Electric storage apparatus and power path switch apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9762054-B2
Application number	US-201313961536-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2013
Priority date	Aug 9, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

An electric storage apparatus includes: an electric storage device; a potential difference measuring unit for measuring a potential difference at two arbitrary points on a charging/discharging path for the electric storage device; a self-holding switch disposed between the two points on the charging/discharging path; a current measuring unit for measuring a current flowing on the charging/discharging path; a switch controller for controlling switching of the self-holding switch based on at least the state of the electric storage device; and an operational state determining unit for determining the operational state of the self-holding switch based on the control state of the switch controller and at least one of a result measured by the potential difference measuring unit and a result measured by the current measuring unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric storage apparatus, comprising:
an electric storage device;
an outside connecting terminal to which a power generator and an outside load operated by electric power from the electric storage apparatus are connected;
a charging or discharging path connecting the electric storage device to the outside connecting terminal;
a potential difference measuring unit for measuring a potential difference at two points on the charging or discharging path, the two points on the charging or discharging path being located between a positive electrode of the electric storage device and the outside connecting terminal;
a self-holding switch disposed between the two points on the charging or discharging path;
a current measuring unit for measuring a current flowing through the two points on the charging or discharging path;
a switch controller for controlling switching of the self-holding switch, based on at least a state of the electric storage device, to an open state of the self-holding switch or a closed state of the self-holding switch;
an operational state determining unit for determining an operational state of the self-holding switch, as one of an open operational state and a closed operational state, based on a control state of the switch controller and at least one of a result measured by the potential difference measuring unit and a result measured by the current measuring unit; and
a drive history memory that stores a latest control state of the switch controller,
wherein the operational state determining unit causes the switch controller to drive the self-holding switch in a case where the operational state of the self-holding switch and the latest control state of the switch controller are different from each other such that the operational state of the self-holding switch matches the latest control state.

2. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the current measuring unit measures the current between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch or at one arbitrary point on a path connected to a negative electrode of the electric storage device.

3. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into the closed state of the self-holding switch, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is the open operational state when a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a charging or discharging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes a predetermined value or more.

4. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into a closed state of the self-holding switch, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is the open operational state when a range of fluctuations of a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a charging or discharging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes a predetermined value or more.

5. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into a closed state of the self-holding switch, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is the open operational state, when a magnitude of a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a charging or discharging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination or the range of fluctuations of the difference becomes a predetermined value or more, and further, the current measured by the current measuring unit is substantially 0 [A].

6. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into the open state of the self-holding switch, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is the closed operational state when a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a charging or discharging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes substantially 0 [V].

7. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into the open state of the self-holding switch, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is the closed operational state, when a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a charging or discharging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes substantially 0 [V], and further, the current measured by the current measuring unit is substantially larger than 0 [A].

8. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the self-holding switch is switched in response to a pulse signal.

9. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the self-holding switch comprises a latch relay.

10. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a notifying unit for notifying an alarm in a case where the operational state of the self-holding switch determined by the operational state determining unit is different from the control state of the switch controller.

11. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the charging or discharging path includes a negative power path and a positive power path including first and second power paths,
wherein the self-holding switch serially connects the first power path to the second power path, and
wherein the potential difference measuring unit measures a potential difference between the first power path and the second power path.

12. A power path switch apparatus, comprising:
a negative power path;
a positive power path including first and second power paths;
a self-holding switch that serially connects the first power path to the second power path;
a potential difference measuring unit for measuring a potential difference between the first power path and the second power path;
a current measuring unit for measuring a current flowing through the negative power path or the positive power path;
a switch controller for controlling switching of the self-holding switch to an open state of the self-holding switch or a closed state of the self-holding switch;
an operational state determining unit for determining an operational state of the self-holding switch, as one of an open operational state and a closed operational state, based on a control state of the switch controller and at least one of a result measured by the potential difference measuring unit and a result measured by the current measuring unit; and
a drive history memory that stores a latest control state of the switch controller,
wherein the operational state determining unit causes the switch controller to drive the self-holding switch in a case where the operation

Assignees

• Gs Yuasa Int Ltd
• Gs Yuasa Int Ltd

Inventors

• Itagaki Takeshi
• Shiraishi Takeyuki

Classifications

• B60L53/62

  in response to charging parameters, e.g. current, voltage or electrical charge · CPC title

• B60L58/15

  Preventing overcharging · CPC title

• H02J7/663

  using battery or load disconnect circuits (H02J9/002 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H02J7/65

  against overtemperature · CPC title

• H02J7/63

  against overdischarge · CPC title