CONTROLLING BATTERY STATES OF CHARGE IN SYSTEMS HAVING SEPARATE POWER SOURCES

摘要

A control system is designed or configured to control the state of charge of a battery or battery pack in a system containing a separate power source, which is separate from the battery or battery pack. In operation, the battery or battery pack is called upon to intermittently provide power for certain functions. The separate power source may be, for example, an AC electrical power source for a UPS or an engine of a vehicle such as a micro hybrid vehicle. The battery may be a nickel zinc aqueous battery. The control system may be designed or configured to implement one or more of the following functions: monitoring the state of charge of the battery or battery pack; directing rapid recharge of the battery or battery pack from the separate power source when the battery or battery pack is not performing its functions; and directing charge to fully charged level or a float charge level, which is different from the fully charged level, in response to operating conditions.

主权项

1. A method of controlling the state of charge of one or more nickel-zinc batteries in a battery pack for a system having (i) a separate power source working in conjunction with the battery pack and (ii) a full charge mode and a float charge mode, the method comprising:
(a) determining that the state of charge of the one or more nickel-zinc batteries in the battery pack is below a defined level associated with the full charge mode; (b) while in the full charge mode, applying charge to the battery pack at a first voltage to charge the one or more nickel-zinc batteries of the battery pack to a fully charged state, wherein the charge to the fully charged state is provided from the separate power source; and (c) subsequently, while operating the system in the float charge mode, applying charge to the battery pack at a second voltage to maintain the one or more nickel-zinc batteries of the battery pack at a float charged state, wherein the charge to the float charge state is provided from the separate power source, and wherein the magnitude of the second voltage is below the magnitude of the first voltage.