Secondary battery system

The secondary battery system uses a fluorocarbon medium with a temperature control system to uniformly manage expansion and contraction, addressing non-uniformity and safety issues, enhancing battery performance and safety without additional weight.

JP2025000226AActive Publication Date: 2025-01-07KK TOYOTA CHUO KENKYUSHO
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2023099957
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2023-06-19
Publication Date
2025-01-07
Estimated Expiration
2043-06-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing secondary battery systems face issues with non-uniform expansion and contraction during charging and discharging, leading to mechanical, ionic, and electrical nonuniformity, which can cause battery deterioration, safety risks, and increased weight due to external restraints.

Method used

A secondary battery system using a fluorocarbon medium in a housing part with a temperature control system that adjusts vapor pressure through evaporation and condensation to uniformly suppress expansion and contraction, employing compressors, radiators, and valves to manage the fluorocarbon medium's temperature and pressure.

Benefits of technology

The system efficiently cools and uniformly controls battery expansion, reducing deterioration and safety risks while minimizing the need for external restraints, thus maintaining battery performance and safety without increasing weight.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To evenly suppress expansions and constrictions generated when a secondary battery is discharged or charged.SOLUTION: A secondary battery system includes: a secondary battery; a storage unit for storing the secondary battery; a fluorocarbon medium filled in the storage unit; and a temperature adjusting unit for controlling the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit, thereby adjusting the temperature of the secondary battery by using evaporation heat of the fluorocarbon medium, as well as changing the evaporation pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1
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Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a secondary battery system.

[0002] A cooling device that cools a secondary battery used as a battery for an electric vehicle or the like is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the cooling device described in Patent Document 1, each of a plurality of battery modules is connected to a heat sink via a heat pipe. A cooling water passage is formed in the heat sink, through which cooling water cooled by a radiator flows. As a result, the heat sink is cooled via the cooling water, and each battery module is cooled via the heat pipe. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-204151 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The cooling device described in Patent Document 1 can suppress the temperature rise of the battery. However, when the secondary battery is charged and discharged, in addition to the temperature rise, the secondary battery expands and compresses due to the movement of metal ions (for example, lithium ions in a lithium ion battery). Specifically, when the secondary battery is charged and discharged, the volume of the secondary battery expands due to the insertion of metal ions into the active materials of the negative and positive electrodes. In particular, the higher the SOC (State Of Charge), the greater the volume expansion. In addition, when the secondary battery is initially charged and discharged, a part of the electrolyte is gasified, or gasified due to a deterioration phenomenon (such as a reaction between the electrolyte and the electrodes) associated with the charge and discharge cycle, so that the secondary battery may also expand due to an increase in internal pressure.

[0005] The volume expansion caused by the desorption and insertion of metal ions into the active material is converted into stress (compression) and strain depending on the internal constraints caused by the electrode porous body, the external constraints between the positive and negative electrode current collectors, and the mechanical properties (elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio). If the internal and external constraints are insufficient, part of the active material's internal structure may collapse. In addition, if the internal and external constraints are insufficient, there is a risk of mechanical effects such as peeling or defects occurring between the electrode and current collector, ionic and electrical effects such as the disconnection of the electronic conduction path and diffusion inhibition due to a decrease in the porosity in the electrode, and an increase in the battery's internal resistance (a decrease in the conductive area).

[0006] Furthermore, when there is a distribution in the internal and external restraint conditions, a distribution occurs in the strain and stress conditions due to volume expansion. This results in some parts being susceptible to mechanical, ionic, and electrical influences and others not, which may lead to non-uniform reactions during charging and discharging throughout the entire interior of the secondary battery. This non-uniform reaction may not only cause deterioration but also impair battery safety, such as concentrating battery deterioration in the susceptible parts (as a result of heat concentration in the degraded parts, making the battery prone to deterioration as a whole) or causing short circuits and fires (due to metal deposition) in the reaction concentration parts due to the non-uniformity. If an attempt is made to uniformly restrain the surface of a secondary battery using a jig or the like, the restraining parts will become larger, and in the case of secondary batteries for in-vehicle use, this will lead to an increase in the vehicle weight, making it difficult to achieve uniform restraint.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to uniformly suppress expansion and contraction that occurs during charging and discharging of a secondary battery. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems, and can be realized in the following forms.

[0009] (1) According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a secondary battery system comprising: a secondary battery, a housing for housing the secondary battery, a fluorocarbon-based medium filled in the housing, and a temperature adjustment unit for controlling the temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the housing to adjust the temperature of the secondary battery using heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon-based medium and for changing the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the housing.

[0010] According to this configuration, the secondary battery whose temperature has risen is cooled by using the heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium, which is a low boiling point medium. Therefore, the temperature of the secondary battery can be controlled near the boiling point temperature of the fluorocarbon medium. In addition, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the housing in which the secondary battery is housed can be changed by the temperature adjustment unit. Therefore, by controlling the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium, the expansion and contraction of the secondary battery that expands during charging and discharging can be uniformly suppressed by the vapor pressure. If the secondary battery expands, there is a risk that deterioration and a decrease in safety of the secondary battery will occur, such as a part of the active material structure in the secondary battery collapsing. In contrast, by suppressing the expansion of the secondary battery by the vapor pressure, deterioration and a decrease in safety of the secondary battery can be suppressed. Furthermore, unlike physical external constraints, suppression of expansion by vapor pressure can be uniformly suppressed throughout the secondary battery. Therefore, suppression of vapor pressure does not require large-scale external constraints. In addition, since the vapor pressure uniformly suppresses the expansion of the entire secondary battery, concentration of battery deterioration caused by uneven constraints within the secondary battery can be reduced.

[0011] (2) In the secondary battery system of the above aspect, the temperature adjustment unit may have a cooling unit disposed vertically above the storage unit and configured to cool and condense the vaporized fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit, and when a predetermined condition is met under which it is estimated that the secondary battery is expanding, the temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit may be increased compared to before the predetermined condition was met, thereby increasing the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit. According to this configuration, the fluorocarbon medium that has been vaporized by cooling the secondary battery by the heat of evaporation is cooled by the cooling unit arranged on the upper side of the storage unit and condenses. The condensed fluorocarbon medium moves to the lower side of the storage unit, where it cools the secondary battery again and vaporizes. In this way, the secondary battery is cooled by vapor heat transport using the fluorocarbon medium, so that the secondary battery can be cooled efficiently. In addition, when a predetermined condition is met that indicates that the secondary battery is expanding, such as when the secondary battery is being charged or discharged, the vapor pressure increases due to temperature adjustment of the fluorocarbon medium. As a result, the expansion of the secondary battery is suppressed by the vapor pressure only when the secondary battery is expanding, and it is not necessary to compress the secondary battery by the vapor pressure when the secondary battery is not expanding.

[0012] (3) The secondary battery system of the above aspect may further include a medium flow path for circulating the fluorocarbon-based medium within the storage unit, a first compressor arranged on the medium flow path and compressing the fluorocarbon-based medium supplied into the storage unit, a second compressor arranged on the medium flow path and compressing the fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the storage unit, and a heat radiator arranged on the medium flow path and radiating heat from the fluorocarbon-based medium compressed by the second compressor, and the temperature adjustment unit may change the vapor pressure and temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit by controlling the power allocated to the first compressor and the second compressor. According to this configuration, by controlling the power allocated to the first compressor and the second compressor, an intermediate pressure between the pressure compressed by the first compressor and the pressure compressed by the second compressor can be supplied as the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit. Also, by compressing the high-temperature and high-pressure fluorocarbon medium by the second compressor, the heat of the fluorocarbon medium can be released to the outside air using a radiator. Therefore, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit can be changed using the first compressor and the second compressor, and the temperature of the secondary battery can be changed by the cooling unit independently of the vapor pressure.

