JP2024008611A - Battery power supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery power supply device that facilitates making effective use of a secondary battery.

SOLUTION: Each battery block BB includes a serial switching element SS that is connected in series to a secondary battery B connected to first and second terminals T1, T2, and a bypass switching element BS that is connected in parallel to an in-block serial circuit SC to which the secondary battery B and the serial switching element SS are connected in series. Each battery block allows the secondary battery B to be attached to and detached from it, and is connected in series to a parallel circuit of the in-block serial circuit SC the bypass switching element BS. An attachment/detachment control unit 31 can control each battery block BB between an incorporated status in which the bypass switching element BS is turned off and the serial switching element SS is turned on, and a detached status in which the DC switching element SS is turned off and the bypass switching element BS is turned on. Upon receiving a designation of a battery block BB, the designated battery block BB is set to the detached status.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a battery power supply device that uses a battery as a power source.

Various electric devices with detachable battery packs have been known so far, such as electric bicycles, electric tools, electric carry carts, electric suitcases, electric one-wheel barrows, electric lawn mowers, electric cultivators, and electric kickboards. (For example, see Patent Document 1.).

JP2011-079510A

By the way, electric devices such as electric bicycles and electric tools are not used all the time. Therefore, during a period when the electric device is not in use, the battery pack or secondary battery such as a single battery of the electric device is not utilized.

An object of the present invention is to provide a battery power supply device that makes it easy to effectively utilize a secondary battery.

A battery power supply device according to the present invention includes a series battery module in which a plurality of battery blocks are connected in series, an attachment/detachment control section that controls attachment and detachment of the battery blocks, and an operation reception section that accepts designation of the battery blocks by a user. Each of the battery blocks includes a first terminal connectable to one pole of the secondary battery, a second terminal connectable to the other pole of the secondary battery, and the first and second terminals. a series switching element connected in series to the secondary battery connected to the secondary battery; and a bypass connected in parallel to an intra-block series circuit in which the secondary battery and the series switching element are connected in series. a switching element, at least one of the plurality of battery blocks is capable of attaching and detaching the secondary battery, and the series battery module includes the in-block series circuit and the bypass switching element in each of the battery blocks. By connecting parallel circuits in series, the plurality of battery blocks are connected in series, and the attachment/detachment control section controls each of the battery blocks by turning off the bypass switching element and turning on the series switching element. state and a detached state in which the series switching element is turned off and the bypass switching element is turned on, and when the designation of the battery block is accepted by the operation reception unit, the designated battery block is controlled to The above-mentioned detached state is established.

According to this configuration, when the user specifies the battery block from which the secondary battery is to be removed using the operation receiving unit, the battery block is placed in the detached state, the series switching element is turned off, and the bypass switching element is turned on. As a result, the current flowing through the secondary battery of the designated battery block becomes zero, allowing the user to remove the secondary battery from the battery block and effectively use it for another purpose. On the other hand, since the bypass switching element is turned on, the remaining secondary batteries other than the removed secondary battery remain connected in series. As a result, it becomes possible to output a voltage that is the sum of the output voltages of the remaining secondary batteries. This makes it possible to achieve both high voltage output by the battery power supply device and effective use of the secondary battery.

The battery block further includes a grounding terminal for grounding, and at least one of the plurality of battery blocks has a grounding switching terminal interposed between one of the first and second terminals and the grounding terminal. The intra-block series circuit of the battery block including the grounding switching element further includes a disconnection switching element connected in series to the side of the secondary battery opposite to the series switching element, When the designation of the battery block including the ground switching element is accepted by the operation reception part, the unit turns off the series switching element by bringing the designated battery block into the detached state, and further turns off the series switching element. It is preferable to turn off the remote switching element and turn on the ground switching element.

According to this configuration, when the user specifies the battery block from which the secondary battery is to be removed using the operation reception section, the battery block becomes detached, the series switching element is turned off, the disconnection switching element is turned off, and the ground switching element is turned off. The element turns on. As a result, the current flowing through the designated secondary battery becomes zero, and the secondary battery becomes electrically floating. In this state, the ground switching element is turned on, and as a result, the secondary battery becomes at ground potential. In this way, the current flowing through the designated secondary battery becomes zero and the secondary battery is brought to the ground potential, thereby improving the safety of the user who attempts to remove the secondary battery.

Further, when the secondary battery is attached to the battery block from which the secondary battery has been removed, the attachment/detachment control unit further turns off the grounding switching element of the battery block to which the secondary battery is attached. , it is preferable to turn on the disconnection switching element.

According to this configuration, the attached secondary battery can be switched between the detached state and the joined state.

Further, when the secondary battery is attached to the battery block from which the secondary battery has been removed, the attachment/detachment control unit may further set the battery block to which the secondary battery is attached to the joining state. is preferred.

According to this configuration, the output voltage of the attached secondary battery is added to the output voltage of the series battery module.

The battery block further includes a grounding terminal for grounding, and at least one of the plurality of battery blocks further includes a contact terminal that is capable of contacting the casing of the secondary battery and is electrically connected to the grounding terminal. It is preferable.

According to this configuration, since the casing of the secondary battery is at ground potential, the safety of the user who is trying to attach or detach the secondary battery is improved.

Further, an SOC acquisition unit that acquires the SOC of the secondary battery of each of the battery blocks, and a battery whose SOC of the secondary battery is less than 100% among the plurality of battery blocks when charging the series battery module. The blocks are grouped into a first group in which the SOC of the secondary battery is relatively large and a second group in which the SOC of the secondary battery is relatively small, and the battery blocks of the first group are brought into the joining state. It is preferable to further include a charging control unit that preferentially charges the battery blocks of the first group by bringing the battery blocks of the second group into the detached state.

According to this configuration, a secondary battery having a relatively large SOC, that is, a secondary battery that takes a short time to reach full charge, is charged preferentially. As a result, each secondary battery is charged so that the number of fully charged secondary batteries increases quickly. When the number of fully charged secondary batteries increases, when a user needs a secondary battery to use an electric device, it becomes easy to remove the fully charged secondary battery from the battery power supply device and use it. As a result, user convenience is improved.

Further, it is preferable that the charging control unit sets a battery block having the largest SOC among the battery blocks whose SOC is less than 100% as the first group.

According to this configuration, the time required to increase the number of fully charged secondary batteries by one becomes the shortest.

Further, an SOC acquisition unit that acquires the SOC of the secondary battery of each battery block, and when discharging the series battery module, the battery block including the secondary battery whose SOC indicates a fully charged state is set to the detached state. It is preferable to further include a discharge control section.

According to this configuration, since fully charged secondary batteries are not discharged, the number of fully charged secondary batteries is maintained as large as possible. The greater the number of fully charged secondary batteries, the easier it is to remove and use the fully charged secondary batteries from the battery power supply device when the user needs the secondary batteries to use an electric device. As a result, user convenience is improved.

Further, the SOC acquisition unit acquires the SOC of the secondary batteries of each of the battery blocks, and the joining state and the withdrawal state of each of the battery blocks so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries of each of the battery blocks. It is preferable to further include a charging control section that controls charging of each of the battery blocks by controlling switching of the battery blocks.

According to this configuration, each secondary battery can be selectively charged by switching between the joined state and the detached state, so it becomes easy to equalize the SOC of each secondary battery.

In addition to the SOC, the charging control unit also controls the temperature of the secondary battery of each of the battery blocks, the continuous energization time that is the time during which each of the battery blocks was in the joining state continuously from the current time, It is preferable to control the charging of each of the battery blocks based on at least one of the following: and a continuous down time that is a time during which each of the battery blocks was in a detached state consecutively retroactively from the current time.

