WO2011093105A1

WO2011093105A1 - Battery module, battery system provided with same, electric drive vehicle, mobile unit, power storage device, power supply device, and electric equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2011093105A1
Application number: PCT/JP2011/000498
Authority: WO
Inventors: 岸本　圭司; 由知西原; 計美大倉
Original assignee: 三洋電機株式会社
Priority date: 2010-01-29
Filing date: 2011-01-28
Publication date: 2011-08-04

Abstract

The disclosed battery module includes a battery block, a printed circuit board, and two long FPC boards. The printed circuit board has a detection circuit mounted thereon. The battery block is constructed of a plurality of cylindrical battery cells and a pair of battery holders. The printed circuit board is provided on one of the side surfaces of the battery block. One of the FPC boards is provided so as to extend from said side surface onto another side surface of the battery block. The other FPC board is provided so as to extend from said side surface onto another side surface of the battery block.

Description

Battery module, battery system including the same, electric vehicle, moving object, power storage device, power supply device, and electric device

The present invention relates to a battery module, a battery system including the battery module, an electric vehicle, a moving body, a power storage device, a power supply device, and an electric device.

In a battery system used as a driving source for a moving body such as an electric automobile, a plurality of battery modules that can be charged and discharged are provided in order to obtain a predetermined driving force. Each battery module has a configuration in which a plurality of batteries (battery cells) are connected in series, for example.

Patent Document 1 describes a battery module including a plurality of cylindrical unit cells. In the battery module, a plurality of assembled battery groups are accommodated in an exterior case. Each assembled battery group is composed of six assembled batteries. Each assembled battery includes four cylindrical unit cells connected in series. Each assembled battery is provided with a voltage output connector. In addition, a control board is provided in the outer case. The voltage output connectors of the plurality of assembled batteries and the voltage input connector of the control board are connected by a plurality of voltage detection cables.
JP 2006-099997 A

According to the configuration of the battery module described in Patent Document 1, a large number of voltage detection cables are arranged in the outer case. Therefore, the wiring becomes complicated and it is difficult to reduce the size of the battery module.

An object of the present invention is to provide a battery module that simplifies wiring and can be miniaturized, a battery system including the battery module, an electric vehicle, a moving body, a power storage device, a power supply device, and an electric device.

(1) A battery module according to an aspect of the present invention is provided in a battery block including a plurality of cylindrical battery cells, a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage between terminals of each battery cell, and the battery block. The wiring member has a voltage detection line for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell and the voltage detection circuit.

In this battery module, a battery block is composed of a plurality of cylindrical battery cells. The battery block is provided with a wiring member. The positive or negative terminal of each battery cell and the voltage detection circuit are electrically connected by the voltage detection line of the wiring member.

In this case, since it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work for connecting the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit, the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line is improved.

The wiring member may be a member provided with a voltage detection line for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal or negative electrode terminal of the battery cell and the voltage detection circuit and provided in the battery block. Therefore, the wiring member may be directly attached to the battery block, or may be indirectly attached using another member such as a jig.

For example, the wiring member may be directly attached to the battery block by connecting one end of the wiring member to the positive terminal or the negative terminal of the battery cell. Moreover, the wiring member may be indirectly attached to the battery block via the voltage detection circuit by connecting the other end of the wiring member to the voltage detection circuit.

(2) The wiring member may include a flexible printed circuit board, and the flexible printed circuit board may have a configuration in which the voltage detection line is integrally formed on a board made of a flexible material. That is, a battery module according to another aspect of the present invention is provided in a battery block constituted by a plurality of cylindrical battery cells, a voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage between terminals of each battery cell, and the battery block. A flexible printed circuit board, and the flexible printed circuit board has a voltage detection line for electrically connecting a positive electrode terminal or a negative electrode terminal of each battery cell and the voltage detection circuit integrally with a substrate made of a flexible material. It has the structure formed in.

In this battery module, a battery block is composed of a plurality of cylindrical battery cells. The battery block is provided with a flexible printed circuit board. The voltage detection line of the flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell to the voltage detection circuit. The voltage detection line is integrally formed on a substrate made of a flexible material.

Further, the voltage detection line integrally formed on the substrate made of a flexible material is provided to electrically connect the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell and the voltage detection circuit, You may comprise some wirings which electrically connect the positive electrode terminal or negative electrode terminal of a battery cell, and a voltage detection circuit.

In this case, the wiring for connecting the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of the battery cell and the voltage detection circuit can be constituted by two or more kinds of members. For example, the wiring is configured by a first member including a voltage detection line integrally formed on a substrate made of a flexible material and a second member including a bus bar for connecting adjacent battery cells. Can do. Further, among the above-described wirings, the first member can be used for at least a portion that can be bent, and another wiring member (a normal rigid printed circuit board or the like) can be used for a portion that cannot be bent.

This battery module is used as a power drive source for a mobile object such as an electric automobile. In addition to an electric vehicle such as an electric automobile, the moving body may be a ship such as a motor boat that rotates a motor with electric power from a battery module and drives a screw with the rotational force.

(3) The battery block has first and second surfaces different from each other, and at least one of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell is arranged on the first surface of the battery block, and the voltage detection circuit May be disposed on the second surface of the battery block.

In this case, at least one of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell is arranged on the first surface of the battery block, and the voltage detection circuit is arranged on a second surface different from the first surface of the battery block. The This makes it possible to prevent contact between the terminals of the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit without complicating the structure.

(4) The battery block further includes a third surface that faces the first surface and is different from the second surface, and the other terminal of the positive and negative terminals of each battery cell is the third surface of the battery block. The flexible printed circuit board may extend from the second surface of the battery block to the first surface and the third surface.

In this case, the voltage detection circuit provided on the second surface of the battery block is connected to one terminal of the plurality of battery cells arranged on the first surface by the flexible printed circuit board and arranged on the third surface. Connected to the other terminal of the plurality of battery cells. This further improves the complexity of the connection work between the voltage detection circuit and the positive and negative terminals of the plurality of battery cells.

(5) The battery module further includes a housing that houses a plurality of battery cells, and the battery block further includes fourth and fifth surfaces that are different from the first, second, and third surfaces and face each other. An inlet through which cooling air can flow is formed in the housing portion corresponding to the fourth surface of the battery block, and cooling air can flow out into the housing portion corresponding to the fifth surface of the battery block. An outlet may be formed.

In this case, the cooling air flows into the housing from the inlet formed in the housing portion corresponding to the fourth surface of the battery block. In addition, cooling air flows out of the housing from an outlet formed in the housing portion corresponding to the fifth surface of the battery block. Thus, the cooling air passes between the plurality of battery cells without being blocked by the positive and negative terminals arranged on the first and third surfaces and the voltage detection circuit provided on the second surface. Can do. As a result, the plurality of battery cells are efficiently cooled.

(6) The wiring member includes a voltage detection line and a connection member connected to the voltage detection line, and the wiring member is connected to each other so that the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of adjacent battery cells are connected to each other by the connection member. You may attach to a battery block.

In this case, by attaching the wiring member to the battery block, the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the adjacent battery cells are connected to each other by the connecting member. The connecting member is electrically connected to the voltage detection circuit via the voltage detection line of the wiring member. Thus, the battery module can be easily assembled by attaching the wiring member to the battery block.

(7) A battery system according to still another aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of battery modules, and each of the plurality of battery modules includes a battery block including a plurality of cylindrical battery cells and a terminal voltage of each battery cell. And a flexible printed circuit board provided in the battery block, and the flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the positive or negative terminal of each battery cell and the voltage detecting circuit. Therefore, a voltage detection line for forming a voltage is integrally formed on a substrate made of a flexible material.

This battery system includes a plurality of battery modules. In each of the plurality of battery modules, a battery block is constituted by a plurality of cylindrical battery cells. The battery block is provided with a flexible printed circuit board. The voltage detection line of the flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell to the voltage detection circuit. The voltage detection line is integrally formed on a substrate made of a flexible material.

(8) An electric vehicle according to still another aspect of the present invention is rotated by a battery system according to still another aspect of the present invention, a motor driven by electric power from a plurality of battery modules of the battery system, and a rotational force of the motor. Drive wheels.

In this electric vehicle, the motor is driven by electric power from a plurality of battery modules of the battery system. The drive wheel is rotated by the rotational force of the motor, so that the electric vehicle moves.

In each of the plurality of battery modules of the battery system, a battery block is configured by a plurality of cylindrical battery cells. The battery block is provided with a flexible printed circuit board. The voltage detection line of the flexible printed circuit board electrically connects the positive electrode terminal or the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell to the voltage detection circuit. The voltage detection line is integrally formed on a substrate made of a flexible material.

In this case, since it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work for connecting the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit, the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line is improved. Therefore, maintenance of the electric vehicle is facilitated.

(9) A moving body according to still another aspect of the present invention moves one or more battery modules according to one aspect of the present invention, a moving main body, and power from the one or more battery modules to move the moving main body. And a power source that converts the power into power for the purpose.

In this moving body, electric power from one or a plurality of battery modules is converted into power by a power source, and the moving main body moves by the power. In this case, since the above battery module is used, it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work for connecting the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit, so that the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line is improved. . Therefore, maintenance of the moving body is facilitated.

(10) A power storage device according to still another aspect of the present invention includes one or more battery modules according to one aspect of the present invention and a control unit that performs control related to discharging or charging of the one or more battery modules. It is.

In this power storage device, the control unit controls the discharge or charging of one or a plurality of battery modules.

For example, when discharging one or more battery modules, the control unit determines whether to stop discharging one or more battery modules based on the charge amount of the battery cell or to limit the discharge current (or discharge power). The power converter is controlled based on the determination result. Specifically, when the charge amount of any one of the plurality of battery cells becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit stops the discharge of one or the plurality of battery modules or discharge current. The power converter is controlled so that (or the discharge power) is limited.

Further, the control unit determines whether to stop discharging of one or a plurality of battery modules based on an external instruction or whether to limit the discharge current (or discharge power), and based on the determination result The conversion device can also be controlled.

On the other hand, when charging one or more battery modules, the control unit determines whether to stop charging one or more battery modules based on the charge amount of the battery cell or to limit the charging current (or charging power). The power converter is controlled based on the determination result. Specifically, when the charge amount of any one of a plurality of battery cells included in one or a plurality of battery modules is larger than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit performs the one or a plurality of batteries. The power conversion device is controlled such that charging of the module is stopped or charging current (or charging power) is limited.

In addition, the control unit determines whether to stop charging one or a plurality of battery modules based on an external instruction, or whether to limit the charging current (or charging power), and power based on the determination result. The conversion device can also be controlled.

Thereby, overdischarge and overcharge of one or a plurality of battery modules can be prevented.

In this case, since the above battery module is used, it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work for connecting the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit, so that the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line is improved. . Therefore, maintenance of the power storage device is facilitated.

(11) A power supply device according to still another aspect of the present invention is a power supply device connectable to the outside, the power storage device according to still another aspect of the present invention, and one or more battery modules of the power storage device And a power converter that performs power conversion with the outside, and the control unit controls the power converter.

In this power supply device, power conversion is performed by the power conversion device between one or a plurality of battery modules and the outside. The power converter is controlled by the control unit.

This can prevent overdischarge and overcharge of a plurality of battery modules.

In this case, since the above battery module is used, it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work for connecting the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit, so that the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line is improved. . Therefore, maintenance of the power supply device is facilitated.

(12) An electrical device according to still another aspect of the present invention includes one or more battery modules according to one aspect of the present invention and a load driven by electric power from the one or more battery modules.

