Lyndon B.

Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058

Technical Support Package

Battery Charge Equalizer with Transformer Array
NASA Tech Briefs MSC-25026-1

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Technical Support Package

for Battery Charge Equalizer with Transformer Array MSC-25026-1 NASA Tech Briefs
The information in this Technical Support Package comprises the documentation referenced in MSC25026-1 of NASA Tech Briefs. It is provided under the Commercial Technology Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to make available the results of aerospace-related developments considered having wider technological, scientific, or commercial applications. Further assistance is available from sources listed in NASA Tech Briefs on the page entitled NASA Commercial Technology Team. Additional information regarding research and technology in this general area, contact: NASA Johnson Space Center Technology Transfer Office Mail Code AT 2101 NASA Parkway Houston, TX 77058 Telephone: (281) 483-3809 E-mail: jsc-techtran@mail.nasa.gov
NOTICE: This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the information contained in this document or warrants that such use will be free from privately owned rights. If trade names or manufacturers names are used in this report, it is for identification only. This usage does not constitute an official endorsement, either expressed or implied, by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Battery charge equalizer with transformer array by Frank Davies January 10, 2011

1 General description of problem/objective

High power batteries generally consist of a series connection of many cells or cell banks. In order to maintain high performance over battery life it is desirable to keep the state-ofcharge of all the cell banks equal.

1.1 Key or unique problem characteristics

Produce significant current (>1A) for quick cell balancing Equalize by charging rather than discharging Only a few cells will need equalization charging Need DC isolation for safety concerns Need failure tolerance for safety concerns.

1.2 Prior art

Individual discharge on each cell bank Energy transfer methods (switched capacitors or transformers) which effectively parallel cell banks. Individual chargers on cell banks

1.3 Disadvantages of prior art

Individual chargers for cell banks are bulky Switch arrays to connect a single charger to cell banks is complicated, expensive, has to switch high voltage DC. Few have electrical isolation.

2 Unique or novel features

2.1 Novel or unique features
Small number of transformers for many cell banks charged Use of weighted sums of waveforms to perform cell bank selection

2.2 Advantages of innovation

Low component cost by reducing hard-to-integrate magnetic components. Voltage isolation improves safety Cell equalization by adding charge to cell banks speeds overall charging process. Takes advantage that only a few cells need equalization at a time.

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3 Purpose and description of innovation:

3.1 Purpose:
The purpose of this innovation is to perform charge equalization on high voltage battery systems by selectively charging individual cell banks. This is intended to complement existing high voltage battery chargers and battery instrumentation systems.

3.2 Description:
Overview: The innovation will form part of a larger battery charge system as shown in the block diagram below. The innovation consists of a transformer array (1) connected to the battery array through rectification and filtering circuits (2). The transformer array is connected to a drive circuit (3) and a timing and control circuit (4) that allow individual battery cells or cell banks to be charged. The timing circuit and control circuit connects to a charge controller that uses battery instrumentation to determine which battery bank to charge.

Figure 1: Block Diagram

It is important to note that the innovation can charge an individual cell bank at the same time that the main battery charger is charging the high voltage battery.

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4 Modes of operation:
4.1 Principles of operation:
The fact that the battery cell banks are at a non-zero voltage, and that they are all at similar voltages can be used to allow charging of individual cell banks. A set of transformers can be connected with secondary windings in series to make weighted sums of the voltages on the primaries. Figure 2 shows how the weighted sums of the primary voltage can select battery 1 (bat1) but not battery 2 (bat2). Figure 3 shows how a different battery cell bank may be selected.

Figure 2: Example of battery selection with battery 1 selected

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Figure 3: Example of battery selection with battery 2 selected

The transformers in this innovation can be driven in one of two ways, the unipolar method and the bipolar method.

Figure 4: Drive waveform examples

In the unipolar method, the transformers are driven with waveforms that have a greater voltage magnitude in the positive direction than the negative. In order to maintain a zero DC component, the duration of the negative part of the waveform is longer than the duration of the positive part. In the bipolar method, the transformers are driven with a symmetric waveform.

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4.2 Unipolar operation

The following diagram is a simplified schematic of the transformer array and rectification section of a circuit with the 2 of 3 permutation configuration. The next diagram demonstrates the pulses present during selection of various cells.

Figure 5: Generalized schematic of unipolar circuit driving 12 cells.

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Figure 6: Voltage waveforms during operation of unipolar circuit

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4.3 Bipolar operation

The following diagram is a simplified schematic of the transformer array and rectification section of a circuit with the 2 of 3 permutation configuration. The next diagram demonstrates the pulses present during selection of various cells.

