Charge control device and charge system

Abstract

To charge a power storage cell while suppressing heat generation of a conductive component and the power storage cell.SOLUTION: A control device 120 of a power storage cell 62 calculates SOC or remaining capacity of the power storage cell 62 by a current integration method, and determines a command value of charging voltage of the power storage cell based on the SOC or the remaining capacity obtained by the current integration method. In this configuration, a charging voltage Vc and a charging current Ic can be precisely controlled according to the SOC or the remaining capacity of the power storage cell 62 as compared with the case where the charging voltage Vc is a fixed value. Therefore, it is possible to charge the power storage cell 62 while suppressing heat generation of a conductive component and the power storage cell 62 due to Joule heat.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for charging a power storage cell. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses constant current / constant voltage charging as a charging method for a storage cell. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5525862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] During charging, current-carrying components and storage cells located on the current path may generate heat due to Joule heat caused by the charging current. Current-carrying components include, for example, electronic components such as relays and structural members such as bus bars. An object of the present invention is to charge a power storage cell while suppressing heat generation from current-carrying components and the power storage cell. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The control device for the power storage cell calculates the SOC or remaining capacity of the power storage cell by a current integration method, and determines a command value for a charging voltage of the power storage cell based on the SOC or remaining capacity calculated by the current integration method.

[0006] The present technology can be applied to a control device, a power storage device, a charging system, and a charging method for a power storage cell. Effect of the Invention

[0007] This configuration makes it possible to charge the storage cells while suppressing heat generation from current-carrying components and the storage cells. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] Car side view [Diagram 2] Exploded perspective view of the battery [Diagram 3] Plan view of a secondary battery cell [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view of a secondary battery cell [Diagram 5] Battery Schematic [Figure 6] SOC-OCV characteristics of secondary batteries [Figure 7] Charging Voltage Curve [Figure 8] Reference Table [Figure 9] Charging Voltage Curve [Figure 10] Enlarged view of part B in Figure 9 [Figure 11] Management device mode transition diagram [Figure 12] Charge voltage control sequence [Figure 13] FIG. 1 shows the relationship between a predetermined value of charging voltage and range B. [Figure 14] Battery Charging Characteristics [Figure 15] Battery Charging Characteristics DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An overview of the control device for the power storage cell will be described. The control device for the storage cell calculates the SOC or remaining capacity of the storage cell by a current integration method, and determines a command value for the charging voltage of the storage cell based on the SOC or remaining capacity obtained by the current integration method. The current integration method estimates the SOC based on an integrated value of a current that can be measured at all times. Therefore, by using the current integration method, the SOC during charging can be calculated sequentially, unlike the OCV method and the full charge method. The OCV method is a method for estimating the SOC by utilizing the correlation between SOC and OCV, and the full charge method is a method in which the SOC at full charge is set to 100%. Since the charging voltage is determined based on the SOC calculated sequentially by the current integration method, precise charging voltage control according to the change in SOC during charging is possible.

[0010] Therefore, the charging current can be controlled with a higher degree of accuracy than when the charging voltage is set to a fixed value regardless of the SOC. Therefore, the storage cells can be charged while suppressing heat generation in current-carrying components and the storage cells due to Joule heat. Furthermore, unlike feedback control that adjusts the charging voltage up or down according to the deviation of the charging current from the target value, this method determines and controls the charging voltage based on the SOC, so that oscillations in the charging current due to positive feedback are unlikely to occur. The same effect can be achieved when the command value for the charging voltage of the storage cells is determined based on the remaining capacity, not just the SOC.

[0011] The control device may raise the command value for the charging voltage when the charging current of the storage cell is smaller than a predetermined value. In this configuration, when the charging current becomes smaller than the predetermined value due to an estimation error of the SOC or remaining capacity by the current integration method, the command value for the charging voltage can be raised to bring the charging current closer to the predetermined value. By bringing the charging current closer to the predetermined value, it is possible to prevent the charging current from becoming zero during charging and stopping, and to continue charging. By continuing charging, the storage cell can be charged to the target SOC or target remaining capacity.

[0012] The control device does not need to increase the command value of the charging voltage if the duration of the state in which the charging current is smaller than the predetermined value is less than a threshold value. With this configuration, if the charging current temporarily becomes smaller than the predetermined value due to a current measurement error or noise, the command value of the charging voltage can be prevented from being increased. This makes it possible to prevent heat generation in current-carrying components and storage cells due to an unintended increase in the charging voltage.

[0013] The SOC or remaining capacity calculated by the current integration method may be corrected to the SOC or remaining capacity when the storage cell is fully charged. In this configuration, the SOC or remaining capacity calculated using the current integration method is corrected to the SOC (=100[%]) or remaining capacity (=full charge capacity [Ah]) when fully charged, thereby eliminating the estimation error of the SOC or remaining capacity by the current integration method. Eliminating the estimation error can improve the estimation accuracy of the SOC or remaining capacity.

[0014] The power storage device includes a power storage cell and a control device, and the control device may transmit a command value of a charging voltage to an external charging control device that controls a charging voltage of the power storage device. In the case of an in-vehicle power storage device, the "external charging control device" is, for example, a vehicle ECU, and means a control device other than the power storage device that controls charging. In this configuration, the charging control device controls the charging voltage of the power storage device according to the command value transmitted from the power storage device. In other words, the control device and the charging control device cooperate to control the charging voltage of the power storage cell. This configuration has an advantage in that the present technology can be applied to a charging system in which the charging control function of the power storage device is shared between the "power storage device control device" and the "external charging control device."

