SECONDARY CELL REPLACING METHOD

• US 20100052616A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Yoshiyuki, Tojima, Kazuo, Otsubo, Koji, Takada, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,998,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/130
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/345 Gastight metal hydride accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/425 Structural combination with electronic components, e.g. electronic circuits integrated to the outside of the casing printed circuits H05K1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

In a pre-replacement process, a replacement battery module is provided with a memory effect before being dispatched, by performing at least one of the process of performing a cyclic charge/discharge operation on the replacement battery module while limiting the width of SOC change to an intermediate range, and the process of setting an initial SOC and then letting the replacement battery module stand for a predetermined time in an environment of temperature above normal temperature. This pre-replacement process substantially eliminates the difference between the voltage characteristic of the replacement battery module yet to be used and the voltage characteristic of a battery module having a history of use, thereby achieving a uniform voltage characteristic of a battery pack as a whole.

Claims

1. A method for replacing a secondary battery module within a secondary battery pack containing a plurality of secondary battery modules, which are electrically connected in series or parallel, and in each of which memory effect occurs, comprising:

preparing a replacement secondary battery module;

performing a cyclic charge/discharge operation so as to impart a memory effect to the replacement secondary battery module; and

replacing the secondary battery module within the battery pack, with the replacement secondary cell to which the memory effect is imparted.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the cyclic charge/discharge operation is performed in such a manner that a width of a cyclic charge/discharge is within an intermediate range of a capacity of the replacement secondary module.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein

the intermediate range is a range of 20% to 80% of the capacity of the replacement secondary module.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising

setting an initial amount of charge of the secondary battery module to at least 40% and then letting the secondary cell stand for at least two weeks while keeping a temperature of the cell at a temperature of 25°

C. to 45°

C. so as to provide the secondary battery module with the memory effect.