Figure 7: generalized schematic of bipolar circuit driving 12 cells

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Figure 8: Bipolar operation

4.4 Detailed description:

4.4.1 Transformer array: The transformer array generates a waveform for each cell that is a weighted sum of the pulses from the transformer drive section. The array provides electrical isolation and performs the selection function. The transformer array consists of a number of transformers, each with a single primary winding connected to the transformer drive circuit. Each transformer has a number of secondary windings that connect to the rectification and filtering circuit. The secondary winding from several transformers are connected in series so that the voltage across the secondaries add up to form a weighted sum of the voltages on the primaries. This can be represented in tabular form as well as by a schematic diagram. While transformer windings can be made to use ratios of integers (e.g. 2/3 or 5/7) in the weighted sums, using weights of 0, +1 or -1 make transformer fabrication easy.

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4.4.2 Binary configurations One family of configurations are the binary configurations. In these, each cell has a winding on each transformer. All the windings have the same number of turns but are would with different polarities. The polarities are organized in a binary pattern. This means that with unipolar drive n transformers can control 2^n cell banks, and with bipolar drive n+1 transformers can control 2^n cell banks. 4.4.2.1 Two transformer binary configuration

Transformer matrix table Va Vb V1 -1 -1 V2 1 -1 V3 -1 1 V4 1 1

4.4.2.2 Three transformer binary configuration

V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8

Va -1 1 -1 1 -1 1 -1 1

Vb -1 -1 1 1 -1 -1 1 1

Vc -1 -1 -1 -1 1 1 1 1

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4.4.3 Permutation based configurations Another family of configurations is the permutation based configurations. Each of these configurations is based on the number of ways that a subset of k items may be chosen from a set of n items (sometimes known as the choice number). In the context of this innovation, n is the number of transformers and k is the number of transformer windings that each cell bank is driven from. For unipolar drive waveforms, the number of cell banks will be 2^k * n!/(n! * (n-k)!). For bipolar drive waveforms, the number of cell banks will be half this, or 2^(k-1) * n!/(n! * (n-k)!). Unlike the binary configurations, with these configurations, each cell does not have a winding on each transformer. However, all the windings have the same number of turns but are wound with different polarities. 4.4.3.1 2 of 3 permutation configuration n=3 k=2
Va V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 1 1 0 1 1 0 -1 -1 0 -1 -1 0 Vb 1 0 1 -1 0 1 1 0 -1 -1 0 -1 Vc 0 1 1 0 -1 -1 0 1 1 0 -1 -1

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4.4.4 Trinary configurations Another family of configurations are the trinary configurations. In these configurations, n transformers can drive (3^n)-1 cell banks (unipolar drive). The transformer weightings correspond to balanced ternary notation (using -1, 0 1 as digits) with an additional scaling factor. If the weighting for each cell is thought of as a vector, each one has a magnitude (2 norm or square root of the sum of the squares). In order for proper operation, each weighting vector must have the same magnitude (normalized). The normalization can be approximated with small fractions. For instance, the square root of two can be approximated by 7/5. Because of this normalization, the drive waveforms must have varying levels. This in turn means that the difference in voltage between the voltage driving the diode for the selected cell bank is not very different from the largest voltage driving the other diodes. 4.4.4.1 Two transformer ternary configuration Transformer matrix table Va Vb V1 -5 -5 V2 0 -7 V3 5 -5 V4 -7 0 V5 7 0 V6 -5 5 V7 0 7 V8 5 5 4.4.5 Other configurations There are other combinations of weighting factors that allow cells to be selected. However, they all involve complicated transformer turns ratios and drive voltage levels. 4.4.5.1 Custom (14 with 3 transformers)
Va 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1.333 1.333 1.333 1.333 -1.333 -1.333 -1.333 -1.333 2.25 -2.25 Vb 1.333 1.333 -1.333 -1.333 1.333 1.333 -1.333 -1.333 0 0 Vc 1.333 -1.333 1.333 -1.333 1.333 -1.333 1.333 -1.333 0 0
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10 11 12 13

0 0 0 0

2.25 -2.25 0 0

0 0 2.25 -2.25

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4.4.6 Configuration overview The following table shows the key characteristics of many of the configurations.
Description Unipolar trinary bipolar binary unipolar binary unipolar 2 of 3 perm unipolar bipolar binary bipolar 2 of 4 perm unipolar binary unipolar 2 of 4 perm bipolar binary bipolar 2 of 5 perm unipolar binary bipolar 3 of 5 perm unipolar 2 of 5 perm unipolar 3 of 5 perm bipolar 2 of 6 perm bipolar binary unipolar 2 of 6 perm unipolar binary bipolar 3 of 6 perm unipolar 3 of 6 perm bipolar 4 of 6 unipolar 4 of 6 bipolar 2 of 7 perm bipolar binary unipolar 2 of 7 perm unipolar binary bipolar 3 of 7 perm bipolar 4 of 7 perm unipolar 3 of 7 perm unipolar 4 of 7 perm Number of transformers 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 Number of windings per cell banks transformers 8 4 8 12 14 8 12 16 24 16 20 32 40 40 80 30 32 60 64 80 160 120 240 42 64 84 128 140 280 280 560

