Secondary battery reuse method, vehicle drive power source, and vehicle

• US 9,406,982 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2012
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Obata, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Alejandro, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US14/360,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150093611A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/54 Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/84 Recycling of batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49004 including measuring or testing of device or component part

Abstract

Secondary battery reuse method in which, when used secondary battery packs G and A in a lithium secondary battery have become unusable, the resistances and capacities of a plurality of secondary battery stacks constituting the secondary battery pack G are measured and a reusable secondary battery stack is selected and separated therefrom by comparing these measured resistances and capacities with a resistance threshold value H and a capacity threshold value I, respectively. In addition, a new secondary battery pack is rebuilt (constructed) by combining the secondary battery stack with a secondary battery stack that has been determined to be reusable in the secondary battery pack A in the same manner as in the secondary battery pack G.

Claims

1. A secondary battery reuse method for a secondary battery including a secondary battery pack having a plurality of modules, each module being formed of a secondary battery cell or a secondary battery stack containing a plurality of secondary battery cells, the method comprising:

measuring a resistance and a capacity of each module;

comparing the measured resistance of each module with a preset first threshold value;

comparing the measured capacity of each module with a preset second threshold value;

determining a module to be a reusable module when its measured resistance is less than or equal to the first threshold value and its measured capacity is greater than or equal to the second threshold value;

determining a module to be a non-reusable module when its measured resistance is larger than the first threshold value or its measured capacity is less than the second threshold value; and

constructing a new secondary battery pack by combining the reusable module with an unused module or a module equivalent to the unused module, and placing a secondary battery provided with this new secondary battery pack in use,

wherein the first threshold value and the second threshold value are set using as a condition that a degree of deterioration in the resistance and a degree of deterioration in the capacity of a module in a secondary battery pack in a used secondary battery are respectively equal to a degree of deterioration in the resistance and a degree of deterioration in the capacity of a module in a secondary battery pack prior to use.

2. The secondary battery reuse method according to claim 1, wherein the new secondary battery pack is constructed by combining the unused module, or the module equivalent to the unused module, with a module in a used first secondary battery pack determined to be reusable.

3. The secondary battery reuse method according to claim 1, wherein the new secondary battery pack is constructed by exchanging a module determined to be reusable in a used first secondary battery pack, with a module in a used second secondary battery pack that is different from the first secondary battery pack determined to be non-reusable.

4. The secondary battery reuse method according to claim 1, wherein the new secondary battery pack is constructed by combining the unused module with a module in a used first secondary battery pack determined to be reusable.

5. The secondary battery reuse method according to claim 1, wherein the module in the secondary battery pack is provided with an electrode assembly that has a positive electrode containing a positive electrode active material, a negative electrode containing a negative electrode active material, and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution containing a lithium salt in a non-aqueous solvent, and

the secondary battery pack is used as a vehicle drive power source mounted in a vehicle.

6. A vehicle drive power source comprising:

a secondary battery that is mounted in a vehicle and that has the new secondary battery pack constructed by the secondary battery reuse method according claim 1.

7. A vehicle co p swag:

the vehicle drive power source according to claim 6.

8. The vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising:

a control unit that controls an operation of a secondary battery pack having a plurality of modules, each module being formed of a secondary battery cell or a secondary battery stack containing a plurality of secondary battery cells, wherein

the control unit controls an operation of the new secondary battery pack based on use history and/or battery characteristics of the reusable module.