Railway vehicle battery system and control method thereof

Abstract

To provide a railroad vehicle storage battery system in which the number of contactors required to suppress cross current between storage battery groups or storage battery boxes is minimized.SOLUTION: A railroad vehicle storage battery system forms a battery pack and includes one or more storage battery boxes in which a plurality of storage battery groups connected in parallel are housed, a parallelization control unit that maintains the equalized voltages of the plurality of storage battery groups, and group switch devices that are disposed in the storage battery boxes, are connected in series with at least one pole of the corresponding storage battery group, and are provided for the respective groups. The system includes one box switch device that is connected in series with a connection point where the plurality of storage battery groups are connected in parallel at a pole opposite to the pole with which the group switch devices are connected in series. The parallelization control unit establishes parallel connection between the storage battery groups in the storage battery boxes by closing the group switch devices, and establishes parallel connection between the storage battery boxes by closing the group switch devices and the box switch device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a railway vehicle battery system and a control method thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] With recent advances in lithium-ion battery technology, railway vehicles (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicles") that use storage batteries as their energy source, such as hybrid diesel railcars and battery-powered trains, are becoming more common. Storage batteries for running such vehicles are used as energy sources with appropriately high voltage and large capacity by forming battery packs in which single cells (hereinafter referred to as "battery cells" or "batteries") are connected in series and parallel. If there is a voltage difference between multiple batteries connected in parallel, harmful cross currents will occur, and measures must be taken to prevent this. For example, the following Patent Documents 1 to 5 are known as technologies related to this cross current.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of connecting batteries in which a resistor is temporarily inserted in the path of a cross current in order to suppress the cross current. storage battery If there is a voltage difference between the groups, the contactor operates to connect them in parallel through an additional resistor, suppressing the cross current value. storage battery After the voltage between the groups is equalized by a cross current, the resistor is separated and connected to an external load.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a storage battery device and a storage battery control method in which circuit breakers are provided above and below all series-connected groups, and the number of batteries that can be connected in parallel is increased while leveling out the battery voltages by connecting the batteries in order from lowest voltage to highest.

[0005] In addition, in the technology of Patent Document 2, when connecting in parallel without using a resistor, in order to prevent the cross current value from suddenly becoming a large current, storage battery In addition to this, there is also the purpose of preventing electric shock, and this technology storage battery The number of contactors has been increased to ensure reliable disconnection by placing contactors on both the positive and negative sides of the group.

[0006] Patent Document 3 discloses a power storage system and connection method that determines whether the power storage system is in a charge mode, a discharge mode, a connected mode in which the power storage system is connected to a power grid, or an independent mode in which the connection is cut off, and enables multiple power storage devices to be effectively connected to a power conversion device.

[0007] In the technology of Patent Document 3, charge and discharge are controlled based on information that is distinguished between charge operation and discharge operation. In this technology, in the case of charge operation, the low voltage among multiple voltages is selected. storage battery Charging starts sequentially from the group, and the voltage is released storage battery In the case of discharge operation, the technology uses the high voltage storage battery Discharge begins one by one from each group, and the voltage is released. storage battery The groups are connected in parallel in order of matching.

[0008] Patent Document 4 discloses a battery monitoring device that provides one open / close switch on the P side and three on the N side for multiple battery modules, and can sometimes determine abnormalities using a common threshold value and individually disconnect modules that have problems such as abnormalities.

[0009] The battery monitoring device of Patent Document 4 is arranged on the N side of each series group in the battery pack. storage battery The circuit is configured with a group disconnecting contactor and a main relay for disconnecting the battery pack, which is arranged on the opposite side, the P side after parallel connection. With this circuit configuration, when the N side contactor is cut off, each battery pack in the battery pack is disconnected. storage battery The P-side contactor can cut off all the power in the battery pack. storage battery It can block groups at the same time.

[0010] Patent Document 5 discloses a monitoring and control device, a storage battery system, and a method for monitoring and controlling a plurality of battery units and a PCS (Power Conditioning Subsystem) that charges and discharges the battery units, including mathematical formulas that describe cross currents. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-240142 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-120663 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-052559 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-197359 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 2021-125952 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] However, the battery pack of Patent Document 1 requires a resistor that is connected only when the battery is connected in parallel within the battery system, and a circuit that requires multiple contactors that connect via or separate the resistor, which results in a larger system.

[0013] In addition, in the power storage device of Patent Document 2, the circuit that is directly connected in parallel without using a resistor is as follows: storage battery When the voltages of the groups are significantly different, simply changing the order will not be enough to suppress the cross current below the threshold. storage battery There are cases where it is not possible to connect the groups in parallel without external charging and discharging.

[0014] In addition, the battery storage system of Patent Document 3 has storage battery This circuit configuration takes into consideration the case where groups are connected in parallel in one layer. Therefore, Patent Document 3 describes a circuit configuration in which, inside a battery box connected in parallel as in a railway storage battery system, storage battery It does not disclose the circuit configuration when groups are connected in parallel.

[0015] Furthermore, the battery monitoring device in Patent Document 4 is an invention whose main purpose is to ensure reliable shutdown, and does not mention how to close the contactors when a cross current occurs, particularly the order in which to reclose them. Furthermore, Patent Document 4 only discusses one battery pack and does not consider connections between multiple battery packs. Furthermore, Patent Document 5 does not disclose a railway vehicle battery storage system that minimizes the number of contactors required to suppress cross current.

[0016] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using the same. storage battery To provide a battery system for railway vehicles that minimizes the number of contactors required to suppress cross current between groups or between battery boxes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] The present invention, which solves the above problem, storage battery One or more battery boxes containing the battery packs and multiple storage battery a parallelization control unit that maintains each group at an equal voltage; and a parallelization control unit that is disposed in the battery box and storage battery In a battery system for railway vehicles, a battery pack is formed by including a group switchgear for each group, which is connected in series to at least one pole of each group, and a plurality of group switchgears connected in series to the poles opposite to the poles connected in series to each group. storage battery The group has one box opening / closing device connected in series to the connection point where the groups are connected in parallel, and the paralleling control unit closes each group opening / closing device to control the voltages in the storage battery boxes. storage battery The groups are connected in parallel, and the battery boxes are connected in parallel by closing each group switchgear and the box switchgear. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, storage battery It is possible to provide a battery system for railway vehicles that minimizes the number of contactors required to suppress cross current between groups or between battery boxes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram for explaining the concept of cross current. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a battery electric railcar drive system (hereinafter also referred to as "this battery electric railcar drive system") 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of a hybrid diesel railcar drive system (hereinafter also referred to as "this hybrid drive system") 1B according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a railway vehicle battery system (hereinafter referred to as "the battery system") 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 3 is a block diagram showing a parallel control system 200 in the battery electric railcar traction system 1A of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart 300 showing the processing procedure of the parallelization control unit 210 of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart 400 showing a control procedure for running cut-in in the battery electric railcar drive system 1A of FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 7 is a time-series switch opening / closing table and graph showing the cruising range and acceleration force during charging under the parallel control of FIGS. 5 and 6. [Figure 9] 7 is a time-series switch opening / closing table and graph showing the cruising range and acceleration force during discharge under the parallel control of FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101a according to a modified example a. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101b according to a modified example b. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101c according to a modified example c. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101d according to a modified example d. [Figure 14] 5 is a table comparing the effects of battery boxes 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d of modified examples a to d with the battery box 101 of FIG. 4. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a multi-pole contactor 116 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram of a railway vehicle battery system 199 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing a parallel control system 299 applied to the battery system 199 of FIG. 16. [Figure 18] 17 is a flowchart 300 showing the first half of the procedure of parallel control by the battery system 199 of FIG. 16. [Figure 19] 19 is a flowchart 300 showing the latter half of the procedure of the parallelization control of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 17 is a table comparing the effects of battery boxes 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d of modified examples a to d with the battery box 101 of FIG. 16. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] First, the cross current will be explained using FIG. 1 and the following formula (1). Then, the present battery electric train drive system 1A (FIG. 2), the present hybrid drive system 1B (FIG. 3), and the present battery systems 100, 199 (FIGS. 2-4, 16) mounted thereon will be explained using FIG. 4 and other figures. The present battery systems 100, 199, as will be described later using FIG. 4 and other figures, storage battery This minimizes the number of contactors 112, 113 required to suppress cross current between groups 111 or between battery boxes 101. When there is no need to particularly distinguish the battery system 199 of Example 2, the battery systems will be collectively referred to as the battery system 100.

[0021] In addition, here storage battery The group 111 is made up of an appropriate number of battery cells connected in series to obtain the voltage required for the application, and a battery pack is formed via service connectors 114 provided at both poles. The battery box 101 is a box of a size that is convenient for installation and maintenance within the overall battery pack according to the application, and can contain one or more storage batteryThe battery system 100 includes a group 111. Since the battery system 100 is mainly composed of a battery pack, the battery pack referred to here may be considered to be the same as the battery system 100.

[0022] Figure 1 is a circuit diagram to explain the concept of cross current. Cross current is the current that flows in a parallel circuit when there is a voltage difference between batteries connected in parallel. As shown in Figure 1, consider battery 1, which generates voltage V1 across resistor R1, and battery 2, which generates voltage V2 across resistor R2, connected in parallel via external resistor RPar and switch S. The cross current Icro in equation (1) below reaches its maximum value the moment switch S is closed.

[0023] Note that Icro is positive for charging. Cross current flows in the charge direction in the low-voltage battery and in the discharge direction in the high-voltage battery. Cross current is generally at its maximum value at the moment of connection, and gradually attenuates until the open-circuit voltage values ​​(which depend on the charge rate) between the parallel-connected batteries become the same.

[0024]

number

[0025] If the cross current is large, it may damage the battery itself as well as the contactors, fuses, and conductors connected to the battery. storage battery Since all of the groups 111 are connected in parallel and have the same voltage (e.g., 1600 V), no large cross current flows when the contactors 112, 113 are opened and closed when the vehicle system is turned on and off. Note that the vehicle system here refers to the control system that controls the operating state of the entire vehicle in accordance with operating commands higher than the control hierarchy of the battery electric train traction system 1A, the battery system 100, and the vehicle control device 13 (Fig. 5).

[0026] on the other hand, storage batteryThere are two cases where the voltage of at least one of the battery packs 111 and the battery box 101 becomes different from the voltage of other parts of the system. The first case occurs when a battery module in the battery system 100 is partially replaced. Railway vehicles are often used for a longer period of time than the lifespan of the batteries, and partial battery replacement is often required when battery deterioration progresses locally. In this case, the voltages of the newly replaced batteries and the worn-out batteries will not match, so adjustment is required.

[0027] Second, some batteries contain abnormalities. storage battery Even if group 111 is separated from this battery electric train traction system 1A, the remaining storage battery The group 111 can be used to some extent, so the charging rate fluctuates due to charging and discharging. storage battery When group 111 is connected in parallel again, an operation to suppress cross current is required for safety reasons. [Example]

[0028] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the system configuration of this battery electric train traction system 1A. A battery electric train equipped with this battery electric train traction system 1A is a railway vehicle equipped with a chargeable and dischargeable battery system 100 as its traction energy source. In electrified sections, the train receives power from overhead lines, which is used for traction energy and charges the battery system, and in non-electrified sections, the train runs using the battery as its energy source.

[0029] In Figure 2, solid lines indicate power transmission paths, double lines indicate torque transmission paths, and dashed lines indicate transmission paths for information such as control signals and sensor values. This battery-powered electric train traction system 1A functions to run using power from overhead lines in electrified sections and charge the storage battery, and to use the power from the storage battery in non-electrified sections. First, the configuration of each device in this battery-powered electric train traction system 1A will be described.

[0030] This battery electric train drive system 1A is composed of a pantograph 2 that connects it to the overhead line, a converter 5 that converts the overhead line power into the required DC power, a motor inverter 6 that converts the DC power into AC power, a motor 7 that drives the railway vehicle, a reducer 8 that reduces the output of the motor 7 and transmits it to the wheel set 9, an auxiliary inverter device 10, auxiliary equipment 11 used for services such as vehicle lighting and air conditioning, this battery system 100, a driver's cab 12 that has a display and generates driving commands in response to the driver's notch operation, and a vehicle control device 13 that generates control commands for the converter 5, the motor inverter 6, and the auxiliary inverter 10 based on the driving commands sent from the driver's cab 12 and the state of this battery system 100.

[0031] The pantograph 2 is an electric switch that moves up and down, and when it rises and comes into contact with the overhead wire 14, it supplies DC or AC power from the overhead wire 14 to the converter 4. When the pantograph 2 is in contact with the overhead wire 14, the battery-powered electric train runs on power from the overhead wire and charges the battery. On the other hand, when the pantograph 2 is not in contact with the overhead wire 14, the battery-powered electric train uses the power of the battery for motive power, etc.

[0032] Converter 4 receives DC or AC power output from pantograph 2 as input, converts it into DC power corresponding to the commanded amount of power, and outputs it. Motor inverter 6 converts the DC power supplied via converter 5 into three-phase AC power to drive motor 7. Motor 7 receives the three-phase AC power output by motor inverter 6 as input, converts it into shaft torque, and outputs it.

