Abstract: A circuit 10 has a high voltage battery 12 that includes a first battery portion V1, a second battery portion V2, and a third battery portion V3. Each of the three battery portions is coupled in series to form the high voltage battery 12. A controller 52 includes a pulse width modulated controller 56 and a voltage sense and comparator circuit 54. Each of the terminals of the battery portions are coupled to a respective switch. By sensing the voltages at the respective terminals, the state of charge of each of the battery portions is determined. The battery portions having the highest state of charge are used to charge the low voltage battery and/or operate the load 50. The controller controls the operation of the switches to provide connections of the battery portions V1-V3 to the load.

Abstract: Apparatus for rapidly charging a battery including an output adapted to be electrically connected to a battery and a control device electrically connected to the output. The control device includes a power supply and a microcontroller. The microcontroller includes PWM firmware using software interleaving for controlling the power supply and a plurality of battery charging stages.

Abstract: A buffer battery power supply circuit is provided. In one embodiment, a battery charger circuit supplies a total output current which is delivered to both an active system and a battery. The total output current and the current delivered to a battery are sensed and compared to a preset threshold total output current signal and threshold battery current signal, respectively. The compared signals generate error signals which are provided as feedback to the battery charger circuit, so that the total output current can be controlled. In another embodiment, in addition to sensing the total output current and the battery current, the total output voltage is sensed and multiplied by the total output current, generating a total output power error signal. The error signals are provided as feedback to the battery charger circuit, so that the total output current and/or the total output voltage can be controlled.

Abstract: A battery charger is described for one or more rechargeable batteries. The charger derives its power from a DC power source such as another battery, and produces a pulsed recharging current that has a periodic variable frequency pulse. The charger also permits higher voltage charging current to be achieved than the initial voltage of the DC power source, and monitors both the power source and the batteries being recharged to avoid depletion of the power source or over charging of the batteries.

Abstract: A DC—DC converter generates a system output current and a battery charging current. The converter has an output transistor connected between an AC adapter, which provides a supply current, and a terminal at which the battery charging current is provided. A control circuit generates a duty control signal used to activate and deactivate the output transistor in order to adjust the battery charging current. The control circuit includes a voltage detection circuit that compares a DC power supply voltage of the AC adapter with a first reference voltage and generates a differential voltage signal from the comparison result. A PWM comparison circuit is connected to the voltage detection circuit and compares the differential voltage signal with a triangular wave signal to generate the duty control signal which has a duty ratio corresponding to the comparison result.

Abstract: A battery charger IC for controlling operation of a buck converter circuit that includes a series switch and a resistor for sensing battery charging current. The battery charger IC includes a pulse-width-modulation switch drive circuit that, during charging of the battery, supplies to the buck converter circuit with an electrical signal which repeatedly turns-on and then turns-off the series switch. The battery charger IC also includes a charging-current sense amplifier which receives from the current-sensing resistor and amplifies an electrical signal which represents the battery charging electrical current. The charging-current sense amplifier includes a bridge circuit to which is coupled the electrical signal received by the charging-current sense amplifier from the current-sensing resistor and an auto-zero circuit.

Abstract: A lead acid battery life extender for the battery of an internal combustion engine includes a multivibrator circuit electrically connected across the terminals of the battery for delivering high frequency electrical pulses to the battery, thereby removing lead sulfate from the plates of the battery and increasing the life of the battery, and a thermoelectric power source for providing electrical energy to the multivibrator circuit, thermally coupled to heat emitted from the internal combustion engine and electrically connected to the multivibrator circuit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for detecting a fully charged condition of a secondary battery by which the fully charged condition of a secondary battery can be detected accurately and deterioration in battery characteristic due to overcharging can be restrained irrespective of the charging mode and the surroundings, without the need for a special battery structure. In the method, pulse vibrations generated inside a secondary battery being charged are detected, and when the obtained characteristic value of the pulse vibrations, for example, incidence of generation of the vibrations reaches a predetermined value, the secondary battery is determined to be in fully charged condition.

Abstract: A lead acid battery having at least one electrolytic cell is charged by a method which effects lowering of the internal impedance of the battery plates and increase battery cycle life capacity. The method includes the steps of connecting a current source device across the positive and negative terminals of the battery and applying a periodic pulse to the device so as to apply a pulsed current across the battery terminals without applying a voltage pulse. The pulse current of square wave shape is applied onto a sinusoidal charging current at a higher frequency.

Abstract: A circuit and method for charging batteries while a power supply also powers a dynamically varying load. All power in excess of that required by the load is used by a power converter to charge the batteries. The circuit advantageously allows the load to change from external power to battery power without switching delays.

