Calibration device and calibration method for charge / discharge testing device

Abstract

A calibration device and a calibration method for a charge / discharge inspection device are provided that can quickly and accurately calibrate the voltages of a plurality of inspection power supplies connected in parallel. [Solution] The calibration device 100 has a positive electrode side connection part 20 and a negative electrode side connection part 30 that connect to the positive electrode side / negative electrode side of each of multiple inspection power supplies 11 to 14 connected in parallel, a voltage generator 40 that applies voltage to the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, a measuring instrument 50 that measures the voltage of the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, and a controller 15.When the multiple inspection power supplies 11 to 14 are in an open state, a voltage generation command is sent from the controller 15 to the voltage generator 40, causing voltage to be applied to the multiple inspection power supplies 11 to 14, and then the voltages of the multiple inspection power supplies 11 to 14 are calibrated based on the voltage values ​​measured by the voltmeters of each of the multiple inspection power supplies 11 to 14 and the voltage values ​​measured by the measuring instrument 50.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a calibration device and method for calibrating voltage measurements by voltmeters provided in a charge / discharge testing device that has multiple testing power supplies arranged in parallel to apply charge / discharge voltages to secondary batteries to perform testing. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a charge / discharge inspection device that is equipped with a plurality of inspection power sources and inspects a plurality of secondary batteries by controlling the charge / discharge of each of them. Also, there is known a method for calibrating such a charge / discharge inspection device, such as that described in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method for calibrating a charge / discharge test device used to test a secondary battery having multiple channels. The calibration jig used in this calibration method has a positive electrode connection portion (positive electrode bus bar), a negative electrode connection portion (negative electrode bus bar), and a shunt resistor connected to the positive electrode bus bar and the negative electrode bus bar. Meanwhile, the charge / discharge test device has a high-precision voltmeter (digital multimeter) that measures the voltage across the shunt resistor with high precision, a pair of probes connected to the positive electrode bus bar and the negative electrode bus bar provided for each channel, an ammeter, and a voltmeter.

[0004] The calibration method includes the steps of passing a constant current through a shunt resistor from a specified channel, measuring the voltage (Vr) across the shunt resistor using a digital multimeter, measuring the voltage (Vm) across the shunt resistor using a voltmeter on the specified channel, comparing the voltages across the shunt resistor and the voltages across the shunt resistor, and comparing the current value (Ir) flowing through the shunt resistor with the constant current (Im). The current value (Ir) is a value calculated by dividing the resistance value of the resistance at both ends of the shunt resistor measured with a digital multimeter by the resistance value of the shunt resistor when current is flowing from a certain channel, and the constant current (Im) is a current value measured with an ammeter.

[0005] The calibration method described in Patent Document 1 uses such a configuration to calibrate a voltmeter by comparing a voltage value (Vr) measured by a digital multimeter with a voltage value (Vm) measured using a voltmeter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6365431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the calibration method described in Patent Document 1, the voltage calibration time for each channel is long because voltage calibration is performed for each channel. In particular, the more channels there are, the longer the calibration time becomes.

[0008] Furthermore, when measuring the voltage of each channel, the measurement is performed while current is flowing in the positive and negative bus bars, and is affected by voltage drops within the bus bars. Therefore, accurate measurements cannot be made unless the measurement points of the digital multimeter and the voltage measurement points of each channel are aligned.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a calibration device and method for a charge / discharge inspection device that can quickly and accurately calibrate the voltages of a plurality of charge / discharge power supplies connected in parallel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The calibration device for a charge / discharge testing device according to the present invention is a calibration device that calibrates the voltage measured by a voltmeter provided in the testing power supply of a charge / discharge testing device having multiple testing power supplies each equipped with a power supply unit that charges and discharges a secondary battery. The calibration device has a positive side connection portion that connects to the positive side of each of the multiple inspection power supplies, a negative side connection portion that connects to the negative side of each of the multiple inspection power supplies, a voltage generator that applies a predetermined voltage to the positive side connection portion and the negative side connection portion, a measuring instrument that measures the voltage applied to the positive side connection portion and the negative side connection portion, and a controller that connects to the multiple inspection power supplies, the voltage generator, and the measuring instrument. When calibrating the voltage measured by the voltmeter, the calibration device opens the power supply sections of all test power supplies and measures the voltage applied to the positive and negative connection sections based on the voltage generation command sent from the controller to the voltage generator using the voltmeter and a measuring instrument, respectively, to perform the calibration.

