Cell evaluation device

• US 20050253591A1
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishino, Hajime, Shimada, Mikinari, Kasamatsu, Shinji
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/432
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A cell evaluation device has a short circuit detection portion to detect an internal short circuit within a test cell that has been subjected to nail penetration or crushing using the pressure from a pressurization portion, a pressure control portion to halt the operation of the pressurization portion on detection of a short circuit, and a cell information detection portion to collect and record cell information such as the cell temperature. By using such a cell evaluation device, the location of an internal short circuit during an abuse test is specified, and variations in the cell temperature increase accompanying the internal short circuit is minimized.

Claims

1. A cell evaluation device for evaluating the safety of a cell based on a state of a test cell when pressurization means is used to forcibly generate an internal short circuit within the test cell, comprising:

short circuit detection means for detecting the occurrence of an internal short circuit within the test cell;

pressure control means for controlling the pressurization operation of the pressurization means once the short circuit detection means has detected an internal short circuit; and

cell information detection means for detecting the state of the test cell.

3. The cell evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein

the short circuit detection means detects an internal short circuit based on voltage variations across a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the test cell.

4. The cell evaluation device according to claim 1, wherein

the cell information detection means detects a cell temperature, a cell voltage, and a cell internal pressure.

2. A cell evaluation device for evaluating the safety of a cell based on a state of a test cell when pressurization means is used to forcibly generate an internal short circuit within the test cell, comprising:

short circuit detection means for detecting the occurrence of an internal short circuit within the test cell;

pressure control means for controlling the pressurization operation of the pressurization means once the short circuit detection means has detected an internal short circuit;

cell information detection means for detecting the state of the test cell; and

short circuit current control means for controlling the current flowing through the test cell in the charge direction or the discharge direction once the short circuit detection means has detected an internal short circuit.

5. The cell evaluation device according to claim 2, wherein

the cell information detection means detects a cell temperature, a cell voltage, a cell internal pressure, and a control current of the short circuit current control means.

6. The cell evaluation device according to claim 2, wherein

the short circuit current control means causes a current flow from a direct current source through the test cell in a charge direction once the short circuit detection means has detected an internal short circuit.

7. The cell evaluation device according to claim 2, wherein

the short circuit current control means connects a load to the test cell and causes a current flow in a discharge direction once the short circuit detection means has detected an internal short circuit.

8. The cell evaluation device according to claim 2, wherein

the short circuit detection means detects an internal short circuit based on voltage variations across a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the test cell.