[0033] The reduction gear 8 reduces the rotational speed of the electric motor 7 by combining gears with different numbers of teeth, and the axle torque thus amplified drives the wheel set 9 to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle. A tachograph (not shown) for measuring the vehicle speed is also attached to the wheel set 9. The auxiliary inverter 10 receives the DC power between the converter 5 and the electric motor inverter 6 as input, converts it into three-phase AC power, and outputs it.

[0034] The auxiliary equipment 11 is service equipment such as vehicle lighting and air conditioning, and operates on power supplied from the auxiliary equipment inverter 10. The driver's cab 12 is equipped with a display that displays the time, vehicle speed, battery information, etc., and an input device that the driver uses to input driving commands, etc., to the control device 13. This battery system 100 is a device that stores energy to drive the railway vehicle.

[0035] The cab 12 may be provided with a remote control unit capable of remotely controlling contactors 112, 113 (Fig. 4) and other switching devices. For example, the vehicle may detect a regenerative overvoltage and automatically shut off the switching device of the assembled battery, which is a main component of the battery storage system 100. This situation is displayed on the cab, and the driver may see the display and consult with a maintenance shop, then remotely close the switching device of the assembled battery from the cab 12 and restart the vehicle. The remote control unit is basically used for battery replacement, which is performed while the vehicle is parked for maintenance, and is operated remotely because an arc can fly when a worker inserts or removes the service connector 114, which is dangerous.

[0036] The battery electric train drive system 1A is charged with DC charging power output from the converter 5 and discharged to the motor inverter 6 and the auxiliary inverter 10, and when the vehicle is applying regenerative braking, it is charged with DC charging power output from the motor inverter 6. The vehicle control device 13 outputs control signals to the converter 5, the motor inverter 6, and the auxiliary inverter 10 based on driving commands, the state of the battery electric train 100, the state of the pantograph 2, etc., and controls the entire battery electric train drive system 1A. Note that the battery electric train system 100 is suitable for use in battery electric trains, but is not limited to such use, and is also suitable for use in hybrid diesel railcars, for example.

[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the system configuration of this hybrid drive system 1B. A hybrid diesel railcar equipped with this hybrid drive system 1B is a railway vehicle that is equipped with a storage battery system 100 on a conventional diesel railcar, charges with regenerative power during braking, and provides assistance from the storage battery and motor during power running. A hybrid diesel railcar is a railway vehicle that does not use power from overhead lines, but runs on power generated by the engine and power from the storage battery. The engine does not operate constantly, but starts when continuous acceleration commands are input or when the storage battery's charge rate drops.

[0038] In this hybrid drive system 1B, instead of the overhead line 14 and pantograph 2, the engine 3 has an engine 3 and a generator 4, and outputs a shaft torque according to an engine speed command value from a vehicle control device 13. The generator 4 receives the shaft torque of the engine 3 as an input, converts it into three-phase AC power, and outputs it.

[0039] Converter 5 receives the three-phase AC power output from generator 3, converts it into DC power corresponding to the commanded amount of power, and outputs it. The subsequent system configuration is the same as that of battery electric railcar drive system 1A. The following explanation of Example 1 will be given assuming a battery electric railcar, but the main parts of the invention also apply to hybrid diesel railcars.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of the present battery system 100. The present battery system 100 has multiple battery boxes 101 connected in parallel and is connected to the present battery train traction system 1A via a battery system P terminal 100P and a battery system N terminal 100N. The present battery system 100 is often grounded to a ground point 15 on the P terminal 100P side, the N terminal 100N side, or an intermediate potential point of the present battery system 100. Although the present battery system 100 is illustrated only in the case where the N terminal 100N side is grounded, the present invention is not limited to this configuration.

[0041] The battery box 101 has a housing indicated by a broken line in Fig. 4, and is attached to the railway vehicle as a unit of the housing. A plurality of battery boxes 101 are connected in parallel via a battery box 101P terminal 101P and a battery box 101N terminal 101N, and this battery system 100 is configured. The battery box 101 has a plurality of storage battery It has groups 111, individual group contactors 112, individual box contactors 113, and a service connector (also called a "service plug") 114.

[0042] storage battery A group 111 is a replacement unit in which a plurality of battery modules 201 (FIG. 5) are connected in series or parallel and separated by a service connector 114. This division is designed to be convenient for the mechanism and / or electrical control. storage battery In proportion to the number of battery modules 201 in series in the group 111, storage battery The voltage and capacity of group 111 increases in proportion to the number of parallel storage battery The maximum current and capacity of group 111 increases.

[0043] storage battery The number of series connections in group 111 is designed to provide a voltage that allows converter 5 and motor inverter 6 of this battery electric railcar traction system 1A to operate efficiently. storage battery The number of parallel connections in the group 111 is an integer of 2 or more (FIGS. 10 to 13) within one box. Here, the battery module 201 is a collection of multiple battery cells connected in series or parallel for easy handling. A battery cell is the smallest unit of a battery, with the chemical reaction system of the battery individually packaged.

[0044] Each group contactor 112 is storage battery The battery box contactor 113 is a contactor provided for each battery box 101, and corresponds to the "group switchgear 112 for each group" in the present invention. The battery box contactor 113 is a contactor provided for each battery box 101, and corresponds to the "group switchgear 112 connected in series with the polarity opposite to that of the polarity of the group switchgear 112, and corresponds to the "group switchgear storage batteryThe group 111 corresponds to each box opening / closing device 113 connected in series to the connection point 115N where the group 111 is connected in parallel. The battery box contactor 113 is an opening / closing device that opens and closes the contacts of the circuit by a remote control signal transmitted from the vehicle control device 13.

[0045] There are various types of switchgear, including contactors, relays, circuit breakers, and switches, depending on their switching mechanism, current interruption capacity, and response speed, but any switchgear that opens and closes the circuit contacts with a remote control signal will suffice. Each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 each has one contact and switching mechanism, and all of these contactors can operate independently. The service connector 114 is a switch that opens and closes directly, manually, rather than remotely.

[0046] The service connector 114 is provided between the contactor and the storage battery, but is not limited to this configuration. The service connector 114 is normally closed except during work such as battery replacement, but because it is opened and closed manually, it is unsafe to use it in a situation where cross current occurs during the closing operation.

[0047] In the battery system 100, each group contactor 112 storage battery P side from group 111 and storage battery From the group 111P side connection point 115P to the N side, storage battery Each box contactor 113 is installed in each group 111. storage battery One battery box 101 is installed on the N side of the group 111N side connection point 115N and on the P side of the battery box 101N terminal 101N. In this battery system 100, when the service connector 114 is closed, storage battery The N side of group 111 is already connected. Note that P and N may be reversed in this configuration.

[0048] The battery storage system 100 has three main advantages. First, each group contactor 112 is remotely closed. storage batteryThe groups 111 can be connected in parallel, and an operation to generate a cross current can be performed remotely. Secondly, by closing each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113, the battery boxes 101 can be connected in parallel on a box-by-box basis and connected to the storage battery system 100. Thirdly, by closing each box contactor 113 and opening and closing each group contactor 112 individually, any storage battery Groups 111 can be individually connected to the battery system 100 .

[0049] Figure 5 is a block diagram showing a paralleling control system 200 in the battery electric railcar traction system 1A of Figure 2. The paralleling control system 200 is mainly composed of a vehicle control device 13, multiple battery boxes 101, a pantograph 2, a converter 5, an auxiliary inverter 10, and a cab 12. The configuration and operation of the system will be explained below.

[0050] The battery box 101 includes a plurality of storage battery group 111, battery box control board 205, and each storage battery A current sensor (CT: Current Transformer) 203 is installed in the group 111 and converts the value of the current flowing therethrough into a voltage signal. storage battery The system includes a voltage sensor (PT: Potential Transformer) 204 that is installed in the group 111 and converts the voltage value into a voltage signal, a group contactor 112, and a box contactor 113.

[0051] storage battery The group 111 is made up of multiple battery modules 201. Each battery module 201 is provided with a cell control board 202 that monitors the status of the multiple battery cells contained therein. The cell control board is a board equipped with sensors and communication functions, and in this storage battery system 100, it measures the voltages of all cells in the battery module 201 and the temperature at a representative point, and transmits the results as signals to a battery control board 205.

[0052] The battery box control board 205 is a control board installed in each battery box 101, and includes a battery state analysis unit 206 and an in-box contactor control unit 207. The battery state analysis unit 206 is a calculation unit that analyzes the state of the batteries in the box and transmits information to the vehicle control device 13 and the in-box contactor control unit 207.

[0053] The battery state analysis unit 206 receives as input the cell voltages and temperatures transmitted from all cell control boards 202, the group currents transmitted from all current sensors 203, and the group voltages transmitted from all voltage sensors 204. The battery state analysis unit 206 outputs each group resistance, each group voltage, cell resistance, and each group's maximum cell voltage, which are necessary for paralleling control, to the vehicle control device 13, and outputs a battery abnormality determination to the box contactor control unit 207 and the vehicle control device 13.

[0054] To calculate the cell resistance, for example, the charging rate of each cell is calculated from the battery information, and the resistance is calculated from the battery temperature and resistance degradation rate of each cell. Methods for calculating the charging rate and resistance degradation rate are generally known and will not be described in detail here, but the group current is used in these calculations. The group resistance is calculated as the sum of the component resistances that reflect the series-parallel connection of all the cell resistance values ​​in the storage battery group 111. Each group voltage is a detected value by the voltage sensor 204. The cell voltage is a detected value by the cell controller 202.

[0055] It is most desirable to calculate the cell resistance and cell voltage individually for all cells, but this can be simplified. As an example of simplification, if there are performance limitations of the battery box control board 205 or limitations due to the number of voltage sensors and temperature sensors, it is possible to output the average cell resistance and the voltage of the cell with the highest voltage as the cell voltage. Battery abnormality determination determines whether the battery group voltage, group current, cell voltage, temperature, etc. have reached abnormal values.

[0056] The box-inside contactor control unit 207 is a control unit that operates the contactors in accordance with the contactor operation signal and simultaneously opens the contactors in the event of an abnormality to protect the battery. The box-inside contactor control unit 207 receives as inputs the contactor operation command output from the vehicle control device 13, the battery abnormality determination output from the battery state analysis unit 206, the group contactor states output from all of the group contactors 112, and the box contactor states output from all of the box contactors 113, and outputs group contactor operations to the group contactors 112 and box contactor operations to the box contactors 113.

[0057] The box-inside contactor control unit 207 operates each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 in accordance with a contactor operation command output from the vehicle control device 13. If a battery abnormality determination is input from the battery state analysis unit 206, the box-inside contactor control unit 207 opens each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 in response to the abnormality, regardless of the contactor operation command. In addition, if the state of each group contactor and each box contactor does not match the contactor operation command, the box-inside contactor control unit 207 transmits a contactor operation command again. If the state does not match the contactor operation command for a long period of time, the box-inside contactor control unit 207 transmits a contactor failure determination to the vehicle control device 13.

[0058] Generally, the control board 206 has various other functions in addition to those mentioned above, but these will not be described in detail here. The vehicle control device 13 is a device that controls the entire battery electric train traction system 1A. The paralleling control system 200 integrates information from the entire system and issues instructions for opening and closing contactors and charging and discharging batteries.

[0059] The vehicle control device 13 has a cross current calculation unit 208, a voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209, and a parallelization control unit 210. Generally, the vehicle control device 13 has various other functions in addition to these, but these will not be described in detail here. The cross current calculation unit 208 receives battery status information (each group resistance, each group voltage, cell resistance, cell voltage) from all battery boxes 101, determines whether each contactor can be closed, and outputs the result. Whether a contactor can be closed is determined, for example, based on whether a battery cell is predicted to become overvoltage.

[0060] In this case, the cross current calculation unit 208 first calculates the cross current using the above formula (1), and then calculates the closed circuit voltage CCVi when the cross current flows for battery cell i using the following formula (2): where OCVi is the open circuit voltage of the cell, Ri is the resistance value of battery cell i, and N is storage battery This is the number of parallel battery cells in the group 111.

[0061]

number

[0062] When the closed circuit voltage CCVi at the time of cross current occurrence, defined by the above formula (2), is less than the threshold for determining high voltage abnormality for all battery cells i through which current flows when the contactor is operated, if the cross current is a charging current, or greater than the threshold for determining low voltage abnormality for the cross current is a discharging current, the contactor can be closed; otherwise, it cannot be closed.

[0063] If it is not possible to perform the calculation for all battery cells i, for example, storage battery No high voltage abnormality occurs in the battery cell with the highest open circuit voltage OCVi in group 111. storage battery The open circuit voltage OCVi of group 111 is the lowest, and whether or not a low voltage abnormality occurs is used to determine whether or not the contactor is operable.

[0064] Furthermore, the contactor closing operation is enabled under the condition that the overcurrent does not exceed the upper limit current of the battery cell, module, contactor, cable, fuse (not shown), etc. When the cross current calculation unit 208 determines that the contactor closing operation is not possible due to the occurrence of a cross current, the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209 determines that the parallelization control unit 210 performs parallelization. storage battery Charging or discharging the group 111 or battery box 101 and paralleling storage battery This is a calculation unit that calculates a voltage target value that makes the voltages of the group 111 or the battery box 101 equal.

