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Problem
Statement
Our team was contracted
by Itron to update their existing battery charger to support the latest
single cell battery pack. The development criteria of this project
include the improvement and updating of the battery charging circuit.
This project also involves the development of the physical interface of
the battery with the charger. This interface includes the exterior
of the charger, the battery pack insertion, and the printed circuit
board (PCB). The battery charger must be capable of charging Itron’s new
battery pack for the Japanese handheld meter reading device. The
battery charger must be similar in cost, appearance, and function in the
same manner as the current battery charger.
In order to accomplish
this task, the team used the current battery charger as a platform for
the new concept. The mechanical development was driven by two factors:
(1) the updated shape of the battery pack and (2) the change in
electrical contacts. The electrical development was driven by
minimizing cost and simplifying components.
The re-design formulated
by this team meets and exceeds the constraints set out in the scope of
the project. All functional requirements within the design space have
been met, while also adding some new functional features. These new
features include: foreign material drain holes, a two layer printed
circuit board, test fixture mounting holes, and corrosion resistant
electrical spring contacts. The cost of the new charging unit is
similar to the current battery charger, and the preliminary cost
analysis shows that the new unit will cost less than the current one.
This report details the
development of Itron’s new lithium ion battery charging unit. It
includes project background and problem statement as defined by Itron.
This report describes in detail the concepts considered and also the
concepts finally selected. A cost analysis of the final product is
included along with an outline of future work as it pertains to this
project.
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This is solid model of the new battery pack.
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This is a solid model of the new handheld meter reader.
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This picture depicts the current battery charger.
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