JP2011030389A - Voltage equalization circuit, hybrid working machine, and control method of the hybrid working machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a voltage equalization circuit which can equalize the voltage at a high efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The voltage equalization circuit connected between the terminals of a storage element includes a parallel monitor circuit with a first terminal and a second terminal and a current limiting resistor connected in series with the parallel monitor circuit. The parallel monitor circuit operates, such that the first and second terminals are conducted, when the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the voltage of the second terminal and the voltage difference is equal to or higher than a first voltage value; and a state with resistance higher than a resistance at conduction of the first and second terminals is set. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a circuit for equalizing voltage, a hybrid work machine that drives a drive system using electrical energy stored in a power storage device (battery), and a control method thereof.

  The hybrid construction machine has (i) a chargeable / dischargeable power storage device, (ii) boosts the voltage of the power storage device, converts it into a three-phase alternating current that drives the motor generator, and also generates three power generated by the motor generator. Bidirectional power transfer system that converts phase alternating current into direct current, steps down to the voltage of the power storage device and charges the power storage device; (iii) Drives with three-phase AC power from an inverter and receives energy as a generator when receiving braking torque It is comprised including the motor generator which performs. The motor generator drives the drive system of the hybrid construction machine. The hybrid construction machine also includes a drive system that is driven using an engine and a hydraulic pump.

  As a power storage device of a hybrid construction machine, for example, a device in which a large number of power storage elements such as electric double layer capacitors are connected in series is used. Each electric double layer capacitor connected in series is called a cell. In some cases, the voltage is not evenly distributed to each cell of the power storage device due to variations in characteristics existing between the power storage elements. In order to prevent this, a voltage equalization circuit is used.

  FIG. 8 shows a power storage device to which a voltage equalization circuit is connected. This figure shows an example in which a voltage equalization circuit called a parallel monitor is connected.

The power storage unit of the power storage device includes n electric double layer capacitors (cells C _{1 to} C _n ) connected in series. One parallel monitor 50 is connected in parallel to each of the cells C _{1 to} C _n . The parallel monitor 50 includes a comparator 50a and a semiconductor switch 50b. The comparator 50a compares and determines whether or not the voltage between the terminals of each cell is greater than a preset voltage value (operating voltage Vz). If it is greater, the semiconductor switch 50b is turned on. As a result, a discharge current (bypass current, equalization current) flows between the terminals of the cell, and the voltage between the terminals of the cell is kept below a predetermined value (operation voltage Vz). In this figure, the discharge current that flows when the voltage between the terminals of the cell C _k (k = 1, 2,..., N) is higher than the operating voltage Vz is expressed as I _k (k = 1, 2,..., N). did. The discharge path (bypass circuit) through which the current _Ik flows includes the semiconductor switch 50b and the equalizing current limiting resistor R.

  The operating voltage Vz is set to a voltage in the vicinity of the full charge voltage converted per cell by dividing the power storage device full charge voltage by n.

  A technique for equalizing voltage by a parallel monitoring method is described in, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2.

FIG. 9A shows an equalization circuit described in Patent Document 1. In the figure, the internal resistances of the cells C ₁ and C ₂ are represented as R ₁ and R ₂ , and the inter-terminal voltages are represented as V ₁ and V ₂ . The parallel monitor equalization circuit connected in parallel to the cells C ₁ and C ₂ is, for example, an equivalent circuit, and includes resistors R _{a to} R _d , a shunt regulator X, a transistor Q, and a diode D.

  Each parallel monitor equalization circuit divides the voltage between the circuit terminals (cell terminal voltage) with a resistor and detects it with the detection element, so that the voltage between the circuit terminals exceeds the operating voltage. If the voltage is equal to or higher than the operating voltage, the semiconductor switch is turned on and a current leaks between both ends of the circuit by the bypass circuit.

In the equalization circuit shown in the figure, the cell voltage is divided into R _a : R _b , and when the voltage corresponding to R _b exceeds the reference voltage of the shunt regulator X, the shunt regulator X turns on the transistor Q, and the cell charge of leaks through the transistor Q and the resistor R _d. The discharge currents of the cells C ₁ and C ₂ are denoted as I ₁ and I ₂ , respectively.

(Equation 1)
(Operating voltage Vz): (Reference voltage of X) = (R _a + R _b ): R _b
Because

(Equation 2)
(Operating voltage Vz) = (Reference voltage of X) × (R _a + R _b ) / R _b
It becomes.

  The diode D is used for circuit protection.

  The discharge current in this equalization circuit is limited by the resistance connected to the collector of the transistor or the base input, and is within the rated current of the transistor (allowable current for semiconductor switches).

