrochemical cell.

[0256] In some embodiments, the working electrode comprises a niobium-containing metal oxide. The niobium-containing metal may be selected from the Nb2O5 polymorph, NbO2, Nb2O3, or a combination thereof.

[0257] The niobium-containing metal oxide can be a mixture (e.g., an amorphous mixture) of niobium oxide and an additional metal oxide. Suitable additional metal oxides include titanium oxide, hafnium oxide, tantalum oxide, or aluminum oxide.

[0258] The niobium-containing metal oxide may be a compound (e.g., having a crystalline structure) of niobium oxide and an additional metal oxide. Suitable niobium-containing metal oxides include niobium tungsten oxide (e.g., Nb 16 W5O 55 or Nb 18 W 16 O 93 ), tantalum niobium oxide (e.g. TiNb2O7), niobium molybdenum oxide (e.g. Nb2Mo3O 14 ), or a combination of these.

[0259] Suitable niobium tungsten oxides include Nb 12 WO 33 , Nb 26 W4O 77 , Nb 14 W3O 44 , Nb 16 W5O 55 , Nb 18 W8O 69 , Nb2WO8, Nb 18 W 16 O 93 , Nb 22 W 20 O 115 , Nb8W9O 47 , Nb 54 W 82 O 381 , Nb 20 W 31 O 143 , Nb4W7O 31 , or NbW 15 O 50 , or a combination of these.

[0260] In some embodiments, the working electrode comprises a niobium-containing metal oxide material having a molar ratio of Nb2O5 to WO3 of 6:1 to 1:15. Preferably, the molar ratio of Nb2O5 to WO3 in the working electrode is 8:5 to 11:20. More preferably, the molar ratio of Nb2O5 to WO3 in the working electrode is 8:5 to 9:16.

[0261] In some embodiments, the working electrode active material is Nb 16 W5O 55 , Nb 18 W8O 69 , Nb2WO8, Nb 18 W 16 O 93 , Nb 22 W 20 O 115 , or a combination thereof. Preferably, the working electrode comprises Nb 16 W5O 55 Or Nb 18 W 16 O 93 or a combination thereof.

[0262] In some embodiments, the working electrode is made of graphite, Si, SiO x (x is typically 0 to 2), LTO, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the working electrode is essentially graphite, Si, SiO x(x is typically 0 to 2), or lithium titanate (LTO). Preferably, the working electrode comprises these compounds (e.g., graphite) in particulate form. The size of the working electrode particles may be known or may be determined using standard techniques such as SEM. The working electrode particles may have a primary particle size of at least 1 μm. The primary particle size is the size of an individual crystallite. This is the smallest distinguishable division in a particulate system. For example, the particles may have a primary particle size of at least 2 μm, 3 μm, 4 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm. Preferably, the primary particle size is less than 100 μm, 50 μm, 30 μm, 20 μm, or 10 μm. Certain particle sizes may result in higher lithium diffusion coefficients, which allow for higher discharge rates of the electrochemical cell.

[0263] The graphite particles may agglomerate to form secondary particles. Typically, the graphite particles have an agglomerate (secondary) particle size of at least 5 μm. More preferably, the agglomerated graphite particles have an agglomerate particle size of at least 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, or 30 μm.

[0264] Optionally, the working electrode includes a mixture of niobium tungsten oxide and an additional active material. The additional active material can be an additional metal oxide. For example, the working electrode can include a mixture of niobium tungsten oxide and lithium titanate (Li4Ti5O 12 ), titanium niobium oxide (e.g. TiNb2O7), titanium tantalum oxide (e.g. TiTa2O7), tantalum molybdenum oxide (e.g. Ta8W9O 47 ), and niobium molybdenum oxides (e.g., Nb2Mo3O 14 ) in admixture with additional active materials selected from the group consisting of acetaldehyde, acetaminophen ...

[0265] Graphite may also be used as an additional active material. Working electrodes comprising a mixture of niobium tungsten oxide and graphite are cheap to manufacture while retaining the beneficial properties outlined above.

[0266] Preferably, the working electrode comprises a mixture of niobium tungsten oxide and LTO. The ratio of niobium tungsten oxide to LTO can be 95:5 to 5:95 by weight. For example, the ratio can be 90:10 to 10:90, 80:20 to 20:80, 70:30 to 30:70, 60:40 to 40:60 by weight, or the ratio of niobium tungsten oxide to LTO can be 1:1 by weight.

[0267] Preferably, the working electrode consists essentially of niobium tungsten oxide and an additional active material, for example, the working electrode consists essentially of a mixture of niobium tungsten oxide and LTO.

[0268] Typically, the working electrode does not have a porous or hierarchical structure. For example, the electrode material is 20 μm thick. 2 ·g -1 Less than 10m 2 ·g -1 Less than 5m 2 ·g -1 Less than 3m 2 ·g -1 Less than 2m 2 ·g -1 Less than or equal to 1m 2 ·g -1 The specific surface area of ​​the electrode material may be known or may be determined using standard techniques such as N2 adsorption isotherm analysis and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) theory.

[0269] Alternatively, the working electrode may have a porous structure. For example, the working electrode may have a thickness of at least 50 μm. 2 ·g -1 , at least 60m 2 ·g -1 , 70m 2 ·g -1 , 80m 2 ·g -1 , 90m 2 ·g -1 , 100m 2 ·g -1 , 150m 2 ·g-1 , 200m 2 ·g -1 , 300m 2 ·g -1 , or 400m 2 ·g -1 may have a specific surface area of

[0270] The working electrode must be at least 0.1 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 0.2 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 0.4 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 0.5 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 0.7 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 0.8 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 0.9 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 1.0 cm 3 ·g -1 , at least 1.5 cm 3 ·g -1 , or at least 2.0 cm 3 ·g -1 The pore volume of the electrode material may be known or may be determined using standard techniques such as N2 absorption isotherm analysis and Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) theory.

[0271] The porous working electrode may have an average pore size (largest cross-sectional area) of at least 1 nm, at least 5 nm, at least 10 nm, at least 20 nm, at least 30 nm, at least 40 nm, at least 50 nm, or at least 100 nm.

[0272] The porous working electrode may have a macroporous structure. Thus, the porous working electrode may include pores having a maximum cross-sectional area of ​​at least 200 nm, at least 500 nm, at least 1 μm, or at least 5 μm.

[0273] The pore size of the electrode material may be known or may be determined using standard techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The working electrode may additionally comprise a porous carbon, such as porous reduced graphene oxide.

[0274] Electrodes containing porous carbon are generally lightweight, conductive, and can provide a large pore volume that can enable rapid transport of lithium ions and electrons to the active materials. They can also increase the electrochemical capacity of a working device.

[0275] The working electrode may additionally include reduced graphene oxide, Ketjen black, or Super P carbon. Alternatively, the working electrode may have a hierarchical structure. For example, the working electrode may additionally include hierarchical reduced graphene oxide (rGO).

[0276] Preferably, the working electrode comprises niobium tungsten oxide in particulate form. The size of the niobium tungsten oxide particles of the working electrode may be known or may be determined using standard techniques such as SEM. The niobium tungsten oxide particles of the working electrode may have a primary particle size of at least 1 μm. The primary particle size is the size of an individual crystallite. This is the smallest distinguishable division in a particulate system. For example, the niobium tungsten oxide particles have a primary particle size of at least 2 μm, 3 μm, 4 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm, such as 2-100 μm, preferably 5-50 μm, more preferably 10-20 μm.

[0277] Individual niobium tungsten oxide particles may aggregate to form secondary particles. Typically, the niobium tungsten oxide particles have an aggregate (secondary) particle size of at least 5 μm. More preferably, the niobium tungsten oxide has an aggregate particle size of at least 10 μm, 15 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, or 30 μm, such as 10-200 μm, preferably 20-100 μm, more preferably 30-50 μm.

[0278] The additional active material, when present, may be in the form of particulates. The size of the additional active material particles may be known or may be determined using standard techniques such as SEM.

[0279] Preferably, the additional active material particles have a primary particle size of 1 μm or less. For example, the additional active material particles have a primary particle size of 800 nm or less, 750 nm or less, 700 nm or less, 600 nm or less, 500 nm or less, 400 nm or less, 300 nm or less, 200 nm or less, or 150 nm or less. Usually, particulate lithium titanate has a particle size in this range.

[0280] Electrodes comprising a mixture of niobium tungsten oxide and additional active material having particle sizes within the ranges described above can be charged and discharged at very high C-rates and at very high charge densities.

[0281] To improve electrical conductivity at the working electrode, a conductive carbon material (e.g., carbon black, graphite, nanoparticulate carbon powder, carbon fibers, and / or carbon nanotubes) is typically mixed into the working electrode material. Alternatively, the conductive carbon material can be coated onto the working electrode material. In one embodiment, the working electrode includes porous carbon, such as porous reduced graphene oxide, which can encapsulate larger niobium oxide particles.

[0282] Typically, the working electrode contains 1-5% binder by weight.

[0283] The electrodes may consist essentially of niobium tungsten oxide.

[0284] Alternatively, the working electrode is mixed with a binder or adhesive. Some examples of binders or adhesives include PVDF, PTFE, CMC, PAA, PMMA, PEO, SBR, and copolymers thereof.

[0285] Typically, the working electrode is fixed to a current collector, such as a copper or aluminum current collector, which may be in the form of a plate.

[0286] In some embodiments, the working electrode comprises particulate niobium tungsten oxide using a standard electrode configuration of 8:1:1 active material / carbon / binder with an active material loading of 2-3 mg cm 2 The electrode area for the lithium counter electrode is 1.27 cm 2 and uses 1.0 M LiPF6 in ethylene carbonate / dimethyl carbonate as the electrolyte. Under these conditions, the cell achieved a maximum of 150 mA h g at 10 C for 1000 cycles. -1 capacity of up to 125mA h g at 20C for 750 cycles -1 The capacity of the device can be maintained.

[0287] Under these conditions, niobium tungsten oxide exhibits a thermal conductivity of 10 -13 ~10 -12 m 2 ·s -1 Solid-state lithium diffusion coefficient (D Li ), which corresponds to a characteristic diffusion length of about 10 μm for a 1 min discharge.

[0288] In some embodiments, the working electrode comprises niobium molybdenum oxide. The working electrode is electrically conductive and can be electrically connected to a counter electrode, for example, in an electrochemical cell. Typically, the working electrode comprises a molar ratio of Nb2O5 to MoO3 of 6:1 to 1:3. Preferably, the molar ratio of Nb2O5 to MoO3 in the working electrode is 1:3. Preferably, the working electrode comprises Nb2Mo3O 14 , Nb 14 Mo3O 44 , or Nb 12 MoO 44 More preferably, the working electrode comprises a niobium molybdenum oxide selected from Nb2Mo3O 14 Includes.