[0013] (4) In the secondary battery system of the above aspect, the secondary battery system further includes an expansion valve arranged on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator, a refrigerant flow path for circulating a refrigerant flowing in the cooling unit, a heat exchanger arranged on the refrigerant flow path and on the medium flow path, to which the refrigerant discharged from the cooling unit and the fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve are supplied and which exchanges heat between the supplied refrigerant and the fluorocarbon-based medium, and a control valve arranged on the refrigerant flow path, the refrigerant discharged from the cooling unit and the fluorocarbon-based medium compressed by the second compressor are supplied, and heat is exchanged between the supplied refrigerant and the fluorocarbon-based medium; the control valve is disposed between the cooling unit, the radiator, and the heat exchanger, and controls a flow rate distribution of the refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit to each of the radiator and the heat exchanger; the first compressor is supplied with the fluorocarbon-based medium that has been heat exchanged with the refrigerant by the heat exchanger, and the temperature adjustment unit adjusts the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling unit by controlling the control valve. According to this configuration, the temperature in the storage unit can be adjusted by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path, independently of the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit. Since the radiator and the heat exchanger are arranged in parallel in the refrigerant flow path, the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the radiator and the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger are adjusted by the control valve. Since the temperature of the refrigerant that has passed through the radiator is different from the temperature of the refrigerant that has passed through the heat exchanger, the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling unit is adjusted by flow rate control of the control valve. That is, the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling unit can be easily adjusted. In addition, the high-temperature and high-pressure fluorocarbon medium compressed by the second compressor is dissipated by the radiator. The fluorocarbon medium after dissipating heat is expanded by the expansion valve to lower its temperature, heated by the heat exchanger, and pressurized by the first compressor, so that the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit is adjusted separately from the temperature.

[0014] (5) The secondary battery system of the above aspect may further include an expansion valve disposed on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator, the fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve being supplied to the cooling section, and the fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the cooling section being supplied to the first compressor. According to this configuration, the high-temperature, high-pressure fluorocarbon medium compressed by the second compressor is dissipated by the radiator. The temperature of the fluorocarbon medium after dissipation of heat is reduced by expansion through the expansion valve. The reduced-temperature fluorocarbon medium is supplied to the cooling section, where it cools the secondary battery placed in the storage section. The fluorocarbon medium discharged from the cooling section is pressurized to an intermediate pressure by the first compressor, so that the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage section can be adjusted to be the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery.

[0015] (6) In the secondary battery system of the above aspect, the temperature adjustment unit may have a shut-off valve on the medium flow path that shuts off the fluorocarbon-based medium being supplied to the storage unit, and by closing the shut-off valve when charging or discharging of the secondary battery is stopped, the fluorocarbon-based medium may be circulated within the medium flow path without being supplied into the storage unit. According to this configuration, when the secondary battery expands due to charging and discharging, the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit is sealed by the shutoff valve when charging and discharging are stopped. Even when charging and discharging are stopped, the secondary battery remains in an expanded state, so that the expansion pressure and vapor pressure of the secondary battery during charging and discharging are adjusted to be the same by sealing the storage unit. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the secondary battery and a decrease in safety.

[0016] (7) In the secondary battery system of the above aspect, the temperature adjustment unit may have an acquisition unit that acquires an amount of distortion of the secondary battery, and when the secondary battery is charged or discharged under the specified conditions, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit may be changed to an expansion pressure of the secondary battery determined from the acquired amount of distortion. According to this configuration, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit is changed according to the amount of distortion acquired by the acquisition unit. The expansion of the secondary battery differs between when charging and discharging, and also differs depending on the SOC (State Of Charge). In this configuration, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit is controlled to be the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery specified by the amount of distortion. This makes it possible to suppress the expansion of the secondary battery by the vapor pressure, and to further suppress the occurrence of distortion in the secondary battery without excessively compressing the secondary battery.

[0017] The present invention can be realized in various forms, for example, in the form of a secondary battery, a lithium ion battery, a secondary battery system, a control device for a secondary battery, a control method for a secondary battery, a system including these devices or realizing these methods, a computer program for executing these devices or methods, a server device for distributing this computer program, a non-transitory storage medium on which a computer program is stored, etc. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a temperature control box. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the expansion of a lithium ion battery during charging. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the boiling point temperature and vapor pressure of a fluorocarbon-based medium. [Diagram 5] 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the temperature of the secondary battery and the temperature of the cooling unit, and the vapor temperature of a fluorocarbon-based medium. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for calculating the degree of superheat on the condensation side of a fluorocarbon-based medium. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for calculating the degree of superheat on the evaporation side of a fluorocarbon-based medium. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the change over time in the amount of distortion of a secondary battery during charging and discharging when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa. [Figure 9]FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the vapor pressure corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the amount of distortion corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the change over time in the amount of distortion of a secondary battery during charging and discharging when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the vapor pressure corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a graph showing the amount of distortion corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 16] 13 is an example of a Ph diagram of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in a second embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is an example of a Ph diagram of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in a second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is an example of a Ph diagram of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is an example of a Ph diagram of a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 22] 13 is a flowchart of vapor pressure control of a fluorocarbon-based medium in the third embodiment. [Diagram 23] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the time transition of the distortion amount of a secondary battery during charging and discharging in the third embodiment. FIG. [Figure 24] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating changes in various parameters with respect to the SOC of a secondary battery. [Diagram 25] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 26]1 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system in a state in which a storage section is sealed and a bypass path is formed. FIG. [Figure 27] 13 is a flowchart of control when charging / discharging is stopped in the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The secondary battery system 1 of this embodiment is a battery system mounted on an automobile and functions as a power source for the automobile. The secondary battery system 1 cools the secondary battery 12 by vapor heat transport of a fluorocarbon medium 13 filled in a storage section 11 together with the secondary battery 12. The vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage section 11 is changed (controlled) by controlling the temperature of a cooling section 16 that cools the fluorocarbon medium 13. In this embodiment, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 is controlled to be the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 that expands during charging, thereby suppressing the expansion of the secondary battery 12 by the vapor pressure.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the secondary battery system 1 includes a temperature control box 10 having a cooling unit 16 through which a refrigerant 18 flows, a refrigerant flow path 50 through which the refrigerant 18 flows, a compressor 30 that compresses the refrigerant 18, a condenser 20 that dissipates heat from the refrigerant 18, an expansion valve 40 that expands the refrigerant 18, and a control unit (temperature control unit) 60 that controls each unit. The refrigerant flow path 50 is a flow path that circulates the refrigerant 18 between the cooling unit 16 and the condenser 20. In FIG. 1, the refrigerant flow path 50 is shown by a solid line, and the direction in which the refrigerant 18 flows is shown by an arrow. The illustration of the exchange of control signals transmitted and received by the control unit 60 is omitted. In the following, the expressions "upstream" and "downstream" are used according to the flow direction of the refrigerant 18.

[0021] The compressor 30 is disposed downstream of the cooling section 16 on the refrigerant flow path 50, and compresses the refrigerant 18 discharged from the cooling section 16. The condenser 20 is disposed downstream of the compressor 30 on the refrigerant flow path 50. The condenser 20 radiates heat from the refrigerant 18 whose temperature has increased due to compression, causing it to condense. The expansion valve 40 is an expansion valve disposed downstream of the condenser 20 and upstream of the cooling section 16. The expansion valve 40 expands the refrigerant 18 from which heat has been radiated. The temperature of the refrigerant 18 expanded by the expansion valve 40 drops. The refrigerant 18 with its temperature lowered is supplied to the cooling section 16.

[0022] Fig. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the temperature adjustment box 10. In Fig. 2, the box-shaped outline of the temperature adjustment box 10 housing the cooling unit 16 is shown by a dashed line, and the inside of the temperature adjustment box 10 is illustrated. In the cooling unit 16, an area into which the refrigerant 18 can flow is shown by hatching.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the temperature control box 10 includes a storage section 11 in which a plurality of secondary batteries 12 are stored, and a cooling section 16 disposed vertically above the storage section 11. The space in the storage section 11 and the space in the cooling section 16 are isolated. In the storage section 11, a plurality of secondary batteries 12 are disposed horizontally at a predetermined interval. The secondary battery 12 in this embodiment is a lithium ion battery. The storage section 11 is filled with a fluorocarbon medium 13. In this embodiment, in order to cool the secondary battery 12 when it generates heat, the vapor heat transport of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage section 11 is utilized. Therefore, the type of fluorocarbon medium 13 and the amount of fluorocarbon medium 13 to be filled in the storage section 11 are determined so that the boiling point is the same as the temperature at which the secondary battery 12 is to be cooled when it generates heat. As a result, the boiling point of the fluorocarbon medium 13 and the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage section 11 change depending on the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 cooled by the cooling section 16. In the case of using vapor heat transport, when the secondary battery 12 generates heat, the liquid fluorocarbon medium 13 evaporates due to the heat of the secondary battery 12. The secondary battery 12 is cooled by the heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium 13. The evaporated fluorocarbon medium 13 is cooled and condensed by the cooling section 16 arranged on the upper side of the storage section 11. The condensed liquid fluorocarbon medium 13 cools the secondary battery 12 again and evaporates. In this way, as shown by the up and down arrows in the storage section 11 in FIG. 2, the secondary battery 12 in the storage section 11 is cooled by the cycle of evaporation and condensation of the fluorocarbon medium 13c when it generates heat.

