Battery Charging System with Temperature Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automatic engine start and stop systems in locomotives often shut down engines prematurely due to inaccurate battery state of charge assessments, leading to failed engine startups and undesirable battery gassing during charging, caused by temperature discrepancies between ambient and battery temperatures.
Innovation Solution
A battery charging system with temperature and current sensors that determine the battery state of charge accurately, controlling charging voltage based on measured battery temperature to prevent overcharging and gassing, ensuring the battery is fully charged before shutting down the engine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the engine is shut down after idle for a predetermined time to save fuel, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the battery state of charge becomes inaccurate leading to failed engine startups
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors battery voltage, current, and temperature, and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust charging parameters. The charger measures actual battery state of charge and provides feedback to the control system to determine appropriate shutdown timing, ensuring the battery is sufficiently charged before engine shutdown while still achieving fuel savings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes charging parameters (voltage, current, temperature compensation) based on battery state of charge and environmental conditions. By adjusting charging voltage and current profiles dynamically, the system ensures adequate battery charging before engine shutdown while maintaining fuel efficiency benefits.
2Device complexity
If the charger charges batteries at voltage based on ambient temperature, then charging is simplified, but the large difference between ambient temperature and battery temperature causes inaccurate charging voltage leading to battery gassing
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a temperature compensation mechanism as an intermediary between ambient temperature measurement and charging voltage determination. A sensor directly measures battery temperature, and this measurement is used to compensate the charging voltage setting, eliminating the harmful effect of temperature differential while maintaining simple charging control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical/thermal assumption (ambient temperature equals battery temperature) with direct electrical measurement (battery temperature sensor). This substitution of measurement method eliminates the temperature differential error without significantly increasing system complexity.
3Loss of energy
If the engine is shut down to conserve fuel, then operating costs are reduced, but the battery may not be fully charged resulting in road failures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary charging action before engine shutdown by monitoring battery state of charge in real-time and ensuring adequate charging has occurred before the shutdown event. The charger is controlled to deliver sufficient charge to the battery before engine cutoff, preventing subsequent startup failures while maintaining fuel conservation benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The control system continuously monitors battery voltage, current, and temperature with feedback to determine actual state of charge. This feedback mechanism allows the system to make informed decisions about shutdown timing, ensuring battery reliability is maintained while achieving fuel cost savings.
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 ensures reliable engine startups by accurately assessing battery state of charge and preventing battery gassing, thereby reducing road failures and extending battery life.
Implementation Method 1
A battery charging system with temperature and current sensors that determine the battery state of charge accurately, controlling charging voltage based on measured battery temperature
Implementation Method 2
A battery charging system with temperature and current sensors that determine the battery state of charge accurately
Implementation Method 3
controlling charging voltage based on measured battery temperature to prevent overcharging and gassing
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for battery charging are provided. A system includes a battery charger electrically coupled to at least one battery and a plurality of sensors configured to measure a voltage of the battery, a charging current supplied to the battery, and a temperature of the battery wherein the battery charger is configured to determine a state of charge of the battery using at least one of the plurality of sensors to control gassing of the battery during charging.