[0015] The storage cell is a secondary battery cell having a low change region in which the change in OCV relative to the change in SOC is relatively low and a high change region in which the change in OCV is relatively high in the SOC-OCV characteristic, or a secondary battery cell having a low change region in which the change in OCV relative to the change in remaining capacity is relatively low and a high change region in which the change in remaining capacity is relatively high in the remaining capacity-OCV characteristic, and the control device may compare the charging current of the storage cell with a predetermined value at least in the high change region, and if the charging current of the storage cell is smaller than the predetermined value, increase the command value of the charging voltage. In a secondary battery cell having a low change region and a high change region, the charging current becomes smaller than the predetermined value in the high change region due to an estimation error of the SOC or remaining capacity, and charging is likely to be stopped. By applying this configuration, the storage cell can be charged to the target SOC or target remaining capacity without stopping midway in the high change region.

[0016] The control device may compare the charging current of the storage cell with a predetermined value in both the low change region and the high change region, and raise a command value for the charging voltage when the charging current of the storage cell is smaller than the predetermined value. In this configuration, the charging voltage is raised when the charging current is smaller than the predetermined value in both the low change region and the high change region, so that the storage cell can be charged to the target SOC without stopping midway in the entire region including the low change region and the high change region.

[0017] <Embodiment 1> 1. Battery 50 Configuration In the first embodiment, an in-vehicle battery 50 is illustrated. Fig. 1 is a side view of an automobile. The automobile 10 has an engine 20 as a drive device. Fig. 1 illustrates only the engine 20 and the battery 50, and omits other components that configure the automobile 10. The battery 50 is an example of an electricity storage device.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the battery 50 includes a battery pack 60, a circuit board unit 65, and a container 71.

[0019] The container 71 includes a main body 73 and a lid 74 made of a synthetic resin material. The main body 73 is cylindrical with a bottom. The main body 73 includes a bottom portion 75 and four side portions 76. An upper opening 77 is formed at the upper end portion by the four side portions 76.

[0020] The container 71 houses the battery pack 60 and the circuit board unit 65. The battery pack 60 has twelve secondary battery cells 62. The twelve secondary battery cells 62 are connected in three parallel connections and four in series.

[0021] The circuit board unit 65 is disposed on the upper part of the battery pack 60. The circuit board unit includes a bus bar 57 which is the power line 55 of the battery pack 60. In the block diagram of Fig. 5, three secondary battery cells 62 connected in parallel are represented by one battery symbol. The secondary battery cells 62 are an example of a "storage cell".

[0022] The lid body 74 closes an upper opening 77 of the main body 73. An outer peripheral wall 78 is provided around the lid body 74. The lid body 74 has a protruding portion 79 that is generally T-shaped in plan view. The positive electrode external terminal 51 is fixed to one corner of the front portion of the lid body 74, and the negative electrode external terminal 52 is fixed to the other corner.

[0023] The battery 50 supplies power to a load connected to the positive and negative external terminals 51, 52. The battery 50 is charged by the power generation device 30 connected to the positive and negative external terminals 51, 52.

[0024] 3 and 4, the secondary battery cell 62 contains an electrode assembly 83 together with a non-aqueous electrolyte in a rectangular parallelepiped case 82. The case 82 has a case body 84 and a lid 85 that closes the upper opening.

[0025] Although not shown in detail, the electrode body 83 has a separator made of a porous resin film disposed between a negative electrode element having an active material applied to a substrate made of copper foil and a positive electrode element having an active material applied to a substrate made of aluminum foil.

[0026] These are all in the form of a strip, and are wound flat so that they can be housed in the case body 84, with the negative electrode element and the positive electrode element being shifted to opposite positions in the width direction relative to the separator.

[0027] A positive electrode terminal 87 is connected to the positive electrode element via a positive electrode current collector 86, and a negative electrode terminal 89 is connected to the negative electrode element via a negative electrode current collector 88. The positive electrode current collector 86 and the negative electrode current collector 88 each comprise a flat base portion 90 and legs 91 extending from the base portion 90. A through hole is formed in the base portion 90. The legs 91 are connected to the positive electrode element or the negative electrode element.

[0028] The positive electrode terminal 87 and the negative electrode terminal 89 each comprise a terminal body 92 and a shaft 93 that protrudes downward from the center of the lower surface of the terminal body 92. Of these, the terminal body 92 and shaft 93 of the positive electrode terminal 87 are integrally formed from aluminum (a single material). In the negative electrode terminal 89, the terminal body 92 is made of aluminum, and the shaft 93 is made of copper, which are assembled together.

[0029] The terminal main bodies 92 of the positive electrode terminal 87 and the negative electrode terminal 89 are disposed on both ends of the lid 85 via gaskets 94 made of an insulating material, and are exposed to the outside from the gaskets 94 .

[0030] The lid 85 has a pressure relief valve 95. As shown in Fig. 3, the pressure relief valve 95 is located between the positive electrode terminal 87 and the negative electrode terminal 89. The pressure relief valve 95 opens to reduce the internal pressure of the case 82 when the internal pressure of the case 82 exceeds a limit value.

[0031] 5, the electrical configuration of the battery 50 will be described. The battery 50 includes a circuit breaker 53, a battery pack 60, a current detector 54, a management device 100, and a temperature sensor 115.

[0032] The battery pack 60 is composed of a plurality of secondary battery cells 62 connected in series. In this embodiment, the number of cells connected in series is "4." The secondary battery cells 62 are an example of the "storage cell" of the present invention.

