POWER CONVERTER

• US 20110175577A1
• Filed: 11/20/2008
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
• Inventors: Kitanaka, Hidetoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,525,486 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/163
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/158 including plural semiconductor devices as final control devices for a single load
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A power conversion controller includes: a correction-value calculating unit that calculates a correction value DE2 to correct a voltage value BEFC from a voltage signal BEFC that is obtained by converting the voltage value BEFC detected by a first voltage detector into a digital signal by an A/D converter and from a series-total voltage value EBAT detected by a second voltage detector; a corrected-voltage calculating unit that calculates a voltage signal BEFC1 as a corrected voltage value that is obtained by correcting the voltage value BEFC by the correction value DE2; and a gate controller that controls a power converting unit based on the voltage signal BEFC1

Claims

1. A power converter comprising a power converting unit that is connected to an electric-power storage device to which a plurality of electric-power storage elements are connected and performs electric charge/discharge to and from the electric-power storage device, and a power conversion controller that controls an operation of the power converting unit, wherein

the power conversion controller includes:

a correction-value calculating unit that calculates a correction value or a correction coefficient from a first voltage value detected by a first voltage detector that detects a voltage at a connection point between the power converting unit and the electric-power storage device and from a second voltage value detected by a second voltage detector that is incorporated in the electric-power storage device and detects a voltage in a cell unit or a module unit in each of the electric-power storage elements and having higher precision than that of the first voltage value and having a late response; and

a corrected-voltage calculating unit that calculates a corrected voltage value obtained by correcting the first voltage value by the correction value or the correction coefficient,

a control of the power converting unit is performed based on the corrected voltage value, and

the power converter has a configuration of performing constant-voltage electric charge to the electric-power storage device.

2. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the correction value is calculated based on a difference between a voltage value obtained by time averaging the first voltage value and a voltage value obtained by time averaging the second voltage value.

3. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the correction coefficient is calculated based on a ratio of a voltage value obtained by time averaging the first voltage value to a voltage value obtained by time averaging the second voltage value.

4. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion controller includes:

a data monitoring unit that monitors whether the second voltage value is a normal value; and

a correction selecting unit that can select whether to correct the first voltage value by the correction value based on an output of the data monitoring unit.

5. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion controller includes a limiter unit that limits upper and lower limits of the correction value.

6. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion controller includes a gate controller that controls to match the corrected voltage value with a predetermined control target value based on the corrected voltage value.

7. The power converter according to claim 6, wherein

when performing a control to match the corrected voltage value with the control target value, the gate controller controls the power converting unit by outputting a gate signal that causes a voltage supplied from the power converting unit to the electric-power storage device to become a constant voltage.

8. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion controller further includes a protection processing unit that outputs a control signal for stopping an operation of the power converting unit to the gate controller when a voltage abnormality of each of the electric-power storage elements is detected based the corrected voltage value.

9. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power converting unit is a DC-AC inverter.

10. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power converting unit is an AC-DC converter.

11. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the power converting unit is a DC-DC converter.

12. The power converter according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

13. The power converter according to claim 2, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

14. The power converter according to claim 3, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

15. The power converter according to claim 4, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

16. The power converter according to claim 5, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

17. The power converter according to claim 6, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

18. The power converter according to claim 8, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

19. The power converter according to claim 9, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

20. The power converter according to claim 10, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus.

21. The power converter according to claim 11, wherein the first voltage detector is provided within an apparatus