Method for reusing vehicle rechargeable battery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016240898-A1
Application number	US-201615041882-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2016
Priority date	Feb 17, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for reusing a vehicle rechargeable battery to rebuild an assembled battery from a plurality of battery units having a usage history is provided. The method includes measuring a remaining charge of each of a plurality of battery units obtained by dismantling an assembled battery having a usage history. The method further includes selecting from the battery units a battery unit in which the measured remaining charge is greater than or equal to a remaining charge lower limit value, which is set in a range that is greater than zero and less than a lower limit value of a remaining charge control range of a vehicle in which the assembled battery was installed, and assembling a new assembled battery using the selected battery unit.

First claim

1 . A method for reusing a vehicle rechargeable battery to rebuild an assembled battery from a plurality of battery units having a usage history, the method comprising:
measuring a remaining charge of each of a plurality of battery units obtained by dismantling an assembled battery having a usage history; selecting from the plurality of battery units a battery unit in which the measured remaining charge is greater than or equal to a remaining charge lower limit value, wherein the remaining charge lower limit value is set in a range that is greater than zero and less than a lower limit value of a remaining charge control range of a vehicle in which the assembled battery was installed; and assembling a new assembled battery using the selected battery unit.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the remaining charge lower limit value is less than or equal to 80% of the lower limit value of the remaining charge control range.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting from the plurality of battery units a battery unit in which a capacity balance is normal between a positive electrode and a negative electrode.

4 . The method according to claim 3 , wherein
the selecting from the plurality of battery units a battery unit in which a capacity balance is normal includes
measuring a complex impedance of the battery unit in a diffusion region,
calculating an inclination angle of a straight line or an approximation straight line that connects at least two complex impedances of the battery unit corresponding to different frequencies in the diffusion region, and
determining whether or not the capacity balance is normal by comparing the inclination angle with a threshold value.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising selecting from the plurality of battery units a battery unit in which at least one of battery properties is in a tolerable range that is set in correspondence with each battery property, wherein the battery properties include an open end voltage, an internal resistance, and a battery mass for each battery unit.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein charging of each of the battery units to a predetermined charge amount or greater is restrained until the selection of the battery unit in which the measured remaining charge is greater than or equal to the remaining charge lower limit value is completed.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising charging the selected battery unit or the new assembled battery including the selected battery unit.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein
the remaining charge control range of the assembled battery is specified by a charge ratio that indicates a ratio of a charge amount relative to a charge capacity of the assembled battery, and the lower limit value of the remaining charge control range is set to be greater than or equal to 40% in the charge ratio.

Assignees

• Primearth Ev Energy Co Ltd
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• KOBA Daisuke
• Ito Shinichiro
• Nakagiri Yasushi
• Fukuma Tamotsu
• Ichikawa Kouichi
• Takahashi Yasuhiro
• Mitsui Masahiko

Classifications

• G01R31/3842

  combining voltage and current measurements · CPC title

• H01M10/54 Primary

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• B60L50/64

  Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles · CPC title

• H01M2220/20

  Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title