[0065] The battery status information of all the battery boxes 101 (each group resistance, each group voltage, cell resistance, cell voltage) and the charging possibility vehicle status output by the pantograph 2 are input. storage battery The voltage adjustment target values ​​are output separately to the group 111 and to each battery box 101. In a battery train, whether charging is possible or not depends on the vehicle's location on the line.

[0066] When the overhead wire 14 is present on the vehicle and the pantograph 2 is in contact with the overhead wire 14, charging is possible, and the voltage is made uniform by the charging operation of the converter 5. storage battery The voltage regulation target value of group 111 is the maximum value within each box 101. storage batteryThe voltage regulation target value of each battery box 101 becomes the maximum battery box 101 voltage in the battery system 100.

[0067] On the other hand, when there is no overhead line on the vehicle and the pantograph 2 is not in contact with the overhead line 14, charging is not possible, so the voltage is made uniform by the discharge operation of the auxiliary inverter 10. storage battery The voltage regulation target of group 111 is the lowest value in each box 101. storage battery The voltage regulation target value for each battery box 101 is the minimum battery box 101 voltage within the battery system 100. The safest voltage regulation target value is the minimum or maximum voltage described above, but to shorten the voltage regulation time, there is no problem even if the voltage is within a range where cross currents are generated, as long as the cross currents are within a safe range.

[0068] The paralleling control unit 210 is a control unit that performs contactor opening / closing operations and battery charge / discharge instructions. It receives as inputs the vehicle status (charge availability) output from the pantograph 2, battery abnormality determination and contactor abnormality determination output from all battery boxes 101, contactor closing operation availability determination output from the cross current calculation unit 208, voltage adjustment target value output from the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209, and system startup command / travel interrupt command output from the cab 12, and outputs contactor operation commands for all battery boxes 101, operation commands for the pantograph 2, output commands for the converter 5, output commands for the auxiliary inverter 10, and display information for the cab 12.

[0069] The driver judges the cab 12 display information displayed on the monitor of the cab 12 and issues a command from the cab 12. The main operations of the paralleling control unit 210 are to issue contactor opening and closing commands and to adjust voltage when cross current is expected to occur. After receiving a system start command from the cab 12, the contactor opening and closing command is issued when the cross current calculation unit 208 determines that the contactor closing operation is possible for the contactor to be closed, and if there are no problems in the battery abnormality determination and contactor abnormality determination, the contactor is closed.

[0070] If the cross current calculation unit 208 determines that the contactor closing operation is not possible due to the occurrence of a cross current, the parallelization control unit 210 performs parallelization. storage batteryCharging or discharging the group 111 or battery box 101 and paralleling storage battery The voltages of the group 111 or the battery box 101 are made equal. Here, the order of parallelization is storage battery After the group 111 is paralleled, the battery boxes 101 are paralleled.

[0071] Since charging is possible in the section where the overhead wire is on the vehicle, the paralleling control unit raises the pantograph 2 to contact, operates the converter 5, and then supplies low voltage storage battery The group 111 or battery boxes are individually connected by operating the contactors, and charged up to the target value of the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209. After charging, the cross current calculation unit 208 determines whether the contactors can be closed, and performs parallel connection.

[0072] On the other hand, since charging is not possible in the section where the overhead line is not on the vehicle, the paralleling control unit operates the auxiliary inverter 10 and then storage battery The group 111 or battery box is individually connected by operating the contactor, and discharged to the target value of the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209. After charging, the cross current calculation unit 208 determines whether the contactor can be closed, and performs parallel connection.

[0073] Inside the box storage battery When there are three or more groups 111 or battery boxes 101, and the cross current calculation unit 208 determines that parallelization is possible but the voltages do not match and a certain cross current value occurs, it is generally desirable to connect the batteries in parallel starting from the lowest voltage side, as shown in Patent Document 2. This is because, due to the electrochemical characteristics inside lithium-ion batteries, the problem caused by actual cross current is more serious when the battery exceeds the upper closed circuit voltage limit as shown in Equation (2) above than when the battery exceeds the lower closed circuit voltage limit, so it is safer to gradually align the voltages starting from the low-voltage side where the cross current becomes a charging current.

[0074] FIG. 6 is a flowchart 300 showing the processing procedure of the paralleling control unit 210 in FIG. 5. That is, the paralleling control of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is the overall paralleling control by the paralleling control unit 210 from the start of the vehicle system (S2) to the completion of the paralleling process of the battery system (S30) and the transition to a battery-powered running state. The running interrupt command (S8) is a command that causes the paralleling control unit 210 to interrupt voltage adjustment and transition to a running state midway through the paralleling control flowchart 300 shown in FIG. 6. In start step S1, the paralleling control flowchart 300 by the paralleling control unit 210 starts. At this time, the battery electric railcar traction system 1A is in the off state, and all of the group contactors 112 and all of the box contactors 113 are in the open state. Note that the order of priority for aligning the contacts within each box and then aligning the contacts by box is more convenient for emergency running. For example, a battery electric railcar can be powered with only one box.

[0075] In vehicle system on determination step S2, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether the vehicle system key is on. If the key is on, the parallelization control unit 210 proceeds to the next step, and if the key is off, the parallelization control unit 210 returns to S2. In battery state analysis step S3, the battery box control boards 205 in all boxes analyze the battery state (each group resistance, each group voltage, cell resistance, cell voltage) and battery abnormality determination of each battery box 101, and send the results to the vehicle control device 13.

[0076] In the target box selection step S4, the parallelization control unit 210 storage battery Select the target box i for parallelizing the group 111. The order of i can be arbitrary, but in order to maximize the number of available battery boxes 101 when moving to the running interrupt, storage battery It is desirable to carry out the parallelization control in order of the amount of charge / discharge required for voltage adjustment of the group 111. In addition, it is desirable to postpone the parallelization control for those that have been determined to have a battery abnormality or a contactor abnormality, since this is disadvantageous for emergency driving.

[0077] In the inter-group cross current calculation step S5, the parallelization control unit 210 calculates the cross current value when the cross current calculation unit 208 closes each group contactor 112 in the battery box 101, and determines whether the inter-group cross current value is small and whether safe parallelization is possible. storage battery When there are three or more groups 111, the cross current value is calculated when paralleling is performed from the low voltage side.

[0078] In the inter-group cross current safety determination step S6, if it is determined in the inter-group cross current calculation step S5 that the inter-group cross current value is small and safe parallel connection is possible, the process proceeds to the each group contactor closing step S7. In the inter-group cross current safety determination step S6, if it is determined that the inter-group cross current value is large and safe parallel connection is not possible, the process proceeds to the inter-group voltage adjustment from the traveling interrupt determination step S8 to the each box contactor opening step S16.

[0079] In each group contactor closing step S7, the parallelization control unit 210 closes each group contactor 112 in each battery box i within a range where the inter-group cross current value is small and safe parallel connection is possible based on the contactor closing decision calculated by the cross current calculation unit 208. storage battery The group 111 is connected in parallel. If the paralleling control unit 210 receives a traveling cut-in command from the cab 12 as the first stage of inter-group voltage adjustment in the traveling cut-in determination step S8, it interrupts the inter-group voltage adjustment and proceeds to each group contactor closing step S7.

[0080] In the travel interrupt determination step S8, the parallelization control unit 210 does not necessarily operate at a single point between steps S6 and S8, but always operates between steps S8 to S16, which are voltage adjustment operations, and if a travel interrupt command is issued, it may proceed to step S7 for closing the contactors of each group. storage battery A target group k is selected for parallelizing the group 111. The order of k may be arbitrary, but it is desirable to postpone the processing of those for which a battery abnormality judgment or contactor abnormality judgment has occurred.

[0081] In the chargeable state determination step S10, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether the vehicle state is chargeable or not corresponding to the contact state of the pantograph 2 with the overhead wire, and determines whether the voltage adjustment is to be performed by charging or discharging, and the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209 calculates the voltage adjustment target value. When the pantograph 2 is in contact with the overhead wire 14 and charging is possible, the parallelization control unit 210 sets the voltage adjustment target value to the maximum storage battery On the other hand, if the pantograph 2 is not in contact with the overhead line 14 and charging is not possible, the voltage adjustment target value is set to the minimum storage battery The group 111 voltage is set, and the process proceeds to discharge group connection step S13.

[0082] In the charging group connection step S11, the parallelization control unit 210 storage battery If group 111k needs to be charged at a voltage lower than the voltage regulation target value, storage battery Each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 corresponding to group 111k are connected to the battery electric train drive system 1A, and the battery electric train drive system 1A is set in a chargeable state. storage battery If group 111k has a voltage higher than the voltage regulation target value and charging is not required, proceed to the next step.

[0083] The parallelization control unit 210 storage battery In group 111 charging step S12, storage battery If the group 111k needs to be charged at a voltage lower than the voltage regulation target value, the converter 5 is activated to storage battery Charge group 111k to the voltage regulation target value. storage battery If group 111k is at a voltage higher than the voltage regulation target value and charging is not required, proceed to the next step.

[0084] In the discharge group connection step S13, the parallelization control unit 210 storage battery If discharge is required because group 111k is at a higher voltage than the voltage regulation target value, storage battery Each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 corresponding to group 111k are connected to the battery electric train traction system 1A, and the battery electric train is put into a dischargeable state. storage batteryIf the voltage of group 111k is lower than the voltage regulation target value and no discharge is required, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0085] The parallelization control unit 210 storage battery In group 111 discharge step S14, storage battery When discharge is required because the voltage of the group 111k is higher than the voltage regulation target value, the auxiliary inverter 10 is started. storage battery Discharge group 111k to the voltage regulation target value. storage battery If the voltage of group 111k is lower than the voltage regulation target value and no discharge is required, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0086] In the intergroup voltage adjustment completion determination step S15, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether the cross current calculation unit 208 can close the contactor again. storage battery If the voltage adjustment of the group 111 is not completed and all the group contactors 112 cannot be closed, the process returns to before the traveling interruption determination step S8, and the next storage battery Proceed to voltage regulation of group 111. Conversely, all storage battery When the voltage adjustment of the group 111 is completed and it is determined that each group contactor 112 can be closed, the process proceeds to step S16 of opening each box contactor.

[0087] In each box contactor opening step S16, the paralleling control unit 210 opens each box contactor 113. This is to isolate the battery box 101i from the battery electric train traction system 1A and to prevent cross current from flowing between the battery boxes 101i and 101i+1 when the voltage of the battery box 101i+1 is next adjusted. At this time, each group contactor 112 can be in the closed state.

[0088] After the step S16 of opening the contactors of each box, the parallelization control unit 210 merges into the step S7 of closing the contactors of each group. storage battery The parallelization control unit 210 determines whether the voltage adjustment between the groups 111 has been completed. If it has not been completed, the parallelization control unit 210 returns to the target box selection step S4, sets the target battery box for voltage adjustment to the next i+1, and repeats the voltage adjustment process within the box. Conversely, in all the battery boxes 101, storage batteryIf voltage regulation of group 111 is complete, proceed to the next step.

[0089] In inter-box cross current calculation step S18, the parallelization control unit 210 calculates the cross current value when the cross current calculation unit 208 closes each box contactor 113 in the battery system 100 with each group contactor 112 in the closed state at the end of step S17, and determines whether the inter-box cross current value is small and safe parallelization is possible. If the result of this determination is that there are three or more battery boxes 101, the parallelization control unit 210 calculates the cross current value when paralleling is performed from the low-voltage side.

[0090] If the paralleling control unit 210 determines in inter-box cross current safety determination step S19 that the inter-box cross current value is small and safe parallel connection is possible in inter-box cross current calculation step S18, the process proceeds to each box contactor closing step S20. Conversely, if the paralleling control unit 210 determines that the inter-box cross current value is large and safe parallel connection is impossible, the process proceeds to inter-box voltage adjustment from traveling interrupt determination step S21 to inter-box voltage adjustment completion determination step S29.

[0091] In the each box contactor closing step S20, the parallelization control unit 210 closes each box contactor 113 in the battery system 100 to connect the battery boxes 101 in parallel, based on the contactor closure determination calculated by the cross current calculation unit 208, within a range where the inter-box cross current value is small and safe parallel connection is possible.

[0092] Figure 7 is a flowchart 400 showing the control procedure for running cut-in in the battery electric railcar traction system 1A of Figure 2. In running cut-in determination step S21 in Figure 6, as in running cut-in determination step S8, when the paralleling control unit 210 receives a running cut-in command from the cab 12 as the first stage of inter-box voltage adjustment, the paralleling control unit 210 interrupts inter-box voltage adjustment and proceeds to running cut-in start step T1 in the running cut-in control flowchart 400 of Figure 7. The paralleling control unit 210 powers the boxes using the power of the box with the higher voltage, and when that voltage drops and becomes equal, the boxes are combined.

[0093] The parallelization control unit 210 does not necessarily operate the running interruption determination step S21 at a single point between steps S19 and S22, but may operate it constantly during the voltage adjustment operations from S22 to S29. When a running interruption command is issued, the parallelization control unit 210 may proceed to start step T1 of the running interruption control flowchart 400.

