Multi-Battery Rail Control for Balanced Discharge Impedance
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Solution Overview
Problem
In multi-battery systems, unequal discharge impedance between batteries with disparate charge characteristics can lead to premature battery failure and system brown-outs due to uneven battery cycling and load distribution, as one battery may deplete faster than others, causing voltage drops and rendering the system non-functional.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes charge control electronics to decouple and recouple batteries from a shared battery rail based on impedance equality, ensuring that both batteries discharge along equal or substantially equal impedance paths, thereby preventing unequal battery cycling and brown-outs by managing the discharge paths through mechanisms like overcharge protection and discharge interrupt mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If multiple batteries are included in an electronic device to extend run-time capacity, then the battery capacity and operational runtime are improved, but the discharge impedance between batteries becomes unequal leading to premature battery failure and system brown-outs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the impedance parameter of battery discharge paths using control electronics. When batteries are connected in parallel to a shared battery rail, the control electronics adjust the impedance of each discharge path to be substantially equal, ensuring uniform current distribution and preventing premature failure of individual batteries while maintaining extended operational runtime
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the charge control electronics continuously monitor the discharge impedance of multiple batteries and dynamically adjust the impedance of each discharge path. This feedback loop ensures that batteries with disparate charge characteristics maintain equal impedance paths, preventing unequal battery cycling and system brown-outs while preserving the extended runtime benefit
2Quantity of substance
If batteries with disparate charge characteristics are connected to a shared battery rail, then the total battery capacity is increased, but unequal discharge impedance causes one battery to deplete faster than others
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the impedance parameter of discharge paths in real-time to compensate for disparate battery characteristics. By adjusting the impedance of each battery's discharge path to be substantially equal, the system ensures uniform discharge rates across all batteries while maintaining their combined capacity advantage
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces charge control electronics as an intermediary between the batteries and the shared battery rail. This intermediary device actively manages the discharge impedance of each battery, ensuring that batteries with different capacities and characteristics discharge at uniform rates while preserving the total capacity benefit
3Device complexity
If unequal impedance paths are allowed in multi-battery systems, then the device complexity is reduced, but system brown-outs occur due to voltage drops when one battery depletes faster
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the impedance parameter of discharge paths to maintain system reliability. By actively adjusting the impedance to be substantially equal across all batteries, the system prevents voltage drops and brown-outs that would otherwise occur due to unequal discharge rates, ensuring continuous operation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control where the charge control electronics monitor battery discharge characteristics and adjust discharge path impedances in real-time. This feedback mechanism prevents system brown-outs by ensuring uniform battery discharge, maintaining system operational continuity while managing the complexity of multi-battery systems
Data Source
AI summary
A multi-battery system implements operations to equalize discharge path impedance. The system includes first and second batteries of different capacities each coupled to a battery rail that supports source load electronics. The system includes charge control electronics configured to decouple the first battery from the battery rail when the discharge path of the first battery and the discharge path of the second battery have unequal impedance and to recouple the first battery to the battery rail when the discharge path of the first battery and the discharge path of the second battery have substantially equal impedance.