[0024] The control unit 60 shown in FIG. 1 adjusts the temperature of the secondary battery 12 using the heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium 13 by controlling the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11, and changes the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11. The control unit 60 adjusts the temperature of the refrigerant 18 supplied to the cooling unit 16 by controlling the compressor 30 and the expansion valve 40. The vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11 is adjusted by adjusting the temperature of the refrigerant 18 supplied to the cooling unit 16. That is, the control unit 60 can change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11 by controlling the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11. When a predetermined condition is met that indicates that the secondary battery 12 is estimated to be expanding, such as when the secondary battery 12 is charged or discharged, the control unit 60 increases the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11 compared to before the predetermined condition is met, thereby increasing the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11.

[0025] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the expansion of a lithium ion battery, which is a secondary battery 12, during charging. FIG. 3 shows the size of the active mass of the negative electrode and the active mass of the positive electrode during discharging and charging of the lithium ion battery. FIG. 3 also shows the movement of lithium ions during discharging and charging. As shown in FIG. 3, during discharging, lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode through the separator SP. On the other hand, during charging, lithium ions move from the positive electrode to the negative electrode. During charging and discharging of the lithium ion battery, the volume expands due to the insertion of lithium ions into the positive electrode or the negative electrode. In the case of insertion of an equivalent amount of lithium ions, as shown in FIG. 3, the negative electrode is larger than the positive electrode. Therefore, the volume expansion of the lithium ion battery is larger during charging than during discharging. And, the higher the SOC (State Of Charge), the larger the expansion amount of the lithium ion battery. In addition to this, during the initial charging and discharging of lithium-ion batteries, some of the electrolyte is gasified, and gasification of the electrolyte due to deterioration caused by the charge and discharge cycles also causes the lithium-ion battery to expand due to an increase in internal pressure.

[0026] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the boiling point temperature and the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13. In FIG. 4, the change in vapor pressure with respect to the change in the boiling point temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 is shown as a curve C1. By selecting the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 filled in the storage section 11, the vapor pressure for compressing the secondary battery 12 with respect to the temperature in the storage section 11 can be set. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the fluorocarbon medium 13 was selected so as to obtain a vapor pressure of 0.48 to 0.90 MPa with respect to the control of the boiling point of 15.2 to 35.8 degrees Celsius (°C). Note that the vapor pressure of 0.48 MPa is a pressure that makes the distortion of the secondary battery 12 due to expansion zero when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 during charging is 0.5. Also, the vapor pressure of 0.90 MPa is a pressure that makes the distortion of the secondary battery 12 due to expansion zero when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 during charging is 0.8.

[0027] 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the temperature of the secondary battery 12 and the temperature of the cooling unit 16 and the vapor temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13. The boiling point temperature T sat Once this is determined, the vapor pressure P sat is the boiling temperature T sat The boiling point temperature T is determined as a function of sat Once this is determined, the heat generation temperature Th of the secondary battery 12 and the cooling temperature Tc of the cooling unit 16 under the operating conditions of the secondary battery 12 are calculated. Since the secondary battery 12 and the cooling unit 16 exchange heat with the fluorocarbon-based medium 13 in the storage unit 11 through the wall surface, the cooling temperature Tc on the condensation side is calculated based on the boiling point temperature T sat Superheat ΔT s,c On the other hand, the heat generation temperature Th on the evaporation side is lower than the boiling point temperature T sat Superheat ΔT s,e The degree of superheat ΔT in the cooling section 16 on the condensation side is higher by s,c is a function of heat flux qw as shown in the following equation (1): c -1 Similarly, the degree of superheat ΔT of the secondary battery 12 on the evaporation side can be calculated as follows: s,e is a function of heat flux qw as shown in the following equation (2): e -1 It can be calculated as:

[0028]

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number

[0029] In Fig. 5, the temperature change between the cooling unit 16 and the secondary battery 12 when the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 is 0.90 MPa and the boiling point is 35.8°C is shown by a straight line L1. Also in Fig. 5, the temperature change when the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 is 0.48 MPa and the boiling point is 15.2°C is shown by a straight line L2. Also in Fig. 5, the temperature change when the heat flux qw on the condensation side and evaporation side is 5000 W / m 2 An example of the above is shown in a table above the graph. By substituting the value of the heat flux qw into the above formulas (1) and (2), the degree of superheat ΔT of the cooling section 16 on the condensation side is calculated as shown in the table in FIG. s,c and the degree of overheating ΔT of the secondary battery 12 on the evaporation side s,e is calculated, and the heat generation temperature Th and the cooling temperature Tc are determined. The heat flux qw on the condensation side can be calculated from the flow rate and temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling unit 16 and the partition area of ​​the cooling unit 16. On the other hand, the heat flux qw on the evaporation side can be calculated from the heat generation of the secondary battery 12 calculated from the internal resistance and current of the secondary battery 12 and the partition area in the storage unit 11.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows the degree of superheat ΔT s,c FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the calculation of the degree of superheat ΔT on the condensation side in a number of experimental values. s,c As shown in Figure 6, the function f c -1 The above formula (1) can be expressed as the following formula (3). c is the intercept in Fig. 6, and nc is the slope of the line L3 in Fig. 6. The line L3 is a line calculated by the least squares method from multiple experimental values. Fig. 6 shows an image of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13 evaporated by the heat of the secondary battery 12 being cooled and condensed by the cooling unit 16.

[0031]

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[0032] FIG. 7 shows the degree of superheat ΔT s,e FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the calculation of the degree of superheat ΔT on the evaporation side for multiple experimental values, similar to FIG. s,e As shown in Figure 6, the function f e -1 The above formula (2) expressed using the formula can be expressed as the following formulas (4) and (5). The following formula (4) is a relational expression when interfacial evaporation occurs at the partition wall with which the fluorocarbon-based medium 13 contacts inside the storage section 11. On the other hand, the following formula (5) is a relational expression when the fluorocarbon-based medium 13 evaporates inside the storage section 11 and dry-out occurs at the partition wall. K in the following formulas (4) and (5) e,1 and K. e,2 are intercepts in FIG. 7. Also, ne,1 and ne,2 are the slopes of the straight lines L4 and L5 in FIG. 7, respectively. The straight lines L4 and L5 are calculated by the least squares method from multiple experimental values. The straight lines L4 and L5 are located at the boundary value ΔT s,e0 7 shows an image of the condensed fluorocarbon medium 13 evaporating due to the heat of the secondary battery 12.

[0033]

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[0034] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the time transition of the strain amount of the secondary battery 12 during charging and discharging when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa. In FIG. 8, the graph below shows the time transition of the vapor pressure and the strain amount when the secondary battery 12 is charged at 1C from a state where the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.5 to 0.8, and then discharged at 1C until the SOC becomes 0.5. The time transition of the vapor pressure of 0.90 MPa is constant at 0.90 MPa as shown by the straight line L6. On the other hand, when the secondary battery 12 of Comparative Example 1 is not restrained, the time transition of the vapor pressure is about 10 kPa as shown by the dashed straight line L6x. The time transition of the vapor pressure is represented by the scale "Strain (kPa)" on the left vertical axis, and the time transition of the strain amount described later is represented by the scale "Strain (%)" on the right vertical axis.

[0035] The amount of distortion in the embodiment when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa becomes zero when the SOC is charged to 0.8, as shown by broken line L7, and is a negative value when the SOC is other than 0.8. This is because the vapor pressure of 0.90 MPa is set to be the same as the expansion pressure when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.8. On the other hand, when the secondary battery 12 of Comparative Example 1 is not restrained, the amount of distortion is always positive, as shown by broken broken line L7x, and rises to a peak of about 0.04%.