[0094] In a target box selection step S22, the parallelization control unit 210 selects a target box i for paralleling the battery boxes 101 in the battery system. The order of i may be arbitrary, but it is desirable to select a box for which a battery abnormality or contactor abnormality has been determined to have occurred later. In a chargeability status determination step S23, the parallelization control unit 210 determines the chargeability vehicle status corresponding to the contact status of the pantograph 2 with the overhead wire, as in the chargeability status determination step S10. Based on the determination result, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether voltage adjustment should be performed by charging or discharging. At this time, the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209 calculates the voltage adjustment target value.

[0095] If the pantograph 2 is in contact with the overhead line 14 and charging is possible, the parallelization control unit 210 sets the voltage adjustment target value to the maximum battery box voltage and proceeds to step S24 for connecting a charging box. Conversely, if the pantograph 2 is not in contact with the overhead line 14 and charging is not possible, the voltage adjustment target value is set to the minimum battery box voltage and proceeds to step S26 for connecting a discharging box.

[0096] In charging box connection step S24, similar to charging group connection step S11, if the target battery box i has a lower voltage than the voltage adjustment target value and needs to be charged, the parallelization control unit 210 connects each box contactor 113 corresponding to the target battery box i (at this time, each group contactor 112 is already closed).The parallelization control unit 210 then connects each box contactor 113 corresponding to the target battery box i to the battery electric train traction system 1A, making it ready for charging.Conversely, if the target battery box i has a higher voltage than the voltage adjustment target value and does not need to be charged, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0097] In the battery box charging step S25, the parallelization control unit 210 storage batteryAs in group 111 charging step S12, if the target battery box i has a voltage lower than the voltage regulation target value and needs to be charged, the converter 5 is activated to charge the target battery box i up to the voltage regulation target value. Conversely, if the target battery box i has a voltage higher than the voltage regulation target value and does not need to be charged, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0098] In discharge box connection step S26, similar to discharge group connection step S13, if the target battery box i has a higher voltage than the voltage adjustment target value and discharge is required, the parallelization control unit 210 connects each box contactor 113 corresponding to the target battery box i (at this time, each group contactor 112 is already closed).The parallelization control unit 210 then connects each corresponding box contactor 113 to the battery electric train traction system 1A, enabling discharge.Conversely, if the target battery box i has a lower voltage than the voltage adjustment target value and discharge is not required, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0099] In battery box discharging step S27, similar to battery box discharging step S14, if the voltage of the target battery box i is higher than the voltage adjustment target value and discharging is required, the parallelization control unit 210 starts the auxiliary inverter 10 to discharge the target battery box i to the voltage adjustment target value. Conversely, if the voltage of the target battery box i is lower than the voltage adjustment target value and discharging is not required, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0100] In each box contactor opening step S28, the paralleling control unit 210 opens the box contactor 113 of each battery box 101i. This is to isolate the battery box 101i from the battery electric train traction system 1A and to prevent cross current from flowing between the battery boxes 101i and 101i+1 when the voltage of the battery box 101i+1 is next adjusted. At this time, the group contactor 112 can be closed.

[0101] In box-to-box voltage adjustment completion determination step S29, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether voltage adjustment has been completed for all battery boxes 101, similar to step S17 for determining completion of voltage adjustment between all box groups. If not completed, the process returns to target box selection step S22, the next battery box (i+1) is selected for voltage adjustment, and the voltage adjustment process within the box is repeated. If voltage adjustment has been completed for all battery boxes 101, the parallelization control unit 210 proceeds to step S20 for closing the contactors of each box.

[0102] The parallelization control unit 210 completes the parallelization process in the end step S30, and the battery system 100 is connected to the battery train drive system 1A, and is in a battery-powered running state. storage battery By making it possible to individually adjust the voltage of group 111 and all battery boxes, storage battery The system 100 storage battery Any combination of voltages of the group 111 and the battery box 101 is acceptable. Furthermore, regardless of whether the railcar is in a charging state or not, all storage battery The voltages of the group 111 and the battery box 101 can be adjusted individually and connected in parallel within a safe cross current value range.

[0103] Now, these charging and discharging operations for voltage adjustment require a certain amount of time. In the battery electric train drive system 1A, it is desirable to have all the battery boxes 101 in the battery system 100 and the battery compartments therein. storage battery It is desirable to start running after group 111 is connected in parallel, but in an emergency, it is necessary to be able to start running even if maximum output is not available.

[0104] Therefore, when a running interrupt command is output from the cab 12, it is necessary to interrupt the voltage adjustment operation shown in the flowchart 300 and immediately make the battery system 100 ready for charging and discharging. In this case, even if not all the batteries are connected in parallel, each storage battery Since the group 111 has a voltage that can operate the motor inverter 6, it is possible to run at low power.

[0105] Furthermore, in the actual storage battery system 100, due to issues such as division of control, storage battery If all the groups 111 are not connected in parallel, the battery box 101 may not be able to be connected to the storage battery system 100. In such a case, first check the storage battery In an emergency, it is important to adjust the voltage between the groups 111 and make each battery box 101 connectable to the storage battery system 100.

[0106] Therefore, the parallelization control flowchart 300 shown in FIG. 6 is storage battery This system is characterized by the fact that voltage adjustment between battery boxes 101 is performed after voltage adjustment for all of the groups 111 has been completed. This allows the voltages in each battery box to be equalized as quickly as possible, and even if a running interrupt command is issued during voltage adjustment, the battery boxes 101 are used one by one starting with the high-voltage battery box, and the voltage of the battery box 101 in use drops as it is used, and each time the voltage of the battery box 101 in use becomes equal to that of the unused battery box 101, the battery box 101 is connected in parallel again, thereby maximizing the distance that can be traveled.

[0107] This will be explained using a control flowchart 400 for a driving cut-in. Fig. 7 shows the control flowchart 400 for a driving cut-in according to the first embodiment of the present invention. At an arbitrary point in the parallelization control flowchart 300 in Fig. 6, a driving cut-in is issued by the vehicle system, and the method of using the storage battery when a driving cut-in is performed is shown from the driving cut-in start step T1.

[0108] The vehicle system starts the control procedure of the control flowchart 400 for driving interruption at driving interruption start step T1 in Figure 7. Driving interruption start step T1 in Figure 7 is the same as that in Figure 6. At this time, in accordance with the paralleling control flowchart 300, in this battery system 100, each group contactor 112 is in the closed state and all individual box contactors 113 are in the open state within the range where there are no cross current value problems in all battery boxes 101.

[0109] In usable battery box determination step T2, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether each battery box 101 can be used individually. "Individually usable" means that the battery boxes 101 can run if they are individually connected to the battery electric train traction system 1A, regardless of the cross current value when the boxes are connected in parallel.

[0110] The criteria for judgment are the battery abnormality judgment, contactor abnormality judgment, and the closed state of each group contactor output by the battery box control board 205 (Fig. 5). The closed state of each group contactor is determined based on the division of control of the actual battery system. storage battery It is assumed that the battery box 101 cannot be connected to the storage battery system 100 unless all of the groups 111 are connected in parallel.

[0111] In the highest voltage box connection step T3, the battery box control board 205 closes the box contactors 113 of each battery box 101 that the cross current calculation unit 208 has determined can be connected in parallel, starting with the battery box 101 with the highest voltage among the usable battery boxes 101 determined in step T3, and connects the battery train drive system 1A to a state where it can run.

[0112] In running step T4, the battery electric train traction system 1A runs using the power of the battery system 100. During this time, the voltage of the used batteries 101 drops as the charging rate decreases. In box voltage matching step T5, it is determined that the voltage of the battery boxes 101 whose voltage has dropped due to running and the voltage of the usable battery boxes 101 that are not yet in use because the box-to-box contactors 113 are open have become the same.

[0113] This determination depends on the accuracy of the battery's open-circuit voltage, but because this accuracy decreases as the current value increases, it is desirable to make the determination at a current value below a certain level. In each box contactor closing step T6, the parallelization control unit 210 closes the inter-box contactor 113 of an unused battery box 101 whose voltage has been determined to be the same in box voltage matching step T5, thereby connecting that battery box 101 in parallel to the storage battery system 100. At this time, the voltages of the battery box in use and the newly connected battery box are nearly the same, so the cross current is small.

[0114] In all-box parallelization determination step T7, the parallelization control unit 210 determines whether all usable battery boxes 101 are connected in parallel. If not all are connected in parallel, the parallelization control unit 210 returns to the step before traveling step T4, and if all are connected in parallel, the parallelization control unit 210 proceeds to the next step.

[0115] The parallelization control unit 210 ends the running interruption control flowchart in end step T8. At this time, all available battery boxes 101 are parallelized. Next, the parallelization control system 200 in FIG. 5 will be shown. The cab transmission information issued from the parallelization control unit 210 to the cab 12 will be described.

[0116] The cab transmission information is used by the driver to check the progress of the paralleling control and to provide information on whether or not to issue a running interrupt command during the paralleling control flowchart 300. Typical cab transmission information includes the contactor open / close status, storage battery The information includes the group 111 voltage, the voltage of each battery box 101, the remaining voltage adjustment time, the cruising range, and the maximum acceleration force.

[0117] Contactor opening / closing information, each storage battery The group 111 voltage and each battery box 101 voltage are the same as the contactor opening / closing information for all the contactors in the battery system 100. storage battery The voltage of the battery group 111 and the voltage of each battery box 101. The remaining voltage adjustment time is the time remaining until the parallelization control flowchart 300 is completed. storage battery This is a value calculated according to the voltage of the group 111 and each battery box 101, their battery capacities, the chargeable speed of the converter 5, and the dischargeable speed of the auxiliary inverter 10.

[0118] The rate of voltage regulation is predictable, so that the parallelizable voltages are calculated as voltage regulation continues at each future point in time. storage battery The number of battery boxes in the group 111 and the voltage at that time can be predicted. The cruising range is calculated based on the state of the battery system 100 at the time the driving interrupt command is issued at each point in time from the present to the future. storage batteryThe figure shows the cruising range when the group 111, the battery box, is used and the vehicle is driven according to the control procedure of the driving cut-in control flowchart 400.

[0119] The maximum acceleration force is the maximum acceleration force available at each point in time from the present to the future in the state of the battery system 100 at the time when the travel interrupt command is issued. storage battery This shows the maximum acceleration force using group 111, the battery box. This maximum acceleration force is a value that increases as the number of paralleled boxes increases according to the control procedure of the travel interruption control flowchart 400. However, in many cases, the maximum acceleration force at the stage with the fewest paralleled boxes is of concern, so it is sufficient to display the initial value.

[0120] Since the cruising range and maximum acceleration force are values ​​that change as the voltage regulation progresses, it is necessary to display in the cab 12 how they will change over the duration of the voltage regulation. Furthermore, the behavior differs depending on whether the voltage regulation corresponds to charging or discharging. The voltage regulation for charging and discharging will be described later using Figures 8 and 9. Here, unlike the example in Figure 4, this battery system 100 has two battery boxes 101, each of which has two storage battery An example in which group 111 is stored will be described.

[0121] Although not shown in the figure, storage battery The voltage of group 111 is group 1 > group 2, and the voltage of each box after adjusting the voltage of each group is also box 1 > box 2. The time required to adjust the voltage of each group is shorter for box 1 than for box 2, and it is assumed that the voltage adjustment of each group inside box 1 begins. Note that the voltage difference between each group and box is large, and parallel connection is not possible without voltage adjustment. To drive this battery electric train drive system 1A, all the voltages inside the boxes are adjusted. storage battery Group 111 requires one or more battery boxes connected in parallel. Therefore, without voltage regulation, there is no battery box 101 that can operate this battery electric train drive system 1A, and the maximum acceleration force P and cruising range L are zero.

[0122] Figure 8 shows a time-series switch open / close table and graph of the range and acceleration force during charging under the parallel control of Figures 5 and 6. Figure 8 illustrates an example of driving while charging, in which the control procedure of the parallel control flowchart 300 of Figure 6 is executed by charging. The table in Figure 8 shows the operation of each group contactor 112, each box contactor 113, and converter 5 of the two battery boxes 101, and the graph in Figure 8 shows the dependency of maximum acceleration force P and range L on voltage adjustment time.

[0123] The maximum acceleration force P and cruising range L correspond to the values ​​when a driving interrupt command is received at that time. The horizontal position of the table and the voltage adjustment time axis of the graph are assumed to match. The operation of this diagram will be explained according to the voltage adjustment time axis. Note that maximum acceleration force P and cruising range L will be abbreviated as P and L hereafter.

[0124] Start step V1 is a step that indicates the start state of the parallelization control flowchart 300. All group contactors 112 and box contactors 113 in the battery system 100 are in the open state, and the converter 5 is in the stopped state. At this time, based on the preconditions at the start, there are no battery boxes 101 that can operate the battery electric train traction system 1A, and P and L are 0.

[0125] In the first box inter-group voltage adjustment step V2, each group voltage in the first box is adjusted, and after the adjustment, the first box is connected in parallel. At this time, in order to charge group 2 in box 1, each group contactor 112 in group 1 in box 1 is open, each group contactor 112 and each group contactor 113 in group 2 in box 1 are closed, and all contactors in box 2 are open, and converter 5 is in charging operation.

[0126] At this time, group 2 in box 1 is charging, but for a while it is not possible to connect the groups in parallel, so P and L are 0. If we take t1 as the time when the voltages become close enough to allow parallel connection, then P and L are 0 up until time t1. After time t1, a certain amount of cross current occurs, but the group becomes connectable, and P and L increase discontinuously.

