JP2015090745A - External short circuit test device and external short circuit test - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an external short circuit test device and an external short circuit test method capable of preventing such a situation that a contact is damaged or arc is generated therefrom in opening and closing means, and a test cannot be ended.SOLUTION: An external short circuit test device 10 includes an external short circuit 11 for causing external short circuit of a battery 20 as a test object. The external short circuit 11 has a battery installing section 21 for installing the battery 20, first opening and closing means 30 for opening and closing the external short circuit 11, and external resistance increasing means 40 for increasing the external resistance of a battery in the external short circuit 11. These battery installing section 21, first opening and closing means 30, and external resistance increasing means 40 are connected in series with each other.

Description

  The present invention relates to an external short circuit test apparatus and an external short circuit test method.

  Conventionally, a secondary battery or a battery pack having a plurality of secondary batteries is repeatedly used after being charged, and is widely used as various power sources. However, when these secondary batteries or the like are short-circuited externally during use, a large short-circuit current is generated, which may cause the secondary battery or the like to generate heat and ignite. Therefore, before using these secondary batteries, etc., the external short circuit of the secondary battery etc. is reproduced in advance, and the safety of the secondary battery is protected by the protection function of the secondary battery or the protection circuit outside the secondary battery at the time of the reproduced external short circuit. An external short-circuit test for confirming whether or not it is maintained is known (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1). FIG. 4 of this non-patent document 1 shows the circuit configuration of the external short-circuit test. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 of non-patent document 1 show the short-circuit current at the time of the external short-circuit and the short-circuit current. The surface temperature of the battery as the test object when is flowing is shown.

  A circuit provided in the external short-circuit test apparatus for performing the external short-circuit test as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12 shown as an example. A circuit 100 in FIG. 11 includes a battery 101 as a test target, an opening / closing means 102 for opening and closing the circuit 100, and a resistor 103 having a resistance value defined in advance by a test standard. . The circuit 100a in FIG. 12 corresponds to the circuit 100 in FIG. 11 in which two opening / closing means 102 are connected in series, one opening / closing means 102 is opened and closed, and the other opening / closing means 102 is closed. .

Hokuriku Electric Power Research and Development Annual Report No. 44 “Development of Power Storage System Using Lithium Ion Batteries 2

  By the way, when a large-capacity secondary battery or the like mounted on an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle is short-circuited externally, a large current of several thousand to several tens of thousands of amperes is generated in direct current. When trying to reproduce this short-circuit state using the circuit 100 of FIG. 11, when opening / closing the switching means 102, a minute current of the opening / closing means 102 and a large current flow between these contacts. The circuit 100 may not be shut off due to contact damage or arcing, and the test may not be completed.

  Further, when this short-circuit state is to be reproduced using the circuit 100a of FIG. 12, even if the circuit 100a cannot be shut off by one of the opening / closing means 102, it is fixed by the other opening / closing means 102 closed. In the meantime, the circuit 100a can be shut off. However, as described above, the two opening / closing means 102 are connected in series, and a large current flowing through one opening / closing means 102 flows to the other opening / closing means 102 in the same way, If the opening / closing is continued, the circuit 100a may not be shut off by the other opening / closing means 102.

  Contact damage or arcing as occurs in the circuits 100 and 100a of FIGS. 11 and 12 is considered to occur in the circuit shown in Non-Patent Document 1 as well.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an external short-circuit test apparatus and an external short-circuit test method capable of preventing a contact from being damaged or arcing in the switching means and preventing the test from being completed. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is an external short-circuit test apparatus having an external short-circuit for externally short-circuiting a battery as a test object, wherein the external short-circuit is used for installing the battery. A battery installation part; a first opening / closing means for opening and closing the external short circuit; and an external resistance increasing means for increasing the external resistance of the battery in the external short circuit, the battery installation part The first opening / closing means and the external resistance increasing means are connected in series with each other.

  In this configuration, the external resistance of the battery installed in the battery installation unit can be increased by the external resistance increasing means. As a result, the current flowing from the battery to the external short circuit can be reduced. And it becomes possible to open the said 1st opening / closing means in the state which the electric current which flows into a 1st opening / closing means decreased. Since these operations can be performed at the end of the test, when the first opening / closing means is opened, local heat generation generated at the contact of the first opening / closing means is suppressed, and the first opening / closing means In addition to preventing damage to the contacts, the current that flows locally between the contacts of the first switching means can also be reduced to prevent arcing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the test from being impossible due to contact damage or arc generation in the first switching means.

  In the present invention, it further comprises control means for controlling the first opening / closing means and the external resistance increasing means, and the control means increases the external resistance by the external resistance increasing means at the end of the test and then increases the external resistance. It is preferable that the first opening / closing means is controlled to open.