[0036] Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the vapor pressure corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa. Fig. 9 shows the vapor pressure when the SOC is 0.5 and 0.8 for the embodiment and Comparative Example 1. As shown in Fig. 9, the vapor pressure of the embodiment is 894 kPa (SOC = 0.5) and 901 kPa (SOC = 0.8), which is much higher than that of Comparative Example 1.

[0037] Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the amount of distortion corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa. Fig. 10 shows the amount of distortion when the SOC is 0.5 and 0.8 for the embodiment and Comparative Example 1. As shown in Fig. 10, the magnitude (absolute value) of the amount of distortion of the embodiment when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa is 0.022%, which is the largest when the SOC is 0.5. On the other hand, the amount of distortion of Comparative Example 1 is 0.039%, which is the largest when the SOC is 0.8. Therefore, the amount of distortion of the embodiment when the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa is suppressed to about 56% (0.022 / 0.039) of the comparative example.

[0038] Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the time transition of the amount of distortion of secondary battery 12 during charging and discharging when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa. Fig. 11 shows a graph corresponding to the case where the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa, in contrast to the case where the vapor pressure is 0.90 MPa shown in Fig. 8. The time transition of the vapor pressure of 0.48 MPa is constant at 0.48 MPa, as shown by the straight line L6a. Fig. 11 also shows the time transition of the vapor pressure of Comparative Example 1 represented by the straight line L6x in Fig. 8, and the time transition of the amount of distortion of Comparative Example 1 represented by the broken line L7x in Fig. 8.

[0039] As shown by broken line L7a, the amount of distortion in the embodiment when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa is zero when the SOC is 0.5, and increases as the SOC increases from 0.5. This is because the vapor pressure of 0.48 MPa is set to be the same as the expansion pressure when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.5.

[0040] Fig. 12 is an explanatory diagram of the steam pressure corresponding to the SOC when the steam pressure is 0.48 MPa. Fig. 12 shows a bar graph corresponding to the steam pressure of 0.48 MPa compared to the steam pressure of 0.90 MPa shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 12 shows the steam pressures when the SOC is 0.5 and 0.8 for the embodiment and Comparative Example 1. As shown in Fig. 12, the steam pressures of the embodiment are 481 kPa (SOC=0.5) and 488 kPa (SOC=0.8), which are much higher than Comparative Example 1.

[0041] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of the amount of distortion corresponding to the SOC when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa. FIG. 13 shows a bar graph corresponding to the vapor pressure of 0.48 MPa compared to the vapor pressure of 0.90 MPa shown in FIG. 10. FIG. 13 shows the amount of distortion when the SOC is 0.5 and 0.8 for the embodiment and Comparative Example 1. As shown in FIG. 13, the magnitude of the amount of distortion of the embodiment when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa is 0.022%, which is the largest when the SOC is 0.8. On the other hand, since the maximum value of the amount of distortion of Comparative Example 1 is 0.039%, the amount of distortion of the embodiment when the vapor pressure is 0.48 MPa is suppressed to about 56% (0.022 / 0.039) of the comparative example.

[0042] As described above, in the secondary battery system 1 of the present embodiment, the storage section 11 is filled with a plurality of secondary batteries 12 and a fluorocarbon-based fluorocarbon medium 13. The control section 60 adjusts the temperature of the secondary batteries 12 by controlling the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage section 11, using the heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium 13, and changes the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage section 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, the heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium 13, which is a low boiling point medium, is used to cool the secondary batteries 12 whose temperature has increased. This allows the temperature of the secondary batteries 12 to be controlled near the boiling point temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13. In addition, the control section 60 can change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage section 11 in which the secondary batteries 12 are stored. Therefore, by controlling the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13, the expansion and contraction of the secondary batteries 12, which expand during charging and discharging, can be uniformly suppressed by the vapor pressure. If the secondary battery 12 expands, there is a risk that a part of the active material structure in the secondary battery 12 will collapse, which may cause deterioration of the secondary battery 12 and a decrease in safety. In contrast, by suppressing the expansion of the secondary battery 12 with vapor pressure, it is possible to suppress the deterioration and decrease in safety of the secondary battery 12. Furthermore, unlike physical external constraints, suppression of expansion by vapor pressure can uniformly suppress the entire secondary battery 12. Therefore, large-scale external constraints are not required for suppression of vapor pressure. Furthermore, since vapor pressure uniformly suppresses expansion of the entire secondary battery 12, it is possible to reduce concentration of battery deterioration caused by uneven constraints within the secondary battery 12.

[0043] In this embodiment, the cooling unit 16 arranged on the vertical upper side of the storage unit 11 cools and condenses the vaporized fluorocarbon medium 13 that has evaporated in the storage unit 11. When a predetermined condition is met under which it is assumed that the secondary battery 12 is expanding, the control unit 60 raises the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11 to increase the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13 in the storage unit 11 compared to before the predetermined condition is met. In this embodiment, the fluorocarbon medium 13 that has condensed in the storage unit 11 moves to the lower side of the storage unit 11, cools the secondary battery 12 again, and evaporates. The secondary battery 12 is cooled by vapor heat transport using the fluorocarbon medium 13, so that the secondary battery 12 can be efficiently cooled. When a predetermined condition is met under which it is assumed that the secondary battery 12 is expanding, the vapor pressure is increased by adjusting the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13. This allows the expansion of the secondary battery 12 to be suppressed by the vapor pressure only when the secondary battery 12 is expanded, and eliminates the need to compress the secondary battery 12 by the vapor pressure when the secondary battery 12 is not expanded.

[0044] <Modification of the first embodiment> FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system 1a of a modification of the first embodiment. The secondary battery system 1a is significantly different from the secondary battery system 1 of the first embodiment in that cooling water is used as the refrigerant 18a supplied to the cooling unit 16, and the temperature of the refrigerant 18a is adjusted using the heat exchange medium 56 circulating through the heat exchange medium flow path 55. Therefore, in the modification of the first embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and the description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted. In FIG. 14, the refrigerant flow path 50a through which the cooling water flows as the refrigerant 18a is indicated by a dashed line, and the heat exchange medium flow path 55 is indicated by a solid line.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 14, the secondary battery system 1a includes a temperature control box 10, a heat exchange medium 56, a heat exchange medium flow path 55 through which the heat exchange medium 56 flows, a compressor 30, an expansion valve 40, a refrigerant 18a, a refrigerant flow path 50a through which the refrigerant 18a flows, a pump 70 that circulates the refrigerant 18a within the refrigerant flow path 50a, a control valve 80, a condenser 21, an evaporator 22, and a control unit 60a.

[0046] In this modification, a fluorocarbon-based medium, which is a low boiling point medium, is used as the heat exchange medium 56. The heat exchange medium 56 flowing in the heat exchange medium flow path 55 is compressed to a high temperature and high pressure by the compressor 30, and is cooled and condensed by heat exchange with the refrigerant 18a in the condenser 21. The cooled heat exchange medium 56 expands by the expansion valve 40 and decreases in temperature. The evaporated heat exchange medium 56 is heated and evaporated by heat exchange with the refrigerant 18a in the evaporator 22, and is supplied to the compressor 30.

[0047] The refrigerant flow path 50a is a flow path that circulates the refrigerant 18a in the cooling unit 16. The condenser 21 is disposed on the refrigerant flow path 50a, and dissipates heat from the supplied refrigerant 18a, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant 18a and a heat exchange medium 56 compressed by the compressor 30. The refrigerant 18a flowing through the condenser 21 is heated by heat exchange with the high-temperature, high-pressure heat exchange medium 56, and dissipates heat to the outside air.

[0048] The evaporator 22 is disposed on the refrigerant flow path 50a, and is supplied with the refrigerant 18a, and exchanges heat between the supplied refrigerant 18a and the heat exchange medium 56 expanded by the expansion valve 40. As shown in FIG. 14, the evaporator 22 and the condenser 21 are disposed in parallel on the refrigerant flow path 50a. The refrigerant 18a flowing through the evaporator 22 is cooled by heat exchange with the low-temperature, low-pressure heat exchange medium 56. The cooled refrigerant 18a is merged with the refrigerant 18a discharged from the condenser 21, and is sent to the cooling unit 16 by the pump 70. The refrigerant 18a discharged from the cooling unit 16 is distributed by the control valve 80 to the flow rates of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, respectively.

