CONTROL APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD, POWER SUPPLY SYSTEM, AND ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLE

• US 20150293182A1
• Filed: 10/24/2013
• Published: 10/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co Limited
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Kohki, Tajima, Kimio
• Granted Patent: US 9,575,137 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/382 Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3835 involving only voltage measurements
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• 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 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• 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: H02J 7/0063 with circuits adapted for supplying loads from the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007188 the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
• 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: Y10S 903/907 Electricity storage, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

A control apparatus includes, for example, an input unit to which a plurality of pieces of voltage information related to a voltage of an electric storage unit upon discharge are input, and a determination unit configured to use the voltage information in an early stage of the discharge and determine the presence or absence of a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

Claims

1. A control apparatus comprising:

an input unit to which a plurality of pieces of voltage information related to a voltage of an electric storage unit upon discharge are input; and

a determination unit configured to use the voltage information in an early stage of the discharge and determine the presence or absence of a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

2. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the early stage of the discharge is a period including a period during which the State Of Charge (SOC) of the electric storage unit is greater than 80%, or a period including a period during which the Depth Of Discharge (DOD) of the electric storage unit is less than 20%.

3. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit compares a voltage indicated by the voltage information with a reference voltage, and determines that there is a deterioration of the electric storage unit in accordance with a time during which the voltage is greater than the reference voltage.

4. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

current information related to a load current upon connection of a load to the electric storage unit is input into the input unit, and

an acquisition unit configured to acquire the reference voltage corresponding to the current information is included.

5. The control apparatus according to claim 4, comprising a storage unit configured to store a reference voltage corresponding to a load current, wherein the acquisition unit reads the reference voltage corresponding to the current information from the storage unit.

6. The control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the determination unit determines the degree of the deterioration of the electric storage unit in accordance with a time during which the voltage is greater than the reference voltage.

7. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit

calculates the ratio of the amount of a change in the capacity of the electric storage unit to the amount of a change in the potential, and

upon a plurality of maximum values that the ratio is greater than a predetermined value being detected in the early stage of the discharge, determines that there is a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the degree of the deterioration of the electric storage unit is determined in accordance with a timing when the maximum value is detected.

9. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit makes the determination upon at least one of the number of charges and a charging time being greater than a threshold value at a temperature less than 0°

C.

10. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a predetermined notification process is performed upon determining that there is a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

11. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein charge and discharge of the electric storage unit are prohibited upon determining that there is a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

12. The control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or a plurality of non-aqueous cells including an active material being able to occlude and release lithium in a positive electrode and a negative electrode is connected to form the electric storage unit.

13. The control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the determination unit

determines whether or not the voltage indicated by the voltage information is a voltage occurring due to the precipitation of the lithium on a surface of the negative electrode and,

upon being a voltage occurring due to the precipitation of the lithium on the negative electrode, determines that there is a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

16. An electric-powered vehicle comprising the control apparatus according to claim 1.

14. A control method in a control apparatus, the control method comprising:

a plurality of pieces of voltage information related to a potential of an electric storage unit upon discharge being input; and

using the voltage information in an early stage of the discharge and determining the presence or absence of a deterioration of the electric storage unit.

15. A power supply system comprising:

one or a plurality of electric storage units;

an output unit configured to acquire a voltage of the electric storage unit upon discharge, and output voltage information related to the acquired voltage;

an input unit to which a plurality of pieces of the voltage information are input; and

a determination unit configured to use the voltage information in an early stage of the discharge and determine the presence or absence of a deterioration of the electric storage unit.