Equalization device, battery system and electric vehicle including the same, equalization processing program, and equalization processing method

1. An equalization device arranged to perform equalization processing of charge states of a plurality of battery cells including first and second battery cells, comprising:

a detector arranged to detect the charge states of said plurality of battery cells; and

an equalization processing unit arranged to change the charge state of said second battery cell of said plurality of battery cells for an equalization processing time period based on the charge states detected by said detector such that the charge state of said second battery cell is close to the charge state of said first battery cell of said plurality of battery cells, wherein

said equalization processing time period is calculated or set based on a rate of change in the charge state of said first battery cell and a rate of change in the charge state of said second battery cell such that a magnitude relationship between the charge state of said first battery cell and the charge state of said second battery cell is not reversed.

2. The equalization device according to claim 1 , further comprising a calculator arranged to calculate the rate of change in the charge state of said first battery cell and the rate of change in the charge state of said second battery cell in said equalization processing based on the charge states detected by said detector and calculate said equalization processing time period based on said calculated rates of change such that the magnitude relationship between the charge state of said first battery cell and the charge state of said second battery cell is not reversed, wherein

said equalization processing unit changes the charge state of said second battery cell for said equalization processing time period calculated by said calculator.

3. The equalization device according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage arranged to store said equalization processing time period that has been preset, wherein

said equalization processing unit changes the charge state of said second battery cell for said equalization processing time period stored in said storage.

4. The equalization device according to claim 1 , wherein

a prescribed value α is set based on the rate of change in the charge state of said first battery cell and the rate of change in the charge state of said second battery cell in said equalization processing, and

said equalization processing unit compares the charge state of said first battery cell and the charge state of said second battery cell, and changes the charge state of said second battery cell for said equalization processing time period when a difference between the charge state of said first battery cell and the charge state of said second battery cell is larger than said prescribed value α.

5. The equalization device according to claim 4 , wherein

said equalization processing is processing of discharging said second battery cell,

a battery cell having a reference charge state is detected as said first battery cell, and

assuming that D 1 represents the rate of change in the charge state of said second battery cell subjected to discharge, D 2 represents the rate of change in the charge state of said first battery cell not subjected to discharge, and T represents a time period of said discharge, said equalization processing time period is the time period of said discharge T that is set such that T≦α/|D 1 −D 2 | is satisfied.

6. The equalization device according to claim 1 , wherein

said equalization processing is processing of discharging said second battery cell,

a battery cell having a reference charge state is detected as said first battery cell, and said equalization processing unit includes:

a discharging circuit that can be switched to selectively discharge the plurality of battery cells; and

a controller that switches said discharging circuit,

said controller proceeds to a non-operating state where said controller does not switch said discharging circuit after an operating state where said controller switches said discharging circuit based on the charge states detected by said detector such that said second battery cell is subjected to discharge and said first battery cell is not subjected to discharge, and

assuming that Ta represents a time period of said operating state, a represents current consumption by said controller in said operating state, b represents current consumption by said controller in said non-operating state, and β represents a maximum allowable amount of an average amount of current consumption by said controller in said operating state and said non-operating state, said equalization processing time period is a time period of said discharge T that is set such that Ta×( a −β)/(β− b )≦T is satisfied.

7. The equalization device according to claim 1 , wherein said charge state is any of a rate of charge, a remaining capacity, voltage, depth of discharge, a current integrated value and a difference of an amount of stored charges.

8. A battery system comprising a plurality of battery cells connected in series and the equalization device according to claim 1 .

9. An electric vehicle comprising:

a plurality of battery cells;

the equalization device according to claim 1 ;

a motor driven by electric power supplied from said plurality of battery cells; and

a drive wheel rotated by a torque generated by said motor.

10. An equalization processing program that is executable by a computer included in an equalization device arranged to perform equalization processing of charge states of a plurality of battery cells including first and second battery cells, causing said computer to execute the processes of:

acquiring the charge states of said plurality of battery cells;

acquiring an equalization processing time period; and

changing the charge state of said second battery cell of said plurality of battery cells for said acquired equalization processing time period based on said acquired charge states such that the charge state of said second battery cell is close to the charge state of said first battery cell of said plurality of battery cells, wherein

said equalization processing time period is calculated or set based on a rate of change in the charge state of said first battery cell and a rate of change in the charge state of said second battery cell such that a magnitude relationship between the charge state of said first battery cell and the charge state of said second battery cell is not reversed.

11. An equalization processing method for performing equalization processing of charge states of a plurality of battery cells including first and second battery cells, comprising the steps of:

detecting the charge states of said plurality of battery cells;

acquiring an equalization processing time period; and

changing the charge state of said second battery cell of said plurality of battery cells for said acquired equalization processing time period based on said detected charge states such that the charge state of said second battery cell is close to the charge state of said first battery cell of said plurality of battery cells, wherein

said equalization processing time period is calculated or set based on a rate of change in the charge state of said first battery cell and a rate of change in the charge state of said second battery cell such that a magnitude relationship between the charge state of said first battery cell and the charge state of said second battery cell is not reversed.