Electric storage device

• US 8,798,832 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2010
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vehicle Energy Japan, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kawahara, Youhei, Sakabe, Kei, Emori, Akihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLLOWAY, JASON R
• Application Number:
  US13/201,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20110313613A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 701/22, 701/36, 701/29.1, 701/31.4, 701/32.7, 701/34.3, 701/34.4, 320/118, 320/132, 320/136, 320/159, 320/161, 320/164, 180/65.29
• US Class Current: 701/22
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/18 Buses
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/36 Vehicles designed to transport cargo, e.g. trucks
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/30 AC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/12 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/423 Torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/443 Torque
• 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 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/20 Inrush current reduction, i.e. avoiding high currents when connecting the battery
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/04 Cutting off the power supply under fault conditions protective devices and circuit arrangements in general H01H; H02H
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/61 by batteries charged by engine-driven generators, e.g. series hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/13 Maintaining the SoC within a determined range
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 : Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 : Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/16 : responding to battery ageing, e.g. to the number of charging cycles or the state of health [SoH]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 : having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 : by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 : Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 : for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/48 : for electric vehicles [EV] or hybrid vehicles [HEV]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0014 : Circuits for equalisation of charge between batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 : using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 : Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 : Detection of state of health [SOH]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 : Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/62 : Hybrid vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/12 : Electric charging stations
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/14 : Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

An electric storage device including a state detection unit managing and controlling the state of a battery unit, wherein the state detection unit captures an inter-terminal voltage of each of a plurality of batteries measured by a battery management unit in a no-load state where the battery unit is separated from a load, and calculates variation information about the states of charge of the batteries. In addition, the state detection unit, taking into consideration the variation information about the states of charge of the batteries, calculates allowable charge and discharge information required for controlling the charging and discharging of the battery unit in a loaded state where the battery unit is connected to a load and charged or discharged, and outputs the allowable charge and discharge information to a charge and discharge device in the battery unit.

Claims

1. An electric storage device, comprising:

an electric storage unit including a plurality of electrically connected electric storage elements;

a first control unit measuring a state of each of the electric storage elements;

a measurement unit measuring a state of the electric storage unit; and

a second control unit which captures measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements measured by the first control unit and measurement state information about the electric storage unit measured by the measurement unit, and manages and controls the state of the electric storage unit, wherein the second control unit includes;

a unit which captures measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements in a no-load state before or after a loaded state where the electric storage unit is connected to a load, and calculates an amount of change of an average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before or after the loaded state, and a difference between an average state of charge of the electric storage elements in a no-load state after the loaded state and a state of charge of a predetermined electric storage element, and which further calculates a charge-state variation coefficient which is the difference per amount of change of the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before or after the loaded state; and

a unit which captures the measurement state information about the electric storage unit in the loaded state and calculates an amount of change of the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the loaded state, and which further predicts a state of charge of a predetermined electric storage element based on the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the loaded state and the charge-state variation coefficient.

2. The electric storage device according to claim 1, wherein

the second control unit captures an inter-terminal voltage of each of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before or after the loaded state, as the measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements and calculates a state of charge of each of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before or after the loaded state, and wherein

the second control unit further calculates an average state of charge of the electric storage elements in each of the no-load state before the loaded state and the no-load state after the loaded state, based on this calculated state of charge of each of the electric storage elements.

3. The electric storage device according to claim 2, wherein the second control unit holds the charge-state variation coefficient as information corresponding to an individual difference or a variation in degradation of the electric storage elements, and reads this held information when the electric storage unit is in a loaded state, and predicts a state of charge of the predetermined electric storage element.

4. The electric storage device according to claim 3, wherein the second control unit calculates a predicted maximum state of charge and a predicted minimum state of charge of the electric storage elements, as a state of charge of the predetermined electric storage element to be predicted.

5. The electric storage device according to claim 3, wherein based on at least either one of current information of the electric storage unit measured by the measurement unit, vehicle-speed information from a vehicle side, ignition key switch information from the vehicle side, and opening or closing state information about a relay provided between the electric storage unit and a load side, the second control unit determines whether or not a vehicle is traveling or the electric storage unit is in a no-load state.

6. The electric storage device according to claim 5, wherein before calculating the charge-state variation coefficient in the no-load state, the second control unit, when it is determined based on at least either one of information of the current information, the vehicle-speed information, the ignition key switch information, and the opening or closing state information about the relay that the vehicle is running or the electric storage unit is in a loaded state, stops to calculate the charge-state variation coefficient.

7. The electric storage device according to claim 5, wherein before calculating the charge-state variation coefficient in the no-load state, the second control unit, when it is determined based on at least either one of information of the current information, the vehicle-speed information, the ignition key switch information, and the opening or closing state information about the relay that the vehicle is traveling or the electric storage unit is in a loaded state, prohibits the charging and discharging of the electric storage unit until the charge-state variation coefficient is calculated.

8. The electric storage device according to claim 4, wherein the second control unit limits the charging of the electric storage unit when the predicted maximum state of charge reaches a use upper limit state of charge of the electric storage unit, while when the predicted minimum state of charge reaches a use lower limit state of charge of the electric storage unit, the second control unit limits the discharging of the electric storage unit.

9. The electric storage device according to claim 4, wherein the second control unit calculates an allowable charge current or allowable charge power of the electric storage unit based on the predicted maximum state of charge and calculates an allowable discharge current or allowable discharge power of the electric storage unit based on the predicted minimum state of charge.

10. The electric storage device according to claim 8, wherein the second control unit calculates an allowable charge current or allowable charge power of the electric storage unit based on the predicted maximum state of charge and calculates an allowable discharge current or allowable discharge power of the electric storage unit based on the predicted minimum state of charge.