[0033] The positive electrode of the battery pack 60 is connected to the positive electrode external terminal 51 by a power line 55P. The negative electrode of the battery pack 60 is connected to the negative electrode external terminal 52 by a power line 55N.

[0034] The breaker 53 is located at the positive electrode of the battery pack 60, and is provided on a positive power line 55P. The breaker 53 can be a relay or a FET.

[0035] The cutoff device 53 is normally controlled to a CLOSE state (normally closed). If an abnormality occurs in the battery 50, the cutoff device 53 is used to cut off the current, thereby protecting the battery 50.

[0036] The current detection unit 54 detects the current I [A] of the assembled battery 60. The current detection unit 54 may be a resistor. The resistive current detection unit 54 can distinguish between charging and discharging from the polarity (positive or negative) of the voltage. The current detection unit 54 may be a magnetic sensor. The temperature sensor 115 is of a contact or non-contact type and measures the temperature T [°C] of the assembled battery 60.

[0037] The management device 100 is provided on the circuit board unit 65. The management device 100 includes a voltage detection circuit 110, a control device 120, and a power supply circuit .

[0038] The voltage detection circuit 110 is connected to both ends of each secondary battery cell 62 by a signal line, and measures the cell voltage Vs of each secondary battery cell 62. It also measures the total voltage Vt of the assembled battery 60 from the cell voltage Vs of each secondary battery cell 62. The total voltage Vt of the assembled battery 60 is the sum of the voltages of the four secondary battery cells 62 connected in series.

[0039] The control device 120 includes a CPU 121 having a calculation function and a memory 123 which is a storage unit. The control device 120 monitors the current I of the assembled battery 60, the cell voltage Vs of each secondary battery cell 62, the total voltage Vt and the temperature T of the assembled battery 60 from the outputs of the current detection unit 54, the voltage detection circuit 110 and the temperature sensor 115. The control device 120 can also detect the charging voltage Vc from the voltage of the external terminal 51.

[0040] The memory 123 is a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, an EEPROM, etc. The memory 123 stores a monitoring program for monitoring the state of the battery pack 60 and data required for executing the monitoring program.

[0041] The memory 123 stores a control program for executing a control sequence (FIG. 12) for the charging voltage Vc of the battery 50 and data required for executing the control program. The data required for executing the control program includes data of a look-up table shown in FIG.

[0042] A vehicle load 25 and a power generation device 30 are connected to the battery 50 via a wiring 23. The vehicle load 25 may be an engine starting device or auxiliary devices. The engine starting device is a motor that starts the engine. The auxiliary devices include a headlight, a power steering mechanism, an air conditioner, an audio system, etc.

[0043] The power generation device 30 includes a vehicle generator 31, a rectifier 33, and a voltage adjustment unit 35. The vehicle generator 31 is an AC generator that generates power using the power of the engine 20. The rectifier 33 rectifies the power output by the vehicle generator 31 and converts it from AC to DC.

[0044] The voltage adjustment unit 35 adjusts the output voltage Vc of the power generation device 30. The voltage adjustment may be performed by adjusting the output voltage Vc by controlling the excitation current of the vehicle generator 31, or by a method of PWM control of the output voltage Vc.

[0045] When the amount of power generated by the power generation device 30 exceeds the amount of electrical load of the vehicle load 25, the battery 50 can be charged by the power generation device 30. When the amount of power generated by the power generation device 30 is less than the amount of electrical load of the vehicle load 25, the battery 50 discharges to make up for the shortage of power generation. The power generation device 30 is an example of a power device that outputs electric power.

[0046] A vehicle ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 40 is communicatively connected to the battery 50 via a communication line 41, and is communicatively connected to the power generation device 30 via a communication line .

[0047] The vehicle ECU 40 controls the output voltage Vc of the power generation device 30, i.e., the charging voltage Vc of the battery 50, by controlling the voltage adjustment unit 35 based on a command value for the charging voltage Vc transmitted from the battery 50. The vehicle ECU 40 corresponds to the "external charging control device" of the present invention. "External" means outside the battery.

[0048] 2. OCV characteristics and SOC estimation of secondary battery cell 62 6, with the horizontal axis representing SOC [%] and the vertical axis representing OCV [V], shows the SOC-OCV correlation characteristic Yo of the secondary battery cell 62. Hereinafter, "Yo" will be referred to as "OCV curve."

[0049] SOC (state of charge) is the ratio of remaining capacity to full charge capacity and can be expressed by the following formula (1).

[0050] OCV is the open circuit voltage of the secondary battery cell 62. The open circuit voltage is the voltage across both ends of the secondary battery cell 62 when there is no current or when it can be considered that there is no current.

[0051] SOC=(Cr / Co)×100 (1) Co is the full charge capacity of the secondary battery cell, and Cr is the remaining capacity of the secondary battery cell.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 6, the secondary battery cell 62 has a plurality of charging regions including a low change region L where the change in OCV relative to the change in SOC is relatively low, and a high change region H where the change is relatively high.

[0053] Specifically, it has two low change regions L1, L2 and three high change regions H1, H2, H3.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6, the low change region L1 is located in the SOC value range of 35% to 62% and the low change region L2 is located in the SOC value range of 68% to 96%.

[0055] The low change regions L1 and L2 are plateau regions where the change in OCV relative to the change in SOC is very small and the OCV is approximately constant at 3.3 [V] and 3.35 [V]. The plateau region is a region where the change in OCV relative to the change in SOC is equal to or less than a threshold. The threshold is, for example, 2 [mV / %].