  In this configuration, since the control means automatically performs an operation for increasing the external resistance of the battery by the external resistance increasing means and an operation for opening the first opening / closing means, it is not necessary for the user to perform these operations. An external short circuit test can be easily performed.

  Further, even when a large current flows through the external short circuit due to the external short circuit of the battery during the test, the user does not have to directly touch the external resistance increasing means and the first opening / closing means, thereby improving the safety of the test. be able to.

  Further, since the control means can increase the external resistance of the battery to increase the external resistance of the battery, the first opening / closing means can be opened in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is reduced. Contact damage or arcing in the means can be prevented.

  In this invention, the external resistance increasing means has a parallel circuit connected in series to the first opening / closing means and the battery installation section, and the parallel circuits are connected in parallel to each other to constitute the external resistance. A plurality of resistance means, and a second opening / closing means connected in series to at least one of these resistance means, and the control means, when the test is completed, the second opening / closing means. It is preferable that the first opening / closing means is controlled to open after being opened.

  In this configuration, the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is diverted to the plurality of flow paths according to the resistance values of the plurality of resistance means provided in the parallel circuit, so that the current flowing through the second opening / closing means is reduced. Can be made. Since the control means can open the second opening / closing means in a state where the current flowing through the second opening / closing means is reduced, local heat generated at the contact point of the second opening / closing means at this time is suppressed. As a result, damage to the contacts of the second switching means can be prevented, and the current that flows locally between the contacts of the second switching means can be reduced to prevent arcing.

  Further, when the control means opens the second opening / closing means, the external resistance of the battery including the plurality of resistance means is increased with respect to the external resistance under test, and the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is reduced. be able to. And since the control means can open the first opening / closing means in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is reduced, at this time, the contact of the first opening / closing means is prevented from being damaged or the occurrence of arcing. be able to.

  In this invention, the external resistance increasing means has a parallel circuit connected in series to the first opening / closing means and the battery installation section, and the parallel circuits are connected in parallel to each other to constitute the external resistance. A variable resistor is used as at least one of the plurality of resistance means, and the control means increases the resistance value of the variable resistor at the end of the test. It is preferable that the first opening / closing means is controlled to open.

  In this configuration, when the control means increases the resistance value of the variable resistor, the combined resistance value of the plurality of resistance means in the parallel circuit increases, so that the external resistance of the battery increases. Thereby, the current flowing through the first opening / closing means can be reduced. And since the control means can open the first opening / closing means in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is reduced, at this time, the contact of the first opening / closing means is prevented from being damaged or the occurrence of arcing. be able to.

  In this invention, the parallel circuit has a second opening / closing means connected in series to the variable resistor, and the control means increases the resistance value of the variable resistor at the end of the test. It is preferable that the first opening / closing means is opened after the second opening / closing means is opened.

  In this configuration, when the control means opens the second opening / closing means, the current flowing through the variable resistor can be cut off, and the combined resistance value of the plurality of resistance means in the parallel circuit can be effectively increased. Thereby, the electric current which flows into the 1st opening-and-closing means can be reduced reliably.

  Further, since the control means can increase the resistance value of the variable resistor, the second opening / closing means can be opened in a state where the current flowing through the second opening / closing means is reliably reduced, so that the second opening / closing means It is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of contact damage or arcing.

  In the present invention, the external resistance increasing means is constituted by a variable resistor, and the control means controls to open the first opening / closing means after increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor at the end of the test. It is preferably configured to do so.

  In this configuration, the first opening / closing means can be opened in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is reliably reduced by increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor by the control means. It is possible to effectively prevent contact damage or arcing in the switching means.

  In addition, since the external resistance increasing means can be constituted by a simple device called a variable resistor, it is possible to realize downsizing and cost reduction of the external short-circuit test apparatus.

  In the present invention, the control means is configured to control whether the first opening / closing means and the external resistance increasing means are determined when it is determined whether a condition for ending the test is satisfied and it is determined that the condition is satisfied. It is preferable that

  In this configuration, since the first switching means and the external resistance increasing means are controlled after the control means determines the end of the test, the user does not need to determine the end of the test himself, and the external short circuit test is performed. It can be done even more easily.

  In the present invention, at the end of the test, the control means performs control to wait for a predetermined time after increasing the external resistance by the external resistance increasing means and opening the first opening / closing means. It is preferable to be configured.