[0011] When measuring voltage, the power supply unit installed in the test power supply is in an open state, so almost no current flows through the power supply unit, and there is no effect of voltage drop when measuring voltage in any of the test power supplies connected in parallel, allowing for more accurate voltage measurements than with conventional technology. In particular, by keeping the power supply unit installed in the test power supply in an open state, it becomes possible to simultaneously measure the voltage values ​​of the voltmeters in multiple test power supplies, thereby reducing the number of voltage measurements required during voltage calibration.As a result, for example, in the case of one-point calibration, calibration can be completed in one measurement at one point (the first point), and in the case of two-point calibration, calibration can be completed in one measurement at two points (the first point and the second point).

[0012] In addition, the calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device according to the present invention uses one of a plurality of inspection power supplies as a voltage generating means for applying a predetermined voltage to the positive and negative electrode connection parts, instead of a voltage generator.

[0013] This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the size of the entire system.

[0014] Furthermore, it is desirable that the calibration device be configured to apply voltage at two different points from a voltage generator, calculate a voltage correction value based on the measured voltage values, and calibrate the voltage using the correction value.

[0015] The method for calibrating a charge / discharge testing device according to the present invention is a method for calibrating, using a calibration device, the voltage measured by a voltmeter provided in the testing power supply of a charge / discharge testing device having a plurality of testing power supplies each equipped with a power supply unit for charging and discharging a secondary battery. The calibration device has a positive side connection portion that connects to the positive side of each of the multiple inspection power supplies, a negative side connection portion that connects to the negative side of each of the multiple inspection power supplies, a voltage generator that applies a predetermined voltage to the positive side connection portion and the negative side connection portion, a measuring instrument that measures the voltage applied to the positive side connection portion and the negative side connection portion, and a controller that connects to the multiple inspection power supplies, the voltage generator, and the measuring instrument, and performs calibration by having the following steps. A step of opening the power supply units in all the test power supplies; applying a predetermined voltage to the positive terminal and the negative terminal by a voltage generator; measuring voltage with a voltmeter and measuring voltage with a measuring instrument; A step of calibrating the voltage measured by the voltmeter based on the voltage measurement result.

[0016] Instead of the voltage generator, one of a plurality of inspection power sources may be used as voltage generating means for applying a predetermined voltage to the positive and negative connecting portions.

[0017] Furthermore, the step of calibrating the voltage measured by the voltmeter based on the voltage measurement results may include a step of applying voltage at two different points from a voltage generator, calculating a voltage correction value based on the measured voltage values, and performing calibration using the correction value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the calibration device and calibration method for a charge / discharge testing device of the present invention, by measuring the voltage with the power supply unit provided in the testing power supply of the charge / discharge testing device in an open state, it is possible to simultaneously measure the voltages of multiple testing power supplies connected in parallel, and voltage calibration using the measurement results can be performed quickly and accurately. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram of a calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a calibration method for a charge / discharge inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram of a calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic flow diagram of a method for calibrating a current in a charge / discharge inspection device according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention. However, the description of each component described below is an example (representative example) of an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following content unless the gist of the present invention is changed.

[0021] [Charge / discharge test equipment and calibration equipment for charge / discharge test equipment] (First embodiment) First, with reference to FIG. 1, the configurations of a charge / discharge inspection device 10 and a calibration device 100 for the charge / discharge inspection device 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0022] The charge / discharge testing device 10 includes a plurality of test power supplies 11-14, each of which is detachably connected to a secondary battery (not shown). Each test power supply 11-14 is connected to a controller 15 via a power supply communication bus or the like, and the controller 15 is connected to a personal computer 16. The controller 15 mediates data exchanged between the test power supplies 11-14 and the personal computer 16, and performs various data processing, abnormality determination, voltage calibration processing such as obtaining voltage measurements and calculating correction values ​​(described below), and the like. The personal computer 16 manages various data. In this embodiment, the controller 15 is described as being provided separately from the personal computer 16, but the controller 15 does not necessarily have to be separate from the personal computer 16; for example, the personal computer 16 may function as the controller 15. In this case, the controller 15 in FIG. 1 may be considered to be the personal computer.