[0289] The working electrode may not have a porous or hierarchical structure. The working electrode may have a specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore size as described above. Typically, the working electrode includes niobium molybdenum oxide in particulate form. The niobium molybdenum oxide particles of the working electrode may have a primary particle size or an aggregate particle size as described above.

[0290] Polar opposite Typically, the electrochemical cell comprises a counter electrode. The counter electrode can be the anode or the cathode during the discharging step, for example in a lithium ion battery. Preferably, the counter electrode is the cathode during the discharging step.

[0291] As described herein, a plurality of battery cells refers to one or more electrochemical cells.

[0292] In addition to the working electrode, the electrochemical cell includes a counter electrode and an electrolyte, and optionally a separator, such as a microporous polyethylene film, between the working and counter electrodes.

[0293] Suitable materials for the counter electrode include lithium-containing or lithium-intercalation materials, such as lithium metal oxides, where the metal can be a transition metal, such as Co, Fe, Ni, V, or Mn, or a combination thereof. Some examples of counter electrode materials include lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC, LiNiMnCoO2, e.g., LiNi 0.6 Co 0.2 Mn 0.2O2), lithium vanadium fluorophosphate (LiVPO4F), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA, LiNiCoAl2), lithium iron phosphate (LFP, LiFePO4), and manganese-based spinels (e.g., LiMn2O4). In one embodiment, the counter electrode is substantially free of binder. In an alternative embodiment, the counter electrode is mixed with a binder or adhesive. Some examples of binders or adhesives include PVDF, PTFE, CMC, PAA, PMMA, PEO, SBR, and copolymers thereof. The counter electrode may be fixed to a current collecting substrate, such as an aluminum plate.

[0294] electrolyte The electrolyte includes a lithium salt, such as lithium (bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide (LiTFSI), LiPF, LiBF, LiCIO, lithium triflate (LiTF), or lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB). The electrolyte can be a liquid electrolyte, such as a liquid at room temperature, e.g., 25° C. The electrolyte can be a non-aqueous electrolyte. The electrolyte can include an aprotic polar solvent, such as a cyclic or linear carbonate, such as ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, or ethyl methyl carbonate.

[0295] Suitable solvents include carbonate solvents such as propylene carbonate (PC), ethylene carbonate (EC), butylene carbonate (BC), chloroethylene carbonate, fluorocarbonate solvents (e.g., fluoroethylene carbonate and trifluoromethylpropylene carbonate), and dialkyl carbonate solvents such as dimethyl carbonate (DMC), diethyl carbonate (DEC), dipropyl carbonate (DPC), ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), methyl propyl carbonate (MPC), and ethyl propyl carbonate (EPC).

[0296] Suitable solvents include sulfone solvents such as methyl sulfone, ethyl methyl sulfone, methyl phenyl sulfone, methyl isopropyl sulfone (MiPS), propyl sulfone, butyl sulfone, tetramethylene sulfone (sulfolane), phenyl vinyl sulfone, allyl methyl sulfone, methyl vinyl sulfone, divinyl sulfone (vinyl sulfone), diphenyl sulfone (phenyl sulfone), dibenzyl sulfone (benzyl sulfone), vinylene sulfone, butadiene sulfone, 4-methoxyphenyl methyl sulfone, 4-chlorophenyl methyl sulfone, 2-chlorophenyl Examples of suitable sulfone solvents include 2-(methylsulfonyl)ethanol, 4-bromophenyl methyl sulfone, 2-bromophenyl methyl sulfone, 4-fluorophenyl methyl sulfone, 2-fluorophenyl methyl sulfone, 4-aminophenyl methyl sulfone, sultones (e.g., 1,3-propane sultone), and sulfone solvents containing ether groups (e.g., 2-methoxyethyl(methyl)sulfone and 2-methoxyethoxyethyl(ethyl)sulfone).

[0297] Suitable solvents also include silicon-containing solvents such as siloxanes or silanes. For example, hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS), 1,3-divinyltetramethyldisiloxane, polysiloxanes, and polysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene derivatives. Some examples of silane solvents include methoxytrimethylsilane, ethoxytrimethylsilane, dimethoxydimethylsilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, and 2-(ethoxy)ethoxytrimethylsilane.

[0298] Typically, additives may be included in the electrolyte to improve performance, such as vinylene carbonate (VC), vinylethylene carbonate, allyl ethyl carbonate, t-butylene carbonate, vinyl acetate, divinyl adipate, acrylonitrile, 2-vinylpyridine, maleic anhydride, methyl cinnamate, ethylene carbonate, halogenated ethylene carbonates, α-bromo-γ-butyrolactone, methyl chloroformate, 1,3-propane sultone, ethylene sulfite (ES), propylene sulfite (PS), vinylethylene sulfite (VES), fluoroethylene sulfite (FES), 12-crown-4-ether, carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and sulfur trioxide (SO3).

[0299] The electrochemical cell may also include a separator, such as a solid porous membrane disposed between the working electrode and the counter electrode. The solid porous membrane may partially or completely replace the liquid electrolyte. The solid porous membrane may include a polymer (e.g., polyethylene, polypropylene, or copolymers thereof), or an inorganic material such as a transition metal oxide (e.g., titania, zirconia, yttria, hafnia, or niobia), or a main group metal oxide such as silicon oxide, which may be in the form of glass fibers.

[0300] The solid non-porous membrane can include lithium ion conductors such as LLZO (garnet family), LSPO (LISICON family), LGPS (thio-LISICON family), LATP / LAGP (NASICON family), LLTO (perovskite family), and phosphide / sulfide glass-ceramics.

[0301] Power Connectors The charging device includes a power connector. The power connector is detachably connectable to the receiver battery. Any suitable power connector may be used as long as it allows electrical communication between the charging device and an external device (e.g., the receiver device battery or a power source). The power connector may include a DC fast charging port of the type normally used to charge the battery of an EV. This provides DC power to the charging device, for example from a DC fast charging station. An alternative or additional power connector is an AC power input, which may be used to slow-charge the charging device from a home electrical outlet or a low-power AC charging station. The DC power input may be adapted to provide AC power, also from a low-power AC charging station, or instead of DC power.

[0302] Examples of suitable power connectors include domestic plug and socket connections such as BS 1363 3 pin (rectangular), BS 546 3 pin (round), CEE 7 2 pin, Chinese GB 2099.1-2008 and GB 1002-2008, US IEC 60906-2 2 pin, RAM 2073 and 2071 (Type I), S / NZS 3112 (Type I), etc. Further examples of suitable connections include EV charger plug and socket connections such as Type 1 single phase AC, Type 2 three phase AC, CCS (Combined Charging System), or CHAdeMO.

[0303] The power connector is for connection to a receiver battery (e.g., a receiver device battery) to charge the receiver battery from a charging device. When the power connector is for connection to a receiver battery, it may be called a power output. The power output is typically for discharging the battery.

[0304] The power output can be any suitable means of delivering power from the charging device to the receiver device by discharging a battery in the charging device. The power output can be connected to the receiver device by any suitable connection, such as a conventional charging cable or inductive charging.

[0305] The power connector may also be for connecting to a power source to charge the charging device battery. When the power connector is for connecting to a power source, it may be referred to as a power input. The power input is typically for charging the battery. The power input may be any suitable means of providing power to the charging device to charge the charging device's battery. Typically, the power input is connectable to a utility power source, such as a home power source, a home car charger (e.g., a "wall box"), or an EV charging station.

[0306] Any suitable power input or output may be used, such as AC or DC power. The input power may be three-phase AC power (e.g., from a home power source) or a DC direct connection (e.g., from an EV charging station). Preferably, the power output is DC power.

[0307] In some embodiments, the power connector includes separable power input and power output connectors. Preferably, the power output is a DC connector. Preferably, the power input may be an AC or DC connector, more preferably, the power input is a DC connector. The power input or output may be a switchable AC and DC connector, such as a CCS connector.

[0308] In some embodiments, the power connector includes a combined power input and power output. In this embodiment, a single power connector is used for charging and discharging the battery. Preferably, the combined power input and power output is a switchable AC and DC connector. The charging engine can be bidirectional.

[0309] In some embodiments, the power connector includes a sensor to detect if a power source and / or receiver battery is plugged in. Any suitable sensor may be used, such as a light sensor or a voltmeter / ohmmeter across the power connector. Typically, the sensor is in communication with the controller to send a signal to the controller when something is plugged into the power connector.

[0310] In some embodiments, the power connector comprises a data connector for communicating with the power source or receiver battery. Any suitable data connector may be used that can transfer data to the power controller of the charging device and / or from the power controller of the charging device to the connected power source or receiver battery.

[0311] Charging engine The charging device includes a charging engine.

[0312] The charging engine is in electrical communication with the battery and the power connector. The charging engine is in communication with the controller. Typically, the charging engine controls the discharge rate and / or charge rate of the battery to / from the power connector. The rates are changed based on signals from the controller.

[0313] The charging engine may transmit data to the controller, such as data about the battery's status or discharge (or charge) rate, etc. The data is as described for the data transmission step above.

[0314] The charging engine may include means for measuring data. Any suitable means for measuring data may be used. For example, voltage may be measured using a voltmeter, current may be measured by an ammeter, resistance may be measured by an ohmmeter, temperature may be measured by a thermocouple, insulation resistance may be measured by a high input impedance ohmmeter, and charge rate, balancing state, and power availability may be measured by a voltmeter or ammeter (e.g., by "Coulomb counting").

[0315] The charging engine may transmit data to the controller by any suitable means, such as electrical communication.

[0316] The data may be processed in the measurement device of the charging engine and sent to the controller, or alternatively, unprocessed data may be sent from the charging engine to the controller and the data may be processed in the controller.

[0317] A charging engine may be included for power input and power output. In some embodiments, separate charging engines are used for power input and power output. In other embodiments, the same charging engine is used for both power input and power output, preferably the charging engine is bidirectional.

[0318] The charging engine may include a gate driver. Typically, a suitable gate driver includes a level shifter and an amplifier.

[0319] The charging engine may include a power conditioning system. Suitable power conditioning systems are known in the art. The power conditioning system may include a surge detector, a frequency compensator, or a voltage compensator. Typically, power conditioning smooths or reduces power fluctuations.

[0320] The charging engine may include an inverter (i.e., changes direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC)) or a converter (i.e., AC to DC or DC to DC). Suitable inverters or converters are known in the art. Typically, a DC-DC converter is included in the charging engine. Suitable DC-DC converters, such as a step-down converter, a step-up converter, or a step-down / step-up converter, are known in the art. Suitable AC-AC converters, such as a transformer, are known in the art.

