IP Library Granted Patent US 9,252,626
Granted Patent B2
US 9,252,626 · App. 14/482,889 · Granted Feb 2, 2016

Battery power transfer system

Inventors: Carlos Coe (San Marcos, TX); Aeron Hurst (Martindale, TX)
Assignee: YOUNICOS, INC.
H02J7/007H01M10/44H02J1/00H02J7/0021H02J7/0063G01R31/3662H01M10/48Y02E60/12
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,252,626
App. No.
14/482,889
Granted
Feb 2, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A battery power transfer system includes control circuitry coupled to a charge/discharge module. The charge/discharge module is configured to apply an electrical stimulus to a battery and to determine, based at least in part on a measured response of the battery to the applied electrical stimulus, a target power transfer frequency of the battery. The power is transferred to or from the battery with a power transfer profile comprising current pulses having a frequency component selected based on the determined target power transfer frequency.

Claims (38)

1. A battery power transfer system, comprising:

control circuitry coupled to a charge/discharge module, the charge/discharge module being configured to apply an electrical stimulus to a battery and to determine, based at least in part on a measured response of the battery to the applied electrical stimulus, a target power transfer frequency of the battery;

wherein power is transferred to or from the battery with a power transfer profile comprising current pulses having a frequency component selected based on the determined target power transfer frequency.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the measured response of the battery is selected from the group consisting of: a rate of change in voltage, a dynamic internal impedance, and a frequency response.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising measurement circuitry coupled to the control circuitry to provide the measured response of the battery.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the measurement circuitry comprises an optically-isolated voltage detector.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the measurement circuitry comprises a spectrum analyzer.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the measurement circuitry comprises a sensor module configured to measure at least one of a temperature and a pressure of the battery, wherein at least one of the measured temperature and pressure are used to modify the power transfer profile.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulus is a discharge pulse signal having a pulse frequency, and the charge/discharge module is configured to sweep the pulse frequency over a frequency sweep range from an initial pulse frequency to a maximum pulse frequency.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the charge/discharge module is configured to repeatedly sweep the pulse frequency at a given current level.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the charge/discharge module is a bidirectional power supply.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the power transfer profile further comprises a base current having a base current magnitude, and wherein the current pulses are superimposed on the base current.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the base current magnitude is variable, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the base current magnitude based on the measured response.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the battery is one of a plurality of interconnected batteries of a battery pack of the system.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the current pulses comprise different frequency components selected based on determined target power transfer frequencies of different batteries of the pack.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the frequency component selected based on the determined target power transfer frequency is the determined target power transfer frequency, or a harmonic thereof.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the determined target power transfer frequency is configured to be retuned when a state of charge of the battery changes.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the determined target power transfer frequency is configured to be retuned by at least one of a repeated frequency sweep at predetermined intervals, preset information, and a fast fourier transform of a response from the battery after being subjected to an applied electrical stimulus.

17. A battery power transfer system, comprising:

control circuitry coupled to a charge/discharge module, the charge/discharge module being configured to apply an electrical stimulus to a battery and to determine a target power transfer frequency of the battery;

wherein power is transferred to or from the battery with a power transfer profile comprising current pulses having a frequency component selected based on the determined target power transfer frequency.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the target power transfer frequency is determined, based at least in part, on a measured response of the battery to the applied electrical stimulus, and wherein the measured response is selected from the group consisting of: a rate of change in voltage, a dynamic internal impedance, and a frequency response.

19. The system of claim 17 , further comprising measurement circuitry coupled to the control circuitry to provide a measured response of the battery.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the measurement circuitry comprises an optically-isolated voltage detector.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the measurement circuitry comprises a spectrum analyzer.

22. The system of claim 18 , wherein the electrical stimulus is a discharge pulse signal having a pulse frequency, and the charge/discharge module is configured to sweep the pulse frequency over a frequency sweep range from an initial pulse frequency to a maximum pulse frequency.

23. The system of claim 17 , wherein the charge/discharge module is a bidirectional power supply.

24. The system of claim 17 , wherein the power transfer profile further comprises a base current having a base current magnitude, and wherein the current pulses are superimposed on the base current.

25. The system of claim 17 , wherein the base current magnitude is variable, and wherein the control circuitry is configured to adjust the base current magnitude based on the measured response.

26. The system of claim 17 , wherein the battery is one of a plurality of interconnected batteries of a battery pack of the system.

27. A method of charging a battery, the method comprising:

applying an electrical stimulus to the battery using a charge/discharge module;

measuring a response of the battery to the electrical stimulus using the charge/discharge module;

determining a target power transfer frequency based at least in part on the response of the battery to the applied electrical stimulus; and

charging the battery with a charge current profile comprising current pulses having a frequency component selected based on the determined target power transfer frequency.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein the electrical stimulus is selected from the group consisting of: a transient signal, a flat power spectral density within a fixed bandwidth at a predetermined center frequency, and a charge pulse signal having a charge pulse frequency.

29. The method of claim 27 , wherein the electrical stimulus is a charge pulse signal having a charge pulse frequency, and applying the electrical stimulus to the battery includes sweeping the charge pulse frequency over a frequency sweep range from an initial pulse frequency to a maximum pulse frequency.

30. The method of claim 27 , wherein the measured response of the battery is selected from the group consisting of: a rate of change in voltage, a dynamic internal impedance, and a frequency response.

Assignments (3)
MERGER Recorded Nov 5, 2020
From: YOUNICOS INC.
To: AGGREKO, LLC
Reel/Frame 054284/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2014
From: COE, CARLOS; HURST, AERON
To: XTREME POWER, INC.
Reel/Frame 033726/0471 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 12, 2014
From: XTREME POWER, INC.
To: YOUNICOS, INC.
Reel/Frame 033726/0479 →
Continuity (3)
Division 12702874 · Feb 9, 2010
Provisional Application 61151002 · Feb 9, 2009
Related Publication 20140375270A1 · Dec 25, 2014