Multi-bay modular battery charging system
View Patent ↗A battery charging system comprises a voltage bus; at least one charging circuit comprising: an input connected to the voltage bus; an output; and a converter connected between the input and the output and configured to provide DC power to the output; a plurality of charging ports, each charging port comprising: an input; and a pair of contacts configured to connect to battery terminals, the pair of contacts being connected to the input to enable a voltage received at the input to be applied across the pair of contacts; and a plurality of switches configured to connect and disconnect the output of the at least one charging circuit to the input of any one of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports; and a control unit operably connected to the plurality of switches and configured to operate the plurality of switches.
1. A battery charging system comprising:
a voltage bus;
a plurality of charging circuits, each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits having (i) an input connected to the voltage bus, (ii) an output, and (iii) a converter connected between the input and the output and configured to provide DC power to the output, each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits being configured to output a respective maximum charging current, at least one charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits being configured to output a different maximum charging current than another charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits;
a plurality of charging ports, each charging port having (i) an input and (ii) a pair of contacts configured to connect to battery terminals, the pair of contacts being connected to the input to enable a voltage received at the input to be applied across the pair of contacts;
a plurality of switches configured to connect and disconnect the output of each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits to the input of any one of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports; and
a control unit operably connected to the plurality of switches and configured to operate the plurality of switches, the control unit being further configured to:
in response to a first battery being connected to a first charging port in the plurality of charging ports, selecting a first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits depending on the maximum charging current of the first charging circuit;
operate the plurality of switches to connect the output of the first charging circuit to the input of the first charging port; and
operate the first charging circuit to charge the first battery after connecting the first charging circuit to the first charging port.
2. The battery charging system of claim 1 , each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits further comprising:
a charge controller configured to operate the converter of the respective charging circuit to control a charging process of a respective battery that is connected to the respective charging circuit via one of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports.
3. The battery charging system of claim 2 , the charge controller being configured to:
operate the converter of the respective charging circuit to output a constant DC current in response to a battery voltage of the respective battery being less than a predetermined threshold; and
operate the converter of the respective charging circuit to output a constant DC voltage in response to the battery voltage of the respective battery exceeding the predetermined threshold.
4. The battery charging system of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to select the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits further depending on a maximum charging current of the first battery.
5. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to:
operate the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports in response to the first battery being fully charged and a second battery being connected to the second charging port; and
operate the first charging circuit to charge the second battery after connecting first charging circuit to the second charging port.
6. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to select the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured to output a highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits.
7. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to select the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured to output a lowest maximum current of a subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits that are configured to output a maximum current that is greater than or equal to a maximum charging current of the first battery.
8. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to select the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
a second charging circuit being connected to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports and charging a second battery with a constant current, the second charging circuit being configured to output a highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits; and
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured to output a second highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits.
9. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to select the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
a second charging circuit being connected to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports and charging a second battery with a constant current, the second charging circuit being configured to output a lowest maximum current of a subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits that are configured to output a maximum current that is greater than or equal to a maximum charging current of the first battery; and
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured to output a second lowest maximum current of the subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits.
10. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to:
operate the plurality of switches to disconnect the first charging circuit from the first charging port in response to:
the first charging circuit being connected to the first charging port and charging a first battery with non-constant current, the first charging circuit being configured to output a highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits;
a second battery being connected to a second charging port; and
a second charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports;
operate the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to the second charging port and connect the second charging circuit to the first charging port after disconnecting the first charging circuit from the first charging port;
operate the first charging circuit to charge the second battery after connecting the at first charging circuit to the second charging port; and
operate the second charging circuit to charge the first battery after connecting the at second charging circuit to the first charging port.
