JP5668890B1 - Power storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

A power source of a control unit is prevented from being affected by fluctuations in voltage of a power storage module. An electrical storage connected between first and second common power supply lines and generating a common power supply voltage having a voltage substantially equal to a unit voltage of a plurality of battery units within a range not exceeding a breakdown voltage of a second switching element. Element and a control unit that individually controls the switching operation of the first and second switching elements, and has the highest voltage among the plurality of battery units in one of the continuous first and second periods While the 1st switching element connected with the 1st battery part turns on, the 2nd switching element connected with the 2nd battery part with the lowest voltage among a plurality of battery parts turns on, and is continuous In the other of the first and second periods, the second switching element connected to the first battery unit is turned on, and the first switching element connected to the second battery unit is turned on In the equipment That. [Selection] Figure 21

Description

The present disclosure relates to power storage equipment.

  In recent years, the use of secondary batteries such as lithium-ion batteries has been rapidly expanding to power storage power storage devices combined with new energy systems such as solar batteries and wind power generation, automobile storage batteries, and the like. In the case of using a large number of power storage elements such as unit batteries (also referred to as single cells or cells. In the following description, referred to as battery cells as appropriate) in order to generate a large output, a configuration in which a plurality of power storage modules are connected in series is used. Adopted. The power storage module includes a plurality of, for example, four battery cells connected in parallel and / or in series to form a battery block. A large number of battery blocks are housed in an outer case to constitute a power storage module (also referred to as an assembled battery).

  Furthermore, a battery system in which a plurality of power storage modules are connected and a common control device is provided for the plurality of power storage modules is known. Each power storage module has a module controller, and is configured to communicate between the module controller and the control device via communication means.

  When using multiple battery cells, even if one of the battery cells reaches the lower limit voltage during discharge due to the difference in self-discharge of the battery cells, the other battery cells still reach the lower limit voltage. There are things that do not. If the battery cell is recharged in such a state, a battery cell that cannot be fully charged is generated, and a problem that the battery cell capability cannot be fully exhibited occurs.

  In order to correct such a variation between a plurality of battery cells, conventionally, the balance between the battery cells has been controlled. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that a large number of battery cells are divided into a plurality of series cell groups, and an inter-cell voltage balance correction circuit is provided in each cell group, and an inter-group voltage balance correction circuit is provided. . The inter-group voltage balance correction circuit is configured to correct the balance of the series voltage of each cell group by AC coupling formed using a transformer coil and a switching circuit.

JP 2008-035680 A

  The inter-group voltage balance correction circuit described in Patent Literature 1 can be applied to the correction of the balance of the battery group of the power storage module. However, although the coil is connected for every cell group, the coil is the structure wound by the common magnetic core. Therefore, when connected to a plurality of power storage modules stored in separate cases, the coil and the magnetic core need to be stored in separate cases. Star wiring for connecting a plurality of power storage modules to this other transformer device is performed. When the number of power storage modules increases, there is a problem that the connection becomes complicated.

  Furthermore, since the switching circuit is controlled to be turned on / off in the same phase and the voltage is made uniform, the switching operation cannot be controlled independently for each cell group. Therefore, there is a problem that power cannot be transferred from a specific cell group having a high voltage to a specific cell group having a low voltage.

Accordingly, the present disclosure, it is not necessary to configure the transformer as the power storage module and another device, and an object thereof is to provide a power storage equipment to the switching operation of each power storage module can be individually controlled.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present disclosure includes a plurality of battery units each including one battery cell, a plurality of battery cells, or a plurality of battery blocks;
A series circuit composed of a first coil and a first switching element connected in parallel with the battery unit;
A second coil electromagnetically coupled to the first coil;
A second switching element connected in series with the second coil;
A first and second common power supply line to which a series circuit of a plurality of second coils and a second switching element is connected in parallel ;
A power storage element connected between the first and second common power supply lines and generating a common power supply voltage having a voltage substantially equal to a unit voltage of the plurality of battery units within a range not exceeding a breakdown voltage of the second switching element;
In order to equalize the voltages of the plurality of battery units , the first switching element and the second switching element are turned on so as to individually control the switching operation of the first switching element and the switching operation of the second switching element. And a control unit for controlling off ,
In one of the continuous first and second periods, the first switching element connected to the first battery unit having the highest voltage among the plurality of battery units is turned on, and Then, the second switching element connected to the second battery part having the lowest voltage is turned on,
In the other of the continuous first and second periods, the second switching element connected to the first battery unit is turned on, and the first switching element connected to the second battery unit is turned on. It is a power storage device.

Since the inter-module balance circuit of the present disclosure has a separate configuration for the flyback transformer of each module, unlike the configuration with a common magnetic core, it is not necessary to perform star-shaped wiring, and wiring can be simplified. . In the present disclosure, the primary side switch and the secondary side switch of the flyback transformer can be controlled by independent control pulse signals. Therefore, it is possible to transmit power via a desired plurality of flyback transformers. Furthermore, by setting the length of the ON period of the switching operation, the amount of power moved through the flyback transformer can be individually controlled. That is, if the period during which the switch is turned on is lengthened corresponding to the amount of power to be moved, the amount of power to be moved can be varied. Further, in the present disclosure, the primary side of the discharge side battery block group and the secondary side of the charge side battery block group are turned on at substantially the same timing, and then the secondary side and the charge side of the switch discharge side battery block group The primary side of the battery block group is turned on at substantially the same timing, and the battery block group is discharged and charged by this operation. As a result, the period required for charging / discharging can be shortened.

It is a block diagram of an example of an electrical storage system. It is a disassembled perspective view of an example of an electrical storage module. It is a connection diagram which shows the connection structure of an example of an electrical storage module. It is a block diagram which shows the specific structure of an electrical storage system. It is a block diagram of an example of a module controller. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the electrical storage system which connected the several electrical storage module. It is a basic diagram which shows the mounting state of the components with respect to the multilayer wiring board of each electrical storage module. It is a connection diagram which shows the circuit structure of an insulation part. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating a 2 layer wiring board and a 4 layer wiring board. It is a basic diagram for demonstrating the specific example of a printed circuit board antenna. It is a basic diagram for demonstrating the necessity of bottom balance. It is an approximate line figure for explaining active bottom cell balance operation. It is an approximate line figure for explaining necessity of top balance. It is an approximate line figure for explaining active top cell balance operation. It is a connection diagram of a conventional active bottom cell balance circuit. It is a timing chart for demonstrating operation | movement of the conventional active bottom cell balance circuit. It is a connection diagram of a conventional active top cell balance circuit. It is a timing chart for demonstrating operation | movement of the conventional active top cell balance circuit. It is a connection diagram of an example of a conventional inter-module balance circuit. It is a connection diagram of an example of a balance circuit between modules. It is a connection diagram of the 1st example of the balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a connection diagram showing a specific example of a switch. It is a connection diagram for explaining operation of the first example of the inter-module balance circuit of the present disclosure. It is a timing chart for operation explanation of the 1st example of the balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a connection diagram of the 2nd example of the balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a connection diagram of the 3rd example of the balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a connection diagram of the 4th example of the balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a block diagram of an example of an electrical storage system which has a balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a connection diagram at the time of applying this indication to a balance circuit between cells. It is a block diagram of the 1st example of an application example of an electrical storage system which has a balance circuit between modules of this indication. It is a block diagram of the 2nd example of an application example of an electrical storage system which has an inter-module balance circuit of this indication.