[0321] DC power (e.g., from a DC fast charger) may be passed through a power conditioner that may provide appropriate power conditioning and convert the voltage received from the power connector accordingly, and may incorporate or be connected to a step-up DC-DC converter, a step-down DC-DC converter, or a step-up / step-down DC-DC converter to provide power conditioning.

[0322] AC power (e.g., from a home power source) can be passed through an AC / DC charging engine to charge the battery. The AC / DC charging engine performs any required conversion and power conditioning.

[0323] In some embodiments, the charging engine is bi-directional and can be used to regulate the input and output of power as described herein.

[0324] In some embodiments, the charging engine may be bypassed so that the power connector is connected directly to the battery. Some parts of the charging engine may be bypassed, such as the gate drive, power conditioner, converter, or inverter. This bypass may be controllable so that the controller can control which parts of the charging engine are used and which parts are bypassed. For example, when the input is a DC input, the controller may bypass the converter of the charging engine, or when the output is DC, the controller may bypass the inverter of the charging engine.

[0325] The charging engine may also adjust the discharge rate (or charge rate) of individual or groups of electrochemical cells contained in the battery, thereby balancing the electrochemical cells of the battery.

[0326] The charging engine may also transmit data about the charge rate (e.g., voltage) of individual or groups of electrochemical cells contained in the battery. This data may then be used by the controller to balance the cells in the battery, which reduces the amount of over- or under-voltage of any individual cell, which reduces potential damage to the cells.

[0327] The charging engine may further include a battery management system (BMS). Typically, the BMS is in electrical communication with the battery. The BMS may be part of the battery. Typically, the BMS controls the discharging and charging of individual or groups of electrochemical cells, cell balancing, and measures data about the cells and / or the charging engine. As described herein, the BMS may include similar components as the charging engine.

[0328] controller The charging device includes a controller. The controller is in communication with the battery and receives transmitted data about the battery's status. The controller is also in communication with the charging engine and may receive data about the battery's status. In response to data from the battery and the charging engine, the controller signals the charging engine to control the discharge rate of the battery. The controller increases the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or higher.

[0329] The controller receives data transmitted from the battery and the charging engine, the data can be used to indicate the condition of the battery during discharge, the data can be used to determine whether the battery can be discharged at a higher rate.

[0330] In some embodiments, the data is selected from a list comprising at least one of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery insulation resistance, discharge current, charge rate of the electrochemical cell, balancing state of the electrochemical cell, and power availability of the battery.

[0331] In some embodiments, the data includes voltage, current, and temperature.

[0332] The data and frequency of data transmission are as described for the data transmission step above.

[0333] The controller responds to the data by adjusting the discharge rate (or charge rate). Typically, the controller compares the data about the battery's condition to an acceptable range and determines whether the discharge rate should be increased or decreased. If the data is within the acceptable range, the discharge rate is increased, or if the data is outside the acceptable range, the discharge rate is decreased. The controller may send a signal to the charging engine to increase or decrease the discharge rate.

[0334] The controller increases the discharge rate to a rate of 3 C or greater. Preferably, the controller increases the discharge rate to a rate of 5 C or greater, preferably 10 C or greater, more preferably 20 C or greater. Alternatively, the controller increases the discharge rate to a rate of 1500 mW·g -1 More than 1800mW·g -1 More than 2100mW·g -1 Increase the discharge rate to above power density.

[0335] In a first embodiment, the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a discharge rate that is lower than the charge rate of the charger battery.

[0336] In a second embodiment, the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a higher discharge rate than the charge rate of the receiver battery.

[0337] The charge and discharge rates are as described in the Charge and Discharge Rates section above.

[0338] The controller is configured to perform the functions as described for the rate adaptation step above. The acceptable ranges are as described above for the rate adaptation step.

[0339] The controller may start and stop charging and discharging the charger device battery. The controller may receive signals to start and / or stop charging and discharging.

[0340] The signal may be from a receiver device, a user interface, or another input. The controller may detect when a connection is made to a power input or a power output to begin charging or discharging. The controller may detect when a connection is removed from a power input or a power output to stop charging or discharging.

[0341] The controller can receive data transmitted from the receiver battery, which can be the same as that transmitted from the charger device battery to the controller, and the controller can receive the data and send signals to the charging engine on how to output power based on the data from the receiver.

[0342] The controller may receive data transmitted from the power source. The data may include whether the power source provides AC or DC power, the voltage of the power, the frequency (for AC power), and the current of the power. The controller may then send a signal to the charging engine on how to handle the input power based on the data from the power source.

[0343] The controller may also receive data about the charge rate (e.g., voltage) of individual or groups of electrochemical cells contained in the battery. This data may then be used by the controller to balance the cells of the battery, which reduces the amount of overvoltage or undervoltage of any individual cell, which reduces potential damage to the cells. Typically, the controller balances the cells while the battery is discharging, which can improve the discharge rate of the battery because improved cell balancing reduces stress on the battery.

[0344] Usage In a third aspect, there is provided a use of the device of the second aspect for charging an electric vehicle, an uninterruptible power supply, or a mobile computing device.

[0345] Electric vehicles (EVs) may include road vehicles such as cars, mopeds, or trucks, rail vehicles such as trains or trams, electric bicycles (e-bikes), drones, electric aircraft, and electric or hybrid watercraft. Preferably, the use of the device of the second aspect is for charging road vehicles, more preferably automobiles.

[0346] Similarly, the use of the device of the second aspect may be for charging the batteries of power tools such as power drills or power saws, garden tools such as lawnmowers or grass trimmers, household appliances such as toothbrushes or hair dryers, medical devices such as automated surgical robots or pacemakers, or mobile computing devices such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones. Preferably, the use of the device of the second aspect is for charging mobile computing devices such as laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.

[0347] A use of the device of the second aspect may also be for charging an uninterruptible power supply or a power system management system.

[0348] Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1a shows a charger

[11] connected to a receiver

[12] . The connection

[17] can be a wired or wireless connection, for example using a conventional charging cable or an inductive "wireless charging" pad. Each device [11, 12] also includes a controller [15, 16], which monitors the battery [13, 14] and controls charging and discharging accordingly and as further described below. Both devices [11, 12] may have further components or connections not shown here for clarity.

[0349] For example, the charger

[11] may be a wall charger with an AC mains connection, such as a 3-pin plug connector according to standard BS 1363, a monitoring LED, and multiple charging outputs, and an internal battery

[13] that is slow-charged from the grid or mains at a rate of, for example, less than 0.1 C (i.e., taking at least 10 hours to charge from 0% to 100% charge). Slow charging may be accomplished through a slow-charging connection such as USB, and use of the charger's

[11] battery

[13] may allow charging before the power stored in the charger's battery

[13] is needed, for example during times of low energy prices or through a solar panel or another method of generating power that does not provide constant power.

[0350] Thus, the charger

[11] is shown as having a fully charged internal battery

[13] , and the receiver

[12] is shown as having a depleted internal battery

[14] that is charged through the transfer of power from the charger's

[11] battery

[13] .

[0351] An exemplary use of this type of system is a tool battery in an industrial device or tool, such as a drill. In this example, the tool battery, acting as a receiver

[12] , can be connected to a charger

[11] and charged extremely quickly, without having to wait several hours for the charge to complete, as is the case with traditional rechargeable battery systems. This increases the usable time of the drill and reduces the need for spare batteries.

[0352] In another example, the charger

[11] can be a backup battery, as has become common to provide backup power for personal devices such as smartphones, wireless headphones or earbuds, or other such small portable electronic devices. Traditionally, such backup batteries are charged over a period of several hours via USB through a backup battery with an integrated solar panel. Traditionally, to be used, the backup battery must also be connected to the personal device, typically via USB, and the two devices must be carried together until charging is complete, which is extremely inconvenient for the user. If the backup battery acts as the charger

[11] in the system shown in Figure 1a, while the personal device acts as the receiver

[12] , recharging can occur very quickly, greatly enhancing user convenience.

[0353] A third exemplary embodiment of the system shown in FIG. 1a is a charging station for electric vehicles (EVs). Traditionally, charging stations are directly connected to the power grid and draw power when needed for charging. This limits the total power output of the charging station to the power provided by the grid instantaneously, limiting the number of EVs that can be connected at any one time, which can cause power spikes and reduces the ability of the charging station to take advantage of cheaper electricity prices at various times, as well as renewable sources of power that may not provide stable power, such as solar panels or wind turbines. Furthermore, traditional charging is slow, and so-called "fast charging" of EVs currently requires a minimum of 30 minutes. In a system such as the one shown in FIG. 1a, the charging station acting as a charger

[11] can incorporate batteries

[13] that are charged during times of low power demand, cheaper sources of power, or power from renewable sources, and the internal batteries of the EV acting as a receiver

[12] can be fast charged from the batteries

[13] at the charging station. In a fourth exemplary embodiment of the system shown in Fig. la, the charger

[11] may be a fast charging device connected to any other power source, such as a fuel cell, a conventional diesel-driven generator, a nuclear reactor, or the like. Since such power sources are not capable of fast charging themselves, the battery of the charger

[11] of the system according to the invention may be used to provide fast charging to a receiver

[12] , which may be a personal electronic device, an EV, an industrial machine, etc.

[0354] Devices such as tool batteries, personal devices, and EVs described in the above embodiments are examples of mobile devices, which are portable and can be brought to a power source. Therefore, it is more convenient to bring the mobile device receiver

[12] to a charger

[11] for charging. Conversely, devices such as industrial machinery or scientific equipment that cannot be moved and must be brought to a power source to charge any internal batteries can be described as stationary devices. The stationary device receiver

[12] can be most conveniently charged using a carrier

[18] , which can be charged at the charger

[11] and brought to the receiver

[12] , as further described in FIG. 1b.

[0355] Similarly, in a system such as that shown in Fig. 1a, the charger

[11] may also be a fixed or mobile device. In this case, a device such as the backup battery described in the second embodiment above is a mobile device, which is portable and can be used to charge at any location, taking full advantage of the fact that it contains an internal battery. A device such as a wall charger as proposed by the first embodiment, or a charging station such as that described in the third embodiment, is a fixed device, since it is difficult or impossible to move to a receiver

[12] to act as a power source. The charger

[11] , which is a mobile device, may also be embodied as a carrier

[18] , as further described in Fig. 1b.

[0356] Figure 1b shows a charger

[11] connected [17a] to a carrier

[18] , which is then connected [17b] to a receiver

[12] . As in Figure 1a, the connection

[17] can be any type of connection capable of carrying or inducing an electric charge, whether wired or wireless.

