JP2003197277A - Battery and vehicle driving device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a battery and a vehicle driving device that are superior in heat radiation and that can be applied to a storage battery in which the output is enhanced. <P>SOLUTION: This is a battery box 10 wherein rod battery modules 12 in which plural batteries 13 are connected in series are arranged in plural rows having a prescribed distance and wherein heat pipes 17 are arranged between the battery modules 12. The surface of the battery modules 12 is covered with insulating tubes 40, and these battery modules 12 are housed in a sleeve 30 in a state that they are made contacted with the heat pipes 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power storage device in which rod-shaped storage battery modules in which a plurality of storage batteries are connected in series are arranged in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals, and a vehicle drive device including the power storage device, and particularly to a low temperature environment. The present invention relates to a power storage device and a vehicle drive device that can maintain an appropriate temperature even when used in a low temperature or high temperature environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles equipped with a secondary battery (battery) as a drive source have been attracting attention from the viewpoint of environmental impact. When mounting batteries in these vehicles, a battery box is used in which a plurality of batteries are connected in series to form a rod-shaped battery module, and these battery modules are housed in a case made of a reinforced resin having high heat retention. There are cases.

By the way, if the temperature of the battery box rises more than necessary, the performance of the battery may be affected. Therefore, in the related art, a method of directly supplying cooling air to the case to cool the battery, or disposing a heat pipe on the outer peripheral rim of the case and discharging the heat in the case to the outside by the heat pipe, Each battery that composes the module was cooled. Note that as this type of technology, there are those disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2000-294301 and 2001-67771.

[0004]

However, there have been the following problems in the prior art. In recent years, the output demands of batteries have been increasing more and more. When the capacity of the batteries or the number of the batteries is increased to meet this demand, the amount of heat generated at the time of battery operation and the like increases accordingly, and the temperature of the battery and eventually the temperature of the battery box also rise. However, in the conventional method, in the method of directly sending cooling air to the case, it is necessary to provide a cooling passage in the case, so that the space in the battery box becomes large, and the cooling air exchanges heat with the battery in the middle of the passage. Since the temperature changes due to, the temperature varies between the batteries. On the other hand, in the method in which the heat pipe is arranged on the outer peripheral rim of the case, the amount of heat generated by the battery is indirectly transmitted to the heat pipe through the case, so it cannot be said that the heat dissipation is sufficiently high. Moreover, when the battery box is structured to meet a high output demand, it may not be possible to sufficiently cool it.

On the other hand, when the battery box is used in a low temperature environment, if the temperature of the battery falls below the proper temperature, the output lowers due to its nature, so it is necessary to heat the battery box. However, as described above, it is required to enhance the cooling performance of the battery box, and if the battery box is heated by simply covering it with a heat insulating material or attaching a heating device to the case, the above cooling performance There was a problem that it was against the request to secure.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a power storage device and a vehicle drive device having excellent heat dissipation that can be applied even when a storage battery having a large capacity or many storage batteries are mounted. Is one purpose. Another object of the present invention is to provide a power storage device and a vehicle drive device that can maintain the temperature of the storage battery within an appropriate range even when used in a low temperature environment or a high temperature environment.

[0007]

The invention described below was made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the power storage device (for example, the battery box 10 in the embodiment) of the invention described in claim 1 is , Multiple storage batteries (eg,
A rod-shaped storage battery module (for example, the battery module 12 in the embodiment) in which the battery 13 in the embodiment is connected in series is arranged in a plurality of rows at a predetermined interval, and a heat pipe (for example, an implementation) is provided between the storage battery modules. In the power storage device in which the heat pipe 17) according to the first embodiment is arranged, the surface of the storage battery module is an insulating tube (for example, the insulating tube 4 in the embodiment).
0), and a metal sleeve (for example, the sleeve 30 in the embodiment) for accommodating the storage battery module in a state of being close to or in contact with the heat pipe is provided.

According to this structure, since the storage battery module directly transfers heat to and from the heat pipe, heat transfer performance can be improved, and heat can be released from the storage battery module to the outside through the heat pipe. it can. Further, heat can be externally supplied to the storage battery module via the heat pipe. Since the storage battery module and the heat pipe are housed in a metal sleeve having good thermal conductivity, the temperature of the metal sleeve is uniformized in a short time when the heat pipe is heated or cooled. As a result, the temperature of the storage battery module can be made uniform from the surroundings, and the temperature variation of the storage battery module can be suppressed. Furthermore, since insulation between the storage battery module and the heat pipe is ensured by the insulating tube, it is possible to eliminate the risk of leakage current flowing from the storage battery module to the heat pipe.

The heat pipe is preferably arranged along the axial direction of the storage battery module. With this configuration, cooling or heating can be performed in the axial direction of the storage battery module, so that the heat transfer property can be further enhanced. Further, as the heat pipe, a heat pipe having a structure including a heat transfer medium such as brine and a mesh wick is preferable from the viewpoint of heat transfer.

The power storage device according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a resin case (for example, the case 35 in the embodiment) is provided outside the metal sleeve. According to this structure, the heat pipe and the metal sleeve described above enhance the heat conductivity,
The resin case can increase the heat retention of the power storage device.

