Method and system for replacing electrolyte solution of secondary battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10833309-B2
Application number	US-201715806755-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 28, 2012
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A secondary battery in which convection in an electrolyte solution occurs easily is provided. A secondary battery whose electrolyte solution can be replaced is provided. A nonaqueous secondary battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator, and an electrolyte solution, and the separator includes grooves capable of making convection in the electrolyte solution occur easily. The nonaqueous secondary battery has at least one expected installation direction, and the grooves in the separator are preferably formed so as to be perpendicular to an expected installation surface. The exterior body includes a first opening for injection of an inert gas into the exterior body and a second opening for expelling or injection of an electrolyte solution from or into the exterior body. An electrolyte solution replacement apparatus has a function of injecting the inert gas through the first opening and expelling or injecting the electrolyte solution through the second opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for replacing an electrolyte solution of a secondary battery,
the secondary battery comprising:
an exterior body comprising a first opening, a second opening and a third opening; and
an electrolyte solution in the exterior body,

the method comprising the steps of:
expelling the electrolyte solution from the exterior body through the third opening by injecting an inert gas into the exterior body through the first opening;
performing filtration of the electrolyte solution expelled from the exterior body, and
injecting the electrolyte solution after the filtration into the exterior body through the second opening,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are on an upper surface of the exterior body and the third opening is on a bottom surface of the exterior body which is opposite to the upper surface, and
wherein the inert gas is expelled from the exterior body through the first opening in the step of injecting the electrolyte solution inside the exterior body.

2. The method for replacing an electrolyte solution of a secondary battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein the secondary battery is a lithium ion secondary battery.

3. The method for replacing an electrolyte solution of a secondary battery according to claim 1 ,
wherein the electrolyte solution after the filtration is mixed with at least any one of a new electrolyte solution, an electrolyte of the electrolyte solution and a solvent of the electrolyte solution before the step of injecting the electrolyte solution inside the exterior body.

4. An electrolyte solution replacement system comprising:
a secondary battery, the secondary battery comprising:
an exterior body comprising a first opening, a second opening and a third opening, and
an electrolyte solution in the exterior body; and
a filter,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are on an upper surface of the exterior body and the third opening is on a bottom surface of the exterior body which is opposite to the upper surface,
wherein the third opening is configured to expel the electrolyte solution outside the exterior body by injection of an inert gas into the exterior body through the first opening,
wherein the filter is configured to perform filtration of the electrolyte solution expelled from the third opening, and
wherein the first opening is configured to expel the inert gas when the electrolyte solution after the filtration is injected into the exterior body from the second opening.

5. The electrolyte solution replacement system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the secondary battery is a lithium ion battery.

6. The electrolyte solution replacement system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the electrolyte solution after the filtration is mixed with at least any one of a new electrolyte solution, an electrolyte of the electrolyte solution and a solvent of the electrolyte solution before injected into the exterior body.

7. The electrolyte solution replacement system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the secondary battery further comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode in the exterior body,
wherein the separator includes a plurality of grooves in a direction perpendicular to an installation surface for the secondary battery,
wherein the upper surface of the exterior body comprises the first opening, and
wherein the plurality of grooves continuously extends from an upper edge portion of the separator adjacent to the first opening to a lower edge portion of the separator on the installation surface.

8. An electrolyte solution replacement system comprising:
a secondary battery, the secondary battery comprising:
an exterior body comprising a first opening, a second opening and a third opening, and
an electrolyte solution in the exterior body,
a filter connected to the second opening;
a server connected to the third opening; and
a pump between the filter and the server,
wherein the first opening and the second opening are on an upper surface of the exterior body and the third opening is on a bottom surface of the exterior body which is opposite to the upper surface,
wherein the third opening is configured to expel the electrolyte solution from the exterior body by injection of an inert gas into the exterior body through the first opening,
wherein the electrolyte solution expelled to the server is configured to be passed through the server, the pump and the filter, and
wherein the first opening is configured to expel the inert gas when the electrolyte solution passed through the filter is injected into the exterior body from the second opening.

9. The electrolyte solution replacement system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the secondary battery is a lithium ion battery.

10. The electrolyte solution replacement system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the electrolyte solution passed through the filter is mixed with at least any one of a new electrolyte solution, an electrolyte of the electrolyte solution and a solvent of the electrolyte solution before injected into the exterior body.

11. The electrolyte solution replacement system according to claim 8 ,
wherein the secondary battery further comprises a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator between the positive electrode and the negative electrode in the exterior body,
wherein the separator includes a plurality of grooves in a direction perpendicular to an installation surface for the secondary battery,
wherein the upper surface of the exterior body comprises the first opening, and
wherein the plurality of grooves continuously extends from an upper edge portion of the separator adjacent to the first opening to a lower edge portion of the separator on the installation surface.

Assignees

• Semiconductor Energy Lab

Inventors

• Takahashi Minoru
• Hiroki Masaaki

Classifications

• H01M50/77 Primary

  with external circulating path · CPC title

• H01M50/463 Primary

  Separators, membranes or diaphragms characterised by their shape · CPC title

• H01M10/05

  Accumulators with non-aqueous electrolyte (H01M10/39 takes precedence) · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M50/70

  Arrangements for stirring or circulating the electrolyte · CPC title