FIG. 9B is a graph showing the relationship between the parallel monitor voltage (cell terminal voltage) V and the parallel monitor current (discharge current) I. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates the parallel monitor voltage, and the vertical axis indicates the parallel monitor current. When the parallel monitor voltage V becomes the operating voltage Vz, the transistor Q is turned on and a certain amount of discharge current starts to flow. That is, when V = Vz, I rises vertically, [dI / dV] It has a _VI characteristic of _{V = Vz} = ∞. The current value starts to flow when V = Vz is dependent on the resistance value of gate input, and a resistor R _d of the transistor Q.

  The larger the rising width of the discharge current I at V = Vz, the faster the voltage across the terminals of the discharged cells is lowered. On the other hand, the external power supply is charged so that the voltage of the entire power storage device is secured. For this reason, the voltage between terminals is raised about the cell whose voltage between terminals is lower than the operating voltage Vz of a parallel monitor. In this way, the voltage between the terminals of the cells constituting the power storage device is equalized. However, since the amount of heat generation is proportional to the square of the current value, heat generation may occur such that cooling becomes difficult when the discharge current is large. Therefore, the discharge current per cell is usually 1 A or less, and as a result, a satisfactory equalization rate is rarely obtained.

  Also, when the inter-terminal voltage of all cells exceeds the operating voltage Vz, the same discharge current flows through all the cells, so it is difficult to effectively reduce the variation in inter-terminal voltage. is there. The voltage equalization by the parallel monitoring method is effective when the entire power storage device has a voltage that is approximately the operating voltage Vz × the number of cells. That is, voltage equalization using a parallel monitor is effective when the entire power storage device is charged near the fully charged voltage and each storage element voltage varies near the operating voltage. As shown in the graph of FIG. 9B, in the voltage equalization using the parallel monitor, the value of dI / dV is large only at V = Vz where the current begins to flow, and V> In the range of Vz, the value of dI / dV is small. Therefore, when the cell terminal voltage V is distributed out of Vz, voltage equalization is extremely slow.

  In a power storage device mounted on a hybrid construction machine, dynamic charging / discharging is performed immediately after the start of work. Even in such a case, a technique capable of realizing sufficient voltage equalization is desired.

  A technique for equalizing voltage by a method other than the parallel monitoring method, for example, a Zener diode method is also known (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  FIG. 10A shows a voltage equalization circuit described in Patent Document 3. The voltage equalization circuit includes a Zener diode Z and a resistor R connected in series, and this is connected in parallel to each cell. In this voltage equalization circuit, the Zener voltage becomes the operating voltage Vz. In a range where the cell terminal voltage V is equal to or higher than the operating voltage Vz, the discharge current I is approximately

(Equation 3)
I = (V−Vz) / R
It is represented by Here, R is the resistance value of the resistor R connected in series to the Zener diode Z.

  In this voltage equalization circuit, there is a problem that the operating voltage Vz (Zener voltage) cannot be freely set. In addition, there is a problem that the Zener voltage varies widely and it is difficult to obtain the required equalized voltage accuracy. Further, as understood from the equation (3), the discharge current I is proportional to the voltage V between the terminals of the cell. Therefore, even when V is large, R needs to be sufficiently large, for example, several tens of ohms so that the circuit does not burn out (does not exceed the allowable current of the Zener diode).

  FIG. 10B is a graph showing the relationship between the equalization circuit voltage (cell terminal voltage) V and the equalization circuit current (discharge current) I in the voltage equalization circuit using a Zener diode. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the equalization circuit voltage, and the vertical axis represents the equalization circuit current. When the equalization circuit voltage V becomes the operating voltage Vz, a discharge current starts to flow. As described above, the resistance value of the series resistor R is, for example, several tens of ohms. For this reason, dI / dV (slope of the graph) when V ≧ Vz is small, and time is required for equalization. The time for a cell having a voltage equal to or higher than Vz to converge to Vz (convergence time constant) is given by the product of R and the cell equivalent capacitance.

  As a method other than the parallel monitoring method and the Zener diode method, for example, a switched capacitor method and a transformer method are known. The switched capacitor method is a method in which the charge of a high-voltage storage element is transferred to a low-voltage storage element using an auxiliary capacitor having a capacity smaller than that of the storage element. The transformer system is a system in which a secondary winding that can charge and discharge each power storage element is provided in the transformer, and a power storage element having a voltage lower than the generated electromotive force is charged.

Japanese Patent No. 3764175 Japanese Patent No. 3174472 JP 2004-222438 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a voltage equalization circuit capable of equalizing voltage with high efficiency.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a high-quality hybrid work machine.