Further, in the power storage device according to a third aspect of the present invention, the heat pipe includes an extension portion (for example, the extension portion 18 in the embodiment) extending from an end of the storage battery module, A heating element (for example, the resistance heating element 14 in the embodiment) is provided in the extending portion. According to this structure, the heat generated by the heating element can be transferred from the heat pipe to the storage battery module, so that the storage battery can be heated to an appropriate temperature in a shorter time even in a low temperature environment.

Further, in the power storage device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a heat insulating cover (for example, in the embodiment) that covers the extending portion of the heat pipe (for example, the extending portions 18 and 19 in the embodiment). Insulating covers 34, 36) are provided. With this configuration, the heat released from the heat pipe can be held in the heat insulating cover to prevent the heat from spreading to the surroundings. It is possible to eliminate the possibility of giving. Further, by supplying the heat stored in the heat insulating cover to the storage battery module through the heat pipe, the heat can be transferred more efficiently.

A vehicle drive device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention (for example, the vehicle drive device 2 in the embodiment)
0) is a drive source (for example, the motor 2 in the embodiment) that drives the drive shaft of the vehicle to output or assist the propulsive force.
3 or an engine), a motor that rotationally drives the drive shaft by electric energy, and that converts the output of the drive source or the kinetic energy of the vehicle into electric energy (for example, the motor 23 in the embodiment), and the converted electric energy In a vehicle drive device including a power storage device (for example, the main battery unit 11 in the embodiment) that stores electricity, the power storage device includes a plurality of storage batteries (for example, the battery 13 in the embodiment) connected in series at predetermined intervals. Storage battery modules arranged in a plurality of rows (for example, the battery module 12 in the embodiment)
And a heat pipe (for example, the heat pipe 17 in the embodiment) arranged between the storage battery modules, the heat pipe including an extension portion extending from an end portion of the storage battery module. A heating element (for example,
A resistance heating element 14) according to the embodiment is provided, and the heating element is connected in parallel with the power storage device so that the regenerative current of the motor causes the heating element to generate heat.

According to this structure, since the storage battery module can directly transfer heat to and from the heat pipe as described above, heat is effectively released from the storage battery module to the outside through the heat pipe. be able to. Further, in a low temperature environment, the electric storage device is heated by using the electric energy converted by the regenerative current generated by the motor, so that the electric storage device is heated in parallel with the charging of the storage device. be able to. Further, by using a resistance heating element having a high resistance value as the heating element, the power storage device can be heated to an appropriate temperature in a short time.
When the charging of the power storage device is completed, it is possible to output substantially sufficient electric power for driving the vehicle, etc., and it is possible to improve convenience when the vehicle is traveling. Further, since each row of the storage battery module is arranged at a predetermined interval, by appropriately radiating heat for each row of the storage battery module, it is possible to prevent the storage battery module from being excessively heated and to have an appropriate temperature. Can be maintained. Here, if the heating element is formed in a film shape and the heating element is wound around the heat pipe, it can be installed at a low cost and a simple operation without taking up a space.

Further, in this case, when the storage battery modules are arranged so as to surround the heat pipe, these storage battery modules can transfer heat from the heat pipe in the same manner. Can be reduced, and the temperatures of the storage battery modules can be made uniform. Furthermore, by attaching a cooling fan to the power storage device and blowing cooling air to the heat pipe by this fan, the storage battery module can be cooled more effectively through the heat pipe. In this case, the cooling fan is preferably attached to the upper end side of the heat pipe from the viewpoint of heat transfer. Further, it is preferable to form fins so that the cooling air can be efficiently supplied to the heat pipe.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery box 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The battery box 10 includes a plurality of battery modules 12 formed by connecting a plurality of batteries 13 (battery cells) in series in a rod shape, a heat pipe 17 for heating and cooling the battery modules 12, and the battery. The metal sleeves 30 and 32 for accommodating the module 12 and the heat pipe 17 and the case 35 made of a reinforced resin for accommodating the battery module 12, the heat pipe 17, and the sleeves 30 and 32 are provided.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the main part in the direction of arrow A in FIG. As shown in the figure, each of the battery modules 12 is housed in the sleeve 30 so as to be inscribed in a metal sleeve 30 having a hexagonal outer shape and a round hole provided on a concentric shaft. In this state, in the horizontal direction, the sleeves 30 are arranged in a plurality of rows (three rows in the present embodiment) so that adjacent sides of the sleeves 30 come into contact with each other. Therefore, the battery modules 12 adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction come into contact with each other, and the horizontal arrangement space is compact. On the other hand, in the vertical direction, a plurality of stages (in the present embodiment, 7) so that the vertices of the adjacent sleeves 30 contact each other.
Tier). For this reason, the battery modules 12 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction are arranged at a predetermined interval so that each battery module 12 can appropriately radiate heat. The arrangement relationship in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction described above may be reversed.