[0056] The first high change region H1 is in the range of SOC values ​​greater than 62% and less than 68%, and is located between the two low change regions L1 and L2. The second high change region H2 is in the range of SOC values ​​less than 35%, and is located on the lower SOC side than the low change region L1. The third high change region H3 is in the range of SOC values ​​greater than 96%, and is located on the higher SOC side than the low change region L2.

[0057] The first to third high change regions H1 to H3 have a relatively high relationship in terms of the change in OCV relative to the change in SOC (the slope of the graph shown in FIG. 6) compared to the low change regions L1 and L2.

[0058] In the SOC-OCV correlation characteristics, an example of the secondary battery cell 62 having the above-mentioned plateau regions L1 and L2 is an iron phosphate-based lithium ion battery cell that uses lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) as the positive electrode active material and graphite as the negative electrode active material.

[0059] In the plateau regions L1 and L2, the OCV hardly changes with respect to changes in SOC, so that it is difficult to estimate the SOC of the secondary battery cell 62 having the plateau regions L1 and L2 from the correlation with the OCV.

[0060] The management device 100 estimates the SOC of the secondary battery cell 62 by the current integration method. As shown in (2), the current integration method estimates the SOC [%] based on the time integral value of the current I. The sign of the current I is positive during charging and negative during discharging. In addition to the SOC, the current integration method can also be used to calculate the remaining capacity Cr.

[0061] SOC=SOCo+100×(∫Idt / Co)···(2) SOCo is the initial value of SOC, and I is the current.

[0062] 3. Determination of command value for charging voltage Vcs of secondary battery cell 62 7 shows the charging voltage curve Yc. The charging voltage curve Yc shows the charging voltage Vcs of the secondary battery cell 62 for each SOC, with the horizontal axis representing SOC [%] and the vertical axis representing voltage [V].

[0063] The charging voltage curve Yc is higher than the OCV curve Yo at all SOCs, and the higher the SOC, the higher the charging voltage Vcs. The secondary battery cell 62 can be charged by the voltage difference ΔV between Vcs and the OCV. The relationship between the voltage difference ΔV and the charging current Ic is as follows:

[0064] Ic = ΔV / r (3) "r" is the internal resistance of the secondary battery cell.

[0065] By determining the voltage difference ΔV so that the charging current Ic does not exceed the maximum allowable current Im, Vcs can be determined as shown in equation (4). By calculating Vcs for each SOC, the charging voltage curve Yc can be determined. Vcs = OCV + ΔV (4)

[0066] The voltage difference ΔV can also be determined so that the charging current Ic becomes a constant current except near the full charge state. ΔV / r=Const (but less than Im)

[0067] Near full charge, the voltage of the secondary battery cell 62 rises rapidly. Near full charge, the voltage difference ΔV becomes small, and therefore the charging current Ic is smaller than in other regions.

[0068] The memory 123 stores a look-up table of the charging voltage curve Ycs. The look-up table is a table that stores the SOC and the charging voltage Vcs in association with each other (see FIG. 8).

[0069] The management device 100 estimates the SOC of the secondary battery cells 62 by a current integration method, and determines a command value for the charging voltage Vcs per cell by referring to the obtained SOC in a reference table.

[0070] By controlling the output voltage Vc of the power generation device 30 based on the command value of the charging voltage Vcs, the battery 50 can be charged while keeping the charging current Ic below the maximum allowable current value Im.

[0071] The charging voltage curve Ycs is set to have a voltage difference ΔV with respect to the OCV so that the charging current Ic is equal to or less than the maximum allowable current value Im. This makes it possible to suppress heat generation from current-carrying parts and secondary battery cells 62 located on the current path during charging. The current-carrying parts include the circuit breaker 53 and the bus bar 57.

[0072] 4. Reduction in voltage difference ΔV due to SOC estimation error In the current integration method, measurement errors of the charge / discharge current Ic by the current detector 54 accumulate over time, resulting in an estimation error of the SOC.

[0073] When an error in the SOC estimation occurs, the voltage difference ΔV between the charging voltage Vcs and the OCV may fluctuate and become smaller than when there is no error in the SOC estimation. Also, the magnitude relationship of the voltages may be reversed.

[0074] For example, if there is a negative estimation error in SOC compared to the true value, the charging voltage curve Yc will shift to the right on the SOC axis (horizontal axis) by the amount of the estimation error, as shown in Figure 9. In the example of Figure 9, the SOC estimation error is -10%, and the charging voltage curve Yd when the estimation error occurs shifts 10% to the right from the charging voltage curve Yc when there is no estimation error. The "V7" point shifts to the "V7'" point.

[0075] Comparing Yd-Yo (with estimation error) in FIG. 9 with Yc-Yo (without estimation error) in FIG. 7, it can be seen that the voltage difference ΔV fluctuates in the SOC range of 2% to 18% (part A in FIG. 9) and in the SOC range of 95% to 100% (part B in FIG. 9).

[0076] Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of part B in Fig. 9. In the case of Yd-Yo (with estimation error) in Fig. 9, the voltage difference ΔV decreases after time t1 compared to the case of Yc-Yo (without estimation error) in Fig. 7, and the magnitude relationship of the voltages is reversed at time t2.

[0077] After time t1 when the voltage difference ΔV decreases, the charging current Ic becomes smaller than when there is no SOC estimation error, and after time t2 when the voltage magnitude relationship is reversed, charging may stop. Such fluctuations in the voltage difference ΔV are likely to occur in the high change regions H1 and H2.

[0078] When the charging current Ic is smaller than a predetermined value Ib1, the management device 100 performs control to increase the charging voltage Vc.