[0357] All three devices [11, 12, 18] have internal batteries [13, 14, 19] operable to charge and discharge at high C-rates, which increase throughout the system. That is, the carrier

[18] can be charged at a higher C-rate than the charger

[11] can charge the carrier, and the receiver

[12] can be charged at a higher C-rate than the carrier

[18] can charge the receiver. This ratio of C-rates can potentially allow for extremely fast nominal charging rates throughout the system. Similar to the charger

[11] and receiver

[12] shown in Figure 1a, the charger

[11] , carrier

[18] , and receiver

[12] in Figure 1b all have battery controllers [15, 16, 110] to monitor their respective internal batteries [13, 14, 19] and control the charging and discharging process accordingly.

[0358] This chain can be extended to multiple carriers

[18] .

[0359] An exemplary embodiment of this system includes a mains-connected charger with an internal battery, which is an example of a stationary device, a charger

[11] . This charger is used to charge a portable battery pack, which is an example of a carrier

[18] , which can then be used to charge one or more internal batteries

[14] of industrial or scientific equipment that cannot be easily connected to a mains power source, which is an example of a stationary device, a receiver

[12] . Of course, this can also be extended to one of the exemplary use cases mentioned previously.

[0360] Preferably, the battery

[13] of the charger

[11] consists of a cell having a working electrode (anode during the discharging step) comprising a niobium-based material, such as niobium oxide, or niobium metal oxide, although this is not required and the battery

[13] can be any rechargeable battery, including but not limited to a lead acid battery, a nickel metal hydride battery, or a lithium ion battery.

[0361] The battery [14 / 19] of the device being charged, either the carrier

[18] or the receiver

[12] , consists of a cell with a working electrode (anode during the discharge step) comprising a niobium-based material, niobium oxide, or niobium metal oxide, allowing high C-rates due to the electrochemical properties of such materials, as described in WO 2019 / 234248. In all cases, the counter electrode (cathode during the discharge step) of the battery [13, 14, 19] may consist of any suitable material.

[0362] The use of niobium-based materials in the working electrodes (anodes during the discharge step) of both or all batteries [13, 14, 19] allows the voltage profile for discharging the battery [13 / 19] in the charger

[11] or carrier

[18] to be symmetrical with the voltage profile for charging the battery [19 / 14] in the carrier

[18] or receiver

[12] . The voltage profile is based on the relationship between the open circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery, which means the potential difference between the counter and working electrodes of the cell when there is no current and the potential is balanced, and the state of charge (SOC) of the battery, which means the remaining capacity of the battery. The voltage profile for discharging can be determined by discharging a charged cell from a 100% charge rate to a 0% discharge rate and determining the OCV of the battery during the discharge process. Similarly, the voltage profile for charging can be determined by charging a discharged cell from a discharged state (0% charge rate) to a fully charged state (100% charge rate) and determining the OCV of the battery during the charge process. A plot of OCV versus charge rate gives the voltage profile. Even if the chemistry of two connected batteries is identical, the voltage profiles for discharge and charge will not be identical due to the inevitable loss of energy due to infrared radiation, but a similarity within 0.01 volts, preferably within 0.005 volts, and more preferably within 0.001 volts allows for efficient charge transfer. Thus, symmetrical voltage profiles within this threshold can be treated as the same.

[0363] Figure 2 shows a more detailed block diagram of the controller

[15] of the charger

[11] . It comprises a system controller

[21] , a power conditioning system

[22] , and a battery management system (BMS)

[23] . As shown in Figure 1a, the controller

[15] is connected to the internal battery

[13] of the charger

[11] . The charger

[11] further comprises a charging engine

[24] , which is connected to the internal battery

[13] and controls the outgoing power to maximize the discharge rate and therefore the charge rate of the battery

[14] of the receiver

[12] . As shown in Figure 1a, the charger

[11] is connected to the receiver

[12] .

[0364] Of the engines in the controller

[15] , the system controller

[21] controls and receives instructions from any user interface and implements the instructions, such as starting and ending charging and discharging sessions. The system controller may also log session data for system diagnostics, control system-wide resources such as thermal control and communications, and control the interaction of other engines and systems in the charger

[11] . For example, the system controller communicates with the power conditioning system

[22] to manage charging current levels and operating modes. For example, if the power conditioning system

[22] includes a buck-boost converter, the system controller

[21] may control whether the current is increased or decreased.

[0365] The power conditioning system

[22] thus acts as a controllable current source for charging and discharging the internal battery

[13] and may incorporate a boost circuit, a buck circuit, or a buck-boost circuit for this purpose. The power conditioning system may operate in bypass mode during charging of the battery

[13] and for power regulation during discharging to take into account the requirements of the connected receiver

[12] or carrier

[18] . As mentioned before, the power conditioning system may be connected to a system controller

[21] to receive instructions, manage the charging session, and report real-time diagnostic information.

[0366] The BMS

[23] monitors the cells with an internal battery

[13] to obtain real-time diagnostic information on any or all of cell voltage and temperature, insulation resistance, bus voltage and current, charge rate, health, balancing, and power availability. The BMS may also, or instead, perform coulomb counting, balancing control, fault and safety management, and contactor control and sequencing.

[0367] A similar system may also be provided in the carrier's

[18] controller, which also requires control when operating in charging mode. The receiver's

[12] controller

[16] will likely have a BMS

[23] and none of the other engines [21, 22], but may also have a power conditioning system

[22] to control the charging current and / or the system controller

[21] , especially if the receiver

[12] has a user interface or other engines that require control or information input. This function may be performed by other controllers or engines in the device acting as the receiver

[12] , depending on its complexity.

[0368] 3a and 3b show exemplary detailed views of the engine shown in FIG. 2. Of these, FIG. 3a shows a detailed view of the charging engine

[24] and the system controller

[21] and how they are interconnected for signaling, along with their connections to the battery

[13] and the power conditioning system

[22] . FIG. 3b shows a detailed view of the power conditioning system

[22] , the BMS

[23] , and the internal battery

[13] and how they are interconnected for power and signal exchange, along with their connections to the utility power source, the charging engine

[24] , and the system controller

[21] .

[0369] In FIG. 3a, the charging engine

[24] comprises a DC-DC charger

[31] that provides fast charging to the receiver

[12] and is controlled by the power switches of the gate drive

[32] . The charging engine

[24] is controlled by a power stage controller

[33] and a fast charge control

[34] , both of which receive signals from the system controller

[21] to optimize charging. The power stage controller

[33] further receives voltage, current, and temperature information from the DC-DC charger

[31] and sends commands accordingly to the gate drive

[32] to maximize the speed of the charging process while avoiding overheating or other possible damage. Together, these engines and controllers control the transfer of power between the internal battery

[13] of the charger

[11] and the internal battery

[14] of the receiver

[12] , enabling fast charging.

[0370] As mentioned before, the system controller

[21] is connected to a user interface

[39] to control it and receive user input accordingly. The system controller

[21] further implements instructions such as initiating and terminating charge / discharge sessions through the charge / discharge session management block

[38] , logs session data for system diagnostics through the system diagnostics / data logging block

[37] , controls system-wide resources such as thermal control and communications through the subsystem monitoring and communications block

[36] , and controls the interaction of other engines and systems in the charger

[11] through the subsystem control block

[35] .

[0371] Looking at FIG. 3b, the power conditioning system

[22] is connected in this example to two possible charging sources. The first charging source is a conventional three-phase AC grid input

[0311] , for example for connection to a domestic wall outlet. The second charging source is a fast charging DC direct connection

[0310] designed for charging battery devices, such as a Combined Charging System "Combo 2" connection as described in standard EN 62196-3 (CCS2 connection). The power conditioning system

[22] itself contains various conversion engines

[0312] , which convert AC power from the three-phase grid connection

[0311] into DC power suitable for charging the battery

[13] , and further convert the DC power into various voltages, for example to provide auxiliary power for operating the internal engine of the charger

[11] . The DC fast charger connection

[0310] is shown as being connected directly to the battery

[13] , since that is what it is designed for. There is also a control bus which receives signals from the system controller

[21] for controlling the conversion engine

[0311] .

[0372] The BMS

[23] is connected to the system controller and also to the interface

[0314] with the battery

[13] , which may consist of one or more cells, as mentioned before. The BMS

[23] balances the cells that make up the battery

[13] based on the voltage, current and temperature data detected by the interface electronics

[0314] . The battery

[13] is further connected to a protection circuit

[0315] , which includes a fuse and acts as a buffer to protect the battery

[13] from possible spikes during charging.

[0373] Figure 4 shows a simplified version of the process that may take place when any two of a charger

[11] and a receiver

[12] , a charger

[11] and a carrier

[18] , or a carrier

[18] and a receiver

[12] are connected for charging. As previously mentioned, this connection

[17] may be through any medium suitable for transferring electric charge.

[0374] For the purposes of this description, the exemplary system used is an EV charging station, which is an example of a charger

[11] , connected via a CCS2 connection

[17] designed to act as a rapid DC-DC charging connection to an EV, which is an example of a receiver

[12] in a system such as that shown in FIG. 1a. Henceforth, the reference numbers of FIG. 1a will be used to refer to the charging station (charger

[11] ), the EV (receiver

[12] ), and their components. However, this is merely an example and does not limit the disclosure in terms of either the specific utility or number of devices. Portions of the process implemented by the controller

[15] of the charging station

[11] are described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3a, and 3b.

[0375] In step S41, the internal battery

[13] of the charging station

[11] is charged. One of the benefits of the present invention is that this can be done at any time using any power supply method, such as suggested by the three-phase grid connection

[0311] and DC fast charging connection

[0310] shown in FIG. 3b. For example, the battery

[13] can be charged from the utility power at night if the operator of the charging station

[11] offers a tariff that provides lower power at night when demand is low. Alternatively, the charging station

[11] can be equipped with solar panels or wind turbines that, by their nature, provide power only in suitable conditions and in variable amounts. The battery

[13] can then be charged when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, and retain the resulting power until it is needed.

[0376] As mentioned previously, the charging process is controlled by a system controller

[21] and a BMS

[23] , which determine the nature of the incoming charge and ensure that the battery

[13] is safely charged. In some situations, this involves activating a power conditioning system

[22] , for example in slow charging, where the current from the power source is very low and must be increased to properly charge the battery

[13] . Alternatively, the incoming charge may bypass the power conditioning system

[22] , as mentioned with respect to the DC fast charger connection

[0310] .

