JP2022133088A - Power storage device and method for supplying power source at affected areas - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a power storage device that is adaptable to a variety of purposes of use.SOLUTION: A power storage device includes a power charging/power supplying station 4 equipped with a plurality of slots 6 to accept a plurality of power storage units 10 in a detachable/attachable manner. A slot interface (I/F) is established to allow power exchange when the power storage units 10 are attached to the corresponding slots 6. The power storage units 10 each include a secondary battery 94 that is managed by a BMS 90, a power source I/F 14, and a power supply I/F 16. The power charging/power supplying station 4 has slot-side terminals disposed on the corresponding slots. The slot-side terminals are connected in parallel with each other. The power charging/power supplying station 4 includes a power source I/F 60 and a power supply I/F 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention generally relates to a power storage device and a power supply method in a disaster area, and more particularly to a power storage device including a plurality of power storage units and a charging/power supply station for receiving the power storage units, each power storage unit being portable. is. The plurality of power storage units have a common outer shape and are removably attachable to and removed from each of the plurality of similarly shaped slots of the charging/power supply station. The power storage device according to the present invention is typically suitably applied to general households.

Recently, the Great East Japan Earthquake and other catastrophic disasters have occurred repeatedly. For example, Patent Literature 1 proposes a control device that quickly switches from a commercial power supply to a hybrid storage battery as a backup power supply for a traffic light when a power failure occurs. The hybrid storage battery disclosed in Patent Document 1 is composed of a lithium-ion battery and a lead-acid battery that are connected in parallel with each other.

Long-term power outages not only cause the inconvenience of not being able to use electrical appliances in ordinary households, but also cause serious damage and hindrance in daily life, such as food spoilage due to refrigerators not working, toilets not flushing, etc. . In addition to this, working from home is recommended during the global pandemic that occurred in 2020. Power outages while working from home can lead to disconnection from the Internet environment, which can have a significant impact on individual businesses.

Against this background, portable storage batteries are attracting attention as emergency power sources for households. A portable storage battery is also called a "portable power source," but the term "portable storage battery" is unified in this specification. A portable storage battery has a handle, and a user can hold the handle to carry it to a desired place.

In a commercially available portable storage battery, a built-in secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery is integrally managed by a battery management system (BMS). A portable storage battery consists of a power supply (input) interface (hereinafter referred to as "power supply I/F") for charging lithium-ion batteries, and power for supplying power to external devices such as electrical equipment, personal computers, lighting, and mobile terminals. and a supply interface (hereinafter referred to as “power supply I/F”).

The power I/F of the portable storage battery not only includes a port that accepts the connector pin of the adapter for charging using commercial power (AC: 100V), but also includes a USB port, a USB-PD (Power Delivery) port, a solar power It includes ports that accept connector pins from the panel, etc., allowing users to choose from multiple charging methods.

The power supply I/F of the portable storage battery includes AC output, USB port, cigar socket output, DC output, etc. Using the portable storage battery, it can be used as an outdoor electric heater, an electric blanket for sleeping in the car, outdoor lighting, It can supply power to mobile terminals such as personal computers and smartphones.

There are various types of portable storage batteries depending on the size of the capacity and the type of lithium ion battery, so they are used not only for emergencies but also for leisure activities such as camping, outdoors, and sleeping in the car as described above.

By the way, the realization of a "decarbonized society" that eliminates greenhouse gas emissions has become a global movement. In order to realize this decarbonized society, there is an increasing movement to utilize renewable energy such as sunlight and wind power. For the realization of a carbon-free society, it is effective to increase the convenience of power storage devices and spread the use of power storage devices to each household.

JP 2016-25688 A

When purchasing a portable storage battery, users should carefully consider their intended use. This is because the capacity of a portable battery determines the size of the portable battery and also determines the price. A large-capacity portable storage battery is larger, heavier, and relatively expensive than a small-capacity portable storage battery. Small capacity portable accumulators are small and lightweight, but have a limited amount of power that can be used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a power storage device that can be adapted to various purposes of use, typically in general households. A further object of the present invention is to provide a power supply method in a disaster area.

