Method for recycling secondary battery

• US 7,119,517 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Aoki, Kenichi, Mikuriya, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): TIBBITS, PIA FLORENCE
• Application Number:
  US10/473,323
• Publication Number:
  US 20040113588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 320/109, 235/381, 700/231, 379/91.02, 379/143
• US Class Current: 320/109
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4257 Smart batteries, e.g. electronic circuits inside the housing of the cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells

Abstract

A method features the steps of determining whether a secondary battery collected from a user is reusable when being handed over again to the user after being recharged, by performing a simple inspection on a site where the battery is received and returned to the user. The battery is transferred to another site for additional detailed inspection to further examine whether the battery is reusable when the determination is such that quality up to the specified capacity is not assured if the battery is given back for further usage to the user only after recharging it. The processes described in the above method can ensure the user that the battery has a reusable quality to the specified capacity, while the battery can be given back quickly.

Claims

1. A method of recycling secondary batteries, said method comprising:

a first quality control process performed at a first site, said first quality control process including;

conducting a first inspection on the secondary batteries;

separating the secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on a result of said first inspection; and

classifying the separated secondary batteries into a first group and a second group according to said separating of the secondary batteries into the at least two quality levels;

a first reuse process performed on the first group of secondary batteries at the first site, said first reuse process including different ways of processing the first group of secondary batteries to make the first group of secondary batteries reusable according to a quality level of each of the secondary batteries of the first group;

a second quality control process performed at a second site, said second quality control process including;

conducting a second inspection on the second group of secondary batteries;

separating the second group of secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on a result of said second inspection; and

classifying the separated second group of secondary batteries into a third group and a fourth group according to said separating of the second group of secondary batteries into the at least two quality levels;

a second reuse process performed on the third group of secondary batteries at the second site, said second reuse process including different ways of processing the third group of secondary batteries to make the third group of secondary batteries reusable according to a quality level of each of the secondary batteries of the third group; and

a recycling process performed on the fourth group of secondary batteries at a third site, said recycling process including disassembling the fourth group of secondary batteries to collect useful materials.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first reuse process is comparatively simpler than said second reuse process.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said first inspection includes an open-circuit voltage check to measure an open-circuit voltage of each of the secondary batteries;

said separating is based on a result of said open-circuit voltage check; and

said first reuse process further includes charging of the first group of secondary batteries in a prescribed manner.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said first inspection further includes a closed-circuit voltage check to measure a closed-circuit voltage of each of the secondary batteries, and said separating is further based on a result of said closed-circuit voltage check.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said first quality control process comprises:

acquiring at least one of a first time period elapsed after each of the secondary batteries was transferred to a user and a second time period elapsed after each of the secondary batteries was manufactured; and

separating the secondary batteries based on the at least one of the first acquired time period and the second acquired time period.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said separating the secondary batteries based on the at least one of the first acquired time period and the second acquired time period comprises:

separating the secondary batteries into a portion having at least one of the first acquired time period and the second acquired time period at or above a predetermined level; and

transferring the portion of the secondary batteries to said recycling process without subjecting the portion of the secondary batteries to said first reuse process or said second reuse process.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first quality control process comprises:

acquiring a number of times each of the secondary batteries has undergone at least one of said first reuse process and said second reuse process; and

separating the secondary batteries based on the acquired number of times.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said separating of the secondary batteries based on the acquired number of times comprises:

separating the secondary batteries into a portion having the acquired number of times at or above a predetermined level; and

transferring the portion of the secondary batteries to said recycling process for disassembling and collecting useful materials without subjecting the portion of the secondary batteries to said first reuse process or said second reuse process.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said first quality control process comprises:

obtaining appearance data including information on an external appearance of the secondary batteries; and

separating the secondary batteries based on the appearance data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said second quality control process comprises:

conducting a charge capacity inspection for checking an electrical charge and discharge capacity of the second group of secondary batteries; and

