Abstract: A power source system capable of temporarily increasing the power supply capacity of a power accumulator when an interruptible power source is stopped. Upon receiving stop information of the interruptible power source from an integrated control ECU, a controller reduces an operable voltage that is determined as an output voltage for ending discharge of the power accumulator, outputs the reduced operable voltage from a communication part to the integrated control ECU. The integrated control ECU controls a charge/discharge control device based on the reduced operable voltage, and increases the power supply capacity of the power accumulator.

Abstract: A battery pack is provided which includes: a battery set having a plurality of secondary-battery cells connected in series and in parallel; and a battery-abnormality detection circuit. The battery-abnormality detection circuit controls a battery-set circuit separation switch, so as to detect an abnormality in each secondary-battery cell based on a change in the voltage of each cell when parallel-connection separation switches are turned off, and if detecting an abnormal secondary-battery cell, so as to separate the series module including this cell from a battery-set body.

Abstract: A positive side main contactor serving as a contact switching device on the positive side, which is connected between a positive electrode terminal of a battery pack and a high potential input terminal of an inverter, and a negative side main contactor serving as a contact switching device on the negative side, which is connected between a negative electrode terminal of the battery pack and a low potential input terminal of the inverter, are arranged so that moving contacts of these are moved forward and backward in directions that are different from each other, e.g. by 90 degrees. Thus, a situation in which the two main contactors are simultaneously turned ON upon external impact can be avoided, and consequently, it is possible to achieve the same impact resistance as was previously possible with a smaller spring force than was previously required.

Abstract: When a power switch portion 10 is in an open state and a charge/discharge path of the secondary battery 100 is in a disconnected state, an electromotive force calculation portion 109 calculates a battery electromotive force Veq by subtracting a polarized voltage Vpol stored in a polarized voltage storage portion 113 from an open-circuit voltage OCV measured by a voltage measurement portion 102. Based on the electromotive force, a state-of-charge estimation portion 110 estimates a state of charge SOC. Thus, a polarized voltage to be considered for the estimation of SOC can be limited. The state of charge (SOC) of a secondary battery can be estimated with high accuracy and quickly.

Abstract: A battery pack (2) has a cooling medium passage through which a cooling medium for cooling a rechargeable battery (1) contained in the battery pack flow inside the pack. Oscillating energy generated by a device to which the battery pack is installed is used as a force for making the cooling medium flow. As a result, electric power is not consumed for cooling and accordingly all the electric power can be used for driving the device. Thus, it is possible to drive the device for a longer period of time.

Abstract: A battery module is constructed of an integral battery case which is constituted by forming a plurality of prismatic cell cases into a unitized body, wherein positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates laminated alternately upon one another with intervening separators are respectively accommodated in each of the cell cases, thereby constituting a plurality of cells, these cells being electrically connected in series. A plurality of such battery modules are arranged in a direction in which the electrode plates within each cell are laminated in a condition with coolant passages formed between the battery modules, and bound tightly together with end plates arranged at both ends in the direction of adjacent arrangement of the battery modules.

Abstract: A battery pack includes: a secondary battery; a positive electrode terminal for connecting a positive electrode of the secondary battery to an external electric device; a negative electrode terminal for connecting a negative electrode of the secondary battery to the electric device; a communicator for communicating with the electric device; a communication terminal adapted to be used in connecting the communicator to the electric device to send a signal for the communication; and an electric power receiving terminal for receiving an electric power from the electric device to operate the communicator, wherein the communicator is operated by the electric power received by the electric power receiving terminal.

Abstract: A hybrid power supply unit, comprises a high-capacity nonaqueous electrolyte battery group and a high-power nonaqueous electrolyte battery group different in discharge characteristics connected to each other in parallel. The high-capacity nonaqueous electrolyte battery group has a 0.2 C discharge capacity per cell greater than that of the high-power nonaqueous electrolyte battery group, and the high-power nonaqueous electrolyte battery group has a rate of 5 C discharge capacity per cell to 0.2 C discharge capacity per cell (5 C discharge capacity/0.2 C discharge capacity) greater than that of the high-capacity nonaqueous electrolyte battery group.

Abstract: A battery pack is provided which includes: a battery set having a plurality of secondary-battery cells connected in series and in parallel; and a battery-abnormality detection circuit. The battery-abnormality detection circuit controls a battery-set circuit separation switch, so as to detect an abnormality in each secondary-battery cell based on a change in the voltage of each cell when parallel-connection separation switches are turned off, and if detecting an abnormal secondary-battery cell, so as to separate the series module including this cell from a battery-set body.

Abstract: In the process of forming a through-hole or blind-hole at desired positions of a the substrate material, the present invention sets a drilling target position for each hole and a plurality of auxiliary drilling positions at a periphery of the drilling target position, and performs a plurality of drillings at the drilling target position and the plurality of auxiliary drilling positions. In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of drillings are performed only at the auxiliary drilling positions per one hole at the desired position. According to the present invention, through-holes or blind-holes having several sizes of diameters can be formed by using one drilling jig under a single drilling condition. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently produce circuit boards at low costs.

