US 6,583,602 B2Granted

Vehicular power supply apparatus and method of controlling the same

AssigneeDenso Corporation

InventorsAtsushi Imai, Tetsuya Nagata, Hideji Yoshida

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Abstract

A lower battery block feeds low-voltage power to a low-voltage load. The lower battery block includes cells. At least one higher battery block is connected in series with the lower battery block, and cooperates with the lower battery block to feed high-voltage power to a high-voltage load. The higher battery block includes cells. A DC—DC converter transmits power from the higher battery block to the lower battery block. A controller detects an electric parameter of the lower battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, and also an electric parameter of the higher battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block. The controller operates for controlling the DC—DC converter in response to the detected electric parameters to equalize the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block and the average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A multiple-output power supply apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

a lower battery block for feeding low-voltage power to a low-voltage load, the lower battery block including cells;
at least one higher battery block connected in series with the lower battery block and cooperating with the lower battery block to feed high-voltage power to a high-voltage load, the higher battery block including cells;
power generator means for feeding power to a combination of the lower battery block and the higher battery block;
a DC—DC converter for transmitting power from the higher battery block to the lower battery block;
and
controller means for detecting an electric parameter of the lower battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block, for detecting an electric parameter of the higher battery block which relates to an average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block, for comparing the detected electric parameter of the lower battery block and the detected electric parameter of the higher battery block, and for controlling the DC—DC converter to equalize the average per-cell voltage in the lower battery block and the average per-cell voltage in the higher battery block in response to a result of said comparing.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/135,699Filed 1 May 2002
Priority: JP 2001-14172011 May 2001
Published: US 2002/0167291 A114 Nov 2002
Granted: 24 Jun 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H02J 7/1423
For charging batteries from dynamo-electric generators driven at varying speed, e.g. on vehicle: with multiple batteries
H02J 7/56
For charge balancing, e.g. equalisation of charge between batteries: active balancing, e.g. using capacitor-based, inductor-based or DC-DC converters
Y02T 10/70
Other road transportation technologies with climate change mitigation effect: energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
H02J
Power supply and charging