In this electrical device, the load is driven by electric power from one or more battery modules. In this case, since the above battery module is used, it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work for connecting the plurality of battery cells and the voltage detection circuit, so that the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line is improved. . Therefore, maintenance of the electric equipment is facilitated.

According to the present invention, the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection line for connecting the voltage detection circuit for detecting the voltage of the plurality of battery cells and the positive terminal and the negative terminal of the battery cell is improved.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the battery system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the printed circuit board of FIG. FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of the battery module according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view of one side of the battery module of FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view of the other side of the battery module of FIG. FIG. 6 is a side view and an end view of the battery cell. FIG. 7 is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a side view as seen from the short side of the battery holder of FIG. FIG. 8 is an end view of the battery block in the battery module of FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the battery block. FIG. 10 is a side view of one of the battery blocks. FIG. 11 is a side view of the other side of the battery block. FIG. 12 is an external perspective view of the bus bar. FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of bus bars and PTC elements are attached to the FPC board. FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view for explaining the connection between the bus bar and the thermistor and the detection circuit. FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration example of a printed circuit board. 16 is a side view showing a state where a printed circuit board is attached to the battery block of FIG. FIG. 17 is a schematic plan view of an input / output harness used for connection of the communication circuit of FIG. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram for connecting battery blocks. FIG. 19 is an external perspective view of the battery module housed in the casing. FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view showing an example of connection and wiring of a plurality of battery modules in the battery system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 21 is a plan view of the battery block according to the second embodiment. FIG. 22 is a side view of one side of the battery block of FIG. FIG. 23 is a side view of the other side of the battery block of FIG. 24 is a plan view, a cross-sectional view, and a side view as seen from the short side of the battery holder of FIG. FIG. 25 is an external perspective view of the battery module according to the third embodiment. FIG. 26 is a side view of the battery module of FIG. 27 is a plan view of the battery module of FIG. FIG. 28 is an external perspective view showing a wiring member of the battery module according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 29 is an external perspective view of the battery module according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 30 is a plan view of the battery system according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric vehicle including a battery system. FIG. 32 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a power supply device according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a rack that houses a plurality of battery systems. FIG. 34 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the battery system is housed in the housing space of the rack of FIG.

[1] First Embodiment Hereinafter, a battery module according to a first embodiment and a battery system including the battery module will be described with reference to the drawings. The battery module and the battery system according to the present embodiment are mounted on an electric vehicle (for example, an electric automobile) that uses electric power as a drive source.

(1) Configuration of Battery System FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the battery system according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the battery system 500 includes a plurality of battery modules 100 (six in this example), a battery ECU 101, and a contactor 102, and is connected to the main control unit 300 of the electric vehicle via a bus 104. .

The plurality of battery modules 100 of the battery system 500 are connected to each other through the power line 501. Each battery module 100 includes a battery block 10 </ b> B including a plurality (12 in this example) of battery cells 10. Each battery module 100 further includes a plurality of (six in this example) thermistors 11 and a rigid printed circuit board (hereinafter abbreviated as a printed circuit board) 21.

The plurality of battery cells 10 of each battery block 10B are integrally arranged and connected in series by a plurality of bus bars 40. Each battery cell 10 is a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery.

Among the plurality of battery cells 10 of each battery module 100, the terminal of the battery cell 10 having the highest potential and the terminal of the battery cell 10 having the lowest potential are connected to the power supply line 501 via the bus bar 40a. Thereby, in the battery system 500, all the battery cells 10 of the plurality of battery modules 100 are connected in series. A power line 501 drawn from the battery system 500 is connected to a load such as a motor of an electric vehicle. Details of the battery module 100 will be described later.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the printed circuit board 21 of FIG. On the printed circuit board 21, a detection circuit 20, a plurality of resistors R, and a plurality of switching elements SW are mounted. The detection circuit 20 includes a multiplexer 20a, an A / D converter 20b, a differential amplifier 20c, and a communication circuit 20d. The detection circuit 20 includes, for example, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and the plurality of battery cells 10 are used as a power source for the detection circuit 20.

The differential amplifier 20c has two input terminals and an output terminal. The differential amplifier 20c differentially amplifies voltages input to the two input terminals, and outputs the amplified voltage from the output terminal. Two input terminals of each differential amplifier 20c are electrically connected to two adjacent bus bars 40, 40a via a conductor line 51 and a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) element 60.

Here, the PTC element 60 has a resistance temperature characteristic in which the resistance value rapidly increases when the temperature exceeds a certain value. For this reason, when a short circuit occurs in the detection circuit 20 and the conductor wire 51, if the temperature of the PTC element 60 rises due to the current flowing through the short circuit path, the resistance value of the PTC element 60 increases. Thereby, it is suppressed that a large current flows through the short circuit path including the PTC element 60.

The voltages of the two adjacent bus bars 40 and 40a are differentially amplified by each differential amplifier 20c. The output voltage of each differential amplifier 20 c corresponds to the terminal voltage of each battery cell 10. Terminal voltages output from the plurality of differential amplifiers 20c are applied to the multiplexer 20a. The multiplexer 20a sequentially outputs the terminal voltages supplied from the plurality of differential amplifiers 20c to the A / D converter 20b. The A / D converter 20b converts the terminal voltage output from the multiplexer 20a into a digital value and supplies the digital value to the communication circuit 20d. Thus, the detection circuit 20 functions as a voltage detection unit.

The communication circuit 20d includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, and an interface circuit, and has a communication function and an arithmetic function. The communication circuit 20d is connected to the plurality of thermistors 11 through the conductor line 52a. Accordingly, the communication circuit 20d acquires the temperature of the battery module 100 (see FIG. 1) based on the output signal of the thermistor 11. Thus, the detection circuit 20 also functions as a temperature detection unit.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, at least one bus bar 40 among the plurality of bus bars 40 of each battery module 100 is used as a shunt resistor for current detection. Thereby, the detection circuit 20 detects the current flowing through each battery module 100 by detecting the voltage across the bus bar 40 used as the shunt resistor. Thus, the detection circuit 20 also functions as a current detection unit.

The communication circuits 20d of the plurality of battery modules 100 are connected in series via the harness 560. Thereby, the communication circuit 20d of each battery module 100 can communicate with the other battery modules 100.

Further, the communication circuit 20d of the battery module 100 at the end is connected to the battery ECU 101 via the harness 560. Thereby, the communication circuit 20d gives the battery ECU 101 the terminal voltage of each battery cell 10, the current flowing through the plurality of battery cells 10, and the temperature of the battery module 100. Hereinafter, these terminal voltages, currents, and temperatures are referred to as cell information.

The battery ECU 101 calculates the charge amount of each battery cell 10 based on the cell information given from the communication circuit 20d of each battery module 100, and performs charge / discharge control of each battery cell 10 based on the charge amount. Here, the charge / discharge control is, for example, control for equalizing the amount of charge (hereinafter referred to as equalization control). In order to perform equalization control of each battery cell 10, a series circuit of a resistor R and a switching element SW is connected between each two adjacent bus bars 40, 40a. On / off of the switching element SW is controlled by the battery ECU 101 via the communication circuit 20d. In the normal state, the switching element SW is turned off. Details of the equalization control will be described later.

Further, the battery ECU 101 detects an abnormality of each battery module 100 based on the cell information given from the communication circuit 20d of each battery module 100. The abnormality of the battery module 100 is, for example, overdischarge, overcharge, or temperature abnormality of the battery cell 10.

In the present embodiment, the battery ECU 101 performs calculation and equalization control of the charge amount of each battery cell 10 and detection of overdischarge, overcharge, or temperature abnormality of the battery cell 10, but the present invention is not limited to this. . The detection circuit 20 may have a function of calculating the amount of charge of each battery cell 10 and detecting overdischarge, overcharge, or temperature abnormality of each battery cell 10. In this case, the detection circuit 20 gives the detection result to the battery ECU 101.

When the detection circuit 20 calculates the charge amount of each battery cell 10, the charge amount of each battery cell 10 in addition to the terminal voltage of each battery cell 10, the current flowing through the plurality of battery cells 10, and the temperature of the battery module 100. Is called cell information.

Referring back to FIG. 1, a contactor 102 is inserted in the power supply line 501 connected to the battery module 100 at one end. When the battery ECU 101 detects an abnormality in the battery module 100, the battery ECU 101 turns off the contactor 102. Thereby, when an abnormality occurs, no current flows through each battery module 100, and thus abnormal heat generation of the battery module 100 is prevented.

The battery ECU 101 is connected to the main control unit 300 via the bus 104. The amount of charge of each battery cell 10 is given from the battery ECU 101 to the main control unit 300. The main control unit 300 controls the power of the electric vehicle (for example, the rotational speed of the motor) based on the amount of charge. When the charge amount of each battery module 100 decreases, the main control unit 300 controls a power generation device (not shown) connected to the power line 501 to charge each battery module 100.

In the present embodiment, the power generation device is a motor connected to the power supply line 501 described above, for example. In this case, the motor converts the electric power supplied from the battery system 500 during acceleration of the electric vehicle into motive power for driving drive wheels (not shown). The motor generates regenerative power when the electric vehicle is decelerated. Each battery module 100 is charged by this regenerative power.

(2) Details of Battery Module Details of the battery module 100 will be described. 3 is an external perspective view of the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment, FIG. 4 is a side view of one side of the battery module 100 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is the other side of the battery module 100 of FIG. It is a side view.

In FIGS. 3 to 5 and FIGS. 8 to 11, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 21 to 23, and FIGS. 25 to 29, which will be described later, these are indicated by arrows X, Y, and Z. Thus, three directions orthogonal to each other are defined as an X direction, a Y direction, and a Z direction. In this example, the X direction and the Y direction are directions parallel to the horizontal plane, and the Z direction is a direction orthogonal to the horizontal plane.

3 to 5, the battery module 100 includes a battery block 10B, a printed circuit board 21, and a flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter abbreviated as an FPC board) 50.

The battery block 10 </ b> B includes a plurality of cylindrical battery cells 10 and a pair of battery holders 90 that hold the plurality of battery cells 10.

FIG. 6A is a side view of the battery cell 10, FIG. 6B is an end view of the battery cell 10 shown in FIG. 6A, and FIG. 6C is FIG. It is the end view seen from the other side of the battery cell 10 of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6 (a), a battery cell 10 having a cylindrical outer shape (so-called columnar shape) having opposed end surfaces is used. On one end face of the battery cell 10, a positive electrode 10a that is a positive electrode terminal is formed so as to protrude in the axial direction. Further, a negative electrode 10b, which is a negative electrode terminal, is formed on the other end face of the battery cell 10 so as to protrude in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the plus electrode 10a has a prism shape having a square cross section. A screw hole 9a is formed in the plus electrode 10a. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 6C, the negative electrode 10b has a prismatic shape having a square cross section. A screw hole 9b is formed in the negative electrode 10b.

In the battery block 10B of FIGS. 3 to 5, the plurality of battery cells 10 are arranged in parallel so that the respective axes are parallel to each other. Of the plurality of battery cells 10, half (six in this example) battery cells 10 are arranged in the upper stage, and the remaining half (six in this example) battery cells 10 are arranged in the lower stage.

The battery holder 90 is made of a substantially rectangular plate-like member made of, for example, resin. The battery holder 90 has one side and the other side. Hereinafter, one surface and the other surface of the battery holder 90 are referred to as an outer surface and an inner surface, respectively. 7 (a) is a plan view of the outer surface of the battery holder 90 of FIG. 3, FIG. 7 (b) is a plan view of the inner surface of the battery holder 90 of FIG. 3, and FIG. 7 (c) is a plan view of FIG. ) And FIG. 7B is a sectional view taken along line AA of the battery holder 90 in FIG. 7B, and FIG. 7D is a side view of the battery holder 90 in FIG. 3 viewed from the short side.

As shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the battery holder 90 has a plurality of square holes in the upper and lower stages along the long side direction (X direction in FIGS. 3 to 5). 91 are formed at equal intervals. The plurality of upper and lower hole portions 91 are arranged to correspond to the plurality of upper and lower battery cells 10 in the battery block 10B. The positive electrode 10a or the negative electrode 10b of the corresponding battery cell 10 is fitted into each hole 91.

7B to 7D, on the inner surface of the battery holder 90, a plurality of annular protrusions 92 are formed at equal intervals so as to surround the plurality of holes 91, respectively. The plurality of upper and lower protrusions 92 are arranged so as to correspond to the upper and lower battery cells 10 in the battery block 10B. The center of each protrusion 92 coincides with the center of each hole 91. The end portion of the battery cell 10 of FIG.

The hole 93 is formed in the four corners of the battery holder 90. A fastening member 13 shown in FIG. 8 to be described later is inserted into each hole 93. Further, three holes 94 are formed in the battery holder 90 at equal intervals along the long side direction (X direction in FIGS. 3 to 5). 2 and 3 is inserted into the hole 94.

As shown in FIG. 7D, two screw holes 95 are formed on the end surface along the short side of the battery holder 90 at a predetermined interval. A screw S shown in FIG. 16 described later is screwed into the screw hole 95.

8 is an end view of the battery block 10B in the battery module 100 of FIG. 3, FIG. 9 is a plan view of the battery block 10B of FIG. 8, and FIG. 10 is a side view of one side of the battery block 10B of FIG. FIG. 11 is a side view of the other side of the battery block 10B of FIG.

As described above, in the battery block 10B, the upper and lower battery cells 10 are arranged so as to correspond to the upper and lower holes 91 of the pair of battery holders 90, respectively. Here, it arrange | positions so that the positional relationship of the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b may become mutually opposite between each two adjacent battery cells 10. FIG. Thereby, the positive electrode 10a of one battery cell 10 and the negative electrode 10b of the other battery cell 10 are adjacent to each other, and the negative electrode 10b of one battery cell 10 and the other battery are adjacent to each other. The plus electrode 10a of the cell 10 is adjacent.

In this state, as shown in FIGS. 8 to 11, the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b of the battery cell 10 are fitted into the holes 91 from the inner surfaces of the pair of battery holders 90, and both ends of the battery cell 10 are paired. The battery holder 90 is fitted into the protrusion 92 on the inner surface. The positive electrode 10 a and the negative electrode 10 b of each battery cell 10 protrude from the outer surfaces of the pair of battery holders 90.

Further, both ends of the rod-shaped fastening member 13 are inserted into the holes 93 of the pair of battery holders 90. Male screws are formed at both ends of the fastening member 13. In this state, the nuts N are attached to both ends of the fastening member 13, whereby the plurality of battery cells 10 and the pair of battery holders 90 are integrally fixed. In this way, the battery block 10B is configured.

Here, consider a virtual rectangular parallelepiped surrounding the battery block 10B. Of the six virtual surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped, the virtual surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the battery cell 10 located at one end of the upper and lower stages is called the side surface Ea of the battery block 10B, and the battery located at the other end of the upper and lower stages A virtual surface facing the outer peripheral surface of the cell 10 is referred to as a side surface Eb of the battery block 10B. In addition, among the six virtual surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped, a virtual surface that faces one end surface of the plurality of battery cells 10 is referred to as a side surface Ec of the battery block 10B, and a virtual surface that faces the other end surface of the plurality of battery cells 10 This is referred to as a side surface Ed of the battery block 10B. Further, among the six virtual surfaces of the rectangular parallelepiped, a virtual surface that faces the outer peripheral surface of the upper plurality of battery cells 10 is called a side surface Ee of the battery block 10B, and a virtual surface that faces the outer peripheral surfaces of the lower plurality of battery cells 10. The surface is referred to as a side surface Ef of the battery block 10B.

The side surfaces Ea and Eb of the battery block 10B are perpendicular to the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of upper or lower battery cells 10. The side surfaces Ec and Ed of the battery block 10B are perpendicular to the axial direction (Y direction) of each battery cell 10. The side surfaces Ee and Ef of the battery block 10B are parallel to the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of upper or lower battery cells 10 and the axial direction (Y direction) of each battery cell 10.

One of the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of each battery cell 10 is disposed on the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B, and the other is disposed on the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B.

3-5, in the battery block 10B, the plurality of battery cells 10 are connected in series by the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a and the hexagon bolts 14. A plurality of thermistors 11 are attached to the battery block 10B.

The printed circuit board 21 is provided on the side surface Ea of the battery block 10B. The printed circuit board 21 is mounted with a detection circuit 20 for detecting cell information of each battery cell 10 and the resistor R and switching element SW shown in FIG.

A long FPC board 50 is provided so as to extend from the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B to the side surface Ea. Further, a long FPC board 50 is provided so as to extend from the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B to the side surface Ea. Each FPC board 50 has a configuration in which a conductor wire 51 (see FIG. 1) and a conductor wire 52 (see FIG. 14 described later) are integrally formed on a board made of a flexible material, and is flexible and flexible. Have For example, polyimide is used as the material of the insulating layer constituting the FPC board 50, and copper is used as the material of the conductor wire 51, for example. On the FPC board 50, the PTC elements 60 are arranged so as to be close to the bus bars 40, 40a.

The bus bars 40, 40a and the thermistor 11 of the battery module 100 are electrically connected to the printed circuit board 21 by conductor lines 51 (see FIG. 1) and conductor lines 52 (see FIG. 14 described later) formed on the FPC board 50, respectively. Connected.

In the following description, out of the six battery cells 10 arranged in the upper stage of the battery block 10B of FIGS. 3 to 5, the battery cell 10 closest to the side surface Ea to the battery cell 10 closest to the side surface Eb is the first. This is called the sixth battery cell 10. Among the six battery cells 10 arranged in the lower stage of the battery block 10B, the battery cells 10 closest to the side surface Eb to the battery cells 10 closest to the side surface Ea are referred to as the seventh to twelfth battery cells 10. .

As described above, in the battery block 10B, each battery cell 10 is disposed so that the positional relationship between the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b is opposite to each other between the adjacent battery cells 10. Between the battery cells 10, the plus electrode 10a of one battery cell 10 and the minus electrode 10b of the other battery cell 10 are close to each other, and the minus electrode 10b of one battery cell 10 and the plus electrode 10a of the other battery cell 10 are Is close. In this state, the bus bar 40 is attached to the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b that are close to each other so that the plurality of battery cells 10 are connected in series.

Specifically, a common bus bar 40 is attached to the negative electrode 10b of the first battery cell 10 and the positive electrode 10a of the second battery cell 10. A common bus bar 40 is attached to the negative electrode 10b of the second battery cell 10 and the positive electrode 10a of the third battery cell 10. Similarly, a common bus bar 40 is attached to the minus electrode 10b of each odd-numbered battery cell 10 and the plus electrode 10a of the even-numbered battery cell 10 adjacent thereto. A common bus bar 40 is attached to the minus electrode 10b of each even-numbered battery cell 10 and the plus electrode 10a of the odd-numbered battery cell 10 adjacent thereto.

Further, a bus bar 40a for connecting a power line 501 (see FIG. 1) from the outside is attached to the plus electrode 10a of the first battery cell 10 and the minus electrode 10b of the twelfth battery cell 10, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, one FPC board 50 is arranged to extend in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 at the center on the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B. The FPC board 50 is commonly connected to the plurality of bus bars 40. As shown in FIG. 5, the other FPC board 50 is arranged so as to extend in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 at the central portion on the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B. The FPC board 50 is commonly connected to the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a. As described above, the FPC board 50 is attached between the plus electrodes 10 a and the minus electrodes 10 b of the plurality of battery cells 10 and the plurality of bus bars 40 along the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10.

The FPC board 50 on the side surface Ec is folded at a right angle toward the side surface Ea at one end of the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B and connected to the printed circuit board 21. Further, the FPC board 50 on the side surface Ed is folded at a right angle toward the side surface Ea at one end of the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B and connected to the printed circuit board 21. The battery module 100 configured as described above is accommodated in a casing 110 of FIG.

(3) Structure of Bus Bar and FPC Board Next, details of the structure of the bus bars 40 and 40a and the FPC board 50 will be described. Hereinafter, the bus bar 40 for connecting the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b of two adjacent battery cells 10 is called a two-electrode bus bar 40, and the plus electrode 10a or the minus electrode 10b of one battery cell 10 is called. The bus bar 40a for connecting the power line 501 and the power line 501 is referred to as a one-electrode bus bar 40a.

12 (a) is an external perspective view of the bus bar 40 for two electrodes, and FIG. 12 (b) is an external perspective view of the bus bar 40a for one electrode.

As shown in FIG. 12 (a), the two-electrode bus bar 40 includes a base portion 41 having a substantially rectangular shape and a pair of attachment pieces 42 that bend and extend from one side of the base portion 41 to one surface thereof. A pair of electrode connection holes 43 are formed in the base portion 41.

As shown in FIG. 12B, the bus bar 40a for one electrode includes a base portion 45 having a substantially square shape and a mounting piece 46 that is bent and extends from one side of the base portion 45 to one surface thereof. An electrode connection hole 47 is formed in the base portion 45.

In the present embodiment, the bus bars 40, 40a have a configuration in which, for example, nickel plating is applied to the surface of tough pitch copper.

FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing a state in which a plurality of bus bars 40, 40a and a PTC element 60 are attached to the FPC board 50. FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the two FPC boards 50 have mounting pieces 42 for a plurality of bus bars 40, 40a at predetermined intervals along the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 (see FIG. 3). , 46 are attached. Further, the plurality of PTC elements 60 are respectively attached to the two FPC boards 50 at the same interval as the interval between the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a. A member in which the FPC board 50 and the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a are integrally coupled in this manner is hereinafter referred to as a wiring member 70.

In this case, since the plurality of

bus bars

40 and 40a are arranged along the outer periphery of the two FPC boards 50, conductor wires 51 and 52 (see FIG. 14 described later) formed on the two FPC boards 50 and Never cross. Thereby, a short circuit with a plurality of

bus bars

40 and 40a and

conductor lines

51 and 52 can be prevented.

Also, as described above, a shunt resistor is formed in at least one bus bar 40 among the plurality of bus bars 40 in order to detect the current flowing through each battery module 100. Here, the shunt resistor is formed by adjusting the material or dimensions of the bus bar 40. Here, the dimensions are a cross-sectional area and a length of a region of the bus bar 40 used as a resistance. Therefore, the adjustment of the length of the bus bar 40 is limited by the distance between the electrode connection holes 43.

In this embodiment, the shunt resistor connects the battery cell 10 (sixth battery cell 10) located at one end of the upper stage and the battery cell 10 (seventh battery cell 10) located at one end of the lower stage. The bus bar 40 is formed. This bus bar 40 is referred to as a voltage / current bus bar 40y (see FIG. 13).

In this case, since the voltage / current bus bar 40y is arranged so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the other bus bars 40, even if the dimensions of the voltage / current bus bar 40y are adjusted to form a shunt resistor, the size of the battery module 100 is reduced. There is no change in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 (see FIG. 3).

