IP Library Granted Patent US 10,230,249
Granted Patent B2
US 10,230,249 · App. 13/879,580 · Granted Mar 12, 2019

Battery pack, method for charging/discharging same, and power consumption device

Inventors: Atsushi Ozawa (Kanagawa, JP); Kazuo Nakamura (Kanagawa, JP); Shin Hotta (Tokyo, JP); Kentaro Marutani (Kanagawa, JP); Shinichi Uesaka (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
H02J7/0029B60L11/1855H01M10/441H02J7/0019H02J7/0024H02J7/045B60L2200/26Y02T10/7005Y02T10/705
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,230,249
App. No.
13/879,580
Granted
Mar 12, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a method for charging/discharging a battery pack having an auxiliary charging/discharging device and a battery assembly in which a plurality of secondary battery cell parallel modules, each of which includes a plurality of fasecondary battery cells connected in parallel, are connected in series, the method including, when there is no abnormality in the secondary battery cells during charging/discharging, connecting the auxiliary charging/discharging device in parallel to any of the secondary battery cell parallel modules, and when there is an abnormality in any of the secondary battery cells during charging/discharging, releasing connection to the secondary battery cell at which the abnormality has arisen in the secondary battery cell parallel module including the secondary battery cell at which the abnormality has arisen, and connecting the auxiliary charging/discharging device in parallel to the secondary battery cell parallel module including the secondary battery cell at which the abnormality has arisen.

Claims (61)

1. A method, comprising:

one of charging or discharging a battery pack having an auxiliary charging/discharging device and a battery assembly in which a plurality of secondary battery cell modules are configured to be connected in series,

wherein each of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules includes a plurality of secondary battery cells configured to be connected in parallel,

detecting an abnormality in a first secondary battery cell of the plurality of secondary battery cells during one of the charging or the discharging; and

based on the detection of the abnormality:

releasing a connection of the first secondary battery cell in a first secondary battery cell module of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, and

connecting the auxiliary charging/discharging device in parallel to the first secondary battery cell module.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting whether the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during one of the charging or the discharging; and

based on the detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless, connecting the auxiliary charging/discharging device in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules,

wherein, based on the detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the charging, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a second secondary battery cell module of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, having a highest voltage between both ends thereof.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein, based on the detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the discharging, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a third secondary battery cell module, of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, having a lowest voltage between both ends thereof.

4. A method, comprising:

one of charging or discharging a battery pack having an auxiliary charging/discharging device and a secondary battery cell module including a plurality of secondary battery cells configured to be connected in parallel;

detecting an abnormality in a first secondary battery cell of the plurality of secondary battery cells during one of the charging or the discharging; and

based on the detection of the abnormality:

short-circuiting both ends of the first secondary battery cell of the secondary battery cell module, and

connecting the auxiliary charging/discharging device in parallel to the secondary battery cell module.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:

detecting whether the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during one of the charging or the discharging; and

based on the detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless, connecting the auxiliary charging/discharging device in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cells,

wherein, based on the detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the charging, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a second secondary battery cell of the plurality of secondary battery cells, having a highest voltage between both ends thereof.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein, based on the detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the discharging, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a third secondary battery cell, of the plurality of secondary battery cells, having a lowest voltage between both ends thereof.

7. A battery pack, comprising:

a battery assembly which includes a plurality of secondary battery cell modules, each of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules includes a plurality of secondary battery cells, wherein the plurality of secondary battery cells are interconnected in a parallel connection, and wherein the plurality of secondary battery cell modules are interconnected in a series connection; and

an auxiliary charging/discharging device, wherein the auxiliary charging/discharging device is configured to be connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules,

wherein based on a first detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during one of charge or discharge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, and

based on a second detection that there is an abnormality in a first secondary battery cell of the plurality of secondary battery cells during one of the charge or the discharge of the battery pack:

a connection of the first secondary battery cell, at which the abnormality has arisen, in a first secondary battery cell module of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules is released, and

the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to the first secondary battery cell module.

8. The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein, based on the first detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the charge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a second secondary battery cell module of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, having a highest voltage between both ends thereof.

9. The battery pack according to claim 7 , wherein, based on the first detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the discharge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a third secondary battery cell module, of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, having a lowest voltage between both ends thereof.

10. The battery pack according to claim 7 ,

wherein a switching device is installed on at least one end of each of the plurality of secondary battery cells; and

based on an operation of the switching device, the connection of the first secondary battery cell at which the abnormality has arisen is configured to be released.

11. The battery pack according to claim 10 ,

wherein a voltage across the switching device is configured to be measured to detect whether the abnormality has arisen in the first secondary battery cell.

12. The battery pack according to claim 7 , further comprising a voltage measurement device configured to measure voltages across each of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules.

13. A battery pack, comprising:

a secondary battery cell module including a plurality of secondary battery cells configured to be connected in parallel; and

an auxiliary charging/discharging device,

wherein, based on a first detection that there is an abnormality in a first secondary battery cell of the plurality of secondary battery cells during one of charge or discharge of the battery pack:

the first secondary battery cell is configured to be disconnected from the secondary battery cell module, and

the auxiliary charging/discharging device is configured to be connected in parallel to the secondary battery cell module.

14. The battery pack according to claim 13 , wherein further comprising:

based on a second detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during one of the charge or the discharge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cells, and

wherein based on the second detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the charge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a second secondary battery cell, of the plurality of secondary battery cells, having a highest voltage between both ends thereof.

15. The battery pack according to claim 14 , wherein, based on the second detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during the discharge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to a third secondary battery cell, of the plurality of secondary battery cells, having a lowest voltage between both ends thereof.

16. The battery pack according to claim 13 ,

wherein each of the plurality of secondary battery cells includes a switching device; and

based on an operation of the switching device, both ends of the first secondary battery cell at which the abnormality has arisen are short-circuited.

17. The battery pack according to claim 16 , wherein a voltage across the switching device is configured to be measured to detect whether the abnormality has arisen in the first secondary battery cell.

18. A power consumption device, comprising:

a battery pack,

wherein the battery pack includes:

a battery assembly which includes a plurality of secondary battery cell modules, each of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules includes a plurality of secondary battery cells, wherein the plurality of secondary battery cells are interconnected in a parallel connection, and wherein the plurality of secondary battery cell modules are interconnected in a series connection; and

an auxiliary charging/discharging device, wherein the auxiliary charging/discharging device is configured to be connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules,

wherein based on a first detection that the plurality of secondary battery cells are faultless during one of charge or discharge of the battery pack, the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to at least one of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules, and

based on a second detection that there is an abnormality in a first secondary battery cell of the plurality of secondary battery cells during one of the charge or the discharge of the battery pack:

a connection of the first secondary battery cell, at which the abnormality has arisen, in a first secondary battery cell module of the plurality of secondary battery cell modules is released, and

the auxiliary charging/discharging device is further configured to be connected in parallel to the first secondary battery cell module.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2017
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: TOHOKU MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044880/0953 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2017
From: TOHOKU MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
To: MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 044881/0005 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 19, 2013
From: OZAWA, ATSUSHI; NAKAMURA, KAZUO; HOTTA, SHIN; MARUTANI, KENTARO; UESAKA, SHINICHI
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 030254/0493 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2010-235129 · Oct 20, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130200848A1 · Aug 8, 2013