JP6345166B2 - Charger control circuit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an emergency power generator that operates an engine-driven generator to supply power to a load during a power failure of a commercial power supply, and relates to a charger control for a charger that charges a battery for starting an engine of the engine-driven generator. It relates to circuit technology.

  As an emergency power generation device that drives an engine to operate a generator and supplies power to a load in an emergency such as a power failure, there is an “emergency power generation device” disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. Emergency power generators are known to supply emergency power to various loads in the event of an unexpected power outage in a department store, hotel, hospital, factory, bank, school, plant, or other facility or house. Yes. In particular, emergency power generators for disaster prevention to operate fire hydrant pumps and sprinklers that are required in the event of a power outage such as a fire are required to have a stable start-up so that power is reliably supplied to specified firefighting facilities It has been.

  A charger that charges a battery (for example, a storage battery) of an emergency power generator is generally a floating charger. A switching power supply is used for the floating charger. The switching regulator used in this switching power supply detects an overvoltage on the output side (DC side, DC (Direct Current) side) due to a surge such as lightning or due to a failure of internal parts of the power supply. The overvoltage protection by the overvoltage protection circuit is automatically activated, and the battery can be protected by stopping the DC output and shutting off the power supply.

JP 2008-193824 A

However, even if the overvoltage protection circuit cuts off the power supply for some reason, if the battery is left for a long time without releasing the overvoltage protection, the battery is overdischarged and deteriorates. As a result, there arises a problem that the engine cannot be started at the time of a power failure of the commercial power supply and power generation cannot be performed, or that a large amount of money is required to replace a deteriorated battery that cannot be used with a new one.
For this reason, if the user checks the state of charge and operation of the battery through regular periodic inspections, etc., and the power is shut off by the overvoltage protection circuit, the user must promptly reapply the input power to restore it. However, there was a problem that the battery was deteriorated due to the delay of the return.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to appropriately manage the charging operation of the battery and smoothly return from the overvoltage protection applied to the battery to be charged by the charger used for the emergency power generation device. .

In order to solve the above-described problem, the present invention provides a charger control circuit for controlling a charger used in an emergency power generator, and an output power monitoring unit that monitors output power supplied from the charger to a battery; An input power control unit that monitors and controls input power supplied from a commercial power source or an engine-driven generator to the charger, and in the state where the input power is supplied to the charger, the output When the power monitoring unit stops detecting the output power, the supply of the input power is stopped for a predetermined period and then restarted.
Other means will be described later.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the charging operation of a battery can be managed appropriately and it can return smoothly from the overvoltage protection which worked on the battery which the charger used for an emergency power generation device charges.

It is a circuit diagram of the charger control circuit of the emergency power generator of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed in the charger control circuit of this embodiment. It is a time chart regarding input electric power supply by flicker off start.

  EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The form (embodiment) for implementing this invention is demonstrated in detail, referring drawings.

(Constitution)
An emergency power generator 10 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 starts a power generator 15 that is driven by an engine (not shown) during a power failure of a commercial power supply 11 and supplies power to a load (not shown). It is. The emergency power generator 10 includes a charger 12, a battery 13, a switch 19, and a charger control circuit C. In addition, the emergency power generator 10 includes a known overvoltage protection circuit (not shown) for protecting the battery 13 from an overvoltage detected on the output side of the charger 12.

  The charger 12 is, for example, a floating charger, and a switching power supply is used. A switching regulator is used for the switching power supply. When the charger 12 is supplied with AC power (AC input) supplied from the commercial power supply 11 or the generator 15 as input power, the charger 12 converts the DC power into DC and outputs DC power (DC output) as output power to the battery 13. Supply and charge the battery 13.

  The battery 13 serves as a power source for starting the engine that drives the generator 15. Charging of the battery 13 is normally realized by supplying power from the commercial power source 11 and is realized by supplying power from the generator 15 during a power failure.

  In this embodiment, the generator 15 is driven by an engine that does not include an alternator, and can supply AC power to a load and charge the battery 13 during a power failure. However, the engine may include an alternator. In this case, the alternator can charge the battery 13.

  The switch 19 switches the supply source for supplying AC power to the load from the commercial power supply 11 to the generator 15 during a power failure, and switches from the generator 15 to the commercial power supply 11 during normal times. The switch 19 can be a double throw, for example. The power failure is detected by, for example, a GAC (fully automatic controller) of an automatic starter generator panel (not shown) included in the emergency power generator 10.

