Secondary battery cell holder and secondary battery cell storage system

Abstract

Provided is a holder for used battery cells and a used battery cell storage system that can suppress deterioration of used battery cells of various manufacturers during storage and that can easily store and transport the used battery cells. A holder for used battery cells that can be detachably installed in a storage device that stores a plurality of used battery cells. The holder is provided with a connection portion through which a used battery cell held by the holder is connectable to a circuit of the storage device to be chargeable and dischargeable, a battery state recognition portion that recognizes a battery state of the used battery cell, a charge / discharge instruction acquisition portion that acquires charge / discharge instruction information, and a charge / discharge management portion that causes a battery cell to be discharged and charges a battery cell to be charged in accordance with the charge / discharge instruction information so as to be within a prescribed SOC range.

Description

[TECHNICAL FIELD]

[0001] The present application relates to a used battery unit holder capable of being detachably attached to a storage device for storing used battery units and a used battery unit storage system. [BACKGROUND]

[0002] In the past, a storage method for a battery has been proposed (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] [RELATED ART]

[0004] Patent Document

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2000-113909 [SUMMARY]

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] According to the technology of Patent Document 1, the battery under storage can be repeatedly charged and discharged, thereby suppressing deterioration of the battery under storage.

[0008] However, in order to perform a recycling business of used battery units, a certain number of used battery units need to be collected and stored. The used battery units are large in size, and the shape and size thereof differ depending on the manufacturer, and thus storage or transportation thereof is troublesome.

[0009] In the technology of Patent Document 1, storage and transportation of the used battery units are not considered to be facilitated.

[0010] Further, during storage, the used battery units need to be stored in such a manner that deterioration thereof does not occur, and for this reason, the SOC (State Of Charge) of the used battery units needs to be appropriately managed.

[0011] Further, in order to appropriately manage the SOC of the used battery units, the used battery units need to be charged or discharged in such a manner that the used battery units are in a prescribed range of SOC corresponding to the respective characteristics thereof.

[0012] A BMU (Battery Management Unit), a CCU (Cell Control Unit), or the like of each manufacturer is provided in the used battery units as a mechanism for identifying the SOC of the battery units, but the interface of these BMUs and CCUs is not generally disclosed.

[0013] Therefore, in view of the problems of the above-described related art, an object of the present application is to provide a used battery unit holder and a used battery unit storage system capable of suppressing deterioration of used battery units of various manufacturers during storage and capable of facilitating storage and transportation of the used battery units.

[0014] Means for solving the problem

[0015] The second battery unit holder of the present application,

[0016] which is detachably mounted in a storage device that stores a plurality of second battery units, characterized by comprising:

[0017] a holder main body that holds the second battery unit;

[0018] a connection portion that is connected to the second battery unit held by the holder, and allows the second battery unit held by the holder to be connected for chargeable and dischargeable connection via a connection circuit provided in the storage device;

[0019] a battery state recognition portion that is connected to the second battery unit held by the holder, and recognizes a battery state including a current value and a voltage value of the second battery unit;

[0020] a charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion that acquires charge and discharge instruction information based on the battery state recognized by the battery state recognition portion, the charge and discharge instruction information being used to instruct a discharge of a second battery unit to be discharged among the second battery units, and to instruct a charge of a second battery unit to be charged;

[0021] a charge and discharge management portion that discharges the second battery unit to be discharged and charges the second battery unit to be charged based on the charge and discharge instruction information acquired by the charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion, so that a SOC (State Of Charge) of the second battery unit to be discharged and the second battery unit to be charged is within a prescribed SOC range.

[0022] According to the second battery unit holder of the present application, the second battery unit is stored in the storage device in a state of being held by the holder, and thus, compared with the case where the second battery units of various shapes and sizes are directly stored and transported, the handling is easier.

[0023] In addition, the holder is detachably mounted in the storage device, and thus, when transported, the second battery unit can be transported while being connected to the holder, and thus, the handling is more convenient.

[0024] Thus, the second battery units of various manufacturers can be easily stored and transported.

[0025] Further, the battery state recognition portion recognizes the battery state including the current value and the voltage value of the second battery unit instead of a BMU and a CCU that are provided in the second battery unit in advance, and thus, even if an interface of the BMU and the CCU provided in advance is not disclosed, the current value, the voltage value, and the like of the second battery unit can be recognized.

[0026] Also, the second-hand battery cells are connected to each other via the connection circuit of the storage device so as to be chargeable and dischargeable, and the charge / discharge management section discharges the battery cells to be discharged and charges the battery cells to be charged based on the charge / discharge instruction information obtained by the charge / discharge instruction obtaining section, so that the SOC of the battery cells to be discharged and the battery cells to be charged is within the prescribed SOC range, and thus the deterioration of the second-hand battery cells during storage can be reliably suppressed.

