WO1997040566A1 - Improved charger circuit - Google Patents
Improved charger circuit Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO1997040566A1 WO1997040566A1 PCT/CA1997/000254 CA9700254W WO9740566A1 WO 1997040566 A1 WO1997040566 A1 WO 1997040566A1 CA 9700254 W CA9700254 W CA 9700254W WO 9740566 A1 WO9740566 A1 WO 9740566A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- voltage
- battery
- level
- batteries
- stabilized
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J7/00—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J7/02—Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries for charging batteries from ac mains by converters
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02J—CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY
- H02J2207/00—Indexing scheme relating to details of circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
- H02J2207/20—Charging or discharging characterised by the power electronics converter
Definitions
- the invention relates to a battery charger circuit for rechargeable batteries, preferably of alkaline batteries, having both overcharge prevention and visual charge status indication. Cost of this circuit is greatly reduced as compared with other more sophisticated designs.
- the charger is intended to be used primarily to charge rechargeable alkaline manganese dioxide batteries, also known as RAM batteries or cells.
- a further object of the invention is to provide a battery charger which can give a visual indication of the charging process.
- Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of the battery charger circuit according to the invention
- Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram by which the accuracy of the voltage stabilization can be increased
- Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of the charger circuit
- Fig. 4 shows the circuit diagram of the unit UNT of Fig. 3;
- Fig. 5 is an alternative embodiment ofthe unit UNT of Fig. 3.
- rectified DC voltages can be measured at points B and C relative to a common or ground terminal G.
- the circuit enables the simultaneous charging of two batteries.
- the positive terminal of the first battery is connected to point VB 1+ and the positive terminal of the second battery is connected to point VB2+.
- the negative battery terminals VB- are coupled to the common point G.
- the secondary winding of mains transformer Tr is connected to the charger circuitry.
- a first terminal of the secondary winding is connected to the common side of a rectifier circuit at point E, while the other te ⁇ ninal is connected to two independent rectifier diodes Dl and D2, the outputs of which provide two isolated DC levels at points A and B, respectively.
- the first DC level is provided by diode Dl and it is smoothed by capacitor C 1 to provide a relatively stable DC voltage, since only a small load will be coupled to point A.
- This DC voltage is not stabilized and it can be subject to fluctuations.
- Regulation of this voltage is provided by an adjustable voltage regulator VR1, which provides at output point C a stable DC regulated voltage, and the regulated voltage is further smoothed by capacitor C2.
- the voltage regulator VR1 is an integrated circuit which can be realized i.e. by the adjustable voltage regulator part number LM317LZ or the like. It is available from Motorola, National Semiconductor and numerous other suppliers.
- the voltage level at point C is determined by the ratio of the resistance values of the resistors Rl and R2.
- This stabilized output voltage is used in the embodiment of Fig. 1 on the first hand to provide the required bias voltage for a current sensing circuitry, and on the other hand to determine the cut-off voltage for the batteries to be charged by turning the transistors QB l and QB2 off through respective series resistor RB I and RB2.
- the second DC level at point B is provided by the second diode D2, and owing to the high load this DC voltage is not smoothed at all, therefore its value varies from 0 to the peak voltage of the rectified voltage. It is used to provide the charge excitation to the batteries being charged and point B is coupled directly to the collectors of the series pass transistors QB l and QB2.
- the charging of the first battery connected to points VB+ and VB- goes on as long as the internal battery voltage is smaller than the level determined at point C minus the series voltage drop across the resistor RB I and across the base-emitter junction of the transistor QB l.
- the charging cu ⁇ ent will be limited by the value of the series resistor RB I and the gain characteristics of the transistor QBl .
- the value of the charging cu ⁇ ent will depend also on the actual charge level of the battery and will be decreased as the battery becomes charged to a trickle charge level of approx. 10 mA. At this point the battery will not be charged any longer, because the transistor will be turned off by the regulator VR1.