Then, diamond-shaped metal sleeves 32 and 33 are alternately inserted in the diamond-shaped space formed between the adjacent sleeves 30 in the vertical direction. The sleeve 32 has a rhombic outer shape and is a cylindrical sleeve provided with a circular hole on the concentric axis which is substantially the same as the outer diameter of the heat pipe, and is housed so that the heat pipe 17 is inscribed in the sleeve 32. The heat pipe 17 is arranged so as to be in direct contact with the vertically adjacent battery modules 12 or to be close to each other via the thin portions of the sleeves 30 and 32. As a result, the battery module 12 can directly transfer heat to and from the heat pipe 17, and can efficiently transfer heat. Further, since the metal sleeves 30, 32, 33 are provided around the heat pipe 17 and the battery module 12, the heat transfer property is improved and the heat can be uniformly transferred in the circumferential direction. Moreover, since the resin case 35 is provided around the battery case 10, the heat retention of the battery box 10 can be improved. From the viewpoint of heat retention, the case 35
Is preferably formed of a reinforced resin. In addition, in the present embodiment, the sleeves 30, 32, and 33 are formed of separate members in order to facilitate the assembling, but some or all of them may be integrated.

Next, the case where the battery box 10 is viewed from the side direction of FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a side view of the battery module 12 of FIG. The side surface of the battery module 12 is covered with an insulating tube 40, and the insulating tube 40 prevents a short circuit between the heat pipe 17 and the battery module 12. A temperature sensor 15 is attached to the battery module 12 along the axial direction of each battery 13 so that the temperature of the battery module 12 in contact with the heat pipe 17 can be measured. The temperature sensor 15 is connected to a control circuit unit (ECU) 24 described later, and the temperature of the battery module 12 measured by the temperature sensor 15 is transmitted to the ECU 24. Further, in the present embodiment, the main battery unit 11 is configured by connecting the battery modules 12 to each other in series so that sufficient electric power for driving the vehicle can be supplied. In addition, each battery module 1
Since the same amount of current flows through 2, the variations in capacity and temperature of the battery modules 12 can be suppressed.

The case where the heat pipe 17 is viewed from the side direction of FIG. 1 will be described. The heat pipe 17 has a hollow portion inside, a wick (not shown) is provided on the inner wall surface that defines the hollow portion, and a heat transfer medium (not shown) such as brine is enclosed in the hollow portion. . The brine enclosed in the heat pipe 17 is normally kept in a liquid state and vaporized when receiving heat energy. The heat pipe 17 is longer than the battery module 12 in the axial direction and is provided with extending portions 18 and 19 extending from both surfaces of the case 35. Figure 4
FIG. 4A is a side view of the heat pipe 17 shown in FIG.
(B) is a front view of the heat pipe 17. As shown in the figure, a film-shaped resistance heating element 14 is wound around the extending portion 18 of the heat pipe 17. Since the resistance heating element 14 is formed in the film shape as described above, it can be installed at a low cost and with a simple operation without taking up a space. Further, the resistance heating element 14 is
It is installed in the motor system drive circuit unit (PDU) 22 so that it can generate heat using the regenerative energy of the vehicle. This will be described in detail later.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views showing a state in which heat insulating covers 34 and 36 are attached to the front and back of the case 35 of FIG. 1, respectively. Insulation cover 3
Providing 4, 36 prevents the heat from the heat pipe 17 from diffusing to the surroundings, and eliminates the possibility of giving unnecessary heat to these devices when the devices are arranged around the battery box 10. be able to. Further, by supplying the heat stored in the heat insulating covers 34 and 36 to the battery module 12 through the heat pipe 17, the heat utilization efficiency can be improved.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the heat insulating cover 3
A cooling fan 37 is attached to the upper surface side of 6, and cooling air can be supplied from the cooling fan 37 to the extending portion 19 of the heat pipe 17. Further, the heat insulating cover 3
As shown in FIG. 18, cooling fins 41 (cooling fins) are formed in a plate shape on the back surface of the case 35 in the inside of the case 35, and the fins 41 efficiently cool the cooling air. It can be supplied to the extension portion 19 of the heat pipe 17. In the present embodiment, the heat pipe 17
By providing the fins 41 having a large area in the extending portion 19 of
A large heat dissipation area is secured to enhance the cooling capacity. Further, the cooling fan 37 is connected to the ECU 24,
Drive control is performed by the ECU 24.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, battery box 10 is arranged inside the vehicle with a predetermined angle α. As a result, the heat pipe 17 becomes the evaporation part (high temperature part) with the extension part 18 provided with the resistance heating element 14 on the lower side, and becomes the cooling fan 3.
The extension part 19 in which the 7 is arranged is arranged so as to be inclined so as to become a condensing part (low temperature part) with the extension part 19 on the upper side, and the heat transfer performance by the brine in the heat pipe 17 can be enhanced as described later in detail. . The angle α is preferably a vertical angle or an angle close to this in consideration of the heat transfer performance of the brine, but the angle α can be appropriately adjusted depending on factors such as stability when the battery box 10 is placed and the place where the battery box 10 is placed.

