RECONSTRUCTED BATTERY PACK APPLICABILITY DETERMINATION METHOD FOR USED SECONDARY BATTERY, AND RECONSTRUCTION METHOD FOR RECONSTRUCTED BATTERY PACK

• US 20150338471A1
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Koichi, Takahashi, Yasuhiro, Mitsui, Masahiko
• Application Number:
  US14/694,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20150338471A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3647 for determining the ability of a battery to perform a critical function, e.g. cranking
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/367 Software therefor, e.g. for battery testing using modelling or look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/482 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A determination method for a used secondary battery is provided. The determination method includes: comparing an alternating-current internal resistance threshold with an alternating-current internal resistance value; and determining whether a first secondary battery is allowed to be applied to a reconstructed battery pack. The alternating-current internal resistance value is acquired by applying an alternating-current signal having a predetermined frequency to the first secondary battery. The first secondary battery is the used secondary battery intended for determination. The alternating-current internal resistance threshold is a value corresponding to a liquid retention amount threshold of the separator of the first secondary battery. The liquid retention amount threshold is a liquid retention amount of a separator of a second secondary battery. The second secondary battery is the same type as the used secondary battery intended for determination. The reconstructed battery pack is formed of a plurality of the used secondary batteries.

Claims

1. A determination method for a used secondary battery by a computer, the used secondary battery including a separator, the determination method comprising:

comparing, by the computer, an alternating-current internal resistance threshold with an alternating-current internal resistance value, the alternating-current internal resistance value being acquired by applying an alternating-current signal having a predetermined frequency to a first secondary battery, the first secondary battery being the used secondary battery intended for determination, the alternating-current internal resistance threshold being a value corresponding to a liquid retention amount threshold of the separator of the first secondary battery, the liquid retention amount threshold being a liquid retention amount of a separator of a second secondary battery, the second secondary battery being a secondary battery of the same type as the used secondary battery intended for determination, the liquid retention amount threshold being a preset value; and

determining, by the computer, whether the first secondary battery is allowed to be applied to a reconstructed battery pack, the reconstructed battery pack being a battery pack formed of a plurality of used secondary batteries.

2. The determination method according to claim 1, wherein

the liquid retention amount threshold is a value that is set on the basis of a rate of decrease in the liquid retention amount, and

the liquid retention amount threshold is set as the liquid retention amount at a time point a predetermined degradation guarantee period before from the liquid retention amount at a time point at which the second secondary battery is determined to degrade, and the degradation guarantee period is a period during which a usable state of the second secondary battery is guaranteed.

3. The determination method according to claim 1, wherein

the alternating-current internal resistance value is a value that is set in a state where an alternating-current internal resistance value corresponding to the liquid retention amount threshold is set as the alternating-current internal resistance threshold, and

the liquid retention amount threshold is a value that is set by obtaining in advance a correlation between the liquid retention amount and the alternating-current internal resistance value for the second secondary battery.

4. The determination method according to claim 1, wherein the alternating-current internal resistance value is acquired from a voltage response of the first secondary battery through application of the alternating-current signal to the first secondary battery, the alternating-current signal is an alternating-current signal having a frequency at which a degree of correlation between the liquid retention amount and the alternating-current internal resistance value for the second secondary battery is larger than or equal to a preset value.

5. A reconstruction method for a reconstructed battery pack, the reconstruction method comprising:

carrying out the determination method according to claim 1 on a used secondary battery; and

reconstructing a battery pack from a plurality of the first secondary batteries that have been determined to be allowed to be applied to the reconstructed battery pack.

6. A reconstruction method for a reconstructed battery pack, the reconstructed battery pack being a battery pack that is reconstructed of predetermined used secondary batteries, each of the predetermined used secondary batteries being a used secondary battery that allows a guarantee against degradation, the secondary battery that allows a guarantee against degradation being selected from among a plurality of used secondary batteries that constitute a used battery pack by determining by a computer whether the used secondary battery is a secondary battery that allows a guarantee against degradation, the reconstruction method comprising:

(a) setting, by the computer, an alternating-current internal resistance value corresponding to a liquid retention amount threshold of a first secondary battery as an alternating-current internal resistance threshold, the first secondary battery being the used secondary battery intended for determination, the liquid retention amount threshold being a value that is set on the basis of a rate of decrease in the liquid retention amount, the liquid retention amount threshold being set as the liquid retention amount at a time point a predetermined degradation guarantee period before from the liquid retention amount at a time point at which the second secondary battery is determined to degrade, the second secondary battery being a secondary battery of the same type as the used secondary battery intended for determination, the liquid retention amount being a liquid retention amount of a separator of the second secondary battery, the degradation guarantee period being a period during which a usable state of the second secondary battery is guaranteed;

(b) selecting, by the computer, the used secondary battery, of which the alternating-current internal resistance value is smaller than the alternating-current internal resistance threshold, as the used secondary battery that allows a guarantee against degradation, the alternating-current internal resistance value being the alternating-current internal resistance value of the first secondary battery; and

(c) reconstructing a battery pack by using the selected used secondary batteries.

7. The reconstruction method according to claim 6, wherein

the alternating-current internal resistance value is acquired for each of the plurality of used secondary batteries intended for determination,

the computer determines the used secondary battery, of which the alternating-current internal resistance value is smaller than the alternating-current internal resistance threshold, as a primary good product out of all the first secondary batteries, and

the computer determines the used secondary battery, of which the alternating-current internal resistance value before being used for a reconstructed battery pack is smaller than the alternating-current internal resistance threshold, as a secondary good product out of the used secondary battery determined as the primary good product, the secondary good product is a secondary battery that is usable for a reconstructed battery pack out of the primary good product.

8. The reconstruction method according to claim 7, wherein determination as to whether the primary good product is usable as the secondary good product includes determination as to whether overall specifications determined in advance to apply the used secondary battery to the reconstructed battery pack are satisfied.