Device for detecting residual capacity of secondary battery

• US 5,537,390 A
• Filed: 08/24/1993
• Issued: 07/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Ikawa, Kyoko, Horiba, Tatsuo, Mizumoto, Mamoru
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSO, EDWARD H
• Application Number:
  US08/111,307
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 320/6, 320/3, 320/15, 320/39, 320/43, 320/44, 320/48
• US Class Current: 320/134
• 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: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/21 State of charge of battery

Abstract

A secondary battery control device includes a secondary battery section, a current converting section for converting current inputted or outputted to the secondary battery section from direct current to alternating current or vice versa, and a charge and discharge control section for controlling an input and an output as monitoring the state of the secondary battery section. The secondary battery control device is characterized in that the secondary battery section is arranged to have a main battery, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to the main battery, an operating section for operating a residual capacity of the main battery by detecting a voltage of the auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the residual capacity outputted from the operating section.

Claims

1. A secondary battery control device comprising a secondary battery section, a current converting section for converting one of current inputted and current outputted to said secondary battery section from one of direct current to alternating current and alternating current to direct current, and a charge and discharge control section for controlling an input and an output by monitoring the state of said secondary battery section, said secondary battery section including a main battery, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the voltage of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.

2. A secondary battery control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main battery has excellent discharge voltage flatness and said auxiliary battery has linearly reduced battery voltage based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery.

3. A secondary battery control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the capacity of said auxiliary battery is about 1/3 to 1/10 as large as that of said main battery.

4. A secondary battery control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said main battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series and said auxiliary battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series.

5. A secondary battery control device comprising a secondary battery section, a current converting section for converting one of current inputted and current outputted to said secondary battery section from one of direct current to alternating current and alternating current to direct current, and a charge and discharge control section for controlling an input and an output by monitoring the state of said secondary battery section, said secondary battery section including a main battery, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the concentration of electrolytic solution of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.

6. A secondary battery control device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said main battery has excellent discharge voltage flatness and said auxiliary battery has linearly reduced concentration of electrolytic solution based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery.

7. A secondary battery control device as claimed in claim 5, wherein the capacity of said auxiliary battery is about 1/3 to 1/10 as large as that of said main battery.

8. A secondary battery control device as claimed in claim 5, wherein said main battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series and said auxiliary battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series.

9. A detector for detecting residual capacity of a battery, said detector comprising a main battery, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the voltage of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.

10. A detector for detecting residual capacity as claimed in claim 9, wherein said main battery has excellent discharge voltage flatness and said auxiliary battery has linearly reduced voltage based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery.

11. A detector for detecting residual capacity as claimed in claim 9, wherein the capacity of said auxiliary battery is about 1/3 to 1/10 as large as that of said main battery.

12. A detector for detecting residual capacity as claimed in claim 9, wherein said main battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series and said auxiliary battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series.

13. A detector for detecting residual capacity of a battery, said detector comprising a main battery, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the concentration of electrolytic solution of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.

14. A detector for detecting residual capacity as claimed in claim 13, wherein said main battery has excellent discharge voltage flatness and said auxiliary battery has linearly reduced concentration of electrolytic solution based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery.

15. A detector for detecting residual capacity as claimed in claim 13, wherein the capacity of said auxiliary battery is about 1/3 to 1/10 as large as that of said main battery.

16. A detector for detecting residual capacity as claimed in claim 13, wherein said main battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series and said auxiliary battery is composed of at least two battery units connected in series.

17. A secondary battery control device comprising a secondary battery section, a current converting section for converting one of current inputted and current outputted to said secondary battery section from one of direct current to alternating current and alternating current to direct current, and a charge and discharge control section for controlling an input and an output by monitoring the state of said secondary battery section, said secondary battery section including a main battery having excellent discharge voltage flatness, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery and having linearly reduced battery voltage based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the voltage of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.

18. A secondary battery control device comprising a secondary battery section, a current converting section for converting one of current inputted and current outputted to said secondary battery section from one of direct current to alternating current and alternating current to direct current, and a charge and discharge control section for controlling an input and output by monitoring the state of said secondary battery section, said secondary battery section including a main battery having excellent discharge voltage flatness, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery and having linearly reduced concentration of electrolytic solution based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the concentration of electrolytic solution of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity outputted from said operating section.

19. A detector for detecting residual capacity of a battery, said detector comprising a main battery having excellent discharge voltage flatness, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery and having linearly reduced battery voltage based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the voltage of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.

20. A detector for detecting residual capacity of a battery, said detector comprising a main battery having excellent discharge voltage flatness, an auxiliary battery connected in parallel to said main battery and having linearly reduced concentration of electrolytic solution based on reduction of residual capacity of said auxiliary battery, an operating section for determining residual capacity of said main battery by detecting the concentration of electrolytic solution of said auxiliary battery, and an indicator for indicating the determined residual capacity.