As shown in FIG. 7, a heat pipe 17 provided on the battery box 10 is provided separately between the battery box 10 and the battery box 10 and the air conditioner blow-out portion 38 near the dashboard. A heat pipe 42 is provided. That is, one end of the heat pipe 42 is arranged so as to face the air conditioner blowout portion 38, and the heat pipe 4 is
The other end of the heat pipe 17 is arranged so as to face the extension 19 of the heat pipe 17 through the connection to the cooling fin 41. As a result, when the air conditioner is used, the heat generation energy of the battery is taken out from the battery box 10 via the heat pipe 17, transferred from the extending portion 19 of the heat pipe 17 to the heat pipe 42 via the cooling fin 41, and the air conditioner blows out. Heat can be exchanged with the portion 38 to effectively cool it.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of vehicle drive device 20 in the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle drive device 20 mainly includes a main battery unit 11, a heating system drive circuit unit 21, a motor system drive circuit unit 22, a motor 23, and a control circuit unit (ECU) 24. It is composed of and. Further, the battery vehicle drive device 20 includes a temperature sensor 15 for detecting the temperature Tb of each battery module 12 forming the main battery unit 11, a current sensor 25 for detecting the remaining capacity SOC of the main battery unit 11, and , Total current Ic
current sensor 26 for detecting hg, total voltage Vch
The rotation speed Ne of the voltage sensor 27 for detecting g and the motor 23
A sensor group such as a rotation sensor 28 for detecting

FIG. 10 is a circuit diagram specifically showing the heating system drive circuit section 21, the PDU 22 and the motor 23 in FIG. The motor 23 is connected to a drive shaft (not shown) of the vehicle, and rotates the drive shaft by electric power from the main battery unit 11 to drive the vehicle. When the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, the drive shaft is connected to, and the motor 23 assists the driving of the engine. Further, when the driving force is transmitted from the driving wheel side to the motor 23 when the vehicle is decelerated, the motor 23 functions as a generator and generates a so-called regenerative braking force. Thereby, the kinetic energy of the vehicle body is recovered as electric energy.

The motor 23 in the present embodiment is a permanent magnet type brushless motor that uses a permanent magnet as a field, and the motor system drive circuit unit (PDU, Power Drive Unit) connected to the motor 23. ) 2
The drive is controlled by the three-phase AC power supplied from 2.
The PDU 22 includes a PWM inverter including switching elements such as IGBTs,
Based on the torque command output from the control circuit unit 24 connected to U22, the DC power output from the main battery unit 11 is converted into three-phase AC power and supplied to the motor 23.

Further, when the motor 23 generates a regenerative braking force, the PDU 22 converts the three-phase AC power of the motor 23 into DC power based on a command from the control circuit unit 24 to convert the main battery unit. Supply to 11. In the present embodiment, a heating system drive circuit unit 21 that heats the main battery unit 11 is connected to the PDU 22. As a result, since the main battery unit 11 can be heated by using the electric energy converted by the motor 23, the heating process of the main battery unit 11 is performed in parallel with the charging process of the main battery unit 11. It can be carried out.

The PDU 22 includes switching elements Q1 to Q.
6, a PWM inverter including commutation diodes D1 to D6 and a smoothing capacitor C is provided. This PDU
The configuration of 22 is the same as the conventional one, and thus the details are omitted.

FIG. 11 shows the main battery unit 1 in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram more specifically showing 1 and the heating system drive circuit unit 21. As described above, the main battery unit 11
Since the battery modules 12 forming the battery modules 12 are connected in series, and the batteries 13 forming the battery module 12 are also connected in series, a uniform current is supplied to the batteries 13 forming the battery modules 12 in a plurality of rows. It is possible to allow the electric current to flow, and it is possible to prevent variations in capacity and variations in the degree of deterioration among the batteries 13.

Then, as described above, in order to heat the battery 13 constituting each battery module 12,
A resistance heating element 14 is provided for each heat pipe 17. As shown in FIG. 11, each resistance heating element 14 (14
a, 14b ... 14n) are the battery modules 12 (12a, 12b ... 12) that form the main battery unit 11.
n) are connected in parallel. Accordingly, the internal resistance value of each battery module 12 can be suppressed as much as possible, so that efficient energy input / output of each battery module 12 can be maintained, and a resistor having a high resistance value is used as the resistance heating element 14. Therefore, the heating effect can be enhanced.

The resistance heating element 14 is provided with an IGBT.
Switching elements Qn (Qna, Qnb ... Qn
n) are connected in series. Each switching element Qn
Is connected to the control circuit section 24, and the control circuit section 24 controls opening / closing of each switching element Qn. As described above, each battery module 12 is provided with the temperature sensor 15 that detects the temperature Tb, and the temperature sensor is connected to the control circuit unit 24. Because of this, each battery module 12
By controlling the opening / closing of the switching element Qn in accordance with the temperature, the amount of heat generated in each resistance heating element 14 is controlled and the heating is controlled, so that each battery module 12 can be heated to an appropriate temperature. In addition, the temperature variation of each battery module 12 can be converged in a short time.

