Battery Pack Charge Current Control for Multi-Pack Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charging systems configured to handle multiple types of battery packs often cause excessive voltage increases, leading to premature charging stops and potential damage due to differences in battery characteristics like internal resistance, resulting in inefficient charging times.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack with a memory device storing maximum charging current variations based on its characteristics, a target current calculator, and an information notifier to adjust the charging current dynamically, preventing excessive voltage increases and ensuring proper charging completion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed maximum variation of charging current is used for multiple battery pack types, then the charger can be universally applied, but battery voltage may exceed permissible limits causing premature charging stop
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the maximum variation of charging current based on individual battery pack characteristics. The battery pack transmits its specific characteristics to the charger, which then dynamically determines an appropriate maximum variation value tailored to that battery pack, rather than using a fixed universal value. This resolves the contradiction by making the charging current adaptive to each battery pack while preventing voltage excursions that would cause premature charging stop.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of maximum variation of charging current from a fixed value to a variable value determined by battery pack characteristics. The battery pack transmits parameters such as internal resistance and charge capacity to the charger, which uses these parameters to calculate an optimal maximum variation value. This parameter adaptation allows the charger to work with multiple battery pack types while maintaining safe voltage increases and preventing premature charging termination.
2Reliability
If a smaller maximum variation of charging current is set, then battery voltage rise is controlled, but charging time becomes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the maximum variation of charging current by determining it based on battery pack characteristics such as internal resistance and charge capacity. This optimized parameter allows the charging current to increase at the maximum safe rate without causing voltage to exceed permissible limits, thereby preventing premature charging stop while minimizing charging time. The parameter is specifically tailored to each battery pack to achieve the fastest safe charging rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack transmits its characteristics to the charger, creating a feedback loop that allows the charger to determine the optimal maximum variation of charging current. This feedback mechanism enables the system to identify the precise maximum rate at which the charging current can increase without causing voltage excursions, thereby achieving both voltage control and minimum charging time.
3Productivity
If charging current increases rapidly, then charging time is reduced, but battery voltage may exceed permissible upper limit activating charging stop function
Solution Approach 1:
The patent determines the maximum variation of charging current as an optimized parameter based on battery pack characteristics, allowing the charging current to increase rapidly at the maximum safe rate. This optimized parameter enables high charging speed while ensuring that battery voltage does not exceed permissible upper limits, thereby preventing activation of the charging stop function and maintaining charging continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery pack transmits its characteristics to the charger before charging begins, allowing the charger to pre-determine the optimal maximum variation of charging current. This preliminary action enables the charger to immediately apply the correct charging current increase rate from the start, achieving rapid charging while preventing voltage excursions that would trigger the charging stop function.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack in one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first cell, a memory device, a target current calculator, and an information notifier. The memory device stores a maximum variation of a charging current value. The maximum variation is determined depending on a characteristic of the battery pack. The target current calculator calculates a newest value of a target current value based on (i) a previous value of the target current value and (ii) the maximum variation. The information notifier transmits a charge condition information including the newest value.