No power outage device

Abstract

To provide an uninterruptible power supply system which can be made into a battery configuration matched with needs of a user.SOLUTION: In a UPS 10 of the present embodiment, batteries 35 and charge modules 32 for charging the batteries are structurally integral to constitute battery units 30. The battery units 30 are plural, and are structurally independent of or attachable / detachable to / from a control unit 21 (which controls a changeover switch 37 into a conducted state to allow electric conduction between the batteries 35 and an inverter unit 23 when commercial power of an AC power supply 50 is interrupted) and the inverter unit 23. Thus, the number of battery units 30 is allowed to be freely set to the control unit 21, the inverter unit 23, etc. Consequently, since the number of battery units 30 is allowed to be set to be adapted to power capacity which can be backed up required by a user, the UPS can be made into battery configurations matched with needs of the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an uninterruptible power supply that converts DC power to AC power and supplies the AC power to a load when commercial power to be supplied from the outside to the load is interrupted. Device It is related to. [Background technology]

[0002] uninterruptible power supply Device One example of technology related to this is the "Controller with Battery Diagnostic Function for Uninterruptible Power Supply and Diagnostic Method Therefor" disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. This uninterruptible power supply is equipped with multiple batteries that supply DC power, and is configured to identify the battery in the event of an abnormality in one of these batteries and diagnose the type of abnormality. This allows, for example, during a commercial power outage, i.e., during battery backup operation, to electrically disconnect a battery that has been identified as having an abnormality, enabling maintenance work such as battery replacement or inspection. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-184590 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, an uninterruptible power supply having a plurality of batteries, such as the uninterruptible power supply in Patent Document 1, Device The number of backup batteries is predetermined based on specifications such as the backup power capacity. Device If the power capacity required by the user does not match the backup power capacity at the time of installation, the number of batteries may be increased more than necessary to avoid a shortage of batteries. DeviceSince the configuration must be selected, there is a problem that excessive battery configurations can lead to high costs. Device After installation, it is not easy to increase or decrease the number of batteries, so if the backup power capacity no longer meets the user's needs, a new battery will be required. Device This may result in a problem of having to replace the equipment, which will further increase equipment costs.

[0005] Furthermore, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, when a configuration is adopted in which multiple batteries are charged with one charger, the multiple batteries are generally of the same type and rated capacity for ease of charge control. In the uninterruptible power supply device of Patent Document 1, all of the multiple batteries are lead batteries (lead-acid batteries). Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to meet the need to mix different types of batteries (e.g., lead-acid batteries and lithium-ion secondary batteries) among the multiple batteries, for example, as user needs or the battery market change.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and provides an uninterruptible power supply that can be configured with a battery that matches the needs of users. Device The purpose is to provide the following. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, an uninterruptible power supply as set forth in claim 1 of the claims is provided. Device is an uninterruptible power supply that converts DC power to AC power and supplies it to a load when commercial power that should be supplied to the load from the outside is interrupted. Device a battery unit that outputs the DC power; and a charging unit that converts the commercial power into DC power and charges the battery unit. a switch unit for switching between electrical conduction between the battery unit and the charging unit or electrical conduction between the battery unit and a predetermined circuit, in each of the plurality of detachable battery units; an inverter unit capable of converting DC power output from the battery unit into AC power; Alternatively, the predetermined circuit is a voltage converter that can step up or step down the DC voltage output from the battery unit to a predetermined voltage. In the event of a power outage, The switch unit is controlled to switch from electrical continuity between the battery unit and the charging unit to electrical continuity between the battery unit and the predetermined circuit. A control unit, The uninterruptible power supply is provided in a state where the battery unit is structurally independent of the uninterruptible power supply.It should be noted that, between the battery unit and the inverter unit, where the switch unit enables electrical conduction, there may be a voltage converter that converts (boosts or drops) the output voltage of the battery unit to a voltage value suitable for the input voltage of the inverter unit and outputs it to the inverter unit.

[0008] The uninterruptible power supply of claim 1 Device In the invention of Each of the multiple battery units includes a battery section, a charging section, and a switch section, and is detachable from the uninterruptible power supply. The switch section switches between electrical continuity between the battery section and the charging section and electrical continuity between the battery section and a specified circuit (inverter section or voltage converter). The uninterruptible power supply is structurally independent from the battery units and includes the specified circuit and control section within the device. When the commercial power supply fails, the control section controls the switch section to switch from continuity between the battery section and the charging section to continuity between the battery section and the specified circuit. This , Ba The battery unit is Predetermined circuit and control section) Wear it Easy to remove be Therefore, it is possible to freely set the number of battery units relative to the other parts. Also, since the battery section and the charging section that charges it are structurally configured as an integrated unit and have a one-to-one relationship, the battery sections that make up the multiple battery units do not need to be the same type of battery. Therefore, it is possible to mix battery units that are configured with battery sections of different battery types among the multiple battery units. Furthermore, it is possible to arbitrarily set the number of battery units to match the available backup power capacity.

[0011] Furthermore, claims 2 Uninterruptible power supply as described in Device is a claim 1 to Uninterruptible power supply listed Device And ,before A charging control unit that controls charging of the battery unit The uninterruptible power supply is provided with a , the battery is less than a predetermined charge capacity Department There are a plurality of battery units each having In case The charging control unit, within a range of surplus power obtained by subtracting the maximum power consumption of the load from the maximum allowable power that can be supplied by the commercial power, a plurality of charge capacities less than the predetermined charge capacity; before Record A technical feature of this system is that the battery section is charged at the same time.

[0012] Claim 2 Uninterruptible power supply Device In the invention of the uninterruptible power supply Device The charging control section controls the charging of the battery section. It is structurally independent from the battery unit and is installed within the device.And, Less than the specified charging capacity There are multiple battery units each having a battery section. In case The charging control unit controls the charging of multiple loads within the surplus power range obtained by subtracting the maximum power consumption of the load from the maximum allowable power that can be supplied by commercial power. Less than the specified charging capacity This allows multiple batteries to be charged simultaneously, so that even when the load is operating at maximum power, the maximum allowable power that can be supplied by commercial power is not exceeded. Less than the specified charging capacity It is possible to charge the battery, Less than the specified charging capacity Compared to charging the battery units one by one, Less than the specified charging capacity The battery section can be charged in a short time.