11. The battery charging system of claim 1 , the control unit being configured to:
operate the plurality of switches to disconnect the first charging circuit from the first charging port in response to:
the first charging circuit being connected to the first charging port and charging a first battery with non-constant current, the first charging circuit being configured to output a lowest maximum current of a subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits that are configured to output a maximum current that is greater than or equal to a maximum charging current of the first battery;
a second battery being connected to a second charging port; and
a second charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports;
operate the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to the second charging port and connect the second charging circuit to the first charging port after disconnecting the first charging circuit from the first charging port;
operate the first charging circuit to charge the second battery after connecting the at first charging circuit to the second charging port; and
operate the second charging circuit to charge the first battery after connecting the at second charging circuit to the first charging port.
12. A method of operating a battery charging system including a plurality of charging circuits, a plurality of switches, and a plurality of charging ports, the method comprising:
in response to a first battery being connected to a first charging port in the plurality of charging ports, selecting a first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits depending on a maximum charging current of the first charging circuit;
operating the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to the first charging port in the plurality of charging ports; and
operating the first charging circuit to charge the first battery after connecting the first charging circuit to the first charging port,
wherein each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits has (i) an input connected to a voltage bus, (ii) an output, and (iii) a converter connected between the input and the output and configured to provide DC power to the output, each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits being configured to output a respective maximum charging current, at least one charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits being configured to output a different maximum charging current than another charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits,
wherein each charging port in the plurality of charging ports has (i) an input and (ii) a pair of contacts configured to connect to battery terminals, the pair of contacts being connected to the input to enable a voltage received at the input to be applied across the pair of contacts, and
wherein the plurality of switches are configured to connect and disconnect the output of each charging circuit in the plurality of charging circuits to the input of any one of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports.
13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:
operating the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports in response to the first battery being fully charged and a second battery being connected to the second charging port; and
operating the at least one charging circuit to charge the second battery after connecting the first charging circuit to the second charging port.
14. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
selecting the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured output a highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits.
15. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
selecting the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured to output a lowest maximum current of a subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits that are configured to output a maximum current that is greater than or equal to a maximum charging current of the first battery.
16. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
selecting the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
a second charging circuit being connected to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports and charging a second battery with a constant current, the second charging circuit being configured output a highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits; and
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured output a second highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits.
17. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
selecting the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits in response to:
a second charging circuit being connected to a second charging port in the plurality of charging ports and charging a second battery with a constant current, the second charging circuit being configured to output a lowest maximum current of a subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits that are configured to output a maximum current that is greater than or equal to a maximum charging current of the first battery; and
the first charging circuit being disconnected from all of the charging ports of the plurality of charging ports and the first charging circuit being configured to output a second lowest maximum current of the subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits.
18. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
operating the plurality of switches to disconnect the first charging circuit from the first charging port in response to:
the first charging circuit being connected to the first charging port and charging the first battery with non-constant current, the first charging circuit being configured output a highest maximum current of the charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits;
a second battery being connected to a second charging port; and
a second charging circuit plurality of charging circuits being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports;
operating the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to the second charging port and connect the second charging circuit to the first charging port after disconnecting the first charging circuit from the first charging port;
operating the first charging circuit to charge the second battery after connecting the at first charging circuit to the second charging port; and
operating the second charging circuit to charge the first battery after connecting the at second charging circuit to the first charging port.
19. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
operating the plurality of switches to disconnect the first charging circuit from the first charging port in response to:
the first charging circuit being connected to the first charging port and charging the first battery with non-constant current, the first charging circuit being configured to output a lowest maximum current of a subset of charging circuits in the plurality of charging circuits that are configured to output a maximum current that is greater than or equal to a maximum charging current of the first battery;
a second battery being connected to a second charging port; and
a second charging circuit plurality of charging circuits being disconnected from all of the charging ports in the plurality of charging ports;
operating the plurality of switches to connect the first charging circuit to the second charging port and connect the second charging circuit to the first charging port after disconnecting the first charging circuit from the first charging port;
operating the first charging circuit to charge the second battery after connecting the at first charging circuit to the second charging port; and
operating the second charging circuit to charge the first battery after connecting the at second charging circuit to the first charging port.
20. The method of claim 12 , the method further comprising:
selecting the first charging circuit from the plurality of charging circuits further depending on a maximum charging current of the first battery.