  In this configuration, the control means increases the external resistance of the battery by the external resistance increasing means and waits for a predetermined time, whereby the current flowing through the first opening / closing means can be more reliably reduced. Since the control means can open the first opening / closing means in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means is more reliably reduced, it is possible to further prevent contact damage or arcing in the first opening / closing means. Can be effectively prevented.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an external short-circuit test method for externally short-circuiting a battery as a test object, the step of installing the battery in an external short-circuit for externally short-circuiting the battery, Closing the open / close means for opening and closing the external short circuit and starting the test; and increasing the external resistance of the battery and then opening the open / close means to end the test. .

  In this method, after the battery to be tested is installed in the external short circuit, the switch is closed and the test is started, and then the current flowing through the switch is decreased by increasing the external resistance of the battery. it can. Then, the test can be completed by opening the opening / closing means in a state where the current flowing through the opening / closing means is reduced. Therefore, when the opening / closing means is opened at the end of the test, local heat generation generated at the contact of the opening / closing means can be suppressed to prevent damage to the contact of the opening / closing means, and local contact between the contacts of the opening / closing means can be prevented. Current can be reduced and arcing can be prevented. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the test from being impossible due to contact damage or arc generation in the switching means.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an external short-circuit test apparatus and an external short-circuit test method capable of preventing a contact from being damaged or an arc from being generated in the switching means and being unable to complete the test. it can.

It is a circuit diagram which shows the external short circuit provided with the external short circuit testing apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of the said external short circuit test apparatus. It is a circuit diagram which shows the state by which all the opening-and-closing means were closed in the said external short circuit. It is a circuit diagram which shows the magnitude | size of the electric current which flows into the said external short circuit during a test. It is a circuit diagram which shows the magnitude | size of the electric current which flows into the said external short circuit at the end of a test. It is the flowchart which showed the external short circuit test method using the said external short circuit test apparatus. It is a circuit diagram which shows the external short circuit provided with the external short circuit testing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of the said external short circuit test apparatus. It is a circuit diagram which shows the external short circuit provided with the external short circuit testing apparatus which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of the said external short circuit test apparatus. It is an example of the circuit diagram which shows the external short circuit provided with the conventional external short circuit test apparatus. It is another example of the circuit diagram which shows the external short circuit provided with the conventional external short circuit test apparatus.

  An external short-circuit test apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the external short circuit test apparatus 10 includes an external short circuit 11 for externally short-circuiting a battery 20 as a test target. In the present embodiment, a secondary battery is used as the battery 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, a pack battery having a plurality of secondary batteries and a protection circuit for protecting these batteries, a primary battery, or the like. May be used.

  The external short circuit 11 includes a battery installation portion 21 for installing the battery 20, a first opening / closing means 30 for opening and closing the circuit 11, and an external resistance increasing means 40 for increasing the external resistance of the battery 20. And a control means (controller) 50 for controlling the first opening / closing means 30 and the external resistance increasing means 40. The external resistance is the resistance of the entire circuit 11 excluding the internal resistance of the battery 20, specifically, the internal resistance, the conductor resistance, and each connection portion of the components of the circuit 11 (for example, the first switching means 30). The contact resistance is combined and is defined in advance by the test standard. The battery installation portion 21 and the first opening / closing means 30 are connected by the conductor 12, and the first opening / closing means 30 and the external resistance increasing means 40 are connected by the conductor 13, and the external resistance increasing means 40 and the battery installation portion are connected. 21 is connected by a conductor 14. Thereby, the battery installation part 21, the 1st opening / closing means 30, and the external resistance increase means 40 are mutually connected in series.

  The battery installation unit 21 is for stably installing the battery 20 in the external short circuit 11. The battery installation portion 21 is connected to the upstream side portion of the conductor 12 and the downstream side portion of the conductor 14. During the test, a short circuit current flows from the battery 20 through the conductor 12 to the first opening / closing means 30 when the battery 20 installed in the battery installation unit 21 is externally short-circuited.

  The first opening / closing means 30 is for bringing the external short circuit 11 into an energized state or a non-energized state, and is connected to the downstream side portion of the conductor 12 and the upstream side portion of the conductor 13. When the first opening / closing means 30 is closed, a short-circuit current is allowed to flow through the entire external short-circuit circuit 11, and the circuit 11 is energized. On the other hand, when the first opening / closing means 30 is open, the short circuit current is prevented from flowing through the entire external short circuit 11, and the circuit 11 enters a non-energized state. As the first switching means 30, for example, a direct current air circuit breaker, a vacuum circuit breaker, an electromagnetic switch or the like is used. The first opening / closing means 30 is not limited to one pole, and may be two poles.