[0023] In this embodiment, the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 are bidirectional DC-DC converters. Contains More specifically, the bidirectional DC-DC converter includes a converter unit, a detector, a PWM output control circuit, a CPU, etc. It may also include other components. Examples of the control method for the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 include digital control and PI control. Digital control is preferable as the control method for the inspection power supplies 11 to 14. Examples of the modulation method include pulse width modulation (PWM), frequency modulation (PFM), and phase modulation (PM). The converter section of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is configured using, for example, a switching element configured by a semiconductor element and a smoothing circuit (inductor and / or capacitor). The detector of the bidirectional DC-DC converter includes a voltmeter that detects voltage and an ammeter that detects current. As the voltmeter, for example, an operational amplifier such as an operational amplifier or a gain amplifier can be used, and as the ammeter, for example, a shunt resistor or a current sensor can be used. The PWM output control circuit of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is a circuit that performs feedback control to keep the voltage value and / or current value detected by the detector constant. The CPU of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is a microcontroller (MCU) that operates the test power supplies 11 to 14, and has functions such as measuring and controlling the voltage and current within the test power supplies 11 to 14, and communicating with the controller 15.

[0024] In the block diagram of Figure 1, the converter section of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is represented as a converter section conv, the PWM output control circuit of the bidirectional DC-DC converter and the CPU are represented as a test control section cont, the voltmeter of the detector of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is represented as a voltmeter volt, and the AD converter included in the detector of the bidirectional DC-DC converter is represented as an AD converter ad. Contains .

[0025] When a charge / discharge inspection of a secondary battery is performed using the charge / discharge inspection device 10, the secondary batteries (not shown) are connected to the inspection power supplies 11 to 14, respectively, and a command is sent from the controller 15 to the inspection control unit cont. The inspection control unit cont operates the converter unit conv based on the received command to perform a charge / discharge inspection of the secondary battery.

[0026] The calibration device 100 of the charge / discharge inspection device 10 is a calibration device that calibrates the voltage measured by the voltmeter volt of each of the inspection power supplies 11-14, and has a positive electrode side connection part 20 that connects to the positive electrode side of each of the inspection power supplies 11-14, a negative electrode side connection part 30 that connects to the negative electrode side of each of the inspection power supplies 11-14, a voltage generator 40 that simultaneously applies a predetermined voltage to the multiple inspection power supplies 11-14 connected in parallel via the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, a measuring instrument 50 that connects the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, and a controller 15 that connects to the multiple inspection power supplies 11-14, the voltage generator 40, and the measuring instrument 50. Here, the controller 15 is a part of the charge / discharge inspection device 10 and is also used as the calibration device 100.

[0027] In the charge / discharge inspection device 10, voltage measurements by the voltmeter volt provided in each of the inspection power supplies 11-14 are calibrated at predetermined timings, and calibration is performed by attaching a calibration device 100 to the charge / discharge inspection device 10. In the calibration device 100 attached to the charge / discharge inspection device 10, the controller 15 calibrates the voltages measured by the voltmeter volt of the inspection power supplies 11-14 by mutually communicating with the inspection control units cont of each of the inspection power supplies 11-14.

[0028] To calibrate the voltage in the inspection power supplies 11 to 14, the voltage applied to the positive terminal 20 and the negative terminal 30 by the voltage generator 40 is measured by a voltmeter volt provided in each inspection power supply 11 to 14, and also by a measuring instrument 50.The need for calibration is determined from these voltage values, and if calibration is necessary, a voltage correction value is calculated and calibration is performed based on this correction value.

[0029] The charge / discharge inspection device 10 of this embodiment has four inspection power supplies 11 to 14, and the following description will be given assuming that these inspection power supplies 11 to 14 are the objects of calibration. Generally, each of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 may be called a "channel," and the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 may be collectively called "all channels."

[0030] The controller 15 of the charge / discharge inspection device 10 is connected to the inspection control units cont of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 via a power supply communication bus or the like, and mediates data sent and received between the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 and the personal computer 16, processing various data, determining abnormalities, obtaining voltage measurements, and performing voltage calibration processing such as calculating correction values. The personal computer 16 manages various data.