[0049] The control unit 60a controls the control valve 80 to adjust the refrigerant 18a supplied to the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, thereby adjusting the temperature of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the cooling unit 16. The temperature of the refrigerant 18a passing through the condenser 21 increases (for example, increases to 50°C) due to heat exchange with the high-temperature heat exchange medium 56. On the other hand, the temperature of the refrigerant 18a passing through the evaporator 22 decreases (for example, decreases to 10°C) due to heat exchange with the low-temperature heat exchange medium 56. The control unit 60a adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the condenser 21 and the evaporator 22, so that the refrigerant 18a with a high temperature that has passed through the condenser 21 and the refrigerant 18a with a low temperature that has passed through the evaporator 22 are mixed together to supply the refrigerant 18a with an intermediate temperature (10°C to 50°C) to the cooling unit 16. As a result, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13 in the storage unit 11 is determined by the temperature of the cooling unit 16 adjusted by the control unit 60a.

[0050] <Second embodiment> 15 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system 1b of the second embodiment. The secondary battery system 1b of the second embodiment is significantly different from the secondary battery system 1 of the first embodiment in that the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage unit 11 is circulated without being sealed, and that the circulating fluorocarbon medium 13b functions as a refrigerant supplied to the cooling unit 16. Therefore, in the second embodiment, only the points different from the first embodiment will be described, and a description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 15, the secondary battery system 1b of the second embodiment includes a temperature control box 10, a condenser (heat radiator) 20b, an expansion valve (expansion valve) 40b, a fluorocarbon-based medium 13b, a refrigerant flow path (medium flow path) 50b that circulates the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b in the storage section 11, a first compressor 31, a second compressor 32, and a control section 60b.

[0052] The refrigerant flow path 50b supplies the fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the cooling section 16 into the storage section 11, supplies the fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the storage section 11 to the condenser 20b, and supplies the fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the condenser 20b to the cooling section 16. The first compressor 31 is disposed on the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the cooling section 16 and upstream of the storage section 11. The first compressor 31 compresses the fluorocarbon medium 13b supplied into the storage section 11. The second compressor 32 is disposed on the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the storage section 11 and upstream of the condenser 20b. The second compressor 32 compresses the fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the storage section 11.

[0053] The condenser 20b dissipates heat from the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b compressed by the second compressor 32. The expansion valve 40b expands the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b whose temperature has been lowered by dissipating heat by the condenser 20. The expanded fluorocarbon-based medium 13b whose temperature has been lowered is supplied to the cooling section 16. The control section 60b controls the power allocated to the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 to change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b in the storage section 11 to the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 during charging and discharging.

[0054] 16 and 17 are examples of Ph diagrams of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle in the second embodiment. FIG. 16 shows a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which the expansion pressure when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.5 is the same as the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage section 11. FIG. 17 shows a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in which the expansion pressure when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.8 is the same as the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage section 11. In FIG. 16 and 17, the first compressor 31, the second compressor 32, and the expansion valve 40b are represented by "C1", "C2", and "E", respectively.

[0055] 16, the second compressor 32 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the storage unit 11 to a high temperature and high pressure (50°C, 1.32 MPa). The expansion valve 40b expands the fluorocarbon medium 13b, whose temperature has been reduced by the condenser 20b, to a low temperature and constant pressure (13.5°C, 0.46 MPa). The first compressor 31 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b expanded by the expansion valve 40b to a medium temperature and medium pressure (15.2°C, 0.48 MPa) so that the vapor pressure becomes the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12.

[0056] As in the vapor compression refrigeration cycle shown in Fig. 16, as shown in Fig. 17, the second compressor 32 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b to a high temperature and high pressure (50°C, 1.32 MPa). The expansion valve 40b expands the fluorocarbon medium 13b to a low temperature and constant pressure (34.1°C, 0.87 MPa). The first compressor 31 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b expanded by the expansion valve 40b to a medium temperature and medium pressure (35.8°C, 0.90 MPa) so that the vapor pressure becomes the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12.

[0057] As described above, in the secondary battery system 1b of the second embodiment, the first compressor 31 compresses the fluorocarbon medium 13b supplied into the storage unit 11. The second compressor 32 compresses the fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the storage unit 11. The control unit 60b controls the power allocated to the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 to change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage unit 11 to the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 during charging and discharging. Therefore, in the second embodiment, by controlling the power allocated to the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32, an intermediate pressure between the pressure compressed by the first compressor 31 and the pressure compressed by the second compressor 32 can be supplied as the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage unit 11. In addition, by compressing the fluorocarbon medium 13b to a high temperature and high pressure by the second compressor 32, the heat of the fluorocarbon medium 13b can be released to the outside air using the condenser 21b. This allows the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b in the container 11 to be changed using the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32, and allows the temperature of the secondary battery 12 to be changed by the cooling unit 16 independently of the vapor pressure.

[0058] In addition, the condenser 20b of the second embodiment dissipates heat from the fluorocarbon medium 13b compressed by the second compressor 32. The expansion valve 40b expands the fluorocarbon medium 13b whose temperature has been reduced by dissipating heat from the condenser 20. In this embodiment, the high-temperature, high-pressure fluorocarbon medium 13b compressed by the second compressor 32 dissipates heat by the condenser 20b. The temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13b after dissipating heat is expanded and reduced by the expansion valve 40b. The fluorocarbon medium 13b whose temperature has been reduced is supplied to the cooling section 16, thereby cooling the secondary battery 12 arranged in the storage section 11. The fluorocarbon medium 13b discharged from the cooling section 16 is pressurized to an intermediate pressure by the first compressor 31, so that the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage section 11 can be adjusted to be the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12.

[0059] <Modification of the second embodiment> 18 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system 1c according to a modification of the second embodiment. The secondary battery system 1c is significantly different from the secondary battery system 1a according to the modification of the first embodiment in that the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c in the storage unit 11 functions as a heat exchange medium without being sealed. Therefore, in the modification of the second embodiment, only the differences from the modification of the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be described, and the description of the same configuration as the modification of the first embodiment or the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 18, a secondary battery system 1c of a modified example of the second embodiment includes a temperature control box 10, a condenser 21c, an evaporator 22c, an expansion valve 40c, a fluorocarbon-based medium 13c, a heat exchange medium flow path (medium flow path) 55c that circulates the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c in the storage section 11, a refrigerant 18a, a refrigerant flow path 50a, a control valve (control valve) 80, a pump 70, a first compressor 31, a second compressor 32, and a control section 60c.

[0061] In the secondary battery system 1c of the modified example, the fluorocarbon medium 13c that cools the secondary battery 12 also functions as a heat exchange medium that flows through a heat exchange medium flow path 55c that connects the condenser 21c and the evaporator 22c. The heat exchange medium flow path 55c supplies the fluorocarbon medium 13c discharged from the storage unit 11 to the condenser 21c, supplies the fluorocarbon medium 13c condensed by the condenser 21c to the evaporator 22c, and supplies the fluorocarbon medium 13c evaporated by the evaporator 22c into the storage unit 11. The first compressor 31 is disposed downstream of the evaporator 22c and upstream of the storage unit 11 on the refrigerant flow path 50b, and pressurizes the supplied fluorocarbon medium 13c. The second compressor 32 is disposed downstream of the storage unit 11 and upstream of the condenser 21c on the refrigerant flow path 50b. Therefore, the fluorocarbon medium 13c compressed to a high temperature and high pressure by the second compressor 32 is condensed by dissipating heat by the condenser 21c. The expansion valve 40c expands the fluorocarbon medium 13c condensed by heat exchange with the refrigerant 18a by the condenser 21c. The expanded fluorocarbon medium 13c is heated and evaporated by heat exchange with the refrigerant 18a in the evaporator 22c. The heated fluorocarbon medium 13c is pressurized by the first compressor 31 to a vapor pressure equal to the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 in the storage unit 11, and is supplied into the storage unit 11.

[0062] Fig. 19 and Fig. 20 are examples of Ph diagrams of the vapor compression refrigeration cycle in the modified example of the second embodiment. Fig. 19 shows a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in the case where the expansion pressure when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.5 is the same as the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage section 11. Fig. 20 shows a vapor compression refrigeration cycle in the case where the expansion pressure when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 is 0.8 is the same as the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage section 11.