[0079] The predetermined value Ib1 is a value for determining whether charging can be continued without stopping, and is smaller than the expected value Ic0 of the charging current Ic. The expected value Ic0 is a theoretical value of the charging current Ic determined by the formula (3). The predetermined value Ib1 may be a value common to each SOC, or may be a unique value.

[0080] By increasing the charging voltage Vc, the voltage difference ΔV between the charging voltage Vcs and the OCV is increased, and the charging current Ic can be brought closer to the expected value Ic0. This prevents the charging current Ic from becoming zero and charging from being stopped during charging, and allows charging to continue.

[0081] The charging voltage Vc may be increased within a range that does not exceed the maximum value Vcm when converted into the charging voltage Vcs per cell. The maximum value Vcm is the charging voltage Vcs at SOC 100[%] (see FIG. 7 and FIG. 9).

[0082] 5. Mode transition of the management device 100 and control sequence of the charging voltage Vc As shown in FIG. 11, the management device 100 has two modes set: a monitor mode and a sleep mode.

[0083] The monitoring mode is a mode in which the state of the battery 50 is monitored at a predetermined cycle N, and the sleep mode is a mode in which some of the monitoring functions are stopped to reduce the power consumption of the management device 100.

[0084] The management device 100 determines whether the battery 50 is in use or not in use based on the current I of the battery 50 and performs a mode transition. That is, if the current I is less than a current determination value (determined as not in use), the management device 100 transitions to a sleep mode, and if the current I is equal to or greater than the current determination value (determined as in use), the management device 100 transitions to a monitoring mode.

[0085] When the automobile 10 is parked, the battery 50 is in an unused state, neither charging nor discharging, so the current I is less than the current determination value, and the management device 100 transitions to a sleep mode. On the other hand, when the automobile 10 is in a state other than parked, such as when the automobile 10 is traveling, stopped, or during an idling stop, the battery 50 is in a used state, charging and discharging between the automobile 10. Therefore, the management device 100 transitions to a monitoring mode.

[0086] The transition to the monitoring mode is used as a trigger for the management device 100 to start a control sequence for the charging voltage Vc.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 12, the control sequence for the charging voltage Vc is made up of seven steps S10 to S70.

[0088] When the control sequence starts, the management device 100 uses measuring devices such as the current detection unit 54, the voltage detection circuit 110, and the temperature sensor 115 to measure the current I of the assembled battery 60, the cell voltage Vs of each secondary battery cell 62, the total voltage Vt of the assembled battery 60, and the temperature T of the assembled battery 60. Then, the management device 100 estimates the SOC of the assembled battery 60 by a current integration method (S10).

[0089] Next, the management device 100 determines a command value for the charging voltage Vcs per cell from the SOC calculated using the current integration method.

[0090] The charging voltage Vcs per cell can be determined by referring to the SOC in a look-up table (FIG. 8) stored in the memory 123. For example, when the SOC is 40% the command value of the charging voltage Vcs per cell is "V7".

[0091] The management device 100 then transmits a command value for the charging voltage Vc to the vehicle ECU 40 (S20). Together with the command value for the charging voltage Vc, the management device 100 transmits the SOC of the battery 50. By transmitting the SOC information, the vehicle ECU 40 can monitor the SOC of the battery 50.

[0092] The command value transmitted to the vehicle ECU 40 is a command value for the charging voltage Vc of the battery 50, and is a value obtained by multiplying the charging voltage Vcs per cell determined from the look-up table of FIG. 8 by the number of cells, "4."

[0093] When the vehicle ECU 40 receives the command value for the charging voltage Vc, it controls the output voltage Vc of the power generation device 30 to the received command value.

[0094] After transmitting the command value, the management device 100 determines the magnitude of the charging voltage Vc (S31). Specifically, it determines whether the difference between the command value Vco and the measured value Vct of the charging voltage Vc is smaller than a comparison value A. The charging voltage (measured value) Vct can be measured, for example, from the voltage at the external terminal 51 of the battery 50.

[0095] Vco-Vct≦A (4)

[0096] The measured value Vct of the charging voltage Vc is smaller than the command value Vco due to a voltage drop caused by wiring resistance, etc. If the difference between the command value Vco and the measured value Vct is smaller than the comparison value A (S31: YES), it can be determined that the power generation device 30 is outputting according to the command value, and the battery 50 is being charged at the commanded charging voltage Vc.

[0097] If the determination in S31 is YES, the management device 100 determines whether or not the charging current Ic is smaller than a predetermined value Ib1.

[0098] In this embodiment, the charging current Ic is compared with range B (see FIG. 13). Range B is a range (Ib1 to Ib2) in which the current value is smaller than a predetermined value Ib1 and includes zero.

[0099] Ib2 <B<Ib1····(5) B may vary depending on the SOC, or may be common to all SOCs.

[0100] When the charging current Ic is included in the range B, it is determined that the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1 (S33: YES).

[0101] If the charging current Ic is equal to or greater than the predetermined value Ib1 (S33: NO), the management device 100 determines whether or not there has been a mode transition from the monitoring mode to the sleep mode (S60). If there has been no mode transition and the monitoring mode continues (S60: NO), the process returns to S10.

[0102] After the control sequence starts, if the power generation device 30 is outputting according to the command value (S31: YES), and the charging current Ic is at a predetermined value Ib1 (S33: NO), and there is no mode transition from the monitoring mode (S60: NO), the processes of S10, S20, S31, and S60 are repeated at a predetermined cycle N (loop R).

