Cell balance device and battery system

• US 9,577,442 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ablic Inc. (MinebeaMitsumi Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SII Semiconductor Corporation
• Inventors: Sakurai, Atsushi, Sano, Kazuaki, Saito, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodas, Richard Isla
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIBENEDETTO, MICHAEL N
• Application Number:
  US13/292,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139493A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 320/116, 320/118, 320/119
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0016 using shunting, discharge or bypass circuits

Abstract

Provided are a cell balance device with high cell balance performance and high cell balance speed and requiring no high voltage process, and a battery system including the cell balance devices. The cell balance device includes: three terminals to be connected to secondary batteries; one terminal to be connected to a voltage hold device; three switches provided between the three terminals and the one terminal; and a receiving terminal and a transmitting terminal for a synchronization signal. Alternatively, the cell balance device includes: four terminals to be connected to secondary batteries; two terminals to be connected to a voltage hold device; six switches provided between the four terminals and the two terminals; and a receiving terminal and a transmitting terminal for a synchronization signal. The battery system includes: a plurality of secondary batteries; a plurality of voltage hold devices; a plurality of cell balance devices; and a clock generation circuit.

Claims

1. A cell balance circuit for a battery system for adjusting a cell balance of a plurality of electric accumulators connected in series, the cell balance circuit comprising a plurality of cell balance devices, each device comprising:

a plurality of electric accumulator connection terminals comprising a first electric accumulator connection terminal, a second electric accumulator connection terminal, and a third electric accumulator connection terminal, each configured to connect to one of a node and two terminals of the plurality of electric accumulators;

a voltage hold device connection terminal configured to connect to a designated one of a plurality of voltage hold devices, the number of voltage hold devices less than a total number of the electric accumulators;

a plurality of switch circuits comprising a first switch circuit, a second switch circuit, and a third switch circuit, each connected to one of the plurality of electric accumulator connection terminals or the voltage hold device;

a receiving terminal that receives a synchronization signal;

a transmitting terminal that transmits the synchronization signal; and

a control circuit that controls an ON/OFF state of the plurality of switch circuits based on the synchronization signal,

wherein, when receiving the synchronization signal, the control circuit sequentially controls the ON/OFF state of the plurality of switch circuits, and

wherein among the plurality of the cell balance devices, a first stage receives the synchronization signal, and second and subsequent stages each include the transmitting terminal connected to the receiving terminal of the cell balance device at a next stage, such that the plurality of cell balance device are synchronized.

2. The cell balance circuit according to claim 1, wherein:

the first switch circuit is connected between the first electric accumulator connection terminal and the voltage hold device connection terminal;

the second switch circuit is connected between the second electric accumulator connection terminal and the voltage hold device connection terminal;

the third switch circuit is connected between the third electric accumulator connection terminal and the voltage hold device connection terminal; and

the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the third switch circuit are sequentially ON/OFF based on the synchronization signal.

3. The cell balance circuit according to claim 2, wherein:

the plurality of electric accumulator connection terminals further comprise a fourth electric accumulator connection terminal;

the plurality of switch circuits further comprise a fourth switch circuit, a fifth switch circuit, and a sixth switch circuit;

the voltage hold device connection terminal further comprises a second voltage hold device connection terminal;

the fourth switch circuit is connected between the second electric accumulator connection terminal and the second voltage hold device connection terminal;

the fifth switch circuit is connected between the third electric accumulator connection terminal and the second voltage hold device connection terminal;

the sixth switch circuit is connected between the fourth electric accumulator connection terminal and the second voltage hold device connection terminal; and

the first switch circuit and the fourth switch circuit, the second switch circuit and the fifth switch circuit, and the third switch circuit and the sixth switch circuit are turned ON/OFF sequentially based on the synchronization signal.

4. The cell balance circuit according to claim 1, wherein the synchronization signal comprises a clock signal.

5. The cell balance circuit according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reset signal receiving terminal for receiving a first reset signal; and

a reset signal transmitting terminal for transmitting a second reset signal.

6. The cell balance circuit according to claim 5, wherein the control circuit is further configured to transmit the second reset signal from the reset signal transmitting terminal after a predetermined number of counts of the synchronization signal, when the receiving terminal receives the synchronization signal, or to transmit the second reset signal from the reset signal transmitting terminal, when the reset signal receiving terminal receives the first reset signal.

7. A battery system comprising:

a plurality of electric accumulators connected in series;

the plurality of the cell balance devices according to claim 1 connected in series;

a plurality of voltage hold devices connected in series; and

a clock generation circuit that outputs the synchronization signal,

wherein the plurality of the cell balance devices each comprise electric accumulator connection terminals connected to both terminals of a corresponding one of the plurality of electric accumulators, and the voltage hold device connection terminal connected to one of one terminal or both terminals of a corresponding one of the plurality of voltage hold devices.

8. A battery system according to claim 7, wherein:

the cell balance device at a first stage comprises the receiving terminal connected to an output terminal of the clock generation circuit.

9. A battery system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of the cell balance devices each comprise the receiving terminal connected to an output terminal of the clock generation circuit.

10. A battery system according to claim 7, wherein the clock generation circuit outputs the synchronization signal upon detection that a charger has been connected to external terminals of the battery system.