Electrical storage circuitry operational methods
View Patent ↗Circuits, apparatuses, electrochemical device charging methods, and lithium-mixed metal electrode cell charging methods are provided. According to one aspect, a circuit includes charging circuitry adapted to apply electrical energy to an electrochemical device to charge the electrochemical device, and the electrochemical device being configured to assume an open-circuit condition in a substantially charged state; shunting circuitry electrically coupled with the charging circuitry and configured to shunt the electrical energy around the electrochemical device responsive to the electrochemical device reaching the substantially charged state; and indication circuitry configured to output a signal responsive to the shunting of the electrical energy to indicate a charge status of the electrochemical device.
1. An electrical storage circuitry operational method comprising:
providing electrical storage circuitry comprising a plurality of electrochemical storage devices electrically coupled with one another;
applying electrical energy to a first of the electrochemical storage devices to charge the first electrochemical storage device to a substantially electrically charged state;
distributing the applying of the electrical energy from the first electrochemical storage device to a second of the electrochemical storage devices to charge the second electrochemical storage device to a substantially electrically charged state; and
indicating a state of electrical charge of the electrical storage circuitry.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrochemical storage devices are electrically coupled in series and the distributing comprises shunting the electrical energy using shunt circuitry in parallel with the first electrochemical storage device.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the indicating is responsive to the distributing.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating comprising indicating a state of electrical charge of the first and the second of the electrochemical storage devices.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the indicating comprises indicating responsive to individual ones of the first and the second electrochemical storage devices being substantially electrically charged.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the indicating comprises indicating responsive to all of the electrically coupled electrochemical storage devices reaching a substantially electrically charged state.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising ceasing the applying responsive to the indicating.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein individual ones of the electrochemical storage devices assume an open-circuit condition in a substantially electrically charged state.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying comprises applying the electrical energy to the first electrochemical storage device after the first electrochemical storage device has been substantially electrically charged, and wherein the applied electrical energy has a voltage greater than an end-of-charge voltage of the first electrochemical storage device.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the applying and the distributing comprise independently electrically charging the first and the second electrochemical storage devices.
11. An electrical storage circuitry operational method comprising:
providing electrical storage circuitry comprising a plurality of electrical storage devices coupled with one another;
providing electrical energy to the storage circuitry to electrically charge the electrochemical storage devices;
substantially electrically charging a first of the electrochemical storage devices;
providing a first signal responsive to the first electrochemical storage device being substantially electrically charged;
after the substantially electrically charging of the first electrochemical storage device, substantially electrically charging a second of the electrochemical storage devices;
providing a second signal responsive to the second electrochemical storage device being substantially electrically charged; and
providing a third signal responsive to the providing of the first and the second signals and corresponding to a state of electrical charge of the electrical storage circuitry.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the providing the third signal indicates substantial electrically charging of an entirety of the electrical storage circuitry.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising ceasing the electrical charging of the electrical storage circuitry responsive to the providing the third signal.
14. The method of claim 11 wherein the electrically charging the second electrochemical storage device comprises shunting an application of the electrical energy from the first electrochemical storage device to the second electrochemical storage device.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the providing the first signal is responsive to the shunting.