[0103] As a result, the current I of the battery pack 60, the cell voltage Vs of each secondary battery cell, the total voltage Vt of the battery pack, and the temperature T are measured at a predetermined period N, and the SOC of the battery pack 60 is sequentially calculated based on the integrated value of the measured current I.

[0104] The control device 120 determines a command value for the charging voltage Vc of the battery 50 corresponding to each SOC calculated sequentially by referring to the reference table of Fig. 8 for the SOC calculated sequentially using the current integration method. The control device 120 transmits information on the command value of the charging voltage Vc corresponding to each SOC to the vehicle ECU 40 together with information on each SOC during charging. The vehicle ECU 40 controls the power generation device 30 to control the output voltage Vc of the power generation device 30 to the command value. This makes it possible to continuously change the charging voltage Vc according to the continuously changing SOC during charging, and to charge the battery 50 while controlling the charging current Ic to a constant current equal to or less than the maximum allowable current value Im.

[0105] Next, a case where the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1 during charging (S33: YES) will be described.

[0106] If the determination in S33 is YES, the management device 100 counts the duration Ts during which the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1 (a state included in range B), and determines that this is a threshold value D [s] (S40).

[0107] The threshold value D is a value for verifying whether the charging current Ic continues to be smaller than a predetermined value Ib1 in order to avoid erroneous detection due to voltage measurement errors or noise.

[0108] When the duration Ts is longer than the threshold value D, the management device 100 transmits a command to the vehicle ECU 40 to increase the command value of the charging voltage Vc from the current value (S50).

[0109] By raising the charging voltage Vc, the voltage difference ΔV between the charging voltage Vcs and the OCV becomes larger than before the voltage Vc was raised, and the charging current Ic can be brought closer to the expected value Ic0. This prevents the charging current Ic from becoming zero during charging and stopping, and allows the charging of the battery 50 to continue.

[0110] After the command value for the charging voltage Vc is increased, the process proceeds to S60, where it is determined whether or not a mode transition has occurred, and if no mode transition has occurred, the process returns to S10.

[0111] Moreover, if the duration Ts is less than the threshold value D, the process proceeds to S60 without proceeding to S50. Therefore, the command value for the charging voltage Vc is not increased, and the command value for the charging voltage Vc is maintained at the current value.

[0112] Then, when the automobile 10 transitions from driving to parking and transitions from the monitoring mode to the sleep mode, the process proceeds to S70.

[0113] When the process proceeds to S70, the management device 100 resets the increase in the command value of the charging voltage Vc. The resetting means returning the command value of the charging voltage Vc to the initial state before the increase. This ends the control sequence of the charging voltage Vc.

[0114] When the battery 50 is charged up to the target SOC, the process also proceeds to S70, where the increase in the command value for the charging voltage Vc is reset, and the control sequence for the charging voltage Vc ends.

[0115] The target SOC may be a full charge or may be something else. The target SOC and the end of charging may be determined by the vehicle ECU 40 and controlled by the vehicle ECU 40, or may be determined by the management device 100 and controlled by the management device 100.

[0116] The control sequence of FIG. 12 is always executed after charging starts, regardless of whether the secondary battery cell 62 is in the low change region L1, L2 or the high change region H1 to H3.

[0117] By constantly executing the control sequence, it becomes possible to charge the secondary battery cell 62 at approximately the expected value Ic0 regardless of the region the secondary battery cell 62 is in, and the secondary battery cell 62 can be charged while suppressing heat generation from the secondary battery cell 62 and the conductive components 57.

[0118] 14 and 15 are diagrams showing the charging characteristics of the battery 50. Figures 14 and 15 show the transition of the SOC when the charging voltage Vc is controlled according to the charging voltage curve Yc, and charging is stopped (part C in the figure) about 95 [s] after the start of charging due to an SOC estimation error. The SOC at the start of charging is 96%.

[0119] If the charging voltage Vc is not increased (FIG. 14), charging can only be performed up to approximately SOC 98.5%.

[0120] When the charging voltage Vc is increased (FIG. 15), charging can be continued without stopping charging.

[0121] In the example of FIG. 15, a state in which the charging current Ic is included in range B (a state in which Ic is below the upper limit value Ib1 of range B) occurs three times. Therefore, the command value of the charging voltage Vc is raised three times, and finally, the battery is fully charged, that is, charged to SOC 100[%] (part D). "Full charge" is a state in which the secondary battery cell 62 is charged until a predetermined charging end condition is met, and generally, SOC=100[%]. The predetermined charging end condition can be, for example, the charging time after the secondary battery cell 62 reaches a predetermined upper limit voltage. For example, a full charge is achieved when the secondary battery cell 62 is charged for 10 minutes after the upper limit voltage is reached.

[0122] Furthermore, when the command value for the charging voltage Vc is increased, an inrush current flows into the battery 50, causing a temporary increase in the current value. This temporary increase in the current value causes polarization inside the secondary battery cells 62, increasing the resistance value. As a result, the current decreases after passing its peak. For these reasons, as the command value for the charging voltage Vc is increased, the waveform of the charging current Ic becomes sharp (part E).

[0123] 6.Effects In this configuration, the command value of the charging voltage Vc is determined according to the SOC calculated using the current integration method. In this configuration, the charging voltage Vc and the charging current Ic of the battery 50 can be precisely controlled according to the SOC of the battery 50, compared to when the charging voltage Vc is a fixed value that does not depend on the SOC (for example, when it is Vcm converted into one cell).