  The charger control circuit C monitors and controls input power input to the charger 12 and output power output from the charger 12. The charger control circuit C includes a microcomputer 14, an input power control unit 16, an output power monitoring unit 17, and an alarm output unit 18. The microcomputer 14, the input power control unit 16, the output power monitoring unit 17, and the alarm output unit 18 are insulated from elements outside the charger control circuit C.

  The microcomputer 14 controls the operation of various elements mounted on the charger control circuit C.

The input power control unit 16 monitors and controls input power (AC) supplied from the commercial power supply 11 or the generator 15 to the charger 12. The input power control unit 16 includes a relay contact 16a and a relay coil 16b.
The relay contact 16 a is a B contact (break contact) that turns on and off the connection between the commercial power supply 11 and the generator 15 and the charger 12. When the relay coil 16b is non-conductive, the relay contact 16a is closed, and the input power from the commercial power supply 11 or the generator 15 is supplied to the charger 12 via the VL connector of the charger control circuit C. Can do.
The relay coil 16 b is connected to the microcomputer 14, and allows the input power control unit 16 to open and close the relay contact 16 a based on a control signal from the microcomputer 14.

The output power monitoring unit 17 monitors the output power (direct current) supplied from the charger 12 to the battery 13. The output power monitoring unit 17 includes a light emitting diode 17a and a phototransistor 17b.
The light emitting diode 17a emits light when output power of a predetermined value or more is input from the charger 12. The output power from the charger 12 is input to the light emitting diode 17a via the XA connector of the charger control circuit C.
The phototransistor 17b outputs a current to the microcomputer 14 by the light from the light emitting diode 17a.

The alarm output unit 18 outputs an alarm when the output power monitoring unit 17 does not detect the output power even when the input power control unit 16 resumes the supply of the input power in order to recover from the overvoltage protection. The alarm output unit 18 includes a relay contact 18a and a relay coil 18b.
The relay contact 18a is an A contact (make contact) for turning on / off the connection between the charger control circuit C and the alarm means provided in the GAC of the automatic start generator panel included in the emergency power generator 10. When the relay coil 18b is conductive, the relay contact 18a is closed, and a control signal from the microcomputer 14 (eg, a device abnormality signal) is output to the GAC via the XA connector of the charger control circuit C. Can do. Examples of GAC alarm means include various forms such as monitor display, sound output by a bell or buzzer, illumination output by a rotating lamp or indicator light, and reporting to a center via a communication line. It is not limited to. The automatic start generator panel starts with the battery 13 as a power source.
The relay coil 18b is connected to the microcomputer 14 so that the output power monitoring unit 17 can open and close the relay contact 18a based on a control signal from the microcomputer 14.

  The emergency power generation apparatus 10 is constantly supplied with a control power supply, and the charger 12 functions to charge the battery 13 from the commercial power supply 11 even during a non-power failure. The switching regulator used in the switching power supply of the charger 12 automatically detects overvoltage on the output side when it receives a surge such as lightning or due to a failure of internal power supply components. The power is stopped and the output power is stopped to protect the battery 13.

  In order to recover from the overvoltage protection, it is necessary to stop the supply of input power for a predetermined period and to restart the supply of input power after the capacitor has been discharged. This predetermined period corresponds to the capacitor discharge time, and is, for example, 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the specifications of the emergency power generator 10. Further, when the output power monitoring unit 17 no longer detects the output power, the charger control circuit C determines whether the cause is overvoltage protection or other than overvoltage protection, and then to the battery 13. Measures will be taken to supply the output power.

(Operation)
As shown in FIG. 2, when the output power monitoring unit 17 stops detecting the output power supplied from the charger 12 to the battery 13, the microcomputer 14 of the charger control circuit C performs the following processing from step S1. Start.
In step S <b> 1, the microcomputer 14 causes the input power control unit 16 to function and determines whether there is supply of input power input from the commercial power supply 11 or the generator 15 to the charger 12. If the relay contact 16a of the input power control unit 16 is closed and the input power from the commercial power supply 11 or the generator 15 is supplied to the charger 12, the microcomputer 14 acquires the control signal detected by the relay coil 16b. And can determine that there is a supply of input power. If the input power is supplied (Yes in step S1), the process proceeds to step S2. If the input power is not supplied (No in step S1), the process of FIG. When there is no supply of input power, for example, it means that the power supply of the emergency power generation apparatus 10 is turned off, and it is natural that the output power monitoring unit 17 does not detect the output power, and it is determined that there is no particular problem. can do.