  The embodiments described below are preferred specific examples of the present invention, and various technically preferable limitations are given. However, the scope of the present invention is particularly limited in the following description. Unless stated to the effect, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

"Power storage system"
When a large number of power storage elements such as battery cells are used to generate a large output, a configuration in which a plurality of power storage units (hereinafter referred to as power storage modules) are connected and a control device is provided in common for the plurality of power storage modules Adopted. Such a configuration is referred to as a power storage system.

  The power storage module is a unit in which a plurality of battery cells and a controller are combined. As shown in FIG. 1, N power storage modules MOD1 to MODN are connected in series. The power storage modules MOD1 to MODN are connected to the interface bus BS via the insulating part IS.

  Further, each module controller is connected to the entire control device (hereinafter referred to as a control box as appropriate) ICNT, and the control box ICNT performs management for charge management, discharge management, deterioration suppression, and the like. The control box ICNT is constituted by a microcomputer.

A serial interface is used as the bus in the power storage module and the bus BS connecting the power storage modules MOD1 to MODN and the control box ICNT. Specific serial interfaces include SM bus (System Management Bus), CA
N (Controller Area Network), SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), etc. are used. For example, an I2C bus can be used. The I2C bus is synchronous serial communication in which communication is performed using two signal lines of SCL (serial clock) and bidirectional SDA (serial data).

  The module controller CNT and the control box ICNT of each power storage module MOD communicate with each other. That is, the control box ICNT receives information on the internal state of each power storage module, that is, battery information, and the charging process and the discharging process of each power storage module are managed. The control box ICNT supplies an output (N × 51.2 V) of N power storage modules connected in series to the load. In the example of N = 14, the output is (14 × 51.2V = 716.8V).

"Example of storage module"
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mechanical configuration of the power storage module MOD. The outer case of the power storage module MOD includes a metal outer lower case 2a and an outer upper case 2b that are processed by sheet metal. As a material for the exterior lower case 2a and the exterior upper case 2b, it is preferable to use a material having high thermal conductivity and emissivity. Excellent casing heat dissipation can be obtained, and temperature rise in the case can be suppressed. For example, the material of the exterior lower case 2a and the exterior upper case 2b is aluminum, an aluminum alloy, copper, or a copper alloy. On the back surface of the case, an external positive terminal 3 and an external negative terminal 4 for charging / discharging the power storage module MOD are provided.

  Further, a current breaker 5 is provided on the back surface of the power storage module MOD. By providing the current breaker 5, safety can be improved. Further, a connector 6 for communication with the control circuit arranged in the case 2 is provided. The control circuit is provided for monitoring the temperature of the battery unit and controlling charging, discharging, and the like. Further, a display element such as an LED indicating an operating state is provided on the front surface of the case.

  The exterior lower case 2a of the case has a box-like configuration, and the exterior upper case 2b is provided so as to cover the opening. The submodules AS1 to AS4 are stored in the storage space of the outer lower case 2a. In order to fix the submodules AS1 to AS4 by screws or the like, a plurality of bosses are formed on the bottom surface of the exterior lower case 2a. The sub modules AS1 to AS4 are assembled in advance outside the case.

  Each submodule is formed by integrating a plurality of battery blocks by an insulating case as a sub storage case. As the case of the submodule, a molded part such as plastic can be used. The submodules AS1 to AS4 store a plurality of battery blocks in a case so that the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the internal battery block are not exposed.

  One battery block is formed by connecting, for example, eight cylindrical lithium ion secondary batteries in parallel. The submodules AS1 and AS2 are obtained by integrating six battery blocks by an upper case and a lower case, respectively. The submodules AS3 and AS4 are obtained by integrating two battery blocks by an upper case and a lower case, respectively. Therefore, a total (6 + 6 + 2 + 2 = 16) battery blocks are used. These battery blocks are connected in series, for example.

  In each of the submodules AS1 to AS4, a connection metal plate such as a bus bar is used to connect the battery blocks in series. The bus bar is an elongated rod-shaped metal. A plurality of holes are formed in the bus bar for connection to a connection metal plate or the like led out from the battery block.

  As shown in FIG. 3, battery blocks B1 to B16 each having eight batteries connected in parallel are connected in series. Battery blocks B1 to B16 are each connected to a module controller CNT as a control device of each power storage module, and charge / discharge is controlled. Charging / discharging is performed via the external positive terminal 3 and the external negative terminal 4. For example, the battery blocks B1 to B6 are included in the submodule AS1, and the battery blocks B11 to B16 are included in the submodule AS2. Furthermore, battery blocks B7 and B10 are included in submodule AS3, and battery blocks B8 and B9 are included in submodule AS4.

  Information such as the voltage between the positive and negative electrodes of each battery block is supplied to the module controller CNT via the bus 10. The module controller CNT monitors the voltage, current, and temperature of each battery block, and outputs the monitored result as battery information. For example, one power storage module MOD outputs (16 × 3.2V = 51.2V).

  FIG. 4 shows a more specific connection configuration of the power storage system. For example, four power storage modules MOD1 to MOD4 are connected in series. In this case, the total voltage extracted to the positive terminal 3 (VB +) and the negative terminal 4 (VB−) is about 200V. Each power storage module includes module controllers CNT1 to CNT4 and battery block groups BB1 to BB4, respectively. Each battery block group is, for example, a series connection of 16 battery blocks.

  Module controllers CNT1 to CNT4 are connected via a bus, and a communication terminal of the module controller CNT4 is connected to the control box ICNT. Information such as voltage for each module from each module controller is transmitted to the control box ICNT. The control box ICNT further includes a communication terminal 11 so that communication with the outside is possible.

"Example of module controller"
An example of the configuration of the module controller will be described with reference to FIG. The module controller CNT detects the voltage at both ends of the n battery blocks B1 to Bn connected in series and the voltage of each battery block. A multiplexer 15 is provided for sequentially outputting the voltage across the battery blocks B1 to Bn and the voltage of each battery block.

  For example, the multiplexer 15 switches channels according to a predetermined control signal, and selects one analog voltage data from n analog voltage data. One analog voltage data selected by the multiplexer 15 is supplied to an A / D converter 16 (referred to as ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) in the figure).

  The A / D converter 16 converts the analog voltage data supplied from the multiplexer 15 into digital voltage data. For example, analog voltage data is converted into 14 to 18-bit digital voltage data. As a method of the A / D converter 16, various methods such as a successive approximation method and a ΔΣ (delta sigma) method can be used.

  Digital voltage data from the A / D converter 16 is supplied to the communication unit 17. The communication unit 17 is controlled by the control unit 18 and communicates with an external device connected through the communication terminals 19a and 19b. For example, communication with the module controller of another module is performed through the communication terminal 19a, and communication with the control box ICNT is performed through the communication terminal 19b. Further, the module controller CNT receives a control signal from the control box ICNT through the communication terminal 19b. Thus, the communication unit 17 performs bidirectional communication.

Further, the control unit 18 controls the equalization of the voltage of the battery block. Such control is referred to as cell balance control. For example, when one battery block among the plurality of battery blocks B1 to Bn reaches the discharge voltage at the lower limit of use, there is another battery block in which the capacity still remains. When the battery is next charged, the other battery blocks having the remaining capacity quickly reach the charging upper limit voltage and cannot be charged until fully charged. In order to avoid such an imbalance, the battery block with the remaining capacity is forcibly discharged by turning on a MOSFET (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor). The cell balance control method is not limited to the passive method described above, and a so-called active method and other various methods can be applied. The inter-module balance control in the present disclosure will be described in detail later.