If the temperature of the secondary battery is high, it will easily deteriorate. If the continuous energization time is long, it will easily deteriorate. Therefore, by controlling the charging of each battery block based on the temperature of the secondary battery or the continuous energization time, it becomes easy to reduce deterioration of the secondary battery. Further, by taking into account the continuous rest time, the secondary battery is periodically brought into a detached state and the open circuit voltage can be measured, making it easy to accurately obtain the SOC of the secondary battery.

Further, the SOC acquisition unit acquires the SOC of the secondary batteries of each of the battery blocks, and the joining state and the withdrawal state of each of the battery blocks so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries of each of the battery blocks. It is preferable to further include a discharge control section that controls discharge of each of the battery blocks by controlling switching of the battery blocks.

According to this configuration, each secondary battery can be selectively discharged by switching between the joined state and the detached state, so it becomes easy to equalize the SOC of each secondary battery.

In addition to the SOC, the discharge control unit also controls the temperature of the secondary battery of each of the battery blocks, the continuous energization time that is the time during which each of the battery blocks was in the joining state continuously from the current time, It is preferable to control the discharge of each of the battery blocks based on at least one of the following: and a continuous rest time that is a time during which each of the battery blocks was in a detached state consecutively retroactively from the current time.

If the temperature of the secondary battery is high, it will easily deteriorate. If the continuous energization time is long, it will easily deteriorate. Therefore, by controlling the discharge of each battery block based on the temperature of the secondary battery or the continuous energization time, it becomes easy to reduce deterioration of the secondary battery. Further, by taking into account the continuous rest time, the secondary battery is periodically brought into a detached state and the open circuit voltage can be measured, making it easy to accurately obtain the SOC of the secondary battery.

Moreover, it is preferable that at least one of the plurality of battery blocks further includes an inversion circuit that inverts the polarity of the secondary battery.

According to this configuration, it is possible to connect some of the plurality of battery blocks connected in series with their polarities reversed. As a result, it becomes easy to increase the degree of freedom in the voltage obtained from the series battery module and to move the amount of charge between battery blocks within the series battery module.

Further, each of the secondary batteries is preferably a battery pack for electric equipment.

According to this configuration, by attaching a plurality of battery packs for electric equipment to each battery block, a series voltage of the plurality of battery packs can be obtained, making it easy to effectively utilize the battery packs.

Moreover, it is preferable that the battery further includes a plurality of the secondary batteries.

According to this configuration, the battery power supply device includes a plurality of secondary batteries.

In the battery power supply device having such a configuration, it is easy to effectively utilize the secondary battery.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery power supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of attachment/detachment control by the attachment/detachment control unit 31 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of charging control processing by the charging control unit 33 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of discharge control processing by the discharge control section 34 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a conceptual circuit diagram showing a modification of the series battery module 2 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. It is a block diagram showing an example of composition of battery power supply device 1a concerning a second embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of charging control processing by the charging control unit 33a shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of discharge control processing by the discharge control unit 34a shown in FIG. 6. FIG. It is a block diagram showing an example of composition of battery power supply device 1b concerning a third embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of attachment/detachment control by the attachment/detachment control section 31b shown in FIG. 9; It is an explanatory diagram for explaining steps S2b and S51. 10 is a conceptual circuit diagram showing a modification of the series battery module 2b shown in FIG. 9. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described based on the drawings. It should be noted that structures given the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same structure, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

(First embodiment)

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery power supply device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. A battery power supply device 1 shown in FIG. 1 roughly includes a series battery module 2, a control section 3, and a touch panel display 4 (operation reception section). The series battery module 2 includes a plurality of battery blocks BB, input/output terminals TT1, TT2, and a grounding terminal TE for grounding. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the series battery module 2 includes N battery blocks BB.

The plurality of battery blocks BB are connected in series. Each battery block BB is assigned a block number from 1 to N in order from the high potential side. The battery block BB with block number 1 is written as battery block BB1, the battery block BB with block number 2 is written as battery block BB2, and the battery block BB with block number N is written as battery block BBN.

The battery block BB has a first terminal T1 connectable to the positive pole (one pole) of the secondary battery B, a second terminal T2 connectable to the negative pole (the other pole) of the secondary battery B, and a second terminal T2 connectable to the negative pole (the other pole) of the secondary battery B. A series switching element SS connected in series to a secondary battery B connected to one terminal T1 and a second terminal T2, and an intra-block series circuit in which the secondary battery B and the series switching element SS are connected in series. It includes a bypass switching element BS connected in parallel to SC, and a contact terminal CT that is capable of contacting a casing BH of a secondary battery B and is electrically connected to a ground terminal TE.

The series switching element SS and the bypass switching element BS may be semiconductor switching elements such as transistors, or may be mechanical relay switches. The series switching element SS and the bypass switching element BS are turned on and off according to a control signal from the control section 3.

One end of the parallel circuit of the intra-block series circuit SC and the bypass switching element BS is P1, and the other end is P2, one end P1 of the battery block BB1 is connected to the input/output terminal TT1, and the other end P2 of the battery block BBN is the input/output terminal. Connected to terminal TT2. Between the battery blocks BB1 to BBN, the other end P2 of the battery block BB on the high potential side is connected to one end P1 of the battery block BB on the low potential side.

Thereby, the plurality of battery blocks BB are connected in series by connecting the parallel circuits of the intra-block series circuit SC and the bypass switching element BS in series in each battery block BB. The input/output terminals TT1 and TT2 are the input/output terminals of the entire series battery module 2, and are the input/output terminals of the battery power supply device 1. When the battery power supply device 1 is discharging, the series voltage of the plurality of battery blocks BB is output to the input/output terminals TT1, TT2, and when the battery power supply device 1 is charging, the charging voltage applied to the input/output terminals TT1, TT2 is output to the input/output terminals TT1, TT2. It is applied to a series circuit of a plurality of battery blocks BB.

The first terminal T1 and the second terminal T2 are, for example, contact terminals or connectors, and are connectable to the + and - poles of the secondary battery B. Thereby, the secondary battery B can be attached to and detached from the battery block BB. Hereinafter, the secondary battery B of battery block BB1 will be referred to as secondary battery B1, the secondary battery B of battery block BB2 will be referred to as secondary battery B2, and the secondary battery B of battery block BBN will be referred to as secondary battery BN. The secondary battery B attached to the BB may be described with a block number attached thereto.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the example in which all battery blocks BB are capable of attaching and detaching the secondary battery B, but it is sufficient that at least one of the battery blocks BB1 to BBN is capable of attaching and detaching the secondary battery B. The first terminal T1 and the second terminal T2 only need to be connectable to the secondary battery B, and are fixedly connected to the secondary battery B as the first terminal T1 and the second terminal T2 in the battery blocks BB1 to BBN. There may be a mixture of battery blocks BB having connection terminals for connecting the battery blocks BB.

The secondary battery B is a secondary battery used in various electric devices such as electric bicycles, electric tools, electric carrying carts, electric suitcases, electric one-wheel barrows, electric lawn mowers, electric cultivators, and electric kickboards. It may be a battery pack. Further, the plurality of secondary batteries B may include a mixture of battery packs for different electric devices. Furthermore, the plurality of secondary batteries B may include single cells of secondary batteries.

Secondary battery B has a housing BH. The housing BH is an outer shell portion of the secondary battery B that is insulated from the + pole, the – pole, the signal terminal, etc. of the secondary battery B.

The contact terminal CT is a conductive contact member such as a leaf spring, a coil spring, or an electrode plate. The contact terminal CT comes into contact with the housing BH when the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BB. Since the contact terminal CT is electrically connected to the ground terminal TE, when the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BB, the casing BH of the secondary battery B is grounded via the contact terminal CT and the ground terminal TE. Ru. As a result of setting the secondary battery B2 to the ground potential, the safety of the user attempting to attach or detach the secondary battery B to the battery block BB is improved.

