POWER SUPPLY DEVICE HAVING PRECHARGING CIRCUIT FOR CHARGING CAPACITOR

• US 20120025768A1
• Filed: 07/28/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yugou, Masaki, NAKANO, Shinya
• Application Number:
  US13/193,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20120025768A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/40 using propulsion power supplied by capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/60 using power supplied by batteries in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 9/001 limiting speed of change of electric quantities, e.g. soft switching on or off progressive control of electronic switches for eliminating interferences H03K17/16
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• 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

A power supply device includes a battery 1, and an output switch 2, and a precharging circuit 3. The battery 1 includes serially-connected cells 10. The output switch 2 is connected to the output side of the battery 1. The circuit 3 precharges a capacitor 21 connected to the vehicle side. After the capacitor 21 is precharged by the circuit 3, the output switch 2 is turned ON so that electric power can be supplied to the vehicle side. The circuit 3 includes precharging switches 4, and a controller 5. The precharging switches 4 can connect nodes 11 corresponding to the cells 10 to the capacitor 21 so that the capacitor 21 is precharged. The controller 5 controls ON/OFF of the precharging switches 4. The controller 5 turns the precharging switches 4 ON one by one from the lower voltage side to the higher voltage side, in precharging operation.

Claims

1. A power supply device comprising:

a battery that includes a plurality of battery cells serially connected to each other;

an output switch that is connected to the output side of said battery; and

a precharging circuit that precharges a capacitor connected to a load to be supplied with electric power from said battery,

wherein after said capacitor is precharged by said precharging circuit, the output switch is turned ON so that electric power can be supplied from the battery to the load,

wherein said precharging circuit includes a plurality of precharging switches that connect nodes corresponding to the plurality of battery cells to the capacitor so that the capacitor is precharged, and a control circuit that controls ON/OFF of the plurality of precharging switches, and

wherein the control circuit turns the plurality of precharging switches ON one by one from the precharging switch that is connected to the node on the lower voltage side to the precharging switch that is connected to the node on the higher voltage side, when the capacitor is precharged.

2. The power supply device according to claim 1 further comprising a voltage detecting circuit that detects the voltages of the battery cells of said battery, wherein detection switches are connected to the input side of the voltage detecting circuit for detection of the voltages of the battery cells, and wherein the detection switches serve as the precharging switches.

3. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein said precharging switches are connected to the capacitor through a precharging resistor.

4. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein said precharging switch is serially connected to a diode.

5. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein said precharging switches are turned ON/OFF by said control circuit based on the voltage of the capacitor, which is detected by said control circuit, or said precharging switches are turned ON/OFF by a timer.

6. The power supply device according to claim 1, wherein said precharging switch is a semiconductor switching element.