Power storage system

• US 10,322,645 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2015
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Murata, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Melton, Todd M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roberson, Jason R
• Application Number:
  US15/119,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20170057376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/445 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/20 characterised by converters located in the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/27 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/615 Heating or keeping warm
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/633 characterised by algorithms, flow charts, software details or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6571 Resistive heaters arrangements for heating the battery by its resistance to the internal current H01M10/637
• 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: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 : Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A power storage system for a vehicle includes a battery, a temperature sensor, a battery heater, a charger, and a controller. The battery is configured to supply electric power to a motor for traveling of the vehicle, and configured to be charged with external power supplied from an external power supply. The temperature sensor is configured to detect a temperature of the battery. The battery heater is configured to raise the temperature of the battery. The charger is configured to be connectable with the external power supply, and deliver the external power to the battery and the battery heater, respectively. The controller is configured to perform charge control. The charge control is a control that charges the battery with the external power. The controller is configured to store a map. The map specifies, for each temperature of the battery, a ratio of a temperature-elevating power supplied to the battery heater to a maximum power of the external power at the time when a charging time is minimized. The controller is configured to calculate the ratio, using the map, from the temperature of the battery measured at the time when charging is started. The controller is configured to perform temperature regulation control during charging, using the temperature-elevating power corresponding to the calculated ratio. The temperature regulation control is a control that supplies a part of the external power to the battery heater during charging so as to raise the temperature of the battery.

Claims

1. A power storage system for a vehicle, the power storage system comprising:

a battery configured to supply electric power to a motor for traveling of the vehicle, the battery being configured to be charged with external power supplied from an external power supply;

a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the battery;

a battery heater configured to raise the temperature of the battery;

a charger configured to be connectable with the external power supply, and deliver the external power to the battery and the battery heater, respectively; and

a controller configured to

perform charge control, the charge control being a control that charges the battery with the external power;

store a map, the map specifying a ratio of a temperature-elevating power supplied to the battery heater to a maximum power of the external power at which a charging time is minimum, for each temperature of the battery at the time when charging is started;

calculate the ratio, using the map, from the temperature of the battery measured when charging is started,

perform temperature regulation control during charging, using constant temperature-elevating power corresponding to the calculated ratio, the temperature regulation control being a control that supplies the constant temperature-elevating power to the battery heater during charging so as to raise the temperature of the battery,

perform the charge control and the temperature regulation control in a first charge mode and a second charge mode, the first charge mode being a mode in which the battery is charged with a first charging power until an amount of charge of the battery becomes equal to a first charge amount, and a first temperature-elevating power is supplied to the battery heater, the second charge mode being a mode in which the battery is charged with a second charging power as a fixed value after the amount of charge of the battery reaches the first charge amount, and a second temperature-elevating power is supplied to the battery heater,

wherein the second charging power is greater than zero,

wherein the second charging power is smaller than the first charging power.

2. The power storage system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to

set a difference between the temperature-elevating power calculated based on the map and the maximum power as the first charging power and the temperature-elevating power calculated based on the map as the first temperature-elevating power, and

newly set the first temperature-elevating power such that the first charging power becomes larger than the second charging power when the set first charging power is smaller than the second charging power.

3. The power storage system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to

compare a difference between the maximum power and the second charging power with the temperature-elevating power calculated based on the map,

set the first temperature-elevating power using a smaller one of the difference and the temperature-elevating power calculated based on the map, and

set a difference between the maximum power and the set first temperature-elevating power as the first charging power.

4. The power storage system according to claim 1, wherein

the first charge mode is a mode in which a difference between the maximum power of the external power and the temperature-elevating power calculated based on the map is set as the first charging power, while the temperature-elevating power calculated based on the map is supplied to the battery heater, and the second charge mode is a mode in which the battery is charged with the second charging power that is smaller than the first charging power after the amount of charge of the battery reaches the first charge amount, and a difference between the maximum power and the second charging power, or electric power corresponding to a maximum output of the battery heater, is supplied to the battery heater.

5. The power storage system according to claim 1, further comprising a monitoring unit that detects a voltage between terminals of the battery and outputs a voltage value to the controller, and a current sensor that detects electric current that flows through the battery and outputs a current value to the controller,

wherein the controller estimates a state of charge (SOC) of the battery based on the voltage value detected by the monitoring unit, the current value detected by the current sensor, and the battery temperature detected by the temperature sensor, and performs the charge control of the battery, based on the estimated SOC and a predetermined upper limit of the SOC.

6. The power storage system according to claim 2, wherein in the first charge mode constant-current (CC) charging is performed, and in the second charge mode constant-current constant-voltage (CCCV) charging is performed.

7. The power storage system according to claim 1, wherein a non-contact charging system supplies the external power from the external power supply to the battery.