  The module controller CNT described above monitors the voltage of each battery block, converts the detected voltage into a digital signal, and transmits the digital signal to the control box ICNT. In addition to the voltage, the temperature of each battery block may be detected, converted into digital data, and transmitted to the control box ICNT.

  As shown in FIG. 5, power to the module controller CNT is supplied from battery blocks B1 to Bn. However, when the battery blocks B1 to Bn are used as a power source, the power consumption of the module controller CNT is not equal to each other. Therefore, there is a variation in capacity between the battery blocks B1 to Bn between modules, and an imbalance between modules occurs. . From this point, it is preferable that the power source of the module controller CNT does not use the battery blocks B1 to Bn.

  In the module controller CNT shown in FIG. 5, the A / D converter 16, the communication unit 17, and the control unit 18 are low voltage power supply units that can operate with a low voltage, for example, 5V power supply, as shown by being surrounded by a broken line inside. is there. In the present disclosure, power for the low voltage power supply unit is supplied from the control box ICNT. When power is supplied from the battery blocks B1 to Bn, the balance between modules may be lost due to the difference in power consumption of the module controller CNT. In the present disclosure, since power for the low voltage power supply unit of the module controller CNT is supplied from the control box ICNT, such a problem does not occur.

"Power storage system according to the present disclosure"
FIG. 6 shows a configuration in which the present disclosure is applied to a power storage system having n power storage modules MOD1 to MODn. Each power storage module includes communication units COM1 to COMn, insulating units ISC1 to ISCn, module controllers CNT1 to CNTn, and battery block groups BB1 to BBn. The n power storage modules and the control box ICNT are connected. For connection, communication lines L1 and L2 and a power supply line Lp are used. Bidirectional communication is performed between the control box ICNT and the power storage modules MOD1 to MODn through the communication lines L1 and L2. For example, CAN is used as the communication method. Recently, CAN is used as an in-vehicle LAN.

  The communication units COM1 to COMn of each power storage module correspond to the communication unit 17 in FIG. Therefore, the module controllers CNT1 to CNTn in FIG. 6 have a configuration that does not include the communication unit 17 with respect to the configuration in FIG. However, the communication units COM1 to COMn and the communication unit 17 may be provided so that each has a different function. For example, a power supply voltage of +5 V is supplied through the power supply line Lp as a power supply for the low voltage power supply unit of each power storage module.

  The insulating units ISC1 to ISCn have a function of insulating between the communication units COM1 to COMn and the module controllers CNT1 to CNTn. That is, the reference potential of the power supplies of the communication units COM1 to COMn and the reference potential of the power supplies of the module controllers CNT1 to CNTn are separated and made independent. Further, in an insulated state, the insulating units ISC1 to ISCn have a function of supplying a power supply voltage to the module controllers CNT1 to CNTn and a function as a transmission medium for bidirectional communication.

  As an example, the power supply voltage of the control box ICNT and the communication units COM1 to COMn is set to 0 to + 5V. The power supply voltage of the module controller CNT1 of the power storage module MOD1 is 0 to +5 V, the power supply voltage of the module controller CNT2 of the power storage module MOD2 is +50 V to +55 V, and the power supply voltage of the module controller CNTn of the power storage module MODn is (+ 50 × n). V to (+ 50 × n) + 5V.

"Insulation part"
A CAN standard can be used as a bidirectional communication method performed through the insulating portions ISC1 to ISCn. As a power transmission method performed through the insulating portions ISC1 to ISCn, an electromagnetic induction method, a magnetic field resonance method, a radio wave reception method, or the like can be used.

  In the present disclosure, contactless IC card technology is used. In the non-contact IC card technology, the antenna coil of the reader / writer and the antenna coil of the card are magnetically coupled to perform communication and power transmission between the reader / writer and the card. The communication is performed at a speed of 212 or 424 kbps using a method of ASK (Amplitude Shift Keying) modulation of a carrier wave having a frequency of 13.56 kHz. The insulation parts ISC1 to ISCn have the same specifications as the non-contact IC card system. Further, the insulating portions ISC1 to ISCn perform communication and power transmission between antennas (coils) formed on different layers of the multilayer printed board.

  As shown in FIG. 7, an MPU (MicroProcessing Unit) constituting a control box ICNT on a multilayer printed board 21 and a non-contact IC card reader / writer side LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) 22 are provided. Mounted. Further, printed circuit board antennas 23 and 24, a non-contact IC card type LSI 25 on the card side, and a module controller CNT are mounted on the multilayer printed circuit board 21.

  As conceptually shown in FIG. 8, in the non-contact IC card system, a transmission signal from the antenna 23 of the reader / writer unit 26 to the card unit 27 having a carrier wave amplitude of 2 to 13 Vop and a modulation degree of about 10%, for example. It is formed. A transmission signal is transmitted from the antenna 23 to the antenna 24 of the card unit 27. The signal received by the antenna 24 is a high-frequency signal having a carrier amplitude of 2 to 13 Vop and a modulation degree of about 10%, for example. By smoothing the received signal, a power source in the card unit 27 is formed. The power consumption in the card unit 27 is sufficiently small.

  An example of the printed circuit board antenna will be described. As the multilayer printed board 21 on which the antenna is formed as a conductive pattern, a four-layer printed board having four wiring layers LY1 to LY4 is used as shown in FIG. 9A. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 9B, a two-layer printed board having two wiring layers LY11 and LY12 is used.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the primary side (reader / writer side) antenna 23 is formed by a spiral pattern 31a, a linear pattern 31b, and a linear pattern 31c. A spiral pattern 31a is formed on the fourth wiring layer LY4 of the four-layer printed circuit board, and the end of the central portion of the pattern 31a is connected to the land 32a of the third wiring layer LY3 via the land and the through hole. The A linear pattern 31b is formed between the land 32a and the land 32b. The land 32b is connected to the linear pattern 31c through the through hole and the land of the third wiring layer LY3. The ends of the patterns 31a and 31c are connected to a connector (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 10B, the secondary (card side) antenna 24 is formed by a spiral pattern 41a, a linear pattern 41b, a linear pattern 41c, and a linear pattern 41d. A spiral pattern 41a having one end connected to a connector (not shown) is formed on the first wiring layer LY1 of the four-layer printed board. It is connected to the linear pattern 41b through the land 42a, the through hole, and the land of the second wiring layer LY2. One end of the pattern 41b is connected to the land 42b and the land of the first wiring layer LY1 through the through hole. One end of the linear pattern 41c is connected to the land of the first wiring layer LY1. The other end of the linear pattern 41c is connected to a connector (not shown). Furthermore, one end of the linear pattern 41d is connected to the land 42c connected to the spiral pattern 41a. The other end of the linear pattern 41d is connected to the reference potential point.

  When the patterns intersect, the printed circuit board antenna is constituted by patterns of different wiring layers. Through holes and lands are used to connect different wiring layers. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10A, unnecessary lands 32c and 32d are generated in the fourth wiring layer, and unnecessary lands 42d are generated in the first wiring layer.

  Instead of forming the above-mentioned pattern on the other wiring layer of the printed board, jumper wires may be used. That is, jumper lines are used instead of the pattern 31b in FIG. 10A and the patterns 41b and 41d in FIG. 10B. In this case, a two-layer printed circuit board can be used, and it becomes unnecessary to form a through hole, and it is possible to prevent unnecessary lands from being generated. By not forming the through hole, it is possible to further increase the withstand voltage of the printed circuit board.