The control circuit section 24 is connected to the above-described sensor groups, and based on the input values from these sensor groups, the switching elements Qn connected to the resistance heating elements 14 are connected.
Since the battery is opened and closed, the battery can be heated up to the proper operating temperature range in a short time. It also has an effect on the temperature convergence between the batteries having temperature variations. The control circuit section 24 prevents the switching module Qn from being over-discharged or over-charged while heating the battery module 12 and securing an appropriate remaining capacity SOC.
By controlling the opening and closing of each of the battery modules 12, and the current used for heating each battery module 12 (that is, the current flowing through each resistance heating element 14)
The distribution with the current regenerated to each battery module 12 is adjusted. A timer 29 is provided in the control circuit section 24, and the time for performing each process is adjusted by the timer 29 (details will be described later).

The battery box 1 thus constructed
0 and the operation of the vehicle drive device 20 will be described. First, the case of the drive mode in which the vehicle is driven to travel by the electric power from the main battery unit 11 will be described with reference to FIG. A case where a current flows into the U phase of the motor 23 will be described. In this drive mode, the contactor 16 is ON, the switches of the switching elements Q1, Q4, Q6 are ON, and the switching elements Q2, Q3, Q5 are OFF.

In this drive mode, the current flows from the positive electrode of the main battery portion 11 through the contactor 16 through the switching element Q1 into the U phase of the motor 23. This current branches into the V phase and the W phase of the motor 23 and flows, and returns to the negative electrode of the main battery unit 11 through the switching elements Q4 and Q6, respectively. By switching ON and OFF of the switching elements Q1 to Q6, it is possible to switch the current to flow toward the V phase or the W phase of the motor 23. The same applies when current flows into the V phase and W phase.

A case where the state is changed to the regeneration mode will be described. At this time, the switching element Q1
Turn off all of Q6. As a result, the flow of current from the main battery unit 11 to the motor 23 can be shut off. On the other hand, the current generated in the motor 23 (for example, the current flowing in the U phase) is branched into the V phase and the W phase of the motor 23 as described above, and the commutation diodes D3 and D5.
To the positive electrode side of the main battery portion 11 via. In addition, in the present embodiment, in the regenerative mode, by turning on the switching element Qn, the current can be passed through the corresponding resistance heating element 14 to generate heat. As a result, the battery 13 covering the resistance heating element 14 can be heated. The current flowing through the resistance heating element 14 returns to the U phase of the motor 23 via the commutation diode D2.

FIG. 9 is a main flowchart showing the processing by the vehicle drive device 20. First, step S1
As shown in 00, by the above-mentioned various sensors, the motor rotation speed Ne, the regenerative current (total current) Ichg, the regenerative voltage (total voltage) Vchg, the temperature Tb of each battery module 12, the regenerative current Ib to each battery module 12. When,
Detecting the heating time T to each battery module 12,
These detected values are transmitted to the control circuit unit 24. And
As shown in step S102, the control circuit section 24 calculates the remaining capacity SOC based on the regenerative current Ib. Then, as shown in step S104, the regenerative current Ichg is distributed to the current Ib of the battery module 12 and the current Ir of the resistance heating element 14 based on the remaining capacity SOC. Then, the heating control of each battery module 12 is performed, and the processing of the main flow is ended.

Each of the above processes will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a flow chart for calculating the current and power to each resistance heating element 14 and the power to the cooling fan 37. As shown in step S110 of FIG. 12, the temperature sensor 1 connected to each battery module 12
5, the x (x = 1, 2 ... n) th battery module 12 (hereinafter referred to as the battery module 12x)
The temperature Tb_t (x) of is detected. Then, it is determined whether or not this temperature is lower than the target set temperature Tb_s which is the proper temperature of the battery module 12x.

When the judgment result is "YES", that is,
When the temperature Tb_t (x) of the battery module 12x is lower than the target set temperature Tb_s, step S11
Go to 2. In step S112, Tb_t (x) and Tb_
Based on the difference with s, the regenerative power increase amount ΔPchg required to heat the x-th resistance heating element 14x.
(X), the current increase amount ΔIchg (x) is calculated as shown in the equations (1) and (2). ΔPchg (x) = K1 × (Tb_s−Tb_t (x)) (1) Equation ΔIchg (x) = K2 × (Tb_s−Tb_t (x)) (2) Equation Here, K1 and K2 are constants. Is. The regenerative power increase amount ΔPchg (x) and the current increase amount ΔIchg (x) are
According to the relational characteristic with the temperature difference ΔTb, the regenerative power increase amount and the current increase amount gradually increase until the difference reaches a predetermined value, and the table T1 stored in advance in a memory stores a preset value so that the regenerative power increase amount and the current increase amount become constant values above the predetermined value. It may be calculated. in this way,
Regenerative power increase amount ΔPchg (x), current increase amount ΔIch
After obtaining g (x), the process returns to step S110 again to perform the series of processes described above.

If the determination result is "NO", that is, if it is equal to or higher than the target set temperature Tb_s, it is not necessary to heat the battery module 12x, and therefore, as shown in step S114, Resistance heating element 1
The values of the regenerative power increase amount ΔPchg (x) and the current increase amount ΔIchg (x) to 4x are set to 0, respectively. Then, as shown in step S116, Tb_t (x)
And the difference ΔTb_cl between Tb_s and Tb_s. then,
As shown in step S118, the coefficient K is added to the total ΣΔTb_cl of the temperature differences for each battery module 12x.
3 is multiplied to calculate the duty of the cooling fan 37, and the processing of FIG. 6 is ended. Note that these processes are performed for each battery module 12 (the same applies to the following flowcharts).