classifying the second group of secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on a result of said charge capacity inspection.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said second reuse process includes an aging period after said charge capacity inspection.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said second quality control process comprises:

obtaining appearance data including information on an external appearance of the second group of secondary batteries; and

separating the second group of secondary batteries based on the appearance data; and

wherein said second reuse process comprises renewing the external appearance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said second inspection includes:

an open-circuit voltage check on the second group of secondary batteries; and

a closed-circuit voltage check on the second group of secondary batteries; and

wherein said separating the second group of secondary batteries comprises separating the second group of secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on results of said open-circuit voltage check and said closed-circuit voltage check.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said second quality control process comprises:

a short-circuit check for examining a short-circuit and a partial short-circuit potential of each of the second group of secondary batteries; and

a capacity check for examining if capacity of each of the second group of secondary batteries exceeds a predetermined level; and

wherein said separating comprises separating the second group of secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on results of said short-circuit check and said capacity check.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said first quality control process further includes receiving each of the secondary batteries from a user, said receiving includes:

a user identifier obtaining process for obtaining a user identifier of the secondary batteries;

a user authentication process for determining a legitimacy of the user according to the user identifier; and

advancing the secondary batteries to the first inspection only when the user is authenticated as legitimate based on the user identifier.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said receiving further includes:

a battery identifier obtaining process for obtaining a secondary battery identifier of each of the secondary batteries; and

a battery verification process for determining whether the secondary batteries are suitable for reuse based on the secondary battery identifier; and

advancing the secondary batteries to the first inspection only when the secondary batteries are verified suitable for reuse based on the secondary battery identifier.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said first reuse process further includes a wrapping process for wrapping the processed first group of secondary batteries before handing the processed first group of secondary batteries over to the user;

and

said receiving further includes examining a wrapping of the secondary batteries to determine whether the received secondary batteries are in an unused condition.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said wrapping process comprises covering at least one electrode of each of the processed first group of secondary batteries.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

an information obtaining process for obtaining at least one of a first inspection data representing a result of said first inspection, a first reuse data relating to said first reuse process, a second inspection data representing a result of said second inspection, and a second reuse data relating to said second reuse process; and

an information transmission process for transmitting the information obtained in said information obtaining process.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the secondary batteries has a rewritable storage medium;

said method further comprising;

an information obtaining process for obtaining at least one of a first inspection data representing a result of said first inspection, a first reuse data relating to said first reuse process, a second inspection data representing a result of said second inspection, and a second reuse data relating to said second reuse process; and

an information recording process for storing the information obtained in said information obtaining process in the rewritable storage medium.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the rewritable storage medium comprises a memory sheet having a display function.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising a recharging process for supplementary recharging the secondary batteries when the secondary batteries meet a predetermined condition after having undergone at least one of said first reuse process and said second reuse process.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the secondary batteries comprise nickel metal hydride storage batteries.

24. A system for recycling secondary batteries, said system comprising:

a first apparatus at a first site, said first apparatus including;

a battery identification unit for reading a secondary battery identifier and obtaining second battery information from the secondary batteries; and

a first processing unit for obtaining and transmitting;

user information;

the secondary battery information;

a result of a first inspection conducted on the secondary batteries at said first site, the first inspection including at least one of an open-circuit voltage check for measuring an open-circuit voltage of the secondary batteries and a closed-circuit voltage check for measuring a closed-circuit voltage of the secondary batteries; and

a result of a first reuse process;

a second apparatus at a second site, said second apparatus including a second processing unit for obtaining and transmitting;

a result of a second inspection conducted on a group of the secondary batteries transferred to said second site from said first site including an electrical charge capacity inspection, an open-circuit voltage check, and a closed-circuit voltage check; and

a result of a second reuse process conducted on at least a portion of the group of secondary batteries transferred to said second site from said first site; and

a server including;

an information receiving section for receiving information from said first apparatus and for receiving information from said second apparatus;

an information identification section for identifying the information received in said information receiving section;