[0027] Thus, the deterioration of the second-hand battery cells of various manufacturers during storage can be suppressed.

[0028] Thus, the second-hand battery cell holder according to the present application can suppress the deterioration of the second-hand battery cells of various manufacturers during storage, and can easily store and transport the second-hand battery cells.

[0029] Preferably, in the second-hand battery cell holder according to the present application,

[0030] The connection section is configured to connect the second-hand battery cells held by the holder to each other via the connection circuit of the storage device so as to be chargeable and dischargeable,

[0031] The charge / discharge instruction obtaining section is configured to obtain charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state identified by the battery state identifying section, the charge / discharge instruction information being used to instruct the charge / discharge between the battery cells to be discharged and the battery cells to be charged,

[0032] The charge / discharge management section is configured to discharge the battery cells to be discharged and charge the discharged power to the battery cells to be charged based on the charge / discharge instruction information obtained by the charge / discharge instruction obtaining section, so that the SOC of the battery cells to be discharged and the battery cells to be charged is within the prescribed SOC range.

[0033] When charging or discharging the second-hand battery cells in a manner so that the second-hand battery cells are within the prescribed SOC range corresponding to their respective characteristics, the power is wasted during discharging or the electricity fee is generated during charging, which is not economical.

[0034] According to the second-hand battery cell holder according to the present application, each second-hand battery cell is connected to other second-hand battery cells via the connection circuit of the storage device so as to be chargeable and dischargeable. Also, the charge / discharge management section charges the battery cells to be charged with the power discharged from the battery cells to be discharged based on the charge / discharge instruction information obtained by the charge / discharge instruction obtaining section, so that the SOC of the battery cells to be discharged and the battery cells to be charged is within the prescribed SOC range, and thus the power used for charging the second-hand battery cells stored by the storage device is supplied by the power generated by the discharging of the other second-hand battery cells, and thus is economical.

[0035] Thus, deterioration of the used battery cells of various manufacturers at the time of storage can be suppressed, and the used battery cells can be stored and transported economically.

[0036] Thus, according to the used battery cell holder of the present application, deterioration of the used battery cells of various manufacturers at the time of storage can be suppressed, and the used battery cells can be stored and transported economically.

[0037] Preferably, in the used battery cell holder of the present application,

[0038] The battery state recognition section is configured to recognize the temperature of the used battery cell held by the holder as the battery state,

[0039] The charge-discharge instruction acquisition section is configured to acquire the charge-discharge instruction information based on the battery state including the temperature of the used battery cell.

[0040] The characteristics of the current and voltage of the used battery cell vary depending on the temperature of the used battery cell. In order to charge or discharge the used battery cell in such a manner that the used battery cell is in a prescribed range of SOC corresponding to its respective characteristics, management of the temperature of the battery is particularly important.

[0041] According to the used battery cell holder of the present application, the battery state recognition section recognizes the temperature of the used battery cell, and the charge-discharge management section causes the used battery cell held by the holder to be charged or discharged in accordance with the charge-discharge instruction information based on the recognition result including the recognized temperature of the used battery cell.

[0042] Thus, the control of the charge and discharge can also be performed effectively in consideration of the temperature of the used battery cell.

[0043] Thus, according to the used battery cell holder of the present application, deterioration of the used battery cells of various manufacturers at the time of storage can be suppressed, and the used battery cells can be stored and transported economically.

[0044] Preferably, in the used battery cell holder of the present application,

[0045] The battery state recognition section is configured to recognize the temperature of the used battery cell held by the holder as the battery state,

[0046] The charge-discharge instruction acquisition section is configured to acquire the charge-discharge instruction information based on the battery state including the temperature of the used battery cell.

[0047] The charge / discharge management section causes the plurality of cells that make up the secondary battery unit held by the holder to be charged or discharged individually until the difference between the voltage values of the plurality of cells is less than a prescribed allowable difference, based on the charge / discharge instruction information obtained by the charge / discharge instruction obtaining section.

[0048] In a secondary battery unit made up of a plurality of cells, during use thereof, the voltage values of the cells can become uneven.

[0049] Furthermore, when charge / discharge is performed on a secondary battery unit in a state in which the voltage values of the cells have become uneven, some of the cells in the secondary battery unit can become over-discharged or over-charged, and it can not be possible to suppress degradation of the secondary battery unit on a cell-by-cell basis during storage thereof.

[0050] According to the holder for a secondary battery unit of the present application, a battery state recognition section recognizes the battery state of each of the plurality of cells that make up the secondary battery unit, and a charge / discharge management section causes the plurality of cells to be charged or discharged individually until the difference between the voltage values of the plurality of cells is less than a prescribed allowable difference, based on charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state of each of the plurality of cells.