[0127] Thereafter, P and L continuously increase as group 2 of 1 is charged. When the inter-group voltage adjustment of box 1 is completed, P is set to P1 and L is set to L1. At the end of step V2, each box contactor 113 of box 1 is opened and all group contactors 112 are closed, connecting the inside of box 1 in parallel. In the second intra-box inter-group voltage adjustment step V3, the group voltages in the second box are adjusted, and after the adjustment, the inside of the second box is connected in parallel.

[0128] At this time, to charge Group 2 in Box 2, each group contactor 112 in Group 1 in Box 2 is open, each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 in Group 2 in Box 2 are closed, all group contactors 112 in Box 1 are closed, and each box contactor 113 is open, and the converter 5 is in charging operation. At this time, Group 2 in Box 2 is being charged. As with Box 1, if the voltages between the groups become close enough to enable parallel connection at time t2, P and L are P1 and L1 until time t2. After time t2, a certain amount of cross current occurs, but parallel connection is possible, and L increases discontinuously because two storage battery boxes 101 become available according to the traveling interrupt control 400. Thereafter, L increases continuously as Group 2 in Box 2 is charged.

[0129] On the other hand, P is a value that can be used immediately after a cut-in, so it remains unchanged from P1. If P is P2 and L is L2 when inter-group voltage adjustment in Box 2 is complete, then P becomes P1 and L becomes L1+L2 for the entire battery system 100. At the end of step V3, each box contactor 113 in Box 2 is opened, and all group contactors 112 are closed, connecting Box 2 in parallel.

[0130] In the inter-box voltage adjustment step V4, the voltage of each box in the system is adjusted, and after that adjustment, the boxes are connected in parallel. At this time, in order to charge all groups in box 2, all contactors in box 2 are closed, all group contactors 112 in box 1 are closed, and each box contactor 113 is open, and converter 5 is in charging operation. At this time, box 2 is charged, and if the time when the voltage becomes close enough to box 1 and parallel connection becomes possible is t3, P and L are P1 and L1 + L2 until time t3, and after time t3, a certain cross current occurs, but parallel connection is possible.

[0131] Since two battery boxes 101 are available for use, L increases continuously even though it is time t3. On the other hand, since P is a value that can be used in the situation immediately after a running interruption, it does not change from P1 until time t3 when the two boxes can be used in parallel, increases discontinuously at t3, and then increases continuously thereafter.

[0132] At the end of step V4, the voltage state of box 2 becomes the same as that of high-voltage box 1, so P becomes 2P1 and L becomes 2L1 throughout the battery system 100. Step V5 is the state where voltage adjustment is complete and the vehicle is in standby mode. At this time, all contactors 112 and 113 in the battery system 100 are closed, and the converter 5 is stopped.

[0133] FIG. 9 is a time-series graph of the cruising range and acceleration force during discharging in the paralleling control of FIGS. 5 and 6. In other words, the control procedure of the paralleling control flowchart 300 of FIG. 6 is executed by discharging. Here, discharging is performed by operating the auxiliary inverter 10 instead of charging the converter 5. Start step W1 is a step indicating the start state of the paralleling control flowchart 300. All group contactors 112 and box contactors 113 in the battery system 100 are open, and the auxiliary inverter 10 is stopped. At this time, based on the preconditions at the start, there are no battery boxes 101 that can operate the battery electric train traction system 1A, and P and L are 0.

[0134] In the first box inter-group voltage adjustment step W2, each group voltage in the first box is adjusted, and after the adjustment, the first box is connected in parallel. At this time, in order to discharge group 1 of box 1, each group contactor 112 of group 2 of box 1 is opened, each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 of group 1 of box 1 are closed, all contactors of box 2 are opened, and the auxiliary inverter 10 is in discharging operation.

[0135] At this time, group 1 in box 1 is discharging, but for a while it is not possible to connect the groups in parallel, so P and L are 0. If we take t1 as the time when the voltages become close enough to allow parallel connection, then P and L are 0 up until time t1. After time t1, a certain amount of cross current occurs, but the group becomes capable of being connected in parallel, and P and L increase discontinuously.

[0136] Thereafter, P and L continuously decrease as group 1 in box 1 is discharged. When the inter-group voltage adjustment of box 1 is completed, P is set to P1 and L is set to L1. At the end of step W2, each box contactor 113 in box 1 is opened and all group contactors 112 are closed, connecting the inside of box 1 in parallel. In the second intra-box inter-group voltage adjustment step W3, each group voltage in the second box is adjusted, and after the adjustment, the inside of the second box is connected in parallel.

[0137] At this time, to discharge group 1 in box 2, each group contactor 112 in group 2 in box 2 is open, each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 in group 1 in box 2 are closed, all group contactors 112 in box 1 are closed, and each box contactor 113 is open, and the auxiliary inverter 10 is in discharging operation. At this time, group 1 in box 2 is discharging. As with box 1, if the voltages between the groups become close enough to enable parallel connection at time t2, P and L are P1 and L1 until time t2. After time t2, a certain amount of cross current occurs, but the state becomes one in which parallel connection is possible, and L increases discontinuously as the traveling interrupt control 400 enables the use of two storage battery boxes 101.

[0138] Thereafter, L decreases continuously as Group 2 in Box 2 is discharged. Meanwhile, P remains unchanged from P1 because it is a value that can be used immediately after a cut-in. If P is P2 and L is L2 when inter-group voltage adjustment in Box 2 is complete, then P becomes P1 and L becomes L1+L2 for the entire battery system 100. At the end of step W3, each box contactor 113 in Box 2 is opened, and all group contactors 112 are closed, connecting Box 2 in parallel.

[0139] In the inter-box voltage adjustment step W4, the voltage of each box in the system is adjusted, and after that adjustment, the boxes are connected in parallel. At this time, to discharge all groups in box 1, all contactors in box 1 are closed, all group contactors 112 in box 2 are closed, and each box contactor 113 is open, and the auxiliary inverter 10 is in discharging operation. At this time, box 1 is discharged, and the voltage becomes close enough to box 2 so that parallel connection is possible. If the time is t3, P and L are P1 and L1 + L2 until time t3, and after time t3, a certain cross current occurs, but parallel connection is possible.

[0140] Since two battery boxes 101 are available for use, L decreases continuously regardless of time t3. On the other hand, P is a value that can be used in the situation immediately after a driving interruption, so it does not change from P1 until time t3 when the two boxes can be connected in parallel, at which point it increases discontinuously and then decreases continuously. At the end of step W4, the voltage state of box 1 becomes the same as that of box 2, which has a low voltage, so P becomes 2P2 and L becomes 2L2 for the entire battery system 100.

[0141] Step W5 is the state where voltage regulation is complete and the vehicle is in standby mode. At this time, all contactors in the system are closed, and the auxiliary inverter 10 is stopped. As shown here, when regulating voltage by discharging, the longer the discharge time is from the point where paralleling becomes possible, the smaller P and L become. Therefore, when regulating voltage by discharging, the range in which parallel connection is allowed even if some cross current occurs can be relaxed compared to when regulating voltage by charging, as long as the components that make up the battery system are not damaged.

[0142] Here, the vehicle control device 13 determines whether the remaining driving distance L is equal to or greater than the remaining distance to important locations such as the next station where charging is possible or a location where passengers can disembark in a tunnel or bridge, and displays this information on the driver's cab 12 to assist the driver in determining whether to cut in. From here, the features and advantages of the circuit configuration of the battery box 101 in Figure 4 shown in Example 1 will be described.

[0143] 10 to 13 are circuit diagrams showing battery boxes 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d with circuit configurations according to modified examples a to d. Fig. 14 is a table comparing the effects of battery boxes 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d of modified examples a to d with the battery box 101 of Fig. 4. The circuit configuration and effects of each feature will be explained one by one below.

[0144] In the battery box 101 of FIG. 4, each group contactor 112 storage battery P side of group 111, and storage battery A plurality of electrodes are arranged closer to the N side than the connection point 115P on the group 111P side. storage battery In addition, in the storage battery box 101, each box contactor 113 is storage battery One is installed per battery box 101 on the N side of the connection point 115N on the group 111N side and closer to the P side of the terminal 101N of the battery box 101N.

[0145] The features of this circuit configuration will be explained one by one for rows No. 1 (first) to No. 7 (seventh) in FIG. 14. First, storage battery Whether or not parallel connection between groups 111 can be performed using contactors can be achieved by closing each group contactor 112. Secondly, whether or not parallel connection between boxes can be performed using contactors can be achieved by closing all group contactors 112 and box contactors 113 in the box.

[0146] Third, inside the box storage battery Whether the voltage of each group 111 can be adjusted individually is determined by the storage battery Each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 connected in series to the group 111 are closed, and storage battery This can be achieved by opening each group contactor 112 connected in series to the group 111. storage battery Regarding whether the parallel connection of group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be implemented separately, storage battery The group 111 can be operated separately by closing each group contactor 112, and between the boxes by closing each box contactor 113.

[0147] Fifth, whether the external connection terminals 101P and 101N of the battery box can be put into a power outage state can be determined by opening each group contactor 112 for 101P, and by opening each box contactor 113 for 101N. Sixth, whether the earth fault current can be interrupted can be determined by opening each box contactor 113. Seventh, the number of contactors in the box [pieces / box] is storage battery The number of groups is N, and there are N+1 [pieces / box].

[0148] 10 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101a according to a modified example. In the battery box 101a, the group contactor 112 does not exist, and the box contactor 113 is storage battery P side from group 111 and storage battery The N side from the group 111P side connection point 115P and each storage battery North side of group 111 and storage battery Two are installed per battery box 101 on the P side of the group 111N-side connection point 115N.

[0149] The features of this circuit configuration will be explained one by one for the No. (1)1 to No. (7) rows in Figure 14. First, storage battery Regarding whether parallel connection between groups 111 can be achieved using contactors, it is not possible. Secondly, regarding whether parallel connection between boxes can be achieved using contactors, it can be achieved by closing both the P side and N side of each box contactor 113.

[0150] Third, inside the box storage battery It is not possible to adjust the voltage of each group 111 individually. storage battery Whether the parallel connection of group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be implemented separately is determined by the storage battery This is not possible because parallel connection between groups 111 cannot be achieved using contactors. Fifth, the external connection terminals 101P, 101N of the battery boxes can be put into a power outage state by opening both the P side and the N side of the contactor 113 of each box.

[0151] Sixth, whether or not the earth fault current can be interrupted can be determined by opening each box contactor 113 on the N side. Seventh, the number of contactors in the box [pieces / box] is storage battery The number of groups 111 is N, which is the minimum value of 2 [units / box]. Fig. 11 is a circuit diagram showing a storage battery box 101b having a circuit configuration according to a modification of the first embodiment. In the battery box 101b, storage battery Each group contactor 113 is installed on the P side and N side of the group 111, one by one.

[0152] The features of this circuit configuration will be explained one by one for rows No. 1 (first) to No. 7 (seventh) in FIG. 14. First, storage battery Whether or not parallel connection between groups 111 can be performed by a contactor is determined by examining each group contactor 112. storage battery This can be achieved by closing both the P-side and N-side in the group 111. Secondly, as to whether parallel connection between boxes can be achieved by a contactor, the contactors 112 in each group can be connected to all the boxes. storage battery This can be achieved by closing both the P side and the N side of the group 111.

[0153] Third, inside the box storage battery Whether the voltage of each group 111 can be adjusted individually is determined by the storage battery The group contactors 112 on both the P-side and N-side connected in series with the group 111 are closed, and the non-target storage battery This can be achieved by opening at least one of the P side and N side of each group contactor 112 connected in series to the group 111. storage battery Whether the parallel connection of the group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be performed separately can be determined by closing the group contactors 112 on the P and N sides. storage battery This is not possible because the groups 111 are connected in parallel and the battery box 101 is connected to the battery system 100.

[0154] In a limited sense, this is possible if all the contactors of the other battery boxes 101 are open, but this is not general to the contactor states of the other battery boxes 101. Fifth, whether the external connection terminals 101P, 101N of the battery boxes can be put into a power outage state can be achieved by opening all of the group contactors 112. Sixth, whether the earth fault current can be interrupted can be achieved by opening the group box contactors 112 on the N side. Seventh, the number of contactors in the box [pieces / box] is storage battery The number of groups is N, which is 2N [pieces / box].

[0155] 12 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101c having a circuit configuration according to a modification of the first embodiment. storage battery North side of group 111 and storage battery From the connection point 115N on the group 111N side to the P side storage battery Each box contactor 113 is installed in each group 111. storage battery One is installed per battery box 101 on the N side of the group 111N side connection point 115N and on the P side of the battery box 101N terminal 101N.

[0156] The features of this circuit configuration will be explained one by one for No. 1 to No. 7 in Figure 14. First, storage battery Whether parallel connection between groups 111 can be performed using contactors can be achieved by closing each of the group contactors 112. Secondly, whether parallel connection between boxes can be performed using contactors can be achieved by closing all of the group contactors 112 and box contactors 113 in the box.

[0157] Third, inside the box storage battery Whether the voltage of each group 111 can be adjusted individually is determined by the storage battery Each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 connected in series to the group 111 are closed, and storage battery This can be achieved by opening each group contactor 112 connected in series to the group 111. storage battery Regarding whether the parallel connection of group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be implemented separately, storage batteryThe group 111 can be operated separately by closing each group contactor 112, and between the boxes by closing each box contactor 113.

