Power storage system and cell protection method which protects the cell by both cutting from the cell pack and the cell pack from the system

• US 9,831,691 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envision AESC Energy Devices Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Energy Devices, Ltd. (Envision Group /TX/)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Shin, Shiozaki, Ryou
• Primary Examiner(s): Grant, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRISCHLER, JOHN T
• Application Number:
  US14/425,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20150236535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 320112
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• 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: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/574 Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/18 for batteries; for accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00304 Overcurrent protection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

This power storage system is provided with a secondary cell pack and a system protection unit having a system protection function of cutting off the secondary cell pack from the outside of the power storage system. This secondary cell pack is provided with a secondary cell and a cell protection unit having a cell protection function of cutting off the secondary cell from the outside of the secondary cell pack. The cell protection unit further monitors a state value that indicates the state of the secondary cell and controls implementation of the system protection function and the cell protection function on the basis of the state value.

Claims

1. A power storage system provided with a secondary cell pack and further including a system protection unit having a system protection function that cuts the electrical connection between said secondary cell pack and the outside of said power storage system;

wherein;

said secondary cell pack comprises a secondary cell and a cell protection unit having a cell protection function that cuts the electrical connection between said secondary cell and the outside of said secondary cell pack;

said cell protection unit monitors a state value that indicates the state of said secondary cell and controls execution of said system protection function and said cell protection function based on said state value;

said cell protection unit executes said system protection function or said cell protection function based on said state value when said state value diverges from a normal range that has been determined in advance;

when said state value diverges from said normal range, said cell protection unit executes said system protection function or said cell protection function based on change of said state value when said state value is within a warning range that is adjacent to said normal range, and executes said cell protection function when said state value is within a cell halt range that is adjacent to said warning range and is not within said normal range; and

when said state value is within said warning range, said cell protection unit predicts a halt postponement time that extends until protection of said secondary cell becomes necessary based on change of said state value, executes said system protection function when said halt postponement time is longer than a system halt delay time that was determined in advance, and executes said cell protection function when said halt postponement time is equal to or less than said system halt delay time.

2. The power storage system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a forced cuts-off unit that cuts the electrical connection between said secondary cell and the outside of said secondary cell pack when the magnitude of the current value of said secondary cell equals or exceeds a prescribed value;

wherein;

said state value includes the current value; and

said prescribed value is contained within said warning range.

3. The power storage system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when said halt postponement time is longer than said system halt delay time, said cell protection unit executes said system protection function after the passage of a deferment time derived by subtracting said system halt delay time from said halt postponement time.

4. The power storage system as set forth in claim 1, wherein, when said halt postponement time is equal to or less than said system halt delay time, said cell protection unit executes said cell protection function after the passage of a deferment time derived by subtracting a cell halt delay time that is shorter than said system halt delay time from said halt postponement time.

5. The power storage system as set forth in claim 3, wherein, when said state value returns to said normal range before the passage of said deferment time, said cell protection unit cancels the execution of said system protection function and said cell protection function.

6. The power storage system as set forth in claim 3, wherein, when said state value reaches said cell halt range before the passage of said deferment time, said cell protection unit executes said cell protection function.

7. The power storage system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cell protection unit updates said halt postponement time based on change of said state value within said deferment time.

8. A cell protection method realized by a power storage system that is equipped with a secondary cell pack, comprising:

monitoring a state value that indicates the state of said secondary cell; and

based on said state value, controlling the execution of a system protection function that cuts the electrical connection between said secondary cell pack and the outside of said power storage system and a cell protection function that cuts off a secondary cell provided in said secondary cell pack from the outside of said secondary cell pack;

wherein said system protection function or said cell protection function is executed based on said state value when said state value diverges from a normal range that has been determined in advance;

wherein when said state value diverges from said normal range said system protection function or said cell protection function is executed based on change of said state value when said state value is within a warning range that is adjacent to said normal range, and said cell protection function is executed when said state value is within a cell halt range that is adjacent to said warning range and is not within said normal range; and

wherein when said state value is within said warning range, predicting a halt postponement time that extends until protection of said secondary cell becomes necessary based on change of said state value, and executing said system protection function when said halt postponement time is longer than a system halt delay time that was determined in advance, and executing said cell protection function when said halt postponement time is equal to or less than said system hail delay time.