[0013] The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 3 of the claims is the uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, further comprising a charge control section for controlling charging of the battery section within the uninterruptible power supply, the charge control section being structurally independent from the battery unit, the battery unit having a configuration for acquiring status information representing an electrical or physical state of the battery section in the battery unit or information specific to the battery section from a sensor within the battery unit and outputting the acquired status information to the charge control section, and when there are a plurality of battery units having battery sections with charge capacities less than a predetermined value, the charge control section determines whether or not the battery section is charged based on the status information or the specific information. Based on the type of the battery unit, the battery unit with the shortest charging time The technical feature of the present invention is that the battery units are charged in order. The status information representing the electrical status of the battery unit is, for example, information on the output voltage and output current of the battery unit. The status information representing the physical status of the battery unit is, for example, information on the internal temperature and surface temperature of the battery unit, information on the cumulative discharge time from when the battery unit started discharging to the present, and, if the battery unit contains electrolyte, information on the amount of electrolyte. Furthermore, the information specific to the battery unit is, for example, identification information that can uniquely identify the battery unit or its battery unit.

[0014] In the uninterruptible power supply invention of claim 3, the uninterruptible power supply includes a charge control unit that controls charging of the battery unit, structurally independent from the battery unit. The battery unit is configured to acquire status information indicating the electrical or physical status of the battery unit in the battery unit and information specific to the battery unit from a sensor in the battery unit and output it to the charge control unit. If there are multiple battery units with battery units with less than a predetermined charge capacity, the charge control unit controls charging of the battery unit based on the status information output from the multiple battery units or the information specific to the battery unit. Based on the type of the battery unit, the battery unit with the shortest charging time This allows the batteries to be charged in order. , Mitsuru A battery unit having a charged battery portion can be prepared in a short period of time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] Uninterruptible power supply of the present invention Device So , Ba The battery unit is Predetermined circuit and control section) Wear it Easy to remove be Therefore, it is possible to freely set the number of battery units relative to the other parts. Also, since the battery section and the charging section that charges it are structurally configured as an integrated unit and have a one-to-one relationship, the battery sections that make up the multiple battery units do not need to be the same type of battery. Therefore, it is possible to mix battery units that are configured with battery sections of different battery types among the multiple battery units. Furthermore, it is possible to arbitrarily set the number of battery units to match the available backup power capacity. Therefore, it is possible to set the number of battery units to match the backup power capacity required by the user, and thus to provide a battery configuration that matches the user's needs. It is possible to realize an uninterruptible power supply having can. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of an uninterruptible power supply (hereinafter referred to as "UPS") of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the UPS according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of main control processing performed by the control unit (control unit of the UPS) shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of a charge control process performed by a control unit of the UPS. [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the charging priority determination process shown in FIG. 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, the uninterruptible power supply of the present invention Device An embodiment of a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to which the above is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. First, an example of the configuration of a UPS 10 of a continuous commercial power supply type will be described with reference to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the UPS 10 is a device connected between an AC power source 50 (for example, a single-phase AC power source or a three-phase AC power source) which is a supply source of commercial AC power (commercial power) and a load 70, and converts DC power to AC power and supplies it when the commercial power to be supplied to the load 70 is interrupted. Note that the load 70 may be a variety of devices that use AC power as an energy source, such as electrical machinery and appliances, information and communication devices, etc.

[0018] The UPS 10 is mainly composed of a changeover switch 17, a control unit 21, a DC / DC unit 22, an inverter unit 23, and a plurality of battery units 30, and is housed in a housing 11 that is, for example, a rectangular metal box. As will be described later, the housing 11 is provided with a housing space 11a that can house the battery units 30 in a detachable manner from the outside, an input terminal 12 to which an AC power supply 50 is electrically connected, and an output terminal 13 to which a load 70 is electrically connected. An internal line 15 is connected to these terminals 12 and 13, and a changeover switch 17 and a sensor 19 are connected along the internal line 15. As will be described later, if the DC voltage output by the battery units 30 is a voltage value suitable as the input voltage for the inverter unit 23, the DC / DC unit 22 is not necessary.

[0019] The changeover switch 17 is, for example, a relay circuit provided midway along the internal line 15, and is configured to be switchable in response to a control command sent from a control unit 21, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the changeover switch 17 is configured to electrically connect the output terminal 13 to the input terminal 12 when commercial power is received (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "normal time"), and to electrically connect the output terminal 13 to the inverter unit 23 during a power outage. The changeover switch 17 is, for example, a mechanical relay that mechanically switches the connection target, or a solid-state relay (SSR) that switches on and off using a semiconductor switching element.

[0020] Sensor 19 is a voltage sensor capable of detecting the voltage applied to input terminal 12, and a current sensor capable of detecting the current flowing through input terminal 12, and is connected to control unit 21 so as to be able to output detected voltage information and current information to control unit 21. In this embodiment, sensor 19 has the function of outputting information to control unit 21 as to whether or not AC power is being supplied from AC power supply 50 connected to input terminal 12, thereby notifying control unit 21 of this information in the event of a power outage of AC power supply 50, and of notifying control unit 21 of current information in the event that AC power is being supplied from AC power supply 50. In this embodiment, sensor 19 has two functions, that of a voltage sensor and a current sensor, but these functions may be performed separately by two sensors.

[0021] The control unit 21 is a microcomputer unit configured with, for example, an MPU, memory (RAM, EEPROM), an input / output interface, an A / D converter, a driver circuit, a clock module, etc. (none of which are shown). In this embodiment, the control unit 21 is connected to the sensor 19, a DC / DC unit 22, an inverter unit 23, and a plurality of battery units 30. The driving power of the control unit 21 is supplied from each battery unit 30. Note that the clock module has a back-up power source, for example, a small secondary battery mounted on the circuit board on which it is mounted, in case of a power loss.

[0022] The control unit 21 performs predetermined control over the DC / DC unit 22 and the inverter unit 23, and switches the changeover switch 17 via a driver circuit based on voltage information input from the sensor 19 via an A / D converter. In this embodiment, as will be described later, the control unit 21 also switches the battery 35 electrically connected to the DC / DC unit 22 based on status information and ID of each battery 35 sent from each battery unit 30. These control processes and status information will be described later.

[0023] The DC / DC unit 22 is a boost-type voltage conversion device (voltage converter) that boosts the DC voltage output from the battery 35 of each battery unit 30 to a predetermined voltage suitable for the input voltage of the inverter unit 23. Therefore, each battery unit 30 is connected to the input side of the DC / DC unit 22, and the DC / DC unit 22 is configured so that one of the battery units 30 can be connected to the input side of the DC / DC unit 22, as will be described later. Also, the inverter unit 23 is connected to the output side of the DC / DC unit 22.

[0024] The DC / DC unit 22 is composed of, for example, a coil for storing electrical energy for boosting, a semiconductor switching element (such as a power MOSFET or an IGBT) that performs switching control for storing electrical energy in the coil and extracting electrical energy from the coil, and a control circuit (none of which are shown) that controls the on / off of such semiconductor switching element, and as will be described later, the control unit 21 controls the start and stop of the voltage conversion function.

