Patent ID: 8207704
Filing Date: 2012-06-26
Classification: B60L,H01M,Y02E,Y02T

Abstract:
1. A power supply system, comprising: a first and a second lithium battery modules each constituted by a plurality of lithium unit cells connected in series; a service disconnect switch for further connecting the first and the second lithium battery modules in series electrically; and a cell controller for detecting terminal voltages of respective lithium unit cells constituting the first and the second lithium battery modules, wherein the first and the second battery modules respectively have a most significant lithium unit cell group connection body and a least significant lithium unit cell group connection body, both connected in series, the most significant lithium unit cell group connection body having a plurality of unit cell groups connected in series respectively including a most significant unit cell group, and the least significant lithium unit cell group connection body having a plurality of unit cell groups connected in series respectively including a least significant unit cell group, in the first or the second battery module, a unit cell having highest potential is positioned at a most significant unit cell group that the most significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first and the second battery modules has, in the first or the second battery module, a unit cell having lowest potential is positioned at a least significant unit cell group that the least significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first and the second battery modules has, the cell controller, in order to detect the terminal voltages of respective lithium unit cells, comprises a plurality of ICs corresponding to the unit cell groups respectively; a substrate for mounting the plurality of ICs; a higher side connector for the first lithium battery module disposed so as to receive terminal voltages of unit cells that the most significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first lithium battery module has; a lower side connector for the first lithium battery module disposed so as to receive terminal voltages of unit cells that the least significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first lithium battery module has; a higher side connector for the second lithium battery module disposed so as to receive terminal voltages of unit cells that the most significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the second lithium battery module has; and a lower side connector for the second lithium battery module disposed so as to receive terminal voltages of unit cells that the least significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the second lithium battery module has, each of the ICs comprises a plurality of voltage detection terminals for receiving terminal voltages of respective lithium unit cells that a corresponding lithium unit cell group has; and transmission and reception terminals for transmitting or receiving information, each of the ICs is mounted on the substrate in the order of from highest potential to lowest potential or from lowest potential to highest potential in accordance with the order of potential of a corresponding lithium unit cell group, and wherein terminal voltages of respective unit cells that respective unit cell groups of the most significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first or the second battery module have are respectively imposed on voltage detection terminals of corresponding each of the ICs via the higher side connector for the first battery module or the second battery module, terminal voltages of respective unit cells that respective unit cell groups of the least significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first or the second battery module have are respectively imposed on voltage detection terminals of corresponding each of the ICs via the lower side connector for the first battery module or the second battery module, an IC corresponding to the least significant unit cell group of the least significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the first lithium battery module which is connected to the second lithium battery module in series by the service disconnect switch and an IC corresponding to the most significant unit cell group of the most significant lithium unit cell group connection body in the second lithium battery module respectively transmit signals via a photo coupler to another controlling device which functions under vehicle body ground power.