[0031] The functions realized by the controller 15 and the personal computer 16 can be arbitrarily modified in design. For example, it is more efficient to perform the calculation of the correction value in the controller 15 because this eliminates the need for communication between the controller 15 and the personal computer 16, but it may also be performed in the personal computer 16.

[0032] The positive electrode side connection portion 20 and the negative electrode side connection portion 30 of the calibration device 100 of this embodiment are conductors that connect to the positive and negative output terminals and detection terminals of the test power supplies 11 to 14, and are bus bars in this embodiment. By configuring the positive electrode side connection portion 20 and the negative electrode side connection portion 30 as bus bars with multiple probe connection portions formed thereon, probe connection for each channel becomes easy. The positive electrode side connection portion 20 and the negative electrode side connection portion 30 are not limited to those illustrated, as long as they can connect the positive and negative electrodes of each test power supply 11 to 14 in parallel. Note that the positive electrode side connection portion 20 and the negative electrode side connection portion 30 are not limited to being configured as bus bars, and may be configured as conductive patterns provided on an appropriate substrate. Any configuration may be used as long as it allows multiple test power supplies to be connected in parallel.

[0033] The voltage generator 40 is connected to the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, and in this embodiment, the voltage generator 40 applies a predetermined voltage for inspection to the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 simultaneously via the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30. The voltage generator 40 has a communication function, and receives a voltage generation command including a voltage setting value from a higher-level side (such as the controller 15), and applies the predetermined voltage for inspection based on the setting value. The voltage generator 40 in this embodiment uses a voltage source with a stable output voltage value.

[0034] The measuring instrument 50 is connected to the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, and has a voltage measurement function for measuring the voltage applied to the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30 by the voltage generator 40, and a communication function for communicating with the controller 16, etc. In this embodiment, the measuring instrument 50 is a DMM (Digital Multimeter).

[0035] The voltmeter volt of each of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 is connected to the controller 15 via an AD converter ad and an inspection control section cont, making it possible to measure the value of the voltage detected by the voltmeter volt.

[0036] In particular, in the present embodiment, the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 are provided with a cutoff switch "switch" between the positive electrode side connecting portion 20 and the converter section "conv" of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14. The cutoff switch "switch" may be provided between the negative electrode side connecting portion 30 and the converter section "conv" of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14.

[0037] The cut-off switch switch is provided to reliably prevent a voltage drop from occurring in the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30 due to current flowing out or in from a part of the converter part conv when the voltage of the voltage generator 40 applied to the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30 is input to the converter part conv of the inspection power supply 11 to 14, which is in an open state as described below.

[0038] [Calibration method for charge / discharge testing equipment] A calibration method from the start to the end of calibration of the calibration device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The calibration method according to the embodiment of the present invention is a two-point calibration in which voltages are measured at two points. In the calibration device 100 of this embodiment, calibration is performed as a calibration routine.

[0039] First, the calibration device 100 executes a calibration routine to calibrate all the test power supplies 11 to 14 of the charge / discharge test device 10. Included in The converter unit conv is in an open state (step S10). The open state of the converter unit conv is Included in power supplies 11 to 14 The converter unit conv is in a state where it does not output as a charging / discharging power supply, and all of the switching elements constituting the converter unit conv are in an open state (off state). Here, the cutoff switch switch is also in an open state (off state).

[0040] Next, the calibration device 100 transmits a first voltage generation command from the higher-level side (in this description, the controller 15) to the voltage generator 40 (step S20).

[0041] Based on the voltage generation command, the voltage generator 40 simultaneously applies predetermined voltages based on the set values ​​received from the controller 15 to the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 .

[0042] Then, after a stabilization time (approximately 1 to 10 seconds) has elapsed (step S30), calibration device 100 measures the voltage values ​​determined from the output signals of voltmeters volt of test power supplies 11 to 14 and the voltage values ​​of measuring instrument 50 (step S40). The voltage values ​​determined from the output signals of voltmeters volt of test power supplies 11 to 14 are voltage values ​​output via AD converters ad and test control unit cont.

[0043] At this time, the converter unit conv, which is the power supply unit of the test power supplies 11 to 14 to be calibrated, is in an open state, and almost no current flows through the converter unit conv (several hundred micro-A to several milli-A), so none of the test power supplies 11 to 14 are affected by voltage drop, and more accurate voltage measurements can be made than with conventional technology.