Note that the configuration is not limited to the example in which all battery blocks BB are provided with contact terminals CT, and at least one of the plurality of battery blocks may be provided with contact terminals CT. Alternatively, all battery blocks BB may not be provided with contact terminals CT, and battery power supply device 1 may not be provided with ground terminal TE.

The touch panel display 4 corresponds to an example of an operation reception section. Touch panel display 4 receives at least an operation input from a user specifying any one of battery blocks BB1 to BBN. Further, the touch panel display 4 displays information according to a control signal from the control unit 3. Note that the operation reception unit is not limited to a touch panel display, and may be various operation input devices such as a push button switch.

The control unit 3 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs predetermined arithmetic processing, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that temporarily stores data, a nonvolatile storage device such as a flash memory, and peripheral circuits thereof. It is configured using The control unit 3 functions as an attachment/detachment control unit 31, an SOC acquisition unit 32, a charging control unit 33, and a discharging control unit 34, for example, by executing a program stored in the above-mentioned storage device.

The attachment/detachment control unit 31 can control each battery block BB into an joining state in which the bypass switching element BS is turned off and the series switching element SS is turned on, and a withdrawal state in which the series switching element SS is turned off and the bypass switching element BS is turned on. It is. The example shown in FIG. 1 illustrates a case where battery blocks BB1, BB3, and BBN are in the joined state, and battery block BB2 is in the detached state.

When the designation of the battery block BB is accepted by the touch panel display 4, the attachment/detachment control unit 31 puts the designated battery block BB into a detached state. Further, when the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BB from which the secondary battery B was removed, the attachment/detachment control unit 31 puts the battery block BB to which the secondary battery B is attached into the joining state.

The presence or absence of the secondary battery B installed in each battery block BB may be detected, for example, by the battery power supply device 1 being provided with a detection unit such as a sensor or a switch that detects the presence or absence of the secondary battery B, and the user using the touch panel The display 4 may be operated to input whether or not the secondary battery B is attached to each battery block BB. The attachment/detachment control unit 31 can acquire whether or not the secondary battery B is attached to each battery block BB based on the information obtained by these detection units and the touch panel display 4.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of attachment/detachment control by the attachment/detachment control section 31 shown in FIG. Hereinafter, the same steps will be given the same step numbers and their explanations will be omitted.

For example, if secondary batteries B are attached to all of battery blocks BB1 to BBN and all of battery blocks BB1 to BBN are in the joining state, the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2 are connected to the secondary batteries B1 to BN. A voltage that is the sum of the output voltages is output. Thereby, the battery power supply device 1 can easily output high voltage by effectively utilizing the secondary battery B used in various electric devices.

Then, the attachment/detachment control unit 31 checks whether the designation of the battery block BB has been accepted through the touch panel display 4 (step S1). When the designation of the battery block BB is accepted by the touch panel display 4 (YES in step S1), the attachment/detachment control unit 31 sets the designated battery block BB to a detached state (step S2), and shifts the process to step S1 again. do.

As a result, when the user wants to use an electric bicycle, for example, the user operates the touch panel display 4 and inputs, for example, "2" as the block number of the battery block BB to which the secondary battery B for the electric bicycle is attached. . Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the attachment/detachment control unit 31 turns off the series switching element SS of the designated battery block BB2 and turns on the bypass switching element BS to bring it into the detached state (step S2).

The secondary battery B2 with the series switching element SS turned off is excluded from the current path flowing through the series battery module 2, and it becomes possible to remove the secondary battery B2 from the battery block BB2. On the other hand, by turning on the bypass switching element BS of the battery block BB2, the series connection of the secondary batteries B1, B3 to BN other than the secondary battery B2 is maintained. As a result, the voltage that is the sum of the output voltages of the secondary batteries B1, B3 to BN is output to the input/output terminals TT1, TT2, so that the user can remove the desired secondary battery B from the battery power supply device 1, and It becomes possible to output high voltage. This makes it possible to achieve both high voltage output by the battery power supply device 1 and effective use of the secondary batteries B1 to BN.

On the other hand, if the designation of the battery block BB is not accepted (NO in step S1), the attachment/detachment control unit 31 determines whether or not the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BB from which the secondary battery B was removed. Confirm (step S3). If the secondary battery B is not attached (NO in step S3), the attachment/detachment control section 31 shifts the process to step S1 again.

On the other hand, when the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BB from which the secondary battery B was removed (YES in step S3), the attachment/detachment control unit 31 bypasses the battery block BB to which the secondary battery B is attached. The switching element BS is turned off and the series switching element SS is turned on to enter the participation state (step S4), and the process returns to step S1.

As a result, after the user finishes using an electric device such as an electric bicycle, by attaching the secondary battery B of the unused electric device to the series battery module 2, the secondary battery B can be attached to the other secondary battery B. The output voltage of the newly installed secondary battery B is added to the output voltage of the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2. This makes it possible to effectively utilize the secondary battery B of the electric device that is not in use. Furthermore, as will be described later, it is also possible to charge the secondary battery B attached to the series battery module 2.

The SOC acquisition unit 32 acquires the SOC (State of Charge) of the secondary battery B of each battery block BB. Specifically, for example, an open-circuit voltage-SOC characteristic table indicating the relationship between the open-circuit voltage and SOC of the secondary batteries B1 to BN is stored in advance in the above-mentioned storage device, and the battery power supply device 1 An unillustrated voltage detection unit may be provided that detects the terminal voltage of each of the secondary batteries B1 to BN.

Then, the SOC acquisition unit 32 detects the terminal voltage detected by the voltage detection unit from the secondary battery B of the battery block BB in the detached state, that is, the series switching element SS is off and the bypass switching element BS is on, that is, the open circuit voltage. may be obtained, and the SOC associated with the open end voltage according to the open end voltage-SOC characteristic table may be obtained as the SOC of the secondary battery B.

Further, for example, the full charge capacity of the secondary batteries B1 to BN is stored in advance in the above-mentioned storage device, and the battery power supply device 1 is equipped with a current detection section (not shown) that detects the current flowing through the series battery module 2. You can.

Then, the SOC acquisition unit 32 processes the secondary battery B of the battery block BB in the joining state, that is, the bypass switching element BS is off and the series switching element SS is on, and the SOC acquisition unit 32 processes the current value detected by the current detection unit. is integrated by assuming that the current value in the charging direction is positive and the current value in the discharging direction is negative. Then, the SOC acquisition unit 32 may calculate the SOC of the secondary battery B to be processed from the ratio of the amount of charge obtained by integrating the current values to the full charge capacity of the secondary battery B to be processed. .

When charging the series battery module 2, the charging control unit 33 replaces the battery block BB whose SOC is less than 100% among the plurality of battery blocks BB1 to BBN with the first battery block whose SOC of the secondary battery B is relatively large. The batteries are grouped into a group G1 and a second group G2 in which the SOC of the secondary battery B is small. Then, the charging control unit 33 brings the battery block BB of the first group G1 with a large SOC into the joining state, and brings the battery block BB of the second group G2 with a small SOC into a withdrawal state, thereby controlling the battery block BB of the first group G1 with a large SOC. The secondary battery B of the battery block BB is charged preferentially.

The number of battery blocks BB grouped into the first group G1 may be one, and the number of battery blocks BB grouped into the second group G2 may be one.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of charging control processing by the charging control section 33 shown in FIG. When charging the series battery module 2, the user may connect an unillustrated charging device to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2, for example, and the user may operate the touch panel display 4 to instruct charging. The control unit 33 may connect an unillustrated charging device to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2.

For example, when the battery power supply device 1 is attached to an electric vehicle and used, the charging stand corresponds to a charging device, and the charging voltage supplied from the charging stand to the electric vehicle is applied to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2. .

