Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Hiroki Nishinaka

Youichi Kageyama

Katsunori Atago

Hisao Hiragi

Takashi Higashide

Yugo Setsu

Kazuo Takenaka

Yuji Doi

Hiroshi Akamatsu

Masashi Kanayama

Shinichi Tanida

Tsukasa Onodera

A power storage system includes a storage unit, a charging circuit configured to supply a charging current to the storage unit, and a controller connected to the storage unit. The storage unit includes plural capacitor elements connected in series to one another each having both ends, plural resistors connected to the capacitor elements, and plural switch elements connected to the capacitor elements and the resistors. One of both ends of each capacitor element of the plural capacitor elements is connected to one end of a corresponding resistor of the plural resistors. Another of the both ends of the each capacitor element is connected to one end of a corresponding switch element of the plural switch elements. Another end of the corresponding resistor is connected to another end of the corresponding switch element. The corresponding switch element is configured to selectively switch between a connected state in which the one end of the corresponding switch element is connected to the another end of the corresponding switch element and a disconnected state in which the one end of the corresponding switch element is disconnected from the another end of the corresponding switch element. While the charging circuit supplies the charging current to the storage unit, the controller is configure to perform the following operation. The controller causes the corresponding switch element to be in the disconnected state when a difference between the storage voltage of the each capacitor element and the reference voltage is equal to or larger than a predetermined first voltage difference value. The reference voltage increases as the each capacitor element is charged. The controller causes the corresponding switch element to be in the connected state when the difference between the storage voltage of the each capacitor element and the reference voltage is larger than the predetermined first voltage difference value, and then, switches the corresponding switch element from the connected state to the disconnected state when the difference between the storage voltage of the each capacitor element and the reference voltage becomes smaller than a predetermined second voltage difference value.

Energy storage system

A backup power system according to the present disclosure includes a battery, a charging circuit, power storage, a first load, a second load, and a controller that controls the charging circuit. The controller causes an input current at the charging circuit to increase at a first rate of change in response to a start signal. When the controller detects an increase in a charging voltage at the power storage up to a first voltage at which driving of the first load is possible, the controller controls the charging circuit to cause the input current at the charging circuit to increase at a second rate of change lower than the first rate of change. The charging circuit is controlled by the controller to cause the input current to increase at the second rate of change, and the charging voltage at the power storage increases up to a second voltage at which driving of both the first load and the second load is possible.

Backup power system

A DC-DC converter includes a switch element connected to an input end, a coupling capacitor connected to the switch element at a first node, a first inductor connected to the coupling capacitor at a second node and connected to an output end at a third node, a control circuit that controls the switch element, a second inductor connected to the first node and a ground, a first diode connected to the second node and the ground, a smoothing capacitor connected to the third node and the ground, a comparator, a second diode connected to the second node and the comparator to supply a power voltage powering the comparator, and an output capacitor connected to the second diode and the ground. The comparator compares a voltage at the output end with a reference voltage so as to output a comparison result to the control circuit. This DC-DC converter operates stably.

Zeta converter generating control power from an internal node

An onboard power supply device includes capacitors, a holder holding the capacitors, a mounting board having the capacitors mounted thereon and having the holder fixed thereto, and a heat-generating component mounted on the mounting board. Each of the capacitors includes a capacitor body and a lead terminal extending from the capacitor body. The holder includes a base part, first holding parts bundled by the base part and holding the capacitors, second holding parts each connected to a corresponding one of the first holding parts, and a fixing part extending from an outer edge of the base part toward the mounting board and fixed to the mounting board. The capacitor body of each of the capacitors is held by a corresponding one of the first holding parts. The lead terminal of each of the capacitors is held by a corresponding one of the second holding parts. The mounting board has a through-hole therein through which the lead terminal passes. The through-hole is connected to the lead terminal. The corresponding one of the second holding parts has a holding through-hole therein extending along a through-axis coinciding with the through-hole. An inner wall of the holding through-hole contacts the lead terminal. This onboard power supply device has a small size.

Onboard power source device

A vehicle-mounted power source device includes: a power storage unit; a charging unit; a discharging unit; and a control unit which controls operations of the charging unit and the discharging unit in accordance with an activation signal. When the control unit receives the activation signal, the terminal voltage of the power storage unit becomes the first voltage through a charging operation of the charging unit, and when the control unit finishes receiving the activation signal, the discharging unit starts a discharging operation, and the terminal voltage of the power storage unit is reduced to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. The charging unit applies a third voltage lower than the second voltage to the power storage unit between (i) when the terminal voltage of the power storage unit becomes lower than the second voltage or when a predetermined length of time has elapsed since the terminal voltage of the power storage unit became lower than the second voltage and (ii) when the control unit receives the activation signal again.

Vehicle-mounted power source device

When the output voltage of a vehicle battery is lower than a lower limit value of an activation voltage, a power storage is charged with electric power supplied from the outside to a contactless power receiver, and thus the electric power stored in the power storage is supplied to a controller via a discharger to enable the controller to be activated. After the controller is activated, the controller causes a battery relay to be connected using the electric power supplied from the power storage via the discharger. Electric power is supplied from a high voltage battery to the vehicle battery to enable the vehicle battery to output a voltage higher than or equal to the lower limit value and enable a plurality of relays to be connected.

Growing community of inventors

Fukushima, Japan

Hiroki Nishinaka