an information recording section for recording the identified information in a user management table; and

an information storage section for storing said user management table and a secondary battery management table containing recorded data for the secondary batteries.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

said first apparatus further includes an inquiry data acquiring section for receiving an inquiry from a user; and

said server further includes;

a retrieving section for retrieving data related to the inquiry from the user; and

a retrieved result transmitter section for transmitting the information retrieved by said retrieving section to said first apparatus.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein said first apparatus is operable to acquire recharge information relating to recharge processing of the secondary batteries before the secondary batteries are handed over to the user, and is operable to transmit the user information and the secondary battery information to said server in connection with the recharge information.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein each of the secondary batteries has a rewritable storage medium, and said first apparatus is operable to acquire the user information and the secondary battery information from said storage medium.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein:

said system is operable to recycle AA-size nickel metal hydride secondary batteries, and

said server is operable to classify the secondary batteries in the first inspection by determining whether;

the open-circuit voltage is in a range of 1.0V to 1.4V;

or

the closed-circuit voltage is not less than 1.10V when the closed-circuit voltage is measured for a duration of 0.5 second in a circuit of 0.3Ω

resistance; and

said server is operable to classify the secondary batteries in the second inspection by determining whether;

the open-circuit voltage is in a range of 1.3V to 1.4V;

the closed-circuit voltage is not less than 1.10V when the closed-circuit voltage is measured for a duration of 0.5 second in a circuit of 0.3Ω

resistance.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said server is operable to store a user identifier, a secondary battery identifier, a first processed result, and a second processed result.

30. A method of recycling secondary batteries, said method comprising:

a determination process of verifying that the secondary batteries are suitable for reuse, said determination process includes contacting a server by referring to a secondary battery identifier of each of the secondary batteries;

a first quality control process including;

conducting a first inspection on the secondary batteries, said first inspection including one of an open-circuit voltage check and a closed-circuit voltage check;

separating the secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on a result of said first inspection; and

classifying the separated secondary batteries into a first group and a second group according to said separating of the secondary batteries into the at least two quality levels, said classifying comprising determining whether the open-circuit voltage is in a predetermined voltage range or whether the closed-circuit voltage is not less than a predetermined voltage;

a first reuse process performed on the first group of secondary batteries, said first reuse process including different ways of processing the first group of secondary batteries to make the first group of secondary batteries reusable according to a quality level of each of the secondary batteries of the first group, said first reuse process including a recharge processing of the first group of secondary batteries;

a second quality control process including;

conducting a second inspection on the second group of secondary batteries, said second inspection including;

an electrical charge capacity inspection;

an open-circuit voltage check; and

a closed-circuit voltage check;

separating the second group of secondary batteries into at least two quality levels based on a result of said second inspection; and

classifying the separated second group of secondary batteries into a third group and a fourth group according to said separating of the second group of secondary batteries into the at least two quality levels, said classifying comprising determining whether the open-circuit voltage is in a predetermined voltage range and whether the closed-circuit voltage is not less than a predetermined voltage;

a second reuse process performed on the third group of secondary batteries, said second reuse process including different ways of processing the third group of secondary batteries to make the third group of secondary batteries reusable according to a quality level of each of the secondary batteries of the third group, said second reuse process including a recharge processing and aging of the third group of secondary batteries.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein:

the secondary batteries are each an AA-size nickel metal hydride battery;

said first inspection includes said open-circuit voltage check of the secondary batteries;

said classifying comprises determining whether the open-circuit voltage is in a range of 1.0V and 1.4V; and

said first reuse process comprises recharging the first group of secondary batteries.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein:

the secondary batteries are each a nickel metal hydride battery;

said first inspection includes said closed-circuit voltage check of the secondary batteries;

said classifying comprises determining whether the closed-circuit voltage is not less than a predetermined voltage in a range of 1.0V to 1.4V; and

said first reuse process comprises recharging the first group of secondary batteries.