  The external resistance increasing unit 40 includes a parallel circuit 41 connected in series to the first opening / closing unit 30 and the battery installation unit 21 by being connected to the downstream side portion of the conductor 13 and the upstream side portion of the conductor 14. In the present embodiment, the parallel circuit 41 includes a plurality of resistance means 42 and a second opening / closing means 43 connected in series to at least one of the resistance means 42. The plurality of resistance means 42 includes one resistance means 42a and the other resistance means 42b, and the second opening / closing means 43 is connected in series to one resistance means 42a by a conductor 41a. The second opening / closing means 43 and the other resistance means 42 b are connected by a conductor 41 b connected to the downstream side portion of the conductor 13, and one resistance means 42 a and the other resistance means 42 b are upstream of the conductor 14. It is connected by a conductor 41c connected to the part. Thereby, one resistance means 42a and the other resistance means 42b are mutually connected in parallel. The short-circuit current that has flowed through the first opening / closing means 30 passes through the conductor 13 and then is divided into two flow paths 44 and 45. One flow path 44 passes through the conductor 41b, the second opening / closing means 43, the conductor 41a, the one resistance means 42a and the conductor 41c, and the other flow path 45 is the conductor 41b, the other resistance means 42b, It passes through the conductor 41c. The number of flow paths of the parallel circuit 41 is not limited to two and may be three or more. For example, when the number of flow paths of the parallel circuit 41 is 3, resistance means is provided in each of the three flow paths, and the second opening / closing means is provided in any one or two of these flow paths. 43 may be provided.

  As the plurality of resistance means 42a and 42b, for example, resistors can be used. The magnitude of the current flowing through the flow paths 44 and 45 of the parallel circuit 41 is determined by the resistance values of the resistance means 42a and 42b. Specifically, the greater the resistance value of the resistance means 42a, 42b, the less current flows through the flow paths 44, 45 having the resistance means 42a, 42b. The resistance values of the resistance means 42a and 42b are set so that the external resistance of the battery 20 falls within the test standard range. In addition, in order to suppress the influence by heat_generation | fever of resistance means 42a and 42b during a test, it is preferable to cool the resistance means 42a and 42b by air or water.

  The second opening / closing means 43 is for adjusting the resistance value of the external resistance of the battery 20 in the external short circuit 11, and in the present embodiment, the upstream side of the one resistance means 42a in the one flow path 44. Is provided.

  By opening / closing the second opening / closing means 43, the resistance value of the external resistance of the battery 20 in the external short circuit 11 changes. Specifically, when the second opening / closing means 43 is open, current is prevented from flowing through one resistance means 42a connected to the second opening / closing means 43, so that the other resistance means 42b The resistance value contributes to the resistance value of the external resistance of the battery 20. On the other hand, when the second opening / closing means 43 is closed, current is allowed to flow through one of the resistance means 42a, so that the combined resistance value of both the resistance means 42a and 42b is outside the battery 20. Contributes to the resistance value of the resistor. The resistance value of the external resistance when the second opening / closing means 43 is open is larger than the resistance value of the external resistance when the second opening / closing means 43 is closed. Thus, by using the change in the resistance value of the external resistance of the battery 20 depending on the open / close state of the second open / close means 43, the current flowing through the first open / close means 30 can be reduced as described later. As the second opening / closing means 43, for example, a direct current air circuit breaker, a vacuum circuit breaker, an electromagnetic switch or the like is used.

  The external short circuit 11 may include a device such as a milliohm meter for checking whether or not the resistance value of the external resistance of the battery 20 is within a specified range of the test before the test is started. In addition, in order to accurately measure the performance of the battery 20, the circuit 11 may be disposed in a thermostat for keeping the temperature of the battery 20 constant. Further, the circuit 11 may be provided with a current sensor, a shunt resistor, or a recorder for measuring a current value flowing from the battery 20 to the external short circuit 11 during the test.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control means 50 includes an open / close control section 51 for controlling the first open / close means 30, a resistance control section 52 for controlling the second open / close means 43, and a test end. It has the determination part 53 for determining whether these conditions are satisfied, and the time measuring part 54 for measuring time.

  The opening / closing control unit 51 closes the first opening / closing means 30 based on the test start command given at the start of the test, and after the second opening / closing means 43 is opened at the end of the test, the first opening / closing means 51 Control for opening the means 30 is performed. Note that the test start command may be output, for example, when the control unit 50 is provided with a start switch for starting the test and the user presses the switch.

  The resistance control unit 52 closes the second opening / closing means 43 based on the test start command given at the start of the test, and based on the test end command output from the determination unit 53 at the end of the test. Control to open the opening / closing means 43 is performed.

