Multimode charging device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016322832-A1
Application number	US-201615148945-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 6, 2016
Priority date	Nov 6, 2013
Publication date	Nov 3, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A charging device is configured to deliver power to a portable, power-consuming device, having a profile sensor which can detect information relating to the identity of power-consuming device to which the charging device is connected and may also have a communication channel configured to transmit said information to a remote server. In use, data can be collected or aggregated relating to power-consuming devices by connecting the charging device to the portable power-consuming device; sensing, by a profile sensor in the charging device, information relating to the identity of the power-consuming device; and transmitting the information to a remote server over a communication channel. Collected data may, for example, be used to identify when fuel for a charging device may need replenishment.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A charging system comprising:
a housing comprising an output end comprising an output port, a fuel supply end comprising a fuel inlet port and an external power input, and a housing body having cooling vents; a fuel cell system comprising an inlet valve actuated by a latching solenoid and fluidly connected to the fuel inlet port, a fuel cell stack, a purge valve actuated by a normally-closed non-latching solenoid and fluidly connected to the stack, a hydrogen pressure transducer, a stack temperature sensor, and a cooling system; and, an internal battery; and, wherein the charging device is configured to provide power to the output port via one of the internal battery and the fuel cell stack.

2 . The charging system of claim 1 further comprising:
a profile sensor configured to detect information relating to the identity of power-consuming device to which the charging device is connected; and,
a communication channel configured to transmit said information to a remote server.

3 . The charging system of claim 2 wherein the profile sensor is configured to receive an identity of the power-consuming device via a data exchange protocol for connectivity of the charging device and the power consuming device.

4 . The charging system of claim 2 wherein the profile sensor is configured to detect information relating to the identity of the power-consuming device by recording current and/or voltage supplied to the power-consuming device as a function of time.

5 . The charging system of claim 1 wherein the internal battery is rechargeable via one of the external power input and the fuel cell system.

6 . A method of charging the battery of the charging device of claim 1 , the method comprising:
connecting a source of hydrogen gas to the fuel inlet port; operating the fuel cell stack; and, charging the battery at one of a plurality of charge levels.

7 . A method of charging the battery of the charging device of claim 6 , the method comprising:
connecting an external power source to the external power input; and, selecting one of a plurality of charge levels to charge a battery.

8 . A method for delivering power to a power-consuming device, the method comprising:
connecting the power-consuming device to an output of a charging device;
the charging device comprising a housing having an output end comprising the output port, a fuel supply end comprising a fuel inlet valve and an external power input, an internal battery, an internal fan system, and an internal fuel cell stack;
connecting a source of hydrogen gas to the charging device; delivering hydrogen gas to the internal fuel cell stack; operating the fuel cell stack and the internal fan system; and, delivering power to the output port by selecting between power output from the internal battery and electrical power generated by operating the fuel cell stack.

9 . The method of claim 8 , the method further comprising monitoring the status of one or more of the power-consuming device, the internal battery, and the internal fuel cell stack to determine when to terminate the delivery of power.

10 . The method of 9 , wherein the monitoring the status of the power-consuming device comprises monitoring the charge of a battery in the power-consuming device through the use of a mobile application on the power-consuming device.

11 . The method of 9 , wherein the monitoring of the internal fuel cell stack comprises monitoring one or more of the fuel cell stack voltage and fuel cell stack current.

12 . The method of 9 , wherein the monitoring the status of the power-consuming device comprises monitoring the charge current drawn by the power-consuming device and determining that the power-consuming device is fully charged.

13 . The method of claim 8 the method further comprising:
sensing, by a profile sensor in the charging device, information relating to the identity of the power-consuming device; and,
transmitting said information to a remote server over a communication channel.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the sensing step comprises analyzing one or more the profiles and determining a power-consuming device identity based on the profile.

15 . The method of claim 14 , the method further comprising sensing, by a profile sensor in the charging device, operational data of the power-consuming device.

16 . The method of 8 , wherein during the operating of the fuel cell stack the method further comprises periodically opening a purge valve actuated by a normally-closed non-latching solenoid and fluidly connected to the fuel cell stack to clear excess water vapor from an anode in the fuel cell stack.

17 . The method of 16 , wherein the periodic opening of the purge valve occurs no more than a total of about 400 milliseconds every 300 seconds.

18 . The method of 16 , wherein the periodic opening of the purge valve has a hold-up period of about 72 seconds for every 100 milliseconds of opening time.

19 . A method for delivering power to a power-consuming device from a charging device, the method comprising:
selecting between providing power to an output via one of an internal battery and a fuel cell stack depending on one or more power requirements of the power-consuming device.

20 . The method of claim 19 , the method further comprising commissioning the fuel cell stack before it provides power output.

21 . The method of claim 19 , the method further comprising short circuiting the fuel cell stack for a short period of time in order to boost the average fuel cell voltage.

22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the selecting comprises monitoring the fuel cell stack voltage and comparing the fuel cell stack voltage to a threshold voltage value based upon the charge current being delivered to the power-consuming device.

23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the monitoring is performed at a frequency of about once per millisecond.

24 . The method of 22 , the method further comprising alternating between providing power from the internal battery and providing power from the fuel cell stack at a high frequency.

25 . The method of 23 , the method further comprising reducing the duty cycle on the fuel cell stack during the alternating until the fuel cell stack voltage increases above the threshold voltage value.

26 . The method of 20 , wherein the fuel cell stack is conditioned upon first use to hydrate a membrane electrode assembly of the fuel cell stack and remove at least a portion of one or more oxide layers, the conditioning comprising:
limiting the available charge current to a predetermined limit; operating the fuel cell stack for a period of about 2 hours, during which time a process comprising (a) switching off an air-circulation system for the fuel cell stack, (b) short circuiting the fuel cell stack for five seconds, and (c) switching on the air-circulation system to full power is repeated with increasing frequency; and, monitoring the charge current to utilize the internal battery to maintain the charge current to the power-consuming device at a desired level.

Assignees

• Intelligent Energy Ltd

Inventors

• Winand Henri
• Murray Iii John Joseph
• Bishop Christopher William
• Kirsopp Graham
• Mathar Marco
• Kelly Andrew
• Elliot Zachary
• Kirk Christopher James

Classifications

• H02J2101/30

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/342

  The other DC source being a battery actively interacting with the first one, i.e. battery to battery charging (with circuits for polarity protection H02J7/68) · CPC title

• H01M8/04225

  during start-up · CPC title

• H01M16/006

  of fuel cells with rechargeable batteries · CPC title