The current flowing through the voltage / current bus bar 40y is detected by the detection circuit 20. In this case, two potential difference detection lines are provided for the connection between the voltage / current bus bar 40y and the detection circuit 20. As one of the two potential difference detection lines, a conductor line 51 connected to one attachment piece 42 of the voltage / current bus bar 40y among conductor lines 51 (see FIG. 14 described later) provided on the FPC board 50 is used. be able to. The conductor line 51 is connected to the detection circuit 20 on the printed circuit board 21. Similarly, the conductor wire 51 connected to the other attachment piece 42 of the voltage / current bus bar 40y among the conductor wires 51 (see FIG. 14 described later) provided on the FPC board 50 is used as the other of the potential difference detection lines. Can do. The conductor line 51 is connected to the detection circuit 20 on the printed circuit board 21.

When producing the battery module 100, the wiring members 70 are respectively disposed on the side surfaces Ec and Ed (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the battery block 10B. Then, the screw hole 9a (see FIG. 6) of the plus electrode 10a of the adjacent battery cell 10 and the screw hole 9b (see FIG. 6) of the minus electrode 10b are overlapped with the two electrode connection holes 43 formed in each bus bar 40. In addition, the screw hole 9a of the plus electrode 10a of one battery cell 10 and the screw hole 9b of the minus electrode 10b of another battery cell 10 are overlapped with the electrode connection hole 47 of the bus bar 40a. In this state, the hexagon bolt 14 (see FIG. 3) is screwed into the screw holes 9a and 9b of the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b through the electrode connection holes 43 and 47 of the bus bars 40 and 40a.

In this way, the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a are attached to the plurality of battery cells 10, and the FPC boards 50 extend in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 by the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a. It is held in a substantially vertical posture. The battery module 100 can be easily assembled by attaching the wiring member 70 to the battery block 10B.

(4) Connection of Bus Bar, FPC Board and Detection Circuit Next, connection of the bus bars 40 and 40a, the FPC board 50 and the detection circuit 20 will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view for explaining the connection between the bus bars 40 and 40 a and the thermistor 11 and the detection circuit 20. As shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of conductor wires 51 are provided on the main surface of the FPC board 50 so as to correspond to the plurality of bus bars 40, 40 a, and a plurality of conductor wires 52 are provided so as to correspond to the plurality of thermistors 11. Is provided. A plurality of connection pads 51a are provided along the long sides of the main surface of the FPC board 50 so as to correspond to the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a.

One end of each conductor wire 51 is connected to each connection pad 51a via a PTC element 60. Each connection pad 51a is electrically connected to the mounting

pieces

42, 46 of each

bus bar

40, 40a, for example, by soldering or welding. Thereby, the FPC board 50 is fixed to each

bus bar

40, 40a.

Each PTC element 60 is preferably arranged in a region between both ends of the corresponding

bus bar

40, 40a. When stress is applied to the FPC board 50, the area of the FPC board 50 between the adjacent bus bars 40, 40a is easily bent, but the area of the FPC board 50 between both ends of each

bus bar

40, 40a is fixed to the bus bars 40, 40a. Therefore, it is kept relatively flat. Therefore, each PTC element 60 is disposed in the region of the FPC board 50 between both ends of each

bus bar

40, 40 a, thereby ensuring sufficient connectivity between the PTC element 60 and the conductor wire 51. Moreover, the influence (for example, change of the resistance value of the PTC element 60) on each PTC element 60 by the bending of the FPC board 50 is suppressed.

Also, one end of each conductor wire 52 is electrically connected to each thermistor 11 using the conductor wire 52a of FIG.

3 is provided with a plurality of connection terminals 22 (see FIG. 15 to be described later) corresponding to the plurality of

conductor lines

51 and 52 of the FPC board 50. The other end portions of the conductor lines 51 and 52 of the FPC board 50 are provided so as to be exposed on the back side of the FPC board 50. The other ends of the

conductor wires

51 and 52 exposed on the back surface are connected to the corresponding connection terminals 22 on the printed circuit board 21 by, for example, soldering or welding. The connection between the printed circuit board 21 and the FPC board 50 is not limited to soldering or welding, and may be performed using a connector.

In this way, each

bus bar

40, 40a is electrically connected to the detection circuit 20 via the PTC element 60, and each thermistor 11 is electrically connected to the detection circuit 20. In FIG. 14, the FPC board 50 on the side surface Ed (see FIG. 5) of the battery block 10B and the method of connecting the bus bars 40, 40a and the detection circuit 20 are illustrated, but the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B (see FIG. 4) The connection method between the FPC board 50 and each

bus bar

40, 40a and the detection circuit 20 is the same as the connection method of FIG.

(5) One Configuration Example of Printed Circuit Board Next, one configuration example of the printed circuit board 21 will be described. FIG. 15 is a schematic plan view illustrating a configuration example of the printed circuit board 21. The printed circuit board 21 has a substantially rectangular shape and has one side and the other side. FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B show one surface and the other surface of the printed circuit board 21, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 15A, on one surface of the printed circuit board 21, the detection circuit 20 is mounted, and a plurality of connection terminals 22 and connectors 23 are formed. In addition, holes H are formed at the four corners of the printed circuit board 21. The detection circuit 20 and the plurality of connection terminals 22 are electrically connected on the printed circuit board 21 by connection lines. The detection circuit 20 and the connector 23 are electrically connected to each other on the printed circuit board 21 by a connection line.

As shown in FIG. 15B, a plurality of resistors R and a plurality of switching elements SW are mounted on the other surface of the printed circuit board 21. Thereby, the heat generated from the resistor R can be efficiently dissipated. Further, heat generated from the resistor R can be prevented from being conducted to the detection circuit 20. As a result, malfunction and deterioration due to heat of the detection circuit 20 can be prevented.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing a state where the printed circuit board 21 is attached to the battery block 10B of FIG. As shown in FIG. 16, a screw S is inserted into the hole H (see FIG. 15) of the printed circuit board 21. In this state, the screw S is screwed into the screw hole 95 (see FIG. 7D) of the battery holder 90, whereby the printed circuit board 21 is attached to the side surface Ea of the battery block 10B.

The battery module 100 is configured by attaching the printed circuit board 21 and the two FPC boards 50 to the battery block 10B. Here, the printed circuit board 21 is attached so that the other surface (the surface on which the resistor R and the switching element SW are mounted) faces the battery block 10B. In addition, a space for cooling air to flow in is provided between the other surface of the printed circuit board 21 and the battery block 10B. Thereby, even when equalization control of the battery cells 10 to be described later is performed, Joule heat generated in the resistor R is efficiently dissipated.

(6) Assembly of battery module The specific assembly process of the battery module 100 is shown below.

First, a process of manufacturing the wiring member 70 by combining the FPC board 50 and the bus bars 40 and 40a is performed. In this step, the FPC board 50 and the bus bars 40, 40a can be coupled by reflow soldering.

Next, a process of coupling the FPC board 50 of the wiring member 70 and the detection circuit 20 is performed. In this step, the connection terminal 22 (see FIG. 15A) of the printed circuit board 21 provided with the detection circuit 20 and the terminal of the FPC board 50 can be coupled by pulse heat bonding.

Further, a process of coupling the bus bars 40 and 40a of the wiring member 70 to the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b of the battery cell 10 of the battery module 100 is performed. In this step, the hexagon bolt 14 (see FIG. 3) is screwed into the screw holes 9a and 9b (see FIG. 6) through the electrode connection holes 43 and 47 (see FIG. 12), so that the bus bars 40 and 40a and the positive electrode are connected. 10a and the negative electrode 10b are coupled.

Next, a process of attaching the detection circuit 20 to the battery block 10B is performed. In this process, the screw S (see FIG. 16) is screwed into the screw hole 95 (see FIG. 7D) through the hole H (see FIG. 15), whereby the printed circuit board on which the detection circuit 20 is mounted. 21 (see FIG. 15) is attached to the battery holder 90 (see FIG. 7) of the battery block 10B.

By assembling the battery module 100 in such a process, a process that undergoes a heat treatment such as reflow soldering that connects the FPC board 50 and the bus bars 40 and 40a can be performed without the battery block 10B. Thereby, the deterioration of the performance by the heat processing of the battery cell 10 or a damage can be suppressed.

In addition, the bus bars 40 and 40a are connected to the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of the battery cell 10 and the FPC board 50 is connected to the detection circuit 20 after the process of changing the order of the above steps, and then the bus bars 40 and 40a are connected. A step of connecting to the FPC board 50 can also be performed.

In this case, the FPC board 50 and the bus bars 40, 40a are connected using a conductive adhesive or the like. This prevents the battery block 10B from being deteriorated by the heat of reflow soldering.

Further, in the process of manufacturing the wiring member 70, reflow soldering is simultaneously performed on the PTC element 60 and the conductor wire 52a (see FIG. 14). Furthermore, the PTC element 60, the bus bars 40 and 40a, and the conductor wire 52a are arranged on the same surface of the FPC board 50. In this case, the PTC element 60, the bus bars 40 and 40a, and the conductor wire 52a are coupled to the FPC board 50 by one reflow soldering. As a result, the assembly process of the battery module 100 can be reduced.

An FPC board 50 made of a flexible material on which a plurality of conductor lines 51 and 52 (FIG. 14) are formed as wirings for electrically connecting the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b of the battery cell 10 and the thermistor 11 to the detection circuit 20. By using the

conductor wires

51 and 52, the

conductor wires

51 and 52 can be arranged in a compact manner. Further, it is possible to prevent the wiring arrangement from becoming complicated. Furthermore, the dimensional error at the time of manufacture at the time of attaching FPC board 50 can be absorbed by the expansion-contraction action of a flexible material.

In addition, since the

conductor wires

51 and 52 are fixed to the flexible material, when one of the

conductor wires

51 and 52 is disconnected, the disconnected portion can be prevented from coming into contact with the other of the

conductor wires

51 and 52. . Thereby, a short circuit between the

conductor wires

51 and 52 is prevented. As a result, the reliability of the battery module 100 is improved.

In the battery block 10B, the plurality of battery cells 10 are aligned in one direction, and a side surface Ea facing the outer peripheral surface of the battery cell 10 positioned at one end in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 (see FIG. 3). ) Is disposed on the printed circuit board 21. Further, the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of each battery cell 10 are arranged on the side surface Ec (see FIG. 3) and the side surface Ed (see FIG. 3) of the battery block 10B.

Therefore, a small number (two in this example) of wiring members 70 are arranged along the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 on the side surface Ec and the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B, and on the printed circuit board 21. By connecting, voltage detection of each battery cell 10 can be performed. Further, since the FPC board 50 can be formed in a strip shape, the yield at the time of manufacturing the FPC board 50 can be improved.

Wiring member 70 includes bus bars 40 and 40a and FPC board 50. Therefore, a plurality of battery cells 10 are connected in series by a simple operation of connecting the wiring member 70 to the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of the battery cell 10 and the detection circuit 20, and the positive electrode 10a of the battery cell 10 and The negative electrode 10 b can be electrically connected to the conductor wire 51.

(7) Equalization Control of Battery Cell Charge A battery ECU 101 in FIG. 2 calculates the charge amount of each battery cell 10 from the cell information of each battery cell 10. Here, when the battery ECU 101 detects that the charge amount of a certain battery cell 10 is larger than the charge amount of another battery cell 10, the battery ECU 101 turns on the switching element SW connected to the battery cell 10 having a large charge amount. . Thereby, the electric charge charged in the battery cell 10 is discharged through the resistor R.

