Method of diagnosing a malfunction in an abnormal voltage detecting apparatus, secondary battery system, and hybrid vehicle

• US 8,299,800 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2009
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Abe, Takeshi, Teramoto, Daisuke, Tsujiko, Akira, Hara, Tomitaro, Arai, Takuichi, Shindo, Yohei, Wasada, Keiko, Yuasa, Sachie
• Primary Examiner(s): BENITEZ ROSARIO, JOSHUA
• Application Number:
  US13/000,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 324/74, 324/76.11, 324/103.R, 324140 R-142, 324426-450, 324/522, 324/764.01, 320/165
• US Class Current: 324/426
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/547 Voltage
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/549 Current
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/10 by alarm
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/12 Recording operating variables ; Monitoring of operating variables
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/16 with provision for separate direct mechanical propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 53/14 Conductive energy transfer
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/14 Preventing excessive discharging
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/15 Preventing overcharging
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/36 Arrangements for testing, measuring or monitoring the electrical condition of accumulators or electric batteries, e.g. capacity or state of charge [SoC]
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 35/00 Testing or calibrating of apparatus covered by the other groups of this subclass
• 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 90/14 Plug-in electric vehicles

Abstract

The invention provides a method of diagnosing a malfunction in an abnormal voltage detecting apparatus, which includes breaking an electrical connection between a secondary battery (100) and an abnormal voltage detecting apparatus (40, 31) and connecting the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus to a direct current voltage generating portion (20) that is different from the secondary battery (100), applying direct current voltage that has a predetermined voltage value that is outside of a normal voltage range to the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus (40) using the direct current voltage generating portion, and determining that there is a malfunction in the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus if the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus does not determine that the voltage is abnormal.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a malfunction in an abnormal voltage detecting apparatus, which determines whether there is a malfunction in the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus which detects the voltage of a secondary battery and determines that the voltage of the secondary battery is abnormal when the detected voltage value is outside of a normal voltage range, comprising:

breaking an electrical connection between the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus and the secondary battery;

connecting the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus to a direct current voltage generating portion which is different than the secondary battery and is able to generate direct current voltage that has a predetermined voltage value that is outside of the normal voltage range;

applying the direct current voltage that has the predetermined voltage value that is outside of the normal voltage range to the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus using the direct current voltage generating portion; and

determining that there is a malfunction in the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus if it is not determined by the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus that the voltage is abnormal,

wherein the direct current voltage generating portion is structured to be able to generate direct current voltage that has a constant voltage value that is outside of the normal voltage range,

wherein the direct current voltage generating portion includes a converting apparatus capable of converting voltage from an external power supply that is different than the secondary battery into the direct current voltage that has a predetermined voltage value that is outside of the normal voltage range, the method further comprising;

electrically connecting the converting apparatus and the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus to the external power supply;

converting the voltage from the external power supply into the direct current voltage; and

applying the converted direct current voltage to the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus.

2. The method of diagnosing a malfunction in an abnormal voltage detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external power supply is a commercial power supply.

3. A secondary battery system comprising:

a secondary battery;

an abnormal voltage detecting apparatus which is able to be electrically connected to and disconnected from the secondary battery and detects the voltage of the secondary battery and determines that the voltage of the secondary battery is abnormal if the detected voltage value is outside of a normal voltage range; and

a direct current voltage generating portion which i) is able to be electrically connected to and disconnected from the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus, ii) is able to generate direct current voltage that has a predetermined voltage value that is outside of the normal voltage range, and iii) is different than the secondary battery,

wherein it is determined that there is a malfunction in the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus if the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus does not determine that the voltage of the secondary battery is abnormal when the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus is electrically disconnected from the secondary battery and connected to the direct current voltage generating portion, and the direct current voltage generating portion applies the direct current voltage to the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus,

wherein the direct current voltage generating portion is structured to be able to generate direct current voltage that has a constant voltage value that is outside of the normal voltage range,

wherein the secondary battery system further comprises;

a converting apparatus which i) is able to convert voltage from an external power supply into the direct current voltage, ii) is able to be electrically connected to the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus, and iii) is provided in the direct current voltage generating portion; and

a connecting portion which is able to be electrically connected to the converting apparatus and the external power supply, and electrically connects the converting apparatus to the external power supply,

wherein when the connecting portion is electrically connected to the external power supply, the secondary battery system breaks the electrical connection between the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus and the secondary battery, and electrically connects the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus to the converting apparatus and the connecting portion.

4. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, further comprising:

a malfunction determining portion which determines that there is a malfunction in the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus when the direct current voltage is applied to the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus and the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus does not determine that the voltage of the secondary battery is abnormal.

5. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, wherein the secondary battery is able to be charged using power supplied from the external power supply while the connecting portion is electrically connected to the external power supply.

6. The secondary battery system according to claim 5, wherein the secondary battery starts to be charged when the connecting portion is electrically connected to the external power supply, after a malfunction diagnostic has been performed on the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus or while the malfunction diagnostic is being performed on the abnormal voltage detecting apparatus.

7. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, wherein the external power supply is a commercial power supply.

8. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, wherein the secondary battery includes an electrode body that has a cathode, a separator, and an anode;

the cathode includes cathode active material that performs two-phase charging-discharging; and

the anode includes anode active material that follows a phase transition from charging and discharging.

9. A hybrid vehicle provided with the secondary battery system according to claim 3.