  The insulation part of this indication performs insulation between a primary side antenna and a secondary side antenna with a printed circuit board. Therefore, in the insulating part of the present disclosure, a DC insulation voltage of 1000 V or more is possible. Furthermore, there is an advantage that bidirectional communication and power transmission are possible, and the cost can be reduced.

“About Cell Balance”
In the present disclosure, the voltage balance between the plurality of power storage modules MOD1 to MODn (hereinafter simply referred to as module balance) is controlled. That is, the output voltage of each power storage module is made uniform by controlling the balance between modules. Normally, since each power storage module includes a large number of battery cells, the variation between the power storage modules is larger than the voltage balance between the battery cells in the power storage module (hereinafter simply referred to as cell balance). . Therefore, even if the cell balance in the power storage module is controlled, it is meaningful to perform the module balance control.

  Prior to the description of the present disclosure, general cell balance control will be described. As shown in FIG. 11, the cell balance between the three battery cells BT1, BT2, and BT3 is examined. Initially, as shown in FIG. 11A, it is assumed that all the battery cells are fully charged. Next, as illustrated in FIG. 11B, it is assumed that the battery cells are discharged and variations in the discharge amount occur, and the voltage of the battery cell BT1 reaches the use lower limit voltage indicated by a broken line. Due to the variation between the battery cells, the other battery cells BT2 and BT3 have not yet reached the use lower limit voltage. For example, the difference in self-discharge amount is a cause of variation in discharge amount between battery cells.

  When charging is started in this state, the battery cell BT2 having the largest remaining capacity at the time when the voltage of the battery cell BT1 reaches the use lower limit voltage first reaches the full capacity. At this time, as shown in FIG. 11C, the battery cell BT1 is not charged until it is fully charged. Therefore, if the battery is fully charged, the discharge amount C1 can be discharged, but the amount that can be discharged to the discharge amount C2 is reduced.

  In order to solve this problem, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, when the battery cell BT1 reaches the use lower limit voltage, the capacity remains most (highest potential), and the other capacity is the smallest from the battery cell BT2. (Minimum potential) The power remaining in the battery cell BT1 is approximately equal. Then, by charging the battery cells BT1, BT2, and BT3, it is possible to charge the three battery cells to a substantially full charge voltage. Actually, the processing is repeated a plurality of times.

  Such control is referred to as active bottom cell balance control. It is possible to prevent a decrease in the amount that can be discharged by the bottom cell balance control. In the state shown in FIG. 12A, the method of discharging the battery cells BT2 and BT3 so as to match the potential with the battery cell BT1 having the lowest potential is called passive bottom cell balance control. The active method is preferable because the capacity can be used more effectively than the passive method.

  The active top balance control will be described with reference to FIG. 13 and FIG. Initially, as shown in FIG. 13A, it is assumed that all the battery cells are fully charged. Next, as shown in FIG. 13B, it is assumed that the battery cell is discharged.

  When charging is started, as shown in FIG. 13C, the voltage of the battery cell BT2 first reaches the use upper limit voltage. At this time, the voltages of the battery cells BT1 and BT3 have not reached the use upper limit voltage. Therefore, the charge amount decreases as indicated by C12 with respect to the charge amount C11 (FIG. 13A).

  In order to solve this problem, as shown in FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B, when the battery cell BT2 reaches the upper limit voltage, the battery cell BT2 has the highest capacity (highest potential) and the other capacity is the lowest (lowest). Potential) It is assumed that the power remaining in the battery cell BT1 is approximately equal to the remaining capacity. Then, by charging the battery cells BT1, BT2, and BT3, it is possible to charge the three battery cells to a substantially full charge voltage. Actually, the processing is repeated a plurality of times.

  Such control is referred to as active top cell balance control. The amount of charge that can be charged can be prevented by the top cell balance control. In the state shown in FIG. 14A, the method of discharging the battery cells BT2 and BT3 so as to match the potential with the battery cell BT1 having the lowest potential is called passive top cell balance control. The active method is preferable because the capacity can be used more effectively than the passive method.

"Conventional cell balance control circuit"
An example of a conventional active bottom cell balance circuit using a flyback transformer will be described with reference to FIGS. The positive and negative electrodes of each battery cell are connected to both ends of primary coils W1 to W6. The positive and negative electrodes of the six battery cells BT1 to BT6 connected in series are connected to both ends of the secondary coil W0. Furthermore, a common magnetic core M is provided. Further, the secondary side switch S0 is connected in series with the secondary side coil W0, and the primary side switches S1 to S6 are connected in series with each of the primary side coils W1 to W6. The switches S0 to S6 are configured by, for example, a MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) FET.

  FIG. 16 is a timing chart of the operation of the active bottom cell balance circuit shown in FIG. As an example, each voltage of the battery cells BT1 to BT6 is detected by a monitor unit (not shown), and it is detected that the voltage of the battery cell BT2 is the lowest. In this case, power is transferred from another battery cell to battery cell BT2. First, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 16A, the switch S0 is turned on, the current I1 flows through the coil W0 as shown in FIG. 16C, and the magnetic core M is magnetized.

  Next, as shown in FIGS. 15B and 16B, the primary side switch S2 connected in series with the coil W2 is turned on, and the secondary side switch S0 is turned off as shown in FIG. 16A. The electromagnetic energy of the magnetic core M is released, and a current I2 flows through the primary coil W2 as shown in FIG. 16D. This current I2 flows into the battery cell BT2, and the battery cell BT2 is charged.

  Thereafter, the primary side switch S2 is turned off as shown in FIG. 16B. Further, a predetermined pause time follows. The above-described ON period of the secondary side switch S0, the ON period of the primary side switch S2, and the pause period are set as cycle periods, and the operation is repeated.

  An example of a conventional active top cell balance circuit will be described with reference to FIGS. The positive and negative electrodes of each battery cell are connected to both ends of primary coils W1 to W6. The positive and negative electrodes of the six battery cells BT1 to BT6 connected in series are connected to both ends of the secondary coil W0. Furthermore, a common magnetic core M is provided. Further, the primary side switches S1 to S6 are connected in series with each of the primary side coils W1 to W6, the secondary side switch S0 is connected in series with the secondary side coil W0, and the switches S0 to S6 are, for example, MOSFETs Consists of.

  FIG. 18 is a timing chart of the operation of the active top cell balance circuit shown in FIG. As an example, each voltage of the battery cells BT1 to BT6 is detected by a monitor unit (not shown), and it is detected that the voltage of the battery cell BT5 is the highest. In this case, electric power is transferred from the battery cell BT5 to the other battery cells. First, as shown in FIGS. 17A and 18B, the switch S5 is turned on, the current I1 flows through the coil W5 as shown in FIG. 18D, and the magnetic core M is magnetized.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 17B and 18A, the secondary side switch S0 is turned on, and as shown in FIG. 18B, the primary side switch S5 is turned off. As shown in FIG. 18C, the current I2 flows through the secondary coil W0 by the electromagnetic energy of the magnetic core M. This current I2 flows in series connection of battery cells BT1-BT6, and electric power is distributed to each battery cell.

  Thereafter, the secondary side switch S0 is turned off as shown in FIG. 18A. Further, a predetermined pause time follows. The above-described ON period of the primary switch S5, the ON period of the secondary switch S0, and the pause period are set as cycle periods, and the operation is repeated.