[0025] The DC / DC unit 22 may be a step-down type voltage conversion device (voltage converter) that steps down the DC voltage output from the battery 35 of each battery unit 30 to a predetermined voltage suitable for the input voltage of the inverter unit 23. If the DC voltage output from the battery 35 of the battery unit 30 is such a predetermined voltage, there is no need to step up or step down the voltage, and therefore the DC / DC unit 22 is not required.

[0026] The inverter unit 23 is a power conversion device having an AC conversion function for converting the DC voltage boosted by the DC / DC unit 22 into an AC voltage (DC power into AC power). Therefore, the input side of the inverter unit 23 is connected to the output side of the DC / DC unit 22, and the output side of the inverter unit 23 is connected to one side (power receiving side) of the changeover switch 17, the other side (power outage side) of which is connected to the internal line 15.

[0027] The inverter unit 23 is configured with semiconductor switching elements (power MOSFETs, IGBTs, etc.) that constitute upper and lower switching arms corresponding to the number of AC phases so as to be able to generate an AC waveform of substantially the same frequency and voltage as the AC waveform supplied by the AC power supply 50, and control circuits (neither of which are shown) that control the on / off of these semiconductor switching elements, and the like, and as will be described later, the control unit 21 controls the start and stop of the AC conversion function.

[0028] The battery unit 30 is mainly composed of a charging module 32, a battery 35, a changeover switch 37, and a sensor 39, which are housed in a housing 31. In this embodiment, there are multiple battery units 30, which are not electrically connected in parallel or series, and the changeover switch 37 is controlled so that one of the multiple battery units 30 is connected to the DC / DC unit 22, as will be described later.

[0029] 1 shows three battery units 30 housed in the housing space 11a inside the UPS 10 and one battery unit 30' removed outside the UPS 10, but these are all basically configured in the same way. The battery unit 30' removed outside the UPS 10 indicates that the battery unit 30 can be attached and detached from the housing space 11a of the housing 11 from the outside.

[0030] The charging module 32 is a charging device that converts commercial power (AC power) received from the AC power source 50 into DC power suitable for the battery 35 housed in the battery unit 30 and charges the battery 35. That is, the charging module 32 and the battery 35 form a predetermined pair, and in this embodiment, the charging module 32 is configured to be able to charge only the battery 35 inside the housing 31 in which it is housed. In other words, it is configured to be able to charge the battery 35 exclusively using a charging method suitable for the type of battery cell of that battery 35. In this embodiment, AC power is supplied to the charging module 32 via a branch line 16 connected to the internal line 15.

[0031] As will be described later, the charging module 32 is configured to start or stop charging in response to a control command sent from the control unit 21. Therefore, even if the charging module 32 and the battery 35 are electrically connected via the changeover switch 37, charging of the battery 35 will not occur unless a charging start command is received from the control unit 21. The charging module 32 sends information (charging information) informing the charging status of the battery 35 (charging, charging completed, or charging stopped) in response to a request from the control unit 21, or sends the information to the control unit 21 at a predetermined interval.

[0032] Furthermore, the charging module 32 automatically stops charging when charging of the battery 35 is completed. Therefore, the charge stop command sent from the control unit 21 is used to forcibly terminate charging during charging. The charging information is sent together with the ID of the battery unit 30 that houses the charging module 32 and the ID of the battery 35. Note that, although the present embodiment will be described taking as an example a case where an ID is assigned to the battery 35, an ID may also be assigned to the battery unit 30. In that case, the "ID of the battery 35" and the like in this specification should be read as the "ID of the battery unit 30" and the like.

[0033] The battery 35 is a secondary battery of a battery pack type having a plurality of battery cells, which are electrically connected in series and configured to output a predetermined DC voltage (e.g., 48 V) at a predetermined rated capacity. The rated capacity varies depending on the individual capacity of the battery cells or the number of parallel connections, and is set to, for example, 40 Ah. The battery cells are configured of a predetermined type, such as a lead-acid battery, a lithium-ion secondary battery, or an all-solid-state battery. Therefore, the charging module 32 described above is configured to charge the target battery 35 using a charging method suitable for the type of battery cell.

[0034] The changeover switch 37 is, for example, a relay circuit interposed between the charging module 32 and the battery 35, and is configured to be switchable in response to a control command sent from the control unit 21. In this embodiment, the changeover switch 37 is configured to electrically connect the battery 35 to either the charging module 32 or the DC / DC unit 22. The changeover switch 37 is controlled by a main control process described later so that one of the plurality of battery units 30 is connected to the DC / DC unit 22 via the changeover switch 37. The changeover switch 37 is, for example, a mechanical relay or a semiconductor relay.

[0035] In this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which a change-over switch 37 that switches the connection destination of the battery 35 to either the charging module 32 or the DC / DC unit 22 is provided inside the battery unit 30, but such a switch may also be provided outside the battery unit 30. For example, a silicon diode facing forward from the charging module 32 to the battery 35 may be interposed between them, and a battery voltage may be output to the outside from a connection between the cathode of the diode and the anode of the battery 35, and the battery output of each battery unit 30 may be switched by a multi-contact change-over switch and input to the DC / DC unit 22. Such switch switching may also be controlled by a control command sent from the control unit 21.

[0036] The sensors 39 include those capable of detecting electrical state information (electrical state information) such as the current output voltage and output current of the battery 35, and those capable of detecting physical state information (physical state information) such as temperature information such as the internal temperature (cell temperature) and surface temperature of the battery 35 at that time, information on the cumulative discharge time from when the battery 35 started discharging until that time, information on the number of times the battery 35 has been charged up to that time, and, if the battery 35 has an electrolyte such as a lead-acid battery, information on the electrolyte level at that time, and the configuration differs depending on the type of battery 35 included in the battery unit 30. Therefore, although these multiple sensors are conceptually represented as one sensor 39 in FIG. 1, specifically, the sensor 39 is composed of two or more sensors.

[0037] Furthermore, the sensor 39 is a concept that includes a microcomputer module, and stores in its memory an ID (identification information, unique information) that can uniquely identify the battery 35 (or battery unit 30), as well as specification information such as the type, nominal voltage, and rated capacity of the battery 35. Therefore, the sensor 39 is connected to the control unit 21 so as to be able to output the ID, specification information, etc. to the control unit 21 in addition to the detected electrical state information and physical state information. This information is sent in response to a request from the control unit 21 or spontaneously at predetermined intervals.