Abstract: A battery pack is provided which includes: a state detection section which decides whether secondary batteries are in an electricity-charged state or in an electricity-discharging state; a power decision section which decides whether the secondary batteries are in a power-on state or in a power-off state; and a residual-capacity calculation section which, if the state detection section decides that they are in the electricity-charged state, calculates the residual capacity of the secondary batteries by accumulating a current value detected by a current sensor, and if the state detection section decides that they are in the electricity-discharging state, calculates the residual capacity of the secondary batteries by acquiring the voltage of the secondary batteries when the power decision section decides that they are in the power-off state.

Abstract: A positive side main contactor serving as a contact switching device on the positive side, which is connected between a positive electrode terminal of a battery pack and a high potential input terminal of an inverter, and a negative side main contactor serving as a contact switching device on the negative side, which is connected between a negative electrode terminal of the battery pack and a low potential input terminal of the inverter, are arranged so that moving contacts of these are moved forward and backward in directions that are different from each other, e.g. by 90 degrees. Thus, a situation in which the two main contactors are simultaneously turned ON upon external impact can be avoided, and consequently, it is possible to achieve the same impact resistance as was previously possible with a smaller spring force than was previously required.

Abstract: A battery pack system is provided that can be replaced easily without modifying the side of an appliance using this battery pack system, on which charging is controlled by a voltage control, and includes a secondary battery with high performance that undergoes charging by a current control. A battery pack system is provided with a battery including at least one unit cell serving as a secondary battery with a positive electrode containing a nickel oxide as an active material, a detecting portion for detecting a battery state including a charging state in the battery, and a current adjusting portion, that is connected in series with the battery, for adjusting a charging current value according to the charging state detected by the detecting portion.

Abstract: A method for recycling a battery pack is provided that enables a degraded battery pack to be replaced at a low cost while maintaining the advantages of a conventional sealed-type nickel-metal hydride secondary battery as being free from maintenance or leak of an electrolyte. The battery pack accommodates a battery module having a plurality of cells, which are a sealed-type nickel-metal hydride secondary battery, combined with each other. When the battery pack is judged as being degraded in a market, the battery pack is collected from the market as a battery to be replaced; a cell or battery module judged as being degraded is renewed by adding an electrolyte thereto; the battery module is installed in the battery pack again; and the battery pack is supplied as a replacement battery.

Abstract: When a power switch portion 10 is in an open state and a charge/discharge path of the secondary battery 100 is in a disconnected state, an electromotive force calculation portion 109 calculates a battery electromotive force Veq by subtracting a polarized voltage Vpol stored in a polarized voltage storage portion 113 from an open-circuit voltage OCV measured by a voltage measurement portion 102. Based on the electromotive force, a state-of-charge estimation portion 110 estimates a state of charge SOC. Thus, a polarized voltage to be considered for the estimation of SOC can be limited. The state of charge (SOC) of a secondary battery can be estimated with high accuracy and quickly.

Abstract: A method for activating a secondary battery is provided that enables sufficient activation of a secondary battery in a short time. A secondary battery is activated with a varying current, e.g., pulse current, in which current values in a charge direction and a discharge direction are repeated alternately in a cycle ranging from 1 to 30 seconds.

Abstract: A method of detecting and resolving a memory effect capable of detecting the memory effect with ease and with high precision and resolving even when the vehicle is in motion is provided. A current in a secondary battery is detected, a variation &Dgr;SOC in a residual battery capacity for a predetermined time period is calculated according to at least current integration by multiplying the detected current by a predetermined charge efficiency (S302), a temperature of the secondary battery is detected and a variation &Dgr;V in a no-load voltage for the predetermined time period is calculated based on the detected current, and an internal resistance corresponding to the detected temperature and the SOC is calculated (S303). A ratio k of the variation in the no-load voltage to the variation in the residual battery capacity is calculated (S304).

Abstract: A method for controlling a residual battery capacity of a secondary battery, by which the precision of the energy management of the system can be improved substantially, is provided. A current flowing through the battery is detected and the detected current is multiplied by a predetermined charge efficiency so that an operation on a residual battery capacity is performed at least by current integration (S201), an output voltage from the battery is detected and an average of the output voltages detected for a predetermined time period is calculated (S202), an average of the residual battery capacities obtained by the operation for a predetermined time period is calculated (S203), a reference voltage corresponding to the calculated average of residual battery capacities is referred to (S204), the reference voltage and the average voltage is compared (S205), and the predetermined charge efficiency is set variably based on a result of the comparison (S206).

Abstract: A battery module is constructed of an integral battery case which is constituted by forming a plurality of prismatic cell cases into a unitized body, wherein positive electrode plates and negative electrode plates laminated alternately upon one another with intervening separators are respectively accommodated in each of the cell cases, thereby constituting a plurality of cells, these cells being electrically connected in series. A plurality of such battery modules are arranged in a direction in which the electrode plates within each cell are laminated in a condition with coolant passages formed between the battery modules, and bound tightly together with end plates arranged at both ends in the direction of adjacent arrangement of the battery modules.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of replacing secondary batteries. In the method, batteries can be replaced at a low cost and performance of an overall battery assembly can be maximized after the battery replacement. The battery assembly is composed by electrically connecting a plurality of secondary batteries in series or in parallel. When a portion of the secondary batteries is judged as defective, the defective batteries are replaced by replacement batteries. In an aspect of the method, voltage is detected for every predetermined voltage detection block unit concerning secondary batteries composing the battery assembly in order to judge defects of the secondary batteries in the voltage detection block unit. Batteries in a voltage detection block unit will be replaced with replacement batteries if they are judged as defective.