When the charge amount of the battery cell 10 decreases until the charge amount of the other battery cell 10 becomes substantially equal, the battery ECU 101 turns off the switching element SW connected to the battery cell 10. In this way, the charge amounts of all the battery cells 10 are kept substantially equal. Thereby, the overcharge and overdischarge of some battery cells 10 can be prevented. As a result, deterioration of the battery cell 10 can be prevented.

(8) Connection and Wiring of Battery Modules In the battery system 500 of FIG. 1, the battery blocks 10B of the plurality of battery modules 100 are connected in series, and the detection circuits 20 (see FIG. 2) of the plurality of battery modules 100 are connected in series. Connected. Hereinafter, connection of the battery block 10B and connection of the detection circuit 20 will be described.

FIG. 17 is a schematic plan view of an input / output harness 23H used for connection of the detection circuit 20 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, the input / output harness 23H includes an input connector 23a, a relay connector 23b, an output connector 23c, and harnesses 530 and 540.

The input connector 23a has a plurality of input terminals for receiving cell information. The relay connector 23b has a plurality of input terminals for receiving cell information and a plurality of output terminals for transmitting cell information. The output connector 23c has a plurality of output terminals for transmitting cell information.

The plurality of input terminals of the input connector 23a and the plurality of input terminals of the relay connector 23b are connected by the harness 530. In addition, a plurality of output terminals of the relay connector 23 b and a plurality of output terminals of the output connector 23 c are connected by the harness 540. In FIG. 17, the plurality of

conductor wires

53 and 54 constituting the

harnesses

530 and 540 are indicated by a plurality of solid lines and a plurality of dotted lines, respectively.

The relay connector 23b of the input / output harness 23H is connected to the connector 23 of the printed circuit board 21 of the battery module 100. The input connector 23a of the input / output harness 23H of each battery module 100 is connected to the output connector 23c of the input / output harness 23H of another adjacent battery module 100 via the harness 560 (see FIG. 1). The output connector 23c of the input / output harness 23H of each battery module 100 is connected to the input connector 23a of the input / output harness 23H of another adjacent battery module 100 via the harness 560 (see FIG. 1). .

Thereby, in the battery system 500 of FIG. 1, the detection circuits 20 of the plurality of battery modules 100 are sequentially connected by the plurality of input / output harnesses 23H. In this way, each battery module 100 can communicate with other battery modules 100.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram for connection of the battery block 10B. As shown in FIG. 18, in the battery module 100, two

bus bars

501a and 501b are used as the power supply line 501 in FIG.

One end of the bus bar 501a is connected to the plus electrode 10a (see FIG. 6) of the first battery cell 10 by the hexagon bolt 14 via the bus bar 40a. Similarly, one end of the bus bar 501b is connected to the negative electrode 10b (see FIG. 6) of the twelfth battery cell 10 by the hexagon bolt 14 via the bus bar 40a. The other end portions of the two

bus bars

501a and 501b are pulled out in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10.

FIG. 19 is an external perspective view of the battery module 100 housed in the casing. As shown in FIG. 19, each battery module 100 is accommodated in a casing 110. The casing 110 prevents occurrence of a short circuit between the battery cells 10 when the battery module 100 is transported and connected.

The casing 110 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape including six

side walls

110a, 110b, 110c, 110d, 110e, and 110f. The inner surfaces of the side walls 110a to 110f of the casing 110 face the side surfaces Ea to Ef (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the battery block 10B, respectively.

In the side wall 110a of the casing 110, a rectangular opening 105 is formed in the vicinity of the side wall 110d so as to extend in the vertical direction. The two

bus bars

501 a and 501 b are drawn out of the casing 110 through the opening 105.

Further,

openings

106 and 107 into which the input connector 23a and the output connector 23c of the input / output harness 23H of FIG. 17 can be respectively fitted are formed at a substantially central portion of the side wall 110a of the casing 110. The input connector 23a and the output connector 23c are fixed in a state of protruding to the outside of the casing 110 by being fitted into the

openings

106 and 107, respectively.

As described above, the

bus bars

501a and 501b, the input connector 23a, and the output connector 23c are concentrated on one side wall (side wall 110a in this example) of the casing 110 to connect the wiring between the battery modules 100. Work efficiency is improved.

FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view showing an example of connection and wiring of a plurality of battery modules 100 in the battery system 500 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, the battery system 500 includes a plurality (six in this example) of battery modules 100, a battery ECU 101, a contactor 102, an HV (High Voltage) connector 510, and a service plug 520.

20, in order to distinguish the six battery modules 100 of the battery system 500 from each other, the respective battery modules 100 are referred to as

battery modules

100A, 100B, 100C, 100D, 100E, and 100F.

Battery modules 100A to 100F, battery ECU 101, contactor 102, HV connector 510 and service plug 520 are housed in box-shaped casing 550.

Casing 550 has

side walls

550a, 550b, 550c, and 550d. The

side walls

550a and 550c are parallel to each other, and the

side walls

550b and 550d are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the

side walls

550a and 550c.

In the casing 550, the

battery modules

100C, 100B, and 100A are arranged in this order so as to be arranged at predetermined intervals in a direction parallel to the

side walls

550b and 550d. Further, the

battery modules

100D, 100E, and 100F are arranged in this order so as to be arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction parallel to the

side walls

550b and 550d. In this case, battery modules 100A to 100F are attached to casing 550 such that side wall 110d (see FIG. 19) of casing 110 faces upward. Thereby, the plurality of battery cells 10 of the battery block 10B are arranged such that the axis is parallel to the vertical direction. In this case, an operation of connecting wiring between the battery modules 100 described later can be performed from the upper surface of the casing 550. As a result, the work efficiency for connecting the wiring between the battery modules 100 is improved.

The side wall 110a of the battery modules 100C to 100A and the side wall 110a of the battery modules 100D to 100F face each other. Further, the side walls 110b of the battery modules 100C to 100A face the side wall 550d of the casing 550, and the side walls 110b of the battery modules 100D to 100F face the side wall 550b of the casing 550. Further, the side wall 110f of the battery modules 100C to 100A and the side wall 110e of the battery modules 100D to 100F are opposed to the side wall 550a of the casing 550, and the side wall 110e of the battery modules 100C to 100A and the side wall 110f of the battery modules 100D to 100F are Opposite the side wall 550c.

In this state, the bus bar 501b of the battery module 100A and the bus bar 501a of the battery module 100B are connected via the connecting bus bar 501c, and the bus bar 501b of the battery module 100B and the bus bar 501a of the battery module 100C are connected via the connecting bus bar 501c. Connected.

In addition, the bus bar 501b of the battery module 100D and the bus bar 501a of the battery module 100E are connected via the connection bus bar 501c, and the bus bar 501b of the battery module 100E and the bus bar 501a of the battery module 100F are connected via the connection bus bar 501c. Is done.

Here, the battery modules 100A to 100F are arranged so that the distances between the

battery modules

100A and 100B, between the

battery modules

100B and 100C, between the

battery modules

100D and 100E, and between the

battery modules

100E and 100F are reduced. Therefore, the connection bus bar 501c that connects the

battery modules

100A and 100B, the

battery modules

100B and 100C, the

battery modules

100D and 100E, and the

battery modules

100E and 100F can be shortened. Thereby, the power loss by the connection bus bar 501c can be suppressed.

Furthermore, a service plug 520 is inserted between the bus bar 501b of the battery module 100C and the bus bar 501a of the battery module 100D. Service plug 520 includes a switch for electrically connecting or disconnecting

battery modules

100C and 100D. When the service plug 520 is turned on, the battery modules 100A to 100F are connected in series.

When the battery system 500 is maintained, the service plug 520 is turned off. In this case, no current flows through the battery modules 100A to 100F. Thereby, even if the user contacts the battery modules 100A to 100F, the user can be prevented from receiving an electric shock.

The bus bar 501a of the battery module 100A and the bus bar 501b of the battery module 100F are connected to the HV connector 510 via the contactor 102. The HV connector 510 is connected to a load such as a motor of an electric vehicle. As a result, the power of battery modules 100A to 100F connected in series can be supplied to a motor or the like.

As described above, in the casing 550, the output connector 23c (see FIG. 19) of the battery module 100A is connected to the input connector 23a (see FIG. 19) of the battery module 100B via the harness 560. The output connector 23c of the battery module 100B is connected to the input connector 23a of the battery module 100C via a harness 560. The output connector 23c of the battery module 100C is connected to the input connector 23a of the battery module 100D via the harness 560. The output connector 23c of the battery module 100D is connected to the input connector 23a of the battery module 100E via the harness 560. The output connector 23c of the battery module 100E is connected to the input connector 23a of the battery module 100F via a harness 560.

Furthermore, the input connector 23a of the battery module 100A and the output connector 23c of the battery module 100F are connected to the battery ECU 101 via the harness 560, respectively. Thereby, the cell information of the battery modules 100A to 100F is given to the battery ECU 101.

(9) Effects In the battery module 100 and the battery system 500 according to the present embodiment, the battery block 10B is configured by the plurality of cylindrical battery cells 10 and the battery holder 90. An FPC board 50 is provided in the battery block 10B. The positive electrode 10 a or the negative electrode 10 b of each battery cell 10 and the detection circuit 20 are electrically connected by the conductor wire 51 of the FPC board 50.

In this case, since the plurality of conductor lines 51 which are voltage detection lines are arranged in a compact manner by the FPC board 50, complicated wiring work is not performed. As a result, the battery module 100 can be reduced in size, and the complexity of the work of wiring the conductor wire 51 can be reduced.

In addition, since the possibility of disconnection due to the bending of the wiring can be suppressed as compared with the case where a conventional voltage detection cable is used for the voltage detection line, the reliability can be improved. In particular, in a moving body such as an electric vehicle, there is a possibility that the voltage detection cable bent due to the influence of vibration during movement may be disconnected due to vibration or resonance. According to this embodiment, the voltage detection cable The possibility of disconnection is sufficiently reduced.

Furthermore, one of the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of each battery cell 10 is arranged on the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B, and the other of the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of each battery cell 10 is the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B. The printed circuit board 21 on which the detection circuit 20 is mounted is disposed on the side surface Ea of the battery block 10B. The FPC board 50 extends from the side surface Ea of the battery block 10B to the side surface Ec and the side surface Ed.

In this case, the detection circuit 20 provided on the side surface Ea of the battery block 10B is connected to the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b of the plurality of battery cells 10 arranged on the side surfaces Ec and Ed by the FPC board 50. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of the plurality of battery cells 10 from contacting the detection circuit 20 without complicating the structure. Further, the complexity of the connection work between the detection circuit 20 and the plus electrodes 10a and minus electrodes 10b of the plurality of battery cells 10 is further improved.

[2] Second Embodiment A battery module according to a second embodiment will be described while referring to differences from the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment.

21 is a plan view of the battery block 10B in the battery module 100 according to the second embodiment, FIG. 22 is a side view of one of the battery blocks 10B in FIG. 21, and FIG. 23 is a battery block 10B in FIG. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, in the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of upper battery cells 10 and a plurality of lower battery cells 10 in a battery block 10B are connected to each other. Are displaced in the alignment direction (X direction).

Here, the amount of displacement between the plurality of upper battery cells 10 and the plurality of lower battery cells 10 in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 is half of the distance between the axial centers of adjacent battery cells 10. Set to

In the battery block 10B of the present embodiment,

battery holders

90A and 90B are used instead of the pair of battery holders 90 in FIG. The

battery holders

90A and 90B are different from the battery holder 90 of FIG. 7 in the following points.