[0038] In this embodiment, the housing 11 of the UPS 10 is exemplified as a rectangular metal box. However, the UPS 10 may be mounted in a predetermined system rack, such as a 19-inch rack, whose width and height are set in accordance with JIS or EIA standards. In this case, the main unit, control unit 21, inverter unit 23, and battery unit 30, which house the input terminal 12, output terminal 13, and internal lines 15, are housed in thin, box-like housings each set to a predetermined width, height, and depth. The light-weight main unit, control unit 21, and inverter unit 23 are mounted at the top of the rack, while the heavy-weight battery unit 30 is mounted at the bottom of the rack. Wiring between the units is performed on the back panel side.

[0039] In contrast to the continuous commercial power supply UPS 10 shown in Figure 1, which is configured as described above, the UPS 10' shown in Figure 2 is called a continuous inverter power supply system, and differs from the UPS 10 of Figure 1 in that it has an additional AC / DC unit 24 and an inverter unit 23 interposed between the changeover switch 17 and the output terminal 13 in the internal line 15. The continuous inverter power supply system converts commercial power (AC power) into DC power even during normal operation, and then converts it back into AC power using an inverter and outputs it to the load. Because the inverter operates not only during a power outage but also when receiving power, the configuration is more complex than the continuous commercial power supply system, but it has the advantage of being less susceptible to momentary power interruptions during a power outage.

[0040] In this UPS 10', an AC / DC unit 24 is interposed midway along the internal line 15, and an inverter unit 23 is interposed midway along the internal line 15 between the changeover switch 17 and the output terminal 13. The inverter unit 23 operates both during power reception and during a power outage, that is, at all times. The output side of the AC / DC unit 24 is connected to one side (the power reception side) of the changeover switch 17, and the output side of the DC / DC unit 22 is connected to the other side (the power outage side) of the changeover switch 17. The AC / DC unit 24 is, for example, a rectifier circuit that converts the AC voltage input from the input terminal 12 into a DC voltage.

[0041] UPS 10 or UPS 10' configured as described above operates as follows when AC power supply 50 connected to input terminal 12 experiences a power outage. When sensor 19 detects that AC power supply 50 has experienced a power outage and inputs this information to control unit 21, control unit 21 controls changeover switch 17, which normally connects to internal line 15 or AC / DC unit 24, to switch to inverter unit 23 or DC / DC unit 22 during the power outage. As a result, DC power supplied from one of battery units 30 is converted to AC power by inverter unit 23 and output to output terminal 13, restoring the supply of AC power to load 70 that had been interrupted due to the power outage.

[0042] Next, such control performed by the control unit 21 will be described with reference to Figs. 3 to 5. The UPS 10, 10' (hereinafter referred to as "UPS 10, etc.") of this embodiment is configured to be automatically powered on when an AC power supply 50 is connected to the input terminal 12 and commercial power is received. The control unit 21 performs main control processing that is started immediately after powering on the UPS 10, etc. and continues to run until the power is cut off and operation ends, and charge control processing that is started and run at a predetermined cycle or at a predetermined time while commercial power is being received. First, the flow of the main control processing will be described with reference to Fig. 3.

[0043] <Main control processing> 3, the main control process begins with a predetermined initialization process in step S101. This process, for example, clears the work area and flags in the memory (RAM) of the control unit 21, and sends a control command to switch the changeover switch 17 to the power receiving side. As a result, all charging flags, which will be described later, are set to OFF, and the output terminal 13 is connected to the internal line 15 via the changeover switch 17. Therefore, when the UPS 10 or the like receives commercial power from the AC power supply 50, the commercial power is supplied to the load 70 via the input terminal 12, the internal line 15, the changeover switch 17, and the output terminal 13 (in the UPS 10′, the input terminal 12, the internal line 15, the AC / DC unit 24, the changeover switch 17, the inverter unit 23, and the output terminal 13).

[0044] Furthermore, in this initialization process, switching information for the battery units 30 stored in the memory (EEPROM) of the control unit 21 is read. Then, a control command is sent to switch the changeover switch 37 to the DC / DC unit 22 side to the battery unit 30 having the battery 35 that was connected when the UPS 10 or the like was last operated, and a control command is sent to switch the changeover switch 37 to the charging module 32 side to the other battery units 30. As a result, the battery 35 of the battery unit 30 that was connected when the previous operation was last operated is electrically connected to the DC / DC unit 22, and the batteries 35 of the other battery units 30 are connected to the charging module 32.

[0045] The charging flag is information (charging necessity information) that indicates whether charging is necessary (ON: charging necessary, OFF: charging not necessary) associated with the ID of each battery 35, and in this embodiment, is provided corresponding to the ID assigned to each battery 35. Furthermore, the charging module 32 will not perform charging unless it receives a charging start command from the control unit 21. Therefore, charging of the battery 35 of the battery unit 30 does not start at this initialization processing stage.

[0046] In the next step S103, a power reception information acquisition process is performed, and in the next step S105, a power outage occurrence determination process is performed. In the power reception information acquisition process, voltage information output from sensor 19 is acquired, and a power outage occurrence determination process is performed based on that information to determine whether commercial power is being input to input terminal 12, that is, whether a power outage has occurred. When commercial power is not being input to input terminal 12, that is, when a power outage has occurred, the voltage information detected by sensor 19 indicates an AC voltage of approximately 0 V, making it possible to determine whether a power outage has occurred.

[0047] If it is determined in step S105 that a power outage has occurred (S105; Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S107. If it is not determined that a power outage has occurred (S105; No), the process returns to step S103 and performs the power reception information acquisition process again. That is, both the processes of step S103 and step S105 are repeated until a power outage occurs. Note that in the determination process of step S105, it may be determined that a power outage has occurred when the AC voltage of the AC power supply 50 falls below a predetermined voltage (for example, a voltage less than 90% of the nominal voltage).

[0048] In the next step S107, inverter startup processing is performed. If the previous determination processing (S105) determines that a power outage has occurred (S105; Yes), the DC power output from the battery unit 30 needs to be converted to AC power and supplied to the load 70. Therefore, in this processing, a control command (start-up command) is output to the DC / DC unit 22 and the inverter unit 23 to start the switching operation of their semiconductor switching elements. Upon receiving the start-up command, these units 22 and 23 immediately start controlling the on / off of their semiconductor switching elements. As a result, both units 22 and 23 are able to perform their voltage conversion function and AC conversion function after a predetermined time (e.g., approximately 10 milliseconds) has elapsed, which is required for the output voltages to stabilize. In the case of the UPS 10′, since the inverter unit 23 is always operating, a start-up command is sent only to the DC / DC unit 22 in this inverter startup processing (S107).