Further, FIG. 13 is a flow for performing correction control of the regeneration amount. As shown in step S120 of FIG. 13, the remaining capacity SOC is calculated from the total sum ΣIb (x) of the currents flowing in the battery modules 12x. Since the maximum current Ib_max that can be supplied to each battery module 12x is determined based on the remaining capacity SOC, as shown in step S122, a relational characteristic that gradually decreases when the SOC exceeds a predetermined value and becomes zero when the SOC reaches the upper limit value, From the table T2 shown, Ib_max is read based on the remaining capacity SOC. Then, as shown in step S124, the value of the maximum current Ib_max read previously is substituted for the current Ib_s1 passed through the battery module 12x. Next, as shown in step S126, each resistance heating element 14
The regenerative increase amount ΔPchg (x) flowing in x and the current increase amount Δ
Let ΔPchg be the total sum of Ichg (x) and Ir
Calculate as _s. Then, as shown in step S128, the current Ichg_s regenerated by the motor 23,
The power Pchg_s1 is calculated as the sum of Ib_s1 and Ir_s and the sum of Pb_s1 and ΔPchg described above.

Then, as shown in step S130, the voltage value Vchg_t and the current value Ichg_t at the current time (time t) are detected by the current sensor 25 and the voltage sensor 27, and the current power Pchg_t is calculated as the product of these. . Then, as shown in step S132, the correction amount Pchg_m is calculated from the difference between the requested power amount Pchg_s1 and the current power amount Pchg_t. After that, as shown in step S134, the regenerative correction amount in the motor 23 is controlled based on the correction amount Pchg_m. Then, as shown in step S136, the timer 29 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If the determination result is "YES", the processing of FIG. 13 is terminated, and if the determination result is "NO". Is step S
Returning to 120, the above-mentioned processing is performed again.

Further, FIG. 14 is a flow for performing correction control by the rotation speed of the motor 23. As shown in step S140 of FIG. 14, the rotation speed Ne of the motor 23 detected by the rotation sensor 28 is read. Next, as shown in step S142, the maximum electric energy Pch is calculated based on the rotation speed Ne from the table T3 showing the relational characteristic that the rotation speed gradually increases until it reaches a predetermined value and becomes constant above a predetermined value.
Read g_max. Then, as shown in step S144, the maximum power amount Pchg_max is divided by the current voltage value Vchg_t to calculate the maximum current value Ichg_max. Then, as shown in step S146, it is determined whether the required current value Ichg_s is larger than the maximum current value Ichg_max. If the determination result is “YES”, the process proceeds to step S148, and the required current value Ichg_s
A correction process is performed to replace the maximum current value Ib_max. If the determination result is “NO”, there is no need to perform such correction processing, and therefore the processing proceeds to step S160 described below.

After performing the processing of S148, as shown in step S150, the value of the minimum current value Ib_min is set to the relational characteristic table T based on the state of charge SOC of the battery 13.
Read from 4. The minimum current value Ib_min is a minimum current flowing through the battery module 12 in order to prevent discharge from the battery module 12, and gradually increases from zero when the SOC falls below a predetermined value. Is set. Then, in step S152
As shown in, it is determined whether the difference between the regenerative required current value Ichg_s and the required current value Ir_s to the resistor is larger than the minimum current value Ib_min. If the determination result is “YES”, the process proceeds to step S154. In step S154, the minimum current value Ib_min is substituted for the required current value Ib_s to be passed through the battery module 12, so that the current corresponding to the minimum current value Ib_min is surely passed through the battery module 12. If the determination result is “NO”, step S
Proceed to 156. In this case, as shown in step S156, since the minimum current value Ib_min can be ensured by the difference between the total required current value Ichg_s and the resistance heating element required current value Ir_s, the battery required current is corrected without correcting this difference. The process of substituting the value Ib_s is performed, and step S
Proceed to the processing of 160. On the other hand, after performing the process of step S154, as shown in step S158, the difference between the total required current value Ichg_s and the minimum current value Ib_min is substituted for the resistance heating element required current value Ir_s, and the process proceeds to step S160. . Then, in step S160, the timer 29 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If the determination result is "YES", the process of FIG. 8 is terminated, and if the determination result is "NO", the process returns to step S140. Then, the above-mentioned processing is performed again.

Further, FIG. 15 is a flow for calculating the duty of the current flowing through the resistance heating element 14x. As shown in step S170 of FIG. 15, the above-described maximum current value Ir
_max, resistance heating element required current value Ir_s, and current increase amount ΔIc
The respective values of hg (x) and total current increase amount ΣΔIchg (x) are read. Ir_max is a resistance heating element 14
The maximum current value that can be applied to x, which is determined by the material and the like. Then, as shown in step S172, the duty D_h (x) of the switching element Qnx is calculated by the equation (3) based on the current passed through the resistance heating element 14x. D_h (x) = K4 × (ΔIchg (x) / ΣΔIchg (x)) × (Ir_s / Ir_max) (3) Formula Here, K4 is a coefficient. Also, the duty D_h
For (x), a value of 1 (100%) or less is calculated.