"Balancing circuit between modules"
The conventional balance circuit described above relates to a battery cell, and a problem occurs when applied to the inter-module balance described with reference to FIGS. The inter-module balance is the voltage balance of the battery unit composed of a plurality of battery cells or a plurality of battery blocks in each power storage module. Usually, the imbalance between modules is larger than the imbalance within the module. As a result of performing balance control for each power storage module, it is possible to eliminate imbalance between modules, but the time required for processing becomes longer. However, the inter-module balance control and the conventional cell balance control described above may be used in combination. In this case, as an example, inter-module balance control is performed first, and then balance control within the module is performed.

  FIG. 19 shows a configuration in which a conventional cell balance circuit is directly applied to an active module balance circuit. For example, balance control between 14 modules is performed. Battery block groups BB1 to BB14 are connected in series. Each battery block group has a configuration (so-called (8P16S)) in which eight battery cells are connected in parallel, and sixteen parallel connections (battery blocks) of eight battery cells are connected in series. For example, one battery block group generates a voltage of (3.2 V × 16 = 51.2 V). Accordingly, 14 battery block groups BB1 to BB14 are connected in series to generate a voltage of (51.2V × 14 = 716.8V).

  The positive and negative sides of the 14 battery block groups connected in series are connected to both ends of the secondary coil W0. Furthermore, a common magnetic core M is provided. Further, the secondary side switch S0 is connected in series with the secondary side coil W0, and the primary side switches S1 to S14 are connected in series with each of the primary side coils W1 to W14. The switches S0 to S14 are configured by MOSFETs, for example.

  In the active bottom cell balance operation in the configuration of FIG. 19, the switch S0 is turned on, and the magnetic core M is magnetized by the current flowing through the secondary coil W0. Next, the primary side switch of the power storage module having the lowest voltage is turned on, and the battery block group of the power storage module is charged by the electromagnetic energy transmitted to the primary side coil. As an example, when the voltage of the battery block group BB2 is 32.0V and the voltage of the other battery block group is 32.6V, the switch S0 is turned off after the secondary side switch S0 is turned on for a predetermined time. At the same time, the primary side switch S2 of the battery block group BB2 is turned on. Battery block group BB2 is charged by the current flowing through primary coil W2.

  In the active top cell balance operation in the configuration of FIG. 19, the switch connected to the primary coil of the battery block group having the highest voltage is turned on, and then the switch is turned off and the switch S0 is turned on. A current is passed through the secondary coil W0 to charge the battery block groups BB1 to BB14. As an example, when the voltage of the battery block group BB2 is 56.5V and the voltage of the other battery block group is 55.9V, the switch S2 is turned off after the primary side switch S2 is turned on for a predetermined time. At the same time, the secondary side switch S0 is turned on. Battery block groups BB1 to BB14 are charged by the current flowing through secondary coil W0.

  In the configuration of FIG. 19, since the transformer core M is common, it is difficult to configure a plurality of, for example, 14 power storage modules in different cases. In this case, a transformer unit is configured by housing a transformer portion including a magnetic core, a coil, and a switch in a case different from the 14 power storage modules, and the 14 power storages are formed in a star shape centering on the transformer device. Module is connected. Such a star-shaped configuration has a problem that the star-shaped wiring becomes complicated when the number of power storage modules is large.

“Problems of the conventional balance circuit between modules”
In the configuration of FIG. 19, a voltage of 716.8 V is applied to the series circuit of the secondary coil W0 and the switch S0 by 14 battery block groups connected in series. Since the withstand voltage required for actual use is about three times the applied voltage, the withstand voltage of a semiconductor switch element such as an FET constituting the switch S0 is 2000 V or more. The configuration of FIG. 19 that requires such a withstand voltage semiconductor switch element is difficult to realize.

  As shown in FIG. 20, the magnetic core M is divided into 14 magnetic cores M1 to M14, and the secondary coil W0 is divided into 14 secondary coils W01 to W014. In this way, the 14 power storage modules can be separated and housed in a case. In the configuration of FIG. 20, a voltage of 716.8 V is applied to each of the primary side switches S01 to S014. However, in the configuration of FIG. 20, the flyback transformer is configured separately, and the primary side and secondary side switches are also connected to the respective coils, and the switching operation can be controlled independently. Therefore, as described later, it is possible to control power to be taken out from a plurality of battery block groups in parallel or to supply power to a plurality of battery block groups in parallel. In addition, the amount of power can be controlled by controlling the length of the on period of the switching operation.

"Inter-module balance circuit according to the present disclosure"
As shown in FIG. 21, in the present disclosure, the flyback transformer T1 is configured by the primary coil W1, the secondary coil W01, and the magnetic core M1. The primary coil W1 and the switch S1 are connected in series, and the secondary coil W01 and the switch S01 are connected in series. Similarly, flyback transformers T2 to T14 are configured by the primary side coils W2 to W14, the secondary side coils W02 to W014, and the magnetic cores M2 to M14. Primary coils W2-W14 and switches S2-S14 are connected in series. Secondary coils W02 to W014 and switches S02 to S014 are connected in series.

  A series circuit of primary side coil W1 of flyback transformer T1 and switch S1 is connected to the positive side and negative side of battery block group BB1 of the power storage module. Series circuits of other primary coils W2 to W14 and switches S2 to S14 are connected to the positive side and the negative side of battery block groups BB2 to BB14 of the storage module.

  A power storage element 51 is provided, and the common power supply voltage CV is generated by the power storage element 51. The common power supply voltage CV is set to a voltage lower than the total voltage 716.8V of the battery block groups connected in series. Preferably, the voltage is set to be approximately 1/3 or less of the withstand voltage of the secondary side switch. For example, it is set to a value substantially equal to the unit voltage (51.2 V) of the battery block group. The potential of the common power supply voltage CV is controlled to be a desired voltage without overflowing or depleting by controlling the total discharge current and the total charge current.

The power storage element 51 is a battery, a capacitor, or the like. One common power supply line CL + is set to the common power supply voltage CV and the other common power supply line CL− is set to 0 V by the power storage element 51. The other common power supply line CL- is a separate power supply that is not connected to the series-connected power supply (V-) of the battery block groups of the plurality of power storage modules. However, the common power supply line CL- may be connected to the power supply V-. One end of the divided secondary coil W01~W014 are respectively connected to the common power supply line CL +, the other end of the divided secondary coil W01~W014 are respectively connected to the common power line CL- through the switch S01~S014 The

Switch S 1 ~S14 and switch S01~S014 is composed of, for example, a MOSFET. As shown in FIG. 22, for example, the switch S01 of the flyback transformer T1 is configured by a MOSFET Q01 and a diode D01 connected between its drain and source, and the switch S1 is connected between the MOSFET Q1 and its drain and source. It is comprised by the diode D1. The on / off of the switch is controlled by a control signal from the control unit of the control box ICNT. The control box ICNT receives the voltage monitoring result information from the module controller CNT of each power storage module, and generates a control signal (pulse signal). In addition to the MOSFET, a semiconductor switch element such as an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) may be used. Note that the switch (consisting of a MOSFET and a diode connected between its drain and source) automatically flows through the diode even if there is no control signal for the current flowing in the source-to-drain direction ( Automatic switch on).

  A common power supply voltage CV is applied to the series circuit of the secondary coils W01 to W014 and the switches S01 to S014. For example, by setting the common power supply voltage CV to the same voltage (51.2V) as the voltage applied to the primary side coil and the switch, the withstand voltage of the secondary side switches S01 to S014 can be set to about 154V. Such a withstand voltage is not very high for the semiconductor switches constituting the secondary side switches S01 to S014, and it is easy to configure an inter-module balance circuit.

