Battery control circuit and battery device

• US 9,362,759 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Astemo Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Vehicle Energy, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nakao, Ryouhei, Kawahara, Youhei, Kudou, Akihiko, Emori, Akihiko, Sakabe, Kei
• Primary Examiner(s): Rossoshek, Helen
• Application Number:
  US13/807,487
• Publication Number:
  US 20130106356A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/118, 320/119, 320/124, 320/132, 320/135
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2200/26 Rail vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/21 having the same nominal voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/22 Balancing the charge of battery modules
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 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 2010/4271 Battery management systems including electronic circuits, e.g. control of current or voltage to keep battery in healthy state, cell balancing
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00716 in response to integrated charge or discharge current
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• 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

In a battery device including a battery pack in which a plurality of cells are connected in series, there are provided a battery control circuit or a battery device capable of eliminating a fluctuation in the voltage or charged state which can occur between the cells, or preventing the cells from being maintained in an over-charged state for a long period. A plurality of cell groups each including a plurality of cells are connected in series to form a battery pack. Cell controller is provided to the respective cell groups operate with electricity supplied from the cell groups allocated thereto so as to monitor and control the state of the cells of the cell group. Battery pack controller controls the cell controller based on information from the plurality of cell controller.

Claims

1. A battery control circuit comprising:

a plurality of cell control devices each powered by electricity supplied from a plurality of battery groups, wherein each cell control device is configured to;

collect information on the battery groups,

monitor and control a state of individual batteries within the battery groups, and

control a consumption current that consumes the electricity by changing a sampling speed that the information is collected on the battery groups, wherein the battery groups are connected in series to form a battery unit; and

a battery unit control device, wherein the battery unit control device is configured to;

control the plurality of cell control devices;

determine whether each of the plurality of cell control devices is operating in a Normal Mode or an Operation Mode;

receive received information from the plurality of cell control devices, wherein the received information includes a charge state of the battery groups;

determine if the battery control circuit is charging;

compare the received information from each of the plurality of cell control devices to a predetermined charged state; and

increase the consumption current for each of the plurality of cell control devices in the Normal Mode, if the battery control circuit is not charging and the received information from the cell control devices is greater than the predetermined charge state.

2. The battery control circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to:

determine if a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices has occurred,

transmit the discharge ending condition to the plurality of cell control devices if the battery control circuit is not charging and it is determined that the discharge ending condition has occurred, and

enter a power-saving mode if the battery control circuit is not charging and it is determined that the discharge ending condition has occurred.

3. The battery control circuit according to claim 2, wherein

the plurality of cell control devices is configured to adjust the charged state based on the discharge ending condition transmitted from the battery unit control device and allow the cell control device to transition to the power-saving mode sequentially starting with the cell control device in which the adjustment has ended.

4. The battery control circuit according to claim 2, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to determine the discharge ending condition based on a consumption current value that is stored in advance for each of the plurality of cell control devices.

5. The battery control circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a voltage equalization circuit that includes a bypass resistor and a bypass switch that are connected in parallel to each of the batteries that constitute a monitoring target battery group, and

when the charged state of the batteries that constitute the battery group is higher than the predetermined charged state, the cell control device discharges the battery having the high charged state using the voltage equalization circuit to thereby decrease the charged state.

6. The battery control circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the battery unit control devices are further configured to determine a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices, and

the cell control devices are further configured to:

receive the discharge ending condition transmitted from the battery unit control device,

adjust the charged state based on the received discharge ending condition, and

transition to a power-saving mode when the discharge ending condition is not received within a predetermined period after the charging and discharge of the battery unit has stopped.

7. The battery control circuit according to claim 1, wherein

the cell control device includes a mode in which a consumption current required for the operation of the cell control device is increased, and transitions to the mode when the operation of the cell control device continues to thereby accelerate a decrease in the charged state.

8. A battery control circuit comprising:

a plurality of cell control devices each powered by electricity supplied from a plurality of batteries that are connected in series to form a battery unit, wherein each cell control device is configured to;

collect information on the battery unit,

monitor and control a state of individual batteries within the battery unit, and

control a consumption current that consumes the electricity by changing a sampling speed that the information is collected on the battery unit; and

a battery unit control device, wherein the battery unit control device is configured to;

control the plurality of battery control devices;

determine whether each of the plurality of cell control devices is operating in a Normal Mode or an Operation Mode;

receive received information from the plurality of cell control devices, wherein the received information includes a charge state of the battery;

determine if the battery control circuit is charging;

compare the received information from each of the plurality of cell control devices to a predetermined charged state; and

increase the consumption current for each of the plurality of cell control devices in the Normal Mode if the battery control circuit is not charging and the received information from the cell control devices is greater than the predetermined charge state.