[0049] In the next step S109, a switch switching process is performed. This process is performed after waiting a predetermined time until the output voltages of the DC / DC unit 22 and the inverter unit 23 (DC / DC unit 22 in the UPS 10′) have stabilized, and a control command is output to the changeover switch 17 to switch from the power receiving side to the power outage side. As a result, the output side of the inverter unit 23 (DC / DC unit 22 in the UPS 10′) and the output terminal 13 side are electrically connected via the changeover switch 17, so that the DC power supplied from the battery 35 of the battery unit 30 is boosted by the DC / DC unit 22, converted to AC power by the inverter unit 23, and output from the output terminal 13 to the load 70.

[0050] As described above, the battery 35 electrically connected to the DC / DC unit 22 at this time is the battery 35 for which the change-over switch 37 has been switched to the DC / DC unit 22 side in the initialization process (S101), and is the battery 35 of the battery unit 30 that was connected when the previous operation ended. For example, in the configuration example shown in Fig. 1, this is the battery unit 30 located at the top of the multiple battery units 30, and the other battery units 30 are all connected to the charging module 32 and are not connected to the DC / DC unit 22.

[0051] In the next step S111, a power reception information acquisition process is performed, and in the next step S113, a power reception restoration determination process is performed. In the power reception information acquisition process, voltage information from sensor 19 is acquired as in the above-mentioned step S103, and based on that information, a power reception restoration determination process is performed to determine whether commercial power is being input to input terminal 12, that is, whether the power outage has been resolved and the supply of commercial power from AC power supply 50, that is, whether power reception has been restored.

[0052] If it is determined in step S113 that the power reception has been restored (S113; Yes), this means that commercial power is being supplied from the AC power supply 50, so the process proceeds to step S115, where a switch changeover process is performed. In this process, a control command is output to the changeover switch 17 to change over from the power outage side to the power receiving side. As a result, the commercial power supplied from the AC power supply 50 is supplied to the load 70 via the input terminal 12, the internal line 15, the changeover switch 17, etc.

[0053] Furthermore, inverter and other components are stopped in step S117. That is, when the power outage is resolved and power reception is restored, there is no need to operate the DC / DC unit 22 or the inverter unit 23. Therefore, in this process, a control command (stop command) to stop the switching operation of the semiconductor switching elements is output to the DC / DC unit 22 and the inverter unit 23. When the inverter and other components stop process (S117) is completed, the process returns to step S103 to perform the power reception information acquisition process again, and waits for the next power outage to occur while performing the determination process of step S105. In the case of the UPS 10′, the inverter unit 23 is always operating, so in this inverter and other components stop process (S117), a stop command is sent only to the DC / DC unit 22.

[0054] On the other hand, if it is not determined in step S113 that the power reception has been restored (S113; No), there is a high probability that the power outage is still continuing, and so battery information acquisition processing is performed in the next step S119. In this processing, status information of the battery 35 currently electrically connected to the DC / DC unit 22 is acquired. Since the battery 35 supplies the electrical energy stored therein to the load 70 via the DC / DC unit 22 and the inverter unit 23, electrical status information (output voltage, output current) and physical status information (temperature information, cumulative discharge time information, etc.) of the battery 35 are acquired from the sensor 39 housed in the battery unit 30. Furthermore, if specification information such as the type of battery 35, nominal voltage, and rated capacity is stored in the microcomputer module of the sensor 39, this information is also acquired.

[0055] In the next step S121, a process for determining whether or not the battery 35 needs to be charged is performed. In this process, it is determined whether or not the battery 35 needs to be charged based on the electrical state information, physical state information, and specification information of the battery 35 acquired in the battery information acquisition process (S119). For example, the remaining charge capacity of the battery 35 is estimated based on the electrical state information (output voltage and output current), physical state information (temperature information and cumulative discharge time information), and specification information (type, nominal voltage, and rated capacity) of the battery 35. Then, assuming that the charge capacity at full charge is 100%, it is determined that charging is necessary if the estimated remaining charge capacity is less than 10%, for example, and it is determined that charging is not necessary if the remaining charge capacity is 10% or more, for example.

[0056] If it is determined in the battery charging necessity determination process of step S121 that charging is not necessary (S121; No), the battery 35 can continue to supply the stored electrical energy to the load 70 via the DC / DC unit 22 and the inverter unit 23, so the process moves to step S111 to perform the power reception information acquisition process again, and the processes of steps S111 to S121 are repeated until power reception is restored.

[0057] On the other hand, if it is determined in the battery charging necessity determination process of step S121 that charging is necessary (S121; Yes), the charging flag corresponding to the battery 35 is set to ON in the next step S123, and then the process proceeds to the subsequent step S125. As described above, the charging flag is charging necessity information that indicates whether charging is necessary (ON: charging necessary, OFF: charging not necessary) and is provided in the memory (RAM) of the control unit 21 in correspondence with each ID of the battery 35.

[0058] In step S125, a battery switching process is performed. In this process, one battery unit 30 is selected according to a predetermined rule from among the battery units 30 having a battery 35 other than the battery 35 currently electrically connected to the DC / DC unit 22 (here referred to as the "current battery 35") and whose charge flag is set to OFF, and the changeover switch 37 of that battery unit 30 is switched to the DC / DC unit 22 side. Thereafter, the changeover switch 37 of the battery unit 30 having the current battery 35 is switched to the charging module 32 side.

[0059] The changeover switch 37 is switched by the control unit 21 sending a control command to each battery unit 30. The predetermined rule may be, for example, selecting the batteries 35 in ascending or descending order of IDs previously assigned to the batteries 35, or selecting the batteries 35 in descending order of remaining charge capacity. The remaining charge capacity of the battery 35 is determined, for example, by using remaining charge capacity information obtained by a charging control process described later.

[0060] The information of the changeover switch 37 of the battery unit 30 switched in step S125 (switching information of the battery unit 30) is stored in the memory (EEPROM) of the control unit 21 together with the ID of the battery 35 by the switching information storage process in the following step S127. When the switching information storage process (S127) is completed, the process proceeds to step S111, and the processes from step S111 onwards are repeated. As a result, even if the operation of the UPS 10 or the like is terminated during the execution of any of the processes in steps S103 to S125, the information of the battery unit 30 and its battery 35 that were last connected to the DC / DC unit 22 during operation or immediately before the operation was terminated is stored, so that the switching information of the battery unit 30 can be acquired in the initialization process (S101) described above. to become.

[0061] By configuring the main control process in this way and having the control unit 21 execute information processing in each step, when the commercial power that should be supplied from the AC power supply 50 to the load 70 is interrupted, the UPS 10 or the like can convert the DC power supplied from the battery 35 of the battery unit 30 into AC power and supply it to the load 70 instead of the commercial power. In other words, it can function as an uninterruptible power supply.

