Storage battery control apparatus and control method thereof

• US 6,809,502 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2003
• Issued: 10/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Hanada, Hideto, Kawai, Takashi, Tsujii, Hiroshi, Kuretake, Ken, Sugiura, Masanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso, Edward H.
• Application Number:
  US10/419,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 320/127, 320/128, 320/132, 320/150, 320/153, 320/154, 320/166
• US Class Current: 320/150
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/345 using capacitors as storage or buffering devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In order to provide a storage battery control apparatus capable of increasing the amount of charges stored in a storage battery, an aspect of the storage battery control apparatus of the invention is a storage battery control apparatus having: a first controller that releases charges stored in a capacitor that forms a storage battery if an inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold; a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the capacitor; and a second controller that changes the predetermined threshold in accordance with the temperature of the capacitor.

Claims

1. A storage battery control apparatus comprising:

a first controller that releases charges stored in a capacitor that forms a storage battery if an inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;

a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the capacitor; and

a second controller that changes the predetermined threshold in accordance with the temperature of the capacitor.

2. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second controller increases the predetermined threshold as the temperature of the capacitor decreases.

3. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first controller discharges the capacitor if the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold.

4. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first controller does not discharge the capacitor until the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor reaches the predetermined threshold.

5. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage battery has a plurality of capacitors connected in series, and the first controller performs discharge until amounts of charges stored in all the capacitors become substantially equal.

6. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 5, wherein if the inter-terminal voltage of any one of the capacitors reaches the predetermined threshold, the first controller releases charges stored in the capacitor whose inter-terminal voltage has reached the predetermined threshold, on a basis of comparison with a value based on the amounts of charges stored in all the capacitors.

7. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first controller releases charges from the capacitor whose inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor has reached the predetermined threshold, until the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes less than a value based on the amounts of charges stored in all the capacitors.

8. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage detector that detects the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor;

a switch that allows a change of a state of connection between terminals of the capacitor; and

a control circuit that is connected to the voltage detector, the temperature detector and the switch, and that turns the switch on and off so that discharge of the capacitor is controlled.

9. A storage battery control apparatus comprising:

a first controller that releases charges stored in a capacitor that forms a storage battery if an inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;

a temperature detector that detects a temperature of the capacitor; and

a second controller that avoids setting the predetermined threshold if the temperature of the capacitor is lower than a predetermined temperature.

10. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the storage battery has a plurality of capacitors connected in series, and the first controller performs discharge until amounts of charges stored in all the capacitors become substantially equal.

11. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein if the temperature of any one of the capacitors is at least the predetermined temperature, the first controller releases charges stored in the capacitor whose temperature is at least the predetermined temperature, on a basis of comparison with a value based on the amounts of charges stored in all the capacitors.

12. The storage battery control apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the first controller releases charges from the capacitor whose temperature is at least the predetermined temperature, until the inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes less than a value based on the amounts of charges stored in all the capacitors.

13. A control method of a storage battery control apparatus comprising:

releasing charges stored in a capacitor that forms a storage battery if an inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;

detecting a temperature of the capacitor; and

changing the predetermined threshold in accordance with the temperature of the capacitor.

14. A control method of a storage battery control apparatus comprising:

releasing charges stored in a capacitor that forms a storage battery if an inter-terminal voltage of the capacitor becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold;

detecting a temperature of the capacitor; and

avoiding setting the predetermined threshold if the temperature of the capacitor is lower than a temperature.