Lithium ion battery control system and assembled battery control system

• US 9,153,845 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2012
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tanaka, Akihide, Nishimura, Etsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bowers, Brandon
• Application Number:
  US13/570,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20130069598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 320/134
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• 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 50/51 characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• 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 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/441 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A lithium ion battery control system includes a degradation rate calculating unit, a degradation rate storage unit, a degradation rate comparing unit, a charging and discharging control circuit, and a rechargeable battery. The degradation rate calculating unit calculates a degradation rate when receiving a trigger for starting the check of the degradation rate of the battery. The degradation rate comparing unit receives a present degradation rate from the degradation rate calculating unit and a previous degradation rate from the degradation rate storage unit and compares both degradation rates. As a result, when the present degradation rate is greater than the previous degradation rate by a predetermined value, a charging and discharging condition is limited.

Claims

1. A lithium ion battery control system comprising:

a charging and discharging control circuit that controls charging and discharging of a lithium ion battery;

a degradation rate storage unit that stores a previous degradation rate of the lithium ion battery;

a degradation rate calculating unit that calculates a present degradation rate of the lithium ion battery; and

a degradation rate comparing unit that compares the present degradation rate with the previous degradation rate and that sends a signal for changing a charging and discharging condition of the lithium ion battery to the charging and discharging control circuit when the present degradation rate is greater than the previous degradation rate by a predetermined value.

2. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein degradation rates before and after charging and discharging the lithium ion battery by a predetermined capacity are used as the present degradation rate and the previous degradation rate.

3. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes lowering an upper-limit charging current.

4. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes lowering an upper-limit discharging current.

5. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes lowering an upper-limit charging voltage.

6. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes raising a lower-limit discharging voltage.

7. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein the degradation rate comparing unit compares the present degradation rate with the previous degradation rate and overwrites the previous degradation rate in the degradation rate storage unit with the present degradation rate when the present degradation rate is smaller than the previous degradation rate by the predetermined value.

8. The lithium ion battery control system according to claim 1, wherein the degradation rate calculating unit calculates the degradation rate after the charging and discharging condition is changed, and

wherein the degradation rate comparing unit compares the degradation rate after the charging and discharging condition is changed with the previous degradation rate stored in the degradation rate storage unit and that sends a signal for changing a charging and discharging condition other than the changed charging and discharging condition to the charging and discharging control circuit when the degradation rate after the charging and discharging condition is changed is greater than the previous degradation rate stored in the degradation rate storage unit by a predetermined value.

9. An assembled battery control system controlling charging and discharging of an assembled battery, comprising:

an assembled battery in which a plurality of lithium ion batteries are connected in series;

a plurality of serial circuits that include a resistor and a balancing switch for causing a discharging current to flow independently in each of the plurality of lithium ion batteries;

a control circuit that controls the balancing switches;

an assembled battery calculation processing unit that controls charging and discharging of the assembled battery;

a degradation rate storage unit that stores previous degradation rates of the lithium ion batteries;

a degradation rate calculating unit that calculates present degradation rates of the lithium ion batteries; and

a degradation rate comparing unit that compares the present degradation rates with the previous degradation rates and that sends a signal for restricting a charging and discharging condition of the assembled battery or the lithium ion batteries when the present degradation rates are greater than the previous degradation rates by a predetermined value.

10. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein degradation rates before and after charging and discharging the lithium ion batteries by a predetermined capacity are used as the present degradation rates.

11. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes lowering an upper-limit charging current.

12. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes lowering an upper-limit discharging current.

13. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes lowering an upper-limit charging voltage.

14. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein the charging and discharging condition to be changed includes raising a lower-limit discharging voltage.

15. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein the degradation rate comparing unit has a function of comparing the present degradation rates with the previous degradation rates and overwriting the previous degradation rates in the degradation rate storage unit with the present degradation rates when the present degradation rates are smaller than the previous degradation rates by the predetermined value.

16. The assembled battery control system according to claim 9, wherein the degradation rate comparing unit independently discharges the lithium ion batteries by a predetermined capacity when the present degradation rates of the lithium ion batteries are greater than the previous degradation rates by a predetermined value.