Assembled battery monitoring apparatus, method for detecting wiring disconnection of assembled battery, and assembled battery system

• US 8,587,262 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd. (GS Yuasa Corporation)
• Original Assignee: GS Yuasa International Ltd. (GS Yuasa Corporation)
• Inventors: Kouchi, Katsuya, Mizuta, Yoshihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRANT, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US12/455,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20090295396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,637 Days
• Field of Search: 320116-122, 320/165
• US Class Current: 320/165
• 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

Abstract

An assembled battery monitoring device that detects presence of disconnection in wiring pulled from an assembled battery in which a plurality of electric cells are connected in series. The electric cells are connected respectively in parallel to auxiliary current channels each having a setting resistance value, and the presence of the disconnection in the wiring is detected based on a detection voltage when the switching device for auxiliary current channel is turned to the closed state.

Claims

1. An assembled battery monitoring device for an assembled battery in which a plurality of electric cells are connected in series, the device comprising:

a voltage measuring unit that detects a voltage of each electric cell by carrying out a setting operation for voltage measurement through wiring pulled from positive terminals of each electric cell and a negative terminal of an electric cell on a lowest potential side; and

a disconnection detecting unit that detects presence of disconnection in the wiring based on a detection voltage obtained by the setting operation for voltage measurement, wherein

the electric cells are connected respectively in parallel to auxiliary current channels each having a setting resistance value for balancing voltages of the plurality of electric cells,

each of the auxiliary current channels is provided with a switching device for auxiliary current channel that turns on and off electricity through the corresponding auxiliary current channel,

the disconnection detecting unit is configured to carry out a switching operation of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel in conjunction with the setting operation for voltage management so as to prevent the switching devices that are adjacent in a potential order from being turned to the closed state at the same time, and to detect the presence of the disconnection in the wiring based on at least detection voltages when the switching devices for auxiliary current channel are turned to the closed state out of detection voltages obtained by the setting operation for voltage measurement, and

the switching operation of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel the disconnection detecting unit divides the switching devices into two groups wherein neither one of said groups includes two of the switching devices that are adjacent in a potential order, and controls the state of the switching devices by group such that when the switching state of one said group of switches is ON the switching state of the other said group of switches is OFF.

2. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein

the electric cells are connected respectively in parallel to capacitors in the wiring from the electric cells to the voltage measuring unit,

a switching device for positive terminal wiring that turns on and off electricity of the wiring is provided between the wiring between a positive terminal side of each of the electric cells and the capacitor corresponding to the electric cell,

the voltage measuring unit is configured to measure a voltage of each of the capacitors as the setting operation for voltage measurement by, after turning the switching device for positive terminal wiring in an open state to a closed state and charging each capacitor, turning the switching device for positive terminal wiring to the open state, and

the disconnection detecting unit is configured to cause the voltage measuring unit to carry out the setting operation for voltage measurement in a first switching setting state in which one of even-numbered and odd-numbered ones of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel in the potential order are turned to the closed state at the same time and the other ones to the open state at the same time, subsequently cause the voltage measuring unit to carry out the setting operation for voltage measurement in a second switching setting state in which each of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel is operated to be switched to a state opposite from the state in the first switching setting state, and to detect the presence of the wiring disconnection based on a detection voltage in the first switching setting state and a detection voltage in the second switching setting state.

3. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 2, wherein

the disconnection detecting unit is configured to obtain, for each electric cell, a difference between the detection voltage in the first switching setting state and the detection voltage in the second switching setting state, and detect the presence of the wiring disconnection based on the difference.

7. An assembled battery system comprising:

an assembled battery in which a plurality of electric cells are connected in series;

wiring pulled from positive terminals of each electric cell and a negative terminal of an electric cell on a lowest potential side; and

the assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1 that detects presence of disconnection in the wiring.

