VOLTAGE MEASURING APPARATUS OF ASSEMBLED BATTERY

• US 20100225327A1
• Filed: 03/01/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Original Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
• Inventors: SEKIZAKI, Masashi, ISHIKAWA, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,643,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/434
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery

Abstract

A voltage measuring apparatus for measuring an output voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series and are divided into a plurality of blocks is provided. The voltage measuring apparatus includes: a block voltage detection unit which detects a voltage of at least one of the plurality of blocks; a sampling voltage generation unit which is provided in the block voltage detection unit and generates an analog sampling voltage applied in the sampling voltage generation unit; an A/D conversion unit which is provided in the block voltage detection unit and digitizes the analog sampling voltage to output a digital sampling voltage; and a voltage variation detection unit which obtains an error ratio of the voltage detected by the block voltage detection unit based on the digital sampling voltage.

Claims

1. A voltage measuring apparatus for measuring an output voltage of an assembled battery in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series and are divided into a plurality of blocks, the voltage measuring apparatus comprising:

a block voltage detection unit which detects a voltage of at least one of the plurality of blocks;

a sampling voltage generation unit which is provided in the block voltage detection unit and generates an analog sampling voltage applied in the sampling voltage generation unit;

an A/D conversion unit which is provided in the block voltage detection unit and digitizes the analog sampling voltage to output a digital sampling voltage; and

a voltage variation detection unit which obtains an error ratio of the voltage detected by the block voltage detection unit based on the digital sampling voltage.

2. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the voltage variation detection unit calculates a reference value of sampling voltage and obtains the error ratio based on the reference value.

3. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the block voltage detection unit comprises a plurality of sub-units, each sub-unit detecting a voltage of at least one of the plurality of blocks and having the sampling voltage generation unit and the A/D conversion unit therein.

4. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the voltage variation detection unit calculates an average value of the digital sampling voltages and obtains the error ratio based on the average value.

5. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensing unit which is electrically connected to the block voltage detection unit and senses a temperature of the block voltage detection unit, and

wherein the voltage variation detection unit obtains the error ratio based on both of the temperature detected by the temperature sensing unit and the digital sampling voltage.

6. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the voltage variation detection unit calculates a reference value of sampling voltage based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensing unit and obtains the error ratio based on the reference value.

7. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the voltage variation detection unit obtains the error ratio based on a difference between the digital sampling voltage and the reference value.

8. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

temperature sensing units, each unit electrically connected to the respective sub units and detecting a temperature of each sub-unit, and

wherein the voltage variation detection unit obtains error ratios of the plurality of blocks based on the temperatures detected by the temperature sensing units and the digital sampling voltages.

9. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sampling voltage generation unit generates the analog sampling voltage using a voltage applied to a PN junction part of a silicon semiconductor.

10. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sampling voltage generation unit comprises a series connection circuit of a diode and a resistor, and sets a voltage applied to both ends of the diode at the time of passing a current through the series connection circuit to the analog sampling voltage.

11. The voltage measuring apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the series connection circuit comprises a resistor and a plurality of diodes connected in series, and sets a voltage applied to both ends of the plurality of diodes connected in series to the sampling voltage.