Fast equalization for large lithium ion batteries

Slight differences between the series connected cells in a lithium ion (Lilon) battery pack can produce imbalances in the cell voltages, and this greatly reduces the charge capacity. These batteries cannot be trickle-charged like a lead acid battery since this would slightly overcharge some cells and may cause these cells to ignite. Therefore, an electronic equalizer (EQU) should be used to balance the cell voltages individually. The targeted EQU described herein can be connected to any cell via a set of sealed relays to provide much faster equalization and higher efficiency than previous methods.     

Multiplier Offset Voltages in Adaptive Arrays

The effects of multiplier offset voltages in adaptive arrays are examined. Multiplier offset voltages arise when active circuits are used to implement the error-by-signal multipliers required in an array based on the LMS algorithm. These offset voltages are known from experimental work to have a strong effect on array performance. It is first shown how multiplier offset voltages may be included in the differential equations for the array weights. Then their effect on weight behavior is studied. It is found that the offset voltages affect the final values of the weights, but not the time constants. Furthermore, the effect they have is influenced by the amount of element noise in the array. An adequate amount of noise is necessary to minimize weight errors due to offset voltages. An example is treated to show the effect of offset voltages on the final array weights and the output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). With offset voltages present, it is found that there is a maximum SNR that can be obtained from the array. A specific input SNR is required to obtain this maximum output SNR. Finally, it is shown that a finite operating range for the weights places a further restriction on the acceptable values of offset voltages and noise.     

Battery condition management: an important way to protect acritical asset

The efficacy of employing battery condition management equipment and procedures is demonstrated on the solid basis of field experience in which the host batteries were found either to be flawed or operated in ways that would compromise reliability. Examples found using such equipment and reported in this paper include a cell whose voltage vacillated daily while on float, post/strap joints whose accept/reject connection integrity was erratic with time, chargers whose voltages were improperly set (both high and low), and a battery room environment whose conditions were life-shortening to electrolytic cells     

Considerations regarding the comparison of traction batteries

S.E.A. has been developing, since 1983, the zinc-flow-battery to be ready for mass production. In 1993 the Boston based Power Cell Corporation (PCC) acquired S.E.A. and the new company intends to erect a facility to produce 150.000 kWh at the end of 1994. Since 1985 zinc-flow-batteries are used to power electric-vehicles in capacities between 5 kWh and 45 kWh at voltages between 48 V and 216 V. A 22.5 kWh/96 V battery assembled in a Fiat-Panda is shown, which achieves 260 km per charge at 50 km/h constant. This Panda participated in several rallies. A purpose designed 15 kWh/144 V battery for the Hotzenblitz-EV is also shown, which demonstrates the design-flexibility of the battery. The battery is mounted from underneath the car body between the four wheels and does not consume valuable space in the front or rear of the car. This position is a significant contribution to the safety of passengers. Mass production for this EV is foreseen in 1995. About 50,000 kms of testing experience partially in direct comparison with originally assembled lead acid batteries showed results with zinc-flow-battery equipped EVs, which were significant better than was expected. Referring to about the same battery weight a two- to threefold range was experienced with the zinc-flow-system independent of the driving cycle and independent of the battery capacity compared     

Computer Simulation of Satellite Electric Power Systems

A computer program concept is described for performing an electrical analysis and a transient thermal analysis of a satellite electric power subsystem consisting of a solar array, battery, and power controls. The program "flies" the power subsystem and certain thermally sensitive portions of the spacecraft through one or more complete orbits, and plots curves of voltages, currents, temperatures, and energy balance in critical parts of the power and thermal subsystems.     

Commercialization of advanced batteries

Mader & Associates has been working as a contractor for the South Coast Air Quality Management District (District) as well as domestic and off-shore battery developers for the past several years. During this period, it has performed various assessments of advanced battery technology as well as established the Advanced Battery Task Force. The following paper is Mader's view of the status of battery technologies that are competing for the electric vehicle (EV) market being established by the California Air Resources Board's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate. The ZEV market is being competed for by various advanced battery technologies. And, given the likelihood of modifications to the Mandate, the most promising technologies should capture the following market share during the initial 10 years: lead-acid-8.4%; nickel metal hydride-50.8%; sodium nickel chloride-7.8%; and lithium ion-33.0%. However, today there is much less certainty associated with EV market prediction due to changes in the ZEV regulations     

Estimation and classification of FM signals using time frequency transforms

This work deals with electronic warfare: we have to process an intercepted radar-emitted signal assumed to be frequency-modulated (FM). A battery of parametric models being available, we face the two main problems: the parameter estimation, given a model, and the classification, given the battery. For the former, we propose the classical maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) and an original numerical scheme to reach it. For the latter, we construct a test based on the estimated variances cross-ratios. Both perform very efficiently with respect to (w.r.t.) the Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) and the rate of correct classification, respectively, for low signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs).     