The charging control unit 33 may start the charging control process, for example, by the user's input operation on the touch panel display 4. For example, the charging control unit 33 may automatically detect that a charging device is connected to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2 and start charging. The control process may be started, or the charging control process may be started in response to an external control signal.

First, the SOC acquisition unit 32 acquires the SOC of each secondary battery B1 to BN (step S11). Note that for convenience of explanation, step S11 has been described as one step of the charging control process, but the SOC acquisition process by the SOC acquisition unit 32 is always executed in parallel with charging and discharging, and 's SOC is constantly updated.

Next, the charging control unit 33 groups the plurality of battery blocks BB1 to BBN into a group A in which the SOC of the secondary battery B is 100% and a group G in which the SOC of the secondary battery B is less than 100% ( Step S12).

Next, the charging control unit 33 divides the battery blocks BB of group G whose SOC is less than 100% into the first group G1 where the SOC of the secondary batteries B is relatively large and the battery block BB of the group G whose SOC is less than 100%. They are grouped into a smaller second group G2 (step S13).

For example, the charging control unit 33 selects a predetermined number of battery blocks BB from among the battery blocks BB of group G as a first group G1 in descending order of SOC, and sets the remaining battery blocks BB as a second group G2. good. The set number can be set appropriately, for example, by the user operating the touch panel display 4. Further, the set number may be one. In this case, among the battery blocks BB of group G, only the battery block BB with the largest SOC becomes the first group G1.

Next, the charging control unit 33 brings the battery blocks BB of the first group G1 into the joining state and brings the battery blocks BB of the second group G2 and group A into the leaving state. Charge (step S14).

Through steps S11 to S14, secondary battery B, which has a relatively large SOC, that is, takes a short time to reach full charge, is charged preferentially. As a result, each of the secondary batteries B1 to BN is charged so that the number of fully charged secondary batteries B quickly increases. When the number of fully charged secondary batteries B increases, when a user needs the secondary batteries B to use an electric device, the fully charged secondary batteries B can be removed from the battery power supply device 1 and used. It becomes easier. As a result, user convenience is improved.

Thereafter, steps S11 to S14 are repeated while the charging device continues charging, and the secondary batteries B1 to BN are sequentially charged.

When discharging the series battery module 2, the discharge control unit 34 puts the battery block BB including the secondary battery B whose SOC indicates a fully charged state into a detached state.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of discharge control processing by the discharge control unit 34 shown in FIG. When discharging the series battery module 2, the user may, for example, connect an unillustrated load device to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2. The control unit 33 may connect an unillustrated load device to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2.

For example, when the battery power supply device 1 is attached to an electric vehicle and used, the drive motor of the electric vehicle corresponds to the load device, and the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2 are connected to the load device under the control of the electric vehicle. Good too.

The discharge control unit 34 may start the discharge control process, for example, by the user's input operation on the touch panel display 4, and for example, automatically detects that a load device is connected to the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2 and starts the discharge. Control processing may be started, or discharge control processing may be started in response to an external control signal.

First, in step S11 similar to that described above, the SOC of each secondary battery B1 to BN is obtained. Next, the discharge control unit 34 executes step S12 similar to that described above, so that the battery blocks BB1 to BBN are grouped into group A with an SOC of 100% and group G with an SOC of less than 100%.

The charging control unit 33 and the discharge control unit 34 may be configured integrally, and step S12 may be executed by the charge control unit 33 or the discharge control unit 34.

Next, the discharge control unit 34 causes the battery blocks BB of the group G to be discharged by bringing the battery blocks BB of the group G into the joining state and the battery blocks BB of the group A into the leaving state (step S21). Thereafter, steps S11 to S21 are repeated while the series battery modules 2 continue to discharge, and the battery blocks BB of group G are discharged.

According to the processing in steps S11 to S21, fully charged secondary batteries B are not discharged, so that the number of fully charged secondary batteries B is maintained as large as possible. The larger the number of fully charged secondary batteries B, the more fully charged secondary batteries B can be removed from the battery power supply device 1 and used when the user needs the secondary batteries B to use an electric device. It becomes easier. As a result, user convenience is improved.

Note that, in step S21, the discharge control unit 34 only needs to set the battery block BB of group A to the detached state, and does not necessarily need to set all the battery blocks BB of group G to the joined state. The discharge control unit 34 selects battery block BB from group G and brings it into the joining state, and puts the remaining battery blocks BB into the leaving state so that a desired voltage is obtained between the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2. good.

Note that the battery power supply device 1 does not need to include the discharge control section 34, the charging control section 33, and the SOC acquisition section 32.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual circuit diagram showing a modification of the series battery module 2. As shown in FIG. The series battery module 2a shown in FIG. 5 includes a battery block BBa instead of the battery block BB. The battery block BBa shown in FIG. 5 further includes a reversing circuit RC for reversing the polarity of the secondary battery B in addition to the battery block BB. The inverting circuit RC is configured using, for example, a series circuit of inverting switching elements SR1 and SR2.

One end of the reversing switching element SR1 is connected to the other end P2, and the other end of the reversing switching element SR1 is connected to one end of the reversing switching element SR2. The other end of the inverting switching element SR2 is connected to a connection point between the first terminal T1 and the series switching element SS.

A connection point P3 between the inverting switching element SR1 and the inverting switching element SR2 is connected to one end P1 of another battery block BBa adjacent to the lower potential side than the own block. One end P1 and the connection point P3 become input/output terminals of each battery block BBa.

In battery block BBa, a plurality of battery blocks BBa are connected in series by connecting a parallel circuit of an intra-block series circuit SC and a bypass switching element BS in series via an inverting switching element SR1 in each battery block BB. It is connected.

The reversing switching elements SR1 and SR2 may be semiconductor switching elements such as transistors, or may be mechanical relay switches. The inverting switching elements SR1 and SR2 are turned on and off according to a control signal from the control section 3.

In addition to the joining state and the leaving state described above, the battery block BBa can be put into an inverted state in which the polarity of the secondary battery B is inverted by the inverting circuit RC. In the example shown in FIG. 5, battery block BB1a is in the joined state, battery block BB2a is in the detached state, and battery block BB3a is in the reversed state.

When the battery block BBa is used, in the joining state, the series switching element SS and the inverting switching element SR1 are turned on, and the bypass switching element BS and the inverting switching element SR2 are turned off. In the detached state, the bypass switching element BS and the reversing switching element SR1 are turned on, and the series switching element SS and the reversing switching element SR2 are turned off. In the inverted state, the bypass switching element BS and the inverted switching element SR2 are turned on, and the series switching element SS and the inverted switching element SR1 are turned off. Note that in the detached state, the bypass switching element BS and the inversion switching element SR1 may be turned off, and the series switching element SS and the inversion switching element SR2 may be turned on.

That is, when the battery block BBa is used, in steps S2, S4, S14, S21, and steps S37, S44, S2b, and S4b described later, the inverting switching elements SR1 and SR2 in the joining state and the leaving state are turned on as described above. , just turn it off.

Furthermore, the output voltage between the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2, that is, the output voltage of the series battery module 2a, is the voltage obtained by subtracting the output voltage of the battery block BBa in the inverted state from the sum of the output voltages of the battery blocks BBa in the joining state. Become. Therefore, when the series-connected battery module 2a is used, the discharge control unit 34 controls the battery block BBa of group G to the three states of the joining state, the inverted state, and the detached state in step S21, thereby controlling the series-connected battery module 2a. The degree of freedom in controlling the output voltage of the module 2a increases.

In the battery power supply device 1, at least one of the plurality of battery blocks only needs to be provided with an inverting circuit RC, and the series battery module is one in which battery blocks BB and battery blocks BBa are mixed and connected in series. It's good.