[0051] Thus, charge or discharge is performed in a manner that eliminates unevenness in the voltage values of the cells, and thus over-discharge or over-charge of the cells is suppressed, and thus degradation of the secondary battery unit on a cell-by-cell basis during storage thereof is suppressed.

[0052] Thus, according to the holder for a secondary battery unit of the present application, degradation of secondary battery units of various manufacturers on a cell-by-cell basis during storage thereof is suppressed, and the secondary battery units can be stored and transported easily.

[0053] The secondary battery unit storage system of the present application is characterized by comprising:

[0054] a holder that holds a secondary battery unit removably;

[0055] a storage device that removably holds a plurality of the holders that hold the secondary battery units;

[0056] a connection section that is provided to the holder and is connected to the secondary battery unit held by the holder;

[0057] a battery state recognition section that is connected to the secondary battery unit held by the holder via the connection section, and recognizes the battery state including the current value and the voltage value of the secondary battery unit;

[0058] a charge / discharge instruction acquisition section that acquires charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state identified by the battery state identification section, the charge / discharge instruction information being used to instruct a discharge of a battery unit to be discharged among the plurality of second battery units and a charge of a battery unit to be charged; and

[0059] a charge / discharge management section that discharges the battery unit to be discharged and charges the battery unit to be charged based on the charge / discharge instruction information acquired by the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section, so that the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery unit to be discharged and the battery unit to be charged is within a prescribed SOC range.

[0060] The second battery unit storage system according to the present application stores the second battery units in the storage device in a state held by the holder, and thus is easier to handle than when directly storing and carrying the second battery units of various shapes and sizes.

[0061] In addition, the holder is detachably attached to the storage device, and thus the second battery units of various manufacturers can be easily carried and stored.

[0062] Furthermore, each of the second battery units stored by the storage device is connected to the battery state identification section via the connection section provided in the holder, and the charge / discharge management section discharges the battery unit to be discharged and charges the battery unit to be charged based on the charge / discharge instruction information acquired by the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section corresponding to the state identification of the battery state identification section, so that the SOC of the battery unit to be discharged and the battery unit to be charged is within a prescribed SOC range, and thus the deterioration of the second battery units during storage can be reliably suppressed.

[0063] Thus, the deterioration of the second battery units of various manufacturers during storage can be suppressed.

[0064] Thus, the second battery unit storage system according to the present application can easily carry the second battery units of various manufacturers via the holder and store them in the storage device, and the battery state identification section, the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section, and the charge / discharge management section are connected to the connection section provided in the holder, and thus the deterioration of the second battery units during storage can be suppressed.

[0065] [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS]

[0066] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an overall image of the holder for second battery units according to the present application.

[0067] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing a use state of the holder for second battery units according to the present application.

[0068] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0069] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0070] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0071] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0072] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0073] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0074] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0075] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the processing contents of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0076] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing a modification of the holder for used battery cells of the present application.

[0077] Figure 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the battery cell storage system of the present application. [DETAILED DESCRIPTION]

[0078] [Structure of the holder for used battery cells]

[0079] First, the structure of the holder for used battery cells of the present embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 3. Figure 1 and Figure 2 . Further, for the same structure, the same reference numerals will be assigned and the description will be omitted.

[0080] The holder for used battery cells of the present embodiment is, for example, a holder for used battery cells which is detachably installed in a storage device 90 that stores a plurality of used battery cells 910, and is configured to include a holder main body 10, a connection portion 30, a holder control portion 50, and a battery state recognition portion 70.

[0081] The holder main body 10 is a main body portion of a holder that holds the used battery cell 910, and is configured to be detachably installed in the storage device 90 that stores a plurality of used battery cells 910.

[0082] The holder main body 10 is, for example, configured by a flat plate-shaped member, and is configured by a bottom plate for placing the used battery cell 910, and side panels that surround the used battery cell from both left and right side portions and a back surface side.

[0083] Alternatively, the holder main body 10 can also have a top panel that surrounds the used battery cell 910 from above, or a front panel that surrounds the used battery cell from a front surface side. In this case, for example, any one of the side panels, the top panel, and the front panel is configured to be openable and closable, and is configured to enable the used battery cell 910 to be held or taken out by opening and closing the portion configured to be openable and closable. In addition, the holder main body 10 can further have a holder such as a belt that suppresses movement of the used battery cell on the holder during conveyance.

[0084] The connection portion 30 is connected to the used battery cell 910 held by the holder, and enables the used battery cell held by the holder to be connected so as to be chargeable and dischargeable via the connection circuit 930 of the storage device 90.

