Power management unit architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12388273-B2
Application number	US-202318131171-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 5, 2023
Priority date	Apr 5, 2023
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A power management unit architecture including a set of batteries connected to a load via a bus; a controller in operative communication with the batteries; a telemetry unit in operative communication with the controller and the batteries; at least one power switch in operative communication with the controller, the batteries and the bus; a squib unit operatively connected to the batteries; wherein the controller is configured to pull a battery current from a first battery and drive the first battery current into a second battery responsive to a predetermined current.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power management unit architecture comprising:
a first battery in operative communication with an electrical load via a bus;
a second battery in operative communication with the electrical load via the bus and in operative communication with the first battery;
an nth battery in operative communication with electrical load via the bus and in operative communication with an n−1th battery;
a controller in operative communication with the first battery, the second battery and up to the nth battery;
a first telemetry unit in operative communication with the controller and the first battery;
a second telemetry unit in operative communication with the controller and the second battery;
an nth telemetry unit in operative communication with the controller and the nth battery;
a first power switch in operative communication with the controller, the first battery and the bus;
a second power switch in operative communication with the controller, and the second battery and the bus;
an nth power switch in operative communication with the controller, and the nth battery and the bus;
a first squib unit operatively connected to the first battery;
a second squib unit operatively connected to the second battery;
an nth squib unit operatively connected to the nth battery, wherein the controller is configured to pull a first battery current from the first battery and drive the first battery current into the second battery responsive to a predetermined current; and the controller is configured to pull a second battery current from the second battery and drive the second battery current to an n−1th battery up to the nth battery responsive to a predetermined current.

2. The power management unit architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the first battery is a thermal battery; the second battery is a thermal battery;
and up to the nth battery is a thermal battery.

3. The power management unit architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the first battery is activated and connected to the electrical load before the second battery is activated and connected to the electrical load and an n−1th battery is activated and connected to the electrical load before the nth battery is activated and connected to the electrical load.

4. The power management unit architecture according to claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to prevent the offline first battery from overheating and out-gassing and prevent the offline second battery from overheating and out-gassing.

5. The power management unit architecture according to claim 4 , wherein periodically, at least one of a first battery current, a second battery current and up to an nth battery current are utilized in at least one of being applied to the load, charging another battery, being dumped as thermal energy and combinations thereof.

6. The power management unit architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to pull at least one of the first battery current from the first battery and the second battery current from the second battery and up to an n−1th battery until a battery voltage reaches a target voltage of 10 percent of a full voltage value.

7. The power management unit architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to transfer a charge from the first battery to the second battery, wherein the first battery is offline and the second battery is online; and
wherein the controller is configured to transfer a charge from an n−1th battery to the nth battery, wherein the n−1th battery is offline and the nth battery is online.

8. The power management unit architecture according to claim 1 , wherein the first telemetry unit, second telemetry unit and up to nth telemetry unit are configured to determine at least one of a battery impedance, a battery voltage, and a battery temperature.

9. The power management unit architecture according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first squib multiplexer in operative communication with the first squib unit;
a second squib multiplexer in operative communication with the second squib unit; and
up to an nth squib multiplexer in operative communication with the nth squib unit;
a squib driver circuit unit in operative communication with each of the first squib unit, the second squib unit and up to the nth squib unit;
a firing interlock logic unit in operative communication with each of the first squib unit, the second squib unit and up to the nth squib unit, the controller and a guidance electronics unit configured to activate each of the first battery, the second battery and up to the nth battery.

10. A process for sequential activation of batteries connected to an electrical load comprising:
operatively connecting a first battery with the electrical load;
subsequently operatively connecting a second battery with the electrical load and operatively connecting the second battery in communication with the first battery;
operatively connecting a controller in operative communication with first the battery and the second battery;
operatively connecting a first telemetry unit in operative communication with the controller and the first battery;
operatively connecting a second telemetry unit in operative communication with the controller and the second battery; and
configuring the controller to pull a first battery current from the first battery and drive the first battery current into the second battery responsive to a predetermined current.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the first battery is a thermal battery and the second battery is a thermal battery.

12. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
activating and connecting the first battery to the electrical load before activating and connecting the second battery to the electrical load.

13. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring the controller to pull the first battery current from the first battery until the first battery voltage reaches a target voltage of 10 percent of a full voltage value.

14. The process of claim 13 , further comprising:
preventing an offline first battery from overheating and out-gassing and preventing an offline second battery from overheating and out-gassing.

15. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
utilizing at least one of a first battery current, and a second battery current in at least one of connecting to the load, charging another battery, dumping thermal energy and combinations thereof.

16. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
configuring the controller to transfer a charge from the first battery to the second battery responsive to the first battery being offline and the second battery being online.

17. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining at least one of a battery impedance, a battery voltage, and a battery temperature by using at least one of the first telemetry unit, and the second telemetry unit.

18. The process of claim 10 , further comprising:
operatively connecting a first squib multiplexer in with a first squib unit operatively connected to the first battery;
operatively connecting a second squib multiplexer with the second squib unit operatively connected to the second battery;
operatively connecting a squib driver circuit unit with each of the first squib unit and second squib unit; and
operatively connecting a firing interlock logic unit with each of the first squib unit and second squib unit; and
configuring the controller and a guidance electronics unit to activate each of the first battery and second battery.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Fedigan Stephen John
• Velagapudi Mahitha
• Sweer Grant Allen
• Budisalich Derek L
• Maugans Eric C
• Thompson Andrew

Classifications

• H02J7/80

  including monitoring or indicating arrangements · CPC title

• H02J7/585 Primary

  Sequential battery discharge in systems with a plurality of batteries · CPC title

• H01M6/5044

  Cells or batteries structurally combined with cell condition indicating means · CPC title

• H01M6/5038

  Heating or cooling of cells or batteries · CPC title

• H01M6/5033

  used as charging means for another battery · CPC title