In step S2, the microcomputer 14 causes the output power monitoring unit 17 to function and determines whether or not the state in which no output power is detected has continued for a predetermined time or more. The microcomputer 14 includes an output monitoring timer as a timer for the output power monitoring unit 17, and the output monitoring timer is activated when the output power is not detected. The predetermined time can be set to several seconds, for example, but is not limited thereto. If it continues for a certain period of time (Yes in step S2), it is determined that no output power is detected, and the process proceeds to step S3. If it does not continue for a certain period of time (No in step S2), the process of FIG. If it does not continue for a certain period of time, it means that the output power could be detected in a short time, and the output power could not be detected accidentally. Consider it not. When step S2 is completed, the output monitoring timer stops.
Note that step S2 may be omitted. In this case, if input power is supplied (Yes in step S1), it is determined that no output power is detected, and the process proceeds to step S3.

  In step S3, the microcomputer 14 causes the input power control unit 16 to function and performs flicker off start (B mode) of input power supply. The microcomputer 14 includes an input control timer as a timer for the input power control unit 16, and the input control timer is activated when it is determined that no output power is detected. The input control timer has a flicker function, and the input power control unit 16 repeats opening and closing of the relay contact 16a a predetermined number of times in accordance with the input control timer.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the microcomputer 14 causes the input power control unit 16 to function so that a period during which the output of input power is turned off (off period) and a period during which the output is turned on (on period) appear alternately. Controls the opening and closing of the relay contact 16a. Each off period (time t0 to time t1, time t2 to time t3, time t4 to time t5 in FIG. 3), and each on period (time t1 to time t2, time t3 to time t4, time in FIG. 3) The time t5 to time t6) can be, for example, 2 minutes, but is not limited thereto. In addition, the number of times that the off period and the on period are repeated can be, for example, three times, but is not limited thereto, and may be two times or less, or four times or more. By executing step S3, it is possible to secure an opportunity for stopping the supply of input power and discharging the capacitor necessary for recovery from overvoltage protection. The period during which the input control timer operates may be referred to as a “flicker function execution period”. Referring to FIG. 3, the flicker function execution period corresponds to a period from time t0 to time t6.
The microcomputer 14 includes a warning output timer as a timer for the warning output unit 18, and the input control timer is activated when it is determined that no output power is detected. When the alarm output timer is activated only during the flicker function execution period, the microcomputer 14 causes the alarm output unit 18 to issue an alarm.
After step S3, the process proceeds to step S4.

  In step S <b> 4, the microcomputer 14 causes the output power monitoring unit 17 to function and determines whether or not the output power is detected by the output power monitoring unit 17. This determination is performed during the flicker function execution period. If the output power is detected during the flicker function execution period (Yes in step S4), the processing in FIG. In this case, the state where no output power was detected occurred because the overvoltage protection worked, and the supply of input power was stopped, so that discharging of the capacitor was achieved and the subsequent supply of input power was resumed. Accordingly, it can be considered that the output power has been detected and returned from the overvoltage protection. At this time, the microcomputer 14 stops the alarm output timer. On the other hand, if the output power is not detected during the flicker function execution period (No in step S4), the process proceeds to step S5.

  Referring to FIG. 3, when output power is detected during the on period (time t1 to time t2) after the off period (time t0 to time t1) has elapsed, step S4 is terminated at the time of the detection. Then, the process of FIG. If the output power is not detected during the on period (time t1 to time t2), there is a possibility that the recovery from overvoltage protection has not been sufficiently achieved, and the subsequent off period (time t2 to time t3) has elapsed. If the output power is detected during the subsequent on-period (time t3 to time t4), step S4 is terminated at the time of the detection, and the process of FIG. 2 is terminated. If the output power is not detected during the on period (time t3 to time t4), there is a possibility that recovery from overvoltage protection has not been sufficiently achieved, and the subsequent off period (time t4 to time t5) has elapsed. When the output power is detected during the subsequent ON period (time t5 to time t6), step S4 is terminated at the time of the detection, and the process of FIG. 2 is terminated.