[0044] Next, the calibration device 100 transmits a voltage generation command for the second point from the controller 15 to the voltage generator 40 (step S50).

[0045] Based on the voltage generation command, the voltage generator 40 simultaneously applies predetermined voltages to the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 based on the set values ​​received from the controller 15. The voltage of the second voltage generator 40 is set to a voltage value different from the voltage of the first voltage generator 40.

[0046] After that, after another stabilization time (approximately 1 to 10 seconds) has elapsed (step S60), the calibration device 100 measures the voltage values ​​identified from the output signals of the voltmeters volt of the test power supplies 11 to 14 and the voltage values ​​of the measuring instrument 50 (step S70).

[0047] Even in this case, the converter unit conv, which is the power supply unit of the test power supplies 11 to 14 to be calibrated, is in an open state, and almost no current flows through the converter unit conv (several hundred micro-amperes to several milli-amperes), so that none of the test power supplies 11 to 14 are affected by the voltage drop, and more accurate voltage measurements can be made than with conventional technology.

[0048] Next, calibration device 100 determines whether calibration is necessary based on the first measurement result and the second measurement result (step S80). The determination of whether calibration is necessary is made for each of power supplies under test 11-14 using a first difference between the voltage value of power supplies under test 11-14 measured at the first point and the voltage value of measuring instrument 50, or a second difference between the voltage value of power supplies under test 11-14 measured at the second point and the voltage value of measuring instrument 50, or both.

[0049] If the magnitude of the first difference and / or the second difference exceeds a preset threshold (step S80: YES), the calibration device 100 calculates a correction value using the first measurement result and / or the second measurement result (step S90) and calibrates the predetermined test power supplies 11 to 14 (step S100). After that, the calibration device 100 ends the calibration routine.

[0050] If the magnitude of the first difference and / or the second difference does not exceed the preset threshold value (step S80: NO), the calibration device 100 ends the calibration routine.

[0051] As described above, the calibration method according to this embodiment is a two-point calibration, and in the case of two-point calibration, calibration can be completed by measuring two points (first point, second point)×1 time.

[0052] In particular, in the calibration method according to this embodiment, the converter unit conv, which is the power supply unit of each of the testing power supplies 11 to 14, is in an open state, so that almost no current flows through the converter unit conv, and accurate voltage measurement can be performed without being affected by voltage drop in any of the testing power supplies 11 to 14.

[0053] Furthermore, the voltage applied to the positive terminal side connection part 20 and the negative terminal side connection part 30 by the voltage generator 40 can be measured simultaneously from any of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14, making it possible to perform simultaneous measurement and simultaneous calibration for all channels, thereby speeding up voltage calibration and shortening the calibration time.

[0054] Furthermore, since the converter section conv of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 in this embodiment is a digitally controlled power supply, the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 are controlled based on the received digital commands, but the values ​​of the digital commands do not deviate, so voltage calibration by the calibration method according to this embodiment is possible, as described above.

[0055] In contrast, with conventional techniques such as the calibration method described in Patent Document 1, voltage calibration had to be performed for each channel, which is 2 points (first point, second point) x number of channels, and the more channels there were, the longer the calibration took. Therefore, the greater the number of channels, the more effective the calibration device and calibration method according to this embodiment.

[0056] Although two-point calibration has been described as an example of a calibration method according to an embodiment of the present invention, the calibration method of the present invention is not limited to the example.

[0057] For example, the calculated correction value is stored in the memory of the controller 15, the personal computer 16, or the like, but when recalibration is performed after a certain period of time, such as six months or a year, only the measurement of the voltage value at the first point may be performed to confirm validity. In this case, the voltage may be calibrated (determined whether or not recalculation of the voltage correction value is necessary) using the voltage value measured by applying the voltage at the first point to the charge / discharge power supplies 11 to 14 using the voltage generator 40 and the measuring instrument 50. Such a recalibration method is also included in the calibration method of the present invention.

[0058] (Second embodiment) The configuration of a calibration device 101 for a charge / discharge inspection device according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The charge / discharge inspection device 10 of this calibration device 101 is similar to the charge / discharge inspection device 10 of the first embodiment, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0059] In the calibration device 101 of this embodiment, a voltage generator 40 and a measuring instrument 50 are connected to a power supply communication bus or the like that connects the controller 15 and the test power supplies 11 to 14. With this configuration, the calibration device 101 can obtain the same effects as the calibration device 100 of the first embodiment, and can also operate in a more synchronized manner.

