Charging method, corresponding charging device and various corresponding uninterruptible power systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025392150-A1
Application number	US-202418829425-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 10, 2024
Priority date	Jun 24, 2024
Publication date	Dec 25, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A charging method, a corresponding charging device and various corresponding uninterruptible power systems are provided. The method comprises: controlling a charging circuit to charge a battery string and measuring a voltage of each battery; determining whether a start condition for performing a voltage balancing operation is met based on the voltage values of the batteries, and determining whether the voltage value of any battery is greater than or equal to a first threshold value; whenever the start condition is met, controlling a battery balancing circuit to start performing the voltage balancing operation until the voltage values of the batteries meet an end condition of the voltage balancing operation; and whenever the voltage value of any battery is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, reducing the output energy of the charging circuit until the voltage value of any battery is less than the first threshold value.

First claim

1 . A charging method, suitable for a battery string consisting of batteries connected in series, comprising the following steps:
controlling a charging circuit to charge the battery string and measuring a voltage of each battery; determining whether a start condition for performing a voltage balancing operation is met based on the voltage values of the batteries, and determine whether the voltage value of any battery is greater than or equal to a first threshold value; whenever the start condition is met, controlling a battery balancing circuit to start performing the voltage balancing operation on the battery string until the voltage values of the batteries meet an end condition of the voltage balancing operation; and whenever it is determined that the voltage value of any battery is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, reducing the output energy of the charging circuit until the voltage value of any battery is less than the first threshold value.

2 . The charging method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: reducing the output energy of the charging circuit by reducing the output voltage of the charging circuit.

3 . The charging method as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising the steps of: when the end condition is met, increasing the output voltage of the charging circuit to a maximum target voltage, and continuing charging the battery string accordingly, wherein the maximum target voltage is greater than an initial target voltage of the charging circuit, the value of the maximum target voltage is a product of the number of the batteries and a maximum chargeable voltage defined by the specification of the batteries, and the value of the initial target voltage is a product of the number of the batteries and a standard charging voltage defined by the specification of the batteries.

4 . The charging method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: progressively increasing the output voltage of the charging circuit to the maximum target voltage.

5 . The charging method as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising the steps of: when the end condition is met, controlling the battery balancing circuit to continue to perform the voltage balancing operation on the battery string.

6 . The charging method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the batteries are lead-acid batteries, the maximum chargeable voltage is a cycle use charging voltage defined by the specification of the batteries, and the standard charging voltage is a standby use charging voltage defined by the specification of the batteries.

7 . The charging method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the batteries are lithium batteries.

8 . The charging method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: reducing the output energy of the charging circuit by reducing the output current of the charging circuit.

9 . The charging method as claimed in claim 8 , further comprising the steps of: when the end condition is met, increasing the output current of the charging circuit, so that the charging circuit can continue charging the battery string accordingly and thereby making the voltage of the battery string rises to a maximum target voltage, wherein the maximum target voltage is greater than an initial target voltage of the charging circuit, the value of the maximum target voltage is a product of the number of the batteries and a maximum chargeable voltage defined by the specification of the batteries, and the value of the initial target voltage is a product of the number of the batteries and a standard charging voltage defined by the specification of the batteries.

10 . The charging method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: progressively increasing the output current of the charging circuit, thereby progressively increasing the voltage of the battery string to the maximum target voltage.

11 . The charging method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising the steps of: when the end condition is met, controlling the battery balancing circuit to continue to perform the voltage balancing operation on the battery string.

12 . The charging method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the batteries are lead-acid batteries, the maximum chargeable voltage is a cycle use charging voltage defined by the specification of the batteries, and the standard charging voltage is a standby use charging voltage defined by the specification of the batteries.

13 . The charging method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the batteries are lithium batteries.

14 . The charging method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the start condition is that the voltage difference between the voltage of any battery and the average voltage of the batteries is greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and the end condition is that the voltage difference between the voltage of any battery and the average voltage of the batteries is less than a third threshold value, wherein the third threshold value is less than the second threshold value.

15 . The charging method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the start condition is that the voltage difference between any two batteries is greater than or equal to a second threshold value, and the end condition is that the voltage difference between any two batteries is less than a third threshold value, wherein the third threshold value is less than the second threshold value.

16 . A charging device, used for charging a battery string consisting of batteries connected in series, the charging device comprising:
a charging circuit, electrically coupled to two terminals of the battery string; a battery balancing circuit, electrically coupled to the two terminals of each battery, for measuring a voltage of each battery and performing a voltage balancing operation on the battery string; and a control circuit, electrically coupled to the charging circuit and the battery balancing circuit, the control circuit being used to control the charging circuit to charge the battery string, and to control the battery balancing circuit to measure the voltage of each battery, the control circuit being also used to determine whether a start condition for performing the voltage balancing operation is met based on the voltage values of the batteries, and to determine whether the voltage value of any battery is greater than or equal to a first threshold value, wherein whenever the start condition is met, the control circuit controls the battery balancing circuit to start performing the voltage balancing operation on the battery string until the voltage values of the batteries meet an end condition of the voltage balancing operation, and whenever it is determined that the voltage value of any battery is greater than or equal to the first threshold value, the control circuit reduces the output energy of the charging circuit until the voltage value of any battery is less than the first threshold value.

17 . The charging device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the control circuit comprises reducing the output energy of the charging circuit by reducing the output voltage of the charging circuit.

18 . The charging device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein when it is determined that the end condition is met, the control circuit increases the output voltage of the charging circuit to a maximum target voltage, so that the charging circuit can continue charging the battery string accordingly, wherein the maximum target voltage is greater than an initial target voltage of the charging circuit, the value of the maximum target voltage is a product of the number of the batter

Assignees

• Cyber Power Systems Inc

Inventors

• Yeh Shou-Ting
• Yang Kai-Tsung
• Yang Chao-Ching

Classifications

• H02J7/61

  against overcharge · CPC title

• H01M50/51

  Connection only in series · CPC title

• H02J7/52

  for charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries · CPC title

• H02J2207/20

  Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter · CPC title

• H02J7/96 Primary

  in response to battery voltage · CPC title