[0085] The connection portion 30 is, for example, configured to include a battery-side connector 310 that is connected to the terminals of the positive electrode and the negative electrode of the used battery cell 910, a connection circuit-side connector 330 that is connected to the connection circuit 930 of the storage device 90, and a connector circuit 350 that connects the battery-side connector 310 and the connection circuit-side connector 330.

[0086] The holder control portion 50 is configured by a computing processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, an I / O (Input / Output) device, and the like. The holder control portion 50 functions as, for example, a charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion 510, a charge and discharge management portion 530, by reading in and executing a prescribed program.

[0087] The charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion 510 acquires charge and discharge instruction information based on the battery state identified by the battery state identification portion 70, the charge and discharge instruction information being used to instruct discharge of a battery cell to be discharged DBU (not shown. The same applies hereinafter) among the plurality of used battery cells 910, and to instruct charge of a battery cell to be charged CBU (not shown. The same applies hereinafter).

[0088] The charge / discharge management unit 530 discharges the battery unit to be discharged DBU and charges the battery unit to be charged CBU based on the charge / discharge instruction information acquired by the charge / discharge instruction acquisition unit 510, so that the SOC (State Of Charge) of the battery unit to be discharged DBU and the battery unit to be charged CBU is within a prescribed range of SOC.

[0089] The battery state recognition unit 70 is connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the used battery unit 910 held by the holder, and recognizes the battery state including the current value and the voltage value of the used battery unit 910, or further including the temperature.

[0090] That is, for example, the battery state recognition unit 70 is configured to include a current sensor that recognizes the current value of the used battery unit 910, a voltage sensor that recognizes the voltage value thereof, and a temperature sensor that recognizes the temperature thereof.

[0091] The storage device 90 is a device that stores a plurality of used battery units 910, and is configured to be capable of detachably mounting a plurality of the holders of the present application.

[0092] The storage device 90 is configured to include a connection circuit 930 that connects the used battery units 910 held by the holders so as to be chargeable and dischargeable, and a storage device control unit 950 that transmits charge / discharge instruction information to the charge / discharge instruction acquisition unit 510, the charge / discharge instruction information being used to instruct the battery unit to be discharged DBU to be discharged and the battery unit to be charged CBU to be charged based on the battery state recognized by the battery state recognition unit 70, among the plurality of used battery units 910.

[0093] The used battery unit 910 is, for example, a lithium ion battery, but can also be a nickel-cadmium battery, a lead battery, a fuel cell, or the like, which is all batteries that can be repeatedly used as a power source by being repeatedly charged and discharged.

[0094] <Outline of the processing>

[0095] Next, the processing content of the used battery unit holder of the present embodiment will be described. First, the configuration of the used battery unit holder will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 7 The series of processing of the used battery unit holder will be described. The used battery unit holder of the present embodiment periodically or aperiodically repeatedly performs the following series of processing.

[0096] <Battery state recognition processing>

[0097] When the series of processing is started, the battery state recognition unit 70 of the used battery unit holder performs the battery state recognition processing (S1) of recognizing the battery state of the used battery unit 910 held by the holder. Figure 3 / S100), the battery state recognition processing is to recognize the battery state including the current value and the voltage value of the secondary battery cell 910 held by the holder, and including the temperature of the secondary battery cell 910 as needed.

[0098] That is, for example, the battery state recognition section 70 causes the secondary battery cell 910 to perform charging or discharging, and recognizes the current value, the voltage value, and the temperature of the secondary battery cell 910 at the time of performing the charging or discharging a plurality of times at a prescribed frequency (for example, every 1 second or the like) (S100). Figure 4 / S110), based on the recognized current value, the voltage value, and the temperature, the SOC of the secondary battery cell 910 is calculated (S110). Figure 4 / S130), the calculated SOC is transmitted to the storage device control section 950 (S130). Figure 4 / S150), the processing is ended.

[0099] <Charging and discharging instruction acquisition processing>

[0100] Then, the charging and discharging instruction acquisition processing (S300) is executed, which is to select the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU to be performed, generate charging and discharging instruction information (S310), and acquire the charging and discharging instruction information (S330). Figure 3 / S300), the charging and discharging instruction acquisition processing is to select the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU to be performed, generate charging and discharging instruction information (S310), and acquire the charging and discharging instruction information (S330). Figure 5 / S310), and acquire the charging and discharging instruction information (S330). Figure 5 / S330).

[0101] That is, for example, the storage device control section 950 selects the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU to be performed from among the plurality of secondary battery cells 910 based on the information received from the battery state recognition section 70, generates and transmits the charging and discharging instruction information indicating discharging to the charging and discharging instruction acquisition section 510 of the holder in which the battery cell to be discharged DBU is accommodated, until becoming a prescribed SOC; generates and transmits the charging and discharging instruction information indicating charging to the charging and discharging instruction acquisition section 510 of the holder in which the battery cell to be charged CBU is accommodated, until becoming a prescribed SOC (S310). Figure 5 / S310).