[0060] (Third embodiment) The configuration of a calibration device 102 for a charge / discharge inspection device according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The charge / discharge inspection device 10 of this calibration device 102 is similar to the charge / discharge inspection device 10 of the first embodiment, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0061] The calibration device 102 of this embodiment is configured to operate one inspection power supply (inspection power supply 14) as a voltage generator 40. In this case, by sending a command from a higher-level device such as the controller 15 or the personal computer 16, the inspection power supply 14 is operated in a charging CV (Constant Voltage) mode, and the other inspection power supplies (inspection power supplies 11 to 13) are placed in an open state (stopped).

[0062] With this configuration, the calibration device 102 can obtain the same effects as the calibration device 100, and can also suppress an increase in the size of the entire system. Of course, any one of the other charge / discharge power supplies 11 to 13 may be operated as the voltage generator 40.

[0063] At this time, inspection power supply 14 also performs its own voltage calibration while applying voltage to inspection power supplies 11 to 13. Specifically, inspection power supply 14 performs its own voltage calibration based on the voltage value of inspection power supply 14 measured by a voltmeter when applying voltage to inspection power supplies 11 to 13 and the voltage value measured by measuring instrument 50.

[0064] The present embodiment described above is merely an example, and the design of each component can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the function of calculating and storing the correction value can be provided in any device, such as the internal memory of the controller 15, the personal computer 16, or the CPU of the testing power supplies 11 to 14. Also, the wiring configuration connecting each device can be appropriately configured using known techniques. The set values ​​for the first and second voltage generation commands can also be set to any values.

[0065] (Fourth embodiment) The configuration of a calibration device 103 for a charge / discharge inspection device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. The charge / discharge inspection device 10 is similar to the charge / discharge inspection device 10 of the first embodiment, and the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0066] The calibration device 103 of the charge / discharge inspection device of this embodiment is capable of calibrating not only the voltmeter volt provided in each of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 of the charge / discharge inspection device but also the ammeter by using the measuring instrument 50' to measure the current flowing through the positive electrode side connecting part 20 or the negative electrode side connecting part 30. Moreover, one of the inspection power supplies 11 to 14 serves not only as a voltage generator 40 but also as a current control means for passing a predetermined current through the positive electrode side connecting part 20 and the negative electrode side connecting part 30.

[0067] As shown in Figure 5, in this embodiment, a positive electrode side connection part 21 for the inspection power supply 14, which serves as the current control means, is separately provided so that a predetermined amount of power can be supplied to the positive electrode side connection parts 20, 21 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, and a current sensor 51 is provided between the positive electrode side connection parts 20, 21. In this embodiment, the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the positive electrode side connection part 21 are connected via internal wiring of the current sensor 51. By sending a command from a higher-level device such as the controller 15 or the personal computer 16, the inspection power supply 14 is operated as the current control means corresponding to a bidirectional power supply.

[0068] In this embodiment, the measuring instrument 50' connected to the current sensor 51 is a digital multimeter, which not only measures the voltage at the positive terminal 20 and the negative terminal 30, but also measures the current using the current sensor 51.

[0069] Specifically, when operating the inspection power supply 14 as the current control means to calibrate the current measurements of the inspection power supplies 11 to 13, the calibration is carried out as follows, as shown in the flowchart of Fig. 6. The calibration method for the current measurements is two-point calibration, in which current values ​​are measured at two points.

[0070] First, the calibration device 103 executes a calibration routine to place the converter units, which are the power supply units of the test power supplies 11 to 13, in an open state (step S110). The open state of the converter units means that the converter units do not output as charge / discharge power supplies, and all switching elements constituting the converter units are in an open state (off state). Here, the cutoff switches in the test power supplies 11 to 13 are also in an open state (off state).

[0071] Next, the calibration device 103 measures the current value determined from the output signal of the ammeter of each of the test power supplies 11 to 13 (step S120). The current value determined from the output signal of the ammeter of each of the test power supplies 11 to 13 is the value of the current output via the AD converter and the test control unit.