  Furthermore, the objective of this invention is providing the control method of the hybrid type work machine which can maintain the quality of a work machine for a long time.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a voltage equalization circuit connected between terminals of a power storage element, the voltage equalization circuit including a first terminal and a second terminal, the voltage being higher than the voltage of the second terminal. When the voltage of one terminal is high and the difference is equal to or greater than the first voltage value, the first and second terminals are conducted, and when the voltage is smaller than the first voltage value, the resistance is higher than the resistance at the time of conduction. A voltage equalization circuit is provided that includes a parallel monitor circuit that enters a high resistance state and a current limiting resistor connected in series to the parallel monitor circuit.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the engine includes an engine that generates a driving force, a generator that transmits the driving force from the engine and performs a power generation operation, and a plurality of unit capacitors connected in series. A capacitor charged by the power generated by the generator, and a voltage equalization circuit connected between each terminal of the unit capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, When the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the voltage of the second terminal and the difference is equal to or greater than the first voltage value, the first and second terminals are connected to each other, and the first voltage value A voltage equalization circuit having a parallel monitor circuit that is in a state of higher resistance than a resistance when conducting, a current limiting resistor connected in series to the parallel monitor circuit, and a charge / discharge current of the capacitor Capacitor charge / discharge control And road, hybrid working machine having a control device for controlling the capacitor charge and discharge circuit is provided.

  Furthermore, according to another aspect of the present invention, the system includes an engine that generates a driving force, a generator that transmits the driving force from the engine and performs a power generation operation, and a plurality of unit capacitors connected in series. A capacitor charged by the power generated by the generator, and a voltage equalization circuit connected between each terminal of the unit capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, When the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the voltage of the second terminal and the difference is equal to or greater than the first voltage value, the first and second terminals are connected to each other, and the first voltage value A voltage equalization circuit having a parallel monitor circuit that is in a state of higher resistance than a resistance when conducting, a current limiting resistor connected in series to the parallel monitor circuit, and a charge / discharge current of the capacitor Capacitor charge / discharge control And a control device for controlling the capacitor charge / discharge circuit, comprising: (a) a step of setting the first voltage value; and (b) a non-operation of the work machine. A hybrid type work comprising: a step of determining whether or not the state is in a state; and (c) a step of setting a voltage between the terminals of the capacitor to a predetermined voltage when it is detected that a predetermined time has passed in a non-operating state of the work machine A machine control method is provided.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the voltage equalization circuit which can equalize a voltage with high efficiency can be provided.

  Further, according to the present invention, a high-quality hybrid work machine can be provided.

  Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a control method for a hybrid work machine that can maintain the quality of the work machine for a long time.

The side view of the hybrid type working machine by an Example is shown. The block diagram of a hybrid type work machine is shown. An equivalent circuit diagram of the storage circuit 120 is shown. (A) is a schematic diagram of the capacitor 19, (B) shows a specific example of the voltage equalization circuit 51, and (C) shows the voltage (voltage between the terminals of the cell) V of the voltage equalization circuit 51. The relationship of the electric current (discharge current) I which flows through the voltage equalization circuit 51 is shown. (A) And (B) is the schematic which shows the modification of the voltage equalization circuit 51 by an Example. It is a flowchart which shows the control method of the hybrid type working machine by an Example. It is a graph for demonstrating the method of determining the resistance value of the resistance r. 1 shows a power storage device to which a voltage equalization circuit is connected. (A) shows the equalization circuit described in Patent Document 1, and (B) shows the relationship between the parallel monitor voltage (cell terminal voltage) V and the parallel monitor current (discharge current) I. (A) shows a voltage equalization circuit described in Patent Document 3, and (B) shows an equalization circuit voltage (cell terminal voltage) V and an equalization circuit current in a voltage equalization circuit using a Zener diode. The relationship of (discharge current) I is shown.

  FIG. 1 shows a side view of a hybrid work machine according to an embodiment. An upper swing body 3 is mounted on the lower traveling body (base body) 1 via a swing mechanism 2. The turning mechanism 2 includes an electric motor (motor), and turns the upper turning body 3 clockwise or counterclockwise. A boom 4 is attached to the upper swing body 3. The boom 4 swings up and down with respect to the upper swing body 3 by a hydraulically driven boom cylinder 7. An arm 5 is attached to the tip of the boom 4. The arm 5 swings in the front-rear direction with respect to the boom 3 by an arm cylinder 8 that is hydraulically driven. A bucket 6 is attached to the tip of the arm 5. The bucket 6 swings up and down with respect to the arm 5 by a hydraulically driven bucket cylinder 9. The upper swing body 3 further includes a cabin 10 that accommodates a driver.

  FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the hybrid work machine. In FIG. 2, the mechanical power system is represented by a double line, the high-pressure hydraulic line is represented by a thick solid line, the electric system is represented by a thin solid line, and the pilot line is represented by a broken line.

  The drive shaft of the engine 11 is connected to the input shaft of the speed reducer 13. As the engine 11, an engine that generates a driving force by a fuel other than electricity, for example, an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine is used. The engine 11 is always driven during operation of the work machine.