[0377] In step S42, the EV

[12] is connected to the charging station

[11] via the CCS2 connection

[17] in a conventional manner. The physical connection of the charging cable acts to trigger charging. The system controller

[21] in the controller

[15] of the charging station

[11] determines the maximum C-rate of the EV's internal battery

[14] for charging and whether fast charging is possible according to the method of the present invention, which includes comparing the C-rate at which the EV battery

[14] can be charged with the C-rate at which the charging station battery

[13] can be discharged. This may be done using a signal from the controller

[16] of the EV

[12] across the connection

[17] . If the charging C-rate of the EV battery

[14] is equal to or greater than the discharging C-rate of the charging station battery

[13] , the system of the present invention may be used. Otherwise, conventional charging methods are used, which may potentially involve charging directly from utility power rather than the internal battery

[13] .

[0378] In step S43, the charging station

[11] discharges its internal battery

[13] to the battery

[14] of the EV

[12] . Although the system controller

[21] may activate the power conditioning system

[22] to provide the required charging current to the battery

[14] of the EV

[12] , in the exemplary system shown in Figures 3a and 3b, the battery

[13] is discharged directly through the charging engine

[24] . The BMS

[23] controls the discharge of the cells that make up the battery

[13] of the charging station

[11] , and the gate drive

[32] and other engines in the charging engine

[24] control the behavior of the DC-DC charger

[31] to maximize the rate of discharge.

[0379] This may involve fully discharging the battery

[13] of the charging station

[11] if the battery

[14] of the EV

[12] and the battery

[13] of the charging station

[11] have the same capacity and the battery

[14] of the EV

[12] is fully discharged at the beginning of the process. In other situations, the battery

[13] of the charging station

[11] may only be partially discharged, for example if the capacity of the battery

[13] of the charging station

[11] is much larger and / or if the battery

[14] of the EV

[12] does not require a full charge due to its initial charge rate or user selection. The partial discharge may be controlled by the system controller

[21] of the charging station

[11] based on a signal from the battery controller

[16] of the EV

[12] indicating the charge rate of the EV battery

[14] or a signal from a user interface

[39] .

[0380] Once charging is complete, the process proceeds to step S44 where the EV

[12] is disconnected from the charging station

[11] . The system controller

[21] then deactivates the power conditioning system

[22] and, if used, the charging engine

[24] .

[0381] FIG. 5a shows a receiver device which is an electric vehicle (EV)

[53] with a receiver battery

[54] . The EV

[53] is connected to a charging device

[52] including a battery and a controller, and the charging device battery is shown as being charged to a maximum state of charge (SoC), so that when the receiver battery

[54] is depleted as shown in FIG. 5a, it may be charged from the battery of the charging device

[52] . The charging device

[52] is shown as having an optional connection to a utility power source

[51] for recharging the battery of the charging device

[52] . The battery of the charging device

[52] may be so connected to the utility power source

[51] only during the recharging process. The high input charge rate of the charging device

[52] itself means that it may be recharged in a variety of ways, including by AC charging and DC fast charging stations. DC fast charging stations are capable of charging at up to 360 kW.

[0382] The charging device

[52] is operable to both charge and discharge with a power / energy ratio greater than 3, preferably greater than 5, and more preferably greater than 10. The charging device is further operable to carry much less charge than the receiver battery

[54] of the EV

[53] is capable of holding.

[0383] The invention allows the battery of the charging device

[52] to have a relatively small physical size but a high power density for discharge, resulting in a high discharge rate at a power / energy ratio that is usually higher than the charging power / energy ratio of the receiver battery

[54] of the EV

[53] . However, considering that the EV

[53] has a larger battery, the charging time is surprisingly short since it is still able to accept the full power of the charging device

[52] .

[0384] FIG. 5b shows a receiver device, a type of uninterruptible power supply (UPS)

[55] common in offices and increasingly in homes, connected to two computing devices

[57] . Such UPS devices

[55] are commonly used to avoid damage to computing devices, such as servers, caused by brief disruptions to utility power. Because most such power disruptions are shorter than one minute, many UPS devices

[55] are designed to power connected devices

[57] only for short periods of time. Furthermore, many users assume that the UPS

[55] can maintain the uptime of the connected devices

[57] and do not take action to safely shut down the devices when they realize that utility power has been lost. Thus, the internal battery

[56] of the UPS

[55] may not hold enough charge to maintain the desired output until utility power resumes.

[0385] As explained with respect to the EV

[53] shown in FIG. 5a, the UPS

[55] of the system according to the invention may further be connected to a charging device

[52] , with an optional connection to a utility power source

[51] for charging its internal battery. As explained before, the charging device

[52] is operable to charge and discharge at a high power / energy ratio while carrying less charge than the receiver battery

[56] of the UPS

[55] can hold. This means that the charging device

[52] is capable of discharging into the receiver battery

[56] of the UPS

[55] at a higher power / energy ratio than the internal battery

[56] of the UPS

[55] can normally accept. However, because the battery

[56] of the UPS

[55] is larger than the battery of the charging device

[52] , the discharge ratio corresponds to a power / energy ratio that the battery

[56] of the UPS

[55] can accept in a surprisingly short charging time.

[0386] Alternatively, the charging device

[52] may be a secondary emergency system that is integrated into the housing of the UPS

[55] and activated using a user interface.

[0387] Figure 5c shows a receiver device, a mobile computing device

[58] , depicted here as a smartphone, connected to an emergency charging device

[52] similar to that described in Figures 5a and 5b, by way of non-limiting example. As already described, the charging device

[52] is capable of charging and discharging at a high power / energy ratio, and has an optional connection to a utility power source

[51] to allow charging of its internal battery.

[0388] The mobile computing device

[58] has a receiver battery

[59] similar to that described for the EV

[53] in Figure 5a and for the UPS

[55] in Figure 5b. The receiver battery

[59] is physically smaller and accordingly has a smaller capacity than that described for the EV

[53] in Figure 5a and the UPS

[55] in Figure 5b. In this embodiment, the battery of the charging device

[52] is also smaller than that described in Figures 5a and 5b and accordingly has a smaller capacity, which is also smaller than the receiver battery

[59] of the mobile computing device

[58] .

[0389] Although reduced in size and capacity compared to the previously described examples, the charging device

[52] can charge the receiver battery

[59] of the mobile computing device

[58] in the same manner. The charging device

[52] is operable to discharge at a higher power / energy ratio than the receiver battery

[59] of the mobile computing device

[58] can normally accept, because the charging device is smaller and is transferring a smaller amount of charge, with a discharge ratio corresponding to the lower power / energy ratio of the receiver battery

[59] , which results in surprisingly fast charging of a small amount of power, for example, sufficient to finish a conversation, find a conventional charger, or save a document you are working on.

[0390] FIG. 6a shows a block diagram of an exemplary charging device

[61] comprising a battery

[0610] connected to two power connectors [63, 64], a controller

[67] , a charging engine [66, 68, 611], and a communication bus

[69] , and a power connector

[65] that can be detachably connected to a receiver device, in this example an EV

[62] .

[0391] Of the power connectors [63, 64], the first power connector

[63] is a DC fast charging port of a type typically used to charge the battery of an EV. It provides DC power to the charging device

[61] , for example from a DC fast charging station. The DC power may be passed through a power conditioning engine

[66] . This charging engine

[66] may incorporate or be connected to a step-up DC-DC converter, a step-down DC-DC converter, or a step-up / step-down DC-DC converter to provide the appropriate power conditioning and convert the voltage received from the power connector

[63] as appropriate and condition the power accordingly.

[0392] The second power connector

[64] is an AC slow charge port that can be used to provide a slow charge to the charging device

[61] from a domestic electrical outlet or a low power AC charging station. Power from this input

[64] can be passed through an AC / DC charging engine

[68] to charge the battery

[0610] . The AC / DC charging engine

[68] performs any required conversion and power conditioning.

[0393] These types of power connectors [63, 64] are examples only and do not limit the disclosure. Other suitable power inputs may be used and there may be one or more power connectors. For example, there may be separate input ports for Type 1 and Type 2 charging connectors, of different shapes, which may be connected to the same circuit within the charging device or may have their own charging engines. The DC fast charging power connector

[63] may also be adapted to provide AC power from a low power AC charging station in addition to or instead of DC power as described.

[0394] The charging device

[61] also incorporates a controller

[67] that controls the flow of power to and from the battery

[0610] of the charging device

[61] by determining whether the battery should be charged or discharged. The controller can also send signals to the charging engine

[66] to indicate how power regulation should be performed and the discharge / charge rate. Optionally, the controller

[67] may further control the user interface, diagnostics, fault protection, and other safety and convenience functions. Alternatively, these may be controlled by special processors and / or engines that receive control inputs and signaling from the controller

[67] as appropriate.

[0395] The high charge and discharge rates of the charging device

[61] are made possible by a combination of the electrochemical properties of the cells constituting the battery

[0610] and the circuitry including the controller

[67] and the charging engine [66, 68, 611] as further described in FIG. 6b. Preferably, the cell

[21] is such that one or both of the anode and cathode include a metal oxide, preferably a niobium-based material, niobium oxide, or a niobium metal oxide, such as niobium tungsten oxide, niobium titanium oxide, and / or niobium molybdenum oxide, as described, for example, in WO 2019 / 234248, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The battery

[0610] is also provided with a battery management system (BMS) that controls the operation of the battery

[0610] through functions such as cell balancing and fault detection. The BMS may also be included as part of the charging engine. This is separate from the system controller

[67] , which controls the operation of the charging device

[61] as a whole.

[0396] Although shown as a single battery in Figure 6, the battery

[0610] may include any number of electrochemical cells and may consist of one or more sub-batteries connected to provide power as appropriate. The battery

[0610] may further be a modular system such that sub-batteries may be removed, replaced, or added as needed to maintain and enhance the functionality of the charging device

[61] .

[0397] The battery

[0610] is also connected to a power connector

[65] , which provides controlled charging of the receiver battery of the receiver device

[62] . In the example shown in FIG. 6, the power connector

[65] is a separate device from the power connectors [63, 64], and such a configuration is also suggested in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 7a and FIG. 7b. However, this is for clarity only and is not limiting. The same charging engine [66, 68] used for power input may be used for power output. For example, to limit the size of the charging device

[61] and make it more user-friendly, it may be beneficial to use the same physical DC fast charging plug

[63] for both charging and discharging the battery

[0610] of the charging device

[61] . In such an embodiment, the connection between the power connector

[63] , the charging engine

[66] , and the battery

[0610] is bidirectional, and the power conditioning circuitry of the charging engine

[66] may also be used to perform the necessary conditioning so that the charging device

[61] outputs the appropriate voltage for charging the receiver device

[62] .

[0398] To this end, in embodiments such as the example shown in Figure 6a where the power connectors [63, 64] and charging output

[65] are separate, a charging engine

[0611] , or a similar collection of step-down, step-up, or step-down / step-up converter circuits, may also be present along with control circuitry between the battery

[0610] and the charging output

[65] to control the charging of the device

[62] . In some embodiments, this functionality may instead be incorporated into the charging output

[65] .