A power storage device of the present invention includes a plurality of power storage units and a charging/power supply station having a plurality of slots for individually receiving the power storage units. Each power storage unit contains a secondary battery. Each slot of the charging/power supply station has a terminal (hereinafter referred to as "slot terminal"), and when the power storage unit is attached, an interface is established between the slot terminal and the power storage unit. This is called a "slot I/F". Once the slot I/F is established, power can be transferred between the charging/power supply station and the power storage unit through the slot I/F. When the power storage unit is removed from the slot, the slot I/F is released.

The storage unit may have a handle, similar to conventional portable storage batteries. A user can hold the handle to attach/detach the power storage unit to/from the slot, and can carry the power storage unit. The secondary battery of the power storage unit is managed in an integrated manner by the BMS, similar to conventional portable storage batteries. A typical example of a secondary battery is a lithium ion battery. Each power storage unit is equipped with a unit power supply I/F, just like a conventional portable storage battery. Through this unit power supply I/F, power can be supplied to external devices such as electrical equipment, personal computers, lighting, and mobile terminals.

The power storage unit has a unit power supply I/F for charging the built-in secondary battery (lithium ion battery). This unit power supply I/F has the same configuration as a conventional portable storage battery. Therefore, the power storage unit can be charged using, for example, a commercial power supply or a solar panel through its own unit power supply I/F, regardless of the charging/power supply station. The unit power supply I/F for commercial power supply may be a port that accepts the connector pin of the adapter like a conventional portable storage battery, but it may be a terminal for plugging into a household outlet (AC 100V), that is, a power plug. good.

The charging/power supply station has a function of charging the power storage unit attached to each slot, and preferably each slot has a terminal to establish a slot I/F between each slot and the power storage unit. placed. Each slot terminal of a plurality of slots is electrically connected in parallel. The charging/power supply station has a bidirectional DC/DC converter corresponding to each slot terminal, and the maximum output of each bidirectional DC/DC converter should be limited to a value suitable for the built-in secondary battery. Each bidirectional DC/DC converter is connected to each slot terminal.

Since all the slot terminals of the charging/power supply station are electrically parallel to each other, even if no storage unit is installed in some of the slots, the storage units installed in the remaining slots can be charged. . For the charging function of the charging/power supply station, the charging/power supply station selectively uses natural energy sources such as solar panels, wind power, etc. in addition to domestic commercial power supply (AC 100V) to charge the storage unit. It has a station power I/F. The station power supply I/F is typically a terminal that plugs into a household outlet (100V), that is, a power plug, and a port that accepts connector pins from a solar panel or the like.

The charging/power supply station includes a station power supply I/F for supplying power stored in each power storage unit in a plurality of slots to an external device. The station power supply I/F consists of AC output, USB port, cigar socket output, DC output, etc. that conventional portable storage batteries have.

The power storage unit included in the power storage device according to the present invention can be used in the same way as a conventional portable storage battery. Detach the power storage unit from the charging/power supply station and carry it to a desired location for use as a portable power source for outdoor use, an emergency power source for electrical devices and terminals, a backup power source for mobile devices, and a power source for night lighting. can be done. In addition, it can be charged without a charging / power supply station using the unit power supply I / F provided in the storage unit itself.

In addition to charging the power storage units in multiple slots, the charging/power supply station uses the power supply I/F of the charging/power supply station to charge the power storage unit during charging and after charging. It can be powered using the power that is available.

By designing the power storage unit so that the power supply I/F of the power storage unit is exposed when the power storage unit is attached to the slot of the charging/power supply station, for example, all USB ports of the power supply I/F of the charging/power supply station , the USB port of the power supply I/F of the power storage unit attached to the charging/power supply station may be used to additionally charge, for example, a mobile terminal.