  In each of the flyback transformers T1 to T14, the winding ratio of the primary side coil and the secondary side coil is not limited to 1, but the phase is reversed between the primary side and the secondary side. Further, the flyback transformers T1 to T14 can transmit power in both directions. Therefore, the notation of the primary side and the secondary side is for convenience, and both power transmission from the primary side to the secondary side and power transmission from the secondary side to the primary side are possible.

  Taking the flyback transformer T1 as an example, when the switch S1 is turned on from the state where the switches S1 and S01 are off, a current flows through the coil W1, and the magnetic core M1 is magnetized. While the switch S1 is on, a current that increases with time flows through the coil W1. Next, when the switch S1 is turned off and the switch S01 is turned on, since the magnetic core is magnetized, a current flows through the coil W01 via the switch S01. This current becomes a current that decreases with time. The operation of other flyback transformers is the same. The flyback transformer has a function as a coupled inductor.

  In the active bottom cell balance operation in the configuration of FIG. 21, power is transferred from the battery block group having the highest voltage to the storage element 51 by controlling the primary side switch. Further, by controlling the secondary side switch, power is transferred to the battery block group of the power storage module having the lowest voltage. As described above, the inter-module balance circuit according to the present disclosure moves power through two stages of the bidirectional flyback transformer.

  As an example, an operation when the voltage of the battery block group BB3 is the highest and 32.6V and the voltage of the battery block group BB2 is the lowest and 32.0V will be described. First, the switch S3 is turned on, and a current flows through the primary coil W3 of the flyback transformer T3 using the battery block group BB3 as a power source. Next, the switch S3 is turned off and the switch S03 is turned on. Due to the electromagnetic energy, a current flows through the secondary coil W03, and the storage element 51 is charged.

  Next, the switch S03 is turned off, the switch S02 is turned on, and a current flows through the secondary coil W02 of the flyback transformer T2 by the power storage element 51. Next, the switch S02 is turned off, the switch S2 is turned on, and the battery block group BB2 is charged by the current flowing through the primary coil W2. In this way, an active bottom cell balance operation is performed.

  In the active top cell balance operation in the configuration of FIG. 21, power is transferred from the battery block group having the highest voltage to the storage element 51 by controlling the primary side switch. Further, by controlling the secondary side switch, power is transferred to the battery block group of the power storage module having the lowest voltage. As described above, the inter-module balance circuit according to the present disclosure moves power through two stages of the bidirectional flyback transformer.

  As an example, an operation when the voltage of the battery block group BB3 is the highest and 56.5V and the voltage of the battery block group BB2 is the lowest and 55.9V will be described. First, the switch S3 of the flyback transformer T3 is turned on, and a current flows through the primary coil W3 using the battery block group BB3 as a power source. Next, the switch S3 is turned off and the switch S03 is turned on. Due to the electromagnetic energy, a current flows through the secondary coil W03, and the storage element 51 is charged.

  Next, the switch S03 is turned off, the switch S02 of the flyback transformer T2 is turned on, and a current flows through the secondary coil W02 by the power storage element 51. Next, the switch S02 is turned off, the switch S2 is turned on, and the battery block group BB2 is charged by the current flowing through the primary coil W2. In this way, the active top cell balance operation is performed.

  The active top cell balance operation will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 23 and FIG. As shown in FIG. 23, the current flowing through the coil W3 of the flyback transformer T3 is denoted by i1, and the current flowing through the coil W03 is denoted by i2. Currents i1 and i2 are in antiphase. The current flowing through the coil W02 of the flyback transformer T2 is denoted by i3, and the current flowing through the coil W2 is denoted by i4. Currents i3 and i4 are in antiphase. Furthermore, it is assumed that the storage element 51 is sufficiently charged at the start of operation.

  As shown in the timing chart of FIG. 24, power transmission performed through the flyback transformer T3 and power transmission performed through the flyback transformer T2 are performed in parallel. First, as shown in FIGS. 24A and 24C, the switches S3 and S02 are turned on for the same period. When the switch S3 is turned on, a gradually increasing current i1 flows through the coil W3 as shown in FIG. 24E. When the switch S02 is turned on, a gradually increasing current i3 flows through the coil W02 as shown in FIG. 24G. The current i3 flows in the discharge direction with respect to the storage element 51.

  Next, the switch elements S3 and S02 are turned off, and the switches S03 and S2 are turned on for the same period as shown in FIGS. 24B and 24D. When the switch S03 is turned on, a gradually decreasing current i2 flows through the coil W03 as shown in FIG. 24F. The current i2 flows in the charging direction with respect to the storage element 51. Power is transferred from the battery block group BB3 to the storage element 51 by charging the storage element 51 with the current i2.

  When the switch S2 is turned on, a gradually decreasing current i4 flows through the coil W2, as shown in FIG. 24H. The current i4 flows in the direction of charging the battery block group BB2. By charging with the current i4, the electric power of the storage element 51 is moved to the battery block group BB2. In actual power transmission, the power is moved little by little not by a single switching operation but by a plurality of switching operations. Further, the pulse signal for the switch is subjected to pulse width modulation to control the ON period of the switch, and the power transfer amount can be set to a desired value. In FIG. 24, the switches S3 and S02 are described in a synchronized form. However, in practice, the common power supply voltage CV may be allowed to have a certain width so that there is no synchronization relationship.

“Modification of the inter-module balance circuit according to the present disclosure”
In the inter-module balance circuit according to the present disclosure described above, the electric power taken out through one flyback transformer is moved through one flyback transformer. However, electric power may be taken out through a plurality of flyback transformers. For example, electric power may be taken out from two power storage modules having the maximum voltage and a power storage module having the second highest voltage. Further, the extracted power may be moved through a plurality of flyback transformers. For example, electric power may be supplied to the two storage modules having the lowest voltage and the storage module having the second lowest voltage. For example, in the configuration of FIG. 21 described above, power is extracted with a small current through the flyback transformer T14, and at the same time, power is extracted with a large current through the flyback transformer T3. Further, at the same time as taking out the electric power, it is possible to supply electric power with medium current through the flyback transformers T1 and T2.

  As shown in FIG. 25, capacitors C1 to C14 are inserted between the common power supply line CL + and the common power supply line CL- on the secondary sides of the flyback transformers T1 to T14 of each power storage module. By reducing the high frequency components by the capacitors C1 to C14, the voltage generated in the common power supply lines CL + and CL− can be output as a DC power supply. You may make it supply this DC power supply as a power supply of control box ICNT.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 26, a flyback transformer Tx may be provided in common for all the power storage modules. The flyback transformer Tx includes a primary coil Wy, a secondary coil Wx, and a magnetic core Tx. The coil Wx and the switch Sx are connected in series. The coil Wy and the switch Sy are connected in series. One end of the secondary coil Wx of the flyback transformer Tx is connected to the terminal 52, and the other end is connected to the 0V line via the switch Sx. The terminal 52 is connected to the common power supply voltage CV terminal.

  One end of the primary coil Wy is connected to the positive side (V +) of the series connection of a plurality of, for example, 14 battery module battery block groups BB1 to BB14. The other end of primary side coil Wy is connected to the negative side (V-) of series connection of battery block groups BB1-BB14. Similarly to the configuration of FIG. 21, the flyback transformers T1 to T14 and the power storage element 51 are connected to the battery block groups BB1 to BB14, and the inter-module balance control as described above is performed.

  According to the configuration shown in FIG. 26, electric power can be supplied to the battery block groups of all the power storage modules at once through the flyback transformer Tx, and variations in the inter-module balance control operation can be increased.