[0399] Figure 6b shows a more detailed view of the internal controller.

[0400] The AC / DC charging engine

[68] first comprises a DC-DC charger

[0611] that receives power either from the power conditioning engine

[66] via a communication bus

[69] or directly from the AC power connector

[64] via a conversion engine not shown in FIG. 6b. It provides fast charging to the battery

[0610] and is controlled by the power switches of the gate drive

[0612] . The AC / DC charging engine

[68] is controlled by a power stage controller

[0613] and a fast charge control

[0614] , both of which receive signals from the system controller

[67] to optimize charging. The power stage controller

[0613] further receives voltage, current, and temperature information from the DC-DC charger

[0611] and sends commands accordingly to the gate drive

[0612] to maximize the speed of the charging process while avoiding overheating or other possible damage. This level of precise control allows the fastest possible charging to occur without risking damage to either the engine of the charging device

[61] or the cells of the battery

[0610] .

[0401] The controller

[67] implements instructions such as initiating and terminating charge and discharge sessions through the charge / discharge session management block

[0618] , logs session data for system diagnostics through the system diagnostics / data logging block

[0617] , controls system-wide resources such as thermal control and communications through the subsystem monitoring and communications block

[0616] , and controls interaction with other engines and systems within the charging device

[61] through the subsystem control block

[0615] .

[0402] As mentioned before, the battery

[0610] incorporates a battery management system (BMS), which is connected to the controller via a communication block

[69] . The BMS performs balancing of the cells that make up the battery

[0610] based on detected voltage, current, and temperature data, and may further include protection circuitry, including fuses, that act as buffers to protect the battery

[0610] from spikes that may occur during fast charging and discharging.

[0403] The charger

[0611] may include an engine similar to an AC / DC charging engine

[68] with similar functionality for receiving power from the battery

[0610] in a controlled manner, which may be based on signaling from a system controller

[67] , to avoid overheating or other possible damage, perform any needed power conditioning, and output it to the charging output

[65] .

[0404] Like the AC / DC charging engine

[68] , this is combined with the circuitry of a BMS to enable the fastest possible discharge without damaging the charging device

[61] or the battery

[0610] .

[0405] The engine and controller [66, 67, 68, 611] together control the transfer of power from the power connector [63, 64] to the battery

[0610] and from the battery

[0610] to the receiver device

[62] , enabling fast charging and discharging.

[0406] Figures 7a, 7b, and 7c show three exemplary embodiments of a charging device. The first embodiment shown in Figure 7a is a robotic mobile vehicle

[74] that includes a wheeled chassis

[76] and a remote control unit or wireless controller

[75] that can be used to drive the charging device

[74] or to give commands to the charging device to direct it to a specific location. The wireless controller

[75] may also incorporate sensors that allow the mobile unit

[74] to navigate around obstacles or follow a trajectory such as a drawn line on its own. The mobile unit

[74] also includes a battery

[72] and associated engine, such as that described in Figure 6. The battery

[72] can be charged from a power source

[71] as previously described, and connected to a receiver device

[73] , such as an EV, and discharged as previously described.

[0407] Such a mobile unit

[74] may be provided in a parking lot, industrial site, or other controlled area such that it can be commanded to go to the location of the EV if emergency charging is required. The EV in this example may be a car, or other such passenger or cargo vehicle, or may be industrial equipment or any other battery-powered device where the receiver battery of the device has a larger capacity than the charger device battery. The mobile unit

[74] may thus be of an appropriate shape to aid in navigating the area, for example, tall and narrow to fit between vehicles, or short and flat to fit underneath a vehicle when used in a parking lot.

[0408] The mobile unit may move by means other than wheels, such as caterpillar tracks, or may fly using an air cushion or mini-helicopter system such as those found on commercially available drones.

[0409] The second embodiment shown in Fig. 7b is a manually operated charging device

[77] that may be carried, for example, in a roadside assistance vehicle. A small charging device

[77] with a physically small battery

[72] may also be carried by an EV driver for use in an emergency. The charging device

[77] in this example is therefore provided with a handle

[79] for easy carrying and a display panel

[78] for providing information about the operation of the charging device

[77] , for example the current SoC of the battery

[72] . The display panel

[78] may be a touch screen for inputting commands.

[0410] The manually operated charging device

[77] also incorporates a battery

[72] and its associated engine as described in Figure 6, which can be charged from the power source

[71] and discharged into the device

[73] as previously described.

[0411] A third embodiment shown in FIG. 7c is a small charging device

[0710] embodied as a USB "thumb drive" with an internal battery

[72] . It may be used, for example, in a system such as that shown in FIG. 5c, where the charging device [710 / 52] is used to quickly transfer very small amounts of charge to a small personal device such as a smartphone

[58] . Due to its small size, it may not have a full user interface as described for the charging device

[77] shown in FIG. 7b, but it does have two LED lights

[0711] that may serve as indicators, for example, by illuminating a green LED when the charging device

[0710] is fully charged and operational, and a red LED when it is discharging. The thumb drive

[0710] also includes the battery

[72] and associated engine described in FIG. 6 and operates in the same way, but has a single charge / discharge engine and is charged

[71] and discharged

[73] via USB.

[0412] Figure 8 describes the process that a charging device

[61] , such as that shown in Figure 6, goes through when it is connected to be charged itself, and when it is connected to charge a receiver battery of a receiver device, such as an EV

[62] . The broad outline of the process is the same in both cases, but each is described separately. First, the process of charging the battery

[0610] of the charging device

[61] is described, followed by the process of using the charging device

[61] to charge the receiver battery.

[0413] In step S81, one of the power connectors [63 / 64] of the charging device

[61] is connected to a power source. In the example shown in Fig. 6, this may mean that the DC fast power connector

[63] is connected to a DC fast charging station, such as those becoming common in public places such as gas stations and parking lots. Alternatively, it may mean that the AC slow charging power connector

[64] is connected to an electrical socket in a building, such as a house or garage. In some embodiments, such as the one shown in Fig. 7c, other alternative power sources may be used, such as in this case a USB socket.

[0414] In step S82, the controller

[67] receives a signal from the power connector [63 / 64] that is connected to the power source, indicating that a connection has been made and allowing the controller

[67] to determine not only which power connector [63, 64, 65] is being used, but also whether the connection was for charging or discharging.

[0415] In devices such as that shown in FIG. 6, where the input and output power connections [63, 64, 65] are physically separate, this may be simple to determine as it depends on the connection used. In devices where the same connection is used for both input and output, it may be based on the content of the signal from the connector, which indicates whether the charging device

[61] is connected to a charging station or to a device to be charged. Thus, the nature of the connection indicates whether the battery

[0610] of the charging device

[61] should be charged or discharged. This determination may also include the expected voltage of the power being provided and whether it is AC or DC. This information allows the controller

[67] to determine what conversion and power conditioning is required.

[0416] In step S83, the controller

[67] signals the power connector [63 / 64] to begin receiving and transmitting power to the battery

[0610] . If charging is occurring via the DC fast charge port

[63] , power is received via the charging engine

[66] , which includes a boost converter, a buck converter, or a buck-boost converter so that the power can be converted to an appropriate voltage for charging the battery

[0610] . Thus, the charging engine

[66] operates and performs the appropriate power conditioning.

[0417] In step S84, the battery

[0610] is charged with power received from the power connector [63 / 64] at a rate dependent on the power / energy ratio of the power source, since the battery

[0610] is capable of being charged at a high rate. When charging is complete and the battery

[0610] has reached its maximum storage capacity, the BMS terminates charging and sends a control signal to the controller

[67] , which then signals the power connector [63 / 64] to stop receiving power in step S85. In embodiments such as the one shown in FIG. 7b, it may also perform other functions, such as displaying a message to the user on the display screen

[78] to indicate that charging is complete, or in the example shown in FIG. 7c, activating another indicator such as an LED

[0711] .

[0418] In step S86, the charging device

[61] is physically disconnected from the power source and the power connector [63 / 64] signals the controller

[67] to do so. The controller

[67] stops activity of any internal mechanisms required for charging, such as boost circuits, buck circuits, or buck-boost circuits.

[0419] The process will now be described with respect to charging a receiver device, such as an EV

[62] , from a charging device

[61] . Although the process is described with respect to an EV

[62] , this is not intended to be limiting and the same principles may be applied to charging any other device, such as a UPS

[55] as shown in Figure 5b or a mobile computing device

[58] as shown in Figure 5c.

[0420] In step S81, the charging device

[61] is physically connected to the EV

[62] via the charging output

[65] . As previously mentioned, in some embodiments this may be the same physical connector as the power connector [63 / 64], since it may be beneficial, for example, to use the same DC fast charging connector

[63] for both charging and discharging the charging device

[61] .

[0421] In step S82, the controller

[67] determines that the charging device

[61] is connected to a device

[62] to be charged. As previously explained, this may be through determining that the device

[62] is connected to a charging output

[65] , or may be via a signal indicating that the receiver device

[62] is attempting to draw power.

[0422] In step S83, the controller

[67] sends a signal to the charging output

[65] that it should begin drawing power from the battery

[0610] of the charging device

[61] via the power conditioning circuitry as needed to convert the voltage output by the battery

[0610] to the voltage required by the receiver device

[62] .

[0423] In step S84, the BMS sends a signal to the controller

[67] indicating that the battery

[0610] of the charging device

[61] is fully discharged. The controller

[67] then signals the charging output

[65] that it should stop drawing power in step S85, ending the discharge of the battery

[0610] . If there is a user interface

[78] such as that shown in Figure 7b, the controller

[67] can also display an indication on the user interface

[78] that the battery

[0610] has been discharged.

[0424] In step S86, the charging device

[61] is physically disconnected from the device

[62] .

[0425] This results in a change in the SoC of the power pack

[0610] and the battery of the device

[62] , such as that shown in Figure 9, which is based on a simulation of a device such as that shown in Figure 5a where a charger with a receiver battery

[62] is connected to an EV

[53] .

[0426] 9 shows a plot of charging rate over time. Estimated charging rates are shown for an exemplary charging device of the invention (solid line) and an EV with a battery capacity of 77 kWh charged using the charging device of the invention (dashed line). Estimated charging rates are also shown for an exemplary charger device for comparison (ZipCharge Go® charger) (dashed line) and the same EV charged using the exemplary charger device for comparison (dashed line).