The power storage device of the present invention combines a plurality of power storage units with a charging/power supply station having a plurality of slots for receiving the power storage units. It can be used for both power supply from a charging/power supply station equipped with a single or multiple power storage units. can be compatible with Specifically, the power storage device of the present invention can be used in various ways, for example.

(1) A charging and power supply station can be used to charge multiple power storage units.
(2) A charging/power supply station equipped with at least one power storage unit can use the power of the power storage unit to supply power through the power supply I/F of the charging/power supply station. For example, in an emergency, the charging and power supply station can be placed near the refrigerator to keep the refrigerator running.

(3) The power storage unit removed from the charging/power supply station can be carried to a desired location in the same way as a portable storage battery, and can be used for power supply in an emergency or normal situation, for example, at a workplace in a house or at a campsite.
(4) Since the power storage unit itself can be charged using, for example, a commercial power source, it can be used in the same way as portable storage batteries that are currently in widespread use.

The power storage device of the present invention can exert its power when, for example, a wide-area disaster occurs. A number of charging and powering stations with storage units are prepared in advance to keep the storage units in a charged state. It is a stockpile in preparation for disasters. It will also have a truck equipped with an engine-powered generator and a number of solar panels, and this truck will be loaded with a number of charging and power stations fitted with energy storage units.

When a disaster occurs, the above-mentioned trucks rush to the affected area and distribute according to the requests of residents, for example, three power storage units or two charging/power supply stations including power storage units. Once the disaster victims have used and run out of energy storage units, have them bring the energy storage units to the truck and replace them with charged energy storage units. Empty power storage units are charged by inserting them into slots in charging and power stations on the truck. When the weather permits the solar panels to generate electricity, the solar panels are deployed and the electricity generated by the solar panels is used to charge the storage unit at the charging and power station. When the solar panels cannot generate power, such as at night, the power generated by the engine generator is used to charge the power storage unit at the charging and power supply station. As a result, it is possible to continue to provide charging/power supply stations equipped with power storage units and power storage units over a long period of time in response to requests from residents.

Disaster victims forced to live in shelters have access to electricity only from a limited number of commercial power outlets. According to the power storage device of the present invention, it is possible to provide the number of power storage units and charging/power supply stations that match the actual situation of each disaster victim according to the needs of each disaster victim, and provide power to the disaster victims in the entire evacuation center. be able to. Also, when emptied from use, disaster victims can replace the empty storage unit with a charged storage unit in the truck to continue providing power to the entire shelter for an extended period of time. Using solar panels for in-truck charging can alleviate time-sensitive problems such as running out of fuel.

1 is a perspective view of a power storage device of an example; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an electricity storage unit that constitutes a part of the electricity storage device of the example, viewed obliquely from the front. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the power storage unit shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the power storage unit illustrated in FIG. 2; FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a charging/power supply station forming part of the power storage device of the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a power storage unit forming part of the power storage device of the embodiment;

Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a power storage device 2 of an embodiment. The storage device 2 includes a charging and powering station 4 having five side-by-side slots 6 , each slot 6 receiving one power storage unit 10 . The five slots 6 have a common shape, and each slot 6 has a shape complementary to the contour of the power storage unit 10 . The plurality of power storage units 10 have a common external shape. In the charging/power supply station 4 shown in FIG. 1, the leftmost slot 6 out of the five slots 6 is empty, and the remaining four slots 6 are in a state where the power storage units 10 are installed.

2 to 4 show the power storage unit 10, FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen obliquely from the front, FIG. 3 is a rear view, and FIG. 4 is a bottom view. The power storage unit 10 has a handle 12 on the top surface 10a, and the user can grasp the handle 12 to insert/remove the power storage unit 10 into/from the slot 6, and the power storage unit 10 can be carried.

