Battery Charger Cell-Level Bypass Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing chargers for accumulators do not effectively protect battery cells from overcharging, leading to reduced service life and environmental concerns due to material consumption, and lack efficient monitoring and control mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A charger with a controllable switch and galvanically isolated signaling channels allows bypassing charging current to each battery cell, comparing voltages with reference values to prevent overcharging and notify a higher-level controller of critical conditions, using a two-wire signaling bus for state-of-charge representation and error reporting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a common charging current is supplied to all battery cells in series, then the charging process is simple, but some battery cells may be overcharged while others are not fully charged
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the charging system into individual cell-level control units, with each battery cell having its own controllable switch and voltage comparison circuit. This segmentation allows independent monitoring and control of charging current for each cell, ensuring uniform charging while maintaining overall system simplicity through modular design.
2Reliability
If the charging current is continuously monitored and controlled for each battery cell, then overcharging is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each battery cell is equipped with its own voltage comparison circuit and controllable switch that automatically regulate the charging current based on local voltage measurements. This self-service approach eliminates the need for complex centralized control, reducing overall system complexity while ensuring reliable overcharging protection for each cell.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local feedback control at each battery cell, where the voltage comparison circuit continuously compares the battery cell voltage with a reference voltage and automatically adjusts the controllable switch to maintain proper charging current. This decentralized feedback mechanism provides robust overcharging protection without requiring complex system-wide control algorithms.
3Measurement precision
If galvanically isolated signaling channels are implemented for each battery cell, then accurate state monitoring is achieved, but the signaling system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple galvanically isolated signaling channels into a single shared communication bus that carries aggregated state information from all battery cells. This merging approach maintains the galvanic isolation benefits for accurate monitoring while reducing signaling system complexity by eliminating redundant separate channels for each cell.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution extends battery life by preventing overcharging, reduces material consumption, and enhances environmental protection by enabling precise control and monitoring of charging processes, ensuring safe and efficient charging operations.
Implementation Method 1
an arrangement for controlling the charging current for a rechargeable battery cell, the arrangement having a controllable switch with which the charging current at the battery cell can be routed past it, in particular as a bypass current
Implementation Method 2
a means being provided for comparing a first voltage value, which corresponds to the voltage present at the battery cell, with a reference voltage value, the output signal of which is fed to the controllable switch as a control signal
Implementation Method 3
also a galvanically isolated signaling channel, via which an analog value is transmittable
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a charger for an accumulator which has accumulator cells connected in series, said charger comprising an arrangement that controls the charging current for an accumulator cell and that has a controllable switch which allows the charging current to be conducted past the accumulator cell, in particular as a bypass current, with a means being provided to compare a first voltage value, corresponding to the voltage across the accumulator cell, to a reference voltage value, the output signal produced being supplied, as a control signal, to the controllable switch and additionally to a galvanically-isolated signalling channel by means of which an analogue value can be transmitted.