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

• US 7,235,326 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2005
• Issued: 06/26/2007
• 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:
  US11/131,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20050214633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 320/132, 429/21, 429/27, 429/67, 429/69, 429/49
• US Class Current: 429/49
• 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 reducing treatment of the negative electrode of which the battery capacity decreases slightly and the internal resistance increases slightly, does not affect the battery performance. Accordingly, by merely supplementing the electrolyte, the battery performance can be recovered. On the other hand, when the level of the degradation of the negative electrode is high, the negative electrode is detached from the battery and is subjected to the reducing treatment so that the negative electrode can be reduced sufficiently without reducing the positive electrode. Consequently, the performance of the negative electrode can be recovered, whereby the battery performance is recovered.

Claims

1. A method for regenerating a secondary battery, comprising the steps of:

only supplementing an electrolyte when the level of the degradation of a negative electrode is low, and

removing said negative electrode from a battery container and subjecting said negative electrode to a reducing treatment when the level of the degradation of said negative electrode is high, wherein a negative electrode active material is mechanically separated from said negative electrode in a nonoxidized liquid, and is subjected to a reducing treatment.

2. A method for regenerating a secondary battery, comprising the steps of:

only supplementing an electrolyte by determining that the level of the degradation of a negative electrode is low when the average thickness of an oxidized layer which is formed on the surface of an active material of said negative electrode is less than the predetermined standard, and

removing said negative electrode from a battery container and subjecting said negative electrode to a reducing treatment by determining that the level of the degradation of said negative electrode is high when the average thickness of said oxidized layer is more than a predetermined standard.

3. A method for regenerating a secondary battery, comprising the steps of:

only supplementing an electrolyte by determining that the level of the degradation of a negative electrode is low when the average thickness of an oxidized layer which is formed on the surface of an active material of said negative electrode is less than the predetermined standard, and

removing said negative electrode from a battery container and subjecting said negative electrode to a reducing treatment by determining that the level of the degradation of said negative electrode is high when the average thickness of said oxidized layer is more than a predetermined standard, wherein a negative electrode active material is mechanically separated from said negative electrode in a nonoxidized liquid, and is subjected to a reducing treatment.