[0427] The charging device transfers power to the EV battery at an average power of 400 kW. At 0 seconds, the exemplary charging device battery is at 100% SoC and the EV battery is at 0% SoC. Over the course of 300 seconds (i.e., 5 minutes), the exemplary charging device battery is discharged to 0% SoC and the EV battery is charged to 43% (i.e., 33 kWh) SoC. Thus, the exemplary charging device provides a 43% charge in just 5 minutes.

[0428] The comparative example charger device (ZipCharge Go® charger) transfers power to the EV battery at an average power of 7.2 kW. At 0 seconds, the comparative example charging device battery is at 100% SoC and the EV battery is at 0% SoC. Over the course of 1800 seconds (i.e., 30 minutes), the comparative example charging device battery is discharged to 0% SoC and the EV battery is charged to about 5% SoC (i.e., 3.6 kWh). Thus, the comparative example charging device provides a 5% charge in 30 minutes.

[0429] The total amount of energy transferred to the EV is much greater with the exemplary charging device as compared to the comparative example. The charging rate of the EV is also much faster with the exemplary charging device as compared to the comparative example.

[0430] 10 shows a further embodiment of the charging device of the present invention. In this embodiment, the charging device is configured such that the charging rate of the charger device battery is higher than the discharging rate of the charger device battery. This allows for a longer operational time of the device, where the time required to charge the charger device is shorter than the time it takes for the device to be discharged into the receiver battery.

[0431] Figure 10 shows a simplified block diagram of a device of the present invention, including sensors, protection fuses and diodes, and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) designed to accept higher than standard currents, together with an integrated circuit (IC) that acts as a controller. In Figure 10, solid lines show connections that carry current during charging and discharging, and dashed lines carry signaling data, including inputs from sensors that detect cell voltage levels, currents, and temperatures. This sensor data is used to ensure that cells are not overcharged or overdischarged. The battery pack is also preferably equipped with special tabs to allow high currents to prevent interconnects from becoming bottlenecks that could slow charging.

[0432] A simulation of the achievable charging rate is shown in Figure 11. The simulation shows the accumulation of charge over time for the charging device shown in Figure 10 and discussed above compared to a conventional charging device including a conventional battery. The charging device shown in Figure 10 is capable of charging from 0 Ah to 1 Ah in 250 seconds (about 4 minutes). In contrast, the conventional charging device has a slower charging rate, achieving only about 0.3 Ah of charge in 410 seconds (about 6 minutes).

[0433] The system provides improved current and cell protection, allowing charging at the maximum operational charge rate of the cell. As a result, the charge rate of the charger device battery can be higher than the discharge rate, resulting in a longer operational life for the device.

[0434] Other Preferences Each and every compatible combination of the embodiments described above is expressly disclosed herein as if each and every combination was individually and explicitly recited.

[0435] Various further aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to persons skilled in the art from this disclosure.

[0436] As used herein, "and / or" should be interpreted as specifically disclosing each of the two specified features or components with or without the other. For example, "A and / or B" should be interpreted as specifically disclosing (i) A, (ii) B, and (iii) each of A and B, as if each were individually set forth herein.

[0437] Unless the context indicates otherwise, the feature descriptions and definitions set forth above are not limited to any particular aspect or embodiment of the present invention, but apply equally to all aspects and embodiments described.

[0438] STATEMENT OF THE INVENT The following numbered paragraphs contain statements of the broad combinations of technical features in accordance with various aspects of the invention disclosed herein.

[0439] 1. A charger comprising a first storage device including a first plurality of battery cells operable to discharge at a first C-rate; a power receiver comprising a second storage device including a second plurality of battery cells, the power receiver operably coupled to a charger and operable to be charged by the charger at a second C-rate; The second C rate is equal to or greater than the first C rate; The system, wherein at least one of the first plurality of battery cells or the second plurality of battery cells comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide.

[0440] 2. The system of paragraph 1, wherein the working electrode is the anode during the discharge step.

[0441] 3. The system of paragraph 1 or paragraph 2, wherein the voltage profile of the cells of the first storage device is the same as the voltage profile of the cells of the second storage device.

[0442] 4. A carrier further comprising a third storage device including a third plurality of battery cells; a carrier operably coupled to the charger and operable to be charged by the charger at a third C-rate; a carrier operatively coupled to the receiver and operable to discharge and charge the receiver at a fourth C rate; The third C rate is equal to or greater than the first C rate; Any system in paragraphs 1 through 3 where the second C rate is equal to or greater than the fourth C rate.

[0443] 5. A paragraph 4 system in which the fourth C rate is equal to or greater than the third C rate.

[0444] 6. The system of paragraph 4 or paragraph 5, wherein the third plurality of battery cells comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide.

[0445] 7. The system of paragraph 6, wherein the working electrode is the anode during the discharge step.

[0446] 8. The system of any one of paragraphs 1 through 7, wherein the metal oxide is niobium oxide or niobium metal oxide.

[0447] 9. Niobium oxide or niobium metal oxide is Nb2O5, Nb2NiO6, Nb 12 WO 33 , Nb 26 W4O 77 , Nb 14 W3O 44 , Nb 16 W5O 55 , Nb 18 W8O 69 , Nb2WO8, Nb 18 W 16 O 93 , Nb22 W 20 O 115 , Nb8W9O 47 , Nb 54 W 82 O 381 , Nb 20 W 31 O 143 , Nb4W7O 31 , NbW 15 O 50 , Nb2WO8, Nb2TiO7, Nb 10 Ti2O 29 , Nb 24 TiO 62 , Nb2Mo3O 14 , Nb 14 Mo3O 44 , Nb 12 MoO 44 , Nb 11 AlO 29 , Nb 11 GaO 29 , Nb 49 GaO 124 , Nb 18 GeO 47 , Nb 34 CuO 87 , or Nb 34 The system of paragraph 8, comprising Zn2O8.

[0448] 10. The system of any of paragraphs 1 through 9, wherein the charger is configured to charge the receiver in less than one minute, and the charge comprises charging a cell of the receiver from less than 0.5V to more than 3V.

[0449] 11. The system of any of paragraphs 1 through 10, wherein the charger is operable to provide a power density of at least 2 watts per cubic centimeter.

[0450] 12. Any system of paragraphs 1 to 11 in which the charger is a stationary device.

[0451] 13. Any of the systems of paragraphs 1 to 11, wherein the charger is a mobile device.

[0452] 14. A method of charging a receiver battery from a charging device, the charging device comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector in separable electrical communication with the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and a power output; a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine, the method comprising: discharging the battery into a power connector using a charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller; and adjusting a discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, wherein the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater, such as 5C or greater, 10C or greater, or 20C or greater, in response to the data.

[0453] 15. The method of paragraph 14, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide, such as a niobium-containing metal oxide.

[0454] 16. Electrochemical cells are made of graphite, Si, and SiO x (x is 0 to 2), or a working electrode active material comprising particles of LTO.

[0455] 17. Any of the methods of paragraphs 14 to 16, in which the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a discharge rate that is higher than the charge rate of the receiver battery.

[0456] 18. The method of any one of paragraphs 14 to 17, wherein the data about the battery status is selected from at least one of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery insulation resistance, discharge current, battery charge rate, battery balancing status, and battery power availability.

[0457] 19. The method of paragraph 18, wherein the data about the battery condition comprises battery voltage, battery discharge current, and battery temperature.

[0458] 20. Charging the battery through a power connector using a charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to a controller; 20. The method of any of paragraphs 14 to 19, further comprising adjusting a charge rate of the battery to increase the charge rate, wherein the charge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to the data.

[0459] 21. The method of paragraph 20, wherein the charge rate of the battery is increased to a charge rate of 5C or greater, preferably 10C or greater, and more preferably 20C or greater.

[0460] 22. The method of paragraphs 20 or 21, wherein the step of charging the battery from the power connector comprises converting the charging power from AC to DC using a converter of the charging engine.

[0461] 23. The method of paragraphs 14 through 22, wherein discharging the battery into the power connector comprises increasing the discharge voltage using a DC-DC converter in the charging engine, such as a step-down converter, a step-up converter, or a step-down / step-up converter.

[0462] 24. Initiating discharge, the controller sending a signal to the charging engine to start or stop discharging the battery; and / or 24. The method of any of paragraphs 14 to 23, further comprising a step of stopping the discharge, the controller signaling the charging engine to stop discharging the battery.

[0463] 25. The method of paragraph 24, wherein the step of initiating and / or stopping the discharge is triggered by the connection and / or disconnection of a receiver battery and / or a power source to the power connector.

[0464] 26. The step of adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate comprises: (i) determining whether data about the state of the battery that is to be sent to the controller is within range; (ii) increasing the discharge rate if the data is within range or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the range; (iii) repeating steps (i)-(ii) until the controller signals the charging engine to stop discharging the battery.

[0465] 27. Transmitting data about the status of the receiver battery to the controller; 27. The method of paragraphs 14 through 26, further comprising adjusting a discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, wherein the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to data about the condition of the receiver battery.

[0466] 28. The method of any of paragraphs 14 to 27, wherein adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate comprises independently adjusting the discharge rates of two or more electrochemical cells of the battery to balance the two or more electrochemical cells of the battery.

[0467] 29. A charging device for charging a receiver battery, comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector in separable electrical communication with the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and the power connector, the charging engine controlling a discharge rate of the battery; and a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine for adjusting a discharge rate of the battery in response to data about the state of the battery to increase the discharge rate, the controller increasing the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater.

[0468] 30. The charging device of paragraph 29, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide, the metal oxide being a niobium-containing metal oxide.

[0469] 31. The charging device of paragraph 29 or 30 or the method of paragraphs 14 through 28, wherein the working electrode is the anode during discharge.

[0470] 32. The charging device of paragraph 31 or the method of paragraph 31, wherein the niobium-containing metal oxide is lithium niobium oxide, LiNbVO, LiNbLaZrO, LiNbSPO, LiNbAlTiP, LiNbAlGeP, niobium tungsten oxide, titanium niobium oxide, niobium molybdenum oxide, or a combination thereof.

[0471] 33. Niobium-containing metal oxides include Nb2O5, Nb2NiO6, and Nb 12 WO 33 , Nb 26 W4O 77 , Nb 14 W3O 44 , Nb 16 W5O 55 , Nb 18 W8O 69 , Nb2WO8, Nb 18 W 16 O 93 , Nb 22 W 20 O 115 , Nb8W9O 47 , Nb 54 W 82 O 381 , Nb 20 W 31 O 143 , Nb4W7O 31 , NbW 15 O 50 , Nb2WO8, Nb2TiO7, Nb 10 Ti2O 29 , Nb 24 TiO 62 , Nb2Mo3O 14 , Nb 14 Mo3O 44 , Nb 12 MoO 44 , Nb 11 AlO 29 , Nb 11 GaO 29 , Nb 49GaO 124 , Nb 18 GeO 47 , Nb 34 CuO 87 , or Nb 34 The charging device of paragraph 31 or the method of paragraph 31, wherein the charging material is Zn2O8.