(Second embodiment)

Next, a battery power supply device 1a according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery power supply device 1a according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The battery power supply device 1a differs from the battery power supply device 1 in that it is equipped with an unillustrated temperature sensor that measures the temperatures T(1) to T(N) of the secondary batteries B1 to BN, and in that it has a control unit 3a. different.

The control unit 3a is different from the control unit 3 in that it functions as a temperature acquisition unit 35, a continuous energization time acquisition unit 36, and a continuous rest time acquisition unit 37, and the operations of the charging control unit 33a and the discharge control unit 34a are different. different.

Since the other configurations are the same as those of the battery power supply device 1, the explanation thereof will be omitted, and the characteristic points of this embodiment will be explained below.

The temperature acquisition unit 35 acquires temperatures T(1) to T(N) measured by the temperature sensor of each battery block BB. Hereinafter, temperatures T(1) to T(N) will be collectively referred to as temperature T.

Continuous energization time acquisition section 36 acquires continuous energization times Pc(1) to Pc(N) of battery blocks BB1 to BBN. Hereinafter, the continuous energization times Pc(1) to Pc(N) will be collectively referred to as the continuous energization time Pc.

The continuous energization times Pc(1) to Pc(N) are the times during which the battery blocks BB1 to BBN were in the joined state consecutively, starting from the current time as a reference. The continuous energization time acquisition unit 36 can obtain the continuous energization times Pc(1) to Pc(N) by counting the time during which the battery blocks BB1 to BBN are continuously in the joining state.

The continuous down time acquisition unit 37 acquires the continuous down time Pd(1) to Pd(N) of the battery blocks BB1 to BBN. Hereinafter, continuous pause times Pd(1) to Pd(N) will be collectively referred to as continuous pause time Pd.

The continuous downtime Pd(1) to Pd(N) is the time during which the battery blocks BB1 to BBN were in the detached state continuously, starting from the current time as a reference. The continuous down time acquisition unit 37 can acquire the continuous down time Pd(1) to Pd(N) by counting the time during which the battery blocks BB1 to BBN are continuously in the detached state.

The charging control unit 33a controls the charging of each battery block BB by controlling the switching between the joining state and the leaving state of each battery block BB so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries B of each battery block BB. control.

The discharge control unit 34a controls the discharge of each battery block BB by controlling switching between the joining state and the withdrawal state of each battery block BB so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries B of each battery block BB. control.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of charging control processing by the charging control section 33a shown in FIG. The charging process can be started in the same way as in the case of the charging control unit 33. First, SOC(1) to SOC(N) of each secondary battery B1 to BN are obtained by step S11 similar to the above.

The corresponding block numbers are written in parentheses, such as SOC(1) for the SOC of the secondary battery B1, SOC(2) for the SOC of the secondary battery B2, and SOC(N) for the SOC of the secondary battery BN. Similarly, for temperature T, continuous energization time Pc, and continuous downtime Pd, the block numbers of the corresponding battery block BB and secondary battery B are shown in parentheses.

Next, the temperature acquisition unit 35 acquires the temperatures T(1) to T(N) of each of the secondary batteries B1 to BN (step S31). Step S31 is always executed in parallel with other processes.

Next, the continuous energization time acquisition unit 36 obtains the continuous energization times Pc(1) to Pc(N) of the battery blocks BB1 to BBN (step S32). Step S32 is always executed in parallel with other processes.

Next, the continuous down time acquisition unit 37 acquires the continuous down time Pd(1) to Pd(N) of the battery blocks BB1 to BBN (step S33). The continuous pause time acquisition unit 37 initializes the continuous pause time Pd to zero when the continuous pause time Pd exceeds a preset upper limit time, for example, 60 seconds. Step S33 is always executed in parallel with other processes.

Next, the charging control unit 33a controls the SOC(1) to SOC(N), the temperature T(1) to T(N), the continuous energization time Pc(1) to Pc(N), and the continuous downtime Pd(1 ) to Pd(N), charge indices Cc(1) to Cc(N) of battery blocks BB1 to BBN are calculated (step S34). Hereinafter, charging indicators Cc(1) to Cc(N) will be collectively referred to as charging indicators Cc.

When the block number is i, the charge index Cc(i) of battery block BBi is expressed by the following equation (1).

Charging index Cc (i) = KsSOC (i) + KtT (i) + KcPc (i) + KdPd (i) ... (1)

However, SOC(i) is the SOC of the secondary battery Bi, T(i) is the temperature of the secondary battery Bi, Pc(i) is the continuous energization time of the battery block BBi, and Pd(i) is the continuous cessation of the battery block BBi. It's time. Further, Ks is a coefficient of SOC, Kt is a coefficient of temperature T, Kc is a coefficient of continuous energization time Pc, and Kd is a coefficient of continuous quiescent time Pd.

The coefficients Ks, Kt, Kc, and Kd can be set to, for example, Ks=Ds/Ns, Kt=Dt/Nt, Kc=Dc/Nc, and Kd=Dd/Nd. Ns, Nt, Nc, and Nd are normalized numbers, and standard values of SOC, temperature T, continuous energization time Pc, and continuous quiescent time Pd can be used.

For example, Ns can have a value of 0 to 100, corresponding to 0 to 100% of the SOC. Corresponding to the temperature T of -10°C to 50°C, Nt can be set to -10 to 50. Continuous energization time Pc and continuous quiescent time Pd are internally processed depending on the time data processing method within the charging control unit 33a, for example, when 1 msec is set as "1" and 1 sec as "1000", Nc , Nd can be set to 1000.

Ds, Dt, Dc, and Dd are weighting numbers, and for each item of SOC, temperature T, continuous energization time Pc, and continuous down time Pd, increase the weighting number for the item that you want to have a large influence on, and reduce the influence. By reducing the weighting number of the desired item, the charging index Cc can be made into an index that reflects the SOC, temperature T, continuous energization time Pc, and continuous down time Pd in a well-balanced manner.

The coefficients Ks, Kt, Kc, and Kd, the weighting numbers Ds, Dt, Dc, and Dd, and the normalization numbers Ns, Nt, Nc, and Nd may be appropriately set, for example, experimentally.

Next, the charging control unit 33a divides the plurality of battery blocks BB1 to BBN into an unchargeable group A in which the SOC of the secondary battery B is 100% and a chargeable group in which the SOC of the secondary battery B is less than 100%. G (step S35).

Next, the charging control unit 33a divides the battery blocks BB of group G whose SOC is less than 100% into a first group G1 with a relatively small charge index Cc and a second group G2 with a relatively large charge index Cc. (Step S36). Specifically, the charging control unit 33a sets a predetermined number of battery blocks BB of the battery blocks BB of the group G in the order of the smallest charging index Cc to the first group G1, and sets the remaining battery blocks BB to the first group G1. There may be two groups G2. The set number can be set appropriately as described above. When the set number is one, the charging control unit 33a may set only the battery blocks BB with the smallest charging index Cc among the battery blocks BB of the group G as the first group G1.

Next, the charging control unit 33a brings the battery blocks BB of the first group G1 into the joined state, and brings the battery blocks BB of the second group G2 and group A into the detached state. Charge (step S37).

As described above, in steps S34 to S37, the charging control unit 33a determines, in addition to the SOC, the temperatures T(1) to T(N), the continuous energization time Pc(1) to Pc(N), and the continuous quiescent time Pd(1 ) to Pd(N), charging of each battery block BB can be controlled.

Since the charging index Cc includes the term KsSOC, the larger the SOC is, the larger the charging index Cc is, and the smaller the SOC is, the smaller the charging index Cc is. Therefore, in step S37, charging the battery block BB of the first group G1 with a relatively small charging index Cc in the joining state basically means charging the battery block BB with a relatively small SOC. .