[0063] 19, the second compressor 32 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c discharged from the storage unit 11 to high temperature and high pressure (50°C, 1.32 MPa). The expansion valve 40c expands the fluorocarbon medium 13c whose temperature has been reduced by the condenser 21c to low temperature and low pressure (10.0°C, 0.41 MPa). The first compressor 31 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c expanded by the expansion valve 40c to medium temperature and medium pressure (15.2°C, 0.48 MPa) so that the vapor pressure becomes the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12.

[0064] 20, the second compressor 32 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c to high temperature and high pressure (50°C, 1.32 MPa). The expansion valve 40c expands the fluorocarbon medium 13c to low temperature and low pressure (10.0°C, 0.41 MPa). The first compressor 31 increases the pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c expanded by the expansion valve 40c to medium temperature and medium pressure (35.8°C, 0.90 MPa) so that the vapor pressure becomes the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12.

[0065] As described above, in the modified example of the second embodiment, the condenser 21 dissipates heat from the supplied refrigerant 18a and exchanges heat between the fluorocarbon medium 13c compressed by the second compressor 32 and the refrigerant 18a. The expansion valve 40c expands the fluorocarbon medium 13c condensed by heat exchange with the refrigerant 18a by the condenser 21c. The evaporator 22 exchanges heat between the supplied refrigerant 18a and the fluorocarbon medium 13c expanded by the expansion valve 40c. The evaporator 22 and the condenser 21 are arranged in parallel on the refrigerant flow path 50. Therefore, in this modified example, the temperature in the storage unit 11 can be adjusted by the refrigerant 18a flowing through the refrigerant flow path 50a, independently of the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11. Since the condenser 21c and the evaporator 22c are arranged in parallel in the refrigerant flow passage 50a, the flow rate of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the condenser 21c and the flow rate of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the evaporator 22c are adjusted by the control valve 80. Since the temperature of the refrigerant 18a passing through the condenser 21c is different from the temperature of the refrigerant 18a passing through the evaporator 22c, the temperature of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the cooling section 16 is adjusted by the flow rate control of the control valve 80. That is, the temperature of the refrigerant 18a supplied to the cooling section 16 can be easily adjusted. In addition, the high-temperature and high-pressure fluorocarbon medium 13c compressed by the second compressor 32 is dissipated by the condenser 21c. The fluorocarbon medium 13c after dissipating heat is expanded by the expansion valve 40c to lower its temperature, heated by the evaporator 22c to evaporate, and pressurized by the first compressor 31. This allows the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage section 11 to be adjusted separately from the temperature.

[0066] <Third embodiment> Fig. 21 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system 1d of the third embodiment. The secondary battery system 1d of the third embodiment differs from the secondary battery system 1c (Fig. 18) of the modified example of the second embodiment in that the measured distortion amount of the secondary battery 12 is used to change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage section 11 to be equal to the expansion pressure that changes according to the charge / discharge state of the secondary battery 12. Therefore, in the third embodiment, only the differences from the modified example of the second embodiment will be described, and a description of the same configuration as the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 21, the secondary battery system 1d of the third embodiment includes a temperature control box 10, a condenser 21c, an evaporator 22c, a temperature sensor 41 that detects the temperature of the evaporator 22c, an expansion valve 40d, a fluorocarbon-based medium 13c, a heat exchange medium flow path 55c, a refrigerant 18a, a refrigerant flow path 50a, a control valve 80, a pump 70, a first compressor 31, a second compressor 32, a strain detector (acquisition unit) 90, a Coulomb counter 95, a pressure sensor 96, and a control unit 60d.

[0068] The expansion valve 40d is a thermostatic expansion valve that automatically controls the degree of superheat of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c supplied to the evaporator 22c according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 41. The distortion detector 90 detects distortion of the secondary battery 12 that is deformed due to expansion or the like. The coulomb counter 95 determines the SOC by measuring the current flowing into and out of the secondary battery 12. The coulomb counter 95 integrates the amount of current stored during charging using a current detection resistor, and calculates the SOC by determining the amount of current that flows out during discharging. The pressure sensor 96 measures the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c in the storage section 11.

[0069] The SOC, which is the detection value of the coulomb counter 95, includes an error in current measurement, and further includes an SOC estimation error due to the capacity deterioration of the secondary battery 12, which increases over time. Therefore, the control unit 60d of the third embodiment corrects the SOC estimation error by the coulomb counter 95 using the amount of strain detected by the strain detector 90 and the vapor pressure in the storage unit 11 measured by the pressure sensor 96. In addition, the control unit 60d changes the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11 to the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 specified from the amount of strain detected by the strain detector 90 during charging and discharging of the secondary battery 12. In the third embodiment, the relationship between the amount of strain and the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 is measured in advance, and the control unit 60d changes the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11 to the expansion pressure specified from the amount of strain using the relationship. The control unit 60d controls the power of the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 and the control valve 80 to change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c in the storage unit 11.

[0070] Fig. 22 is a flowchart of vapor pressure control of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c in the third embodiment. In the control flow shown in Fig. 22, first, charging and discharging of the secondary battery 12 is started (step S1). The control unit 60d checks charging and discharging of the secondary battery 12 as a predetermined condition that is assumed to cause the secondary battery 12 to expand.

[0071] The coulomb counter 95 detects the SOC of the secondary battery 12 (step S2). The control unit 60d calculates the power of the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 and the adjustment amount of the control valve 80 according to the detected SOC (step S3). The control unit 60d calculates the power of the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 and the adjustment amount of the control valve 80 from the relationship between the detected SOC and the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 corresponding to the SOC measured in advance, so that the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13 in the storage unit 11 becomes the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12. The first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 are driven by the calculated power, and the control valve 80 is adjusted by the calculated adjustment amount (step S4).

[0072] The pressure sensor 96 measures the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c, and the strain detector 90 detects the secondary battery 12 (step S5). The control unit 60d determines whether the detected amount of strain is greater than a threshold value of +|ε0| (step S6). If the detected amount of strain is greater than +|ε0| (step S6: YES), the control unit 60d increases the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11 so that the amount of strain of the secondary battery 12 becomes zero (step S7), and the processes from step S5 onwards are repeated.

[0073] In the process of step S6, if the detected amount of distortion is +|ε0| or less (step S6: NO), the control unit 60d judges whether the amount of distortion detected by the distortion detector 90 is less than a threshold value of -|ε0| (step S8). If the detected amount of distortion is less than -|ε0| (step S8: YES), the control unit 60d reduces the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13c in the container 11 so that the amount of distortion of the secondary battery 12 becomes zero (step S9), and the process from step S5 onwards is repeated. If the detected amount of distortion is -|ε0| or more (step S9: NO), the control unit 60d corrects the coulomb counter 95 so that the SOC of the secondary battery 12 becomes equal to the SOC calculated from the detected amount of distortion (step S10).

[0074] In the process of step S11, the control unit 60d determines whether or not to end the vapor pressure control flow (step S11). The control unit 60d determines whether or not to end the control flow depending on whether charging and discharging are stopped, for example, when the vehicle equipped with the secondary battery system 1d is stopped. If it is determined that the control flow is not to end (step S11: NO), the processes from step S2 onwards are repeated. If it is determined that the control flow is to end (step S11: YES), the control flow is ended. Note that in the third embodiment, when the control flow is to end, the control unit 60d stops charging and discharging the secondary battery 12. The determination of the end of the control flow may be made when any process is being performed.

[0075] FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of the time transition of the amount of distortion of the secondary battery 12 during charging and discharging in the third embodiment. FIG. 23 shows the amount of distortion of the secondary battery 12 when the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage section 11 is changed using the amount of distortion of the secondary battery 12 detected by the distortion detector 90. The time transition of the vapor pressure of the third embodiment, as shown by the broken line L6d, monotonically increases during charging and monotonically decreases during discharging so that it is minimum when the SOC is 0.5 and maximum when the SOC is 0.8. Note that FIG. 23 also shows the time transition of the vapor pressure of Comparative Example 1 represented by the straight line L6x in FIGS. 8 and 11, and the time transition of the amount of distortion of Comparative Example 1 represented by the broken line L7x in FIGS. 8 and 11. The amount of distortion of the third embodiment when the vapor pressure changes like the straight line L6d is almost zero during charging and discharging, as shown by the broken line L7d.