Abstract: A hybrid energy storage system (10) including a first energy storage device (12), such as a secondary or rechargeable battery, and a second energy storage device (14), such as an electrochemical capacitor, fuel cell, or flywheel. The second energy storage device provides intermittent energy bursts to satisfy the power requires of, for example, pulsed power communication devices. The first and second energy storage devices are coupled to a current controller to assure that pulse transients are not applied to the first energy storage device as a result of charging the second energy storage device.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for recharging a battery. The battery recharger may provide a rail voltage to the battery which is modulated by a noise signal. The modulation of the rail voltage may induce a resonant excitation of the sulfate crystals in the battery. The resonant excitation of the battery may be fed back or fed forward to the modulator to create and/or enhance the noise on the rail voltage.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method for charging a battery. The method includes the steps of (a) charging the battery by a constant charging current with a first magnitude as a first pulsed charge over a first pulse-period. Then, the method is followed by charging the battery with a constant charging current with a second magnitude, substantially lower than the first magnitude, as a second pulsed charge over a second pulsed-period. The method further includes a step of (b) repeating step (a) over a first charge cycle for rapidly charging the battery to a significant percentage of full capacity. In another preferred embodiment, the method further includes a step of (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) by lowering the first magnitude and the second magnitude of the charge currents and by adjusting the first pulsed-period and the second pulsed-period for charging the battery over a second charging cycle.

Abstract: A method of charging rechargeable batteries with a switch mode power supply, the method comprising determining one or more battery charging parameters, and controlling the power output of the switch mode power supply by digitally generating a gate signal for controlling opening periods and closing periods of a switching means of the switch mode power supply, each of the durations of the opening periods and the closing periods of the switching means, respectively, being determined in response to the determined one or more battery charging parameters and one or more charging process reference values. In particular, a method is proposed of controlling the duty cycle of a switch in the switch mode power supply during charging of the battery based on determinations of one or more characteristic charging parameters of the charging process and comparisons of determined parameter values with desired parameter values.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for charging a battery from an alternating current voltage which provides voltage to the battery in each direction. The charging current is regulated alternatively in a boost and buck mode as a function of an error (AI) between the instant value of the current and an instant value of a supply current following a pre-determined pattern. The activation of the modes of operation is controlled according to the sign of the error of the current (AI). The present invention also relates to a battery charger for implementing the above charging process. The battery charger has two sub-assemblies for current regulation operating respectively in boost and buck modes, a subtractor for determining the error of current, and a common loop for feeding the sub-assemblies and controlling amplifiers for the activation, depending on the sign of the error.

Abstract: In a battery charger, current regulating means and voltage regulating means can be prevented from damages. In the case where a loss of current regulating means (11) or voltage regulating means (12) exceeds an allowable loss, pulse width modulating means (15, 16) for generating a pulse signal having a desired pulse width and control means (18, 19) for intermittently operating the current regulating means or the voltage regulating means, having the loss exceeding the allowable loss, based on the pulse signal are provided to suppress the loss of the current regulating means or the voltage regulating means and suppress heat generated thereby, thus the current regulating means and the voltage regulating means can be protected from damages.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pulse charging method and charging system for use with non-aqueous secondary batteries, employing a pulse charge controlling method all the way from the start to the end of charging. This pulse charging method has an on-duty ratio of pulses in a next specified charge period reduced when an average battery voltage has exceeded a charge control voltage during a specified charge period, has an on-duty ratio of pulses in a next specified charge period increased when the average battery voltage has not exceeded the charge control voltage and has the pulse charging ended when an on-duty ratio of pulses has reached a specified value. The pulse charging system comprises an on-duty ratio reducing means for having an on-duty ratio of pulses reduced, an on-duty ratio increasing means for having an on-duty ratio increased and a means for determining pulse charge ending for having the pulse charging ended when an on-duty ratio of pulses has reached a specified value.

Abstract: A charging apparatus controls the charging of a secondary battery such that charging is performed using a constant current as long as a terminal voltage of the secondary battery is less than a threshold voltage. When the terminal voltage rises to the threshold voltage, charging is performed using a constant voltage that is equal to or less than the threshold voltage.

Abstract: A rapid battery charger uses current pulses to quickly charge secondary batteries of various types having a wide variety of charging characteristics. When the current pulse is paused, the voltage across the secondary battery is measured at two different times; the difference in the two voltages is compared with a reference value; and the current is adjusted according to the result of the comparison, thus preventing the generation of gas within the secondary battery.

Abstract: The battery apparatus has a circuit to turn off a switching device and suspend charging when rechargeable battery voltage exceeds a specified voltage, and to turn on the switching device and resume charging when rechargeable battery voltage drops below the specified voltage. The switching device is switched on and off to pulse charge the rechargeable battery. When cut-off of charging voltage to the rechargeable battery is detected, an over-ride circuit forces the switching device on, or a forced discharge circuit discharges the rechargeable battery until battery voltage drops below the specified voltage.

Abstract: A unified battery charge method allows for controlling constant as well as time varying current sources. Unlike the charging method used for a constant current source, the input current of a time varying current source must be checked continuously during the charging process. The amount of current output to charge the battery or to supply the phone power is set to a desired value by selecting duty-percentage based upon the input current measurement. A unified formula for different power sources and various required current improves the preferred output current computation. Thus, the unified formula can be used to control input and output currents regardless of whether a constant current source or a time varying current source is used. In order to obtain smoother current average, the method incorporates an adjustable time period, which is determined based on the difference between an input current and a desired output current.

Abstract: The charging method repeatedly charges and suspends charging to pulse charge a rechargeable battery. Charging is suspended only after a given amount of charge is transferred to the battery. Battery voltage is measured during the period of suspended charging, and charging is resumed only after the voltage of the battery drops below a first prescribed voltage. This situation is continuously repeated to pulse charge a rechargeable battery.