Transposable Battery System for Universal High Voltage Charging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional high voltage battery chargers are expensive and limited to charging specific voltage batteries, requiring special chargers and not compatible with varying high voltage batteries like 48V, 36V, or 60V using standard 12V DC power supplies.
Innovation Solution
A transposable battery system with a system controller, switch circuits, and voltage multipliers that break down high voltage batteries into smaller units for charging with inexpensive 12V DC power, allowing reassembly and bypassing faulty cells, enabling universal compatibility with various high voltage batteries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional high voltage battery chargers are used, then high voltage batteries can be charged, but the chargers are expensive and limited to specific voltage batteries
Solution Approach 1:
The high voltage battery is divided into multiple battery units (e.g., four 18V batteries to create a 72V system). Each battery unit can be independently charged by separate chargers, allowing the system to accept various input voltages (12V, 18V, 24V, 36V, 48V, 60V) and reconfigure them through switch circuits to achieve the desired high voltage output.
Solution Approach 2:
The charger system is designed to universally charge multiple battery types and voltages using the same hardware platform. The system can charge 18V batteries individually and then combine them through series connection via switch circuits to create 36V, 54V, or 72V configurations, eliminating the need for multiple specialized chargers.
2Reliability
If special chargers are used for different voltage batteries, then each battery type can be charged properly, but multiple chargers are needed increasing cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
A single charger unit can charge any battery type (18V, 36V, 54V, 72V) by configuring the switch circuits to connect the appropriate battery units in series. The system maintains reliable charging by using dedicated battery management ICs for each battery unit and controlling the charging process through a microcontroller that monitors voltage and current.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple battery units are merged through series connection via switch circuits to achieve higher voltages. The same physical chargers and power supply are merged to serve multiple battery configurations, reducing the total number of chargers needed while maintaining reliable charging for each battery type.
3Ease of manufacture
If high voltage batteries are charged as single units, then charging is straightforward, but expensive CVCC devices are required
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of treating the high voltage battery as a single unit requiring an expensive constant voltage constant current (CVCC) charger, the system segments it into multiple 18V battery units. Each unit can be charged by inexpensive 12V or 18V chargers, dramatically reducing cost while maintaining reliability through individual battery management for each unit.
Solution Approach 2:
Switch circuits and battery management ICs act as intermediaries between inexpensive chargers and the battery units. The switch circuits enable series connection of charged units to achieve high voltage output, while the battery management ICs monitor and control each unit's charging process, ensuring stable and reliable charging without requiring expensive CVCC devices.
4Device complexity
If battery cells are connected in fixed configuration, then system is simple, but faulty cells cannot be bypassed reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The battery configuration is made dynamic through switch circuits that can reconfigure the connection of battery units in real-time. When a battery unit becomes faulty, the switch circuits can bypass it and reconfigure the remaining units to maintain the required voltage output, ensuring continuous operation and improved reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The battery system is segmented into independently controllable units with individual switch circuits for each connection point. This segmentation allows faulty units to be isolated and bypassed while the remaining units continue to function, maintaining system reliability without requiring complete system shutdown or complex redesign.
Data Source
AI summary
A battery charging system includes a first battery charger configured to charge a first battery, a second battery charger configured to charge a second battery, a third battery charger configured to charge a third battery, a first switch circuit configured to open and close an electrical connection between the first battery and the second battery, a second switch circuit configured to open and close an electrical connection between the second battery and the third battery, and a system controller configured to control operations of the first battery charger, the second battery charger, the third battery charger, the first switch circuit, and the second switch circuit. During a charging mode, the system controller is configured to open, by the first switch circuit, the electrical connection between the first battery and the second battery and open, by the second switch circuit, the electrical connection between the second battery and the third battery.