Battery control device

• US 20030052646A1
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Toshiaki, Minamiura, Keiichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,611,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/122
• 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 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0023 Detecting, eliminating, remedying or compensating for drive train abnormalities, e.g. failures within the drive train
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/10 for monitoring or controlling batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/42 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance of secondary cells or secondary half-cells H01M10/60 takes precedence
• 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: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/14 for charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In a battery control device for controlling input to and output from a battery pack of the present invention, the battery pack includes a plurality of serially-connected battery blocks each including a plurality of serially-connected unit batteries. The device includes: an internal resistance measurement section for each battery block; and a first malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery based on an internal resistance variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval of a charging operation, wherein detection information about the leakage malfunctioning battery is reflected in the control of charging and discharging operations.

Claims

1. A battery control device for controlling input to and output from a battery pack, wherein the battery pack includes a plurality of serially-connected battery blocks each including a plurality of serially-connected unit batteries, the device comprising:

an internal resistance measurement section for each battery block; and

a first malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery based on an internal resistance variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval of a charging operation, wherein detection information about the leakage malfunctioning battery is reflected in the control of charging and discharging operations.

2. A battery control device according to claim 1, wherein the first malfunctioning battery detection section determines that the unit battery is a leakage malfunctioning battery when a difference in internal resistance variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics, and the internal resistance variation is an internal resistance difference, or a difference in internal resistance derivative value, measured during a prescribed time period.

3. A battery control device according to claim 1, further comprising a fourth malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting an internal resistance rise malfunctioning battery based on an internal resistance variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval by measuring an internal resistance for each battery block during charging and discharging operations before or after detecting the leakage malfunctioning battery.

4. A battery control device according to claim 3, further comprising a fifth malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting a minor short-circuit malfunctioning battery based on reduction in battery voltage corresponding to a voltage of a single battery cell for each battery block during a charging operation before or after detecting the internal resistance rise malfunctioning battery.

5. A battery control device according to claim 4, further comprising an abnormal battery detection section for detecting abnormal batteries based on a difference in open-circuit voltage measured during a prescribed time period before detecting a leakage malfunctioning battery.

6. A battery control device according to claim 5, wherein the abnormal battery detection section determines that the unit battery is an abnormal battery when a difference in open-circuit voltage variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics.

7. A battery control device according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormal battery detection section for detecting abnormal batteries based on a difference in open-circuit voltage measured during a prescribed time period before detecting a leakage malfunctioning battery.

8. A battery control device according to claim 7, wherein the abnormal battery detection section determines that the unit battery is an abnormal battery when a difference in open-circuit voltage variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics.

9. A battery control device according to claim 1, further including an overcharge prohibition section for prohibiting a battery block including the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery from being overcharged during a charging operation.

10. A battery control device according to claim 1, further including a storage section for storing detection information about the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery such that an informing section can provide the detection information as an alarm.

11. A battery control device for controlling input to and output from a battery pack, wherein the battery pack includes a plurality of serially-connected battery blocks each including a plurality of serially-connected unit batteries, the device comprising:

a battery voltage measurement section for each battery block; and

a second malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery based on a battery voltage variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval of an overcharging operation, wherein detection information about the leakage malfunctioning battery is reflected in the control of charging and discharging operations.

12. A battery control device according to claim 11, wherein the second malfunctioning battery detection section determines that the unit battery is a leakage malfunctioning battery when a difference in voltage variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics, and the voltage variation is a voltage difference, or a difference in voltage derivative value, measured during a prescribed time period.

13. A battery control device according to claim 12, further comprising a third malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery based on a battery temperature variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval of the overcharging operation.

14. A battery control device according to claim 13, wherein the third malfunctioning battery detection section determines that the unit battery is a leakage malfunctioning battery when a difference in temperature variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics, and the temperature variation is a temperature difference, or a difference in temperature derivative value, measured during a prescribed time period.

15. A battery control device according to claim 11, further comprising a third malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery based on a battery temperature variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval of the overcharging operation.

16. A battery control device according to claim 15, wherein the third malfunctioning battery detection section determines that the unit battery is a leakage malfunctioning battery when a difference in temperature variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics, and the temperature variation is a temperature difference, or a difference in temperature derivative value, measured during a prescribed time period.

17. A battery control device according to claim 11, further comprising a fourth malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting an internal resistance rise malfunctioning battery based on an internal resistance variation measured for each battery block during a prescribed time interval by measuring an internal resistance for each battery block during charging and discharging operations before or after detecting the leakage malfunctioning battery.

18. A battery control device according to claim 17, further comprising a fifth malfunctioning battery detection section for detecting a minor short-circuit malfunctioning battery based on reduction in battery voltage corresponding to a voltage of a single battery cell for each battery block during a charging operation before or after detecting the internal resistance rise malfunctioning battery.

19. A battery control device according to claim 18, further comprising an abnormal battery detection section for detecting abnormal batteries based on a difference in open-circuit voltage measured during a prescribed time period before detecting a minor short-circuit malfunctioning battery, an internal resistance rise malfunctioning battery and a leakage malfunctioning battery.

20. A battery control device according to claim 19, wherein the abnormal battery detection section determines that the unit battery is an abnormal battery when a difference in open-circuit voltage variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics.

21. A battery control device according to claim 11, further comprising an abnormal battery detection section for detecting abnormal batteries based on a difference in open-circuit voltage measured during a prescribed time period before detecting a leakage malfunctioning battery.

22. A battery control device according to claim 21, wherein the abnormal battery detection section determines that the unit battery is an abnormal battery when a difference in open-circuit voltage variation between the unit battery and a normal battery is greater than a constant obtained based on battery characteristics.

23. A battery control device according to claim 11, further including an overcharge prohibition section for prohibiting a battery block including the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery from being overcharged during a charging operation.

24. A battery control device according to claim 11, further including a storage section for storing detection information about the unit battery as a leakage malfunctioning battery such that an informing section can provide the detection information as an alarm.