Multi-Bay Battery Charger Power Allocation Under Limited Supply
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional multi-bay battery pack chargers risk overdrawing power from a power source, leading to the cessation of charging for some battery packs when the total power demand exceeds the available supply, necessitating a controller for optimized power distribution.
Innovation Solution
A battery pack charger with a controller that monitors available power from a power source and adjusts charging power to individual bays based on the power needed, ensuring that all battery packs can be charged simultaneously without exceeding the available power supply.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple battery packs are charged simultaneously in a multi-bay charger, then the productivity and work time are improved, but the power consumption increases and may exceed the available power from the power source
Solution Approach 1:
The charger dynamically adjusts the charging parameters of individual bays based on real-time power availability. The controller monitors the total power consumption and available power, then dynamically modifies charging currents or voltages for specific bays to prevent overload while maximizing simultaneous charging capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (charging current, voltage, or power allocation) based on the comparison between needed power and available power. When power is insufficient, the controller adjusts parameters to reduce total power consumption while maintaining charging functionality across multiple bays.
2Reliability
If the power needed by charging circuits exceeds the available power from the power source, then the circuit protection device is activated to prevent damage, but the charging function is lost for one or more battery packs
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously monitors power consumption and available power, creating a feedback loop that adjusts charging parameters before the circuit protection device activates. This preventive feedback mechanism maintains reliability by avoiding overload conditions while preserving charging functionality through proactive power management.
3Use of energy by moving object
If a controller is added to monitor and optimize power distribution among charging bays, then the power utilization efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions: monitoring power consumption, detecting available power, calculating power needs for each bay, adjusting charging parameters, and preventing overload. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single multi-functional controller, the system achieves high power utilization efficiency without proportionally increasing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery pack charger that includes a housing and a plurality of battery receptacles supported by the housing that are configured to receive a battery pack. The charger includes a plurality of charging circuits connected to the battery receptacles and configured to transmit power to the plurality of battery receptacles. The charger includes at least one sensor to sense available power from a power source. The charger includes a controller operable to receive a signal from the at least one sensor indicative of the available power from the power source, receive signals from the plurality of charging circuits indicative of an amount of power needed by the charging circuits to charge the battery packs, and reduce a charging power to at least one of the plurality of charging circuits when the amount of power needed by the charging circuits is greater than the available power from the power source.