Discharge circuit and power storage device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10833527-B2
Application number	US-201816114581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2018
Priority date	Mar 17, 2016
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A discharge circuit includes: a first transistor connected to power storage; an operational amplifier for controlling an output current of the first transistor; and the current mirror circuit connected to the operational amplifier. The current mirror circuit includes a second transistor connected to a non-inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier, and a third transistor connected to the power storage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power storage device comprising a power storage, a discharge circuit, and a controller, the discharge circuit including:
a first transistor connected to the power storage so that a first input terminal of the first transistor is connected to one end of the power storage;
an operational amplifier for controlling an output current of the first transistor, the operational amplifier being connected to a second input terminal of the first transistor; and
a current mirror circuit connected to the operational amplifier so that an output terminal of the current mirror circuit is connected to the operational amplifier, an input terminal of the current mirror circuit being connected to the one end of the power storage via a zener diode, wherein:
the current mirror circuit includes a second transistor connected to the operational amplifier and a third transistor connected to the power storage,
an output terminal of the second transistor is connected to a first input terminal of the operational amplifier,
an input terminal of the third transistor is connected to the one end of the power storage via the zener diode,
a first input terminal of the controller is connected to the one end of the power storage,
an output terminal of the controller is connected to a second input terminal of the operational amplifier, and
the discharge circuit further includes a reference power supply for supplying a current to the second transistor.

2. The power storage device according to claim 1 ,
wherein:
the reference power supply is connected to the output terminal of the second transistor, and
a resistor is connected between the reference power supply and the second transistor.

3. The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first transistor is an n-channel field effect transistor,
the first input terminal of the first transistor is a drain terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor,
the second input terminal of the first transistor is a gate terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor, and
the output current of the first transistor is a current flowing between the drain terminal and a source terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor.

4. The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first input terminal of the operational amplifier is a non-inverting input terminal, and
the second input terminal of the operational amplifier is an inverting input terminal.

5. The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further includes a second input terminal connected to an output terminal of the first transistor.

6. The power storage device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the discharge circuit is configured to perform a forced discharge of a part of electric charge through the first transistor, the electric charge being stored in the power storage,
the forced discharge is started by a discharge starting signal that inputs to the second input terminal of the operational amplifier from the output terminal of the controller, and
the forced discharge is ended by a discharge ending signal that inputs to the second input terminal of the operational amplifier from the output terminal of the controller.

7. The power storage device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the controller generates the discharge starting signal in a state that a voltage of the one end of the power storage is higher than a breakdown voltage of the zener diode, and
the controller generates the discharge ending signal in a state that a voltage of the one end of the power storage is lower than the breakdown voltage of the zener diode.

8. The power storage device according to claim 6 , wherein:
an operation state from a start to an end of the forced discharge includes a first state and a second state, the first state being a state that a voltage of the one end of the power storage is higher than a breakdown voltage of the zener diode, the second state being a state that a voltage of the one end of the power storage is lower than the breakdown voltage of the zener diode, and
the output current of the first transistor in the second state is greater than the output current of the first transistor in the first state.

9. The power storage device according to claim 7 , wherein:
an operation state from a start to an end of the forced discharge includes a first state and a second state, the first state being a state that a voltage of the one end of the power storage is higher than a breakdown voltage of the zener diode, the second state being a state that a voltage of the one end of the power storage is lower than the breakdown voltage of the zener diode, and
the output current of the first transistor in the second state is greater than the output current of the first transistor in the first state.

10. The power storage device according to claim 5 , wherein the controller detects abnormality of the discharge circuit by measuring a voltage of the output terminal of the first transistor.

11. A discharge circuit including a power storage connection terminal to be connected to a power storage and two controller connection terminals to be connected to a controller, the discharge circuit comprising:
a first transistor connected to the power storage connection terminal so that a first input terminal of the first transistor is connected to the power storage connection terminal;
an operational amplifier for controlling an output current of the first transistor, the operational amplifier being connected to a second input terminal of the first transistor; and
a current mirror circuit connected to the operational amplifier so that an output terminal of the current mirror circuit is connected to the operational amplifier, an input terminal of the current mirror circuit being connected to the power storage connection terminal via a zener diode, wherein:
the current mirror circuit includes a second transistor connected to the operational amplifier and a third transistor connected to the power storage,
an output terminal of the second transistor is connected to a first input terminal of the operational amplifier,
an input terminal of the third transistor is connected to the power storage connection terminal via the zener diode,
a first connection terminal among the two controller connection terminals is connected to the power storage connection terminal,
a second connection terminal among the two controller connection terminals is connected to a second input terminal of the operational amplifier, and
the discharge circuit further includes a reference power supply for supplying a current to the second transistor.

12. The discharge circuit according to claim 11 , wherein:
the first connection terminal among the two controller connection terminals is to be connected to a first input terminal of the controller, and
the second connection terminal among the two controller connection terminals is to be connected to an output terminal of the controller.

13. The discharge circuit according to claim 11 , wherein:
the reference power supply is connected to the output terminal of the second transistor, and
a resistor is connected between the reference power supply and the second transistor.

14. The discharge circuit according to claim 11 , wherein:
the first transistor is an n-channel field effect transistor,
the first input terminal of the first transistor is a drain terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor,
the second input terminal of the first transistor is a gate terminal of the n-channel field effect transistor, and
the output current of the first transistor is a current flowi

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kudo Takahiro
• Odajima Yoshimitsu
• Mitani Yohsuke

Classifications

• H10D8/25

  Zener diodes · CPC title

• G05F3/26 Primary

  Current mirrors · CPC title

• H02J7/00

  Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries · CPC title

• H02J50/05

  using capacitive coupling · CPC title

• H02J7/345 Primary

  using capacitors as storage or buffering devices · CPC title