[0062] <Charging control processing> Next, the flow of the charge control process executed by the control unit 21 when charging each battery unit 30 mounted in the UPS 10 or the like will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. As described above, this charge control process is started at a predetermined cycle (e.g., every hour) or at a predetermined time (e.g., midnight) while the UPS 10 or the like is receiving commercial power after the UPS 10 or the like is powered on.

[0063] 4, in the charge control process, a predetermined initialization process is first performed in step S201. In this process, for example, the work area of ​​the memory (RAM) used by the control unit 21 in the charge control process is cleared, and the charge module 32 of each battery unit 30 is initialized. As a result, each charge module 32 is reset to a charge standby state.

[0064] In the next step S203, a charge flag acquisition process is performed. The charge flag is charge necessity information that is set to ON for batteries 35 that require charging in the main control process described above and set to OFF for other batteries 35, and is associated with the ID of each battery 35. The charge flag acquired in this process is used in the determination process in the next step S205. The battery 35 that requires charging may correspond to the "battery requiring charging" set forth in the claims.

[0065] In the process of determining whether or not there is a battery 35 that needs to be charged in step S205, it is determined whether or not there is a battery 35 that needs to be charged based on the charge flag acquired in step S203. In other words, it is determined whether or not there is a charge flag that is set to ON. If there is an ON charge flag (S205; Yes), there is a battery 35 that needs to be charged, so the process proceeds to the next step S207. If there is no ON charge flag (S205; No), there is no battery 35 that needs to be charged, so the charge control process ends.

[0066] The charging priority determination process in step S207 is shown in detail in Figure 5, so from here on, the description will also refer to Figure 5. As shown in Figure 5, the charging priority determination process begins with the process of acquiring information about the charging flags (flag information) acquired in the above-mentioned step S203. In the flag information acquisition process in step S301, the number of charging flags that are set to ON is counted to acquire information about the quantity of batteries 35 that need to be charged.

[0067] Then, in the determination process of the following step S303, it is determined whether or not there are multiple batteries 35 that need charging, and if there are multiple batteries 35 that need charging (S303; Yes), the process proceeds to the next step S305. On the other hand, if there are not multiple batteries 35 that need charging, that is, if there is only one battery 35 that needs charging (S303; No), the battery 35 corresponding to the charge flag is set to the first place in the charging order in the ranking determination process of step S308, and then the charging order determination process is terminated and the process returns to the charge control process.

[0068] In step S305, a battery information acquisition process is performed. This process is substantially the same as step S119 of the main control process described above, but differs from the process of step S119 in that the state information of all batteries 35 whose charge flags are set to on is acquired. In this embodiment, the state information of the battery 35 acquired by this battery information acquisition process (S305) includes, for example, electrical state information, physical state information, and specification information, which are acquired in association with the ID of the battery 35.

[0069] The electrical state information is, for example, information on the output voltage and output current of the battery 35, and the physical state information is, for example, temperature information on the internal temperature (cell temperature) of the battery 35, information on the cumulative discharge time of the battery 35, information on the number of charges, and information on the amount of electrolyte in the battery 35. Furthermore, the specification information is, for example, information on the type of the battery 35, the nominal voltage, and the rated capacity.

[0070] In the next step S307, a process is performed to determine whether or not simultaneous charging of multiple battery units 30 (batteries 35) is preset. This determination is performed, for example, based on optional function information written to the memory (EEPROM) of the control unit 21 when the UPS 10 is shipped or during maintenance. Therefore, if it is determined that the optional function for simultaneous charging of multiple batteries is not set (S307; No), the process proceeds to the ranking determination process in step S308.

[0071] In the charging order determination process of step S308, the charging order is determined based on the state information of the battery 35 acquired in the battery information acquisition process (S305), etc. For example, a classification process that can rank the degree of deterioration over time based on information such as the output voltage, number of charges, and internal temperature of the battery 35 is performed to obtain a deterioration degree rank (deterioration rank) of the battery 35. Generally, a battery 35 with a high degree of deterioration is often fully charged in a shorter time than a battery 35 with a low degree of deterioration. Therefore, for batteries 35 with a degree of deterioration within a predetermined allowable range, the charging order is determined so that the battery with the highest deterioration rank (most deteriorated) is charged first.

[0072] That is, the battery 35 with the highest degradation rank within the allowable range is determined to be first in the charging order, and the battery 35 with the lowest degradation rank is determined to be last in the charging order. This makes it possible to prepare a battery unit 30 having charged batteries 35 in a short period of time. Furthermore, the charging order may be determined according to a predetermined order associated with the ID of the battery 35, regardless of the degree of degradation. Furthermore, the charging order may be determined based on the type of battery 35 (lead-acid battery, lithium-ion secondary battery, all-solid-state battery, etc.) so that batteries 35 of a type requiring a short charging time are preferentially charged.

[0073] For a battery 35 (or its battery unit 30) whose deterioration rank is outside the allowable range, charge-impossible information (fault information) indicating that charging will not be performed in the future may be stored in the memory (EEPROM) of the control unit 21 in association with the ID of the battery 35. This makes it possible to easily find a battery unit 30 associated with such charge-impossible information (fault information) as a battery unit 30 that needs to be replaced during maintenance, etc.

[0074] If it is determined in step S307 that the optional function for multiple simultaneous charging is set (S307; Yes), the load power information acquisition process is performed in step S309. In this process, for example, current information output from sensor 19 is acquired, and based on that information, the current power usage value of the commercial power supplied from AC power supply 50 is calculated and obtained as load power information consumed by load 70.

[0075] At this point in time, the charging module 32 of each battery unit 30 has not yet started charging, and the power consumed by the control unit 21 is significantly smaller than the estimated power consumption of the load 70. Therefore, it can be estimated that the current power consumption value of the commercial power is approximately the same as the load power value being consumed by the load 70. If the maximum power value that the load 70 can consume is known in advance, information about that maximum power consumption may be acquired as load power information in step S309.

[0076] In the next step S311, a surplus power calculation process is performed. Since the power value of the maximum allowable power that can be supplied by the AC power supply 50 is known in advance (known), the surplus power value is calculated by subtracting the load power value obtained in step S309 from this maximum allowable power value. Then, in the next step S313, a process is performed to determine the combination of batteries 35 to be charged.

[0077] For example, the maximum total value of charging current consumed when the batteries 35 requiring charging are charged by their corresponding charging modules 32 is calculated, and the commercial power consumption value during charging (charging power consumption value) is estimated from the maximum total value of charging current. If the result of subtracting this estimated charging power consumption value from the surplus power value calculated in the surplus power calculation process (S311) is a positive value (surplus power value > charging power consumption value), it becomes possible to simultaneously charge all of the batteries 35 requiring charging within the surplus power range. Therefore, it is determined that all of the batteries 35 requiring charging will be charged simultaneously, that is, all of these batteries 35 are determined to be first in the charging order. This allows the batteries 35 to be charged in a shorter time than if the batteries 35 requiring charging were charged one by one in sequence.

