Patent ID: 8183870
Filing Date: 2012-05-22
Classification: H01M,H02J,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A battery system for a plurality of battery cells, said battery system comprising: a plurality of transformers electrically coupled to said plurality of battery cells, said plurality of transformers comprising: control circuitry connected to said plurality of saturable magnetic cores to supply electric current to selectively place said plurality of saturable magnetic cores in said first magnetic state or said second magnetic state for at least one of sensing or balancing said charge state of said particular battery cell or said particular bank of battery cells; a plurality of row switches and a plurality of column switches connected to said plurality of row windings and said plurality of column windings to permit current flow through said particular row winding and said particular column winding for alternately producing said first magnetic state and said second magnetic state in said respective one of said plurality of saturable magnetic cores; and an analog to digital converter operably connected to said plurality of sense windings for measuring said charge state of said particular battery cell or said particular bank of battery cells, wherein said combination of said particular row winding and said articular column winding are electrically connected for alternately producing said first magnetic state and said second magnetic state in a respective one of said plurality of saturable magnetic cores for at least one of sensing or balancing said charge state of said particular battery cell or said particular bank of battery cells.