Modular Battery Charger With Auxiliary Current Source
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery chargers are inflexible and expensive, requiring users to choose between faster but more costly chargers or slower, less expensive ones, with no option to modify charging capacity or form factor without purchasing a new charger.
Innovation Solution
A modular battery charger with a regulated main charging source and an auxiliary charging source, controlled by a charge controller, allowing for adjustable charging current and voltage, enabling the addition of external charging sources to increase charging capacity as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If a higher charge current is used to achieve faster charging, then the charging speed is improved, but the cost and size of the charger components increase proportionally
Solution Approach 1:
The charging system is divided into a main charging source and an auxiliary charging source. The main charging source provides the primary charging current, while the auxiliary charging source can be selectively enabled to provide additional current when faster charging is needed. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high charging speeds without requiring all components to be sized for maximum power continuously, thus reducing overall system complexity and cost.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a modular design with multiple charging sources is implemented, then the adaptability and flexibility are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The auxiliary charging source is designed to be selectively enableable, allowing the same charging system to function in multiple modes: standard charging using only the main source, and fast charging by enabling the auxiliary source. This multi-functionality provides adaptability for different charging needs without requiring completely separate charging devices, balancing versatility with manageable complexity through a unified control architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include a modular battery charger having a main charging source and is configured to include at least one additional charging source that can be an auxiliary charging source or an external charging source. The additional charging sources can be added as modules to augment the total charging current that can be provided to a rechargeable battery. The modular battery charger can selectively enable or disable the additional charging sources while controlling the output current of the main charging source to adjust the charging current provided to a rechargeable battery.