[0078] On the other hand, if the result of subtracting the charging power usage value from the surplus power value is a negative value or zero (surplus power value≦charging power usage value), a specific battery 35 is selected and excluded from the batteries 35 that need to be charged, and the specific battery 35 is not charged. The total maximum value of the charging current consumed when charging the remaining batteries 35 that need to be charged is calculated, and the charging power usage value is estimated in the same manner as described above. Then, the result of subtracting the charging power usage value from the surplus power value is obtained, and the process of selecting and excluding the specific battery 35 is continued until the result becomes a positive value.

[0079] The battery 35 excluded in this way is determined to be second in the charging order. If there are multiple excluded batteries 35, the total maximum value of the charging current consumed when charging these excluded batteries 35 is calculated, and the charging power consumption value is estimated in the same manner as described above. Then, the result of subtracting the charging power consumption value from the surplus power value is obtained, and if this value is positive, all of these excluded batteries 35 are determined to be second in the charging order.

[0080] On the other hand, if the result of subtracting the charging power usage value from the surplus power value is negative, a specific battery 35 is selected from the excluded batteries 35 and further excluded, and the remaining battery 35 is determined to be second in the charging order. The further excluded battery 35 is then determined to be third in the charging order. In this way, the same process is repeated to determine the charging order for all batteries 35 whose charge flags are set to on (batteries 35 that require charging).

[0081] The predetermined battery 35 excluded from the battery to be charged is selected from among the batteries 35 whose charge flags are set to on (batteries 35 that require charging), such as the battery with the highest or lowest deterioration rank, or a predetermined battery associated with the ID of the battery 35. Alternatively, the predetermined battery 35 may be selected randomly regardless of such information. The deterioration rank is as described in the charging order determination process (S308) above. When the charging target battery combination determination process in step S313 is completed, this charging order determination process ends and the process returns to the charging control process.

[0082] 4, once the order of the battery units 30 to be charged is determined by the charging order determination process in step S207, a charging command transmission process is performed in the next step S209. In this embodiment, for each battery unit 30 having a battery 35 that needs charging, the charging order has been determined by the charging order determination process (S207), so in the process of step S209, a control command to start charging (charging start command) is transmitted to the battery unit 30 determined to be first in the charging order.

[0083] As described above, when the multiple simultaneous charging option is enabled, there will be multiple battery units 30 determined to be first in the charging order, and in that case a charging start command will be sent to all of them. In response to this, the charging module 32 of the battery unit 30 that received the charging start command will start charging the battery 35 housed in that battery unit 30, and will also send information (charging information) informing the charging status of that battery 35 (charging, charging completed, or charging stopped) in response to a request from the control unit 21, or send this information to the control unit 21 at a predetermined interval. Such charging information is sent together with (associated with) the ID of that battery 35.

[0084] In the next step S211, a charging information acquisition process is performed. In this process, charging information sent from the battery unit 30 that sent the charging start command is acquired. Since the charging information is information that indicates the charging status of the battery 35 (charging, charging completed, or charging stopped), in the next step S213, a charging completion determination process is performed to determine whether charging of the battery 35 is complete based on the charging information.

[0085] That is, in step S213, if it is determined that the charging information sent from the charging module 32 is information indicating that charging is complete (S213; Yes), charging of the battery 35 corresponding to that charging module 32 has been completed, and the process proceeds to the subsequent step S215. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the charging information is information indicating that charging is complete (S213; No), the process returns to step S211 and the charging information acquisition process is performed again. That is, both the processes of step S211 and step S213 are repeated until charging information indicating that charging is complete is sent from the charging module 32.

[0086] In the next step S215, a charging flag is turned off. The charging information sent from the charging module 32 is associated with the ID of the battery 35 charged by that charging module 32. Therefore, the control unit 21 can identify the battery 35 or battery unit 30 for which charging has been completed from the ID of that battery 35, and so sets the charging flag associated with the ID of the battery 35 for which charging has been completed from ON, indicating that charging is required, to OFF, indicating that charging is not required.

[0087] In the next step S217, a process is performed to determine whether there are any remaining batteries that need to be charged. For example, if there is a battery 35 that is ranked the same as or lower than the charging order of the battery 35 that has completed charging, there are remaining batteries that need to be charged. Therefore, if there is a charge flag associated with the ID of the battery 35 that is set to ON indicating that charging is required (S217; Yes), the process proceeds to step S209 again. Then, the processes of steps S211 to S217 are repeated until there are no more charge flags that are set to ON indicating that charging is required (S217; No).

[0088] Then, in the final step S219, a charging information storage process is performed. Information relating to the current charging of each battery 35 in each battery unit 30 is stored, such as date and time information (year, month, day, hour, minute, and second) provided by the clock module, information on the start and completion of charging, and information on the charging order during charging.

[0089] Also stored are electrical state information (e.g., information on the output voltage and output current of the battery 35) acquired from the sensor 39 of each battery unit 30, physical state information (e.g., temperature information on the internal temperature (cell temperature) of the battery 35, information on the cumulative discharge time of the battery 35, information on the number of charges, and information on the amount of electrolyte in the battery 35), specification information (e.g., information on the type, nominal voltage, and rated capacity of the battery 35), and information on the load power value and surplus power value. When the charging information storage process (S219) is completed, this charging control process ends.

[0090] As described above, in the UPS 10 etc. according to this embodiment, the battery 35 and the charging module 32 that charges the battery 35 are structurally integrated and constitute the battery unit 30. There are a plurality of battery units 30, which are structurally independent of or detachable from the inverter unit 23 that can convert DC power output from the battery 35 into AC power, and the control unit 21 that controls the changeover switch 37 (which enables electrical conduction between the battery 35 and the inverter unit 23 via the DC / DC unit 22) to a conductive state in the event of a commercial power outage.

[0091] As a result, the battery unit 30 is structurally independent from or detachable from other parts such as the control unit 21, the DC / DC unit 22, and the inverter unit 23, so that the number of battery units 30 can be freely set relative to the other parts. Device At the time of installation, the UPS 10 or the like is configured with the minimum number of battery units 30 (for example, two), and thereafter, as the power consumption of the load 70 increases, Device When expanding, it becomes possible to add any number of battery units 30 (for example, five). Device When reducing the size, any number of battery units 30 can be removed.

