Analysis apparatus and analysis method

• US 9,638,729 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2013
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lasertec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lasertec Corporation
• Inventors: Maekawa, Hiroyuki, Nishimura, Yoshihiro, Morishita, Seiji, Yamaoka, Hisahiro, Hirakawa, Takumi, Yonezawa, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Satanovsky, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/076,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136132A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 21/006 Measuring power factor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/387 Determining ampere-hour charge capacity or SoC
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/052 Li-accumulators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/054 Accumulators with insertion or intercalation of metals other than lithium, e.g. with magnesium or aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/488 Cells or batteries combined with indicating means for external visualization of the condition, e.g. by change of colour or of light density
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/569 Constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals battery terminal connectors with integrated measuring arrangements G01R31/364
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Provided are an analysis apparatus and an analysis method which are capable of recognizing a local state change of an internal structure of a secondary battery. The analysis apparatus includes: an observation cell that houses a secondary battery; a charging and discharging controller that controls charging and discharging of the secondary battery; an image pickup device that captures color images of the secondary battery at a predetermined time interval; and a charging and discharging data detection unit that acquires charging and discharging data on the secondary battery during charging and discharging. Color image signals output from the image pickup device and charging and discharging data signals output from the charging and discharging data detection unit are supplied to a signal processing device. The signal processing device outputs a unit that temporally links time-series color image signals and time-series charging and discharging data signals, and designated analysis data.

Claims

1. An apparatus for charging and discharging of a secondary battery by using a color image, the apparatus comprising:

an observation cell that includes a transparent window and houses the secondary battery;

a charging and discharging controller that controls charging and discharging of the secondary battery;

a color image pickup device that projects illumination light toward the secondary battery through the transparent window from a direction parallel to an extending direction of a current collector and an active material layer of the secondary battery, captures a color image of a cross-section of the active material layer of the secondary battery in a direction from a cathode to an anode of the secondary battery through the transparent window, and outputs time-series color image data; and

a signal processing device includes an output unit, including a monitor displaying the color image, that outputs, as analysis data, color image data in a moving image format, or two-dimensional color image data associated with an elapsed time of charging and discharging.

2. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a color confocal image pickup device that captures a color confocal image of the secondary battery while changing a relative distance between an objective lens and the secondary battery is used as the color image pickup device,

the signal processing device includes a unit that forms, from a color confocal image signal, a color omnifocal image in focus over substantially an entire image pickup area, and

the output unit outputs the color omnifocal image as the color image data.

3. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a color confocal image pickup device that captures a color confocal image of the secondary battery while changing a relative distance between an objective lens and the secondary battery is used as the color image pickup device,

the color confocal image pickup device includes a distance sensor that detects the relative distance and outputs the relative distance as distance information to the signal processing device,

the signal processing device further includes a three-dimensional image forming unit that sequentially forms, at a predetermined time interval, three-dimensional color images of an active material layer by using the distance information and the color confocal image signal, and

the output unit outputs the three-dimensional color images as the color image data.

4. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein color image data in which dendrite is visually recognized is output.

5. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery has full-cell structure, and

wherein the full-cell structure includes

a cathode collector;

an anode collector;

a separator disposed between the cathode collector and the anode collector;

a cathode active material layer disposed between the cathode collector and the separator; and

an anode active material layer disposed between the anode collector and the separator.

6. The analysis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the secondary battery has half-cell structure formed only of an anode, and

wherein the half-cell structure includes

a cathode collector;

an anode collector;

a separator disposed between the cathode collector and the anode collector;

a metallic foil disposed between the cathode collector and the separator; and

an anode active material layer disposed between the anode collector and the separator.

7. A method for charging and discharging of a secondary battery by using a color image, the method comprising:

charging and discharging the secondary battery under a predetermined condition by using a charging and discharging controller;

projecting illumination light toward the secondary battery through a transparent window, of an observation cell that includes the transparent window and houses the secondary battery, from a direction parallel to an extending direction of a current collector and an active material layer of the secondary battery, and capturing a color image of a cross-section of the active material layer of the secondary battery, in a direction from a cathode to an anode of the secondary battery through the transparent window, during charging and discharging and forming time-series color image data, by using a color image pickup device; and

outputting, by a monitor displaying the color image, as analysis data, color image data in a moving image format, or two-dimensional color image data associated with an elapsed time of charging and discharging.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the secondary battery has full-cell structure, and

wherein the full-cell structure includes

a cathode collector;

an anode collector;

a separator disposed between the cathode collector and the anode collector;

a cathode active material layer disposed between the cathode collector and the separator; and

an anode active material layer disposed between the anode collector and the separator.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the secondary battery has half-cell structure formed only of an anode, and

wherein the half-cell structure includes

a cathode collector;

an anode collector;

a separator disposed between the cathode collector and the anode collector;

a metallic foil disposed between the cathode collector and the separator; and

an anode active material layer disposed between the anode collector and the separator.