9. The battery control circuit according to claim 8, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to:

determine a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices,

transmit the discharge ending condition to the plurality of cell control devices, and

enter a power-saving mode if the battery control circuit is not charging and it is determined that a discharge ending condition has occurred.

10. The battery control circuit according to claim 8, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to determine a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices, and

the battery control devices are further configured to:

receive the discharge ending condition transmitted from the battery unit control device,

adjust the charged state based on the received discharge ending condition, and

transition to a power-saving mode when the discharge ending condition is not received within a predetermined period after the charging and discharge of the battery unit has stopped.

11. The battery control circuit according to claim 8, wherein

the battery control circuit has a mode in which a consumption current required for the operation of the cell control device is increased, and transitions to the mode when the operation of the cell control device continues to thereby accelerate a decrease in the charged state.

12. A battery device comprising:

a battery unit to which a plurality of battery groups are connected in series, each battery group including a plurality of batteries;

a plurality of cell control devices, each powered by electricity supplied from one of the plurality of battery groups, wherein each cell control device is configured to;

collect information on the battery groups,

monitor and control a state of individual batteries within the battery groups, and

control a consumption current that consumes the electricity by changing a sampling speed that the information is collected on the battery groups; and

a battery unit control device, wherein the battery unit control device is configured to;

control the plurality of cell control devices;

determine whether each of the plurality of cell control devices is operating in a Normal Mode or an Operation Mode;

receive received information from the plurality of cell control devices, wherein the received information includes a charge state of the battery groups;

determine if the battery device is charging;

compare the received information from each of the plurality of cell control devices to a predetermined charged state; and

increase the consumption current for each of the plurality of cell control devices in the Normal Mode if the battery device is not charging and the received information from the cell control devices is greater than the predetermined charge state.

13. The battery device according to claim 12, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to:

determine a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices,

transmit the discharge ending condition to the plurality of cell control devices, and

enter a power-saving mode if the battery device is not charging and it is determined that a discharge ending condition has occurred.

14. The battery device according to claim 13, wherein

the plurality of cell control devices are further configured to adjust the charged state based on the discharge ending condition transmitted from the battery unit control device and allow the cell control devices to transition to the power-saving mode sequentially starting with the cell control device in which the adjustment has ended.

15. The battery device according to claim 13, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to determine the discharge ending condition based on a consumption current value that is stored in advance for each of the plurality of cell control devices.

16. The battery device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a voltage equalization circuit that includes a bypass resistor and a bypass switch that are connected in parallel to each of the batteries that constitute a monitoring target battery group, and

when the charged state of the batteries that constitute the battery group is higher than the predetermined charged state, the cell control device discharges the battery having the high charged state using the voltage equalization circuit to thereby decrease the charged state.

18. The battery device according to claim 12 or 17, wherein

the battery unit control device includes a mode in which a consumption current required for the operation of the cell control device is increased, and transitions to the mode when the operation of the cell control device continues to thereby accelerate a decrease in the charged state.

19. The battery device according to claim 12 or 17, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to determine a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices, and

the cell control devices are further configured to:

receive the discharge ending condition transmitted from the battery unit control device,

adjust the charged state based on the received discharge ending condition, and

transition to a power-saving mode when the discharge ending condition is not received within a predetermined period after the charging and discharge of the battery unit has stopped.

17. A battery device comprising:

a battery unit that includes a plurality of batteries are electrically connected in series;

a plurality of cell control devices that are powered by electricity supplied from the batteries in the battery unit, wherein each cell control device is configured to;

collect information on the battery unit,

monitor and control a state of individual batteries within the battery unit, and

control a consumption current that consumes the electricity by changing a sampling speed that the information is collected on the battery unit; and

a battery unit control device, wherein the battery unit control device is configured to;

determine whether each of the plurality of cell control devices is operating in a Normal Mode or an Operation Mode;

receive received information from the plurality of cell control devices, wherein the received information includes a charge state of the battery;

determine if the battery device is charging;

compare the received information from each of the plurality of cell control devices to a predetermined charged state; and

increase the consumption current for each of the plurality of cell control devices in the Normal Mode if the battery device is not charging and the received information from the cell control device is greater than the predetermined charge state.

20. The battery device according to claim 17, wherein

the battery unit control device is further configured to:

determine a discharge ending condition of the batteries that are monitored by the plurality of cell control devices,

transmit the discharge ending condition to the plurality of cell control devices, and

enter a power-saving mode if the battery device is not charging and it is determined that a discharge ending condition has occurred.