  The drive shaft of the motor generator 12 is connected to the other input shaft of the speed reducer 13. The motor generator 12 can perform both the electric (assist) operation and the power generation operation. As the motor generator 12, for example, an internal magnet embedded (IMP) motor in which magnets are embedded in the rotor is used.

  The speed reducer 13 has two input shafts and one output shaft. A drive shaft of the main pump 14 is connected to the output shaft.

  When the load applied to the engine 11 is large, the motor generator 12 performs an assist operation, and the driving force of the motor generator 12 is transmitted to the main pump 14 via the speed reducer 13. Thereby, the load applied to the engine 11 is reduced. On the other hand, when the load applied to the engine 11 is small, the driving force of the engine 11 is transmitted to the motor generator 12 via the speed reducer 13 so that the motor generator 12 is in a power generation operation. Switching between the assist operation and the power generation operation of the motor generator 12 is performed by an inverter 18 connected to the motor generator 12. The inverter 18 is controlled by the control device 30.

  The control device 30 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 30A and an internal memory 30B. The CPU 30A executes a drive control program stored in the internal memory 30B. The control device 30 alerts the driver by displaying the deterioration state of various devices on the display device 35.

  The main pump 14 supplies hydraulic pressure to the control valve 17 via the high pressure hydraulic line 16. The control valve 17 distributes hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic motors 1A, 1B, the boom cylinder 7, the arm cylinder 8, and the packet cylinder 9 in accordance with a command from the driver. The hydraulic motors 1A and 1B generate torques that cause the turning mechanism 2 shown in FIG. 1 to turn clockwise and counterclockwise, respectively.

  The input / output terminal of the electric system of the motor generator 12 is connected to the DC bus line of the storage circuit 120 via the inverter 18. The DC bus line of the storage circuit 120 is connected to the turning electric motor 21 via another inverter 20.

  The temperature detector 36 detects the temperature of the capacitor included in the power storage circuit 120. The detected temperature data is input to the control device 30.

  The turning electric motor 21 is AC driven by a pulse width modulation (PWM) control signal from the inverter 20 and can perform both a power running operation and a regenerative operation. For example, an IMP motor is used for the turning electric motor 21. The IMP motor generates a large induced electromotive force during regeneration.

  During the power running operation of the turning electric motor 21, the rotational force of the turning electric motor 21 is transmitted to the turning mechanism 2 shown in FIG. At this time, the speed reducer 24 decreases the rotation speed. As a result, the rotational force generated by the turning electric motor 21 increases and is transmitted to the turning mechanism 2. Further, during regenerative operation, the rotational motion of the upper swing body 3 is transmitted to the turning electric motor 21 via the speed reducer 24, whereby the turning electric motor 21 generates regenerative power. At this time, the speed reducer 24 increases the rotation speed, contrary to the power running operation. Thereby, the rotation speed of the electric motor 21 for rotation can be raised.

  The resolver 22 detects the position of the rotation shaft of the turning electric motor 21 in the rotation direction. The detection result is input to the control device 30. By detecting the position of the rotating shaft in the rotational direction before and after the operation of the turning electric motor 21, the turning angle and the turning direction are derived.

  A mechanical brake 23 is connected to the rotating shaft of the turning electric motor 21 and generates a mechanical braking force. The braking state and the released state of the mechanical brake 23 are controlled by the control device 30 and switched by an electromagnetic switch.

  The pilot pump 15 generates a pilot pressure necessary for the hydraulic operation system. The generated pilot pressure is supplied to the operating device 26 via the pilot line 25. The operating device 26 includes a lever and a pedal and is operated by a driver. The operating device 26 converts the primary side hydraulic pressure supplied from the pilot line 25 into a secondary side hydraulic pressure in accordance with the operation of the driver. The secondary side hydraulic pressure is transmitted to the control valve 17 via the hydraulic line 27 and to the pressure sensor 29 via the other hydraulic line 28.

  The detection result of the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 29 is input to the control device 30. Thereby, the control apparatus 30 can detect the operation state of the lower traveling body 1, the turning mechanism 2, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6. In particular, in the hybrid work machine according to the embodiment, not only the hydraulic motors 1A and 1B but also the turning electric motor 21 drives the turning mechanism 2. For this reason, it is desirable to detect the operation amount of the lever for controlling the turning mechanism 2 with high accuracy. The control device 30 can detect the operation amount of the lever with high accuracy via the pressure sensor 29.

  FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit diagram of the power storage circuit 120. The power storage circuit 120 includes the converter 100, the DC bus line 110, and the capacitor 19. Converter 100 controls the charge / discharge current of capacitor 19. The DC bus line 110 includes a smoothing capacitor 105.