- Additional battery channels can be provided by multiplicating the series resistor RB I and the series transistor QB l .
- Fig. 1 shows to parallel charging channels. Each battery is charged independently with no leakage from one battery to another.
- the cu ⁇ ent level at which the charge complete LED D5 is turned on is selected by the voltage divider resistors R3 and R4. This level is normally selected by the number of batteries being charged multiplied by 20 mA. This LED D5 indicates that all the batteries have been charged and does not indicate individual battery status.
- the voltage cutoff level is determined by the adjustable voltage regulator VR1 and resistors Rl and R2. Additional factors determining the cutoff voltage are the voltage drops across the series resistor RB and the base-emitter voltage of the series pass transistor QB. By using standard 1 % resistors and carefully selecting the transistor QB, a voltage tolerance of ⁇ 2.5 % (0.042V) can be reached. ln an alternative embodiment full wave rectification can be used to improve the charge time by utilizing both halves of the AC voltage for charging. This can be done by using a center tapped transformer connected to additional diodes arranged in reverse direction compared to the diodes Dl and D2 or by using a full-wave rectifier bridge. If more accurate voltage control is required, the regulator circuitry can be changed by using a more accurate voltage reference circuit such as an LM385BZ type one instead ofthe LM317LZ integrated circuit.
- a more accurate voltage reference circuit such as an LM385BZ type one instead ofthe LM317LZ integrated circuit.
- the charger circuit designed according to the invention has outstanding price/performance efficiency.
- the battery is charged with an ideal rectified pulse train as long as its voltage is below the cut-off voltage of 1.65 ⁇ 0.042 V DC, the leakage cu ⁇ ent that loads the battery when left in an unpowered charger is negligible, it has visual line voltage and charge status indicators and very few components with low total cost.
- Fig. 2 shows an embodiment by which the accuracy of the voltage regulation can be increased at least by a decimal order of magnitude.
- an operational amplifier OP is inserted between the common terminal of the voltage divider resistors Rl and R2 and the control input of the voltage regulator VR1.
- the resistor R8 is the feedback element of the operational amplifier OP.
- the stabilized voltage is generated just as shown in Fig. 1, identical elements have been designated by identical reference symbols. The difference lies primarily in how the battery channels are driven.
- the output of the stabilized voltage at point C drives four identical units UNT1 ... UNT4 each associated with a respective battery to be charged, each are connected between respective terminals VB 1+ ... VB4+ and the common terminal G.
- the circuit diagram of the first embodiment of the unit UNT is shown in Fig. 4.
- the unit UNT comprises a series switching transistor Q driven by an operational amplifier OP2.
- the positive input of the operational amplifier OP2 is connected to the stabilized voltage line C, and the negative input is connected through resistor RIO to the emitter of the transistor Q and to the positive battery terminal VB+ associated with the unit UNT.
- Capacitor C4 is used to shunt the coupling resistor RIO to filter out transient fluctuations.
- the operational amplifier OP turns off the transistor Q if the associated battery voltage is higher than the stabilized voltage at point C. If this is not the case, i.e. the battery voltage is lower than the voltage at point C, the switching transistor Q is open, and the battery is charged from the rectified DC power line B.
- the operational amplifier OP2 the base cu ⁇ ent of the switching transistor Q will not load the stabilized output voltage of the voltage regulator VR1 and this increases accuracy.
- the circuit of Fig. 4 uses a different visual indication for the charging process as in case of Fig. 1.
- the LED diode D7 in the basis circuit of the switching transistor Q lights only if the associated operational amplifier OP2 is passing current to the base of the switching transistor Q and the charging process goes on.
- a common single light emitting diode can be used, driven by a logical OR gate (not shown) from the respective outputs of the operational amplifiers.
- the use of a single LED is cheaper, however, it cannot indicate the individual charging state of the simultaneously charged batteries.
- Fig. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the unit UNT of Fig. 4 by which a low cost pulse charger circuit can be realized.