11. The electric storage device according to claim 4, wherein the second control unit calculates allowable charge and discharge currents or allowable charge and discharge powers based on the respective predicted maximum state of charge, predicted minimum state of charge, and average state of charge of the electric storage unit, and selects the smallest allowable charge and discharge currents or allowable charge and discharge powers among these currents or powers as final allowable charge and discharge currents or allowable charge and discharge powers.

12. The electric storage device according to claim 8, wherein the second control unit calculates allowable charge and discharge currents or allowable charge and discharge powers based on the respective predicted maximum state of charge, predicted minimum state of charge, and average state of charge of the electric storage unit, and selects the smallest allowable charge and discharge currents or allowable charge and discharge powers among these currents or powers as final allowable charge and discharge currents or allowable charge and discharge powers.

13. The electric storage device according to claim 2, wherein when the charge-state variation coefficient exceeds a threshold value thereof, the second control unit determines this as an abnormality in an individual difference of the electric storage element.

14. The electric storage device according to claim 2, wherein when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the electric storage unit, the second control unit outputs a command signal for controlling an abnormality notification notified by an external notification unit so that this abnormality is notified to a driver or operator of a vehicle from the notification unit.

15. The electric storage device according to claim 13, wherein when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the electric storage unit, the second control unit outputs a command signal for controlling an abnormality notification notified by an external notification unit so that this abnormality is notified to a driver or operator of a vehicle from the notification unit.

16. The electric storage device according to claim 14, wherein the notification unit is a display device, which is installed in a vehicle interior and on which an image symbol indicative of the electric storage unit and an SOH of the electric storage unit are displayed, and wherein when it is determined that the electric storage unit is abnormal, the second control unit outputs the command signal so that a display of the SOH displayed on the display device is displayed as “

abnormal”

.

17. The electric storage device according to claim 15, wherein the notification unit is a display device, which is installed in a vehicle interior and on which an image symbol indicative of the electric storage unit and SOH of the electric storage unit are displayed, and wherein when it is determined that the electric storage unit is abnormal, the second control unit outputs the command signal so that a display of the SOH displayed on the display device is displayed as “

abnormal”

.

18. The electric storage device according to claim 1, wherein when as the electric storage element, an electric storage element having a characteristic that a change in an electromotive force in a region of the sate of charge between an upper limit state of charge and a lower limit state of charge of a use range of the state of charge of the electric storage unit in a vehicle is slower than a change in the electromotive force in a region of the state of charge deviating from between the upper limit state of charge and the lower limit state of charge, the second control unit outputs a command signal for charging or discharging the electric storage unit so that the state of charge of the electric storage unit is adjusted to a region of the state of charge deviating from between the upper limit state of charge and the lower limit state of charge.

19. The electric storage device according to claim 14, wherein when either one of abnormalities of overcharge, overdischarge, overtemperature, an abnormality due to a decrease in a capacity or an input performance or output performance, and an abnormality in an individual difference occurs in the electric storage element, the second control unit outputs the command signal.

20. The electric storage device according to claim 15, wherein when either one of abnormalities of overcharge, overdischarge, overtemperature, an abnormality due to a decrease in a capacity or an input performance or output performance, and an abnormality in an individual difference occurs in the electric storage element, the second control unit outputs the command signal.

21. An electric storage device, comprising:

an electric storage unit including a plurality of electrically connected electric storage elements;

a first control unit measuring a state of each of the electric storage elements;

a measurement unit measuring a state of the electric storage unit; and

a second control unit which captures measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements measured by the first control unit and measurement state information about the electric storage unit measured by the measurement unit, and manages and controls a state of the electric storage unit, wherein the second control unit includes;

a unit which captures measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements in a no-load state before or after a loaded state where the electric storage unit is connected to a load, and calculates an amount of change of an average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before or after the loaded state, and a difference between an average state of charge of the electric storage elements in a no-load state after the loaded state and the respective maximum and minimum states of charge of the electric storage elements, and which further calculates a charge-state variation coefficient which is the difference per amount of change of the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before or after the loaded state, respectively; and

a unit which captures the measurement state information about the electric storage unit in the loaded state and calculates an amount of change of the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the loaded state, and which further multiplies the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the loaded state by the charge-state variation coefficient, respectively, thereby predicting the respective maximum and minimum states of charge of the electric storage elements.

22. An electric storage device, comprising:

an electric storage unit including a plurality of electrically connected electric storage elements;

a first control unit measuring a state of each of the electric storage elements;

a measurement unit measuring a state of the electric storage unit; and

a second control unit which captures measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements measured by the first control unit and measurement state information about the electric storage unit measured by the measurement unit, and manages and controls a state of the electric storage unit, wherein the second control unit includes;

a unit which captures measurement state information about each of the electric storage elements in a no-load state before or after a loaded state where the electric storage unit is connected to a load, and calculates an amount of change of a state of charge of each of the electric storage elements in the no-load state before and after the loaded state and an amount of change of an average state of charge of the electric storage elements in a no-load state before and after the loaded state, and which further calculates a charge-state variation coefficient which is an amount of change of the state of charge of each of the electric storage elements per amount of change of the average state of charge of the electric storage elements, respectively; and

a unit which captures the measurement state information about the electric storage unit in the loaded state and calculates an amount of change of the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the loaded state, and which further multiplies the average state of charge of the electric storage elements in the loaded state by each of the charge-state variation coefficients, thereby predicting a state of charge of each of the electric storage elements.

23. The electric storage device according to claim 22, wherein the second control unit selects the maximum state of charge and the minimum state of charge from the predicted state of charge of each of the electric storage elements.