| Float Charger for Lithium Ion Battery |
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The battery for the Bowman military communications system needs to be float charged during normal use in a vehicle. As it uses a lithium ion chemistry, it needs accurate control of output voltage and current. There are two batteries in the pack which can be in series or parallel so they have to be independently charged from the prime source. The charger module has to fit inside the battery pack so it must be rugged, compact, low noise and very efficient so that it does not contribute to internal heat loss.
One of the prototypes we designed and made is shown in the photographs. The layout was optimised for low noise and high efficiency while ensuring that tall components are positioned not to clash with those on the second board. The actual printed circuit board for the two charger circuits is identical but one is the master and the other, not fully populated, is the slave.
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