Then, as shown in step S174, it is determined whether or not the regeneration / power generation control is possible. If the determination result is "YES", the process proceeds to step S176, and if the determination result is "NO". Step S170
Then, the processing described above is performed again. In step S176, switching control of the switching element Qnx for each resistance heating element 14x is performed. Then, as shown in step S178, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If the determination result is "YES", the processing of FIG.
If the determination result is “NO”, the process returns to step S170 and the above-described processing is performed again.

FIG. 16 is a flow chart for calculating the duty of the current passed through the main battery section 11. FIG.
As shown in step S180, the battery required current value Ib_s and the battery maximum current value Ib_max described above are read. Ib_max is the maximum current value that can flow in the battery module 12x, and is determined by the material and the like.
Then, as shown in step S182, based on the amount of current flowing through the main battery unit 11, the switching element Q
The duty D_b of 1 to Q6 is calculated by the equation (4). D_b = K5 × (Ib_s / Ib_max) Equation (4) Here, K5 is a coefficient. Also, the duty D_b
Is calculated as a value of 1 (100%) or less.

Then, as shown in step S184, it is determined whether or not the regeneration / power generation control is possible. If the determination result is "YES", the process proceeds to step S186, and if the determination result is "NO". Step S180
Then, the processing described above is performed again. In step S186, the switching elements Q1 to Q1 for the main battery unit 11
The switching control of Q6 is performed. And step S1
As indicated by 88, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed. If the determination result is “YES”, the process in FIG. 10 is terminated, and if the determination result is “NO”, the process returns to step S180 and is performed again. The above-mentioned processing is performed. The processes shown in FIGS. 12 to 16 are performed in parallel to reduce the control time.

Because of this, when heating the battery module 12, the extension 1 of the heat pipe 17 is used.
When a current is supplied to the resistance heating element 14 provided at 8 (lower end portion), the resistance heating element 14 generates heat and heats and vaporizes the brine enclosed in the extending portion 18 of the heat pipe 17. . This vaporized brine is heat pipe 17
The battery modules 12 provided in the surroundings are heated while rising toward the upper end side (extension portion 19 side) of the. On the other hand, when cooling the battery module 12, the cooling fan 37 arranged on the extension portion 19 (upper end portion) side of the heat pipe 17 cools and liquefies the brine in the extension portion 19. The liquefied brine returns while descending toward the lower end side (extending portion 18 side) of the heat pipe 17, and completes a one-step cycle from vaporization (evaporation) to liquefaction (condensation). While the battery module 12 is being heated, the above process cycle is repeated. As described above, the heat pipe 17 and the battery module 1
Since 2 is accommodated in the metal sleeves 30 and 32 having good heat conductivity, the temperature of the metal sleeves 30 and 32 is uniformized in a short time when the heat pipe 17 is heated or cooled. , 32, the temperature of the battery module 12 can be made uniform from the surroundings, and the temperature variation of the battery module 12 can be suppressed. Furthermore, since the insulation tube 40 ensures the insulation between the battery module 12 and the heat pipe 17, it is possible to eliminate the risk of leakage current flowing from the battery module 12 to the heat pipe 17. Further, since the resistance heating element has an insulating coating, the heating current flowing through the resistance heating element 14 does not flow through the heat pipe 17.

As described above, in the present embodiment, energy can be efficiently transferred in and out of the plurality of batteries 13 by suppressing the internal resistance value of the batteries 13 constituting each of the battery modules 12 as much as possible. In addition, a resistance heating element 1 having a high resistance value is used.
Since it can be used as No. 4, the heating effect can be enhanced. Further, by providing the temperature sensor 15 for detecting the temperature of each battery module 12 and controlling the heating by the control circuit unit 24, the battery 13 constituting each battery module 12 can be heated to an appropriate temperature.

Further, since each battery 13 can be heated to an appropriate temperature in a short time, when the charging of each battery 13 is completed, it is possible to output substantially sufficient electric power for driving the vehicle, etc. The convenience can be improved.
In addition, since each of the batteries 13 can be heated in a short time, temperature variation between the batteries 13 is less likely to occur, and after the main battery 11 is completely charged, a current for heating is supplied to the main battery. Since there is almost no need to supply to the section 11, the main battery section 1
1 can be prevented from being overcharged.

As the battery, a so-called secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, a lead battery, a nickel cadmium battery can be applied.

The battery box 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. FIG. 17 shows a battery box 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same members as those shown in the previous embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. In this embodiment, one of the left and right heat pipes 17 in the first embodiment is shifted one stage up and down and arranged alternately. According to this embodiment, the battery module 1
Since the heat pipes 17 are arranged in the vertical direction of FIG. 2, even if the battery box 10 is arranged in an environment in which temperature variations are likely to occur in the vertical direction, it is possible to perform cooling or heating more evenly. There is. In addition,
The arrangement form of the heat pipe 17 is not limited to this,
At least one heat pipe 17 may be arranged in contact with each battery module 12. In addition, FIG.
As shown in FIG.
1 may be provided. In this case, as shown in FIG. 20, the orientation of each cooling fin 41 is changed so that the cooling air flowing toward the heat pipe 17 is not obstructed.
The cooling fin 41 may be attached to the heat pipe 17 so as to substantially face the end surface of the heat pipe 17. In this case, since the extending portion 19 of the heat pipe 17 is L-shaped, the cooling fins 41 are arranged slightly inclined with respect to the end faces.