[0076] FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram of changes in various parameters with respect to the SOC of the secondary battery 12. The upper graph in FIG. 24 shows the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11, which changes according to the SOC of the secondary battery 12, and the saturated vapor temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13c. The lower graph in FIG. 24 shows the power allocated to the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32, which changes according to the SOC of the secondary battery 12, and the coefficient of performance (COP). The coefficient of performance (COP) is expressed as a numerical value obtained by dividing the generated cold (kJ / kg) by the driving force (kJ / kg) of the compressor. The driving force of the compressor in the third embodiment is the sum of the driving force of the first compressor 31 and the driving force of the second compressor 32.

[0077] In the upper graph of FIG. 24, the vapor pressure is indicated by a circle, and the saturated vapor temperature is indicated by a square. As shown in the upper graph of FIG. 24, the vapor pressure and the saturated vapor temperature increase with an increase in the SOC of the secondary battery 12. In the lower graph of FIG. 24, the driving force allocated to the first compressor 31 is indicated by a circle, the driving force allocated to the second compressor 32 is indicated by a triangle, and the COP is indicated by a square. As shown in the lower graph of FIG. 24, when the SOC of the secondary battery 12 increases, the driving force of the first compressor 31 increases, and the driving force of the second compressor 32 decreases. Since the increase and decrease in the driving force according to the change in SOC of the first compressor 31 and the second compressor 32 are opposite, the COP hardly changes according to the increase and decrease in the SOC of the secondary battery 12 and is almost constant.

[0078] As described above, the control unit 60d of the third embodiment changes the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11 to the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 specified from the amount of distortion detected by the distortion detector 90 during charging and discharging of the secondary battery 12. The expansion of the secondary battery 12 in the third embodiment differs between charging and discharging, and also differs depending on the SOC. The vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c in the storage unit 11 is controlled to be the same as the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 specified from the amount of distortion detected by the distortion detector 90. This suppresses the expansion of the secondary battery 12 by the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c, and further suppresses the occurrence of distortion of the secondary battery without excessively compressing the secondary battery 12.

[0079] <Fourth embodiment> Fig. 25 is a schematic block diagram of a secondary battery system 1e of the fourth embodiment. The secondary battery system 1e of the fourth embodiment is significantly different from the secondary battery system 1b of the second embodiment (Fig. 15) in that it includes a control valve 81 and a valve 82 as shutoff valves. Therefore, in the fourth embodiment, only the points different from the second embodiment will be described, and a description of the same configuration as the second embodiment will be omitted.

[0080] As shown in FIG. 25, the secondary battery system 1e of the fourth embodiment includes a temperature control box 10, a condenser 20b, an expansion valve 40b, a fluorocarbon-based medium 13b, a refrigerant flow path (medium flow path) 50b that circulates the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b in the storage section 11, a first compressor 31, a second compressor 32, a control valve 81, a valve 82, a coulomb counter 95, a pressure sensor 96, and a control section 60e.

[0081] The control valve 81 is disposed on the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the first compressor 31 and upstream of the storage unit 11. The control valve 81 opens and closes the connection between the first compressor 31 and the storage unit 11 under the control of the control unit 60e. The control valve 81 can also be connected to the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the storage unit 11. That is, the control valve 81 forms a so-called bypass path that supplies the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b supplied from the first compressor 31 to the inside of the storage unit 11 or to the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the storage unit 11.

[0082] The valve 82 is disposed on the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the accommodating unit 11 and upstream of the second compressor 32. The valve 82 opens and closes the connection between the accommodating unit 11 and the second compressor 32 under the control of the control unit 60e. Note that Fig. 25 shows a state in which the valve 82 is open and the control valve 81 connects the first compressor 31 and the accommodating unit 11.

[0083] The coulomb counter 95 detects the SOC of the secondary battery 12, as in the third embodiment (FIG. 21). The pressure sensor 96 measures the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b in the container 11, as in the third embodiment.

[0084] When the charge / discharge of the secondary battery 12 stops from a state in which the secondary battery 12 is expanding due to charge / discharge, the control unit 60e of the fourth embodiment closes the valve 82 and connects the control valve 81 to the refrigerant flow path 50b downstream of the storage unit 11 to form a bypass path. As a result, the control unit 60e seals the storage unit 11 and circulates the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b through the refrigerant flow path 50b without supplying it into the storage unit 11. FIG. 26 is a schematic block diagram of the secondary battery system 1e in a state in which the storage unit 11 is sealed and a bypass path is formed.

[0085] FIG. 27 is a flow chart of control when charging / discharging is stopped in the fourth embodiment. In the control flow shown in FIG. 27, first, the control unit 60e judges whether or not the secondary battery 12 that has been charging / discharging has stopped (step S21). If it is judged that the secondary battery 12 has not stopped (step S21: NO), the control unit 60e monitors the stop of the secondary battery 12. If it is judged that the secondary battery 12 has stopped (step S21: YES), the control unit 60e calculates the expansion pressure Pb of the secondary battery 12 from the SOC detected by the coulomb counter 95 (step S22). The control unit 60e connects the control valve 81 to the refrigerant flow passage 50b downstream of the storage unit 11 and closes the valve 82 to form a bypass path (step S23).

[0086] The pressure sensor 96 measures the vapor pressure Pm of the fluorocarbon-based medium 13b in the storage unit 11 (step S24). The control unit 60e determines whether the difference ΔP obtained by subtracting the expansion pressure Pb of the secondary battery 12 from the measured vapor pressure Pm is greater than a threshold value Pth (Pth>0) (step S25). If it is determined that the difference ΔP is greater than Pth (step S25: YES), the control unit 60e opens the valve 82 by a predetermined amount (step S26), and the process of step S29 described below is performed. The control unit 60e of the fourth embodiment opens the valve 82 very slightly as a predetermined amount, so that the vapor pressure Pm, which is higher than the expansion pressure Pb, is slightly reduced.

[0087] In the process of step S25, if it is determined that the difference ΔP is -Pth or less (step S25: NO), the control unit 60e determines whether the difference ΔP is less than -Pth (step S27). If it is determined that the difference ΔP is -Pth or more (step S27: NO), the process of step S29 described below is performed. If it is determined that the difference ΔP is less than -Pth (step S27: YES), the control unit 60e connects the control valve 81 to the storage unit 11 to drive the first compressor 31 (step S28). This causes the vapor pressure Pm, which is less than the expansion pressure Pb, to increase.

[0088] Next, the control unit 60e judges whether or not the stopped charging / discharging of the secondary battery 12 has been resumed (step S29). If it is judged that the charging / discharging of the secondary battery 12 has not been resumed (step S29: NO), the processing from step S22 onwards is repeated. If it is judged that the charging / discharging of the secondary battery 12 has been resumed (step S29: YES), the control unit 60e connects the control valve 81 to the storage unit 11 and opens the valve 82 to control the charging / discharging of the secondary battery 12 (step S30), and ends the control flow when charging / discharging is stopped.

[0089] As described above, when the charge / discharge of the secondary battery 12 is stopped, the control unit 60e of the fourth embodiment seals the storage unit 11 and circulates the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the refrigerant flow path 50b without supplying it to the storage unit 11. Therefore, in the secondary battery system 1e of the fourth embodiment, when the secondary battery 12 expands due to charging / discharging and charging / discharging is stopped, the fluorocarbon medium 13b in the storage unit 11 is sealed by controlling the control valve 81 and the valve 82. Even when charging / discharging is stopped, the secondary battery 12 is in an expanded state, so that the expansion pressure and vapor pressure of the secondary battery 12 during charging / discharging are adjusted to be the same by sealing the storage unit 11. This makes it possible to suppress deterioration of the secondary battery 12 and a decrease in safety.

[0090] <Modifications of the embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention, for example, the following modifications are possible: In the above-described embodiment, a part of the configuration realized by hardware may be replaced by software, and conversely, a part of the configuration realized by software may be replaced by hardware.

[0091] In the above first to fourth embodiments, an example of a secondary battery system has been described. The secondary battery system cools the secondary battery in the housing section 11 with the fluorocarbon medium 13, and can be modified within a range in which the expansion of the secondary battery is suppressed by vapor pressure by adjusting the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium 13. For example, the secondary battery 12 may be a secondary battery that expands due to charging and discharging, etc., other than a lithium-ion battery. In addition, the expansion of the secondary battery 12 is suppressed not only by charging and discharging the secondary battery 12, but also by satisfying a predetermined condition under which the secondary battery 12 is estimated to be expanded. Examples of the predetermined condition include an SOC of 0.5 or more, or a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of charging. In the first embodiment and the like, a system that controls the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling section 16 in order to suppress the expansion of the secondary battery 12 has been described. Therefore, for example, the compressor 30, the condenser 20, and the expansion valve 40 shown in FIG. 1 can be modified within a range in which the cooling section 16 can be cooled by the refrigerant.