[0072] At this time, the test power supplies 11-13 to be calibrated are in an open state (stopped), so current measurements can be taken simultaneously and in parallel for all of the test power supplies 11-13. This current measurement is the first current measurement. Furthermore, if the test power supplies 11-13 are in an open state (stopped) and the current value at the positive electrode side connecting portion 20 is measured by current sensor 51, an offset error of current sensor 51 can be detected. Therefore, the value (current value) of current sensor 51 can be measured by measuring instrument 50' to identify the effect of the offset error of current sensor 51, and this can be used to identify a correction value, which will be described later.

[0073] After measuring the current value at the first point, the calibration device 103 transmits a current command for measuring the current value at the second point from the controller 15 to the test power supplies 11 to 13, and sets the test power supplies 11 to 13 to a predetermined current-carrying state (step S130).

[0074] The calibration device 103 initializes the index n, which designates one of the test power supplies 11 to 13, by setting it to "n=0" (step S140), and then performs an increment process to set it to "n=n+1" (step S150). In this case, "n=1".

[0075] Next, in the calibration device 103, the cut-off switch connected to the power supply unit of the nth, i.e., first, testing power supply 11 and the positive wiring of the first testing power supply 11 is turned on, and the converter unit, which is the power supply unit of the first testing power supply 11, is brought into a state where a predetermined current is flowing (step S160).

[0076] Then, after a stabilization time (approximately 1 to 10 seconds) has elapsed (step S170), the current value of the first power supply for testing 11 is measured using the output signal of the ammeter of the first power supply for testing 11. This current value measurement is the second current value measurement. Furthermore, the current value of the positive electrode side connecting portion 20 is measured by the current sensor 51 (step S180).

[0077] The controller 15 of the calibration device 103 determines the need for calibration in the current measurement of the testing power supply 11 based on the current value of the testing power supply 11 at the first point, the current value of the testing power supply 11 at the second point, and the current value measured by the current sensor 51 at the second point (step S190).

[0078] When controller 15 of calibration device 103 determines that calibration is required for the measurement of the current of power supply for testing 11 (step S190: YES), it calculates a correction value based on the current value of power supply for testing 11 at the first point, the current value of power supply for testing 11 at the second point, and the current value measured by current sensor 51 at the second point (step S200). When determining whether to perform calibration, for example, if the output accuracy of the charge / discharge power supply is 1% of full scale, it is desirable to set the specified error range to within about 0.5%.

[0079] The controller 15 of the calibration device 103 calibrates the first testing power supply 11 based on the correction value obtained in step S200 (step S210). After the calibration is completed, the calibration device 103 stops the power supply unit of the first testing power supply 11 that was energized in step S160 (step S220). The controller 15 also turns off the cutoff switch connected to the positive wiring of the first testing power supply 11.

[0080] If it is determined in step S190 that calibration is not necessary (step S190: NO), the process jumps to step S220, where the power supply unit of the first testing power supply 11 that was energized in step S160 is turned off (step S220), and the cut-off switch connected to the positive wiring of the first testing power supply 11 is turned off.

[0081] Next, the calibration device 103 determines whether calibration has been completed in step S230, i.e., whether calibration has been completed for all of the test power supplies 11 to 13. If there are any test power supplies remaining that have not been calibrated, the process returns to step S150 to measure and calibrate the current values ​​of the other test power supplies.

[0082] The calibration routine is terminated if the termination determination in step S230 indicates that calibration has been performed for all of the test power supplies 11 to 13. Thereafter, the test power supply 14 is calibrated using one of the test power supplies 11 to 13 as the voltage generator 40 or the current control means.

[0083] As described above, in this embodiment, when the inspection power supply 14 is used as current control means for passing a predetermined current through the positive electrode side connection portion 20 and the negative electrode side connection portion 30, the positive electrode side connection portion 21 is connected to the positive electrode side connection portion 20 via the current sensor 51, so the polarity of the current sensor 51 is reversed with respect to the inspection power supply 14. Therefore, when using the inspection power supply 14 as current control means, since the wiring is known, the polarity can be matched without changing the circuit configuration by previously multiplying the current value measured by the current sensor 51 by a value of −1.

[0084] In the calibration method according to this embodiment, the first point of the two-point calibration is obtained by simultaneously measuring the currents of all channels while the charge / discharge testing device 10 (test power supplies 11 to 13) is stopped (before operation), so that the calibration can be completed in a calibration time of 1 point x number of channels. Therefore, it is possible to speed up the current calibration (shorten the calibration time).

