ELECTRIC ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20110025275A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nisshinbo Holdings Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nisshinbo Holdings Incorporated
• Inventors: Mitsuya, Kunihiro, Nozu, Ryutaro
• Granted Patent: US 8,030,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/137
• 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 50/213 adapted for cells having curved cross-section, e.g. round or elliptic H01M50/209, H01M50/216 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/253 adapted for specific cells, e.g. electrochemical cells operating at high temperature
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

Provided is an electric energy storage device capable of improving a charging efficiency when electric power supplied with an input current having a current value repeatedly exhibiting peaks and valleys is to be storaged by using a secondary battery and an electric double-layer capacitor. The electric energy storage device includes: an electric double-layer capacitor; and a battery unit including at least one secondary battery, the battery unit being connected in parallel to the electric double-layer capacitor, in which: a ratio of an internal resistance of the electric double-layer capacitor to an internal resistance of the battery unit is determined according to parameters relating to the input current.

Claims

1. An electric energy storage device charged with an input current having a current value repeatedly exhibiting peaks and valleys, comprising:

an electric double-layer capacitor unit including at least one electric double-layer capacitor; and

a battery unit including at least one secondary battery, the battery unit being connected in parallel to the electric double-layer capacitor unit,

wherein a ratio of an internal resistance of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to an internal resistance of the battery unit is determined according to parameters relating to the input current.

2. The electric energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the parameters relating to the input current include a parameter relating to a change in the input current with time.

3. The electric energy storage device according to claim 2, wherein the parameter relating to the change in the input current with time includes a time period during which a current having a predetermined threshold value or larger flows over one cycle including the peak and the valley of the current value.

4. The electric energy storage device according to claim 2, wherein the parameter relating to the change in the input current with time includes a time period during which a current less than a predetermined threshold value flows over one cycle including the peak and the valley of the current value.

5. The electric energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the internal resistances is determined so that a value of a product of the ratio of the internal resistances and a ratio of a chargeable electric energy of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to a chargeable electric energy of the battery unit is to be a value according to the parameters relating to the input current.

6. The electric energy storage device according to claim 5, wherein the value of the product is equal to or larger than 0.018 and equal to or smaller than 0.036.

7. The electric energy storage device according to claim 6, wherein the value of the product is equal to or larger than 0.025 and equal to or smaller than 0.030.

13. The electric energy storage device according to claim 2, wherein the ratio of the internal resistances is determined so that a value of a product of the ratio of the internal resistances and a ratio of a chargeable electric energy of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to a chargeable electric energy of the battery unit is to be a value according to the parameters relating to the input current.

14. The electric energy storage device according to claim 3, wherein the ratio of the internal resistances is determined so that a value of a product of the ratio of the internal resistances and a ratio of a chargeable electric energy of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to a chargeable electric energy of the battery unit is to be a value according to the parameters relating to the input current.

15. The electric energy storage device according to claim 4, wherein the ratio of the internal resistances is determined so that a value of a product of the ratio of the internal resistances and a ratio of a chargeable electric energy of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to a chargeable electric energy of the battery unit is to be a value according to the parameters relating to the input current.

8. An electric energy storage device charged with an input current having a current value repeatedly exhibiting peaks and valleys, comprising:

an electric double-layer capacitor unit including at least one electric double-layer capacitor; and

a battery unit including at least one secondary battery, the battery unit being connected in parallel to the electric double-layer capacitor unit,

wherein a value of a product of a ratio of an internal resistance of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to an internal resistance of the battery unit and a ratio of a chargeable electric energy of the electric double-layer capacitor unit to a chargeable electric energy of the battery unit is equal to or larger than 0.018 and equal to or smaller than 0.036.

9. The electric energy storage device according to claim 8, wherein the value of the product is equal to or larger than 0.025 and equal to or smaller than 0.030.

10. An electric energy storage device, comprising:

a plurality of electric double-layer capacitors connected in series to each other; and

a plurality of battery units respectively connected in parallel to the plurality of electric double-layer capacitors, each of the plurality of battery units including at least one sealed secondary battery for reducing oxygen, generated at a positive electrode, at a negative electrode when the at least one sealed secondary battery is overcharged,

wherein a rated voltage of each of the plurality of electric double-layer capacitors is equal to or higher than a voltage obtained when a corresponding one of the plurality of battery units, which is connected in parallel to the each electric double-layer capacitor, is overcharged.

11. The electric energy storage device according to claim 10, wherein each of the battery units is constituted by connecting a plurality of the secondary batteries in series.

12. The electric energy storage device according to claim 10, wherein the secondary battery comprises any one of a nickel-metal hydride battery, a nickel-cadmium battery, and a valve-regulated lead-acid battery.