Battery Charger State Detection for Bad Battery Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current battery chargers lack an efficient method to quickly determine a battery's state of health (SoH) and state of charge (SoC) during the charging process, particularly for identifying 'bad battery' conditions, which can lead to inefficient charging and potential engine starting failures.
Innovation Solution
A battery charger system that uses a processor, voltage sensor, and display device to measure and compare battery voltages against predetermined values, displaying a 'bad battery' indicator if certain conditions are met, and optionally aborting the charging process or initiating desulfation, while also monitoring for thermal runaway and lack of progress.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional battery charging methods are used without state detection, then the charging process is simple, but the charging efficiency is low and bad battery conditions cannot be identified
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of battery state (voltage, current, temperature) before initiating the charging process. This preliminary action allows the system to identify bad battery conditions in advance and prevent inefficient charging, thereby improving charging efficiency without adding significant complexity during the actual charging operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors battery parameters during charging and provides feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the system can adjust charging parameters or terminate charging when bad battery conditions are detected. This closed-loop feedback mechanism improves charging efficiency by preventing wasted energy on non-recoverable battery conditions.
2Reliability
If battery state detection is implemented, then bad battery conditions can be identified quickly, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs multiple functions: it manages the charging process, detects battery state (voltage, current, temperature), identifies bad battery conditions, and controls the display device. By consolidating these functions into a single control unit rather than using separate dedicated devices for each function, the system achieves reliable battery state detection without proportionally increasing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses intermediary sensors (voltage sensor, current sensor, temperature sensor) that interface between the battery and the control unit. These intermediaries convert physical battery parameters into electrical signals that the control unit can process, enabling accurate battery state detection while keeping the control unit's structure relatively simple.
3Loss of information
If continuous monitoring of battery parameters is performed, then real-time battery state information is available, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system performs periodic measurements of battery parameters at specific intervals during charging. This periodic action provides sufficient real-time information about battery state while significantly reducing energy consumption compared to continuous monitoring, as the sensors and processing are activated only at discrete time points rather than continuously.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery charger and method is disclosed for detecting when a battery has a low state of health while simultaneously charging or maintaining the battery. A battery charger includes a processor; a non-transitory memory device; a power management device to receive an input power and to output a charging current; a pair of electrical conductors to electrically couple with a battery, and a display electrically coupled to the processor. The display being configured to indicate a bad battery indicator when the battery has a low state of health and whether the battery is good to start.