  The determination unit 53 is configured to output a test end command when it is determined that a condition for the test end is satisfied. An example of the condition for terminating the test is that a predetermined time has elapsed as the test time. In addition, for example, the capacity of the battery 20, the voltage applied to the battery 20, the current flowing from the battery 20, or the temperature of the battery 20 has reached a predetermined value. The test termination command may include a test interruption command due to an abnormality. In this case, the determination unit 53 determines the current value flowing through the external short circuit 11 or a conductor (for example, the conductors 12 to 12) constituting the circuit 11, for example. 14, 41 a to 41 c, etc.), when the temperature reaches a predetermined value, it is determined that a condition for suspending the test is satisfied, and the test suspend command is output.

  The control unit 50 may be configured without the determination unit 53. In this case, for example, an end switch for ending the test may be provided in the control means 50, and a test end command may be output when the user presses the switch.

  The timer 54 is configured to measure a predetermined time after the resistance controller 52 controls the second opening / closing means 43 at the end of the test. As this predetermined time, a time sufficient to reliably reduce the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 after the second opening / closing means 43 is opened is set. That is, the control means 50 waits for a predetermined time measured by the timer 54 after the control of the second opening / closing means 43 by the resistance control section 52 and then the first opening / closing means 30 by the opening / closing control section 51. It is configured to perform control.

  The control unit 50 may be configured without the time measuring unit 54. In this case, the control means 50 controls the second opening / closing means 43 by the resistance control section 52, and sequentially performs the control to open the first opening / closing means 30 by the opening / closing control section 51 after the second opening / closing means 43 is opened. It may be configured as follows. Alternatively, in this case, after the second opening / closing means 43 is opened, the control means 50 waits until the current flowing through the external short circuit 11 decreases to a predetermined current value, and then the opening / closing control section 51 causes the first opening / closing control section 51 to You may comprise so that the opening-and-closing means 30 may be controlled to open.

  Next, in the external short circuit 11 having the above-described configuration, current values flowing in the flow paths 44 and 45 of the parallel circuit 41 will be described with reference to FIG.

In the external short circuit 11, the resistance value of _one resistance means 42a is R ₁ [Ω], the resistance value of the other resistance means 42b is R ₂ [Ω], and the current value flowing through the first switching means 30 is I _t [ A], the current value I ₁ [A] flowing in one flow path 44 and the current value I ₂ [A] flowing in the other flow path 45 are expressed by the following (formula 1) and (formula 2): It is expressed in
I ₁ = I _t × R ₂ / (R ₁ + R ₂ ) (Formula 1)
_{I 2 = I t × R 1} / (R 1 + R 2) ( Equation 2)
Here, when the resistance value of one resistance means 42a and the resistance value of the other resistance means 42b are the same (R ₁ = R ₂ ), the current values I ₁ and I ₂
I ₁ = I ₂ = I _t × 1/2 (Formula 3)
It becomes.

  In this way, when the second opening / closing means 43 is closed, the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 is shunted to the flow paths 44 and 45, so the current flowing through the second opening / closing means 43 is This is less than the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30.

  Next, changes in the resistance value of the external resistance of the battery 20 during the test and at the end of the test will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 3, the external resistance R _t [Ω] of the battery 20 in the state under test, that is, in the state where both the first opening / closing means 30 and the second opening / closing means 43 are closed in the external short circuit 11 is It is expressed as (Equation 4) below.
_{1 / R t = 1 / R} 1 + 1 / R 2 ( Formula 4)
Here, for example, _R 1 = 10 _[mΩ], When R 2 = 10 [mΩ], as shown in FIG. 4, the external resistor _{R t} in the test, from Equation 4,
R _t = 5 [mΩ] (Formula 5)
It becomes.

The external resistance R _t in the state at the end of the test, that is, in the state where the second opening / closing means 43 is opened from the state under test, is one resistance means connected in series to the second opening / closing means 43. Since no current flows through 42a, it is expressed as (Equation 6) below.
R _t = R ₂ (Formula 6)
Here, similarly to the above, when R ₁ = 10 [mΩ] and R ₂ = 10 [mΩ], as shown in FIG. 5, the external resistance R _t at the end of the test is
R _t = 10 [mΩ] (Formula 7)
It becomes.

Accordingly, as shown in Equations 5 and 7, the external resistance R _t of the battery 20 at the time of the completion of the test has increased relative to the external resistance R _t of the battery 20 during the test.

  Next, changes in the value of the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 during the test and when the test is completed will be described.

As shown in FIG. 3, assuming that the internal resistance of the battery 20 is R _in [Ω] and the voltage of the battery 20 is V [v], the value of the current flowing from the battery 20 to the circuit 11 during the test, that is, the first current value I _t flowing through the switching means 30 of the may be expressed as the following equation (8).
I _t = V / (R _in + R _t ) (Formula 8)
Here, for example, _R in = 10 _[mΩ], When V = 300 [v], as shown in FIG. 4, the current value _{I t} under test, from Equations 5 and 8,
I _t = 20 [kA] (Formula 9)
It becomes.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the current value I _t when the end of the test, from Equations 7 and 8,
I _t = 15 [kA] (Formula 10)
It becomes.

