Secondary battery replacement method

• US 7,626,364 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2003
• Issued: 12/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yasuhiro, Okumura, Motoyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tso; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boateng; Alexis
• Application Number:
  US10/536,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20060012330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,192 Days
• Field of Search: 327/426, 429/52, 320/116
• US Class Current: 320/137
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• 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 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0024 Parallel/serial switching of connection of batteries to charge or load circuit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

A replacement method is provided for replacing a to-be-replaced battery module with a replacing fresh battery module in a battery assembly formed by electrically connecting a plurality of battery modules in series or parallel. The method includes the step (S110) of charging the fresh battery module so that the quantity of charged electricity of the fresh battery module is 5 to 20% less than the quantity of charged electricity of a battery module other than the to-be-replaced battery module, and the step (S120) of replacing the to-be-replaced battery module with the charged fresh battery module.

Claims

1. A secondary battery replacement method for replacing a to-be-replaced secondary battery with a fresh secondary battery in a battery assembly formed by electrically connecting a plurality of secondary batteries in series or parallel, comprising the steps of:

purposely charging the fresh secondary battery so that a quantity of charged electricity of the fresh secondary battery differs from a quantity of charged electricity of not-replaced batteries present in the battery assembly, wherein the quantity of charged electricity of the fresh secondary battery is 5 to 20% less than the quantity of any charged electricity of not-replaced batteries present in the battery assembly; and

replacing the to-be-replaced secondary battery with the fresh secondary battery charged in the charging step.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the to-be-replaced secondary battery is a secondary battery having a reduced full-charged capacity or a secondary battery possessing a memory effect.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the replacing step includes the step of incorporating the charged fresh secondary battery into a portion of the battery assembly where temperature is high.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery is a nickel-metal hydride battery.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting the fresh secondary battery in a location in the battery assembly where temperature becomes highest, wherein the location in the battery assembly where temperature becomes highest is the location a battery module farthest away from the cooling air flow.

5. A secondary battery replacement method comprising:

selecting a secondary battery as a to-be-replaced secondary battery in a battery assembly formed by electrically connecting a plurality of secondary batteries in series or parallel;

purposely charging the fresh secondary battery so that a quantity of charged electricity of the fresh secondary battery differs from a quantity of charged electricity of each not-replaced battery present in the battery assembly, wherein the quantity of charged electricity of the fresh secondary battery is 5 to 20% less than the quantity of charged electricity of any not-replaced battery present in the battery assembly; and

replacing the to-be-replaced secondary battery with the fresh secondary battery charged in the charging step.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

inserting the fresh secondary battery in a location in the battery assembly where temperature becomes highest, wherein the location in the battery assembly where temperature becomes highest is the location a battery module farthest away from the cooling air flow.