  The capacitor 19 is connected to the pair of power supply connection terminals 103A and 103B of the converter 100, and the smoothing capacitor 105 of the DC bus line 110 is connected to the pair of output terminals 104A and 104B. One power connection terminal 103B and one output terminal 104B are grounded.

  The DC bus line 110 is connected to the motor generator 12 and the turning electric motor 21 via inverters 18 and 20.

  During the period in which the motor generator 12 is generating, the electric power generated by the motor generator 12 is supplied to the capacitor 19 via the inverter 18 and the capacitor 19 is charged. During the period in which the motor generator 12 is being assisted, necessary power is supplied from the capacitor 19 to the motor generator 12 via the inverter 18.

  Electric power is supplied from the capacitor 19 to the turning electric motor 21. Further, the regenerative power generated by the turning electric motor 21 is stored in the capacitor 19.

  The voltage generated at both ends of the smoothing capacitor 105 is measured by the voltmeter 111, and the measurement result is input to the control device 30.

  Note that the control device 30 is in a state in which none of the lower traveling body 1, the turning mechanism 2, the boom 4, the arm 5, and the bucket 6 is operating, and neither charging nor discharging of the capacitor 19 is performed. Operation state) can be detected.

  A series circuit in which the collector of the step-up insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) 102A and the emitter of the step-down IGBT 102B are connected to each other is connected between the output terminals 104A and 104B. The emitter of the step-up IGBT 102A is grounded, and the collector of the step-down IGBT 102B is connected to the output terminal 104A on the high voltage side. An interconnection point between the step-up IGBT 102A and the step-down IGBT 102B is connected to the high-voltage side power supply connection terminal 103A via the reactor 101.

  Diodes 102a and 102b are connected in parallel to the step-up IGBT 102A and the step-down IGBT 102B, respectively, such that the direction from the emitter to the collector is the forward direction.

  A voltmeter 106 connected between the power supply connection terminals 103 </ b> A and 103 </ b> B measures a voltage between terminals of the capacitor 19. An ammeter 107 inserted in series with the reactor 101 measures the charge / discharge current of the capacitor 19. The measurement results of voltage and current are input to the control device 30.

  The control device 30 applies a pulse width modulation (PWM) voltage for control to the gate electrodes of the step-up IGBT 102A and the step-down IGBT 102B.

  Hereinafter, the boosting operation (discharging operation) will be described. A PWM voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the boosting IGBT 102A. When the boosting IGBT 102A is turned off, an induced electromotive force is generated in the reactor 101 in a direction in which a current flows from the high-voltage power supply connection terminal 103A toward the collector of the boosting IGBT 102A. This electromotive force is applied to the DC bus line 110 via the diode 102b. Thereby, the DC bus line 110 is boosted.

  Next, the step-down operation (charging operation) will be described. A PWM voltage is applied to the gate electrode of the step-down IGBT 102B. When the step-down IGBT 102B is turned off, an induced electromotive force is generated in the reactor 101 in a direction in which a current flows from the emitter of the step-down IGBT 102B toward the high-voltage side power supply connection terminal 103A. The capacitor 19 is charged by this induced electromotive force.

  FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of the capacitor 19. The capacitor 19 includes n (for example, n = 144) electric double layer capacitors (cells, power storage elements) connected in series, and a voltage equalization circuit having the same function is provided for each cell. The voltage equalization circuit includes a parallel monitor 50 and a current limiting resistor r connected in series to the parallel monitor 50, and has a + side terminal (upper terminal in this figure) and a − side terminal (this figure). Is connected to the lower terminal). The parallel monitor 50 conducts between the terminals when the voltage at the positive terminal of the cell is higher than the voltage at the negative terminal by a certain threshold or more. When the voltage is smaller than the threshold, the parallel monitor 50 uses the resistance at conduction. Is an electric circuit that is in a high resistance state. The parallel monitor 50 has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 8, for example, and operates equally.

FIG. 4B shows a specific example of the voltage equalization circuit 51. The voltage equalization circuit 51 is obtained by adding, for example, a resistor r of 1 to 2 [Ω] in series to the equalization circuit (equalization circuit described in Patent Document 1) shown in FIG. The capacitance (for example, C ₁ ) of each cell of the capacitor 19 is 1000 to 3000 [F], and the internal resistance (for example, R ₁ ) is 2 [mΩ] or less. Furthermore, for example, _{R a} is 100 [kΩ], _{R b} is 100 [kW], the _{R c} 330 [Ω], _{R d} is a 10 to 20 [Omega].

