Wiring diagnostic apparatus, battery system, and power system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10790553-B2
Application number	US-201815963433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2018
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a wiring diagnostic apparatus of embodiments includes a counter, an acquirer, and an abnormality determiner. The counter counts the number of battery modules connected to a plurality of first communication lines to which a plurality of battery modules are connected to form a communication channel for each of the first communication lines. The acquirer acquires identification information for identifying a battery module connected to a corresponding second communication line among battery modules connected to a plurality of second communication lines each forming a communication channel with a first communication line via the second communication line. The abnormality determiner determines an abnormality in a wiring relationship of the first communication line or the second communication line on the basis of the number of battery modules counted by the counter and identification information acquired by the acquirer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wiring diagnostic apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
count a number of battery modules, of a plurality of battery modules, connected to a first communication line of a communication channel, which is formed by the first communication line and a second communication line physically separate from the first communication line;
acquire identification information identifying those battery modules connected to the second communication line, among the plurality of battery modules;
determine an abnormality in a wiring relationship between the plurality of battery modules and the first communication line or the second communication line based on the counted number of battery modules and the acquired identification information; and
outputting, to a control device for display to an operator, management information indicating the determined abnormality.

2. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine a type of the abnormality in accordance with a combination of information acquired via the first communication line and information acquired via the second communication line.

3. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when overlapping identification information is acquired via the second communication line and via a different second communication line of a different communication channel, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that a particular abnormality occurs in which both the second communication line and the different second communication line are connected to one battery module.

4. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when an acquired number of pieces of the identification information does not coincide with the counted number of battery modules, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that a particular abnormality occurs in which there is a certain battery module not connected to the second communication line among the battery modules connected to the first communication line.

5. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the counted number of battery modules exceeds a maximum number of battery modules that can be connected to the second communication line, the processing circuitry is further configured to determine that a particular abnormality occurs in which the first communication line is connected to a certain battery module connected to a different second communication line different from the second communication line forming the communication channel with the first communication line.

6. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a connection switch provided to correspond to the communication channel and output an ON signal when the first communication line or the second communication line is connected,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to count the number of battery modules connected to the first communication line corresponding to the connection switch that outputs the ON signal.

7. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of battery modules are connected in series by the first communication line, and
the processing circuitry is further configured to count the number of battery modules connected to the first communication line by transmitting a predetermined signal to each battery module connected to the first communication line via the first communication line, and analyzing a content of a signal received from each battery module connected to the first communication line via the first communication line in response to the transmitted predetermined signal.

8. The wiring diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether an abnormality occurs in the battery modules connected to the first communication line, depending on whether the signal corresponding to the transmitted predetermined signal is received.

9. A battery system, comprising:
the wiring diagnostic apparatus of claim 1 ; and
the plurality of battery modules, which are connected to the wiring diagnostic apparatus in series by the first communication line and transmit increased or decreased information included in a predetermined signal to a next battery module or the wiring diagnostic apparatus when the predetermined signal is received from the wiring diagnostic apparatus via the first communication line.

10. A power system, comprising:
the battery system of claim 9 ; and
a control device configured to communicate with the wiring diagnostic apparatus of the battery system and control a circuit breaker for blocking a current flowing in a particular battery module when an abnormality in a wiring relationship of the first communication line or the second communication line is determined by the wiring diagnostic apparatus.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Toshiba Infrastructure Systems & Solutions Corp

Inventors

• Okabe Ryo
• Kosugi Shinichiro
• Sekino Masahiro
• Kaneko Norihiro
• Kikuchi Yusuke
• Kuroda Kazuto
• Noguchi Makoto

Classifications

• H02H7/18 Primary

  for batteries; for accumulators · CPC title

• H02J7/50

  acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M10/482 Primary

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title

• H01M50/574

  Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current · CPC title

• H01M10/4207 Primary

  for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially · CPC title