[0158] Fifth, regarding whether the external connection terminals 101P and 101N of the battery box can be put into a power outage state, it is not possible to do so for 101P. Sixth, regarding whether the ground fault current can be interrupted, it is possible to do so by opening the contactor 113 of each box. Seventh, the number of contactors in the box [pieces / box] is storage battery The number of groups is N, and there are N+1 [pieces / box].

[0159] 13 is a circuit diagram showing a battery box 101d having a circuit configuration according to a modification of the first embodiment. storage battery North side of group 111 and storage battery Each group 111 except for one is connected to the P side from the N-side connection point 115N. storage battery Each box contactor 113 is installed in each group 111. storage battery One is installed per battery box 101 on the N side of the group 111N side connection point 115N and on the P side of the battery box 101N terminal 101N.

[0160] The features of this circuit configuration will be explained one by one for No. 1 to No. 7 in Figure 14. First, storage battery Regarding whether or not parallel connection between groups 111 can be achieved by using contactors, this can be achieved by closing the contactors 112 of each group. However, storage battery Even if there are three or more groups 111, each group does not have a contactor 12. storage battery The groups 111 are always connected in parallel at the same time. Secondly, regarding whether parallel connection between boxes can be achieved using contactors, this can be achieved by closing all of the group contactors 112 and box contactors 113 in the box.

[0161] Third, inside the box storage battery Whether the voltage of each group 111 can be adjusted individually depends on whether there is a contactor 12 for each group. storage battery This is impossible because group 111 is always connected. storage battery Regarding whether the parallel connection of group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be implemented separately, storage batteryThe group 111 can be operated separately by closing each group contactor 112, and between the boxes by closing each box contactor 113.

[0162] Fifth, whether the external connection terminals 101P and 101N of the battery box can be put into a power outage state cannot be achieved by 101P. Sixth, whether the earth fault current can be interrupted can be achieved by opening the contactor 113 of each box. Seventh, the number of contactors in the box [pieces / box] is storage battery The number of groups is N, and N is the number of items per box.

[0163] From the above, the battery box 101 in FIG. 4 can have all of the functions No. 1 to No. 6 while keeping the number of contactors to a small number (N+1 [pieces / box]). storage battery The battery box 101b has contactors on the P side and N side of the group 111, and the number of contactors is large. storage battery This has the feature that the parallel connection of the group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be implemented separately.

[0164] From the above, the effects of the present invention are, firstly, that the cost and installation space of the contactor are reduced, and secondly, that the contactor can be easily installed in any battery storage system. storage battery The voltage of the group 111 and the battery box 101 can be adjusted individually, making it possible to automatically parallel them under voltage conditions that cause any cross current. Thirdly, even if a cut-in occurs during voltage adjustment to suppress cross current, the voltage adjustment within the box is completed early, so by using the battery boxes 101 in order from the highest voltage, the capacity of the battery system can be used to the maximum, ensuring the driving distance. [Example]

[0165] In Example 1, each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 is a single-pole product with one contact and switching mechanism, and all contactors can operate independently. On the other hand, in Example 2, we consider a case where the contactors have multiple contacts and all contacts open and close simultaneously. Example 2 shown in Figure 15 and subsequent figures is considered more suitable for actual manufacturing. One reason for this is that, in terms of the number of interlocking contacts of the contactor, a three-contact simultaneous opening and closing type is easy to procure as an existing product for three-phase simultaneous opening and closing.

[0166] 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a multi-pole contactor 116 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The multi-pole contactor has multiple contacts 116a and one switching mechanism 116b that opens and closes them. The switching mechanism 116b generally uses a spring to open the contacts and an energized electromagnet to close them. In order to individually operate the multiple contacts 116a of the multi-pole contactor, it is necessary to install multiple switching mechanisms 116b.

[0167] Multi-pole contactors, in which one switching mechanism 116b opens and closes multiple contacts, are available on the market, and two-pole products that open and close both PN ends of an electrical circuit, even for applications that require large currents, and three-pole products for three-phase AC are available at low cost. Using a multi-pole contactor allows for a smaller, less expensive contactor configuration than using single-pole contactors to cover the same number of contacts in a battery box.

[0168] 16 is a circuit diagram of a railway vehicle battery system 199 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The contacts 116a of the multi-pole contactor 116 in FIG. 15 are connected to one of the contacts 116a and 116b in accordance with the connection position on the circuit. storage battery The group contacts 112a are provided one for each group 111, and each box contact 113b is provided one for each battery box 101. In terms of circuit position, each group contact 112a is equivalent to each group contactor 112 in the first embodiment, and each group contact 112b is equivalent to each box contactor 113 in the first embodiment. In this configuration, each storage battery Charging and discharging on a group 111 basis becomes impossible.

[0169] Fig. 17 is a block diagram showing a paralleling control system 299 applied to the present battery system 199 of Fig. 16. The paralleling control system 299 differs from the paralleling control system 200 of the first embodiment shown in Fig. 5 in that the in-box contactor control unit 207 transmits a contactor opening / closing operation to one multi-pole contactor 116.

[0170] FIG. 18 is a flowchart 300 showing the first half of the procedure for paralleling control by the battery system 199 of FIG. 16. FIG. 19 is a flowchart 300 showing the second half of the procedure for paralleling control of FIG. 18. Example 2 shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 differs from the flowchart 300 for Example 1 shown in FIG. 6 because it uses a multi-pole contactor 116. Each step will be explained in order. In start step U1, the paralleling control flowchart 300 begins. At this time, the battery electric train traction system 1A is in the off state, and all of the group contactors 112 and all of the box contactors 113 are in the open state.

[0171] In vehicle system on determination step U2, the vehicle control device 13 determines whether the vehicle system key is on. If it is on, proceed to the next step, and if it is off, return to S2. In battery status analysis step U3, the battery box control boards 205 in all boxes analyze the battery status (each group resistance, each group voltage, cell resistance, cell voltage) and battery abnormality determination for each battery box 101, and send the results to the vehicle control device 13.

[0172] In the target box selection step U4, the battery box control board 205 storage battery A target box i for parallelizing the group 111 is selected. In the inter-group cross current calculation step U5, the cross current calculation unit 208 calculates the cross current value when each group contactor 112 in the battery box 101 is closed, and determines whether the cross current value between the groups is small and whether parallelization is possible safely. storage battery If there are three or more groups 111, all storage battery The cross current when the groups 111 are connected in parallel at the same time is calculated.

[0173] In step U6, if the battery box control board 205 determines that the inter-group voltages match in step U5, the process proceeds to step U7, where it determines whether all box inter-group voltage adjustments are complete; if the voltages do not match, the process proceeds to step U8, where it determines whether the voltages are below a threshold value below which the occurrence of cross currents can be ignored. In step U7, the paralleling control unit 210 determines whether all box inter-group voltage adjustments are complete.

[0174] If the cross current calculation unit 208 determines in inter-group cross current safety value determination step U8 that the cross current value is too large to adjust the voltage, this is also counted as completed. If completed, proceed to inter-box cross current calculation step U12; if not completed, proceed to inter-group cross current safety value determination step U8. In inter-group cross current safety value determination step U8, the cross current calculation unit 208 determines whether the inter-group cross current is within the safe value even if the multi-pole contactor 116 is closed, even if it is determined that the inter-group voltages do not match in inter-group voltage match determination step U6.

[0175] If it is within the safe value, the process proceeds to step U9 for closing the multi-pole contactor, and if it is greater than the safe value, the process proceeds to step U7 for determining whether or not the voltage adjustment between all box groups is complete. In step U9 for closing the multi-pole contactor, the box internal contactor control unit 207 closes the multi-pole contactor 116 of box i. At this time, the box internal contactor control unit 207 closes all the multi-pole contactors 116 inside box i. storage battery The groups 111 are connected in parallel. On the other hand, the multi-pole contactors 116 other than the box i are in the open state, so no cross current flows between the boxes.

[0176] In voltage leveling waiting step U10, storage battery A cross current flows between groups 111, and a high voltage storage battery The charging rate of group 111 decreases, and conversely, the low voltage storage battery The parallelization control unit 210 waits until the open circuit voltages of the group 111 become uniform due to an increase in the charge rate of the group 111. The wait continues, for example, until the current flowing through the current sensor 203 becomes equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0177] In the multi-pole contactor opening step U11, the box contactor control unit 207 opens the multi-pole contactor 116 of box i. This prevents cross currents from occurring between boxes even when voltage adjustment is performed in the next battery box 101. In the box-to-box cross current calculation step U12, the cross current calculation unit 208 calculates the cross current value when the multi-pole contactor 116 in the battery pack is closed, and determines whether the cross current value between boxes is small and whether safe parallelization is possible. If there are three or more battery boxes 101, the cross current calculation unit 208 calculates the cross current value when parallelization is performed from the low-voltage side.

[0178] In Fig. 19, in step U13 for determining the safe value of the cross current between boxes, if step U12 for calculating the cross current between boxes determines that the cross current value between boxes is small and that parallel connection is possible safely, the process proceeds to step S20 for closing the contactors of each box, and if step U12 determines that the cross current value between boxes is large and that parallel connection is not possible safely, the process proceeds to step U15 for determining whether the cross current between boxes is interrupted and step U23 for determining whether the voltage adjustment between boxes is complete. storage battery At this stage, there is no way to charge group 111 individually. storage battery The battery box 101 that is determined to be unable to be connected in parallel between the groups 111 cannot be used under automatic control. storage battery It is necessary to manually connect each group 111 individually to a charging / discharging circuit and adjust the voltage.

[0179] In all multi-pole contactor closing step U14, the multi-pole contactors 116 in the battery pack are closed to connect the battery boxes 101 in parallel within a range where the inter-box cross current value is small and safe parallel connection is possible, based on the contactor closing determination calculated by the cross current calculation unit 208. In running cut-in determination step U15, as the first stage of inter-box voltage adjustment, if the parallel control unit 210 of the vehicle control device 13 receives a running cut-in command from the cab 12, it interrupts inter-box voltage adjustment and proceeds to running cut-in start step T1 in the running cut-in control flowchart 400 of Figure 7.

[0180] The reason there is no running interruption determination step in the inter-group voltage adjustment from inter-group cross current safety value determination step U8 to multi-pole contactor open step U11 is because there is no voltage adjustment due to charging / discharging on a group-by-group basis, and therefore no operations requiring interruption. In target box selection step U16, target box i for paralleling the storage battery boxes 101 in the battery system is selected. The order of i can be arbitrary, but it is preferable to perform it later if a battery abnormality or contactor abnormality has been determined.

[0181] In chargeability status determination step U17, the vehicle status of whether charging is possible or not is determined according to the contact status of the pantograph 2 with the overhead line, and a decision is made as to whether voltage adjustment should be performed by charging or discharging, and the voltage adjustment target value calculation unit 209 calculates the voltage adjustment target value. In charging box connection step U18, if the target battery box i has a voltage lower than the voltage adjustment target value and needs to be charged, the multi-pole contactor 116 corresponding to the target battery box i is closed, connecting it to the battery-powered electric train traction system 1A and making it chargeable. If the target battery box i has a voltage higher than the voltage adjustment target value and does not need to be charged, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0182] In the battery box charging step U19, if the target battery box i has a voltage lower than the voltage adjustment target value and needs to be charged, the converter 5 is activated and the target battery box i is charged up to the voltage adjustment target value. If the target battery box i has a voltage higher than the voltage adjustment target value and does not need to be charged, the process proceeds to the next step. In the discharge box connection step U20, if the target battery box i has a voltage higher than the voltage adjustment target value and needs to be discharged, the box contactor control unit 207 closes the multi-pole contactor 116 corresponding to the target battery box i, connecting it to the battery train traction system 1A and enabling discharge. If the target battery box i has a voltage lower than the voltage adjustment target value and does not need to be discharged, the process proceeds to the next step.

[0183] In the battery box discharging step U21, if the voltage of the target battery box i is higher than the voltage adjustment target value and discharging is required, the paralleling control unit 210 starts the auxiliary inverter 10 to discharge the target battery box i to the voltage adjustment target value. If the voltage of the target battery box i is lower than the voltage adjustment target value and discharging is not required, the process proceeds to the next step. In the multi-pole contactor opening step U22, the box contactor control unit 207 opens the multi-pole contactor 116 of the battery box 101i. This is to isolate the battery box 101i from the battery-powered electric train traction system 1A and prevent cross currents from flowing between the battery boxes 101i and 101i+1 when adjusting the voltage of the next battery box 101i+1.

[0184] In step U23 to determine whether inter-box voltage adjustment is complete, the paralleling control unit 210 determines whether voltage adjustment is complete in all battery boxes 101. If not, the process returns to step U16 to select the target box, select the next battery box (i+1) to be subjected to voltage adjustment, and repeat the voltage adjustment process within the box. If voltage adjustment is complete in all battery boxes 101, the process proceeds to step U14 to close all multi-pole contactors. In step U24, the paralleling process is completed, and the battery system 199 is connected to the battery train traction system 1A and is ready for battery travel.