  In step S5, the microcomputer 14 determines whether or not the supply of input power is resumed for the third time. Specifically, in FIG. 3, it is determined whether or not the third ON period (time t5 to time t6) has been reached. If the supply restart of the input power is the third time (Yes in step S5), it means that the output power is not detected even after the on period (time t5 to time t6) has elapsed, and the process proceeds to step S6. In this case, the microcomputer 14 determines that the state in which the output power is not detected occurs not because the overvoltage protection is activated but because a failure due to another factor has occurred, and that the overvoltage was not originally input. .

  On the other hand, when the supply of input power is not resumed for the third time (No in step S5), during the first on-period (time t1 to time t2) or during the second on-period (time t3 to time t4). The process returns to step S4 and enters the second off period (time t2 to time t3) or the third off period (time t4 to time t5), and the recovery operation from the overvoltage protection is performed. Try.

  In step S <b> 6, the microcomputer 14 executes alarm output by the alarm output unit 18. Specifically, after elapse of the third off period (time t4 to time t5), the microcomputer 14 controls to close the relay contact 18a of the alarm output unit 18. Thereby, the microcomputer 14 can output a control signal to the warning means of the GAC and issue a warning in a predetermined mode. After step S6, the process in FIG.

From the above description, according to the present embodiment, the charger control circuit C, when the input power is being supplied to the charger 12, when the output power monitoring unit 17 no longer detects the output power, The supply of input power is stopped for a predetermined period and then resumed. For this reason, when output voltage is no longer detected due to overvoltage protection, it is possible to reliably secure an opportunity for discharging the capacitor necessary for recovery from overvoltage protection by stopping the supply of input power.
Therefore, the charging operation of the battery can be properly managed, and the battery used for the emergency power generation apparatus can be smoothly returned from the overvoltage protection that has worked on the battery to be charged.
As a result, deterioration due to the overdischarge state of the battery can be quickly avoided. In addition, the need to replace a deteriorated battery with a new one is reduced, and the replacement cost can be suppressed.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the charger control circuit C includes the alarm output unit 18 to reliably notify the user that the output voltage has not been detected due to a factor other than overvoltage protection, and to take a subsequent action. It can be taken quickly.

  In addition, according to the present embodiment, the charger control circuit C repeats the stop and restart of the input power supply a predetermined number of times, compared with the case where the input power supply is stopped and restarted only once. Therefore, it can be determined with certainty that the overvoltage protection is activated because the output power is not detected.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the input power control unit 16 operates by flicker off start, thereby stopping the supply of input power necessary for recovery from overvoltage protection, and starting the recovery operation from overvoltage protection. It is possible to easily design a circuit configuration to be performed at the time.

(Modification)
In the present embodiment, an input control timer for executing flicker off start of input power supply is used, and a period in which output of input power is turned off (off period) and a period in which output is turned on (on period) appear alternately. (See FIG. 3). However, it is possible to prepare a plurality of input control timers and set the on period to be shorter than the off period (double timer). As a result, it is possible to further reduce the time required for determining whether the state where the output power is not detected is overvoltage protection or other than overvoltage protection. Note that the off period can be set to be shorter than the on period.

In addition, the technique which combined the technique demonstrated by this embodiment is realizable.
In addition, the shape and arrangement of the members constituting the apparatus of the present invention can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

C Charger Control Circuit 10 Emergency Power Generator 11 Commercial Power Supply 12 Charger 13 Battery 14 Microcomputer 15 Generator (Engine Drive Generator)
16 Input power control unit 17 Output power monitoring unit 18 Alarm output unit 19 Switch

Claims (3)

A charger control circuit for controlling a charger used in an emergency power generator,
An output power monitoring unit for monitoring output power supplied from the charger to the battery;
An input power control unit that monitors and controls the input power supplied to the charger from a commercial power source or an engine-driven generator, and
In a state in which the input power is being supplied to the charger when the output power monitoring unit no longer detects the output power after the supply of the input power is stopped a predetermined period of time, resumes,
Repeating the stop and restart of the supply of the input power a predetermined number of times,
A charger control circuit characterized by that. If the output power monitoring unit does not detect the output power even when the supply of the input power is resumed, an alarm output unit that outputs an alarm is further provided.
The charger control circuit according to claim 1. The input power control unit operates by flicker off start,
The charger control circuit according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized by the above.

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