[0092] In this way, the UPS 10 according to this embodiment allows the user to arbitrarily set the number of battery units 30 to suit the backup power capacity required by the user. of the equipment This reduces equipment costs at the time of introduction, expansion, etc. Furthermore, because there is a one-to-one relationship between the battery 35 and the charging module 32 that charges it, for example, the batteries 35 in the multiple battery units 30 do not need to be the same type. Therefore, it is possible to mix multiple battery units 30 with different types of batteries 35. This makes it possible to create a battery configuration that matches the needs of the user.

[0093] Furthermore, in the UPS 10 etc. according to this embodiment, the multiple battery units 30 are not electrically connected in parallel or series, but one of the battery units 30 is connected to the DC / DC unit 22 via the changeover switch 37, and therefore the other battery units 30 that are not connected to the DC / DC unit 22 can be replaced or removed. Therefore, even while AC power is being supplied to the load 70 by the DC / DC unit 22 or the inverter unit 23 during a power outage, for example, a used battery unit 30 with little remaining storage capacity can be replaced with a new battery unit 30 that is fully charged.

[0094] Furthermore, by repeatedly exchanging such fully charged battery units 30 for used battery units 30, it is possible to continue supplying AC power from the UPS 10 or the like during a power outage as long as fully charged battery units 30 are available. Furthermore, a renewable energy source such as a solar power generation unit, a wind power generation unit, or a geothermal power generation unit can also be used in place of the battery unit 30, as long as it is capable of supplying DC power energy equivalent to the battery 35 of the battery unit 30.

[0095] Furthermore, in the UPS 10 etc. according to this embodiment, when the AC power supply 50 that supplies commercial power experiences a power outage, if the battery 35 of a battery unit 30 electrically connected to the inverter unit 23 via the changeover switch 37 falls below a predetermined charge capacity (S121; Yes), the control unit 21 controls the changeover switch 37 to electrically disconnect the battery 35 from the inverter unit 23, and also controls the changeover switch 37 to electrically connect the inverter unit 23 to a battery 35 among the plurality of battery units 30 whose charge capacity is equal to or greater than the predetermined charge capacity (S125). As a result, AC power can be supplied to the load 70 as long as there is a battery unit 30 among the plurality of battery units 30 whose battery 35 has a charge capacity equal to or greater than the predetermined charge capacity.

[0096] In the above-mentioned UPS 10 etc., a configuration has been described in which the UPS 10 etc. serves as a charging section for the battery unit and supplies commercial power (AC power) received from the AC power source 50 to the charging module 32 via the internal line 15 and branch line 16. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a power supply line may be provided to each battery unit 30, separate from the UPS 10 etc., so that each battery unit 30 having a charging module 32 can receive power directly from the AC power source 50, and commercial power (AC power) may be supplied to each charging module 32.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-described UPS 10 and the like, the charge control process (FIG. 4) has been described using an example of an algorithm including the charge order determination process (S207), but for example, if the batteries 35 of each battery unit 30 are charged in a predetermined order or randomly without being prioritized, the charge order determination process (S207) is unnecessary. Therefore, in the algorithm in such a case, this process is deleted.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above-described UPS 10 and the like, the charging module 32 of each battery unit 30 is configured to start charging the battery 35 after receiving a control command (charging start command) sent from the control unit 21, but the charging module 32 of each battery unit 30 may be configured to autonomously (independently) charge each battery 35 without receiving a charging start command. In this case, the charging module 32 needs to have a control algorithm configured to charge the battery 35 while receiving commercial power, and the charging control process (FIGS. 4 and 5) performed by the control unit 21 becomes unnecessary.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, the uninterruptible power supply of the present invention Device As a UPS to which the above-mentioned is applied, the UPS 10 of the constant commercial power supply system and the UPS 10' of the constant inverter power supply system have been described as examples. Predetermined circuit ( Inverter section or voltage converter)The uninterruptible power supply of the present invention can also be applied to a line-interactive UPS if it includes components equivalent to the battery components, etc. (hereinafter referred to as "battery components, etc."). Furthermore, the uninterruptible power supply of the present invention can be applied to a line-interactive UPS even if the components equivalent to the battery components, etc. are configured separately, or if some of them are configured with the remaining components. Device can be applied.

[0100] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications or alterations of the above-described specific examples. Furthermore, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieves multiple objectives, and achieving one of these objectives alone is technically useful. Note that the descriptions in parentheses in the [Explanation of Symbols] column may clarify the correspondence between the terms used in each of the above-described embodiments and the terms described in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 10,10'...UPS (uninterruptible power supply) Device ) 11...Housing 17...Selector switch 19...Sensor 21...Control unit (control unit, charging control unit) twenty two… D C / DC unit (voltage converter) 23...Inverter unit (inverter section) twenty four… A C / DC unit 30,30'...Battery unit 31…Housing 32...Charging module (charging section) 35...Battery (battery section) 37...Selector switch (switch section) 39...Sensor 50… AC power supply 70…load

Claims

1. An uninterruptible power supply that converts DC power into AC power and supplies the AC power to a load when commercial power to be supplied from an external source to the load is interrupted, a battery unit that outputs the DC power; a charging unit that converts the commercial power into DC power and charges the battery unit; a switch unit that switches between electrical conduction between the battery unit and the charging unit or electrical conduction between the battery unit and a predetermined circuit; in each of a plurality of removable battery units, the predetermined circuit being an inverter unit capable of converting DC power output from the battery unit into AC power or a voltage converter capable of stepping up or stepping down the DC voltage output from the battery unit to a predetermined voltage; a control unit that controls the switch unit to switch from electrical continuity between the battery unit and the charging unit to electrical continuity between the battery unit and the predetermined circuit when the commercial power is interrupted; is provided in the uninterruptible power supply structurally independent of the battery unit.

2. a charge control unit for controlling charging of the battery unit is provided in the uninterruptible power supply, the charge control unit being structurally independent from the battery unit; 2. The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein when there are a plurality of battery units having battery units with charge capacities less than a predetermined value, the charge control unit simultaneously charges the plurality of battery units with charge capacities less than the predetermined value within a range of surplus power obtained by subtracting the maximum power consumption of the load from the maximum allowable power that can be supplied by the commercial power.

3. a charge control unit for controlling charging of the battery unit is provided in the uninterruptible power supply, the charge control unit being structurally independent from the battery unit; the battery unit has a configuration for acquiring status information indicating an electrical or physical status of the battery section included in the battery unit or information specific to the battery section from a sensor within the battery unit, and outputting the acquired status information to the charge control section; When there are a plurality of battery units having the battery units with a charge capacity less than a predetermined value, 2. The uninterruptible power supply according to claim 1, wherein the charge control unit charges the battery units in order of shortest charge time based on the type of the battery units and the state information or the unique information.

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