Battery control system for a chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system

• US 7,554,291 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Shinsuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Ullah; Akm E
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, ARUN C
• Application Number:
  US11/448,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20060279255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/118, 320/119, 320/124, 320/126, 320/134
• US Class Current: 320/116
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0013 acting upon several batteries simultaneously or sequentially H02J7/1423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0018 using separate charge circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

In a chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system, a plurality of battery cell sections are connected in series with one another, a plurality of cell state detecting sections are installed for the respective battery cell sections and configured to detect a charge state in the respectively corresponding battery cell sections, a power control section is configured to carry out a power supply control for the battery cell sections, a first electrical isolation section is installed in a first signal route from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a highest potential positioned battery cell section, and a second electrical isolation section is installed in a second signal route from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a lowest potential positioned battery cell section to the power control section.

Claims

1. A chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system, comprising:

a plurality of battery cell sections connected in series with one another, each battery cell section being constituted by at least one charging section;

a plurality of cell state detecting sections installed for the respective battery cell sections and configured to detect a charge state of the charging section of the respectively corresponding battery cell sections;

a power control section configured to carry out a power supply control for the battery cell sections;

a first electrical isolation section installed in a first signal route from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a highest potential positioned battery cell section of the battery cell sections;

a second electrical isolation section installed in a second signal route from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a lowest potential positioned battery cell section of the battery cell sections to the power control section;

a plurality of first differential circuits, each of the first differential circuits being installed in a third signal route between mutually adjacent two of the cell state detecting sections which is for a higher potential positioned battery cell section and which is for a lower potential positioned battery cell section, an uppermost stage first differential circuit thereof supplying signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the highest potential positioned battery cell section via the first electrical isolation section and which are offset by a DC voltage corresponding to an electrical potential difference between mutually adjacent two highest potential positioned battery cell section and second highest potential positioned battery cell section in a form of signals from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the next highest potential positioned battery cell section and each of the subsequent stage first differential circuits supplying signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting sections except for the highest potential positioned battery cell section from the power control section via its preceding stage first differential circuit and which are offset by the DC voltage corresponding to the electrical potential difference between the adjacent two of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section in the form of signals from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section; and

a plurality of second differential circuits, each of the second differential circuits being installed in a fourth signal route between one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and its adjacent cell state detecting section which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section and being configured to perform a logical operation between a signal outputted from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section of the battery cell sections and a signal outputted from another of the cell state detecting sections which is adjacent to the cell state detecting section for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section and configured to offset the signal outputted from the one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section by a DC voltage corresponding to a potential difference between one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and the adjacent cell state detecting section which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section to supply each of the signals from the cell state detecting sections to the power control section, and

wherein each of the differential circuits is interposed between the mutually adjoining cell state detecting sections in a structure wherein any one or more of the cell state detecting sections which is directly connected to the power control section via an isolation section and any one or more of the remaining cell state detecting sections which is directly or indirectly connected to one of the cell state detecting sections which is positioned at the highest potential or positioned at the lowest potential and connected to the power control section via one of the other cell state detecting sections which is positioned at the highest potential or the lowest potential.

2. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system further comprises a plurality of third differential circuits, each of the third differential circuits being installed in the third signal route between one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a higher potential positioned battery cell section and its adjacent cell state detecting section which is for a lower potential positioned battery cell section, an uppermost stage third differential circuit thereof being configured to supply signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the highest potential positioned battery cell section from the power control section via the first electrical isolation section and, furthermore, configured to offset the signals outputted from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the highest potential positioned battery cell section by a DC voltage corresponding to an electrical potential difference between mutually adjacent two of the cell state detecting sections which is for the highest potential positioned battery cell section and which is for the next highest battery cell section to supply the offset signals to the subsequent stage third differential circuit and each of the subsequent stage third differential circuits being configured to supply signals to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting sections expect for the highest potential positioned battery cell section from the power control section via its preceding stage third differential circuit and configured to offset the signals outputted from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section by a DC voltage corresponding to an electrical potential difference between the higher potential positioned battery cell section and the lower potential positioned battery cell section to perform a logical operation between a signal outputted from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and a signal outputted from another of the cell state detecting sections which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section to supply the offset signals to the subsequent stage third differential circuit.

3. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the cell state detecting sections outputs the same as a signal supplied from the power control section when determining that a corresponding one of the battery cell sections is normally charged.

4. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the number of the third differential circuits is reduced by one with respect to the number of the battery cell sections which is at least three.

5. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the third differential circuit comprises at least one of an operational amplifier having a positive power supply terminal connected to a highest potential of an adjacent higher potential positioned cell state detecting section and a minus power supply terminal connected to a lowest potential (GND) of a corresponding one of the cell state detecting sections and having a non-inverting input terminal connected to a highest potential of the corresponding one of the cell state detecting sections and an inverting input terminal connected to at least one of input and output terminals of the adjacent cell state detecting section which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section.

6. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second electrical isolation sections comprises an opto-isolator.

7. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the battery cell sections is constituted by a plurality of charging sections.

8. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the second differential circuits comprises a differential-and-phase-inversion circuit.

9. The chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of the first differential circuits is reduced by one with respect to the number of the battery cell sections which is at least three.