Therefore, according to steps S34 to S37, the charging control unit 33a controls switching between the joining state and the leaving state of each battery block BB so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries B of each battery block BB. By this, charging of each battery block BB can be controlled.

Furthermore, since the charge index Cc includes the term +KtT, the higher the temperature T is, the larger it becomes, and the lower the temperature T is, the smaller it becomes. Therefore, by charging the battery block BB with a relatively small charging index Cc, in addition to the above-mentioned SOC, the battery block BB with a relatively low temperature T is easily charged. The secondary battery B whose temperature T is high is easily deteriorated, and the secondary battery B whose temperature T is low is difficult to deteriorate.

Therefore, according to steps S34 to S37, the charging control unit 33a can equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries B in each battery block BB while preferentially charging the secondary batteries B that are relatively less susceptible to deterioration. Therefore, deterioration of each secondary battery B can be easily reduced.

Furthermore, since the charging index Cc includes the term +KcPc, the longer the continuous energization time Pc is, the larger it becomes, and the shorter the continuous energization time Pc is, the smaller it becomes. Therefore, by charging the battery block BB with a relatively small charging index Cc, in addition to the above-mentioned SOC, it becomes easier to charge the battery block BB with a relatively short continuous energization time Pc.

A secondary battery B with a long continuous energization time Pc is easily deteriorated, and a secondary battery B with a short continuous energization time Pc is difficult to deteriorate. Therefore, according to steps S34 to S37, the charging control unit 33a can equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries B in each battery block BB while preferentially charging the secondary batteries B that are relatively less susceptible to deterioration. Therefore, deterioration of each secondary battery B can be easily reduced.

As described above, the SOC acquisition unit 32 uses a method of acquiring the SOC of the secondary battery B from the terminal voltage of the secondary battery B in the detached state, that is, the open-circuit voltage, and indirectly calculates the SOC of the secondary battery B by integrating the charging and discharging current. A method of obtaining the SOC of battery B can be used. The SOC obtained directly from the open circuit voltage has higher accuracy than the SOC obtained indirectly by integrating the charge/discharge current.

According to the term KdPd(i) of the charging index Cc(i) shown in equation (1), for battery block BB in a detached state where the SOC can be directly obtained from the open circuit voltage, the continuous detached state continues. The longer the pause time Pd is, the larger the charging index Cc(i) becomes, and therefore the more difficult it is to be charged. If the continuous pause time Pd exceeds the above-mentioned upper limit time, the continuous pause time Pd becomes zero, making it easier to charge.

Therefore, if there is no influence of terms other than KdPd(i) of charge index Cc(i), among battery blocks BB1 to BBN, battery block BB is in the detached state and a highly accurate SOC can be obtained directly from the open circuit voltage. will be rotated. As a result, since the charging index Cc(i) includes the term KdPd(i), the accuracy of acquiring SOC(1) to SOC(N) by the SOC acquisition unit 32 is improved.

Therefore, by setting the coefficients Ks, Kt, Kc, and Kd appropriately, the accuracy of SOC(1) to SOC(N) can be improved while maintaining a balance between terms other than KdPd(i) and terms of KdPd(i). It becomes easy to improve the

Note that the battery power supply device 1a does not include the temperature acquisition unit 35, the continuous energization time acquisition unit 36, and the continuous down time acquisition unit 37, and does not need to execute steps S31 to S33. The charging index Cc(i) may not include the terms KtT(i), KcPc(i), and KdPd(i), and the SOC(i) may be used as it is as the charging index Cc(i). If the SOC(i) is used as the charging index Cc(i), the charging control unit 33a controls each battery block so as to equalize the SOC of each secondary battery B without being affected by parameters other than the SOC. Charging of each battery block BB can be controlled by controlling the switching of BB between the joining state and the leaving state.

Furthermore, the battery power supply device 1a may not include the temperature acquisition unit 35, may not execute step S31, and the charging index Cc(i) may not include the term KtT(i). Alternatively, the battery power supply device 1a may not include the continuous energization time acquisition unit 36, may not execute step S32, and the charging index Cc(i) may not include the term KtT(i). Alternatively, the battery power supply device 1a may not include the continuous downtime acquisition unit 37, may not execute step S33, and the charging index Cc(i) may not include the term KdPd(i).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the discharge control process by the discharge control section 34a shown in FIG. The discharge process can be started in the same way as in the case of the discharge control unit 34. First, SOC(1) to SOC(N) are acquired in step S11 similar to the above, temperatures T(1) to T(N) are acquired in step S31, and continuous energization time Pc(1) to Pc(N) is obtained, and continuous pause times Pd(1) to Pd(N) are obtained in step S33.

Next, the charging control unit 33a controls the SOC(1) to SOC(N), the temperature T(1) to T(N), the continuous energization time Pc(1) to Pc(N), and the continuous downtime Pd(1 ) to Pd(N), the discharge indices Cd(1) to Cd(N) of the battery blocks BB1 to BBN are calculated (step S41). Hereinafter, the discharge indices Cd(1) to Cd(N) will be collectively referred to as the discharge index Cd.

When the block number is i, the discharge index Cd(i) of battery block BBi is expressed by the following equation (2).

Discharge index Cd(i)=Ks(100-SOC(i))+KtT(i)+KcPc(i)+KdPd(i)...(2)

Equation (2) differs from Equation (1) in that the term KsSOC(i) is Ks(100-SOC(i)). That is, the discharge index Cd(i) is an index that decreases as the SOC increases and increases as the SOC decreases, contrary to the charge index Cc(i).

Next, the discharge control unit 34a divides the battery blocks BB1 to BBN into a non-dischargeable group A in which the SOC of the secondary battery B is 0% and a dischargeable group G in which the SOC of the secondary battery B exceeds 0%. (Step S42).

Next, the discharge control unit 34a selects the battery blocks BB of group G whose SOC exceeds 0%.

They are grouped into a first group G1 with a relatively small discharge index Cd and a second group G2 with a relatively large discharge index Cd (step S43). Specifically, the discharge control unit 34a sets a predetermined number of battery blocks BB of the battery blocks BB of the group G in order from the one with the smallest discharge index Cd to the first group G1, and sets the remaining battery blocks BB to the first group G1. There may be two groups G2. The set number can be set appropriately as described above. With the set number being one, the discharge control unit 34a may set only the battery blocks BB with the smallest charge index Cc among the battery blocks BB of the group G as the first group G1.

Next, the discharge control unit 34a brings the battery blocks BB of the first group G1 into the joining state, and brings the battery blocks BB of the second group G2 and group A into the leaving state, thereby causing the battery blocks BB of the first group G1 to join. Discharge is performed (step S44).

As described above, in steps S41 to S44, the discharge control unit 34a controls the temperature T(1) to T(N), the continuous energization time Pc(1) to Pc(N), and the continuous quiescent time Pd(1) in addition to the SOC. ) to Pd(N), the discharge of each battery block BB can be controlled.

Since the discharge index Cd includes the term Ks (100-SOC(i)), the larger the SOC, the smaller the discharge index Cd, and the smaller the SOC, the larger the discharge index Cd. Therefore, discharging the battery block BB with a relatively small discharge index Cd in step S44 basically means discharging the battery block BB with a relatively large SOC.

Therefore, according to steps S41 to S44, the discharge control unit 34a controls switching between the joining state and the leaving state of each battery block BB so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries B of each battery block BB. By doing so, the discharge of each battery block BB can be controlled.