A microcontroller-based intelligent battery system

State-of-charge indication for a secondary battery is becoming increasingly important for battery-operated electronics. Consumers are demanding fast charging times, increased battery lifetime, and fuel gauge capabilities. All of these demands require that the state of charge within a battery be known. One of the simplest methods employed to determine state of charge is to monitor the voltage of the battery. However, this method alone is not a good indicator of battery energy, since both NiMH and NiCd batteries have voltage-versus-energy curves that are essentially flat. This paper presents a more effective method of determining the state of charge in secondary cell batteries. A NiMH battery is used as our test vehicle, since it is one of the more difficult batteries to determine state of charge. This method monitors the battery's temperature, voltage, and discharge/charge rate. A microcontroller then manipulates the information, using look-up tables to determine the state of charge. Also, by modifying the look-up tables, this technique can be employed in many other battery technologies and is not limited to NiMH     

A maintenance-free lead acid battery for inertial navigationsystems aircraft

Historically, aircraft inertial navigation system (INS) batteries have utilized vented nickel-cadmium batteries for emergency DC power. The United States Navy and Air Force developed separate systems during their respective INS developments. The Navy contracted with Litton industries to produce the LTN-72 and Air Force contracted with Delco to produce the Carousel IV INS for the large cargo and specialty aircraft applications, over the years, a total of eight different battery national stock numbers (NSNs) have entered the stock system along with 75 battery spare part NSNs. The standard hardware acquisition and reliability program is working with the Aircraft Battery Group at Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, Naval Air Systems Command (AIR 536), Wright Laboratory, Battelle Memorial Institute, and Concorde Battery Corporation to produce a standard INS battery. This paper discusses the approach taken to determine whether the battery should be replaced and to select the replacement chemistry. The paper also discusses the battery requirements, aircraft that the battery is compatible with, and status of Navy flight evaluation. Projected savings in avoided maintenance in Navy and Air Force INS systems is projected to be $14.7 million per year with a manpower reduction of 153 maintenance personnel. The new INS battery is compatible with commercially sold INS systems which represents 66% of the systems sold     

Behavior of a cycled Ni-Cd battery during pulse discharge

The pulse discharge behavior of a 9-Ah, 6-V nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery fabricated for the FAST program was studied. The response of the battery voltage to a pulse with a current of 60 A and duration of 10 to 200 ms was measured, along with the capacity remaining at the end of pulse discharge. The maximum drop in voltage at the beginning of the pulse was 505 to 1,049 mV, and battery capacity remained stable     

应用于APU电起动的分段式控制策略

民用飞机辅助动力装置（APU）是保证飞机安全和舒适性的重要系统。大电流长时放电对蓄电池的使用寿命有不利影响．同时起动时间过长对APU也有不利影响。在使用蓄电池作为起动APU的功率来源时,为了减小对蓄电池和APU的损害,需要使用较小的蓄电池输出电流在较短的时间内将APU起动。采用功率-电流分段式控制的起动方式可以在较短的时间内,以对蓄电池和APU损伤最小的方式实现APU的起动。对延长蓄电池和APU使用寿命具有重要意义。     

Self-Adapting dc Converter for Solar Spacecraft Power Supply Selbstanpassender Gleichstromwandler für die Energieversorgung eines Sonnensatelliten

The voltage-current characteristic of solar cells that provide power for a spacecraft can vary over a wide range. For maximum power transfer from the solar cells to the battery system a power converter has to be designed that adjusts its input impedance to a value equal to the output impedance determined by the operating power characteristic of the solar cells. This paper discusses a circuit and calculations for a design to match this condition. The proposed power converter is simple, lightweight, and reliable and will be used in the Sunblazer satellite.     