Accordingly, as shown in Equation 9 and Equation 10, the current value I _t when the end of the study has decreased with respect to the current value I _t during the test. In this example, the internal resistance, conductor resistance, and contact resistance of the first opening / closing means 30 and the second opening / closing means 43 are ignored.

  Next, an external short circuit test method using the external short circuit test apparatus 10 as described above will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the case where the first opening / closing means 30 is closed and the second opening / closing means 43 is closed as an initial state of the external short-circuit test apparatus 10 will be described.

  First, the user checks whether or not the resistance value of the external short-circuit test apparatus in which the battery 20 is installed (external resistance) is within a specified range of the test (step S1). This external resistance check is performed, for example, when the user checks whether the external resistance of the battery 20 is within a prescribed range of the test using a device such as a milliohm meter.

  When the external resistance of the battery 20 is within the specified range (Yes in step S1), the first opening / closing means 30 is opened (step S2), and the user installs the battery 20 in the battery installation part 21 of the external short circuit 11. (Step S3). When the external resistance of the battery 20 is not within the specified range (No in step S1), the user configures the components of the external short circuit 11 (for example, the first opening / closing means 30 and The internal resistance of the second opening / closing means 43 and the like, the conductor resistance, and the contact resistance at each connection portion are adjusted.

  After installing the battery 20, it is determined whether or not the user starts the test (step S4). When the user determines to start the test (Yes in step S4), the user presses a start switch for starting the test provided in the control means 50, for example, and gives a test start command to the control means 50. Thereby, the first opening / closing means 30 is closed (step S5), a short-circuit current flows from the battery 20 to the entire external short-circuit circuit 11, and the external short-circuit test apparatus 10 shifts to a state under test.

  The control means 50 determines whether or not to end the repeated test during the test (step S6). Specifically, the control unit 50 determines that the test is ended when a test end command is output from the determination unit 53, while if the test end command is not output from the determination unit 53, the test is terminated. Judge that there is no. When it is determined that the control means 50 ends the test (Yes in step S6), the resistance control unit 52 of the control means 50 opens the second opening / closing means 43 (step S7).

  Next, the time measuring unit 54 measures a predetermined time (step S8). Here, the external short-circuit test apparatus 10 is in a standby state after the second opening / closing means 43 is opened until a predetermined time for reliably reducing the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 elapses. During this time, the external resistance of the battery 20 has increased with respect to the external resistance under test so far, so that the current flowing through the first switching means 30 is reliably reduced.

  When the timer 54 measures a predetermined time (Yes in step S8), the opening / closing control unit 51 of the control means 50 opens the first opening / closing means 30 (step S9) and ends the test. At this time, since the second opening / closing means 43 is open, the external resistance of the battery 20 is increased and the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 is reduced.

  In the external short-circuit test apparatus 10 described above, the external resistance of the battery 20 installed in the battery installation unit 21 can be increased by the external resistance increasing means 40. Thereby, the current flowing from the battery 20 to the external short circuit 11 can be reduced. The first opening / closing means 30 can be opened in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 is reduced. Since these operations can be performed at the end of the test, when the first opening / closing means 30 is opened, local heat generated at the contact point of the first opening / closing means 30 is suppressed, and the first opening / closing is performed. The contact of the means 30 can be prevented from being damaged, and the current flowing locally between the contacts of the first opening / closing means 30 can be reduced to prevent arcing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the end of the test from being impossible due to contact damage or arcing in the first switching means 30.

  Further, since the control means 50 automatically performs an operation for increasing the external resistance of the battery 20 by the external resistance increasing means 40 and an operation for opening the first opening / closing means 30, it is necessary for the user to perform these operations. The external short circuit test can be easily performed. Further, even when a large current flows through the external short circuit 11 due to an external short circuit of the battery 20 during the test by such an automatic operation by the control unit 50, the user can use the external resistance increasing unit 40 and the first resistance increasing unit 40. Since it becomes unnecessary to directly touch the opening / closing means 30, the safety of the test can be improved.

  Further, since the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 is divided into the two flow paths 44 and 45 according to the resistance values of one resistance means 42a and the other resistance means 42b provided in the parallel circuit 41, The current flowing through the second opening / closing means 43 can be reduced. And since the control means 50 can open the 2nd opening-and-closing means 43 in the state which the electric current which flows into this 2nd opening-and-closing means 43 decreased, the local which arises in the contact of the 2nd opening-and-closing means 43 in this case Heat generation can be suppressed and damage to the contacts of the second switching means 43 can be prevented, and current that flows locally between the contacts of the second switching means 43 can also be reduced to prevent arcing. .

