Battery pack unit testing method and testing apparatus

• US 10,641,832 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Motoki
• Primary Examiner(s): Monsur, Nasima
• Application Number:
  US15/265,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20170074942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• Field of Search: 320103, 320112, 320134, 320150
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/385 Arrangements for measuring battery or accumulator variables for monitoring G01R31/382
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/396 Acquisition or processing of data for testing or for monitoring individual cells or groups of cells within a battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/486 for measuring temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6556 Solid parts with flow channel passages or pipes for heat exchange closed pipes H01M10/6552
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007188 the charge cycle being controlled or terminated in response to non-electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/007194 of the battery
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/04 Regulation of charging current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

An inventive testing method is intended for testing a battery pack unit including: a battery pack including a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other; and a duct assembly through which a coolant is supplied to the cells of the battery pack. The testing method includes: a) charging the battery pack under predetermined conditions while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly; b) acquiring temperature information on the cells at predetermined time intervals during step a); and c) determining whether a difference between the highest and lowest ones of the temperatures of the cells measured at substantially the same time is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference temperature difference on the basis of the temperature information acquired in step b).

Claims

1. A battery pack unit testing method for a battery pack unit, the battery pack unit comprising:

a battery pack including a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other;

a plurality of thermometers, wherein each one of the thermometers is attached to each one of the plurality of cells of the battery pack, respectively; and

a duct assembly through which a coolant is supplied to the cells of the battery pack,

the battery pack unit testing method comprising;

a) charging the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly at a time between completion of assembly of the battery pack unit and shipment of the battery pack unit;

b) acquiring, by the thermometers, temperature information of each of the cells at predetermined time intervals during charging of the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly;

c1) amongst all of the cells of the battery pack, determining a highest temperature information and a lowest temperature information measured at the same time on the basis of the temperature information acquired during charging of the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly;

c2) calculating a difference between the highest temperature information and the lowest temperature information amongst all of the cells;

c3) determining whether the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference temperature difference; and

c4) based upon the difference being equal to or greater than the predetermined reference temperature difference, determining that the duct assembly has a malfunction.

2. The battery pack unit testing method according to claim 1, wherein

step a) involves starting the charging of the battery pack after starting supplying the coolant to the duct assembly.

3. The battery pack unit testing method according to claim 1, wherein

the charging of the battery pack in step a) is initial charging of the battery pack.

4. The battery pack unit testing method according to claim 1, wherein

the reference temperature difference in step c3) is between 1.7°

C. and 2.3°

C. inclusive.

5. The battery pack unit testing method according to claim 1, further comprising d) detecting an abnormality in the battery pack on the basis of charging-dependent information on the cells of the battery pack other than the temperature information on the cells of the battery pack.

6. The battery pack unit testing method according to claim 1, wherein

the cells of the battery pack unit are nickel-metal hydride secondary cells.

7. A battery pack unit testing method for a battery pack unit,

the battery pack unit comprising:

a battery pack including a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other,

a plurality of thermometers, wherein each one of the thermometers is attached to each one of the plurality of cells of the battery pack, respectively; and

a duct assembly through which a coolant is supplied to the cells of the battery pack; and

a coolant supply device to supply the coolant to the duct assembly,

the battery pack unit testing method comprising;

a) charging the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly from the coolant supply device at a time between completion of assembly of the battery pack unit and shipment of the battery pack unit;

b) acquiring, by the thermometers, temperature information of each of the cells at predetermined time intervals during charging of the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly;

c1) amongst all of the cells of the battery pack, determining a highest temperature information and a lowest temperature information measured at the same time on the basis of the temperature information acquired during charging of the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly;

c2) calculating a difference between the highest temperature information and the lowest temperature information amongst all of the cells; and

c3) determining whether the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference temperature difference; and

c4) based upon the difference being equal to or greater than the predetermined reference temperature difference, determining that the coolant supply device or the duct assembly has a malfunction.

8. A battery pack unit testing apparatus for a battery pack unit, wherein the battery pack unit comprises:

a battery pack including a plurality of cells electrically connected to each other; and

a duct assembly through which a coolant is supplied to the cells of the battery pack, wherein the battery pack unit testing apparatus comprises;

a plurality of thermometers, wherein each one of the thermometers is attached to each one of the cells of the battery pack, respectively;

a battery charger connected to the battery pack; and

an abnormality detector,

the abnormality detector including;

a first processor to cause the battery charger to charge the battery pack, while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly at a time between completion of assembly of the battery pack unit and shipment of the battery pack, unit;

a second processor to acquire temperature information on the cells from the thermometers at predetermined time intervals during the charging and coolant supplying process performed by the first processor; and

a third processor configured to;

amongst all of the cells of the battery pack, determine a highest temperature information and a lowest temperature information measured at the same time on the basis of the temperature information acquired during charging of the battery pack while supplying the coolant to the duct assembly;

calculate a difference between the highest temperature information and the lowest temperature information amongst all of the cells;

determine whether the difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference temperature difference; and

based upon the difference being equal to or greater than the predetermined reference temperature difference, determine that the duct assembly has a malfunction.