[0102] Further, the prescribed SOC is an SOC value of a range in which deterioration of the secondary battery cell 910 can be suppressed corresponding to the characteristics of the respective secondary battery cells 910, and for example, the prescribed SOC value transmitted to the charging and discharging instruction acquisition section 510 of the holder in which the battery cell to be discharged DBU is accommodated is a lower limit value of the range of the SOC, and the prescribed SOC value transmitted to the charging and discharging instruction acquisition section 510 of the holder in which the battery cell to be charged CBU is accommodated is an upper limit value of the range of the SOC.

[0103] Information relating to the range of the SOC that can suppress the deterioration of the secondary battery cell 910 can be stored in the storage device 90, for example, at the time when the secondary battery cells 910 are stored in the storage device 90 by an operator of the storage device 90 inputting through an input section provided in the storage device 90, or can be configured such that the storage device control section 950 or the charge / discharge management section 530 determines the range of the SOC of the secondary battery cell 910 based on information such as the manufacturer, model, charge capacity, manufacturing date, usage history, and deterioration state of the secondary battery cell 910 and stores it in the storage device 90.

[0104] At this time, as a method of the storage device control section 950 selecting the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU, various methods can be employed.

[0105] That is, for example, the storage device control section 950 determines the secondary battery cell 910 whose current SOC value exceeds the lower limit value of the range of the SOC that can suppress the deterioration of the secondary battery cell 910 among the plurality of secondary battery cells 910.

[0106] Then, the storage device control section 950 selects the secondary battery cell 910 whose value obtained by subtracting the value of the charge amount corresponding to the lower limit value of the range of the SOC that can suppress the deterioration of the secondary battery cell 910 from the value of the current charge amount of each of the determined secondary battery cells 910 is the largest as the battery cell to be discharged DBU. Further, at this time, the storage device control section 950 preferentially selects the secondary battery cell 910 whose current SOC value exceeds the upper limit value of the range of the SOC that can suppress the deterioration of the secondary battery cell 910 among the secondary battery cells 910 as the battery cell to be discharged DBU.

[0107] In addition, the storage device control section 950, for example, selects the secondary battery cell 910 whose current SOC value is the smallest as the battery cell to be charged CBU. Further, at this time, the storage device control section 950 preferentially selects the secondary battery cell 910 whose current SOC value is smaller than the lower limit value of the range of the SOC that can suppress the deterioration of the secondary battery cell 910 among the secondary battery cells 910 as the battery cell to be charged CBU.

[0108] Then, the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section 510 of the secondary battery cell holder acquires charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state recognized by the battery state recognition section 70 (S330), the charge / discharge instruction information being used to instruct the battery cell to be discharged DBU among the plurality of secondary battery cells 910 to be discharged and the battery cell to be charged CBU to be charged. Figure 5

[0109] ​That is, for example, the charge / discharge indication acquisition unit 510 that houses the holder of the battery unit DBU to be discharged acquires charge / discharge indication information indicating discharge until a predetermined SOC is reached, and the charge / discharge indication acquisition unit 510 that houses the holder of the battery unit CBU to be charged acquires charge / discharge indication information indicating charging until a predetermined SOC is reached by receiving such information.

[0110] <Charging and Discharging Management Process>

[0111] Next, the charge / discharge management unit 530 for the used battery cell retainer performs charge / discharge management processing. Figure 3 / S500), the charge and discharge management process is to discharge the battery unit DBU and charge the battery unit CBU to be charged according to the charge and discharge instruction information acquired by the charge and discharge instruction acquisition unit 510, so that the SOC of the battery unit DBU and the battery unit CBU to be charged is within the specified SOC range.

[0112] That is, for example, the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery cell DBU to be discharged, begins the discharge of the battery cell DBU. Figure 6 (S510). Furthermore, the discharged power can be supplied, for example, via a converter included in the storage device 90 to external loads located within or around the facility where the storage device 90 is installed. Alternatively, the power can also charge a battery separately included in the storage device 90.

[0113] Then, the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery cell DBU, when the SOC of the battery cell DBU reaches the specified SOC value contained in the charge / discharge instruction information ( Figure 6 / S550: Yes), stop the discharge of the battery cell DBU (Device Unit to be discharged). Figure 6 / S580).

[0114] On the other hand, if the SOC of the battery cell to be discharged (DBU) is not in a state that reaches or is close to the specified SOC value to a specified extent ( Figure 6 If / S550: No), the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery cell DBU to be discharged, continues to discharge the battery cell DBU. This series of processes is repeated until the SOC of the battery cell DBU reaches or approaches the specified SOC value to a specified extent.