  The second opening / closing means 43 is provided in one flow path 44, and the current flowing through the second opening / closing means 43 is the opening / closing means in the circuit 100a of the conventional external short-circuit test apparatus as shown in FIG. Since the current flowing in the configuration in which 102 is connected in series becomes smaller, the second opening / closing means 43 can be dealt with with a lower current, and it is possible to reduce the size and cost of the device. it can.

  In addition, since the resistance means 42a is provided in the flow path 44 and the resistance means 42b is provided in the flow path 45, the external resistance is smaller than connecting the resistance means 42a and 42b in series in one flow path. can do. Therefore, the battery 20 can be externally short-circuited during the test to easily generate a larger current.

  Further, since the control of the first opening / closing means 30 and the external resistance increasing means 40 is performed after the control means 50 determines the end of the test, it is unnecessary for the user to determine the end of the test himself / herself, and the external short circuit test. Can be done more easily.

  In addition, by waiting for a predetermined time after the control means 50 increases the external resistance of the battery 20 by the external resistance increasing means 40, the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 can be reliably reduced. Since the open / close control unit 51 of the control means 50 can open the first open / close means 30 in a state where the current flowing through the first open / close means 30 is reliably reduced, the contact point in the first open / close means 30 Damage or arcing can be more effectively prevented.

  Moreover, since the damage of the contact of the 1st switching means 30 and the 2nd switching means 43 is prevented as mentioned above, the lifetime of the external short circuit test apparatus 10 can be lengthened.

  Next, an external short-circuit test apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the external short-circuit test apparatus 10a according to the present embodiment has an external short-circuit according to the first embodiment in that a variable resistor 42c is used as one resistance means 42a in the external short-circuit circuit 11. Different from the test apparatus 10. As the variable resistor 42c, for example, carbon is used as a resistance material, and a variable large current resistor (see Japanese Patent No. 3499240) whose resistance is variable by mechanical contact is used.

  In the present embodiment, the resistance control unit 52 of the control means 50 is configured to control the second opening / closing means 43 and the variable resistor 42c, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the resistance control unit 52 controls to open the second opening / closing means 43 after sufficiently increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor 42c based on the test end determination output from the determination unit 53 at the end of the test. Is configured to do. The opening / closing control unit 51 of the control unit 50 is configured to perform control to open the first opening / closing unit 30 after being controlled by the resistance control unit 52.

  As an operation of the external short-circuit test apparatus 10 a at the end of the test, first, the resistance control unit 52 sufficiently increases the resistance value of the variable resistor 42 c to surely reduce the current flowing through the second opening / closing means 43. Next, the resistance control unit 52 opens the second opening / closing means 43 in a state where the current flowing through the second opening / closing means 43 is reliably reduced. Thereby, the external resistance of the battery 20 increases, and the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 decreases. Next, the open / close control unit 51 of the control means 50 opens the first open / close means 30 and ends the test in a state where the current flowing through the first open / close means 30 is reduced.

  According to the external short-circuit test apparatus 10a described above, the control means 50 opens the second opening / closing means 43, thereby interrupting the current flowing through the variable resistor 42c and the variable resistor 42c in the parallel circuit 41 and the other. Since the combined resistance value of the resistance means 42b can be effectively increased, the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 can be effectively reduced.

  Further, since the control means 50 can increase the resistance value of the variable resistor 42c, the second opening / closing means 43 can be opened in a state where the current flowing through the second opening / closing means 43 is reliably reduced. It is possible to effectively prevent contact damage or arcing in the two switching means 43.

  In the configuration of FIG. 7, the second opening / closing means 43 may not be provided. In this case, only the variable resistor 42c is provided in the flow path 44, and the control means 50 increases the resistance value of the variable resistor 42c, whereby the variable resistor 42c in the parallel circuit 41 and the other resistance means. Since the combined resistance value with 42b increases, the external resistance of the battery 20 increases. Thereby, the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 can be reduced. The control means 50 can open the first opening / closing means 30 in a state where the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30 is reduced. Can be prevented.

  Next, an external short-circuit test apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The external short circuit test apparatus 10b of the present embodiment is different from the external short circuit test apparatus 10 of the first embodiment in that the external resistance increasing means 40 is configured by a variable resistor 42c in the external short circuit 11. That is, the parallel circuit 41 is not provided, and the variable resistor 42 c is connected to the downstream side portion of the conductor 13 and the upstream side portion of the conductor 14.