- the charge voltage at point B is a full or half wave rectified AC line voltage.
- a simple low cost comparator CP is used to compare the battery voltage VB+ measured via resistor R13 with the stabilized reference voltage at point C as measured by means of resistor R3. If the battery voltage VB+ is below the reference voltage, the output of the comparator CP will be open which allows cu ⁇ ent to flow from resistor R14 through LED diodes D8 in the base of the transistor Q, which is turned on thereby. This permits charge cu ⁇ ent to flow through the transistor Q into the battery.
- the voltage at point B is a pulsating rectified voltage, and the peak region is much higher than the voltage at point C. Immediately after the charge voltage is turned on, the higher voltage which is coupled through the transistor Q to the battery, the battery voltage will be forced to exceed the reference voltage.
- Capacitor C5 is connected between the base and emitter of the transistor Q, and the value is calculated such that the bias on the transistor Q is maintained for the entire duration of the charge pulse. The voltage of the battery will follow therefore the pulsation of the rectified DC voltage.
- the battery is sensitive against overcharging, however, it is not sensitive if overcharging takes place only for short periods of time, i.e. during the peaks of the charging pulses.
- the average of the charging voltage is determined by the voltage at point C, therefore the battery is prevented from being overcharged (since the whole process goes on only if the effective battery voltage is lower than the reference voltage at point C).
- the charging with pulses shortens the effective charging time.
- the LED diode D8 in the base circuit of the transistor Q gives visual indication when the charging process goes on.
- This charging method is simple and more economic than the use of latching circuitry by which similar effects can be achieved.
- the visual indication of the ongoing charging process can be solved in any of the ways shown, either individually or common for all channels.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Power Engineering (AREA)
- Charge And Discharge Circuits For Batteries Or The Like (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU25004/97A AU2500497A (en) | 1996-04-19 | 1997-04-18 | Improved charger circuit |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US63066196A | 1996-04-11 | 1996-04-11 | |
HU9600106U HU9600106V0 (en) | 1996-04-19 | 1996-04-19 | Battery charger circuit preferably for rechargeable alkaline batteries |
HUU9600106 | 1996-04-19 | ||
HU9600203U HU9600203V0 (en) | 1996-06-26 | 1996-06-26 | Improved charger circuit |
HUU9600203 | 1996-06-26 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO1997040566A1 true WO1997040566A1 (en) | 1997-10-30 |
Family
ID=27270115
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/CA1997/000254 WO1997040566A1 (en) | 1996-04-11 | 1997-04-18 | Improved charger circuit |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
WO (1) | WO1997040566A1 (en) |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5121046A (en) * | 1991-07-15 | 1992-06-09 | Eagle Research Corporation | Automatic series/parallel battery connecting arrangement |
US5229705A (en) * | 1990-07-31 | 1993-07-20 | Nippon Densan Corporation | Method and apparatus for charging a nickel-cadmium battery |
DE9416885U1 (en) * | 1994-10-20 | 1994-12-15 | Wurster Peter Dipl Ing Fh | Battery charger with pulsed charging current |
-
1997
- 1997-04-18 WO PCT/CA1997/000254 patent/WO1997040566A1/en active Application Filing
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5229705A (en) * | 1990-07-31 | 1993-07-20 | Nippon Densan Corporation | Method and apparatus for charging a nickel-cadmium battery |
US5121046A (en) * | 1991-07-15 | 1992-06-09 | Eagle Research Corporation | Automatic series/parallel battery connecting arrangement |
DE9416885U1 (en) * | 1994-10-20 | 1994-12-15 | Wurster Peter Dipl Ing Fh | Battery charger with pulsed charging current |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
WALRAVEN K: "CHARGER FOR ALKALINE/MANGANESE BATTERIES", ELEKTOR ELECTRONICS, vol. 21, no. 235, 1 July 1995 (1995-07-01), pages 104 - 106, XP000515477 * |
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