  Further, in the present disclosure, a forward converter other than the flyback converter system, an electromagnetic coupling system power transmission apparatus such as an RCC (Ringing Choke Converter) system, and the like can be used.

  FIG. 27 illustrates an application example of the present disclosure, in which another power storage system including the power storage modules MOD101 to MOD104 is connected to the power storage modules MOD1 to MOD14 (configuration illustrated in FIG. 21). The common power supply lines CL + and CL− can be connected to other power storage systems as long as the common power supply voltage CV is equal between the two power storage systems. That is, it is easy to increase the number of power storage modules to be connected.

  FIG. 28 shows an example of the overall configuration of a power storage system including power storage modules, for example, power storage modules MOD1 and MOD2. A control pulse for the primary side switches (MOSFETs) S1 and S2 of the flyback transformer T1 of the inter-module balance control circuit is supplied from the pulse generator 53. The pulse generator 53 generates a control pulse in accordance with a control signal from the controller of the module controllers CNT1 and CNT2. For example, the pulse generator 53 outputs a control pulse subjected to pulse width modulation. Control pulses for secondary side switches (MOSFETs) S01 and S02 of the flyback transformers T1 and T2 are supplied from MCUs (MIcroController Units) in the communication units COM1 and COM2.

  The control box ICNT determines the inter-module balance sequence from the voltage information of each module. The presence / absence of charge / discharge of the balance between modules is individually transmitted to the MCUs in the communication units COM1 and COM2 of each module. Each MCU supplies a control signal directly to the secondary side of each flyback transformer, or transmits the control signal to the primary side of each flyback transformer by insulating communication via the insulating unit ISC.

  The reason why the control signal is supplied from different circuit blocks on the primary side and the secondary side is that the level of the control signal is different. In parallel with the above-described operation, the control box ICNT measures the voltage between the power supply lines CL + and CL− to which the common power supply voltage CV is supplied, and balances between modules so that the common power supply voltage CV becomes a desired voltage. Perform overall control.

“Advantages of power storage devices according to the present disclosure”
Since the inter-module balance circuit of the present disclosure has a separate configuration for the flyback transformer of each module, unlike the configuration with a common magnetic core, it is not necessary to perform star-shaped wiring, and wiring can be simplified. .

  In the inter-module balance circuit of the present disclosure, the voltage at both ends of the battery block group of each power storage module is applied to the primary side coil and switch of the flyback transformer, and the secondary side coil and switch are The common power supply voltage CV is applied. The common power supply voltage CV is, for example, a value equal to the voltage at both ends of the battery block group of each power storage module. Therefore, there is an advantage that a series connection voltage of all the power storage modules is not applied to the coil and the switch, and the coil and the switch having a low withstand voltage can be used.

  In the present disclosure, the primary side switches S1 to S14 and the secondary side switches S01 to S014 of the flyback transformer can be controlled by independent control pulse signals. Therefore, it is possible to transmit power via a desired plurality of flyback transformers. Furthermore, by setting the length of the ON period of the switching operation, the amount of power moved through the flyback transformer can be individually controlled. That is, if the period during which the switch is turned on is lengthened corresponding to the amount of power to be moved, the amount of power to be moved can be varied.

  Further, since a large current flows between the output terminals V + and V− of the plurality of power storage modules, relatively large noise is likely to occur. However, since the common power supply voltage CV is insulated from the output terminals V + and V−, the influence of noise due to fluctuations in the load current can be reduced.

  The common power supply voltage CV with little influence of noise can be used as the power supply for the control box ICNT. For example, the value of the common power supply voltage CV may be set to a value (+ 5V, + 12V, etc.) equal to the power supply voltage of the control unit. When the common power supply voltage CV is used as the power supply for the control box ICNT, the power supply for the control box ICNT can be prevented from being affected by the voltage fluctuation of the power storage module.

  The above description is a case where the present disclosure is applied to the inter-module balance circuit, but the present disclosure can also be applied to the inter-cell balance. That is, in the configuration shown in FIG. 21 described above, an inter-cell balance circuit can be realized by replacing battery block groups BB1 to BB14 with battery cells. Even when the present disclosure is applied to the inter-cell balance circuit, the same advantages as those of the inter-module balance circuit described above can be obtained.

  As shown in FIG. 29 as a general configuration, the present disclosure can be applied to an inter-cell balance circuit. In FIG. 29, n battery cells B11 to B1n are connected in series, and m battery cells are connected in parallel. The primary side coils of the flyback transformers T11 to T1n,..., Tm1 to Tmn are connected in parallel to each battery cell, and the primary side switches S11 to S1n,. ~ Smn are connected. One end of the secondary side coil of each flyback transformer is connected to the power supply line CL + of the common power source voltage CV, and the other end of the secondary side coil is connected to the secondary side switches S011 to S01n, ..., S0m1 to S0mn. To the power supply line CL- of the common power supply voltage CV.

"Storage system in a house as an application example"
An example in which the present disclosure is applied to a residential power storage system will be described with reference to FIG. For example, in the power storage system 100 for the house 101, electric power is stored from the centralized power system 102 such as the thermal power generation 102a, the nuclear power generation 102b, and the hydroelectric power generation 102c through the power network 109, the information network 112, the smart meter 107, the power hub 108, and the like. Supplied to the device 103. At the same time, power is supplied to the power storage device 103 from an independent power source such as the home power generation device 104. The electric power supplied to the power storage device 103 is stored. Electric power used in the house 101 is fed using the power storage device 103. The same power storage system can be used not only for the house 101 but also for buildings.

  The house 101 is provided with a power generation device 104, a power consumption device 105, a power storage device 103, a control device 110 that controls each device, a smart meter 107, and a sensor 111 that acquires various types of information. Each device is connected by a power network 109 and an information network 112. As the power generation device 104, a solar cell, a fuel cell, or the like is used, and the generated power is supplied to the power consumption device 105 and / or the power storage device 103. The power consuming device 105 is a refrigerator 105a, an air conditioner 105b, a television receiver 105c, a bath 105d, and the like. Furthermore, the electric power consumption device 105 includes an electric vehicle 106. The electric vehicle 106 is an electric vehicle 106a, a hybrid car 106b, and an electric motorcycle 106c.

  The battery unit of the present disclosure described above is applied to the power storage device 103. The power storage device 103 is composed of a secondary battery or a capacitor. For example, a lithium ion battery is used. The lithium ion battery may be a stationary type or used in the electric vehicle 106. The smart meter 107 has a function of measuring the usage amount of commercial power and transmitting the measured usage amount to an electric power company. The power network 109 may be any one or a combination of DC power supply, AC power supply, and non-contact power supply.

  The various sensors 111 are, for example, human sensors, illuminance sensors, object detection sensors, power consumption sensors, vibration sensors, contact sensors, temperature sensors, infrared sensors, and the like. Information acquired by the various sensors 111 is transmitted to the control device 110. Based on the information from the sensor 111, the weather condition, the human condition, etc. can be grasped, and the power consumption device 105 can be automatically controlled to minimize the energy consumption. Furthermore, the control device 110 can transmit information regarding the house 101 to an external power company or the like via the Internet.

The power hub 108 performs processing such as branching of power lines and DC / AC conversion. Communication methods of the information network 112 connected to the control device 110 include a method using a communication interface such as UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver- Transmitter ), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee, Wi-Fi. There is a method of using a sensor network based on a wireless communication standard such as. The Bluetooth method is applied to multimedia communication and can perform one-to-many connection communication. ZigBee uses the physical layer of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.15.4. IEEE 802.15.4 is the name of a short-range wireless network standard called PAN (Personal Area Network) or W (Wireless) PAN.