[0185] FIG. 20 is a table comparing the effects of the battery boxes 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d of the modified examples a to d with the battery box 101 of FIG. 16. It is a table comparing the effects of the battery boxes 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d of the modified examples shown in FIGS. 10 to 13 with the battery box 101 of Example 2 shown in FIG. 16. In Example 2, the contacts of all of the contactors 112a and 113a in the box 101 are multi-pole contactors that open and close simultaneously. The only differences between the table comparing effects with the modified examples of Example 1 shown in FIG. 14 and FIG. 19 are the items shown in rows 3 and 4; the rest are the same.

[0186] Item 3 (No. 3), in the box storage battery Whether the voltage of each group 111 can be adjusted individually depends on the storage batteryThis is impossible in all circuit configurations because the group 111 contacts 112a operate simultaneously within the box. storage battery Whether the parallel connection of the group 111 and the parallel connection between boxes can be performed separately is determined by the storage battery This is generally not possible because the group 111 contact 112a and each box contact 113a operate simultaneously, but it is possible in a limited sense if all the contactors of the other battery boxes 101 are open.

[0187] As described above, even in Example 2 using multi-pole contactors, the storage battery box 101 in FIG. 4 can keep the number of contactors to a small number (N+1 / box) and still perform the functions of Nos. 1, 2 to 4 to 6. No. 3 can also be achieved by opening the contactors of the other boxes. storage battery The battery box 101 has contactors on both the P side and the N side of the group 111, and can achieve the same effect as the battery box 101b, which has a large number of contactors, while reducing the number of contacts.

[0188] However, in Example 2, storage battery Since there is no way to charge group 111 individually, storage battery The battery boxes 101 that are determined to be incapable of parallel connection between the groups 111 cannot be used under automatic control. storage battery It is necessary to manually connect each group 111 individually to a charging / discharging circuit and adjust the voltage.

[0189] The above-mentioned railway vehicle battery systems 100 and 199 require a larger number of batteries than automobiles. The battery is a battery module ( storage battery The battery packs 111 are stored in the battery box 101 and are connected in series to meet the performance of the railway vehicle. storage battery Groups 111 are further connected in parallel.

[0190] To increase the maximum current value and charge capacity of the battery pack, storage battery It is necessary to increase the number of parallel groups in the box. storage batteryThe groups 111 are connected in parallel, and furthermore, multiple battery boxes 101 are connected in parallel. A contactor is disposed inside the battery box 101 to connect or disconnect the battery box 101 to a peripheral circuit. For example, the contactor is disconnected (opened) when the vehicle system is off, and connected (closed) when the vehicle system is on.

[0191] Although the above-described embodiment illustrates a storage battery system mounted on a railway vehicle, its application is not limited to railway vehicles. The technical concept of the present invention can also be applied to storage battery systems in various systems, including stationary systems. Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment illustrates the use of lithium-ion batteries as storage batteries constituting the power storage device, the present invention can also be applied to other storage elements, such as lead batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, or capacitors.

[0192] The storage battery system 100 can be summarized as follows. [1] The battery system 100 shown in Figures 2 to 5 includes a battery pack, a charging device (converter 5) and a discharging device (auxiliary inverter 10) for the battery pack, group switching devices 112 for each group arranged in a battery box 101, and a paralleling control unit 210. The battery pack has one or more battery boxes 101 and mainly constitutes the battery system 100.

[0193] The battery box 101 has a plurality of storage battery The group 111 is connected in parallel and stored. storage battery The group switching device 112 maintains each group 111 at an equal voltage. storage battery At least one pole (for example, a positive pole) of each group 111 is connected in series to each group. storage battery The groups 111 are connected in parallel to a connection point 115N, to which each box opening and closing device 113 is connected in series.

[0194] The parallelization control unit 210 closes each of the group switchgears 112 connected in series for each group, thereby storage batteryThe groups 111 are connected in parallel. That is, the parallelization control unit 210 connects the battery boxes 101 in the assembled battery in parallel by closing all of the group opening / closing devices 112 and the box opening / closing devices 113.

[0195] The storage battery system 100 includes a plurality of storage battery When multiple battery boxes 101 each having a group 111 inside are connected in parallel, it is possible to reduce the total number of contactors 112, 113 that control cross current. In other words, in the conventional system, one switchgear was required for each group and each pole. In contrast, as shown in Figure 4, the battery system 100 requires only three contactors instead of four for two groups and one box, and only four contactors instead of six for three groups and one box.

[0196] Despite being so simplified, the battery system 100 can reduce the total number of group opening / closing devices 112 and box opening / closing devices 113 while still taking into consideration the risk prevention (remote operation) associated with battery replacement work. storage battery Immediately after replacing only group 111, the minimum number of switches required to equalize the voltage difference between each group and each box with less cross current can be achieved.

[0197] [2] In the above [1] shown in FIG. 4, the parallelization control unit 210 storage battery When the group 111 is connected to a battery pack for charging or discharging, a specific storage battery The group switchgear 112 connected in series to the group 111 is closed, and a specific storage battery The box opening / closing device 113 of the storage battery box 101 having the group 111 is closed, and a specific storage battery The other group switching devices 112 of the storage battery box 101 having the group 111 are opened, and a specific storage battery The box opening / closing devices 113 of the battery boxes 101 other than the battery box 101 having the group 111 are opened. storage battery By separating the battery group 111 and the battery box 101 that includes it so as to be distinguished from the others and charging and discharging them separately, it is possible to eliminate the difference in the charging rate or voltage that causes cross current. storage battery This is also convenient for streamlining the process of replacing only group 111.

[0198] [3] As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, in the above [1], the parallelization control unit 210 controls the parallel-connected batteries in the battery box 101. storage battery The current value generated from the voltage difference between the groups 111 is calculated as a calculated current value, and when the calculated current value exceeds a safety threshold and voltage adjustment is required, it is determined whether the assembled battery is in a chargeable state, and if chargeable, it is determined that the assembled battery is in a low voltage state. storage battery Group 111 is the highest voltage storage battery Charge to the voltage of group 111, and if charging is not possible, use a high voltage storage battery Group 111 is the lowest voltage storage battery Discharge to the voltage of group 111.

[0199] In other words, when the battery system 100 is connected to an overhead line and charging is possible, it charges in a direction that makes low voltage equal to high voltage and controls parallelization. Conversely, when the battery system 100 is not connected to an overhead line, it determines that charging is not possible and controls parallelization by discharging in a direction that makes high voltage equal to low voltage. Therefore, the battery system 100 is suitable not only for battery trains but also for hybrid diesel railcars. The battery system 100 is a system that can be used with multiple storage battery Regardless of the voltage of each of the group 111 and one or more battery boxes 101, the parallel connection can be realized by automatically adjusting the voltage and avoiding excessive cross current.

[0200] [4] In the above [1], the paralleling control unit 210 calculates the current value generated from the voltage difference between the parallel-connected battery boxes 101, and when the calculated current value exceeds a safety threshold and voltage adjustment is necessary, determines whether the assembled battery is in a chargeable state, and if chargeable, charges the lower-voltage battery box 101 to the voltage of the highest-voltage battery box 101, and if chargeable, discharges the higher-voltage battery box 101 to the voltage of the lowest-voltage battery box 101. This battery system 100 is configured to suppress cross current at the battery box 101 level, and is easy to design, manufacture, and maintain as an actual on-board device.

[0201] As shown in Figures 6, 18, and 19, the present storage battery system 100 described in [3] and [4] above has the following features: storage battery If the cross current value when connecting the group 111 or the storage battery box 101 in parallel exceeds the safety threshold, each group contactor 112 and each box contactor 113 are individually operated to adjust the voltage of the target battery. storage battery The battery pack 111 and the battery box 101 are connected to an external circuit and the voltage is adjusted by charging or discharging. The battery storage system 100, which is applied to railway vehicles, reduces cross currents and equalizes voltages, so that specific switching control can be reliably implemented, including not only running cut-in but also discharging to auxiliary equipment as a countermeasure against overvoltage caused by regenerative power.

[0202] [5] In the above [3] or [4], the parallelization control unit 210 first storage battery After the group 111 is voltage-adjusted and connected in parallel, the battery boxes 101 of the entire battery pack are voltage-adjusted and connected in parallel. In the case of a battery train, even if it takes about 10 minutes to control the parallelization of the entire battery pack, if just one of the multiple battery boxes 101 can complete parallelization in a short time and function effectively, it can still be powered for the time being, making it easier to maintain availability. In other words, first adjust the voltages of all the battery boxes 101. storage battery If the voltages of the group 111 are adjusted, even if they are not all adjusted simultaneously, only the battery box 101 that has completed voltage adjustment first can be selected for use.

[0203] [6] As shown in Figures 5 and 17, in the above [3] or [4], when the paralleling control unit 210 receives an interruption of a running command from the cab 12 during voltage adjustment, it suspends voltage adjustment and simultaneously controls the paralleling control unit 210 to storage battery All of the switching devices directly connected to the group 111 are closed. storage battery Only group 111 can be selectively connected and powered, so there is less chance of being stranded in an emergency.

[0204] [7] As shown in Figure 9, in [6] above, the paralleling control unit 210 first connects the battery box 101 with the highest voltage to the battery pack, and if the voltage of the connected battery box 101 drops while the train is running and becomes the same as that of the unconnected battery box 101, it newly connects the unconnected battery box 101 to the battery pack. In a battery train that is discharging battery power without receiving power from the overhead lines, this battery system 100, which has a mixture of usable and unusable battery boxes, sequentially connects and incorporates battery boxes that have become usable as the voltage difference disappears, thereby maximizing the cruising range.

[0205] [8] In the above [3], the parallelization control unit 210 storage battery The group 111 is selected in order of the amount of charge / discharge required for voltage regulation, starting with the group 111 with the least amount of charge / discharge required. A vehicle equipped with this storage battery system 100 can achieve rational and optimal parallel control to ensure that the vehicle can move in an emergency.

[0206] [9] In the above [3] or [4], the parallelization control unit 210 is configured to storage battery Group 111 is selected from those for which neither a battery nor a switching device abnormality has been determined. In a vehicle equipped with this type of storage battery system 100, even if there is a mixture of usable and unusable battery packs in a redundantly configured battery pack, rational and optimal control is achieved to enable the vehicle to run, making it easier to operate according to the schedule and maintaining availability.

[0207]

[10] As shown in Figs. 5, 8, 9 and 17, in the above [3] or [4], the parallelization control unit 210 determines the open / closed state of the contactors in the battery pack and each storage battery The battery system 100 transmits information including at least one of the group 111 voltage, the voltage of each battery box 101, the remaining time for voltage adjustment, the cruising range, and the maximum acceleration force to the driver's cab 12, and the information is displayed on a monitor disposed in the driver's cab 12. A vehicle to which the battery system 100 is applied provides the driver with storage battery The burden of control can be reduced.

[0208]

[11] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the information displayed on the monitor in

[10] above further includes at least one of the contactor open / close status, cruising range, and acceleration force when voltage regulation continues from the current time and a running command is issued in the future. A vehicle equipped with this battery storage system 100 shows the vehicle status to the driver waiting to depart, giving him peace of mind and peace of mind.

[0209]

[12] In the above

[11] , the information displayed on the monitor is the value at the time when the battery boxes 101 are connected in parallel, and is used to calculate the cruising distance from the time when the vehicle starts running during voltage adjustment. storage battery In actual vehicles, parallel control is mainly performed in units of battery boxes 101, but storage battery It is also possible to use units of group 111.

[0210]

[13] In the above

[10] , the information displayed on the monitor is used to determine whether or not a predetermined point on the route can be reached. A vehicle equipped with this battery storage system 100 can not only easily escape from tunnels, bridges, dead sections, etc., but also more reliably determine whether or not it can reach a station.

[0211]

[14] As shown in Figure 15, in [4] above, storage battery All of the switchgears in the group 111 and each of the box switchgears share a single box-shared switching mechanism and can simultaneously perform switching operations. These contactors 112, 113 are highly reliable, easily procured, and can be used as well-known off-the-shelf products for single-phase bipolar switching as well as three-phase circuits. The battery storage system 100 employing these contactors is easy to design, manufacture, and maintain, enhancing its practicality.

[0212]

[15] As shown in Figures 6, 7, 18 and 19, in the above

[14] , all the batteries in the box are storage batteryThe battery box 101 to be connected in parallel to the group 111 is set as the battery box 101, and the parallelization control unit 210 controls all the batteries to be connected in parallel simultaneously within the battery box 101. storage battery The current value generated from the voltage difference between the groups 111 is calculated, and if the calculated current value is within a safety threshold and parallel connection is possible, the box-shared opening / closing mechanism of the battery box 101 is closed, and the box-shared opening / closing mechanisms of the boxes other than the battery box 101 are opened, thereby storage battery The parallel connection of the group 111 is separated from the battery boxes 101 other than the battery box 101. This battery system 100 can achieve rational and optimal parallel control.

[0213] The railway vehicle battery control method (the present method) according to the embodiment of the present invention can be summarized as follows.

[16] As shown in Figures 2 to 7, 18 and 19, the present method involves connecting multiple parallel storage battery A parallelization control unit 210 controls a plurality of battery packs 101 each containing a group 111. storage battery The groups 111 are controlled in parallel to maintain the voltages of each group at an equal level.