[0124] Specifically, within a range in which the charging current Ic does not exceed the maximum allowable current Im, the higher the SOC, the higher the charging voltage Vc is set, making it possible to charge the secondary battery cell 62 while suppressing heat generation in the current-carrying components and the secondary battery cell 62 due to Joule heat for all SOCs from low to high.

[0125] Battery 50 may manage the usage range of SOC, for example, if the usage range is 60-80%, and charging is started at 70%, charging may end when SOC reaches 80%. This configuration determines charging voltage Vc using SOC, which is management information for controlling charging, and therefore enables precise charging control while minimizing the information required for charging control.

[0126] One possible method for suppressing heat generation from the secondary battery cell 62 during charging is to feedback control the charging voltage Vc so that the charging current Ic coincides with the expected value Ic0. However, feedback control can cause the charging current Ic, which is the object of control, to oscillate due to signal delays (e.g., signal delays due to communication between the control device 120 and the vehicle ECU 40). This configuration is a control that changes the charging voltage Vc according to the SOC, and therefore has the advantage that the charging current Ic is more likely to be stabilized than feedback control.

[0127] Methods for correcting the SOC estimation error include a correction method using the OCV method and a correction method in which the battery 50 is charged until it is fully charged.

[0128] The OCV method is a method of calculating the SOC by utilizing the correlation between OCV and SOC. The correction method using the OCV method is a method of calculating the SOC by the current integration method and the OCV method, and correcting the SOC calculated by the current integration method to the SOC calculated by the OCV method. By correcting the SOC, it is possible to eliminate the estimation error of the SOC by the current integration method. The OCV method has a problem that it takes time to determine the OCV (open circuit voltage) of the secondary battery cell 62 (a stabilization time is required until the voltage stabilizes).

[0129] The full charge correction method is a method in which the battery 50 is fully charged and the SOC calculated by the current integration method is corrected to the SOC at full charge (SOC = 100[%]). By correcting the SOC to the SOC at full charge (SOC = 100[%]), it is possible to eliminate the estimation error of the SOC using the current integration method.

[0130] In both correction methods, the corrected SOC is set as the initial value (in the case of the correction method using a full charge, SOC = 100[%]), and after correction, the SOC is estimated using the current integration method.

[0131] When the usage range of battery 50 is less than fully charged, for example when the SOC is 60 to 80%, battery 50 is normally charged within the usage range, and when an estimated error in the SOC has accumulated, such as when a predetermined period has passed since the last correction, battery 50 is charged until fully charged, so that the SOC can be corrected using the current integration method.

[0132] However, when charging to full charge, the SOC estimation error accumulates, and as explained with reference to Fig. 14, charging may stop midway and the battery may not reach full charge, making it impossible to correct the SOC. In this case, the SOC estimation using the current integration method continues without eliminating the estimation error, and the SOC estimation error increases beyond the allowable value.

[0133] In this configuration, as shown in Fig. 15, when the charging current Ic becomes smaller than a predetermined value Ib1 due to an SOC estimation error, the command value for the charging voltage Vc is raised. By raising the command value, it is possible to charge the secondary battery cell 62 to full charge (SOC 100[%]) while suppressing charging interruptions during charging. Therefore, by correcting the SOC calculated by the current integration method to the SOC at full charge (SOC 100[%]), it is possible to eliminate the SOC estimation error accumulated by the current integration method and maintain the accuracy of the SOC estimation.

[0134] In this configuration, the command value of the charging voltage Vc is not increased if the duration Ts is less than the threshold value D. In this configuration, if the charging current Ic temporarily becomes smaller than the predetermined value Ib1 due to a current measurement error or noise, the command value of the charging voltage Vc can be prevented from being increased.

[0135] In this configuration, the control device 120 sends a command value for the charging voltage Vc to the vehicle ECU 40, and the vehicle ECU 40 adjusts the charging voltage Vc upon receiving the command value. In other words, the control device 120 and the vehicle ECU 40 work together to control the charging voltage Vc of the secondary battery cell 62. This configuration has the advantage that the present technology can be applied to a charging system in which the charging control function of the battery 50 is shared between the "power storage device control device 120" and the "external charging control device (vehicle ECU 40)."

[0136] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings, and the following embodiments, for example, are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0137] (1) In the embodiment, a secondary battery cell having a low change region L and a high change region H in the SOC-OCV characteristics is shown as an example of a storage cell. The secondary battery cell does not necessarily have to have a characteristic having two change regions. A secondary battery cell having only one change region may also be used. The storage cell may be a capacitor or the like. The storage cell is not limited to a plurality of cells, and may be a single cell. A plurality of cells may also be connected in series and parallel.

[0138] (2) In the embodiment, the battery 50 is used in an automobile. In addition, the battery 50 can be used in motorcycles and railways. The use of the battery 50 is not limited to mobile objects such as automobiles. The battery 50 can be used in stationary applications such as an uninterruptible power supply or a power storage device for a power generation system.

[0139] (3) In the embodiment, the command value for the charging voltage Vc is calculated by the management device 100 of the battery 50. The command value for the charging voltage Vc may be determined by the vehicle ECU 40. For example, the management device 100 may notify the vehicle ECU 40 of only SOC information, and the vehicle ECU 40 may determine the command value for the charging voltage Vc by referring to a reference table for the charging voltage Vc (FIG. 8). The same applies to the control for increasing the charging voltage Vc.

[0140] (4) In the embodiment, if the determination is YES in all three steps S31, S33, and S40, the command value for the charging voltage is increased. Steps S31 and S40 may not be executed, and only S33 may be executed. If the determination is YES in S33, the command value for the charging voltage may be increased.

