ENERGY STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20110115427A1
• Filed: 08/23/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Morita, Kazuki, Mitani, Yohsuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,305,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/107
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/34 Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other dc sources, e.g. providing buffering H02J7/14 takes precedence

Abstract

In an energy storage device, a charging circuit is electrically coupled to the energy storage section. A first comparator is electrically coupled to an energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches first predetermined voltage Vc1. A second comparator is electrically coupled to the energy storage section, and its output is inverted when voltage Vc of the energy storage section reaches second predetermined voltage Vc2. A control circuit is electrically coupled to the first comparator and the second comparator. The control circuit obtains period tm from inversion of the output of the first comparator to the output of the second comparator. Capacitance C of the energy storage section is calculated based on this period tm and voltage change width ΔVc between the first predetermined voltage Vc1 and the second predetermined voltage Vc2.

Claims

1. An energy storage device comprising:

an energy storage section;

a charging circuit electrically coupled to the energy storage section;

a first comparator electrically coupled to the energy storage section, an output of the first comparator being inverted when a voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section reaches a first predetermined voltage (Vc1);

a second comparator electrically coupled to the energy storage section, an output of the second comparator being inverted when the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section reaches a second predetermined voltage (Vc2), the second predetermined voltage (Vc2) being greater than the first predetermined voltage (Vc1); and

a control circuit electrically coupled to the charging circuit, the first comparator, and the second comparator;

wherein the control circuit obtains a period (tm) from inversion of the output of the first comparator to inversion of the output of the second comparator at charging the energy storage section with a constant current (Ics), and calculates a capacitance C of the energy storage section based on the period (tm) and a voltage change width (Δ

Vc) between the first predetermined voltage (Vc1) and the second predetermined voltage (Vc2) that are previously identified.

2. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage-dividing circuit connected in parallel to the energy storage section, the voltage-dividing circuit capable of outputting first voltage (V1) proportional to the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section and second voltage (V2) proportional to the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section, the second voltage (V2) being different from the first voltage (V1); and

a reference voltage source capable of outputting a reference voltage (Vr);

wherein the voltage-dividing circuit, the first comparator, and the reference voltage source are connected such that the first voltage (V1) and the reference voltage (Vr) are input to the first comparator; and

the voltage-dividing circuit, the second comparator, and the reference voltage source are connected such that the second voltage (V2) of the voltage-dividing circuit and the reference voltage (Vr) are input to the second comparator.

3. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first voltage-dividing circuit connected in parallel to the energy storage section, the first voltage-dividing circuit capable of outputting a first voltage (V1) proportional to the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section, the first voltage (V1) being smaller than the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section;

a reference voltage source capable of outputting a reference voltage (Vr); and

a second voltage-dividing circuit connected in parallel to the reference voltage source, the second voltage-dividing circuit capable of outputting a first reference voltage (Vr1) proportional to the reference voltage (Vr), the first reference voltage (Vr1) being smaller than the reference voltage (Vr);

wherein the first voltage-dividing circuit, the first comparator, and the second voltage-dividing circuit are connected such that the first voltage (V1) and the first reference voltage (Vr1) are input to the first comparator; and

the first voltage-dividing circuit, the second comparator, and the reference voltage source are connected such that the reference voltage (Vr) and the first voltage (V1) are input to the second comparator.

4. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reference voltage source capable of outputting a reference voltage (Vr); and

a voltage-dividing circuit connected in parallel to the reference voltage source, the voltage-dividing circuit capable of outputting a first reference voltage (Vr1) proportional to the reference voltage (Vr), the first reference voltage (Vr) being smaller than the reference voltage (Vr);

wherein the energy storage section, the voltage-dividing circuit, and the first comparator are connected such that the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section and the first reference voltage (Vr1) are input to the first comparator; and

the energy storage section, the second comparator, and the reference voltage source are connected such that the reference voltage (Vr) and the voltage (Vc) of the energy storage section are input to the second comparator.

5. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a pull-up resistor electrically coupled to a contact point of the output of the first comparator and the output of the second comparator, and

a pull-up voltage source connected to the contact point via the pull-up resistor, the pull-up voltage source having a pull-up voltage (Vcc);

wherein the contact point of the output of the first comparator and the output of the second comparator is connected to the control circuit; and

the control circuit obtains a duration of time from inversion to re-inversion of voltage detection signal (HL) of the contact point as the period (tm).

6. The energy storage device according to claim 1,

wherein a first voltage detection signal (HL1) output from the first comparator and a second voltage detection signal (HL2) output from the second comparator are independent1y input to the control circuit;

and

the control circuit obtains a duration of time from inversion of the first voltage detection signal (HL1) to inversion of the second voltage detection signal (HL2) as the period (tm).

7. The energy storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor electrically coupled to the control circuit, the temperature sensor capable of measuring a temperature of the energy storage section;

wherein the control circuit corrects the capacitance (C) based on correlation between a temperature (T) detected by the temperature sensor and the capacitance (C).

8. The energy storage device according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit stops an operation for calculating the capacitance (C) if charging of the energy storage section is interrupted while calculating the capacitance (C).