10. A chargeable-and-dischargeable power supply system, comprising:

a plurality of battery cell means connected in series with one another, each battery cell means being constituted by at least one charging means;

a plurality of cell state detecting means installed for the respective battery cell means and for detecting a charge state of the charging means of the respectively corresponding battery cell means;

power control means for carrying out a power supply control for the battery cell means;

first electrical isolation means installed in a first signal route from the power control means to one of the cell state detecting means which is for a highest potential positioned battery cell means of the battery cell means;

second electrical isolation means installed in a second signal route from one of the cell state detecting means which is for a lowest potential positioned battery cell means of the battery cell means to the power control means;

a plurality of first differential circuits, each of the first differential circuits being installed in a third signal route between mutually adjacent two of the cell state detecting means which is for a higher potential positioned battery cell means and which is for a lower potential positioned battery cell means, an uppermost stage first differential circuit thereof supplying signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting means which is for the highest potential positioned battery cell means via the first electrical isolation means and which are offset by a DC voltage corresponding to an electrical potential difference between mutually adjacent two highest potential positioned battery cell means and second highest potential positioned battery cell means in a form of signals from the power control means to one of the cell state detecting means which is for the next highest potential positioned battery cell means and each of the subseciuent stage first differential circuits supplying signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting means except for the highest potential positioned battery cell means from the power control means via its preceding stage first differential circuit and which are offset by the DC voltage corresponding to the electrical potential difference between the adjacent two of the cell state detecting means which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell means and which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell means in a form of signals from the power control means to one of the cell state detecting means which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell means; and

a plurality of second differential circuits, each of the second differential circuits being installed in a fourth signal route between one of the cell state detecting means which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell means and its adjacent cell state detecting means which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell means and being configured to perform a logical operation between a signal outputted from one of the cell state detecting means which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell means of the battery cell means and a signal outputted from another of the cell state detecting means which is adjacent to the cell state detecting means for the higher potential positioned battery cell means and which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell means and configured to offset the signal outputted from the one of the cell state detecting means which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell means by a DC voltage corresponding to a potential difference between one of the cell state detecting means which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell means and the adjacent cell state detecting means which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell means to supply each of the signals from the cell state detecting means to the power control means, and

wherein each of the differential circuits is interposed between the mutually adjoining cell state detecting means in a structure wherein any one or more of the cell state detecting means which is directly connected to the power control means via an isolation means and any one or more of the remaining cell state detecting means which is directly or indirectly connected to one of the cell state detecting means which is positioned at the highest potential or positioned at the lowest potential and connected to the power control means via one of the other cell state detecting means which is positioned at the highest potential or the lowest potential.

11. A method applicable to a charge-and-dischargeable power supply system, comprising:

providing a plurality of battery cell sections connected in series with one another, each battery cell section being constituted by at least one charging section;

providing a plurality of cell state detecting sections installed for the respective battery cell sections and configured to detect a charge state of the charging section of the respectively corresponding battery cell sections;

providing a power control section configured to carry out a power supply control for the battery cell sections;

providing a first electrical isolation section installed in a first signal route from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a highest potential positioned battery cell section of the battery cell sections;

providing a second electrical isolation section installed in a second signal route from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for a lowest potential positioned battery cell section of the battery cell sections to the power control section;

providing a plurality of first differential circuits, each of the first differential circuits being installed in a third signal route between mutually adjacent two of the cell state detecting sections which is for a higher potential positioned battery cell section and which is for a lower potential positioned battery cell section, an uppermost stage first differential circuit thereof supplying signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the highest potential positioned battery cell section via the first electrical isolation section and which are offset by a DC voltage corresponding to an electrical potential difference between mutually adjacent two highest potential positioned battery cell section and second highest potential positioned battery cell section in a form of signals from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the next highest potential positioned battery cell section and each of the subsequent stage first differential circuits supplying signals which are to be inputted to one of the cell state detecting sections except for the highest potential positioned battery cell section from the power control section via its preceding stage first differential circuit and which are offset by the DC voltage corresponding to the electrical potential difference between the adjacent two of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section in the form of signals from the power control section to one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section; and

providing a plurality of second differential circuits, each of the second differential circuits being installed in a fourth signal route between one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and its adjacent cell state detecting section which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section and being configured to perform a logical operation between a signal outputted from one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section of the battey cell sections and a signal outputted from another of the cell state detecting sections which is adjacent to the cell state detecting section for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section and configured to offset the signal outputted from the one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section by a DC voltage corresponding to a potential difference between one of the cell state detecting sections which is for the higher potential positioned battery cell section and the adjacent cell state detecting section which is for the lower potential positioned battery cell section to supply each of the signals from the cell state detecting sections to the power control section, and

wherein each of the differential circuits is interposed between the mutually adjoining cell state detecting sections in a structure wherein any one or more of the cell state detecting sections which is directly connected to the power control section via an isolation section and any one or more of the remaining cell state detecting sections which is directly or indirectly connected to one of the cell state detecting sections which is positioned at the highest potential or positioned at the lowest potential and connected to the power control section via one of the other cell state detecting sections which is positioned at the highest potential or the lowest potential.