[0115] Simultaneously, the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery unit CBU to be charged, begins charging the battery unit CBU. Figure 7 (S530). In addition, the charging power can be supplied from an external power source, such as a charger separately provided in the storage device 90, a solar generator, or a commercial power source.

[0116] Then, the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery cell CBU to be charged, when the SOC of the battery cell CBU to be charged reaches or approaches the specified SOC value contained in the charge / discharge indication information ( Figure 7 / S570: Yes), stop charging the battery unit CBU (Cell Unit) (S570: Yes), Figure 7 / S585).

[0117] On the other hand, when the SOC of the battery cell CBU is not at or close to the specified SOC value to a specified extent ( Figure 7 / S570: No), the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery cell CBU to be charged, continues to charge the battery cell CBU. This series of processes is repeated until the SOC of the battery cell CBU to be charged reaches or approaches the specified SOC value to a specified extent.

[0118] Furthermore, at this time, the charge / discharge management unit 530 repeatedly identifies the current value, voltage value, and temperature of the used battery cell 910 during charging and discharging at a predetermined frequency, calculates the SOC of the used battery cell 910 based on the identified current value, voltage value, and temperature, and determines whether the SOC reaches or is close to the predetermined SOC value contained in the charge / discharge indication information to a predetermined extent.

[0119] The charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery unit DBU or the battery unit CBU, performs this series of processes, and the charge / discharge management process ends. Furthermore, the aforementioned processes performed by the charge / discharge management unit 530 housing both the battery unit DBU and the battery unit CBU can be performed simultaneously in parallel as described above, or they can be performed separately and asynchronously.

[0120] As described above, the holder for used battery cells according to the present invention can suppress the deterioration of used battery cells from various manufacturers during storage, and can easily store and transport used battery cells.

[0121] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0122] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but are not limited thereto. Various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Hereinafter, as other embodiments, examples of modifications to a series of processes performed by the holder for used battery cells will be described.

[0123] In this embodiment, the connection part 30 is configured such that the used battery units 910 held by the holder can be connected to each other via the connection circuit 930 of the storage device 90 in a charge-discharge manner.

[0124] Furthermore, the charge / discharge indication acquisition unit 510 is configured to acquire charge / discharge indication information based on the battery state identified by the battery state recognition unit 70. This charge / discharge indication information is used to indicate the charge / discharge between the battery cell DBU and the battery cell CBU to be charged. The charge / discharge management unit 530 is configured to discharge the battery cell DBU based on the charge / discharge indication information acquired by the charge / discharge indication acquisition unit 510, and charge the battery cell CBU with the discharged power, so that the state of charge (SOC) of the battery cell DBU and the battery cell CBU to be charged is within a specified SOC range.

[0125] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating the charge / discharge management process under this configuration. Specifically, the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery cell DBU to be discharged, begins discharging the battery cell DBU. Figure 8 / S510). Next, the charge / discharge management unit 530, which houses the holder of the battery unit CBU to be charged, begins to charge the battery unit CBU with the discharged power. Figure 8 / S535).

[0126] Then, the charge / discharge management unit 530 of the holders of both charging and discharging devices, when the SOC of the battery cell DBU to be discharged reaches or approaches the specified SOC value contained in the charge / discharge indication information to a specified extent ( Figure 8 / S550: Yes), or when the SOC of the battery cell CBU to be charged reaches or is close to the specified SOC value contained in the charge / discharge indication information ( Figure 8 / S570: Yes), stop charging and discharging ( Figure 8 / S590).

[0127] On the other hand, the SOC of the battery cell (DBU) is not at or close to the specified SOC value. Figure 8 / S550: No), and the SOC of the battery cell CBU to be charged is not in a state that has reached or is close to the specified SOC value to a specified extent ( Figure 8 / S570: No), the charge / discharge management unit 530 of both holders continues to discharge the battery cell DBU to be discharged and to charge the battery cell CBU to be charged with the discharged power. After performing this series of processes, the charge / discharge management process ends.

[0128] Alternatively, in other embodiments, the used battery cell holder of the present invention, for example, performs the following process to eliminate the uneven voltage values ​​between the plurality of individual cells constituting each used battery cell 910 before performing the series of processes described above. Figure 9 (S70). Furthermore, various methods can be employed to eliminate the inconsistency in voltage values ​​between individual cells, but in this embodiment, the inconsistency is eliminated through the following process. This process is performed, for example, when a used battery cell holder connected to a used battery cell 910 is installed into the storage device 90. Furthermore, for simplicity, the processing flow in a used battery cell holder will be described.