24A is a plan view of the outer surface of the battery holder 90A of FIG. 21, FIG. 24B is a plan view of the inner surface of the battery holder 90A of FIG. 21, and FIG. 24C is a plan view of FIG. ) And FIG. 24B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of the battery holder 90A in FIG. 24B, and FIG. 24D is a side view of the battery holder 90A in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 24A to 24D, in the battery holder 90A, the upper hole portions 91 and the lower hole portions 91 are parallel to the long side of the battery holder 90A. The plurality of upper protrusions 92 and the plurality of lower protrusions 92 are formed to be displaced in one direction parallel to the long side of the battery holder 90A.

On the other hand, in the battery holder 90B, the plurality of upper hole portions 91 and the plurality of lower hole portions 91 are formed to be displaced from each other in the direction opposite to the displacement direction of the plurality of hole portions 91 of the battery holder 90A. At the same time, the plurality of upper protrusions 92 and the plurality of lower protrusions 92 are formed to be displaced from each other in the direction opposite to the displacement direction of the plurality of holes 91 of the battery holder 90A.

Here, the amount of displacement between the plurality of upper holes 91 and the plurality of lower holes 91 in the direction parallel to the long sides of the

battery holders

90A and 90B is half of the distance between the centers of the adjacent holes 91. The amount of displacement between the plurality of upper projections 92 and the plurality of lower projections 92 in the direction parallel to the long sides of the

battery holders

90A and 90B is the distance between the centers of adjacent projections 92. Set to half.

As shown in FIGS. 21 to 23, the plurality of battery cells 10 and the

battery holders

90A, 90B are integrally fixed in the same manner as the battery block 10B of the first embodiment. In this way, the battery block 10B is configured.

As described above, in the battery module 100 according to the second embodiment, the plurality of upper battery cells 10 and the plurality of lower battery cells 10 in the battery block 10B are aligned with each other. Displaced in the (X direction). Therefore, it becomes possible to arrange a part of the upper battery cell 10 in the gap between the adjacent battery cells 10 in the lower stage. Thereby, the size of the battery block 10B in the vertical direction (Z direction) can be reduced.

On the other hand, in the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment, the size in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 can be reduced as compared with the battery module 100 according to the second embodiment. .

On the other hand, in the battery module 100 according to the second embodiment, the space V (see FIGS. 22 and 23) is provided outside the battery cell 10 at one end of the upper stage and outside the battery cell 10 at the other end of the lower stage. See). Various parts can be arranged in these spaces V.

[3] Third Embodiment A battery module according to a third embodiment will be described while referring to differences from the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment.

25 is an external perspective view of the battery module 100 according to the third embodiment, FIG. 26 is a side view of the battery module 100 of FIG. 25, and FIG. 27 is a plan view of the battery module 100 of FIG. . The battery module 100 according to the present embodiment is different from the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment in the following points.

As shown in FIGS. 25 to 27, in the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment, the printed circuit board 21 on which the detection circuit 20 is mounted is disposed on the side surface Ee of the battery block 10B. Further, T-shaped FPC boards 50 are provided on the side surfaces Ec and Ed, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 25, the FPC board 50 on the side surface Ed is bent at a right angle toward the side surface Ee at the upper end of the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B and connected to the printed circuit board 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 26, the FPC board 50 on the side surface Ec is folded back so as to be parallel to the long side of the battery holder 90 in the vicinity of the upper end portion of the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B, and then upward (Z The upper end portion is bent at a right angle toward the side surface Ee and connected to the printed circuit board 21.

In the end face along the long side of the battery holder 90 in the present embodiment, two screw holes are formed at a predetermined interval. In addition, the screw hole 95 (refer FIG.7 (d)) does not need to be formed in the end surface along the short side of the battery holder 90. FIG.

27, a screw S is inserted into the hole H (see FIG. 15) of the printed circuit board 21. In this state, the screw S is screwed into the screw hole of the battery holder 90, whereby the printed circuit board 21 is attached to the side surface Ee of the battery block 10B.

In the same manner as the battery module 100 according to the first embodiment, the battery module 100 is configured by attaching the printed circuit board 21 and the two FPC boards 50 to the battery block 10B.

The area of the side surface Ee of the battery block 10B is larger than the area of the side surface Ea. Therefore, the printed circuit board 21 larger than the printed circuit board 21 of the first embodiment can be disposed on the side surface Ee of the battery block 10B.

When the printed circuit board 21 is large, a larger number of detection circuits 20 can be mounted. In this case, cell information of a larger number of battery cells 10 can be detected. Therefore, the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment can be effectively used when a larger number of battery cells 10 are provided.

[4] Fourth Embodiment As will be described below, a part of the conductor wire 51 that electrically connects the plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b of each battery cell 10 to the detection circuit 20 on the printed circuit board 21. Only (for example, the folded portion or the folded portion) may be integrally formed on the substrate made of a flexible material.

Regarding the battery module according to the fourth embodiment, differences from the battery module 100 according to the third embodiment will be described.

FIG. 28 is an external perspective view showing the wiring member 70 of the battery module 100 according to the fourth embodiment. The wiring member 70 in the present embodiment is different from the wiring member 70 in the third embodiment in the following points.

As shown in FIG. 28, the wiring member 70 in the present embodiment includes two FPC boards 50F and two rigid boards 50R instead of the two FPC boards 50 of FIG.

One rigid board 50R is arranged so as to extend in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 at the center on the side surface Ed (see FIG. 25) of the battery block 10B. The rigid board 50R is connected in common to the plurality of bus bars 40, 40a. One FPC board 50F is arranged so as to extend upward (Z direction) from the central portion of one rigid board 50R. The FPC board 50F is bent at right angles toward the side surface Ee (see FIG. 25) at the upper end of the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B, and is connected to the printed circuit board 21 (see FIG. 25).

Similarly, the other rigid board 50R is disposed so as to extend in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 at the center on the side surface Ec (see FIG. 25) of the battery block 10B. The rigid substrate 50R is connected to the plurality of bus bars 40 in common. The other FPC board 50F is arranged so as to extend upward (Z direction) from the central portion of the other rigid board 50R. The FPC board 50F is folded back in the vicinity of the upper end of the side surface Ec of the battery block 10B so as to be parallel to the long side of the battery holder 90, and then folded upward (Z direction). It is bent at a right angle upward and connected to the printed circuit board 21 (see FIG. 25).

The rigid substrate 50R can be easily multi-layered compared to the FPC substrate. By making the rigid substrate 50R multilayer, a large number of

conductor lines

51 and 52 and the PTC element 60 can be provided on the rigid substrate 50R. In this case, cell information of a larger number of battery cells 10 can be detected. Therefore, the battery module 100 according to the present embodiment can be effectively used when a larger number of battery cells 10 are provided.

[5] Fifth Embodiment A battery module and a battery system according to a fifth embodiment will be described while referring to differences from the battery module 100 and the battery system 500 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 29 is an external perspective view of the battery module 100 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 29, each battery module 100 is accommodated in a casing 110. In battery module 100 according to the present embodiment, casing 110 differs from casing 110 in FIG. 19 in the following points.

A plurality of rectangular slits 108 extending in the axial direction (Y direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 (see FIG. 18) are arranged in the side wall 110e of the casing 110 in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10. It is formed. A plurality of rectangular slits 109 extending in the axial direction (Y direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10 are formed on the side wall 110f of the casing 110 so as to be aligned in the alignment direction (X direction) of the plurality of battery cells 10. . Cooling air can flow into the casing 110 through the

slits

108 and 109 and flow out to the outside.

FIG. 30 is a plan view of a battery system 500 according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in FIG. 30, the battery system 500 further includes two blowers 581. One blower 581 is attached to the side wall 550a of the casing 550 so as to face the side wall 110f of the battery module 100C. The other blower 581 is attached to the side wall 550a of the casing 550 so as to face the side wall 110e of the battery module 100D.

Further, exhaust ports 582 are formed in the side wall 550c of the casing 550 so as to face the side wall 110e of the battery module 100A and the side wall 110f of the battery module 100F, respectively.

When the blower 581 is turned on, the cooling air from the blower 581 is sent to the battery modules 100A to 100F. The flow of cooling air is indicated by the dotted arrows in FIG.

The cooling air passes through the slits 109 and 108 (see FIG. 29) of the battery modules 100C to 100A and the slits 108 and 109 (see FIG. 29) of the battery modules 100D to 100F, and the casing 110 of the battery modules 100C to 100A and 100D to 100F. It passes through the inside (see FIG. 29) and is discharged from the exhaust port 582. As a result, the battery block 10B (see FIG. 18) of each of the battery modules 100C to 100A, 100D to 100F is cooled.

As described above, the printed circuit board 21 on which the cooling air is mounted on the side surface Ec and the side surface Ed of the battery block 10B in FIG. 9 and the detection circuit 20 and the like provided on the side surface Ea are mounted. It can pass between the plurality of battery cells 10 in the battery block 10B without being obstructed by (see FIG. 15). As a result, the plurality of battery cells 10 are efficiently cooled.

Further, the printed circuit boards 21 of the battery modules 100A to 100F are arranged in parallel to the flow of the cooling air. Therefore, the heat generated from the detection circuit 20 and the resistor R mounted on the printed circuit board 21 is efficiently dissipated by the cooling air. Thereby, the deterioration of the detection circuit 20 and the resistance R is suppressed. Furthermore, the accuracy of the detection circuit 20 can be prevented from being lowered, and the reliability of the detection circuit 20 can be improved.

[6] Sixth Embodiment Hereinafter, an electric vehicle according to a sixth embodiment will be described. The electric vehicle according to the present embodiment includes the battery system according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments. In the following, an electric vehicle will be described as an example of an electric vehicle.

FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric vehicle including the battery system 500. As shown in FIG. 31, electric vehicle 600 according to the present embodiment includes a vehicle body 610. The vehicle body 610 is provided with a battery system 500, a main control unit 300, a power conversion unit 601, a motor 602, driving wheels 603, an accelerator device 604, a brake device 605, and a rotation speed sensor 606. When motor 602 is an alternating current (AC) motor, power conversion unit 601 includes an inverter circuit.

In the present embodiment, the battery system 500 is connected to the motor 602 via the power converter 601 and to the main controller 300. In addition, an accelerator device 604, a brake device 605, and a rotation speed sensor 606 are connected to the main control unit 300. The main control unit 300 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, or a microcomputer.

The accelerator device 604 includes an accelerator pedal 604a included in the electric automobile 600 and an accelerator detection unit 604b that detects an operation amount (depression amount) of the accelerator pedal 604a. When the accelerator pedal 604a is operated by the driver, the accelerator detector 604b detects the operation amount of the accelerator pedal 604a based on a state where the driver is not operated. The detected operation amount of the accelerator pedal 604a is given to the main controller 300.

The brake device 605 includes a brake pedal 605a included in the electric automobile 600 and a brake detection unit 605b that detects an operation amount (depression amount) of the brake pedal 605a by the driver. When the brake pedal 605a is operated by the driver, the operation amount is detected by the brake detection unit 605b. The detected operation amount of the brake pedal 605a is given to the main control unit 300.

Rotational speed sensor 606 detects the rotational speed of motor 602. The detected rotation speed is given to the main control unit 300.

The main controller 300 is given the voltage, current and temperature of the battery module 100, the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal 604a, the amount of operation of the brake pedal 605a, and the rotational speed of the motor 602. The main control unit 300 performs charge / discharge control of the battery module 100 and power conversion control of the power conversion unit 601 based on these pieces of information.

For example, when the electric vehicle 600 is started and accelerated based on the accelerator operation, the battery module 100 supplies power to the power conversion unit 601.