[0092] The secondary battery system 1d (FIG. 21) of the third embodiment described above includes the strain detector 90, the coulomb counter 95, and the pressure sensor 96, but may include at least one of them. For example, the control unit 60d may specify the expansion pressure of the secondary battery 12 using the amount of strain of the secondary battery detected by the strain detector 90, and change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c so that the expansion pressure is the same as the specified expansion pressure. Also, instead of the strain detector 90, the amount of strain of the secondary battery 12 may be calculated from at least one of the detection values ​​of the coulomb counter 95 and the pressure sensor 96, and the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium 13c may be changed. For example, the control unit 60d may change the vapor pressure based only on the SOC detected by the coulomb counter 95.

[0093] Although the present aspect has been described above based on the embodiment and modified examples, the above-mentioned embodiment of the aspect is intended to facilitate understanding of the present aspect and does not limit the present aspect. The present aspect may be modified or improved without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and equivalents are included in the present aspect. Furthermore, if a technical feature is not described as essential in this specification, it may be deleted as appropriate.

[0094] The present invention can also be realized in the following forms. [Application example 1] A secondary battery system, A secondary battery; a housing portion that houses the secondary battery; A fluorocarbon-based medium filled in the storage section; a temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit to adjust the temperature of the secondary battery using heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium and change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit; A secondary battery system comprising: [Application example 2] The secondary battery system according to Application Example 1, The temperature control unit is A cooling unit is provided vertically above the storage unit to cool and condense the vaporized fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit, A secondary battery system in which, when a specified condition is met under which it is assumed that the secondary battery is expanding, the temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit is increased, and the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit is increased, compared to before the specified condition was met. [Application example 3] The secondary battery system according to Application Example 1 or 2, further comprising: A medium flow path that circulates the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit; a first compressor disposed on the medium flow path and configured to compress the fluorocarbon-based medium supplied into the storage unit; a second compressor disposed on the medium flow path and configured to compress the fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the storage unit; a radiator disposed on the medium flow path and configured to radiate heat from the fluorocarbon-based medium compressed by the second compressor; Equipped with The temperature adjustment unit changes the vapor pressure and temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit by controlling power allocated to the first compressor and the second compressor. [Application example 4] The secondary battery system according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 3, further comprising: an expansion valve disposed on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator; a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant flowing through the cooling portion; a heat exchanger that is disposed on the refrigerant flow path and on the medium flow path, to which the refrigerant discharged from the cooling unit and the fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve are supplied, and which exchanges heat between the supplied refrigerant and the fluorocarbon-based medium; a control valve disposed on the refrigerant flow path; Equipped with The radiator is disposed in the refrigerant flow path so as to be in parallel with the heat exchanger with respect to the cooling unit, and the refrigerant discharged from the cooling unit and the fluorocarbon-based medium compressed by the second compressor are supplied to the radiator, and heat is exchanged between the supplied refrigerant and the fluorocarbon-based medium, the control valve is disposed between the cooling unit, and the radiator and the heat exchanger, and controls a flow rate distribution of the refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit to each of the radiator and the heat exchanger; The first compressor is supplied with the fluorocarbon-based medium that has been heat exchanged with the refrigerant by the heat exchanger, The temperature adjustment unit adjusts a temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling unit by controlling the control valve. [Application example 5] The secondary battery system according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 4, further comprising: an expansion valve disposed on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator; The fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve is supplied to the cooling section, The fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the cooling unit is supplied to the first compressor. [Application Example 6] The secondary battery system according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 5, an expansion valve disposed on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator; Equipped with The fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve is supplied to the cooling section, The fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the cooling unit is supplied to the first compressor. [Application Example 7] The secondary battery system according to any one of Application Examples 1 to 6, The temperature control unit is An acquisition unit that acquires a distortion amount of the secondary battery, a secondary battery system in which, during charging / discharging of the secondary battery under the specified conditions, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage section is changed to become an expansion pressure of the secondary battery specified from the acquired amount of distortion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e...Secondary battery system 10…Temperature control box 11…Storage section 12…Secondary battery 13, 13b, 13c…Fluorocarbon-based media 16…Cooling section 18, 18a...Refrigerant 20…Condenser 20b, 21, 21c...Condenser (heat radiator) 22...Evaporator 22c…Evaporator (heat exchanger) 30…Compressor 31…First compressor 32…Second compressor 40,40d…Expansion valve 40b, 40c...Expansion valve (expansion valve) 50, 50a, 50b... Coolant flow path 55, 55c…Heat exchange medium flow path 56...Heat exchange medium 60, 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d, 60e...Control unit (temperature control unit) 70…Pump 80...Control valve (control valve) 81...Control valve (shutoff valve) 82...Valve (Shut-off valve) 90...Distortion detector (acquisition unit) 95…Coulomb counter 96…Pressure sensor

Claims

1. A secondary battery system, A secondary battery; a housing portion that houses the secondary battery; A fluorocarbon-based medium filled in the storage section; a temperature control unit that controls the temperature of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit to adjust the temperature of the secondary battery using heat of evaporation of the fluorocarbon medium and change the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon medium in the storage unit; A secondary battery system comprising:

2. The secondary battery system according to claim 1 , The temperature control unit is A cooling unit is provided vertically above the storage unit to cool and condense the vaporized fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit, A secondary battery system in which, when a specified condition is met under which it is assumed that the secondary battery is expanding, the temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit is increased, and the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit is increased, compared to before the specified condition was met.

3. The secondary battery system according to claim 2, further comprising: A medium flow path that circulates the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit; a first compressor disposed on the medium flow path and configured to compress the fluorocarbon-based medium supplied into the storage unit; a second compressor disposed on the medium flow path and configured to compress the fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the storage unit; a radiator disposed on the medium flow path and configured to radiate heat from the fluorocarbon-based medium compressed by the second compressor; Equipped with The temperature adjustment unit changes the vapor pressure and the temperature of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage unit by controlling power allocated to the first compressor and the second compressor.

4. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, further comprising: an expansion valve disposed on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator; a coolant flow path for circulating a coolant flowing through the cooling portion; a heat exchanger that is disposed on the refrigerant flow path and on the medium flow path, to which the refrigerant discharged from the cooling unit and the fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve are supplied, and which exchanges heat between the supplied refrigerant and the fluorocarbon-based medium; a control valve disposed on the refrigerant flow path; Equipped with The radiator is disposed in the refrigerant flow path so as to be in parallel with the heat exchanger with respect to the cooling unit, and the refrigerant discharged from the cooling unit and the fluorocarbon-based medium compressed by the second compressor are supplied to the radiator, and heat is exchanged between the supplied refrigerant and the fluorocarbon-based medium, the control valve is disposed between the cooling unit, and the radiator and the heat exchanger, and controls a flow rate distribution of the refrigerant supplied from the cooling unit to each of the radiator and the heat exchanger; The first compressor is supplied with the fluorocarbon-based medium that has been heat exchanged with the refrigerant by the heat exchanger, The temperature adjustment unit adjusts a temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooling unit by controlling the control valve.

5. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, further comprising: an expansion valve disposed on the medium flow path for expanding the fluorocarbon-based medium from which heat has been dissipated by the radiator; The fluorocarbon-based medium expanded by the expansion valve is supplied to the cooling section, the fluorocarbon-based medium discharged from the cooling unit is supplied to the first compressor.

6. The secondary battery system according to claim 5 , The temperature control unit is A shutoff valve that shuts off the fluorocarbon-based medium supplied to the storage unit is provided on the medium flow path, the shutoff valve is closed when charging / discharging of the secondary battery is stopped, thereby circulating the fluorocarbon-based medium within the medium flow path without being supplied into the storage portion.

7. The secondary battery system according to claim 3, The temperature control unit is An acquisition unit that acquires a distortion amount of the secondary battery, a secondary battery system in which, during charging / discharging of the secondary battery under the specified conditions, the vapor pressure of the fluorocarbon-based medium in the storage section is changed to become an expansion pressure of the secondary battery specified from the acquired amount of distortion.

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