POWER SOURCE APPARATUS, VEHICLE AND POWER STORAGE SYSTEM USING THE POWER SOURCE APPARATUS

• US 20130002016A1
• Filed: 10/13/2011
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Furukawa, Kimihiko, Yano, Junya, Tanaka, Kuniho
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 307/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/545 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/12 responding to state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/24 for controlling the temperature of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2010/4278 Systems for data transfer from batteries, e.g. transfer of battery parameters to a controller, data transferred between battery controller and main controller
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/1423 with multiple batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/35 with light sensitive cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles

Abstract

The power source apparatus is provided with a plurality of modules (10), and a main controller (2) connected with communication interface units (16) in each module via a communication line CB. Each module is provided with a battery block (12) having a plurality of battery cells (11) stacked together and connected in series and/or parallel, a battery state detection section (14) to detect the state of the battery cells, communication interface units for data communication with other modules and the main controller, and a memory section (18) that can store data received through the communication interface units. The plurality of modules are connected in series and/or parallel with an output line OL.

Claims

1. A power source apparatus comprising:

a plurality of modules;

a main controller connected to the plurality of modules to control said modules; and

a current detection section to detect output line current flow,

wherein each module comprises;

a battery block having a plurality of battery cells stacked together and connected in series and/or parallel;

a battery state detection section that detects the state of the battery cells; and

communication interface units for data communication with other modules and the main controller,

wherein the main controller is connected to the communication interface units of the modules via communication lines,

wherein the plurality of modules are connected in series and/or parallel with the output line,

wherein the current detection section is connected to the main controller via a signal line, and

wherein the main controller can perform computations based on data sent from the modules via the communication lines and/or information related to output current sent from the current detection section via the signal line.

2. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein each module comprises a memory section capable of storing data transmitted through the communication interface units.

3. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 2 wherein each module enables the memory section to be over-written based on signals from the main controller.

4. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the modules are connected in series with the output line.

5. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the main controller and plurality of modules are connected via communication lines in any of the network topologies including a bus topology, daisy-chain topology, ring topology, or star topology.

6. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein each module comprises a plurality of communication interface units, one communication interface unit can be connected with a module on the upstream-side, and another communication interface unit can be connected with a module on the downstream-side.

7. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein each module comprises an equalizing circuit to equalize the remaining capacities of the plurality of battery cells that make up the battery block included in the module;

and each module equalizes battery cell remaining capacity using the equalizing circuit upon receipt of instruction from the main controller.

8. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the battery state detection section comprises a voltage detection section to detect battery cell voltage.

9. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the battery state detection section comprises a temperature detection section to detect battery cell temperature.

10. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 8 wherein each module is configured to allow transmission of information related to the voltage of battery cells in that module to the main controller via the communication interface units.

11. The power source apparatus as cited in claim 1 wherein the main controller detects connection of each module to communication lines and has the capability to allocate a unique address to each module;

each module can store its allocated unique address in the memory section; and

system architecture allows data communication between the main controller and each module based on the unique address stored in the memory section.

12. A vehicle equipped with the power source apparatus cited in claim 1.

13. A power storage system using the power source apparatus cited in claim 1.