Pulsed current battery management system

1. A battery management system, comprising:

an input configured to couple to a direct-current power supply and receive a direct-current voltage at the input from the direct-current power supply;

an output configured to couple to a battery; and

battery management circuitry coupled between the direct-current power supply and the battery, wherein the battery management circuitry comprises:

an energy reservoir;

a first power converter interfaced between the energy reservoir and the input and configured to transfer electrical energy from the input to the energy reservoir; and

a second power converter interfaced between the energy reservoir and the output and configured to deliver electrical energy to the output at a significantly higher peak-to-average power ratio than receipt of electrical energy to the input.

2. The battery management system of claim 1 , further comprising a third power converter interfaced between the battery and a load that draws electrical energy from the battery.

3. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein a bandwidth of the second power converter is based on a trade-off between a peak-to-average current delivered from the direct-current power supply and a maximum current deliverable to the battery.

4. The battery management system of claim 1 , further comprising a current controller configured to regulate an output current generated by the power converter.

5. The battery management system of claim 4 , wherein the current controller is configured to regulate the output current based on a measurement of the output current and a target current waveform.

6. The battery management system of claim 5 , wherein the battery management circuitry further comprising a battery monitor configured to monitor at least one operational parameter of the battery.

7. The battery management system of claim 6 , wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises one or more of a current associated with the battery, a voltage associated with the battery, and a temperature associated with the battery.

8. The battery management system of claim 6 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to generate the target current waveform based on the at least one operational parameter.

9. The battery management system of claim 6 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to estimate at least one condition of the battery based on the at least one operational parameter.

10. The battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one condition comprises one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery state of health, a battery impedance, and an internal chemical state of the battery.

11. The battery management system of claim 9 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to generate the target current waveform based on the at least one condition.

12. The battery management system of claim 6 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to dynamically adapt the target current waveform based on the at least one operational parameter.

13. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to dynamically adapt the target current waveform to minimize the battery impedance.

14. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to dynamically adapt the target current waveform to control an impedance associated with the battery.

15. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to dynamically adapt the target current waveform while the battery is charging from the battery management circuitry.

16. The battery management system of claim 12 , wherein the battery monitor is configured to dynamically adapt the target current while the battery is under load from a load powered from the battery.

17. The battery management system of claim 5 , wherein the target current waveform is one of a square waveform, a triangle waveform, or a sawtooth waveform.

18. The battery management system of claim 5 , wherein the output current controlled by the current controller is delivered to the battery.

19. The battery management system of claim 5 , wherein the output current controlled by the current controller is delivered to the battery and a load powered from the battery.

20. A method comprising, with a battery management system coupled at an input of the battery management system to a direct-current power supply and coupled at an output of the battery management system to a battery, wherein the input is configured to receive a direct-current voltage at the input from the direct-current power supply:

transferring electrical energy from the input to an energy reservoir via a first power converter interfaced between the energy reservoir and the input; and

delivering electrical energy to the output via a second power converter interfaced between the energy reservoir and the output at a significantly higher peak-to-average power ratio than receipt of electrical energy to the input.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the battery management system has third power converter interfaced between the battery and a load that draws electrical energy from the battery.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein a bandwidth of the second power converter is based on a trade-off between a peak-to-average current delivered from the direct-current power supply and a maximum current deliverable to the battery.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising regulating an output current generated by the power converter.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising regulating the output current based on a measurement of the output current and a target current waveform.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising monitoring at least one operational parameter of the battery.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises one or more of a current associated with the battery, a voltage associated with the battery, and a temperature associated with the battery.

27. The method of claim 25 , further comprising generating the target current waveform based on the at least one operational parameter.

28. The method of claim 25 , further comprising estimating at least one condition of the battery based on the at least one operational parameter.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the at least one condition comprises one or more of a battery state of charge, a battery state of health, a battery impedance, and an internal chemical state of the battery.

30. The method of claim 28 , further comprising generating the target current waveform based on the at least one condition.

31. The method of claim 25 , further comprising dynamically adapting the target current waveform based on the at least one operational parameter.

32. The method of claim 31 , further comprising dynamically adapting the target current waveform to minimize the battery impedance.

33. The method of claim 31 , further comprising dynamically adapting the target current waveform control an impedance associated with the battery.

34. The method of claim 31 , further comprising dynamically adapting the target current waveform while the battery is charging from the battery management circuitry.

35. The method of claim 31 , further comprising dynamically adapting the target current while the battery is under load from a load powered from the battery.

36. The method of claim 24 , wherein the target current waveform is one of a square waveform, a triangle waveform, and a sawtooth waveform.

37. The method of claim 24 , wherein the regulated output current is delivered to the battery.

38. The method of claim 24 , wherein the regulated output current is delivered to the battery and a load powered from the battery.

39. The method of claim 20 , wherein the power converter is a switching power converter.

40. The battery management system of claim 1 , wherein the power converter is a switching power converter.