[0141] (5) In the embodiment, the command value for the charging voltage Vc is increased when the duration Ts during which the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1 is equal to or greater than the threshold D. When the charging current Ic falls below the predetermined value Ib1, the command value for the charging voltage Vc may be increased immediately.

[0142] (6) In the embodiment, it is determined whether the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1 by comparing it with range B. It is also possible to obtain the difference between the charging current Ic and the predetermined value Ib1 and determine whether it is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1. If the difference between Ic and Ic0 is outside the allowable range, it is also possible to determine that the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1.

[0143] (7) A reference table for the charging voltage Vc may be provided for each temperature of the battery 50. The command value for the charging voltage Vc may be determined by selecting the reference table to be used based on temperature information of the battery 50. Also, instead of using a reference table, a charging voltage curve Yc may be stored in the memory 123 and the command value for the charging voltage Vc may be determined by referring to the stored charge voltage curve Yc.

[0144] (8) In the embodiment, the control period of the charging voltage Vc is the same as the measurement period N of the battery 50. The control period of the charging voltage Vc may be different from the measurement period N of the battery 50. For example, the control period of the charging voltage Vc may be about 10 times the measurement period of the battery 50.

[0145] (9) In the embodiment, the reset of the increase in the command value for the charging voltage Vc (S70) is executed using the mode transition of the management device 100 as a trigger signal. The reset of the command value may be executed using another signal as a trigger signal. For example, when a full charge request signal is output from the management device 100 to the vehicle ECU 40, the signal may be used as a trigger to reset the increase in the command value for the charging voltage Vc.

[0146] (10) In the embodiment, the charging current Ic of the battery 50 is compared with a predetermined value Ib1 in both the low change region L and the high change region H, and if the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value Ib1, the command value of the charging voltage Vc is increased. The charging current Ic may be compared with a predetermined value Ib1 at least in the high change region H out of the low change region L and the high change region H, and if the charging current Ic is smaller than the predetermined value, the command value of the charging voltage Vc may be increased. In other words, as long as the process of increasing the command value of the charging voltage Vc is executed in the high change region, it may or may not be executed in the low change region L. Whether the secondary battery cell is included in the high change region or the low change region can be determined by the SOC obtained by the current integration method.

[0147] (11) In the embodiment, an example has been described in which the battery 50 is charged to full charge. The target SOC for charging is not limited to full charge (SOC=100[%]), but may be other than full charge, such as 80% or 90%. Also, charging may be performed within a plateau region.

[0148] (12) In the embodiment, the battery 50 is charged with the power output by the power generation device 30. The battery 50 is not limited to being charged with the output of the power generation device 30. It may also be charged with the output of a charging device or a power converter (e.g., a converter). In other words, the power device that charges the battery 50, which is a power storage device, is not limited to the power generation device 30, and may be a charging device or a power converter.

[0149] (13) In the embodiment, the SOC [%] of the secondary battery cell 62 is calculated by the current integration method, and the command value of the charging voltage Vc of the secondary battery cell 62 is determined based on the SOC [%] obtained by the current integration method. The remaining capacity [Ah] of the secondary battery cell 62 may be calculated by the current integration method, and the command value of the charging voltage Vc of the secondary battery cell 62 may be determined based on the remaining capacity [Ah] obtained by the current integration method. In this case, the "remaining capacity-OCV correlation characteristic" can be used instead of the "SOC-OCV correlation characteristic", and the "remaining capacity-Vcs charging voltage curve" can be used instead of the "SOC-Vcs charging voltage curve". In the embodiment, an example in which the SOC is corrected by charging to full charge has been described, but the remaining capacity Cr can also be corrected by charging to full charge.

[0150] Cr = Cro + (∫Idt) (6) Cr: remaining capacity, Cro: initial value of remaining capacity, I: current [Explanation of symbols]

[0151] 10. Automobiles 30 Power Generation System 40 Vehicle ECU (corresponding to the "charging control device" of the present invention) 50 Battery (corresponding to the "energy storage device" of this invention) 60 Battery pack 100 Management device 120 Control device

Claims

1. A charging control device for a storage cell, receiving an SOC or remaining capacity of the storage cell or a plurality of the electrically connected storage cells; determining a command value for a charging voltage of the storage cell or the plurality of storage cells based on the received SOC or remaining capacity; A charge control device for a storage cell, the charge control device increasing the command value for the charging voltage when a charging current for the storage cell or the plurality of storage cells is smaller than a predetermined value.

2. The charge control device for a storage cell according to claim 1, A charging control device for a storage cell, which does not increase the command value of the charging voltage when the duration of a state in which the charging current is smaller than a predetermined value is less than a threshold value.

3. 1. A charging system comprising: A power device that outputs power; a power storage device connected to the power device; A charging control device that controls an output of the power device, The power storage device is A storage cell; a control device that calculates an SOC or a remaining capacity of the storage cell or a plurality of the electrically connected storage cells by a current integration method and transmits the SOC or the remaining capacity to the charging control device; The charging control device includes: determining a command value for a charging voltage of the storage cell or the plurality of storage cells based on the received SOC or remaining capacity; A charging system that controls an output voltage of the power device to the command value and charges the storage cell or the plurality of storage cells.

4. The charging system according to claim 3, The charging control device charges the storage cell or the plurality of storage cells to a full charge, The control device corrects the SOC or remaining capacity calculated by a current integration method to an SOC or remaining capacity when the storage cell or the plurality of storage cells are fully charged.

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