Further, the main control unit 300 calculates a rotational force (command torque) to be transmitted to the drive wheels 603 based on the given operation amount of the accelerator pedal 604a, and outputs a control signal based on the command torque to the power conversion unit 601. To give.

The power conversion unit 601 that has received the control signal converts the power supplied from the battery system 500 into power (drive power) necessary for driving the drive wheels 603. As a result, the driving power converted by the power converter 601 is supplied to the motor 602, and the rotational force of the motor 602 based on the driving power is transmitted to the driving wheels 603.

On the other hand, when the electric automobile 600 is decelerated based on the brake operation, the motor 602 functions as a power generator. In this case, the power conversion unit 601 converts the regenerative power generated by the motor 602 into power suitable for charging the battery module 100 and supplies the power to the battery module 100. Thereby, the battery module 100 is charged.

As described above, the electric vehicle 600 according to the present embodiment is provided with the battery system 500 according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments. In this case, since it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work to connect the plurality of battery cells 10 and the detection circuit 20, the complexity of wiring of the voltage detection lines is improved. Therefore, maintenance of the electric vehicle 600 is facilitated.

In the sixth embodiment, the electric automobile 600 has been described as an example of the electric vehicle that is a moving body. However, the moving body that drives the driving wheels 603 using the motor 602 as a driving source together with the engine that is an internal combustion engine, For example, the present invention can be applied to a hybrid vehicle. In addition, the present invention can be applied to a ship that drives a screw using a motor as a drive source. The battery system 500 may be mounted on another moving body such as an aircraft or a walking robot.

A ship equipped with the battery system 500 includes, for example, a hull instead of the vehicle body 610 in FIG. 31, a screw instead of the driving wheel 603, an acceleration input unit instead of the accelerator device 604, and a brake device 605. Instead, a deceleration input unit is provided. The driver operates the acceleration input unit instead of the accelerator device 604 when accelerating the hull, and operates the deceleration input unit instead of the brake device 605 when decelerating the hull. In this case, the motor 602 is driven by the electric power of the battery system 500, the propulsive force is generated by transmitting the rotational force of the motor 602 to the screw, and the hull moves.

Similarly, an aircraft equipped with the battery system 500 includes, for example, a fuselage instead of the vehicle body 610 in FIG. 31, a propeller instead of the drive wheel 603, an acceleration input unit instead of the accelerator device 604, and a brake A deceleration input unit is provided instead of the device 605. A walking robot equipped with the battery system 500 includes, for example, a torso instead of the vehicle body 610 in FIG. 31, a foot instead of the driving wheel 603, an acceleration input unit instead of the accelerator device 604, and a brake device 605. A deceleration input unit is provided instead of.

As described above, in the moving body on which the battery system 500 is mounted, the electric power from the battery system 500 is converted into power by the power source (motor), and the moving main body (the vehicle body, the hull, the fuselage, or the fuselage) is converted by the power. Moving.

[7] Seventh Embodiment (1) Power Supply Device Next, a power supply device according to a seventh embodiment will be described. FIG. 32 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a power supply device according to the seventh embodiment.

32, the power supply device 700 includes a power storage device 710 and a power conversion device 720. The power storage device 710 includes a battery system group 711 and a controller 712. The battery system group 711 includes a plurality of battery systems 500. Each battery system 500 includes a plurality of battery modules 100 of FIG. 3 connected in series. The plurality of battery systems 500 may be connected in parallel with each other, or may be connected in series with each other. In the present embodiment, battery ECU 101 (FIG. 30) of each battery system 500 is connected to controller 712. Further, the HV connector 510 (FIG. 30) of each battery system 500 is connected to a DC / DC converter 721 of the power conversion device 720 described later.

The controller 712 includes, for example, a CPU and a memory, or a microcomputer. The controller 712 is connected to the detection circuit 20 of each battery module 100 (FIG. 3) included in each battery system 500. The voltage, current, and temperature detected by the detection circuit 20 of each battery module 100 are supplied to the controller 712. The controller 712 calculates the charge amount of each battery cell 10 (FIG. 3) based on the voltage, current, and temperature given from each detection circuit 20, and controls the power conversion device 720 based on the calculated charge amount. . In addition, the controller 712 performs control described later as control related to discharging or charging of the battery module 100 of the battery system 500.

The power converter 720 includes a DC / DC (DC / DC) converter 721 and a DC / AC (DC / AC) inverter 722. The DC / DC converter 721 has input /

output terminals

721a and 721b, and the DC / AC inverter 722 has input /

output terminals

722a and 722b. The input / output terminal 721 a of the DC / DC converter 721 is connected to the battery system group 711 of the power storage device 710. The input / output terminal 721b of the DC / DC converter 721 and the input / output terminal 722a of the DC / AC inverter 722 are connected to each other and to the power output unit PU1. The input / output terminal 722b of the DC / AC inverter 722 is connected to the power output unit PU2 and to another power system. The power output units PU1, PU2 include, for example, outlets. For example, various loads are connected to the power output units PU1 and PU2. Other power systems include, for example, commercial power sources or solar cells. This is an external example in which power output units PU1, PU2 and another power system are connected to a power supply device. When a solar cell is used as the power system, the solar cell is connected to the input / output terminal 721b of the DC / DC converter 721. On the other hand, when a solar power generation system including a solar battery is used as the power system, the AC output unit of the power conditioner of the solar power generation system is connected to the input / output terminal 722 b of the DC / AC inverter 722.

When the DC / DC converter 721 and the DC / AC inverter 722 are controlled by the controller 712, the battery system group 711 is discharged and charged.

When the battery system group 711 is discharged, power supplied from the battery system group 711 is DC / DC (direct current / direct current) converted by the DC / DC converter 721, and further DC / AC (direct current / alternating current) conversion is performed by the DC / AC inverter 722. Is done.

When the power supply device 700 is used as a DC power supply, the power DC / DC converted by the DC / DC converter 721 is supplied to the power output unit PU1. When the power supply device 700 is used as an AC power supply, the power that is DC / AC converted by the DC / AC inverter 722 is supplied to the power output unit PU2. Moreover, the electric power converted into alternating current by the DC / AC inverter 722 can also be supplied to another electric power system.

When the battery system group 711 is discharged, the controller 712 determines whether to stop discharging the battery system group 711 based on the calculated charge amount or whether to limit the discharge current (or discharge power), The power conversion device 720 is controlled based on the determination result. Specifically, when the charge amount of any one of the plurality of battery cells 10 (FIG. 3) included in the battery system group 711 becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold value, the controller 712 The DC / DC converter 721 and the DC / AC inverter 722 are controlled so that the discharge of the system group 711 is stopped or the discharge current (or discharge power) is limited. Thereby, overdischarge of each battery cell 10 is prevented. The controller 712 determines whether to stop discharging the battery system group 711 based on an external instruction or whether to limit the discharge current (or discharge power), and determines the power conversion device 720 based on the determination result. You may control.

The discharge current (or discharge power) is limited by limiting the voltage of the battery system group 711 to a constant reference voltage. The reference voltage is set by the controller 712 based on the charge amount of the battery cell 10 or an external instruction.

On the other hand, when the battery system group 711 is charged, AC power supplied from another power system is AC / DC (AC / DC) converted by the DC / AC inverter 722, and further DC / DC (DC) is converted by the DC / DC converter 721. / DC) converted. When power is supplied from the DC / DC converter 721 to the battery system group 711, a plurality of battery cells 10 (FIG. 3) included in the battery system group 711 are charged.

When charging the battery system group 711, the controller 712 determines whether to stop charging the battery system group 711 or limit the charging current (or charging power) based on the calculated charge amount, The power conversion device 720 is controlled based on the determination result. Specifically, when the charge amount of any one of the plurality of battery cells 10 (FIG. 3) included in the battery system group 711 is larger than a predetermined threshold, the controller 712 The DC / DC converter 721 and the DC / AC inverter 722 are controlled so that the charging of the system group 711 is stopped or the charging current (or charging power) is limited. Thereby, overcharge of each battery cell 10 is prevented. The controller 712 determines whether to stop the charging of the battery system group 711 based on an external instruction or whether to limit the charging current (or charging power), and determines the power conversion device 720 based on the determination result. You may control.

The charging current (or charging power) is limited by limiting the voltage of the battery system group 711 to a constant reference voltage. The reference voltage is set by the controller 712 based on the charge amount of the battery cell 10 or an external instruction.

Note that the power conversion device 720 may include only one of the DC / DC converter 721 and the DC / AC inverter 722 as long as power can be supplied between the power supply device 700 and the outside. Further, the power conversion device 720 may not be provided as long as power can be supplied between the power supply device 700 and the outside.

(2) Installation of Battery System In the present embodiment, a plurality of battery systems 500 are accommodated in a common rack. FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a rack that houses a plurality of battery systems 500.

33, the rack 750 includes

side portions

751 and 752, a top surface portion 753, a bottom surface portion 754, a back surface portion 755, and a plurality of partition portions 756. The

side surface portions

751 and 752 extend vertically in parallel with each other. The upper surface portion 753 extends horizontally so as to connect the upper end portions of the

side surface portions

751 and 752 to each other, and the bottom surface portion 754 extends horizontally so as to connect the lower end portions of the

side surface portions

751 and 752 to each other. A back surface portion 755 extends vertically up and down perpendicular to the

side surface portions

751 and 752 along one side of the side surface portion 751 and one side of the side surface portion 752. Between the top surface portion 753 and the bottom surface portion 754, a plurality of partition portions 756 are provided in parallel to the top surface portion 753 and the bottom surface portion 754 at equal intervals.

A plurality of storage spaces 757 are provided between the top surface portion 753, the plurality of partition portions 756, and the bottom surface portion 754. Each accommodation space 757 opens on the front surface of the rack 750 (the surface opposite to the back surface portion 755). The battery system 500 is housed in each housing space 757 from the front surface of the rack 750.

FIG. 34 is a schematic plan view showing a state where the battery system 500 is housed in the housing space 757 of the rack 750 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 34, the battery system 500 is accommodated in the accommodation space 757 of the rack 750 so that the side wall 550 d of the battery system 500 faces the back surface portion 755 of the rack 750. Instead of two blowers 581 (FIG. 30), two vent holes 583 are provided on the side wall 550a of battery system 500 in the present embodiment.

The rear surface portion 755 of the rack 750 is provided with a communication connection portion 763, an on / off switching portion 764 and a power connection portion 765 for each storage space 757. Communication connection unit 763 is provided at a position overlapping battery ECU 101 of battery system 500. The on / off switching unit 764 is provided at a position overlapping the service plug 520 of the battery system 500. The power connection unit 765 is provided at a position overlapping the HV connector 510 of the battery system 500. The communication connection unit 763 is electrically connected to the controller 712. The power connection unit 765 is electrically connected to the power conversion device 720.

Two cooling fans 761 are provided for each storage space 757 on the side surface 752 of the rack 750. The two cooling fans 761 are provided at positions overlapping the two vent holes 583 of the side wall 550a of the battery system 500, respectively. Two exhaust ports 762 are provided in the side surface portion 751 of the rack 750 for each storage space 757. The two exhaust ports 762 are provided at positions overlapping the two exhaust ports 582 of the side wall 550c of the battery system 500, respectively.

When the battery system 500 is housed in the housing space 757 of the rack 750, the battery ECU 101 of the battery system 500 and the communication connection unit 763 of the rack 750 are connected. Thereby, battery ECU101 and controller 712 are connected so that communication is possible.