[0054]

As described above, according to the invention described in claim 1, since the storage battery module directly transfers heat to and from the heat pipe, the heat is effectively released from the storage battery module to the outside. In addition to being able to do so, heat can be supplied to the storage battery module from the outside.
Further, when the heat pipe is heated or cooled, the temperature of the metal sleeve is also made uniform in a short time, and the temperature of the storage battery module can be made uniform from the surroundings by this metal sleeve, and the temperature variation of the storage battery module is suppressed. be able to. Furthermore, it is possible to eliminate the possibility that extra current will flow from the storage battery module to the heat pipe.

According to the invention described in claim 2,
It is possible to improve heat transfer and heat retention of the power storage device. According to the invention described in claim 3, the performance of the storage battery can be ensured even in a low temperature environment as in the case of an appropriate temperature, and the durability of the power storage device can be further improved. Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, it is possible to eliminate the possibility of giving unnecessary heat to these devices when the devices are arranged around the power storage device, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of use of heat. .

According to the invention described in claim 5,
It is possible to effectively release heat from the storage battery module to the outside. In addition, heating of the power storage device can be performed in parallel with charging of the power storage device. Further, by using a resistance heating element having a high resistance value as the heating element, it is possible to appropriately radiate heat for each row of the storage battery modules, so that it is possible to enhance convenience when the vehicle is traveling. Further, it is possible to prevent the storage battery module from being excessively heated, and it is possible to maintain an appropriate temperature.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery box according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a hexagonal column sleeve into which the battery module of FIG. 1 is inserted and a rhombus sleeve into which a heat pipe is inserted.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which a temperature sensor is attached to the battery module of FIG.

4A and 4B are a side view and a front view showing a state in which a resistance heating element is wound around an extending portion of the heat pipe of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat insulating cover is attached to the front surface of the case of FIG.

6 is a perspective view showing a state in which a heat insulating cover is attached to the back surface of the case of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a schematic explanatory view showing a state in which the battery box of FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of a vehicle drive device in the embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a main flowchart showing a process by the vehicle drive device of FIG.

10 is a circuit diagram showing details of a motor and a motor system drive circuit unit in FIG.

11 is a circuit diagram showing details of a main battery unit and a heating system drive circuit unit of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a sub-flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a sub-flowchart of FIG. 9.

FIG. 14 is a sub-flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 15 is a sub-flowchart of FIG.

16 is a sub-flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 17 is a front view showing a modified example of the battery box of the present invention and an enlarged view of a main part thereof.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the battery box of FIG. 1.

FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the battery box of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the battery box of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 battery box 11 Main battery section 12 Battery module 13 battery 14 Resistance heating element 17 heat pipe 18, 19 Extension part 20 Vehicle drive 23 motor 30, 32, 33 sleeves 34,36 insulation cover 35 cases 40 insulation tube

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI theme code (reference) H02J 7/00 H02J 7/00 301A 301 7/34 D 7/34 B60K 9/00 EF term (reference) 3D035 AA05 5G003 AA07 BA03 CA04 CB01 FA01 FA06 GB06 GC05 5H031 AA09 CC01 KK01 KK02 5H040 AA28 AS07 AT06 AY05 CC32 JJ06 5H115 PA08 PA15 PC06 PG04 PI16 PI21 PI29 PI02 PI02 PI02 PI04 PI02 PI02 PI02 PI02 Q04 Q04 TI04N02 TI06 TI10 TO12 TO14 UI29 UI30 UI35

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A power storage device in which rod-shaped storage battery modules in which a plurality of storage batteries are connected in series are arranged in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals, and heat pipes are arranged between the storage battery modules, the surface of the storage battery module. And a metal sleeve for accommodating the storage battery module in a state of being close to or in contact with the heat pipe. 2. The power storage device according to claim 1, wherein a resin case is provided outside the metal sleeve. 3. The heat pipe is provided with an extending portion extending from an end portion of the storage battery module, and a heating element is provided in the extending portion. The power storage device according to item 1. 4. The power storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a heat insulating cover that covers the extending portion of the heat pipe. 5. A drive source that drives a drive shaft of a vehicle to output or assist a propulsive force, and a drive shaft that is rotationally driven by electrical energy, and that converts the output of the drive source or the kinetic energy of the vehicle into electrical energy. In a vehicle drive device including a motor and a power storage device that stores converted electrical energy, the power storage device includes a rod-shaped storage battery module in which a plurality of storage batteries are connected in series and arranged in a plurality of rows at predetermined intervals, and a storage battery. And a heat pipe disposed between the modules, the heat pipe includes an extension portion extending from an end of the storage battery module, the extension portion is provided with a heating element, the heating element of the motor. A vehicle drive device, which is connected in parallel with a power storage device so that heat is generated by a regenerative current.