[0214] The parallel control is performed in the battery box 101 as follows: storage battery The group switchgear 112 for each group, which is connected in series to at least one pole of each group 111, is controlled to be open or closed. In this method, each group switchgear 112 is connected in series to a pole (for example, a positive pole) opposite to the pole (for example, a negative pole) of the group switchgear 112, and the plurality of storage battery Each group 111 is connected in parallel to a connection point 115N, and one box opening / closing device 113 connected in series is used.

[0215] Furthermore, the parallelization control unit 210 controls the power supply only in the battery box 101 by closing each of the group switchgears 112. storage battery The groups 111 can be connected in parallel. Furthermore, if the box opening / closing device 113 is closed in addition to each group opening / closing device 112, the parallelization control unit 210 can connect the closed battery box 101 in parallel within the assembled battery. According to this method, storage batteryIt is possible to minimize the number of contactors 112, 113 required to suppress cross current between groups 111 or between battery boxes 101. In addition, it is possible to minimize the number of contactors 112, 113 required to suppress cross current between groups 111 or between battery boxes 101. storage battery The group 111 can be safely detached from the assembled battery. In other words, the deteriorated storage battery Group 111 can be safely replaced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0216] 1A... battery electric train drive system, 1B... hybrid diesel railcar drive system (this hybrid drive system), 2... pantograph, 3... engine, 4... generator, 5... converter, 6... motor inverter, 7... motor, 8... reducer, 9... wheelset, 10... auxiliary equipment inverter, 11... auxiliary equipment, 12... driver's cab 12, 13... vehicle control device, 14... overhead line, 15... earth, 100... railway vehicle battery system (assembled battery), 100P... battery system P terminal, 100N... battery system N terminal, 101, 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d... battery box, 101P... battery box P terminal, 101N... battery box N terminal, 111... storage battery Group, 112...each group contactor, 112a...each group contact, 113...each box contactor, 113a...each box contact, 114...service connector, 115P... storage battery Group P side connection point, 115N... storage battery N-side group connection point, 116... multi-pole contactor, 116a... contact point, 116b... opening / closing mechanism, 200, 299... parallelization control system, 201... battery module, 202... cell control board, 203... current sensor, 204... voltage sensor, 205... battery box control board, 206... battery state analysis unit, 207... in-box contactor control unit, 208... cross current calculation unit, 209... voltage adjustment target value calculation unit, 210... parallelization control unit, 300... parallelization control flow Chart 400...travel interruption flowchart, S1...start step, S2...vehicle system on determination step, S3...battery state analysis step, S4...target box selection step, S5...inter-group cross current calculation step, S6...inter-group cross current safety determination step, S7...each group contactor closing step, S8...travel interruption determination step, S9...target group selection step, S10...chargeable status determination step, S11...charging group connection step, S12... storage batteryGroup charging step, S13... Group discharging connection step, S14... storage battery Group discharge step, S15...step to determine whether inter-group voltage adjustment is complete, S16...step to open the contactors of each box, S17...step to determine whether inter-group voltage adjustment is complete for all boxes, S18...step to calculate cross current between boxes, S19...step to determine whether cross current between boxes is safe, S20...step to close the contactors of each box, S21...step to determine whether driving will be interrupted, S22...step to select the target box, S23...step to determine whether charging is possible, S24...step to connect the charging box, S25...step to charge the battery box, S26...step to connect the discharge box, S27...step to discharge the battery box, S28...step to open the contactors of each box, S29...step to determine whether inter-box voltage adjustment is complete, S30...step to end, T1...step to start driving interruption, T2...step to determine whether a usable battery box is available, T3...step to connect the box with the highest voltage, T4...step to drive, T5...step to match box voltages, T6...step to close the contactors of each box, T7...step to determine whether all boxes are parallelized, T8...step to end U1...start step, U2...vehicle system on determination step, U3...battery state analysis step, U4...target box selection step, U5...inter-group cross current calculation step, U6...inter-group voltage agreement determination step, U7...all-box inter-group voltage adjustment completion determination step, U8...inter-group cross current safety value determination step, U9...multi-pole contactor closing step, U10...voltage leveling waiting step, U11...multi-pole contactor opening step, U12...inter-box cross current calculation step, U13...inter-box cross current safety value determination step, U14...all multi-pole contactor closing step, U15...travel interrupt determination step, U16...target box selection step, U17...chargeable status determination step, U18...charging box connection step, U19...battery box charging step, U20...discharging box connection step, U21...battery box discharging step, U22...multi-pole contactor opening step, U23...inter-box voltage adjustment completion determination step, U24...end step

Claims

1. one or more battery boxes containing a plurality of parallel-connected battery groups; a parallelization control unit that maintains each of the plurality of storage battery groups at an equal voltage; Disposed in the battery box, a group switchgear for each of the storage battery groups connected in series to at least one pole of each of the storage battery groups; In a battery system for railway vehicles that comprises a battery pack, each of the group switching devices has one box switching device connected in series to a connection point where the plurality of storage battery groups are connected in parallel, with the polarity opposite to that of the series-connected polarity; the parallelization control unit connects the battery groups in the battery boxes in parallel by closing each of the group opening / closing devices, and connects the battery boxes in parallel by closing each of the group opening / closing devices and the box opening / closing device. Battery storage system for railway vehicles.

2. The parallelization control unit When a specific storage battery group is connected to the assembled battery for charging or discharging, closing the group switchgear connected in series to the specific storage battery group; closing the box opening / closing device of the battery box having the specific battery group; opening the other group opening / closing devices of the battery box having the specific battery group; opening the box opening / closing devices of the battery boxes other than the battery box having the specific battery group; The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 1 .

3. The parallelization control unit a current value generated from a voltage difference between the battery groups connected in parallel in the battery box is calculated as a calculated current value; determining whether the battery pack is in a chargeable state when the calculated current value exceeds a safety threshold and voltage adjustment is required; If chargeable, charging the battery group with the lower voltage to the voltage of the battery group with the highest voltage; If charging is not possible, the high-voltage storage battery group is discharged to the voltage of the lowest-voltage storage battery group. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 1 .

4. The parallelization control unit Calculating a current value generated from a voltage difference between the parallel-connected battery boxes; When the current value exceeds a safety threshold and voltage adjustment is required, it is determined whether the battery pack is in a chargeable state; If rechargeable, charge the battery box with the lower voltage to the voltage of the battery box with the highest voltage; If charging is not possible, the high-voltage battery box is discharged to the voltage of the lowest-voltage battery box. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 1 .

5. The parallelization control unit First, the voltages of the storage batteries in all the storage battery boxes are adjusted and connected in parallel, The battery boxes of the entire battery pack are connected in parallel with voltage adjustment.

5. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The parallelization control unit If a running command is received from the cab during the voltage adjustment, and simultaneously suspending the voltage adjustment, closing all of the switchgears directly connected to the storage battery group that can be connected in parallel.

5. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 3 or 4.

7. The parallelization control unit First, connect the battery box with the highest voltage to the battery pack; If the voltage of the connected battery box drops while driving and becomes the same as that of the unconnected battery box, The disconnected battery box is newly connected to the battery pack. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 6.

8. The parallelization control unit The storage battery group to be subjected to the voltage adjustment is The charge / discharge amount required for the voltage adjustment is selected in ascending order. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 3 .

9. The parallelization control unit The battery box or the battery group to be subjected to the voltage adjustment, Select from those for which no battery abnormality or switching device abnormality has occurred.

5. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 3 or 4.

10. The parallelization control unit transmitting information including at least one of the open / close status of the contactors in the battery pack, the voltage of each battery group, the voltage of each battery box, the remaining time for voltage regulation, the cruising range, and the maximum acceleration force to the driver's cab; The information is displayed on a monitor disposed in the driver's cab.

5. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 3 or 4.

11. The information further includes at least one of a contactor open / close status, a cruising range, and an acceleration force when the voltage adjustment is continued from the current time and a driving command is issued at a future time. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 10.

12. The information is a value at the time when the battery boxes are connected in parallel, and is used to calculate the cruising range from the time when the vehicle starts traveling during the voltage adjustment. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 11.

13. The information is used to determine whether or not a predetermined point on the route can be reached. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 10.

14. All of the opening and closing devices provided in the storage battery group and each of the box opening and closing devices share one box-shared opening and closing operation mechanism and can open and close simultaneously. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 4.

15. A battery box in which all of the storage batteries in the box are to be connected in parallel within the battery pack is defined as a battery box, the parallelization control unit calculates a current value generated from a voltage difference between all of the storage battery groups simultaneously connected in parallel in the storage battery box, If the current value is within a safety threshold and parallel connection is possible, The opening / closing mechanism shared by the battery box is closed, and the opening / closing mechanism shared by boxes other than the battery box is opened. The parallel connection of the battery group in the battery box is separated from the battery boxes other than the battery box. The railway vehicle battery system according to claim 14.

16. One or more battery boxes each containing a group of parallel-connected storage batteries are connected in parallel to form a battery pack; In order for the parallelization control unit to perform parallelization control so as to maintain the voltages of the plurality of storage battery groups uniform, In the battery box, group switchgears for each group connected in series to at least one pole of each of the battery groups are controlled to open and close. A method for controlling a storage battery for a railway vehicle, comprising: a pole opposite to the pole at which each of the group switchgears is connected in series is set as a connection point at which the plurality of storage battery groups are connected in parallel, Each box opening / closing device is connected in series to the connection point, the parallelization control unit connects the battery groups in the battery boxes in parallel by closing each of the group opening / closing devices, and connects the battery boxes in parallel by closing each of the group opening / closing devices and the box opening / closing device. A method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle.

17. The parallelization control unit When a specific storage battery group is connected to the assembled battery for charging or discharging, closing the group switchgear connected in series to the specific storage battery group; closing the box opening / closing device of the battery box having the specific battery group; opening the other group opening / closing devices of the battery box having the specific battery group; opening the box opening / closing devices of the battery boxes other than the battery box having the specific battery group; The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 16.

18. The parallelization control unit a current value generated from a voltage difference between the battery groups connected in parallel in the battery box is calculated as a current value; When the current value exceeds a safety threshold and voltage adjustment is required, it is determined whether the battery pack is in a chargeable state; If chargeable, charging the battery group with the lower voltage to the voltage of the battery group with the highest voltage; If charging is not possible, the high-voltage storage battery group is discharged to the voltage of the lowest-voltage storage battery group. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 16.

19. The parallelization control unit Calculating a current value generated from a voltage difference between the parallel-connected battery boxes; When the current value exceeds a safety threshold and voltage adjustment is required, it is determined whether the battery pack is in a chargeable state; If rechargeable, charge the battery box with the lower voltage to the voltage of the battery box with the highest voltage; If charging is not possible, the high-voltage battery box is discharged to the voltage of the lowest-voltage battery box.

19. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 18.

20. The parallelization control unit First, the voltages of the storage batteries in all the storage battery boxes are adjusted and connected in parallel, The battery boxes of the entire battery pack are connected in parallel with voltage adjustment.

20. A method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 18 or 19.

21. The parallelization control unit If a running command is received from the cab during the voltage adjustment, and simultaneously suspending the voltage adjustment, closing all of the switchgears directly connected to the storage battery group that can be connected in parallel.

20. A method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 18 or 19.

22. The parallelization control unit First, connect the battery box with the highest voltage to the battery pack; If the voltage of the connected battery box drops while driving and becomes the same as that of the unconnected battery box, The disconnected battery box is newly connected to the battery pack.

22. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 21.

23. The parallelization control unit The storage battery group to be subjected to the voltage adjustment is The charge / discharge amount required for the voltage adjustment is selected in ascending order.

19. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 18.

24. The parallelization control unit The battery box or the battery group to be subjected to the voltage adjustment, Select from those for which no battery abnormality or switching device abnormality has occurred.

20. A method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 18 or 19.

25. The parallelization control unit transmitting information including at least one of the open / close status of the contactors in the battery pack, the voltage of each battery group, the voltage of each battery box, the remaining time for voltage regulation, the cruising range, and the maximum acceleration force to the driver's cab; The information is displayed on a monitor disposed in the driver's cab.

20. A method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 18 or 19.

26. The information further includes at least one of a contactor open / close status, a cruising range, and an acceleration force when the voltage adjustment is continued from the current time and a driving command is issued at a future time.

26. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 25.

27. The information is a value at the time when the battery boxes are connected in parallel, and is used to calculate the cruising range from the time when the vehicle starts traveling during the voltage adjustment.

27. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 26.

28. The information is used to determine whether or not a predetermined point on the route can be reached.

26. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 25.

29. All of the opening and closing devices provided in the storage battery group and each of the box opening and closing devices share one box-shared opening and closing operation mechanism and can open and close simultaneously.

20. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 19.

30. A battery box in which all of the storage batteries in the box are to be connected in parallel within the battery pack is defined as a battery box, the parallelization control unit calculates a current value generated from a voltage difference between all of the storage battery groups simultaneously connected in parallel in the storage battery box, If the current value is within a safety threshold and parallel connection is possible, The opening / closing mechanism shared by the battery box is closed, and the opening / closing mechanism shared by boxes other than the battery box is opened. The parallel connection of the battery group in the battery box is separated from the battery boxes other than the battery box.

30. The method for controlling a battery for a railway vehicle according to claim 29.

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