[0472] 34. The charging device of any of paragraphs 29 to 33 or the method of paragraphs 14 to 28 or 31 to 33, wherein the controller comprises a power stage controller.

[0473] 35. A charging device of any of paragraphs 29 to 34 or a method of paragraphs 14 to 28 or 31 to 34, wherein the power connector has separate power inputs for charging the battery and power outputs for discharging the battery.

[0474] 36. A charging device of any of paragraphs 29 to 35 or a method of paragraphs 14 to 28 or 31 to 35, wherein the power connector has an integrated power input for charging the battery and a power output for discharging the battery.

[0475] 37. A charging device of any of paragraphs 28 to 35 or a method of paragraphs 14 to 28 or 31 to 36, wherein the charging engine comprises a gate driver and / or a power conditioner.

[0476] 38. Use of the charging device of paragraphs 28 to 37 to charge a motorized transportation device, an uninterruptible power supply, or a mobile computing device.

[0477] In order to more fully describe and disclose the present invention and the state of the art to which it pertains, several publications are cited. Full citations for these references are provided below. Each of these references is incorporated herein in its entirety. (References) [Table 1] [Explanation of symbols]

[0478] 11 Charger 12 Power receiver 13 Battery, internal battery 14 Battery, internal battery 15 Controller, Battery Controller 16 Controller, Battery Controller 17 Connection 18 Career 19 Batteries, internal batteries 21 System Controller 22 Power Regulation System 23 Battery Management System, BMS 24 Charging Engine 31 DC-DC charger 32 Gate Drive 33 Power Stage Controller 34 Fast Charge Control 35 Subsystem Control Blocks 36 Subsystem Monitoring and Communication Blocks 37 System Diagnostics / Data Logging Block 38 Charge / Discharge Session Management Block 39 User Interface 51 Commercial power supply 52 Charging Devices 53 Electric Transportation, EV 54 Power receiver battery 55 Uninterruptible Power Supplies, UPS, UPS Devices 56 Internal battery, power receiver battery 57 Computing Devices 58 Mobile Computing Devices, Smartphones 59 Power receiver battery 61 Charging Devices 62 EV, receiver device, receiver battery 63 Power Connector, DC Fast Charging Plug, DC Fast Power Connector, DC Fast Charging Port 64 Power Connector, AC Power Connector, AC Slow Charge Power Connector 65 Power connector, charging output 66 Charging engine, power regulation engine, controller 67 Controller, System Controller 68 AC / DC charging engine, controller 69 Communication bus, communication block 71 Power supply 72 Batteries, internal batteries 73 Power Receiver Device 74 Charging device, robotic mobile vehicle, mobile unit 75 Wireless Controller 76 Case 77 Charging Devices 78 Display panel, display screen, user interface 79 Handle 110 Battery Controller 310 fast charging DC direct connection, DC fast charger connection, DC fast charging connection 311 Three-phase AC system input, three-phase system connection, conversion engine 312 Conversion Engine 314 Interfaces, interface electronic devices 315 Protection circuit 610 Batteries, power packs 611 Charging engine, DC-DC charger, controller 612 Gate Drive 613 Power Stage Controller 614 Fast Charge Control 615 Subsystem Control Blocks 616 Subsystem Monitoring and Communication Block 617 System Diagnostics / Data Logging Block 618 Charge / Discharge Session Management Block 710 Charging Devices, Thumb Drives 711 LED, LED light

Claims

1. 1. A method of charging a receiver battery from a charging device, the charging device comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector separably electrically connected to the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and the power connector; a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine, the method comprising: discharging the battery into the power connector using the charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to the controller; and adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, wherein the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater, such as 5C or greater, 10C or greater, or 20C or greater, in response to the data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide, such as a niobium-containing metal oxide.

3. The electrochemical cell is made of graphite, Si, SiO ｘ 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the working electrode active material comprises particles of SiO 2 (where x is 0 to 2), or LTO.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a discharge rate that is higher than the charge rate of a receiver battery.

5. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data about the state of the battery is selected from at least one of battery voltage, battery temperature, battery insulation resistance, discharge current, charge rate of the battery, balancing state of the battery, and power availability of the battery.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the data about the condition of the battery comprises a battery voltage, a battery discharge current, and a battery temperature.

7. charging the battery through the power connector using the charging engine; transmitting data about the state of the battery to the controller; and adjusting the charge rate of the battery to increase the charge rate, wherein the charge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to the data.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the charge rate of the battery is increased to a charge rate of 5C or greater, preferably 10C or greater, more preferably 20C or greater.

9. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the charge rate of the battery is increased to a maximum charge rate and the discharge rate of the battery is increased to a maximum discharge rate, the maximum charge rate being greater than the maximum discharge rate.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the maximum charge rate is 5C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 5C, preferably the maximum charge rate is 10C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 10C, more preferably the maximum charge rate is 20C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 20C, and also more preferably the maximum charge rate is 60C or more and the maximum discharge rate is less than 60C.

11. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein charging the battery from the power connector comprises converting the charging power from AC to DC using a converter of the charging engine.

12. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein discharging the battery into the power connector comprises increasing the discharge voltage using a DC-DC converter of the charging engine, such as a step-down converter, a step-up converter, or a step-up / step-down converter.

13. Initiating discharge, wherein the controller signals the charging engine to start or stop discharging the battery; and / or 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of stopping discharge, wherein the controller signals the charging engine to stop discharging the battery.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the step of starting and / or stopping discharge is triggered by connection and / or disconnection of a receiver battery and / or power source to the power connector.

15. The step of adjusting the discharge rate of the battery, comprising: (i) determining whether the data about the condition of the battery transmitted to the controller is within an acceptable range; (ii) increasing the discharge rate if the data is within an acceptable range or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the acceptable range, maximizing the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater.

16. adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate; (i) determining whether the data about the condition of the battery transmitted to the controller is within range; (ii) increasing the discharge rate if the data is within the range or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the range; and (iii) repeating steps (i)-(ii) until the controller signals the charging engine to stop discharging the battery.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein repeating steps (i) to (ii) continuously adjusts the discharge rate depending on the state of the battery.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein steps (i) and (ii) are repeated every 0.01 to 10 seconds.

19. transmitting data about the condition of the receiver battery to the controller; and adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate, wherein the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater in response to data about the condition of the receiver battery.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising adjusting the discharge rate of the battery by determining whether the data about the condition of the receiver battery is within an acceptable range, and increasing the discharge rate if the data is within the acceptable range, or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the acceptable range, maximizing the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater.

21. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the discharge rate of the battery to increase the discharge rate comprises independently adjusting the discharge rates of the two or more electrochemical cells of the battery to balance the two or more electrochemical cells of the battery.

22. 1. A charging device for charging a receiver battery, comprising: a battery comprising an electrochemical cell; a power connector for detachably electrically connecting to the receiver battery; a charging engine in electrical communication with the battery and the power connector, the charging engine controlling the discharge rate of the battery; a controller in communication with the battery and the charging engine for adjusting the discharge rate of the battery in response to data about the state of the battery to increase the discharge rate, wherein the discharge rate is increased to a rate of 3C or greater.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the controller is for receiving data about the state of the battery, the method comprising the steps of: (i) determining whether the data about the condition of the battery transmitted to the controller is within an acceptable range; (ii) increasing the discharge rate if the data is within the acceptable range, or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the acceptable range, maximizing the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater; (iii) repeating steps (i)-(ii) until the controller signals the charging engine to stop discharging the battery; 23. The charging device of claim 22 for regulating the discharge rate of the battery by

24. A charging device as described in claim 22, wherein the controller is in communication with the receiver battery to receive data about the condition of the receiver battery, and is for regulating the discharge rate of the battery by the steps of determining whether the data about the condition of the receiver battery is within an acceptable range, and increasing the discharge rate if the data is within the acceptable range, or decreasing the discharge rate if the data is outside the acceptable range, and maximizing the discharge rate to a rate of 3C or greater.

25. 23. The charging device of claim 22, wherein the electrochemical cell comprises a working electrode active material comprising a metal oxide, the metal oxide being a niobium-containing metal oxide.

26. 23. The charging device of claim 22 or the method of claim 1, wherein the working electrode is the anode during discharge.

27. 26. The charging device of claim 25 or the method of claim 2, wherein the niobium-containing metal oxide is lithium niobium oxide, LiNbVO, LiNbLaZrO, LiNbSPO, LiNbAlTiP, LiNbAlGeP, niobium tungsten oxide, titanium niobium oxide, niobium molybdenum oxide, or a combination thereof.

28. The niobium-containing metal oxide is Nb ２ O ５ , Nb ２ NiO ６ , Nb １２ WO ３３ , Nb ２６ W ４ O ７７ , Nb １４ W ３ O ４４ , Nb １６ W ５ O ５５ , Nb １８ W ８ O ６９ , Nb ２ WO ８ , Nb １８ W １６ O ９３ , Nb ２２ W ２０ O １１５ , Nb ８ W ９ O ４７ , Nb ５４ W ８２ O ３８１ , Nb ２０ W ３１ O １４３ , Nb ４ W ７ O ３１ , Nb ２ W １５ O ５０ , Nb ２ WO ８ , Nb ２ TiO ７ , Nb １０ Ti ２ O ２９ , Nb ２４ TiO ６２ , Nb ２ Mo ３ O １４ , Nb １４ Mo ３ O ４４ , Nb １２ MoO ４４ , Nb １１ AlO ２９ , Nb １１ GaO ２９ , Nb ４９ GaO １２４ , Nb １８ GeO ４７ , Nb ３４ Cu ２ O ８７ , or Nb ３４ Zn ２ O ８ 26. The charging device of claim 25 or the method of claim 2, wherein:

29. 23. The charging device of claim 22 or the method of claim 1, wherein the charger device battery has an energy density of 100 Wh / L or more, preferably 150 Wh / L or more, more preferably 200 Wh / L or more.

30. 23. The charging device of claim 22 or the method of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a power stage controller.

31. 23. The charging device of claim 22 or the method of claim 1, wherein the power connector comprises separate power inputs for charging the battery and power outputs for discharging the battery.

32. 23. The charging device of claim 22 or the method of claim 1, wherein the power connector comprises an integrated power input for charging the battery and a power output for discharging the battery.

33. 23. The charging device of claim 22 or the method of claim 1, wherein the charging engine comprises a gate driver, a power conditioner, and / or a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET).

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