Secondary Battery Charging Device with Time Management Timer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Charging secondary batteries using natural energy sources, such as solar or wind power, results in prolonged charging times due to lower current levels, often causing the protection timer to stop the charging process before the battery is fully charged, necessitating user intervention to restart the charging process.
Innovation Solution
A secondary battery charging system with a time management timer that temporarily stops and restarts charging based on pre-set stop and determination times, allowing the battery to appear disconnected and then reconnectable, thus avoiding the need for user intervention and ensuring full charge without modifying the battery or device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If charging is performed using natural energy sources (solar, wind power), then environmental friendliness is improved, but charging time becomes excessively long due to lower current levels
Solution Approach 1:
The charging device implements periodic charging by alternating between charging operation and pause operation. The control unit switches between these modes based on timer conditions, allowing the battery to be charged in intervals rather than continuously. This periodic approach enables full charging without requiring the battery to remain connected indefinitely, resolving the contradiction between using low-power natural energy sources and achieving full charge within acceptable timeframes.
2Loss of time
If protection timer charging time is extended to accommodate lower charging currents, then full charging becomes possible, but the protection timer function sets off before the battery is fully charged
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit performs preliminary assessment of the battery's charging status by monitoring voltage and current characteristics before the protection timer expires. Based on this preliminary evaluation, the control unit determines whether to extend charging beyond the standard protection timer limit or to pause and resume charging. This preliminary action ensures that the battery is fully charged while preventing overcharging, resolving the contradiction between extending charging time and maintaining charging reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The control unit continuously monitors battery voltage and charging current to provide feedback on the charging state. This feedback mechanism allows the system to dynamically adjust the charging strategy, including extending the protection timer limit when appropriate or switching between charging and pause operations. The feedback ensures that the battery reaches full charge while preventing overcharging, resolving the contradiction between charging time extension and charging completion reliability.
3Loss of time
If the protection timer charging time is re-set based on charging current or remaining capacity, then charging can continue longer, but the electronic device requires modification to add re-setting functionality
Solution Approach 1:
The charging device is designed to autonomously manage the protection timer setting without requiring user intervention or modifications to the battery or electronic device. The control unit automatically adjusts the protection timer limit based on monitored charging parameters such as voltage and current characteristics. This self-service approach allows the system to extend charging time when needed while maintaining simplicity in the overall device structure, resolving the contradiction between extended charging time and device complexity.
4Reliability
If charging is stopped and restarted by removing and reconnecting the charging device, then charging can resume after protection timer expiration, but user burden increases due to manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit automatically manages charging resumption without requiring the user to manually remove and reconnect the charging device. When the protection timer expires or charging needs to be paused, the control unit automatically switches between charging operation and pause operation, and automatically resumes charging when appropriate conditions are met. This self-service mechanism ensures reliable charging resumption while eliminating the need for user intervention, resolving the contradiction between charging reliability and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A secondary battery charging system includes a secondary battery charging device and a power generation device that generates a charging current. The secondary battery charging device controls the charging a secondary battery, which has a protection timer that counts a first elapsed time from a start of charging. The secondary battery charging device includes a charging switch that controls a supply of the charging current, a time management timer portion that counts a second elapsed time starting from a point at which the charging switch becomes conductive and performs a charging stop determination and that counts a third elapsed time starting from a point at which the charging switch is cut off and performs a charging start determination, and a charging control portion that causes the charging switch to be conductive or cut off based on results of the charging stop determination and the charging start determination.