Also, the service plug 520 of the battery system 500 and the on / off switching unit 764 of the rack 750 are connected. As a result, the service plug 520 is turned on. As a result, the battery modules 100A to 100F of the battery system 500 are connected in series.

Furthermore, the HV connector 510 of the battery system 500 is connected to the power connection portion 765 of the rack 750. Thereby, the HV connector 510 is connected to the power converter 720. As a result, power is supplied to the battery modules 100A to 100F of the battery system 500.

Thus, when the battery system 500 is accommodated in the accommodation space 757 of the rack 750, the service plug 520 is turned on and the HV connector 510 is connected to the power converter 720. On the other hand, in a state where battery system 500 is not housed in housing space 757 of rack 750, service plug 520 is turned off and HV connector 510 is not connected to power converter 720. Therefore, when the battery system 500 is not accommodated in the accommodation space 757 of the rack 750, the current path between the battery modules 100A to 100F is reliably interrupted. Therefore, the maintenance work of the battery system 500 can be performed easily and safely.

In the state where the battery system 500 is housed in the housing space 757 of the rack 750, the cooling gas is introduced into the casing 550 through the vent 583 by the cooling fan 761. Thereby, the heat of each battery cell 10 (FIG. 3) of the battery modules 100A to 100F is absorbed by the cooling gas in the casing 550. The cooling gas that has absorbed heat in the casing 550 is discharged through the exhaust port 582 of the casing 550 and the exhaust port 762 of the rack 750. In this way, the battery cells 10 of the battery modules 100A to 100F are cooled.

In this case, by providing the cooling fan 761 in the rack 750, it is not necessary to provide the blower 581 (FIG. 30) for each battery system 500. Thereby, the cost of the battery system 500 is reduced. However, if it is possible to introduce the cooling gas into the casing 550 of each battery system 500, each battery system 500 may be provided with a blower 581.

In this example, all the battery systems 500 are accommodated in one rack 750, but all the battery systems 500 may be accommodated in a plurality of racks 750. Further, each battery system 500 may be individually installed so as to be connected to the controller 712 and the power conversion device 720.

(3) Effects In power supply device 700 according to the present embodiment, power supply between battery system group 711 and the outside is controlled by controller 712. Thereby, overdischarge and overcharge of each battery cell 10 included in the battery system group 711 are prevented.

The power supply apparatus 700 according to the present embodiment is provided with the battery system 500 according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments. In this case, since it is not necessary to perform complicated wiring work to connect the plurality of battery cells 10 and the detection circuit 20, the complexity of wiring of the voltage detection lines is improved. Therefore, maintenance of the power supply device 700 is facilitated.

[8] Other Embodiments (1) In the battery module 100 according to the above embodiment, the cylindrical battery cell 10 is used as the cylindrical battery cell. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a columnar battery cell having an elliptical, oval, or polygonal cross section may be used, or a columnar battery cell having another shape may be used. The battery module using these battery cells has an effect of reducing the complexity of the wiring of the voltage detection lines, like the battery module 100 using the cylindrical battery cell 10.

On the other hand, the cylindrical battery cell 10 has high strength against the internal pressure. Therefore, when the cylindrical battery cell 10 is used, the metal package of the battery cell can be reduced in weight compared to the case where other columnar battery cells are used. As a result, when the cylindrical battery cell 10 is used in a battery module and a battery system that require a large number of battery cells, the battery module and the battery system can be reduced in weight.

By mounting such a battery system on a moving body such as an electric vehicle using the battery system as a drive source, the moving body is reduced in weight. In reducing the weight of the moving body, the contribution of the weight reduction of the battery system is great.

(2) In the battery module 100 according to the above embodiment, the positive electrode 10a is formed on one end face of the cylindrical battery cell 10 and the negative electrode 10b is formed on the other end face. Not. For example, the plus electrode 10 a and the minus electrode 10 b may be formed on the same end surface of the battery cell 10. In this case, since both the positive electrode 10a and the negative electrode 10b of each battery cell 10 are arranged on one side surface of the battery block 10B, the voltage detection of each battery cell 10 can be performed by one FPC board 50. it can.

(3) In the battery module 100 according to the above embodiment, in the battery block 10B, the six battery cells 10 are arranged in the upper stage and the six battery cells 10 are arranged in the lower stage. However, the present invention is not limited to this. . A larger number of battery cells 10 may be arranged in the battery block 10B, or a smaller number of battery cells 10 may be arranged. Further, the plurality of battery cells 10 may be arranged in three or more stages, or may be arranged in one stage.

(4) In the battery module 100 according to the above embodiment, the plus electrodes 10a and minus electrodes 10b of the plurality of battery cells 10 and the conductor wires 51 provided on the FPC board 50 are connected via the bus bars 40, 40a. However, it is not limited to this. The positive electrodes 10a and the negative electrodes 10b of the plurality of battery cells 10 and the conductor wires 51 provided on the FPC board 50 may be directly connected without passing through the bus bars 40, 40a, or the plurality of battery cells 10 The plus electrode 10a and the minus electrode 10b may be connected to the conductor line 51 provided on the FPC board 50 via another conductor line or a conductor material.

(5) The battery module 100 according to the above embodiment is accommodated in the casing 110 in order to protect the battery cell 10 from the outside, but is not limited thereto. For example, the battery module 100 may not be accommodated in the casing 110. Even in this case, since the battery module 100 is housed and fixed in the casing 550 of the battery system 500, components such as the battery cell 10, the detection circuit 20, and the FPC board 50 can be protected from the outside.

(6) Although the battery system 500 according to the above embodiment includes the six battery modules 100, the present invention is not limited to this. The battery system 500 may include seven or more battery modules 100, or may include five or less battery modules 100.

(7) A moving body such as the electric automobile 600 or a ship according to the above embodiment is an electric device including the battery module 100 (battery system 500) and the motor 602 as a load. The electric device according to the present invention is not limited to a moving body such as the electric automobile 600 and a ship, and may be a washing machine, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, or the like. For example, a washing machine is an electric device including a motor as a load, and a refrigerator or an air conditioner is an electric device including a compressor as a load.

(8) In the above embodiment, a rigid printed circuit board may be used instead of the FPC board 50. In this case, since the wiring member 70 has rigidity, handling of the wiring member 70 and attachment to the battery block 10B are facilitated.

[9] Correspondence relationship between each constituent element of claim and each part of the embodiment Hereinafter, an example of correspondence between each constituent element of the claim and each part of the embodiment will be described. It is not limited.

In the above embodiment, the battery cell 10 is an example of a battery cell, the battery block 10B is an example of a battery block, and the detection circuit 20 is an example of a voltage detection circuit. The FPC board 50 is an example of a wiring member, the FPC board 50F and the rigid board 50R are other examples of the wiring member, and the example wiring member 70 is still another example of the wiring member. The

FPC boards

50 and 50F are examples of flexible printed circuit boards, the positive electrode 10a is an example of a positive terminal, the negative electrode 10b is an example of a negative terminal, the conductor line 51 is an example of a voltage detection line, a battery Module 100 and battery modules 100A to 100F are examples of battery modules.

The side surface Ec is an example of the first surface, and the side surface Ed is an example of the third surface. In the first, second and fifth embodiments, the side surface Ea is an example of the second surface, the side surface Ee is an example of the fourth surface, and the side surface Ef is an example of the fifth surface. . In the third and fourth embodiments, the side surface Ee is an example of the second surface, the side surface Ea is an example of the fourth surface, and the side surface Eb is an example of the fifth surface.

The casing 110 is an example of a housing, the side wall 110e is an example of the housing portion corresponding to the fourth surface of the battery block, and the side wall 110f is an example of the housing portion corresponding to the fifth surface of the battery block. . The slits 109 of the battery modules 100A to 100C and the slits 108 of the battery modules 100D to 100F are examples of inlets, and the slits 108 of the battery modules 100A to 100C and the slits 109 of battery modules 100D to 100F are examples of outlets. The bus bar 40 is an example of a connection member, the battery system 500 is an example of a battery system, the motor 602 is an example of a motor or a power source, the driving wheels 603 are examples of driving wheels, and the electric automobile 600 is an electric vehicle. It is an example.

The vehicle body 610, the hull, the fuselage, or the fuselage are examples of the moving body, the motor 602 is an example of the power source, and the electric automobile 600, the ship, the aircraft, or the walking robot is an example of the moving body. The controller 712 is an example of a control unit, the power storage device 710 is an example of a power storage device, the power conversion device 720 is an example of a power conversion device, and the power supply device 700 is an example of a power supply device. A motor 602 or a compressor is an example of a load, and an electric vehicle 600, a ship, an aircraft, a walking robot, a washing machine, a refrigerator, or an air conditioner is an example of an electric device.

As the constituent elements of the claims, various other elements having configurations or functions described in the claims can be used.

The present invention can be effectively used for various mobile objects using electric power as a drive source, power storage devices, mobile devices, and the like.

Claims

A battery block composed of a plurality of cylindrical battery cells;
A voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage between terminals of each battery cell;
A wiring member provided in the battery block,
The said wiring member is a battery module which has a voltage detection line for electrically connecting the positive electrode terminal or negative electrode terminal of each battery cell, and the said voltage detection circuit.
The wiring member includes a flexible printed circuit board,
The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the flexible printed circuit board has a configuration in which the voltage detection line is integrally formed on a board made of a flexible material.
The battery block has first and second surfaces different from each other;
At least one of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell is arranged on the first surface of the battery block, and the voltage detection circuit is arranged on the second surface of the battery block. The battery module according to claim 1 or 2.
The battery block further includes a third surface facing the first surface and different from the second surface;
The other terminal of the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of each battery cell is arranged on the third surface of the battery block, and the flexible printed circuit board is formed on the second surface of the battery block from the second surface. The battery module according to claim 3, wherein the battery module extends on one side and on the third side.
Further comprising a housing for housing the plurality of battery cells;
The battery block further includes fourth and fifth surfaces that are different from the first, second, and third surfaces and face each other,
An inlet through which cooling air can flow is formed in a portion of the housing corresponding to the fourth surface of the battery block, and a cooling portion is formed in the portion of the housing corresponding to the fifth surface of the battery block. The battery module according to claim 4, wherein an outlet through which air can flow is formed.
The wiring member includes the voltage detection line and a connection member connected to the voltage detection line,
The battery module according to claim 1, wherein the wiring member is attached to the battery block such that the positive electrode terminal and the negative electrode terminal of adjacent battery cells are connected to each other by the connection member.
With multiple battery modules,
Each of the plurality of battery modules is
A battery block comprising a plurality of cylindrical battery cells;
A voltage detection circuit for detecting a voltage between terminals of each battery cell;
A flexible printed circuit board provided in the battery block,
The flexible printed circuit board has a configuration in which a voltage detection line for electrically connecting a positive electrode terminal or a negative electrode terminal of each battery cell and the voltage detection circuit is integrally formed on a substrate made of a flexible material. , Battery system.
A battery system according to claim 7;
A motor driven by electric power from the plurality of battery modules of the battery system;
An electric vehicle comprising drive wheels that are rotated by the rotational force of the motor.
One or more battery modules according to claim 1;
A moving body,
And a power source that converts electric power from the one or more battery modules into power for moving the moving main body.
One or more battery modules according to claim 1;
A power storage device comprising: a control unit that performs control related to discharging or charging of the one or more battery modules.
An externally connectable power supply,
The power storage device according to claim 10;
A power conversion device that performs power conversion between the one or more battery modules of the power storage device and the outside;
The said control part is a power supply device which controls the said power converter device.
One or more battery modules according to claim 1;
An electric device comprising a load driven by electric power from the one or more battery modules.