BATTERY SYSTEM

• US 20110210701A1
• Filed: 01/28/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshihiro
• Application Number:
  US13/016,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20110210701A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/118
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/443 in response to temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/448 End of discharge regulating measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A battery system, which allows adjustment of balance of the voltages among the chargeable batteries while preventing electric loss, includes a plurality of battery modules connected in series, each battery module including a plurality of battery cells in a manner chargeable and dischargeable through positive and negative electrode terminals. The battery system includes a charging/discharging control unit connected between both electrodes of the plurality of battery modules connected in series to simultaneously charge the plurality of battery modules. The battery system also includes a voltage detector for detecting a voltage of each of the battery modules. Charge discharged from the battery module whose voltage is higher than the voltages of the other battery modules is boosted to a predetermined voltage to be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of battery modules.

Claims

1. A battery system comprising:

a plurality of battery modules electrically connected in series through two electrodes, each battery module being configured to include a plurality of battery cells in a manner chargeable and dischargeable through positive electrode and negative electrode terminals;

a charging control unit (or a charging/discharging control unit) connected between both two electrodes of the plurality of battery modules connected in series to simultaneously charge the plurality of battery modules; and

a voltage detector for detecting a voltage between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each of the battery modules;

electrical energy discharged from the battery module whose voltage between terminals detected by the voltage detector is higher than the voltages between terminals of the other battery modules being boosted to a predetermined voltage to be simultaneously supplied to the plurality of battery modules.

2. The battery system according to claim 1, wherein a DC-DC converters having an input side connected to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each of the battery modules are provided, and output from the battery module boosted by the DC-DC converters is simultaneously supplied to the plurality of battery modules.

3. A battery system comprising:

a plurality of battery modules electrically connected in series through two electrodes, each battery module being configured to include a plurality of battery cells in a manner chargeable and dischargeable through positive electrode and negative electrode terminals; and

a charging control unit (or a charging/discharging control unit) connected between both two electrodes of the plurality of battery modules connected in series to simultaneously charge the plurality of battery modules;

a DC-DC converters being connected to each of the battery modules, with a primary side between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and

electrical energy discharged from the battery module whose voltage between terminals is higher than the voltages between terminals of the other battery modules being boosted to a target voltage through the DC-DC converter corresponding to that battery module, and thereafter the boosted voltage being supplied to the battery module whose voltage is lower than the voltage between terminals of that battery module.

4. The battery system according to claim 3, wherein electrical energy is discharged from the battery module whose voltage between terminals is higher than a mean value of the voltages between terminals or a value obtained based on the mean value, or a predetermined value.

5. The battery system according to claim 4, wherein a mean voltage is obtained from voltages between the positive electrode terminals and the negative electrode terminals of the battery modules, and the DC-DC converter is operated until the voltage between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of the battery module supplying power through the DC-DC converter approaches a target value.

6. The battery system according to claim 5, wherein the DC-DC converter has a primary side and a secondary side isolated from each other by a transformer at least including a primary-side coil and a secondary-side coil.

7. The battery system according to claim 3, wherein the DC-DC converter corresponding to the battery module with a lower voltage between terminals is operated to receive on a primary side DC power output from the DC-DC converter corresponding to the battery module with a higher voltage between terminals.

8. The battery system according to claim 3, wherein a mean voltage is obtained from voltages between the positive electrode terminals and the negative electrode terminals of the battery modules, and the DC-DC converter is operated until the voltage between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of the battery module supplying power through the DC-DC converter approaches a target value.

9. The battery system according to claim 8, wherein the DC-DC converter has a primary side and a secondary side isolated from each other by a transformer at least including a primary-side coil and a secondary-side coil.

10. A battery system comprising:

a plurality of battery modules connected in series through two electrodes, each battery module including a combination of a plurality of battery cells in a manner chargeable and dischargeable through positive electrode and negative electrode terminals of the battery module; and

a charging circuit connected to the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each of the battery modules;

the battery module with a low voltage between the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal being charged with electrical energy from the charging circuit corresponding thereto so that voltages between the positive electrode terminals and the negative electrode terminals of the battery modules become equal.