8. An assembled battery system comprising:

an assembled battery in which a plurality of electric cells are connected in series;

wiring pulled from positive terminals of each electric cell and a negative terminal of an electric cell on a lowest potential side; and

the assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 2 that detects presence of disconnection in the wiring.

9. An assembled battery system comprising:

an assembled battery in which a plurality of electric cells are connected in series;

wiring pulled from positive terminals of each electric cell and a negative terminal of an electric cell on a lowest potential side; and

the assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 3 that detects presence of disconnection in the wiring.

10. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage measuring unit separately detects a voltage of each electric cell by carrying out the setting operation for voltage management.

11. The assembled battery monitoring device according to claim 1, wherein the voltage measuring unit that detects the voltage of each electric cell by carrying out the setting operation for voltage measurement through wiring pulled from each of the positive terminals of each electric cell and the negative terminal of the electric cell on the lowest potential side.

4. A method of detecting disconnection in wiring for an assembled battery in which a plurality of electric cells are connected in series, the method including:

detecting a voltage of each electric cell by carrying out a setting operation for voltage measurement through wiring pulled from positive terminals of each electric cell and a negative terminal of an electric cell on a lowest potential side; and

detecting disconnection in the wiring based on a detection voltage obtained by the setting operation for voltage measurement, wherein

the electric cells are connected respectively in parallel to auxiliary current channels each having a setting resistance value for balancing voltages of the plurality of electric cells,

each of the auxiliary current channels is provided with a switching device for auxiliary current channel that turns on and off electricity through the corresponding auxiliary current channel,

the method comprises;

carrying out a switching operation of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel so as to prevent the switching devices that are adjacent in a potential order from being turned to the closed state at the same time, and detecting the presence of the disconnection in the wiring based on at least a detection voltage when the switching devices for auxiliary current channel are turned to the closed state out of detection voltages obtained by the setting operation for voltage measurement, and

during the switching operation of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel the disconnection detecting step involves dividing the switching devices into two groups wherein neither one of said groups includes two of the switching devices that are adjacent in a potential order, and controlling the state of the switching devices by group such that when the switching state of one said group of switches is ON the switching state of the other said group of switches is OFF.

5. The method of detecting disconnection in wiring for an assembled battery according to claim 4, wherein

the electric cells are connected respectively in parallel to capacitors in the wiring pulled from the electric cells,

a switching device for positive terminal wiring that turns on and off electricity of the wiring is provided between the wiring between a positive terminal side of each of the electric cells and the capacitor corresponding to the electric cell, and

the method comprises:

measuring a voltage of each of the capacitors as the setting operation for voltage measurement by, after turning the switching device for positive terminal wiring in an open state to a closed state and charging each capacitor, turning the switching device for positive terminal wiring to the open state; and

carrying out the setting operation for voltage measurement with the voltage measuring unit in which one of even-numbered and odd-numbered ones of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel in the potential order are turned to the closed state at the same time and the other ones to the open state at the same time, subsequently carrying out the setting operation for voltage measurement with the voltage measuring unit in a second switching setting state in which each of the switching devices for auxiliary current channel is operated to be switched to a state opposite from the state in the first switching setting state, and detecting the presence of the wiring disconnection based on a detection voltage in the first switching setting state and a detection voltage in the second switching setting state.

6. The method of detecting disconnection in wiring for an assembled battery according to claim 5, the method comprising:

obtaining, for each electric cell, a difference between the detection voltage in the first switching setting state and the detection voltage in the second switching setting state, and detect the presence of the wiring disconnection based on the difference.

12. The method of detecting disconnection in wiring for an assembled battery according to claim 4, wherein during the voltage detecting step a voltage of each electric cell is separately detected by carrying out the setting operation for voltage management.

13. The method of detecting disconnection in wiring for an assembled battery according to claim 4, wherein in the voltage detecting step the voltage of each electric cell is detected by carrying out the setting operation for voltage measurement through wiring pulled from each of the positive terminals of each electric cell and the negative terminal of the electric cell on the lowest potential side.