  In the present embodiment, the resistance control unit 52 of the control means 50 is configured to control the variable resistor 42c. Specifically, the resistance control unit 52 is configured to perform control to sufficiently increase the resistance value of the variable resistor 42c based on the test end determination output from the determination unit 53 when the test ends. The opening / closing control unit 51 of the control unit 50 is configured to perform control to open the first opening / closing unit 30 after being controlled by the resistance control unit 52.

  As the operation of the external short-circuit test apparatus 10b at the end of the test, the resistance control unit 52 sufficiently increases the resistance value of the variable resistor 42c and reliably reduces the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30. Next, the open / close control unit 51 of the control means 50 opens the first open / close means 30 in a state where the current flowing through the first open / close means 30 is reliably reduced, and ends the test.

  According to the external short-circuit test apparatus 10b described above, the resistance control unit 52 of the control means 50 increases the resistance value of the variable resistor 42c, thereby reliably reducing the current flowing through the first opening / closing means 30. Since the opening / closing controller 51 of the control means 50 can open the first opening / closing means 30, it is possible to effectively prevent damage to the contacts or arcing in the first opening / closing means 30.

  Further, since the external resistance increasing means 40 can be configured by a simple device called the variable resistor 42c, the external short circuit test apparatus 10 can be reduced in size and cost.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiment as described above, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the external short circuit 11, the battery 20, the external resistance increasing means 40, and the first opening / closing means 30 may be connected in series in this order. In the parallel circuit 41 of the external resistance increasing means 40 shown in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the second opening / closing means 43 is provided downstream of the one resistance means 42a or the variable resistor 42c. It may be provided. Moreover, in the external short circuit test method using the flowchart of FIG. 6, the example in which the control unit 50 automatically performs steps S <b> 5 to S <b> 9 has been shown. For example, the user may manually perform steps S5 to S9. Further, when the timekeeping unit 54 is not provided, step S9 may be performed without performing step S8 after step S7.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10, 10a, 10b External short circuit test apparatus 20 Battery 21 Battery installation part 30 1st switching means 40 External resistance increase means 41 Parallel circuit 42, 42a, 42b Resistance means 42c Variable resistor 43 2nd switching means 50 Control means

Claims (9)

An external short-circuit test apparatus having an external short circuit for externally short-circuiting a battery as a test object,
The external short circuit includes a battery installation unit for installing the battery, first opening / closing means for opening and closing the external short circuit, and an external for increasing the external resistance of the battery in the external short circuit. Resistance increasing means, and
The battery installation section, the first opening / closing means, and the external resistance increasing means are external short circuit test devices connected in series with each other. Control means for controlling the first opening / closing means and the external resistance increasing means;
2. The external short-circuit test according to claim 1, wherein the control means is configured to perform control to open the first opening / closing means after increasing the external resistance by the external resistance increasing means at the end of the test. apparatus. The external resistance increasing means has a parallel circuit connected in series to the first opening / closing means and the battery installation part,
The parallel circuit includes a plurality of resistance means connected in parallel to each other to form the external resistance, and a second opening / closing means connected in series to at least one of the resistance means,
The external short-circuit test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control means is configured to perform control to open the first opening / closing means after opening the second opening / closing means at the end of the test. The external resistance increasing means has a parallel circuit connected in series to the first opening / closing means and the battery installation part,
The parallel circuit has a plurality of resistance means connected in parallel to each other to constitute the external resistance,
A variable resistor is used as at least one of the plurality of resistance means,
3. The external short-circuit test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control to open the first opening / closing unit after increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor at the end of the test. The parallel circuit has second opening / closing means connected in series to the variable resistor,
The said control means is comprised so that it may open the said 1st opening / closing means after increasing the resistance value of the said variable resistor and opening the said 2nd opening / closing means at the time of completion | finish of a test. External short circuit test equipment. The external resistance increasing means is constituted by a variable resistor,
3. The external short-circuit test apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control to open the first opening / closing unit after increasing the resistance value of the variable resistor at the end of the test.   The control means is configured to control whether the first opening / closing means and the external resistance increasing means are determined when it is determined whether a condition for ending the test is satisfied and it is determined that the condition is satisfied. The external short circuit test apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6.   The control means is configured to perform control to wait for a predetermined time from when the external resistance increasing means increases the external resistance to when the first opening / closing means is opened at the end of the test. The external short circuit test apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 7. An external short-circuit test method for externally short-circuiting a battery as a test object,
Installing the battery in an external short circuit for externally shorting the battery;
Closing the open / close means for opening and closing the external short circuit and starting the test;
An external short circuit test method comprising: increasing the external resistance of the battery and then opening the open / close means to end the test.

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