Battery control device, battery system, and movable body

• US 10,144,305 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Koiwa, Kaoru, Nirasawa, Hitoshi, Yamasaki, Hideo, Yasuda, Takeshi, Matsushita, Hiroki, Kageyama, Tomomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fantu, Yalkew
• Application Number:
  US15/194,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20170158080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/20 having different nominal voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/06 Lead-acid accumulators semi-lead accumulators H01M10/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a battery control device has a current detector, a storage, and a state determiner. The current detector detects a current value of a current which flows into a second battery which is connected in parallel to a first battery. The first battery and the second battery are charged with a fixed current. The storage stores an initial value of the current which flows into the second battery if the second battery is charged with the fixed current in an initial use stage of the second battery. The state determiner determines a state of the first battery based on the current value detected by the current detector and the initial value stored in the storage.

Claims

1. A battery control device comprising:

a current detector configured to detect a current value of a current which flows into a lithium ion storage battery which is connected in parallel to a lead storage battery, the lead storage battery and the lithium ion storage battery being chargeable with a fixed current;

a storage which stores an initial value of the current which flows into the lithium ion storage battery when the lithium ion storage battery is charged with the fixed current in an initial use stage of the lithium ion storage battery; and

a state determiner configured to

calculate a ratio between the current value detected by the current detector and the initial value stored in the storage, and

determine that the lead storage battery has reached an assumed usable period when the calculated ratio is decreased to a first threshold value,

wherein, when the lead storage battery and the lithium ion storage battery are charged with the fixed current, the first threshold value is set based on a ratio between the current value of the current flowing into the lithium ion storage battery and the initial value when a current flowing into the lead storage battery becomes equal to the current flowing into the lithium ion storage battery.

2. The battery control device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an output device configured to output information based on a determination result by the state determiner.

3. The battery control device according to claim 2,

wherein the output device is configured to output information for urging replacement of the lead storage battery when the state determiner has determined that the lead storage battery has reached the assumed usable period.

4. The battery control device according to claim 2, further comprising:

a voltage detector configured to detect a voltage value of the lithium ion storage battery,

wherein the state determiner is configured to determine that the lithium ion storage battery has reached the assumed usable period when the voltage value detected by the voltage detector at a time of discharging the lithium ion storage battery has been decreased to a second threshold value.

5. The battery control device according to claim 4,

wherein the output device is configured to output information for urging replacement of the lithium ion storage battery when the state determiner has determined that the lithium ion storage battery has reached the assumed usable period.

6. A battery system comprising:

the lead storage battery;

the lithium ion storage battery; and

the battery control device according to claim 1.

7. A movable body comprising:

the battery system according to claim 6;

an engine configured to output power; and

a charger configured to charge the lead storage battery and the lithium ion storage battery based on the power output of the engine.