基于SP+模型的航空锂离子电池组优化技术研究

随着多电飞机技术与锂离子电池技术的发展,锂离子电池已经广泛应用于航空领域,除作为应急电池外,越来越多地作为动力电池应用于飞机。因飞机对锂离子电池组质量、体积等特性具有很高的要求,需要对其进行优化设计,而采用基于模型的方法开展优化设计可以有效减少成本并缩短周期。由于SP+电化学模型能够准确反映锂离子电池的工作机理,同时具有精度高、计算简便等特点,因此文中采用SP+模型构建锂离子电池组模型并进行了验证。同时,以典型的用电工况为例,开展了航空锂电池组的优化设计,实现了对锂离子电池组质量与体积的优化。     

A nickel/hydrogen battery for PV systems

The nickel-hydrogen battery, developed in the early nineteen-seventies as an energy-storage subsystem for commercial communication satellites, is discussed. The advantages offered by nickel-hydrogen batteries, including long life, low maintenance and high reliability, make it very attractive for terrestrial applications such as stand-alone photovoltaic systems. The major drawback to the wider use of the nickel-hydrogen battery is its high initial cost. A 7-kWh battery has been on test since January 1988 using a flat-plate photovoltaic array for charging. The cell, battery design and test methods are briefly described, and the results of cycling and solar tests are presented. It is concluded that the battery is well suited for remote solar applications     

Charge equalization for an electric vehicle battery system

Charge equalization for series connected battery strings has important ramifications on battery life. It enhances the uniformity of the battery cells and hence improves the life of the battery as a whole. A new charge equalization technique for a series string of battery cells has been recently proposed by the authors. The basic technique utilizes a simple isolated dc-to-dc converter with a capacitive output filter along with a multiwinding transformer. The possibility of integrating the trickle charge function with the charge equalization function is potentially very attractive, as it can lead to an efficient and low cost implementation     

航空电瓶内阻测量与剩余容量探讨

论述了电瓶内阻的基本测量方法。利用３５５０电瓶内阻测试仪对典型的航空电瓶进行实际测量，结果表明，对于酸性电瓶判断比较正确，而对碱性电瓶判断不正确。     

A maximum power transfer battery charger for electric vehicles

A battery charger is described that uses an on-line microcontroller to maximize its output power. This is done by always operating at either the maximum allowable input current or the thermal limit imposed by the charger itself. In this case the thermal limit is determined by the junction temperatures of the two main insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). Since direct measurement of these temperatures is impractical, they must be calculated by a computer algorithm that uses various on-line measurements. Experimental results for an 8 kW charger indicate a reduction in the bulk charging time of about 26% when used with a set of NiFe batteries.     

Jump starting 42V PowerNet vehicles

The introduction of a 36V battery along side of the 12V battery will enhance starting reliability, but it also creates new risks and, therefore, a strategy for jump start is needed. This paper discusses the issues that must be addressed with respect to charging and jump starting the batteries in the 42V/14V dual voltage systems     

International Space Station power storage upgrade planned

As the Earth-orbit International Space Station (ISS) grows, it needs more power which is generated by solar panels. For periods in which the planet Earth occults sunlight, energy is stored in the biggest set of batteries ever flown in space. Reliability of power is important in a space station because a failure requires costly launch of replacement components. Even greater importance results when astronauts work in the station. A power failure that causes the astronauts to perish would be a very serious event. The first battery-containing "integrated equipment module" was launched November 30, 2000 and installed on port 6 of the International Space Station. Two more modules will be launched by the United States; to be launched in 2004 is the European Space Agency's "attached COLUMBUS APM laboratory," which will have its own power system. Unexpected battery-related events occurred in the integrated equipment module during its first year-and-a-half in orbit. The problems and their solutions were described in papers presented at the 37/sup th/ Intersociety Energy Conversion Engineering Conference. Since the International Space Station carries more battery cells than any other spacecraft, the in-flight performance data from its battery assembly can be useful to engineers who design power supplies for other spacecraft. We, therefore, summarize the battery development process, the adopted design, and an unexpected in-flight battery degradation and its correction.     

Simulation and experimental investigation of inner-jet electrochemical grinding of GH4169 alloy

GH4169 alloy is one of the most commonly used materials in aero engine turbine blades, but its machinability is poor because of its excellent strength at high temperatures. Electrochemical machining (ECM) has become a common method for machining this alloy and other difficult-to-machine materials. Electrochemical grinding (ECG) is a hybrid process combining ECM and conventional grinding. In this paper, investigations conducted on inner-jet ECG of GH4169 alloy are described. Two types of inner-jet ECG grinding wheels were used to machine a flat bottom surface. The machining process was simulated using COMSOL software, and machining gaps under different machining parameters were obtained. In addition, maximum feed rates and maximum material removal rates under different machining parameters were studied experimentally. The maximum sizes and the uniformity of the distributions of the gaps machined by the two grinding wheels were compared. The effects of different applied voltages on the machining results were also investigated.