In the voltage equalization circuit 51, the cell voltage is divided into R _a : R _b (1: 1), and when the voltage corresponding to R _b exceeds the reference voltage of the shunt regulator X, the shunt regulator X turns on the transistor Q. It turned on, the charge of the cell leaks through the transistor Q and the resistor R _d. The discharge currents of the cells C ₁ and C ₂ are denoted as I ₁ and I ₂ , respectively. Since the operating voltage Vz of the voltage equalizing circuit 51 is expressed by Expression (2), the operating voltage Vz in this example is twice the reference voltage of the shunt regulator X. The voltage equalization circuit 51 brings the inter-terminal voltage close to Vz when the inter-terminal voltage of the cell becomes larger than the operating voltage Vz.

  FIG. 4C is a graph showing the relationship between the voltage (voltage between the terminals of the cell) V of the voltage equalization circuit 51 and the current (discharge current) I flowing through the voltage equalization circuit 51. The horizontal axis of the graph indicates the voltage between the terminals of the cell, and the vertical axis indicates the discharge current.

  When the voltage V between the terminals of the cell is below the operating voltage Vz, the discharge current is zero. When the voltage V between the terminals of the cell becomes the operating voltage Vz, the transistor Q is turned on and the discharge current I starts to flow. The discharge current I increases at a constant rate until the inter-terminal voltage V of the cell reaches the upper limit of the element voltage (each cell voltage) region. This is in sharp contrast to the rapid (discontinuous) rise of I at Vz shown in FIG. 9 (B). This characteristic is the effect of connecting the resistor r in series, and the certain ratio is determined by the resistance value of r. When the upper limit of the element voltage region is exceeded, the increase in current is limited to a constant value (current limit value). That is, the discharge current is saturated in the range where the cell terminal voltage V exceeds the upper limit of the element voltage region.

  In the hybrid work machine according to the embodiment, the control device 30 charges the capacitor 19 by the converter 100 so that the upper limit of the variable range (capacitor 19 voltage upper limit) of the voltage of the entire capacitor 19 is limited during operation. Control the discharge. The upper limit of the element voltage region (the upper limit value of the voltage that can normally vary in each cell) is a value that does not greatly exceed 1 / n of the upper limit of the capacitor 19 voltage. In the embodiment, the operating voltage Vz is set to a voltage value sufficiently lower than the upper limit of the element voltage region, for example, a voltage value near the center of the range in which the voltage between the terminals of the cell fluctuates during operation of the work machine.

The VI characteristic shown in FIG. 4C is a circuit characteristic in which the current rises vertically (discontinuously) at the operating voltage Vz (circuit characteristic shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4C), i = f When represented by (v) or v = f ⁻¹ (i), the result of connecting the resistor r in series,

(Equation 4)
V = f ⁻¹ (I) + rI
It is a characteristic that will be represented by

As shown in FIG. 4C, the voltage equalization circuit according to the embodiment is finite over a wide voltage range from Vz to the upper limit of the element voltage region, compared to the equalization circuit shown in FIG. It has a slope dI / dV. The slope dI / dV is sufficiently larger than that in the voltage equalization circuit (voltage equalization circuit described in Patent Document 3) using the Zener diode method shown in FIG. Since the voltage equalization circuit according to the embodiment has such a VI characteristic (dI / dV characteristic), the equalization current (discharge current) is increased with respect to variations in the voltage between terminals of each cell. Can be changed. A large discharge current is applied to a cell having a high inter-terminal voltage V _H (> Vz), and a small discharge current is applied to a cell having a low inter-terminal voltage V _L (Vz <V _L <V _H ). The voltage is pulled down quickly, the latter slowly. As a result, the voltage equalization speed can be increased.

  In addition, since the voltage equalization circuit according to the embodiment can perform effective equalization over a wide voltage range, it is repeatedly charged and discharged dynamically as in the case of use in a work machine, and the voltage is kept constant. Even a capacitor that does not stay can ensure a sufficiently long equalization time. Therefore, the working efficiency of the work machine can be improved. Furthermore, since it is possible to perform equalization in many times during operation of the work machine, it is not necessary to rush the equalization and the equalization current can be reduced.

  Note that the voltage difference between cells decreases exponentially with respect to the equalization time. The standard of the time constant is the product of the equivalent capacitance of the cell and the equivalent resistance of the voltage equalization circuit 51. Since the equivalent resistance of the voltage equalization circuit 51 is the reciprocal of dI / dV, the larger the dI / dV, the smaller the time constant, and the quick equalization can be performed.

  For example, when the capacitance of the cell is 1000 [F] and the resistance r is 1 [Ω] (dI / dV = 1 [A / V]), the time constant of the current flowing through the circuit is 1000 [seconds] (16 Minutes 40 seconds). When the voltage equalization circuit according to the embodiment is used, it is not necessary to maintain the capacitor 19 at a constant voltage for equalization during this time. If the voltage range is from the operating voltage Vz to the upper limit of the element voltage region, equalization proceeds. Further, even when the voltage between the terminals of the capacitor 19 becomes less than Vz, the equalization is merely interrupted, and no problem is caused.

