Series-parallel reconfigurable cell voltage equalization circuit designed using MOSFET as switches thereof, and driver circuit thereof
First Claim
1. A voltage equalization circuit comprising:
- a first series circuit constructed by connecting n energy storage cells in series (wherein n is an integer of 2 or more);
second and third series circuits each constructed by connecting (n−
1) energy storage cells in series; and
first and second switch groups, wherein the voltage equalization circuit is configured to;
when each of a plurality of switches making up the first switch group is turned on, attain a first connection state in which each k-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit (wherein k is an integer of 2 to n) is connected in parallel to each (k−
1)-th energy storage cell constituting the second series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits, and each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit (wherein l is an integer of 1 to (n−
1)) is connected in parallel to each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the third series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits; and
,when each of a plurality of switches making up the second switch group is turned on, attain a second connection state in which each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit is connected in parallel to each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the second series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits, and each k-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit is connected in parallel to each (k−
1)-th energy storage cell constituting the third series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits, the voltage equalization circuit being operable to switch between the first and second connection states to thereby equalize voltages of the energy storage cells making up the first to third series circuits, and wherein;
the first switch group is made up by positioning field-effect transistors as switches in each of the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state, and arranged such that the each of the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the parallel circuits; and
the second switch group is made up by positioning field-effect transistors as switches in each of the parallel circuits formed in the second connection state, and arranged such that the each of the parallel circuits formed in the second connection state includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the parallel circuits.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
It is an object to provide a circuit for equalizing voltages of energy storage cells, with less number of element and simpler circuit configuration than ever before.
A plurality of field-effect transistors are arranged such that each of a plurality of parallel circuits formed, in one of connection states attained by switching of the switches, by connecting in parallel energy storage cells to perform mutual charging and discharging, includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the plurality of parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the plurality of parallel circuits. This makes it possible to perform a voltage equalization operation using a small number of transistors.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. A voltage equalization circuit comprising:
- a first series circuit constructed by connecting n energy storage cells in series (wherein n is an integer of 2 or more);
second and third series circuits each constructed by connecting (n−
1) energy storage cells in series; and
first and second switch groups, wherein the voltage equalization circuit is configured to;when each of a plurality of switches making up the first switch group is turned on, attain a first connection state in which each k-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit (wherein k is an integer of 2 to n) is connected in parallel to each (k−
1)-th energy storage cell constituting the second series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits, and each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit (wherein l is an integer of 1 to (n−
1)) is connected in parallel to each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the third series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits; and
,when each of a plurality of switches making up the second switch group is turned on, attain a second connection state in which each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit is connected in parallel to each 1-th energy storage cell constituting the second series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits, and each k-th energy storage cell constituting the first series circuit is connected in parallel to each (k−
1)-th energy storage cell constituting the third series circuit to form (n−
1) parallel circuits, the voltage equalization circuit being operable to switch between the first and second connection states to thereby equalize voltages of the energy storage cells making up the first to third series circuits, and wherein;the first switch group is made up by positioning field-effect transistors as switches in each of the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state, and arranged such that the each of the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the parallel circuits; and the second switch group is made up by positioning field-effect transistors as switches in each of the parallel circuits formed in the second connection state, and arranged such that the each of the parallel circuits formed in the second connection state includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the parallel circuits. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- a first series circuit constructed by connecting n energy storage cells in series (wherein n is an integer of 2 or more);
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9. A voltage equalization circuit constructed by:
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alternately connecting, in parallel, (i) m series circuits each of which is constructed by connecting n energy storage cells in series (wherein m is an integer of 1 or more, and n is an integer of 2 or more) and (ii) m or m±
1 and multiple series circuits each of which is constructed by connecting (n−
1) energy storage cells in series (except for cases where the total number of parallel-connected series circuits is (4L−
2), wherein L is a natural number); andproviding first and second switch groups, wherein the voltage equalization circuit is configured to; when each of a plurality of switches making up the first switch group is turned on, attain a first connection state in which an individual one of the energy storage cells comprised in each of the series circuits is connected in parallel to one or more of the energy storage cells comprised in the one or more series circuits connected in parallel to the series circuit having the individual energy storage cell, to form a plurality of parallel circuits; and
,when each of a plurality of switches making up the second switch group is turned on, attain a second connection state in which an individual one of the energy storage cells comprised in each of the series circuits is connected in parallel to one or more of the energy storage cells comprised in the one or more series circuits connected in parallel to the series circuit having the individual energy storage cell, to form a plurality of parallel circuits different from the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state, so as to equalize voltages of the energy storage cells making up the respective series circuits according to switching between the first and second connection states, and wherein; the first switch group is made up by positioning field-effect transistors in each of the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state, and arranged such that the each of the parallel circuits formed in the first connection state includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the parallel circuits; and the second switch group is made up by positioning field-effect transistors in each of the parallel circuits formed in the second connection state, and arranged such that the each of the parallel circuits formed in the second connection state includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the parallel circuits.
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Specification