The control device 110 is connected to an external server 113. The server 113 may be managed by any one of the house 101, the power company, and the service provider. The information transmitted and received by the server 113 is, for example, information related to power consumption information, life pattern information, power charges, weather information, natural disaster information, and power transactions. These pieces of information may be transmitted / received from a power consuming device (for example, a television receiver) in the home, or may be transmitted / received from a device outside the home (for example, a mobile phone). Such information may be displayed on a device having a display function, such as a television receiver, a mobile phone, or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants).

  A control device 110 that controls each unit includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like, and is stored in the power storage device 103 in this example. The control device 110 is connected to the power storage device 103, the home power generation device 104, the power consumption device 105, various sensors 111, the server 113 and the information network 112, for example, a function of adjusting the amount of commercial power used and the amount of power generation have. In addition, you may provide the function etc. which carry out an electric power transaction in an electric power market.

  As described above, the electric power can be stored not only in the centralized power system 102 such as the thermal power 102a, the nuclear power 102b, and the hydraulic power 102c but also in the power generation device 104 (solar power generation, wind power generation). it can. Therefore, even if the generated power of the home power generation device 104 fluctuates, it is possible to perform control such that the amount of power to be sent to the outside is constant or discharge is performed as necessary. For example, the electric power obtained by solar power generation is stored in the power storage device 103, and midnight power with a low charge is stored in the power storage device 103 at night, and the power stored by the power storage device 103 is discharged during a high daytime charge. You can also use it.

  In this example, the control device 110 is stored in the power storage device 103. However, the control device 110 may be stored in the smart meter 107, or may be configured independently. Furthermore, the power storage system 100 may be used for a plurality of homes in an apartment house, or may be used for a plurality of detached houses.

"Vehicle power storage system as an application example"
An example in which the present disclosure is applied to a power storage system for a vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 31 schematically illustrates an example of a configuration of a hybrid vehicle that employs a series hybrid system to which the present disclosure is applied. The series hybrid system is a vehicle that runs on a power driving force conversion device using electric power generated by a generator driven by an engine or electric power once stored in a battery.

  The hybrid vehicle 200 includes an engine 201, a generator 202, a power driving force conversion device 203, driving wheels 204a, driving wheels 204b, wheels 205a, wheels 205b, a battery 208, a vehicle control device 209, various sensors 210, and a charging port 211. Is installed. The battery unit of the present disclosure described above is applied to the battery 208.

  The hybrid vehicle 200 runs using the power driving force conversion device 203 as a power source. An example of the power driving force conversion device 203 is a motor. The electric power / driving force converter 203 is operated by the electric power of the battery 208, and the rotational force of the electric power / driving force converter 203 is transmitted to the driving wheels 204a and 204b. In addition, by using a direct current-alternating current (DC-AC) or reverse conversion (AC-DC conversion) where necessary, the power driving force conversion device 203 can be applied to either an alternating current motor or a direct current motor. The various sensors 210 control the engine speed via the vehicle control device 209 and control the opening (throttle opening) of a throttle valve (not shown). The various sensors 210 include a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an engine speed sensor, and the like.

  The rotational force of the engine 201 is transmitted to the generator 202, and the electric power generated by the generator 202 by the rotational force can be stored in the battery 208.

  When the hybrid vehicle decelerates by a braking mechanism (not shown), the resistance force at the time of deceleration is applied as a rotational force to the power driving force conversion device 203, and the regenerative power generated by the power driving force conversion device 203 by this rotational force is applied to the battery 208. Accumulated.

  The battery 208 is connected to a power source outside the hybrid vehicle, so that it can receive power from the external power source using the charging port 211 as an input port and store the received power.

  Although not shown, an information processing device that performs information processing related to vehicle control based on information related to the secondary battery may be provided. As such an information processing apparatus, for example, there is an information processing apparatus that displays a remaining battery capacity based on information on the remaining battery capacity.

  In addition, the above demonstrated as an example the series hybrid vehicle which drive | works with a motor using the electric power generated with the generator driven by an engine, or the electric power once stored in the battery. However, the present disclosure is also effective for a parallel hybrid vehicle that uses both the engine and motor outputs as the drive source, and switches between the three modes of running with the engine alone, running with the motor alone, and engine and motor running as appropriate. Applicable. Furthermore, the present disclosure can be effectively applied to a so-called electric vehicle that travels only by a drive motor without using an engine.

"Modification"
As mentioned above, although embodiment of this indication was described concretely, it is not limited to each above-mentioned embodiment, and various modification based on the technical idea of this indication is possible. For example, the configurations, methods, processes, shapes, materials, numerical values, and the like given in the above-described embodiments are merely examples, and different configurations, methods, processes, shapes, materials, numerical values, and the like are used as necessary. Also good.

  The configurations, methods, processes, shapes, materials, numerical values, and the like of the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

MOD, MOD1 to MODN ... power storage module ICNT ... control box CNT ... controller ICNT of each power storage module ... control box B1-Bn ... battery block BB1-BBn ... battery block group ISC1- ISCn ... insulating parts COM1-COMn ... communication part 21 ... multilayer wiring boards 23, 24 ... printed circuit board antennas LY1-LY4 ... wiring layers W1-W14 ... primary coils S1- S14 ... primary side switches W01-W014 ... secondary side coils S01-S014 ... secondary side switches T1-T14 ... flyback transformers CL +, CL -... common power line CV ...・ Common power supply voltage 51 ... electric storage element

Claims (5)

A plurality of battery parts each consisting of one battery cell, a plurality of battery cells or a plurality of battery blocks;
A series circuit composed of a first coil and a first switching element connected in parallel with the battery unit;
A second coil electromagnetically coupled to the first coil;
A second switching element connected in series with the second coil;
A first common power line and a second common power line connected in parallel with a series circuit of the plurality of second coils and the second switching element;
A power storage element that is connected between the first and second common power supply lines and generates a common power supply voltage that is substantially equal to a unit voltage of the plurality of battery units within a range not exceeding a breakdown voltage of the second switching element. When,
In order to equalize the voltages of the plurality of battery units, the first switching element and the second switching element are individually controlled so that the switching operation of the first switching element and the switching operation of the second switching element are individually controlled. with the on of the switching element, and a control unit for controlling the off,
In one of the continuous first and second periods, among the plurality of battery units, the first switching element connected to the first battery unit having the highest voltage is turned on, and Among the battery parts, the second switching element connected to the second battery part having the lowest voltage is turned on,
In the other of the continuous first and second periods, the second switching element connected to the first battery unit is turned on, and the first switching element connected to the second battery unit Is a power storage device that is turned on.   The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the first and second periods are repeated a plurality of times in order to equalize the voltages of the plurality of battery units.   The first and second powers connected to the plurality of battery parts including the second battery part are extracted by the switching operation of the first and second switching elements connected to the first battery part. The power storage device according to claim 1, which is supplied to the plurality of battery units by a switching operation of the switching element.   The first and second powers connected to the second battery unit are the electric power extracted by the switching operations of the first and second switching elements connected to the plurality of battery units including the first battery unit. The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the power storage device is supplied to the second battery unit by a switching operation of the switching element.   The electric power extracted by the switching operation of the first and second switching elements connected to the plurality of battery units including the first battery unit is connected to the plurality of battery units including the second battery unit. The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein the power storage device is supplied to the plurality of battery units by a switching operation of the first and second switching elements.

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