In addition, when charging is performed from an external power supply so as to ensure the voltage of the entire capacitor 19, for example, for a cell of _VL having a low inter-terminal voltage, the charging current from the outside is larger than the equalization current. As a result, the voltage rises. On the other hand, the voltage drops for the V _H cell having a high voltage between terminals. As a result, the voltages of all the cells can be made uniform.

  Furthermore, in the voltage equalization circuit according to the embodiment, the equalization current is limited in a voltage range exceeding the upper limit of the element voltage range (dI / dV is smaller than the range from Vz to the upper limit of the element voltage range. Therefore, even when the voltage between the terminals of the cell exceeds the upper limit of the element voltage region, the equalization current can be made lower than the rated current of the transistor (switch element) Q. Since the rated current of the transistor is usually larger than that of the Zener diode, the transistor can be more suitably used as the switch element.

  FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams illustrating a modification of the voltage equalization circuit 51 according to the embodiment. FIG. 5A shows an example in which the resistor r is arranged at the negative terminal of the cell, and FIG. 5B shows an example in which a semiconductor switch is configured with two transistors. In the example shown in FIG. 5B, the allowable current of the semiconductor switch can be increased.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of the hybrid work machine according to the embodiment. First, in step S101, the operating voltage Vz of the voltage equalization circuit is set. The operating voltage Vz is sufficiently lower than the upper limit of the voltage range in which the cell voltage may vary, and is a voltage suitable for storing the cell. When the capacitor 19 voltage at idling or immediately before the engine is stopped is Vs (idling voltage), and the capacitor 19 is composed of n cells connected in series, the operating voltage Vz is, for example, Vs / n, Alternatively, it is set in the vicinity thereof. Vs / n is an average cell voltage at idling or when the engine is stopped. When idling or when the engine is stopped, it is desirable to lower the capacitor 19 voltage in order to suppress cell deterioration.

  Next, in step S102, the control device 30 determines whether or not the work machine is in a non-operating state.

  In step S103, when the control device 30 detects that the non-operation state has continued for a predetermined time, for example, 3 seconds, the control device 30 controls the converter 100 to set the voltage of the capacitor 19 to the predetermined voltage, For example, the idling voltage Vs is set. When the operation of the work machine is to be stopped, the engine key is turned off thereafter.

  By this control, the equalization of the voltage between the terminals of the cell can be advanced during idling or when the engine is stopped. In particular, the engine stop time from the end of the evening work to the start of the next morning work secures an equalization time that is sufficiently longer than the time constant of the time at which the cell voltages are aligned. For cells whose voltage is higher than the operating voltage Vz, the voltage across the terminals can be all set to Vz.

  Since the capacitor 19 is not charged while the engine is stopped, the inter-terminal voltage does not become Vz for cells whose inter-terminal voltage is lower than the operating voltage Vz when step S103 is performed. Therefore, in order to make the voltage between terminals of many cells equal to the constant voltage Vz, when the operation of the work machine is stopped, in step S103, the capacitor voltage is controlled to be higher than the idling voltage Vs. Good.

  According to the voltage equalizing circuit according to the embodiment, it is possible to equalize the voltage between the terminals of the cell with high efficiency. Therefore, by using this, it is possible to provide a high-quality hybrid work machine in which cell deterioration is suppressed. Further, when the hybrid work machine control method according to the embodiment is used, the deterioration of the cell can be suppressed, and the quality of the work machine can be maintained high for a long period of time.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated along the Example, this invention is not limited to these.

  For example, in the embodiment, the resistance r of the voltage equalization circuit 51 is set to 1 to 2 [Ω], but the resistance value of r is determined as follows, for example.

  FIG. 7 is a graph for explaining a method of determining the resistance value of the resistor r. The vertical and horizontal axes of the graph and the broken line in the figure are the same as those in the graph shown in FIG.

  In this figure, the upper limit voltage of the element voltage region is indicated by the saturation voltage Vy, and the limit current value that is the discharge current (equalization current) flowing at that time is indicated by Iy. DI / dV (straight line) in the voltage region from the operating voltage Vz to the saturation voltage Vy is determined as the reciprocal of the resistance value of r. Therefore, the resistance value of r represents the difference between the current limit value Iy, which is a current value in a range where the energy loss due to discharge is small (the amount of current leakage does not cause a storage loss), and the saturation voltage Vy and the operating voltage Vz. And can be determined as r = (Vy−Vz) / Iy.