[0085] When the power supplies for testing 11 to 13 are stopped, the measurement value of current sensor 51 indicates approximately 0 A, so instead of measuring the current value with current sensor 51, the current value of power supplies for testing 11 to 13 may be assumed to be 0 A in advance and set to 0 A without measurement. This makes it possible to further reduce the number of times the current is measured during current calibration.

[0086] In this embodiment, a measuring instrument 50' consisting of a digital multimeter connected to a current sensor 51 measures the current as well as the voltage at the positive electrode side connection part 20 and the negative electrode side connection part 30, thereby enabling current calibration and voltage calibration to be performed continuously without performing circuit switching work or the like. [Industrial Applicability]

[0087] The present invention provides a calibration device and calibration method for a charge / discharge testing device that can quickly and accurately calibrate the voltages of multiple charge / discharge power supplies connected in parallel, and the greater the number of channels, the more effective the device and method are, making it industrially useful. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10. Charging and discharging inspection equipment 11, 12, 13, 14 Inspection power supply 15 Controller 16 PC 20 Positive electrode connection 30 Negative electrode connection part 40 Voltage Generator 50,50' Measuring Instrument 51 Current Sensor 100,101,102,103 Calibration device cont Inspection control section conv Converter section (power supply section) ad AD converter volt voltmeter switch shut-off switch

Claims

1. A calibration device that calibrates the voltage measured by a voltmeter installed in a charge / discharge inspection device that has a power supply unit that charges and discharges a secondary battery and has multiple inspection power supplies each including a converter unit. a positive electrode side connection portion that connects to the positive electrode sides of each of the plurality of inspection power sources; a negative electrode side connection portion that connects to the negative electrode sides of each of the plurality of inspection power sources; a voltage generator that applies a predetermined voltage to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion; a measuring instrument for measuring the voltage applied to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion; a controller connected to the plurality of power supplies for inspection, the voltage generator, and the measuring instrument; When calibrating the voltage measured by the voltmeter, The converter units included in the power supply units of all the inspection power supplies are set in an open state, A calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device that calibrates the voltage applied to the positive electrode side connection part and the negative electrode side connection part by measuring them with the voltmeter and the measuring instrument, respectively, based on a voltage generation command sent from the controller to the voltage generator.

2. 2. The calibration device for a charge / discharge inspection device according to claim 1, wherein, instead of the voltage generator, any one of the plurality of inspection power supplies is used as voltage generating means for applying a predetermined voltage to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion.

3. applying a voltage at two different points from the voltage generator, calculating a voltage correction value based on the measured voltage values, and calibrating the voltage using the correction value; 3. A calibration device for the charge / discharge inspection device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A method for calibrating a voltage measured by a voltmeter provided in a charge / discharge inspection device that includes a power supply unit that charges and discharges a secondary battery and a plurality of inspection power supplies each including a converter unit, using a calibration device, The calibration device a positive electrode side connection portion that connects to the positive electrode sides of each of the plurality of inspection power sources; a negative electrode side connection portion that connects to the negative electrode sides of each of the plurality of inspection power sources; a voltage generator that applies a predetermined voltage to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion; a measuring instrument for measuring the voltage applied to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion; a controller connected to the plurality of power supplies for inspection, the voltage generator, and the measuring instrument; placing the converter units included in the power supply units in all of the test power supplies in an open state; applying a predetermined voltage to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion by the voltage generator; measuring a voltage with the voltmeter and measuring a voltage with the meter; calibrating the voltage measured by the voltmeter based on the voltage measurement result; A method for calibrating a charge / discharge inspection device having the above-mentioned features.

5. 5. The method for calibrating a charge / discharge inspection device according to claim 4, wherein, instead of the voltage generator, any one of the plurality of inspection power supplies is used as voltage generating means for applying a predetermined voltage to the positive electrode side connection portion and the negative electrode side connection portion.

6. The step of calibrating the voltage measured by the voltmeter based on the voltage measurement result according to claim 4 further comprises: A method for calibrating a charge / discharge testing device, the method comprising the steps of applying voltages at two different points from the voltage generator, calculating a voltage correction value based on the measured voltage values, and performing calibration using the correction value.

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