The power storage unit 10 has a unit power supply I/F 14 (FIG. 3) and a unit power supply I/F 16 (FIG. 2), like a commercially available portable storage battery. A unit power supply I/F 16 is arranged in front of the power storage unit 10 . The unit power supply I/F 16 includes a cigar socket output 20, three USB ports 22 (5V/2A), two AC outputs (outlets) 24, and a unit power supply ON/OFF switch 26. In addition to the unit power supply I/F 16, a display 28 made of, for example, a liquid crystal is arranged on the front surface of the storage unit 10 (FIG. 2).

Referring to FIG. 3 , unit power supply I/F 14 is arranged on the back surface of power storage unit 10 . The unit power supply I/F 14 is composed of a power supply port 30 that accepts the connector pins of the charging adapter. A unit power input ON/OFF switch 32 and a unit power input lamp 34 are arranged adjacent to the power port 30 on the rear surface of the power storage unit 10 . Reference numeral 40 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicates a vent hole.

Referring to FIG. 1, five slots 6 are arranged side by side. A station feeding I/F 50 is arranged to the left of the leftmost slot 6 . The station power supply I/F 50 includes a cigar socket output 52, three USB ports 54 (5V and 2A), two AC outputs 56, and a station power supply ON/OFF switch 58.

Still referring to FIG. 1, the station power I/F 60 includes a terminal, ie, a power plug 62 for plugging into a domestic commercial outlet (AC 100V). FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram of the charging/power supply station 4. As shown in FIG. The station power supply I/F 60, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, includes a port 64 for receiving connector pins from a solar panel or the like. , can be charged using mains power or a solar panel.

Referring to FIG. 5, the charging/power supply station 4 has a bidirectional DC/AC converter 66 that converts alternating current of commercial power supply to direct current, and the maximum output of the DC/AC converter 66 is 3000W. Reference numeral 68 shown in FIG. 5 designates a breaker. A low-voltage board 70 is connected to the cigar socket output 52 of the station power supply I/F 50 and three USB ports 54 (5V/2A). Two AC output outlets 56 are also connected to the bi-directional DC/AC converter 66 .

Each of the five slots 6 of the charging/power supply station 4 is provided with an interface 80 (hereinafter referred to as “slot I/F”) with the power storage unit 10 . More specifically, the bottom surface of each slot 6 is provided with a slot-side convex terminal (not shown in the drawing for reasons of drawing) formed by a rectangular projection. On the other hand, the power storage unit 10 is provided with a unit-side concave terminal 82 on the bottom surface 10b opposite to the top surface 10a provided with the handle 12 (FIG. 4). The unit-side concave terminal 82 is arranged at a position corresponding to the slot-side convex terminal, and when the power storage unit 10 is mounted in the slot 6, the unit-side concave terminal 82 and the slot-side convex terminal are engaged with each other. slot I/F 80 is established. Once the slot I/F 80 is established, power can be transferred between the charging/power supply station 4 and the power storage unit 10 . On the other hand, when the power storage unit 10 is removed from the slot 6, the slot I/F 80 is released.

It has five DC/DC converters 84 connected to each of the five slot I/Fs 80 of the charging/power supply station 4, and each DC/DC converter 84 is a bi-directional converter with a maximum output of 500W.

FIG. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the power storage unit 10. As shown in FIG. The power storage unit 10 has a BMS 90 and a charging board 92 connected to the slot I/F 80 described above, and the BMS 90 integrally manages a built-in lithium ion battery (secondary battery) 94 . The power storage unit 10 has a low voltage substrate 96 to which the unit power supply I/F 16 (FIG. 2) is connected. The storage unit 10 also has a DC/AC converter 98, which is used for AC output. The unit power supply I/F 16 includes a cigar socket output 20, a plurality of USB ports 22 (5V/2A), and a plurality of AC outputs (outlets) 24.

