Method and device for judging the condition of secondary batteries and method for regenerating secondary batteries

• US 6,924,623 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2002
• Issued: 08/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Takashi, Nakamura, Kenji, Minohara, Taketoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/161,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20030062875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 320/134, 320/136, 324/426, 324/427
• US Class Current: 320/132
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/389 Measuring internal impedance, internal conductance or related variables
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4242 Regeneration of electrolyte or reactants
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

The internal resistance related value which is related to the internal resistance of a secondary battery is compared with a previously obtained relation between the internal resistance related value and battery condition to judge the battery condition of the secondary battery. Since the internal resistance related value is a value related to the internal resistance which closely depends on the battery condition, the battery condition can be judged in detail based on the above relation. And the internal resistance related value can be obtained more speedily with a predetermined method. On the other hand, when the level of the degradation of a negative electrode is low, an electrolyte is supplemented, and when the level of the degradation of the negative electrode is high, a reducing agent is added to the electrolyte to regenerate the secondary battery. With this regenerating method, the performance of the negative electrode can be recovered without degrading a positive electrode.

Claims

1. A method for judging the condition of a secondary battery, characterized in that the method comprises the steps of obtaining a first resistance component mainly composed of a ion conduction resistance of an electrolyte, and a second resistance component mainly composed of a reaction resistance of electrodes respectively by a predetermined method as the internal resistance related values which are related to the internal resistance of the secondary battery, and obtaining a resistance component ratio showing the ratio of the first resistance component and second resistance component, and comparing said resistance component ratio with a previously obtained relation between the resistance component ratio and the battery condition to judge the condition of the secondary battery.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said resistance component ratio is calculated by the formula of arctan (second resistance component/first resistance component).

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said degraded condition is divided into a first degraded condition which is mainly caused by an increase of an ion conduction resistance, a second degraded condition which is mainly caused by an increase of both the ion condition resistance and an increase of a reaction resistance, and a third degraded condition which is mainly caused by an excessive increase of the reaction resistance when the secondary battery is judged to be in the degraded condition, a first border value as a border value between said first degraded condition and second degraded condition relative to said previously obtained resistance component ratio, and a second border value as a border value between said second degraded condition and third degraded condition relative to said previously obtained resistance component ratio are respectively obtained, the resistance component ratio obtained in the secondary battery is compared with said first border value and second border value to judge whether the secondary battery is in said first degraded condition, second degraded condition or third degraded condition.

4. A method for regenerating a secondary battery, characterized in that the condition of the secondary battery is judged with the method of claim 3, and when the secondary battery is judged to be in the first degraded condition, an electrolyte is only supplied, and when the secondary battery is judged to be in the second degraded condition, a reducing agent is added to the electrolyte.

5. A method for regenerating a secondary battery, characterized in that the condition of the secondary battery is judged with the method of claim 3, and when the secondary battery is judged to be in the first degraded condition, an electrolyte is only supplied, and when the secondary battery is judged to be in the second degraded condition, a negative electrode is taken from a battery container and is subjected to a reducing treatment.

6. A method for regenerating a secondary battery, characterized in that the condition of the secondary battery is judged with the method of claim 3, and when the secondary battery is judged to be in the first degraded condition, an electrolyte is only supplied, when the secondary battery is judged to be in the second degraded condition, a negative electrode is taken from a battery container and is subjected to a reducing treatment, and in said reducing treatment, a negative electrode active material is mechanically separated from said negative electrode in a non oxidized liquid and is subjected to the reducing treatment.