Discharging system and electric vehicle

• US 8,042,633 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic EV Energy Company, Limited (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Toshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Shriver, II; J. Allen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gurari; Erez
• Application Number:
  US12/026,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20080190674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 320/104, 320/118, 320/121, 320/122, 320/124, 320127-136, 180/65.1, 180/65.29, 180/65.31, 180/65.285
• US Class Current: 180/65.29
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• 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 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/18 of two or more battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/7072 Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

The operation of a discharging apparatus for correcting variations in voltage and remaining capacity among battery blocks forming a battery pack is performed more reliably. When power supply from a battery pack to a motor/generator is not being performed and when a variation amount of remaining capacity among the battery blocks forming the battery pack is larger than a predetermined value, a discharge request section issues a command to start power supply from a battery block to a discharge control unit corresponding to at least a battery block having the largest remaining capacity among the battery blocks. The discharge control unit receives the start command for power supply from the battery block and issues a command to a discharging section to discharge the battery block in response to start of the power supply from the battery block.

Claims

1. A discharging system comprising:

a discharging section, connected to a battery block to be discharged among battery blocks forming a battery pack, for discharging the battery block to be discharged;

a discharge control unit connected in parallel with the discharging section to both ends of the battery block to be discharged, the discharge control unit is configured to operate from power supplied from the battery block to be discharged and to issue a command to the discharging section to discharge the battery block to be discharged in response to start of the power being supplied;

a discharge request section that measures the amount of variation of remaining capacity between battery blocks and starts power supply to the discharge control unit connected to the battery block to be discharged, if amount of variation of remaining capacity between battery blocks forming the battery pack is larger than a predetermined value with at least a battery block having the largest remaining capacity among the battery blocks as the battery block to be discharged;

a first switch in a line connecting the discharge control unit to the battery block to be discharged, wherein the switch is activated by the discharge request section; and

a second switch in the discharging section that is activated by the discharge control unit to allow current flow from the battery block to be discharged,

wherein the discharge control unit includes a microprocessor that receives power from the battery block to be discharged when the first switch is activated, and the discharge control unit issues a command to the discharging section to stop discharging of the battery block to be discharged and further stops power supply from the battery block to be discharged if remaining capacity of the battery block to be discharged becomes less than a predetermined value.

2. A discharging system comprising:

a discharging section, connected to a battery block to be discharged among battery blocks forming a battery pack, for discharging the battery block to be discharged;

a discharge control unit connected in parallel with the discharging section to both ends of the battery block to be discharged, the discharge control unit is configured to operate from power supplied from the battery block to be discharged and to issue a command to the discharging section to discharge the battery block to be discharged in response to start of the power being supplied;

a discharge request section that measures the amount of variation of remaining capacity between battery blocks and starts power supply to the discharge control unit connected to the battery block to be discharged if a battery block having a terminal voltage exceeding a predetermined first reference voltage is detected with at least the detected battery block as the battery block to be discharged;

a first switch in a line connecting the discharge control unit to the battery block to be discharged, wherein the switch is activated by the discharge request section; and

a second switch in the discharging section that is activated by the discharge control unit to allow current flow from the battery block to be discharged,

wherein the discharge control unit includes a microprocessor that receives power from the battery block to be discharged when the first switch is activated, and the discharge control unit issues a command to the discharging section to stop discharging from the battery block to be discharged and further stops power supply from the battery block to be discharged if terminal voltage of the battery block to be discharged becomes smaller than a predetermined second reference voltage.

3. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor/generator as a driving source;

a battery pack composed from a plurality of battery blocks supplying power to the motor/generator;

a discharging section connected to a battery block to be discharged from among the battery blocks composing the battery pack for performing discharge of the battery block to be discharged;

a discharge control unit, connected in parallel with the discharging section to both ends of the battery block to be discharged, the discharge control unit is configured to operate from power supplied from the battery block to be discharged, and to issue a command to the discharging section to discharge the battery block to be discharged in response to start of the power being supplied; and

a discharge request section that measures the amount of variation of remaining capacity between battery blocks and for judging discharge conditions are satisfied when power from the battery pack is not being supplied to the motor/generator and when a variation amount of remaining capacity among battery blocks composing the battery pack is larger than a predetermined value, and that starts power supply to the discharge control unit connected to the battery block to be discharged with at least a battery block having maximum remaining capacity among battery blocks as the battery block to be discharged;

a first switch in a line connecting the discharge control unit to the battery block to be discharged, wherein the switch is activated by the discharge request section; and

a second switch in the discharging section that is activated by the discharge control unit to allow current flow from the battery block to be discharged,

wherein the discharge control unit issues a command to the discharging section to stop discharging of the battery block to be discharged and further stops power supply from the battery block to be discharged if remaining capacity of the battery block to be discharged becomes smaller than a predetermined reference value.

5. An electric vehicle according to claim 3, further comprising an auxiliary device battery, wherein:

the discharge control unit configured to issue a command to the discharging section to discharge the battery block to be discharged in response to start of the power being supplied from the auxiliary device battery to the discharge control unit to operate the discharge control unit;

the discharge request section starts power supply from the auxiliary device battery to the discharge control unit when the discharge conditions are satisfied and when remaining capacity of the auxiliary device battery is greater than or equal to a predetermined value; and

starts power supply from the battery block to be discharged to the discharge control unit when the discharge conditions are satisfied and when remaining capacity of the auxiliary device battery is less than the predetermined value.

6. An electric vehicle according to claim 5, wherein:

when the discharge control unit issues a command to the discharging section to discharge the battery block to be discharged in response to start of the power being supplied from the auxiliary device battery to the discharge control unit to operate the discharge control unit, the discharging section discharges the battery block to be discharged by charging the auxiliary device battery from power from the battery block to be discharged.

4. An electric vehicle comprising:

a motor/generator as a driving source;

a battery pack composed from a plurality of battery blocks supplying power to the motor/generator;

a discharging section connected to a battery block to be discharged from among the battery blocks composing the battery pack for performing discharge of the battery block to be discharged;

a discharge control unit, connected in parallel with the discharging section to both ends of the battery block to be discharged, the discharge control unit is configured to operate from power supplied from the battery block to be discharged, and to issue a command to the discharging section to discharge the battery block to be discharged in response to start of the power being supplied; and

a discharge request section that measures the amount of variation of remaining capacity between battery blocks and for judging discharge conditions are satisfied when a power supply from the battery pack is not being performed to the motor/generator and when a battery block having terminal voltage exceeding a predetermined first reference voltage is detected, and that starts power supply to the discharge control unit connected to the battery block to be discharged with at least the detected battery block as the battery block to be discharged;

a first switch in a line connecting the discharge control unit to the battery block to be discharged, wherein the switch is activated by the discharge request section; and

a second switch in the discharging section that is activated by the discharge control unit to allow current flow from the battery block to be discharged,

wherein the discharge control unit issues a command to the discharging section to stop discharging of the battery block to be discharged and further stops power supply from the battery block to be discharged.