The power storage device 2 of the embodiment can be used as a power source inside or outside a house in various ways in emergency or normal times. That is, the power storage unit 10 can be used like a conventional portable storage battery. Also, the unit power supply I/F 14 (FIG. 3) of the power storage unit itself can be used to charge the battery without the charging/power supply station 4 .

The charging/power supply station 4 can charge the power storage units 10 attached to any or all of the five slots 6 by the charging function of the charging/power supply station 4 . Also, the charging/power supply station 4 can use the station power supply I/F 50 (FIG. 5) to supply power to, for example, a refrigerator.

Since the power storage unit 10 itself can be charged using, for example, a commercial power supply, it can be used in the same way as portable storage batteries that are currently in widespread use. As can be seen from FIG. 1, when the power storage unit 10 is installed in the slot 6 of the charging/power supply station 4, only the top surface 10a on which the handle 12 is installed is exposed. Therefore, since the power supply I/F 16 of the storage unit 10 is inside the slot 6, the unit power supply I/F 16 (FIG. 2) cannot be used. As a modification, for example, the unit power supply I/F 16 may be installed on the top surface 10a where the handle 12 is installed. As a result, when attached to the slot 6 of the charging/power supply station 4 , power can be supplied using not only the station power supply I/F 50 (FIG. 5) but also the unit power supply I/F 16 .

2 power storage device 4 charging/power supply station 6 charging/power supply station slot 10 power storage unit 12 power storage unit handle 14 unit power supply interface ("unit power supply I/F")
16 Unit power supply interface ("Unit power supply I/F")
50 station power supply interface ("station power supply I/F")
60 station power supply interface ("station power supply I/F")
62 Commercial power supply plug for charging/power supply station 64 Port for accepting connector pins from solar panels, etc. 66 Bi-directional DC/AC converter (maximum output 3000W)
80 slot interface ("slot I/F")
84 bidirectional DC/DC converter (maximum output 500W)
94 secondary battery (lithium ion battery)

Claims (6)

a plurality of power storage units;
a charging/power supply station comprising a plurality of slots detachably receiving each of the plurality of power storage units;
An interface is provided between the power storage unit and the slot, and when each power storage unit is attached to each slot, a slot interface is established that enables power transfer between each power storage unit and the charging/power supply station, and each power storage unit is provided with an interface. The slot interface is released when the unit is removed from each slot,
Each power storage unit is
a secondary battery managed by a battery management system (BMS);
a unit power supply interface for charging the secondary battery;
a unit power supply interface for supplying power of the secondary battery to an external device;
The charging/power supply station is a slot-side terminal arranged in each slot for establishing the slot interface with the power storage unit mounted in the slot, and these slot-side terminals are connected in parallel with each other. is,
a station power supply interface for charging the power storage unit attached to the slot;
and a station power supply interface for supplying power of the power storage unit attached to the slot to an external device. 2. The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein said charging/power supply station has a bidirectional DC/DC converter connected to each of said slot-side terminals. The charging/power supply station has, as the station power supply interface, a power plug that plugs into an alternating current commercial power outlet, and a bidirectional DC/AC converter that converts commercial power to direct current,
3. The power storage device according to claim 2, wherein the maximum output of said DC/AC converter is greater than the maximum output of said bidirectional DC/DC converter. A power storage unit forming part of the power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a unit-side terminal that establishes the slot interface with the slot-side terminal by mounting the power storage unit in the slot;
An electricity storage unit, wherein the unit-side terminal and the slot-side terminal are fitted to each other. A charging/power supply station forming part of the power storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. A transportation step of transporting a plurality of charged power storage devices to a disaster area by a truck equipped with a plurality of power storage devices according to any one of claims 1 to 3;
a power storage device provision step of providing the charged power storage device in response to a request from residents of the disaster area;
a power storage unit charging step of charging the power storage unit returned by the resident in the truck;
A power supply method in a disaster area, characterized in that, in the electric storage unit charging step, the electric storage unit is charged using a generator with an engine mounted on the truck or a large number of solar panels.

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