[0129] Single-cell balancing

[0130] When processing begins, the battery status identification unit 70 identifies, for example, the voltage values ​​of each of the multiple individual cells as the battery status of each of the multiple individual cell cells constituting the second-hand battery cell 910 held by the retainer. Figure 10 / S71).

[0131] That is, the battery status recognition unit 70 in this embodiment is connected to the positive and negative terminals of each of the multiple individual cells constituting the second-hand battery unit 910, and identifies the voltage value of each of the multiple individual cells.

[0132] Then, the battery status identification unit 70 sends the voltage values ​​of each of the identified individual cells to the storage device control unit 950. Figure 10 / S73).

[0133] When the voltage difference between multiple individual cells exceeds the specified tolerance ( Figure 10 / S75: No), the storage device control unit 950 generates and sends charge / discharge indication information, which refers to information on charging the single cell showing the lowest voltage value among the plurality of single cells and discharging the other single cells. Figure 10 / S77).

[0134] Next, the charge / discharge indication acquisition unit 510 acquires the charge / discharge indication information generated in this way based on the individual battery states of multiple individual cells by receiving data. Figure 10 / S79). Based on the acquired charge / discharge instruction information, the charge / discharge management unit 530 performs a charge / discharge process, charging the single cell showing the lowest voltage value among multiple single cells and discharging the other single cells. Figure 10 / S81).

[0135] Next, the second-hand battery cell holder of the present embodiment repeatedly performs the above-described processes of S71 to S81 until the difference between the voltage values of the plurality of single cells with respect to each other is smaller than the prescribed allowable difference (S75: Yes). Figure 10

[0136] Thus, the charge / discharge management section 530 causes the plurality of single cells that constitute the second-hand battery cell 910 held by the holder to be charged or discharged until the difference between the voltage values of the plurality of single cells with respect to each other is smaller than the prescribed allowable difference.

[0137] Thus, the difference between the highest voltage value and the lowest voltage value among the voltage values shown by the plurality of single cells is smaller than the prescribed allowable difference, and the voltage values of the single cells that constitute the second-hand battery cell 910 with respect to each other are homogenized.

[0138] Alternatively, for example, the above-described structure in which the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section 510, the charge / discharge management section 530, and the battery state recognition section 70 are provided to the holder has been described, but the present application is not limited thereto.

[0139] That is, for example, in the holder of the second-hand battery cell storage system of the present application, as shown in Figure 11 , a connection section 30 that is connectable to the second-hand battery cell 910 held by the holder is provided.

[0140] In addition, as needed, the connection section 30 is connected to the positive electrode and the negative electrode of each of the plurality of single cells that constitute the second-hand battery cell 910.

[0141] In this case, the battery state recognition section 70 is provided to the storage device 90, for example, is connected to the second-hand battery cell 910 held by the holder via the connection section 30, and recognizes the battery state including the current value and the voltage value of the second-hand battery cell 910. Furthermore, the battery state recognition section 70 can be provided to each holder (i.e., each second-hand battery cell 910), or can also be configured such that one battery state recognition section 70 recognizes the battery state of a plurality of second-hand battery cells 910.

[0142] Alternatively, further, as shown in Figure 12 , a server 100 that is communicably connected to the storage device 90 via an information communication network N can also be provided.

[0143] Furthermore, the server 100 is a computer, for example. Also, the server control section 110 is configured from a calculation processing device such as a CPU, a memory, an I / O device, and the like, and performs the processes described later by reading in and executing a prescribed program.

[0144] ​In this case, for example, the battery state recognition section 70 transmits the recognized battery state of the secondhand battery cell 910 to the server control section 110. Thereafter, the server control section 110 that has received the battery state selects the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU, generates the charge / discharge instruction information, and transmits the generated charge / discharge instruction information to the storage device control section 950.

[0145] Next, the storage device control section 950 functions as the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section 510 to receive the charge / discharge instruction information generated by the server control section 110, and functions as the charge / discharge management section 530 to cause the battery cell to be discharged DBU to be discharged and the battery cell to be charged CBU to be charged in accordance with the charge / discharge instruction information acquired by the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section 510, so that the SOC of the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU falls within the prescribed SOC range.

[0146] The above describes an embodiment of the present application, but is not limited thereto. Various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present application.

[0147] For example, the above describes an embodiment in which the storage device control section 950 generates the charge / discharge instruction information, but is not limited thereto.

[0148] That is, for example, the battery state recognition sections 70 can share the information of the battery state by mutually transmitting and receiving the battery state to each other, and the battery state recognition sections 70 can generate the charge / discharge instruction information in accordance with the prescribed algorithm described in the above description of the charge / discharge instruction acquisition processing, and cause the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section 510 to acquire the same.