The effect of including +KtT(i), +KcPc(i), and +KdPd(i) in the discharge index Cd(i) is the same as that of the charge index Cc(i) described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

Note that, in step S44, the discharge control unit 34a may set the battery blocks BB of the second group G2 and the group A to the detached state, and does not necessarily need to set all the battery blocks BB of the first group G1 to the joined state. . The discharge control unit 34a selects the battery block BB from the first group G1 and brings it into the joining state, and puts the remaining battery blocks BB into the leaving state so that a desired voltage is obtained between the input/output terminals TT1 and TT2. You can also use it as

Further, the battery power supply device 1a does not include the temperature acquisition unit 35, the continuous energization time acquisition unit 36, and the continuous down time acquisition unit 37, and does not need to execute steps S31 to S33. The discharge index Cd(i) may not include the terms KtT(i), KcPc(i), and KdPd(i), and SOC(i) may be used as it is as the discharge index Cd(i). When SOC(i) is used as the discharge index Cd(i), the discharge control unit 34a controls each battery block so as to equalize the SOC of each secondary battery B without being influenced by parameters other than SOC. The discharge of each battery block BB can be controlled by controlling the switching of BB between the joining state and the leaving state.

Furthermore, the battery power supply device 1a may not include the temperature acquisition unit 35, may not execute step S31, and the discharge index Cd(i) may not include the term KtT(i). Alternatively, the battery power supply device 1a may not include the continuous energization time acquisition unit 36, may not execute step S32, and the discharge index Cd(i) may not include the term KtT(i). Alternatively, the battery power supply device 1a may not include the continuous downtime acquisition unit 37, may not execute step S33, and the discharge index Cd(i) may not include the term KdPd(i).

Further, the battery power supply device 1a may include a series battery module 2a instead of the series battery module 2, and a battery block BBa may be used instead of the battery block BB. When charging the series battery module 2a, while the battery block BBa in the joining state is being charged, the battery block BBa in the inverted state is discharged. That is, within the series battery module 2a, the amount of charge can be transferred from the battery block BBa in the inverted state to the battery block BBa in the joined state.

Therefore, when the series battery module 2a is used, the charging control unit 33a may set the battery blocks BBa of the second group G2 and the group A to the inverted state in step S37. If the battery blocks BBa of the second group G2 and group A are inverted, the amount of charge will be transferred from the battery blocks BBa of the second group G2 and group A with large SOC to the battery blocks BBa of the first group G1 with a small SOC. Moving. As a result, it becomes possible to equalize the SOC of each secondary battery B more quickly.

Moreover, when the series battery module 2a is used, the discharge control unit 34a may set at least one of the battery blocks BBa of the second group G2 and the group A to an inverted state in step S44. In this way, it is possible to discharge at least one of the battery blocks BBa of the first group G1 with a large SOC while charging at least one battery block BBa of the second group G2 and group A with a small SOC. becomes. As a result, it becomes possible to equalize the SOC of each secondary battery B more quickly.

Note that in the battery power supply device 1a as well, as in the case of the battery power supply device 1, the series battery module may be a combination of battery blocks BB and battery blocks BBa connected in series.

(Third embodiment)

Next, a battery power supply device 1b according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a battery power supply device 1b according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The battery power supply device 1b differs from the battery power supply device 1 in that it further includes a ground terminal TE, that it includes a series battery module 2b instead of the series battery module 2, and that the operation of the attachment/detachment control section 31b is different.

Since the other configurations are the same as those of the battery power supply device 1, the explanation thereof will be omitted, and the characteristic points of this embodiment will be explained below.

The series battery module 2b includes battery blocks BB1b to BBNb instead of battery blocks BB1 to BBN. Hereinafter, battery blocks BB1b to BBNb will be collectively referred to as battery block BBb.

Battery block BBb differs from battery block BB in that it further includes a ground switching element SE, and the intra-block series circuit SC of battery block BBb further includes a disconnection switching element SD. In other respects, battery block BBb is configured similarly to battery block BB.

The ground switching element SE is interposed between the second terminal T2 of each battery block BBb and the ground terminal TE. Note that the ground switching element SE may be interposed between the first terminal T1 and the ground terminal TE instead of the second terminal T2.

A disconnection switching element SD is further added to the intra-block series circuit SC of the battery block BBb. The disconnection switching element SD is connected in series to the side of the secondary battery B opposite to the series switching element SS.

The ground switching element SE and the disconnection switching element SD may be semiconductor switching elements such as transistors, or may be mechanical relay switches. The ground switching element SE and the disconnection switching element SD are turned on and off according to a control signal from the control section 3b.

In addition to the same processing as the attachment/detachment control unit 31, when the designation of the battery block BBb is accepted by the touch panel display 4, the attachment/detachment control unit 31b puts the specified battery block BBb into the detached state. The series switching element SS of the battery block BBb is turned off, and the disconnection switching element SD of the battery block BBb is also turned off, and the grounding switching element SE of the battery block BBb is turned on.

Furthermore, when the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BBb from which the secondary battery B has been removed, the attachment/detachment control unit 31b turns off the grounding switching element SE of the battery block BBb to which the secondary battery B is attached. The disconnection switching element SD is turned on and the battery block BBb is brought into the joining state.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process of attachment/detachment control by the attachment/detachment control section 31b shown in FIG. FIG. 9 shows an example in which battery blocks BB1b to BBNb are in the joining state. Detachment control will be explained using an example in which the secondary battery B2 of the battery block BB2b is removed from this state.

First, the attachment/detachment control unit 31b checks whether the designation of the battery block BBb has been accepted on the touch panel display 4 (step S1b). When the touch panel display 4 accepts the designation of the battery block BBb (YES in step S1b), the attachment/detachment control unit 31b turns off the series switching element SS of the designated battery block BBb and turns on the bypass switching element BS. It is set in a detached state (step S2b).

Next, the attachment/detachment control unit 31b turns off the disconnection switching element SD and turns on the grounding switching element SE of the designated battery block BBb (step S51), and shifts the process to step S1b again.

As a result, when a user wants to use an electric bicycle, for example, the user operates the touch panel display 4 to input, for example, "2" as the block number of the battery block BBb to which the secondary battery B for the electric bicycle is attached. .

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining steps S2b and S51. As shown in FIG. 11, when the battery block BB2b is designated, steps S2b and S51 turn off the series switching element SS, turn on the bypass switching element BS, and disconnect the battery block BB2b, as shown in FIG. Switching element SD is turned off, and grounded switching element SE is turned on.

In the state shown in FIG. 9 before steps S2b and S51 are executed, current flows through the secondary battery B2, and the second terminal T2 of the battery block BB2b has a lower potential than the battery block BB2b. The secondary batteries B3 to BN are connected in series, and a high voltage obtained by adding the output voltages of the secondary batteries B3 to BN is applied. Therefore, if the user attempts to remove the secondary battery B2 from the battery block BB2b in this state, there is a risk of electric shock due to the current and high voltage.

On the other hand, in the state of FIG. 11 after steps S2b and S51 are executed, the series switching element SS and the disconnection switching element SD of the battery block BB2b are turned off, so the current flowing to the secondary battery B2 becomes zero. , and the secondary battery B2 becomes electrically floating. In this state, the ground switching element SE of the battery block BB2b is turned on, and the second terminal T2 is electrically connected to the ground terminal TE, so that the secondary battery B2 is brought to the ground potential.

In this way, the current flowing through the secondary battery B2 becomes zero and the secondary battery B2 is brought to the ground potential, thereby improving the safety of the user who attempts to remove the secondary battery B2.

On the other hand, if the designation of battery block BBb is not accepted (NO in step S1b), the attachment/detachment control unit 31b determines whether or not the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BBb from which the secondary battery B was removed. Confirm (step S3). If the secondary battery B is not attached (NO in step S3), the attachment/detachment control section 31b shifts the process to step S1b again.

On the other hand, when the secondary battery B is attached to the battery block BBb from which the secondary battery B was removed (YES in step S3), the attachment/detachment control unit 31b controls the battery block BBb to which the secondary battery B was attached. The ground switching element SE is turned off and the disconnection switching element SD is turned on (step S52). This disconnects the secondary battery B from the ground terminal TE.