The voltage imbalance in each cell is due to variations in leakage current in each cell. In this figure, the discharge current flowing terminal voltage of the out leakage current is the largest cell C _b of the cell constituting the capacitor 19 V _b, the cell C _b (the equalizing current) was labeled I _b. Further, the discharge current flowing terminal voltage of the out leakage current is smallest cell C _a cell constituting the capacitor 19 V _a, the cell C _a a (equalization current) was designated I _a. Moreover, the range of variation of the voltage the leakage current is acceptable based on the voltage of the highest cell and "dV", in the figure, the difference between the terminal voltage and the terminal voltage of the cell C _a cell C _b The case where is dV is shown. dV is a predetermined constant value. Also expressed as dI the difference between _{I b} and _{I a.} Here, (Vy−Vz) when determining the resistance value of r is determined to be 2 to 5 times the allowable voltage variation range dV. This may be divided by Iy to determine r.

    It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other various modifications, improvements, combinations, and the like are possible.

  It can be preferably used in general equipment in which a voltage equalizing circuit is used, particularly in a hybrid work machine.

1 Lower traveling body (base)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1A, 1B Hydraulic motor 2 Turning mechanism 3 Upper turning body 4 Boom 5 Arm 6 Bucket 7 Boom cylinder 8 Arm cylinder 9 Bucket cylinder 10 Cabin 11 Engine 12 Motor generator (generator)
13 Reduction gear 14 Main pump 15 Pilot pump 16 High-pressure hydraulic line 17 Control valve 18 Inverter 19 Capacitor 20 Inverter 21 Turning electric motor (electric motor)
22 resolver 23 mechanical brake 24 speed reducer 25 pilot line 26 operation device 27, 28 hydraulic line 29 pressure sensor 30 control device 35 display device 36 temperature detector 50 parallel monitor 50a comparator 50b semiconductor switch 51 voltage equalization circuit 100 converter (capacitor) Charge / discharge circuit)
101 Reactor 102A Boost IGBT
102B IGBT for step-down
102a, 102b Diodes 103A, 103B Power supply connection terminals 104A, 104B Output terminal 105 Smoothing capacitor 106 Voltmeter 107 Ammeter 110 DC bus line 111 Voltmeter 120 Power storage circuit

Claims (6)

A voltage equalization circuit connected between terminals of the storage element,
A first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal voltage is higher than the second terminal voltage, and the difference between the first terminal and the second terminal is greater than or equal to a first voltage value; A parallel monitor circuit that is in a state of higher resistance than the resistance at the time of conduction when the terminals are electrically connected and are smaller than the first voltage value;
A voltage equalization circuit having a current limiting resistor connected in series to the parallel monitor circuit. An engine that generates driving force;
A driving force is transmitted from the engine to perform a power generation operation; and
A capacitor configured to include a plurality of unit capacitors connected in series, and charged by the power generated by the generator;
A voltage equalization circuit connected between the respective terminals of the unit capacitor, comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the voltage of the first terminal is higher than the voltage of the second terminal. When the difference is greater than or equal to the first voltage value, the first and second terminals are conducted, and when the difference is smaller than the first voltage value, the resistance is higher than the resistance during conduction. A voltage equalization circuit comprising: a parallel monitor circuit; and a current limiting resistor connected in series to the parallel monitor circuit;
A capacitor charge / discharge circuit for controlling a charge / discharge current of the capacitor;
A hybrid working machine having a control device for controlling the capacitor charge / discharge circuit. The hybrid work machine according to claim 2, wherein when the non-operating state of the work machine detects that a predetermined time has elapsed, the capacitor charge / discharge circuit is controlled so that a voltage between terminals of the capacitor becomes a predetermined voltage. .   4. The hybrid work machine according to claim 3, wherein the predetermined voltage is a value obtained by multiplying the first voltage value by a number of series connections of unit capacitors constituting the capacitor. 5. An engine that generates a driving force, a generator that transmits the driving force from the engine and that performs a power generation operation, and a plurality of unit capacitors connected in series, and is charged by the power generated by the generator And a voltage equalizing circuit connected between each terminal of the unit capacitor, the first circuit including a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is higher than the voltage of the second terminal. When the terminal voltage is high and the difference is equal to or greater than the first voltage value, the first and second terminals are conducted. When the voltage is smaller than the first voltage value, the resistance is higher than the resistance during conduction. A voltage equalization circuit having a parallel monitor circuit in a resistance state; a current limiting resistor connected in series to the parallel monitor circuit; a capacitor charge / discharge circuit for controlling a charge / discharge current of the capacitor; Discharge circuit A method of controlling a hybrid working machine and a control controlling device,
(A) setting the first voltage value;
(B) determining whether the work machine is in a non-operating state;
(C) A method for controlling a hybrid type work machine, comprising: a step of setting a voltage between terminals of the capacitor to a predetermined voltage when it is detected that a predetermined time has elapsed in a non-operating state of the work machine.   6. The control method for a hybrid type work machine according to claim 5, wherein the predetermined voltage in the step (c) is a value obtained by multiplying the first voltage value by the number of series connection of unit capacitors constituting the capacitor.

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