Discharge device

• US 10,056,774 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Daigo, Toru, Kihara, Nobuhiro, Kuramoto, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Arun
• Application Number:
  US15/107,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20160329733A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 Days
• Field of Search: 320134
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0068 Battery or charger load switching, e.g. concurrent charging and load supply H02J7/0013 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/34 Snubber circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/344 Active dissipative snubbers

Abstract

A discharge device provided with a switching unit configured by a first switch element and a second switch element connected in series, a first power storage element connected in parallel with both ends of the switching unit, a second power storage element connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element, and a control unit which controls on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element in such a manner that a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element is charged and discharged at least once by the second power storage element, and the energy charged in the first power storage element is discharged while being consumed in one or all of the first switch element and the second switch element.

Claims

1. A discharge device, comprising:

a switching unit configured including a first switch element and a second switch element which are connected in series;

a first power storage element connected in parallel with both ends of the switching unit in which the first switch element and the second switch element are connected in series;

a second power storage element connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element, which is a portion of the switching unit; and

a control unit controlling on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element,

the discharge device discharging energy charged in the first power storage element, wherein

the control unit controls on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, in such a manner that a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element is charged and discharged at least once by the second power storage element, and the energy charged in the first power storage element is discharged while being consumed by one or all of the first switch element and the second switch element, so as to execute the following steps in sequence,

a first step, where the energy charged in the first power storage element is divided into energy that is charged to the second power storage element,

a second step, where the energy charged to the second power storage element by executing the first step is discharged, and

a third step, where the energy charged in the first power storage element after executing the second step is discharged.

2. The discharge device according to claim 1, comprising a configuration in which a plurality of basic circuits, each configured by the first switch element, the second switch element, and a second power storage element connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element, are connected in parallel, wherein

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element included in at least one of the plurality of basic circuits which are connected in parallel, causes a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element to be charged and discharged at least once by the second power storage element in the basic circuit for controlling the on/off switching, and causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the first switch element and the second power storage elements in the basic circuit for controlling the on/off switching.

3. The discharge device according to claim 1, wherein

the second power storage element has a smaller capacity than the first power storage element;

and

the control unit implements, at least twice, an operation, by executing the first and second steps, of charging and discharging a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element, by the second power storage element.

4. The discharge device according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit controls the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element in such a manner that, when charging and discharging a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element, at least once, by the second power storage element, the voltage of the second power storage element becomes an arbitrary voltage that is lower than the voltage of the first power storage element.

5. The discharge device according to claim 1,

further comprising a discharge resistor connected in series with the second power storage element, wherein

a series circuit formed of the second power storage element and the discharge resistor is connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element;

and

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the discharge resistor, the first switch element and the second switch element.

6. The discharge device according to claim 1,

further comprising an induction element connected in series with the second power storage element, wherein

a series circuit formed of the second power storage element and the induction element is connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element;

and

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the induction element, the first switch element and the second switch element.

7. The discharge device according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge resistor and an induction element respectively connected in series with the second power storage element, wherein

a series circuit formed of the second power storage element, the discharge resistor and the induction element is connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element;

and

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the discharge resistor, the induction element, the first switch element and the second switch element.

8. The discharge device according to claim 1,

wherein the switching unit further comprises a third switch element and a fourth switch element and has a configuration in which the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the fourth switch element are connected in series in order;

the second power storage element is connected in parallel with both ends of a series circuit configured by the second switch element and the third switch element, which are a portion of the switching unit; and

the control unit controls on/off switching of the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the fourth switch element, in such a manner that a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element is charged and discharged at least once by the second power storage element, and the energy charged in the first power storage element is discharged while being consumed by a potion or all of the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the fourth switch element.

9. The discharge device according to claim 2, wherein

the second power storage element has a smaller capacity than the first power storage element;

and

the control unit implements, at least twice, an operation, by executing the first and second steps, of charging and discharging a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element, by the second power storage element.

10. The discharge device according to claim 2,

wherein the control unit controls the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element in such a manner that, when charging and discharging a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element, at least once, by the second power storage element, the voltage of the second power storage element becomes an arbitrary voltage that is lower than the voltage of the first power storage element.

11. The discharge device according to claim 2,

further comprising a discharge resistor connected in series with the second power storage element, wherein

a series circuit formed of the second power storage element and the discharge resistor is connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element;

and

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the discharge resistor, the first switch element and the second switch element.

12. The discharge device according to claim 2,

further comprising an induction element connected in series with the second power storage element, wherein

a series circuit formed of the second power storage element and the induction element is connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element;

and

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the induction element, the first switch element and the second switch element.

13. The discharge device according to claim 2, further comprising a discharge resistor and an induction element respectively connected in series with the second power storage element, wherein

a series circuit formed of the second power storage element, the discharge resistor and the induction element is connected in parallel with both ends of the second switch element;

and

the control unit, by controlling the on/off switching of the first switch element and the second switch element, causes the energy charged in the first power storage element to be discharged while being consumed in a portion or all of the discharge resistor, the induction element, the first switch element and the second switch element.

14. The discharge device according to claim 2,

wherein the switching unit further comprises a third switch element and a fourth switch element and has a configuration in which the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the fourth switch element are connected in series in order;

the second power storage element is connected in parallel with both ends of a series circuit configured by the second switch element and the third switch element, which are a portion of the switching unit; and

the control unit controls on/off switching of the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the fourth switch element, in such a manner that a portion of the energy charged in the first power storage element is charged and discharged at least once by the second power storage element, and the energy charged in the first power storage element is discharged while being consumed by a potion or all of the first switch element, the second switch element, the third switch element and the fourth switch element.