Next, the attachment/detachment control unit 31b turns off the bypass switching element BS of the battery block BBb to which the secondary battery B is attached and turns on the series switching element SS to bring it into the joining state (step S4b), and repeats the process in step S1b. Move to. Thereby, the attached secondary battery B becomes usable.

Note that it is not always necessary to execute steps S3, S52, and S4b, and if NO in step S1b, step S1b may be repeated. Further, the control section 3b further includes a temperature acquisition section 35, a continuous energization time acquisition section 36, and a continuous rest time acquisition section 37, and instead of the charging control section 33 and the discharge control section 34, a charging control section 33a and a discharge control section 34a are provided. may be provided. Moreover, the battery block BBb does not need to be provided with the contact terminal CT.

Moreover, at least one of the battery blocks of the series battery module 2b may be a battery block BBb, and the series battery module may be a combination of battery blocks BB and battery blocks BBb connected in series.

FIG. 12 is a conceptual circuit diagram showing a modification of the series battery module 2b. As shown in FIG. 12, the series battery module 2c may include a battery block BBc instead of the battery block BBb in the series battery module 2b. The battery block BBc shown in FIG. 12 further includes an inversion circuit RC in addition to the battery block BBb. The connection wiring of the inversion circuit RC in the series battery module 2c is the same as the connection wiring of the inversion circuit RC in the series battery module 2a shown in FIG. 5, so a description thereof will be omitted.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, battery block BB1c is in the joined state, battery block BB2c is in the detached state, and battery block BB3c is in the reversed state. By using the series battery module 2c, the same effects as the series battery module 2a can be obtained.

Note that in the battery power supply device 1b as well, as in the case of the battery power supply device 1, the series battery module may be a combination of battery blocks BBb and battery blocks BBc connected in series. Further, in the battery power supply devices 1, 1a, and 1b, the series battery module may be one in which battery blocks BB, BBa, BBb, and BBc are mixed and connected in series.

1, 1a, 1b Battery power supply device 2, 2a, 2b Series battery module 3, 3a, 3b Control unit 4 Touch panel display (operation reception unit)
31, 31b Detachment control section 32 SOC acquisition section 33, 33a Charging control section 34, 34a Discharge control section 35 Temperature acquisition section 36 Continuous energization time acquisition section 37 Continuous rest time acquisition section B, B1 ~ BN Secondary battery BB, BB1 ~ BBN, BBa, BB1a to BBNa, BBb, BB1b to BBNb, BBc, BB1c to BBNc Battery block BS Bypass switching element Cc Charge index Cd Discharge index CT Contact terminal A, G Group G1 First group G2 Second group Ks, Kt, Kc, Kd Coefficients Ns, Nt, Nc, Nd Normalized number P1 One end P2 Other end Pc Continuous energization time Pd Continuous rest time RC Inversion circuit SC Intra-block series circuit SD Disconnection switching element SE Ground switching element SR1, SR2 Inversion switching element SS Series switching element T Temperature T1 First terminal T2 Second terminal TE Ground terminal TT1, TT2 Input/output terminal

Claims (15)

A series battery module in which multiple battery blocks are connected in series,
an attachment/detachment control unit that controls attachment/detachment of the battery block;
an operation reception unit that accepts designation of the battery block by a user;
Each of the battery blocks is
a first terminal connectable to one pole of a secondary battery;
a second terminal connectable to the other pole of the secondary battery;
a series switching element connected in series to the secondary battery connected to the first and second terminals;
a bypass switching element connected in parallel to an intra-block series circuit in which the secondary battery and the series switching element are connected in series;
At least one of the plurality of battery blocks is capable of attaching and detaching the secondary battery,
In the series battery module, the plurality of battery blocks are connected in series by connecting in series a parallel circuit of the intra-block series circuit and the bypass switching element in each of the battery blocks,
The attachment/detachment control unit is capable of controlling each battery block into an joining state in which the bypass switching element is turned off and the series switching element is turned on, and a withdrawal state in which the series switching element is turned off and the bypass switching element is turned on. and a battery power supply device that brings the designated battery block into the detached state when the designation of the battery block is accepted by the operation reception unit. It further includes a grounding terminal for grounding,
At least one of the plurality of battery blocks further includes a grounding switching element interposed between one of the first and second terminals and the grounding terminal,
The intra-block series circuit of the battery block including the ground switching element further includes a disconnection switching element connected in series to the side of the secondary battery opposite to the series switching element,
When the operation reception unit accepts a designation of a battery block including the ground switching element, the attachment/detachment control unit turns off the series switching element by placing the designated battery block in the detached state; The battery power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising turning off said disconnection switching element and turning on said grounding switching element. When the secondary battery is attached to the battery block from which the secondary battery has been removed, the attachment/detachment control unit further turns off the grounding switching element of the battery block to which the secondary battery is attached; The battery power supply device according to claim 2, wherein the disconnection switching element is turned on. 3. The attachment/detachment control unit, when the secondary battery is attached to the battery block from which the secondary battery has been removed, further sets the battery block to which the secondary battery is attached to the joining state. The battery power supply device described in . It further includes a grounding terminal for grounding,
The battery power supply device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of battery blocks further includes a contact terminal that is capable of contacting the casing of the secondary battery and is electrically connected to the ground terminal. an SOC acquisition unit that acquires the SOC of the secondary battery of each battery block;
When charging the series battery module, a battery block in which the SOC of the secondary battery is less than 100% among the plurality of battery blocks is replaced with a first group in which the SOC of the secondary battery is relatively large. Generally, the SOC of the secondary batteries is grouped into a second group with a small SOC, the battery blocks of the first group are brought into the joined state, and the battery blocks of the second group are brought into the detached state. The battery power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a charging control unit that preferentially charges battery blocks of a group. 7 . The battery power supply device according to claim 6 , wherein the charging control unit sets a battery block having the largest SOC among the battery blocks whose SOC is less than 100% as the first group. an SOC acquisition unit that acquires the SOC of the secondary battery of each battery block;
The battery power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a discharge control unit that brings the battery block including a secondary battery whose SOC indicates full charge to the detached state when discharging the series battery module. an SOC acquisition unit that acquires the SOC of the secondary battery of each battery block;
A charging control unit that controls charging of each of the battery blocks by controlling switching between the joining state and the withdrawal state of each of the battery blocks so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries of each of the battery blocks. The battery power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: In addition to the SOC, the charging control unit determines the temperature of the secondary battery of each of the battery blocks, the continuous energization time that is the time during which each of the battery blocks has been in the joining state continuously from the current time, and the current time. The battery power supply device according to claim 9, wherein the battery power supply device controls charging of each of the battery blocks based on at least one of continuous downtimes that are consecutive periods of time during which each of the battery blocks was in a disconnected state. . an SOC acquisition unit that acquires the SOC of the secondary battery of each battery block;
A discharge control unit that controls discharging of each of the battery blocks by controlling switching between the joining state and the withdrawal state of each of the battery blocks so as to equalize the SOC of the secondary batteries of each of the battery blocks. The battery power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising: In addition to the SOC, the discharge control unit is configured to determine, in addition to the SOC, the temperature of the secondary battery of each of the battery blocks, the continuous energization time that is the time during which each of the battery blocks was in the joining state continuously from the current time, and the current time. The battery power supply device according to claim 11, wherein the battery power supply device controls the discharging of each of the battery blocks based on at least one of continuous downtimes that are times during which each of the battery blocks was in a detached state retroactively. . The battery power supply device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of battery blocks further includes an inversion circuit that inverts the polarity of the secondary battery. The battery power supply device according to claim 1, wherein each of the secondary batteries is a battery pack for electric equipment. The battery power supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said secondary batteries.

Images