Dynamic battery voltage restriction for hazardous environments

• Main Authors: KRISHNAMURTHI, Macwien, CHONG, Kow Chee, LEE, Wai Mun, YEOH, Chen Kok, AZIZAN, Muhamad Ridzuan
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 31.03.2022
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTINGELECTRIC POWER; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER; ELECTRICITY; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS; GENERATION; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY

A method for dynamic limiting of battery voltage includes determining that a voltage delivered by a battery exceeds a predefined maximum safe voltage for operation of a portable electronic device in a hazardous environment and, in response, enabling a voltage restriction circuit in a supply line between the battery and the portable electronic device to reduce the voltage delivered by the battery below the maximum safe voltage, and supplying electrical power to the portable electronic device at the reduced voltage. Enabling the voltage restriction circuit may include deactivating a MOSFET switch that includes a forward biased body diode to allow the body diode to provide a fixed voltage drop. The method also includes determining that the voltage delivered by the battery no longer exceeds the maximum safe voltage and, in response, disabling the first voltage restriction circuit by activating the MOSFET, thus allowing the body diode to be bypassed.