6 4 8 8 12 8 6 16 12 16 8 32 24 16 48 10 32 20 64 40 80 80 160 12 64 24 128 60 160 120 320

4.4.7 Transformer array manufacturability: This innovation requires many individual windings to run through several transformer cores. This can be accomplished by using planar transformers with printed wiring board for the windings. This is a well established industry practice, and transformer components designed for this technique are readily available. An example is shown in the figure below.
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4.4.8 Transformer drive: The transformer drive circuit provides high power voltage pulses to the transformer array based on the logic level pulses received from the timing and control section. Drive circuits necessary to generate asymmetric waveforms are more complicated than those needed to make symmetric (square wave, push-pull) waveforms.

4.4.9 Unipolar drive The following is a diagram of one implementation of a unipolar drive circuit.

Figure 9: Example of unipolar drive circuit configuration

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Figure 10: Example of unipolar drive timing.

4.4.10 Bipolar drive The following is a diagram of one possible bipolar drive circuit.

Figure 11: Example of bipolar drive circuit configuration

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Figure 12: Example of bipolar drive timing

4.4.11 Unipolar drive with adjustable voltage levels Some transformer configurations require waveforms with multiple levels. One way of implementing this is by making the power supplies that set the bus voltages in Figure 9 adjustable. 4.4.12 Arbitrary drive Some transformer configurations require waveforms with multiple levels. One way of implementing this is shown in the following diagram.

Figure 13: Transformer drive with power amplifier

4.4.13 Rectification and filtering: The output rectification and filtering section rectifies and filters the waveforms generated by the transformer array. The battery cell banks could accept significant AC current, but to hold down losses and EMI emissions, it is best to filter them out as close to the transformer array as possible.

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4.4.13.1 Simple rectification

Figure 14: Simple rectifier

4.4.13.2 Bridge rectifier

Figure 15: Bridge rectifier

4.4.14 Timing and control: The timing and control section provides logic level signals to the transformer drive section of the right phasing to charge the cell selected by the external circuit.

Figure 16: Block diagram of timing and control circuit

5 Functional operation
Concept of operations: This innovation can complement battery monitoring and instrumentation. The main high power charger runs current through the whole series string of cells. While this is happening, the control circuit monitors individual cell bank voltages. If any cell bank appears to need additional charge, the control circuit commands the innovation circuit to provide additional charge to that cell bank.

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6 Alternate embodiments
Use a current sense on the power bus to monitor operations (probably a very good idea for charge control). Use a current source type drive to better overcome leakage inductance Use a current source type drive to monitor cell voltages through the transformers. Use of a current doubler circuit in the rectification section.

7 Supportive theory
Geometric interpretation of operation: The operation of this innovation can be thought of geometrically. The instantaneous voltage across each transformer can be regarded as a coordinate of a phase space with as many dimensions as there are transformers. This is easiest to see by considering a system with three transformers in a binary arrangement. At any moment in time, the instantaneous primary voltages of each of the three transformers defines a point in a three dimensional phase space. Each battery cell gets a weighted sum of these voltages, and the diode associated with each cell will conduct if that sum is greater than the cell voltage. This is equivalent to saying that the phase space point is on one side of a plane defined by that weighted sum and the cell voltage. In the binary configuration with three transformers the eight weighted sums for the eight cells combine with the cell voltages to define eight diode activation planes. These form an octahedron in space. The significant thing to notice is that it is possible to move from the center of the octahedron (where no diodes are conducting) to points just outside the octahedron where any desired diode (and no other) is conducting. It is also possible to move to points where more than one diode is conducting, but not to points where any arbitrary pair of diodes is conducting. The transformers impose the condition that the average position of the point over time must be at the origin (no DC component on the transformers). In practice this means that the point swings back and forth on a line through the origin. In unipolar operation, the point swings farther along the line on one side of the origin than on the other side. This means that the point will only cross one plane. In bipolar operation , the point swings equally on both sides of the origin. This means that the point will cross two opposite planes alternately and half as many cells can be distinguished.

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8 Maintenance, reliability and safety factors

Fault tolerance is easily added with fuses, current limiting on driver side, PCB winding layout. This innovation can easily be constructed so that a single component fault will not short a battery cell bank by adding a fuse on each cell connection. It should be noted that a diode failing short in the bridge configuration does not short the cell bank, just the transformer drive circuit.

9 References:
1. Kong Zhi-Guo et al; Comparison and Evaluation of Charge Equalization Technique for Series Connected Batteries, Power Electronics Specialists Conference, 2006. PESC '06. 37th IEEE 18-22 June 2006 Page(s):1 - 6 2. Kutkut, N.H., Divan, D.M., Novotny, D.W.; Charge equalization for series connected battery strings Industry Applications, IEEE Transactions on Volume 31, Issue 3, May-June 1995 Page(s):562 - 568
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