[0149] Similarly, the battery state recognition sections 70 can share the battery state of each of the plurality of battery cells that constitute the secondhand battery cell 910 by mutually transmitting and receiving the same to each other, and the battery state recognition sections 70 can generate the charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state of each of the plurality of battery cells in accordance with the prescribed algorithm described in the above description of the battery cell balancing processing, and cause the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section 510 to acquire the same.

[0150] In this case, the storage device control section 950 is omitted, and the plurality of battery state recognition sections 70 collectively, or with any one of the battery state recognition sections 70 as representative, generate the charge / discharge instruction information.

[0151] Alternatively, for example, the charge / discharge instruction acquisition unit 510 can acquire the charge / discharge instruction information by accepting input of the charge / discharge instruction information by an operator of the storage device 90. In this case, for example, the holder main body 10 or the storage device 90 is provided with a display unit that displays the battery state of each of the used battery cells 910, and an input unit that accepts input of the charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state.

[0152] Alternatively, for example, the battery state recognition unit 70 can be configured to determine whether the used battery cell 910 is in a normal state based on the recognized battery state and the charge / discharge instruction information, and output information notifying of the case where an abnormality is detected.

[0153] That is, for example, the battery state recognition unit 70 determines that the state of the used battery cell 910 is abnormal in a case where the temperature of the used battery cell 910 held by the holder is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, or the SOC of the used battery cell 910 that is being discharged according to the charge / discharge instruction information does not decrease or rapidly decrease, the SOC of the used battery cell 910 that is being charged does not increase or rapidly increase, the difference between the voltage values of a plurality of unit cells does not become equal to or larger than a predetermined allowable difference even if the charge / discharge of the unit cells is repeated, and the like, and outputs information notifying of the case via an output unit provided in the holder main body 10 or the storage device 90.

[0154] Further, as the output unit, various output devices such as a display, a speaker, and a printer can be used.

[0155] Alternatively, for example, the above describes a structure in which the used battery cell 910 whose current SOC value exceeds the lower limit value of the SOC in the range in which deterioration of the used battery cell 910 can be suppressed is charged, but is not limited thereto.

[0156] That is, for example, in a case where the SOCs of all the used battery cells 910 stored by the storage device 90 are SOCs in the range in which deterioration can be suppressed, an arbitrary used battery cell 910 is selected as the battery cell to be discharged DBU and the battery cell to be charged CBU from among the used battery cells 910, and the charge / discharge instruction information is generated, the charge / discharge management unit 530 discharges the battery cell to be discharged DBU, and charges the discharged power to the battery cell to be charged CBU.

[0157] In this way, by causing the used battery cells 910 stored by the storage device 90 to be charged or discharged without omission at any time, the possibility of discovering an abnormality in a case where an abnormality occurs in the used battery cell 910 increases, and thus is convenient.

[0158] Alternatively, for example, the single cell balancing processing is not limited to when the second-hand cell unit holder is attached to the storage device 90 in the state where the second-hand cell unit 910 is connected, but can be performed at any time, irregularly or regularly.

[0159] Alternatively, for example, as the shape and structure of the holder main body 10, all shapes and structures can be adopted as long as the effects of the present application are not hindered.

[0160] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0161] 10: holder main body; 30: connection portion; 70: battery state recognition portion; 90: storage device; 510: charge / discharge instruction acquisition portion; 530: charge / discharge management portion; 910: second-hand cell unit; 930: connection circuit.

Claims

1. A holder for a used battery cell, which is detachably installed in a storage device that stores a plurality of used battery cells, characterized by comprising: a housing that stores a plurality of used battery cells; a plurality of battery cell holding portions that hold the plurality of used battery cells; and a plurality of battery cell holding portion moving mechanisms that move the plurality of battery cell holding portions in the housing. Possessing: a holder main body configured to be detachably mounted to the storage device and to hold various shapes and sizes of the used battery cells, and configured to be able to take out the used battery cells; a connection portion connected to the used battery cells held by the holder, and configured to allow the used battery cells held by the holder to be connected to be chargeable and dischargeable via a connection circuit provided in the storage device; a battery state recognition portion connected to the used battery cells held by the holder, and configured to recognize a battery state including a current value and a voltage value of the used battery cells; a charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion configured to acquire charge and discharge instruction information based on the battery state recognized by the battery state recognition portion, the charge and discharge instruction information being used to instruct a discharge of a discharge target battery cell to be discharged among the used battery cells and a charge of a charge target battery cell to be charged; a charge and discharge management portion configured to cause the discharge target battery cell to be discharged and the charge target battery cell to be charged based on the charge and discharge instruction information acquired by the charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion, so that the SOC (State Of Charge) of the discharge target battery cell and the charge target battery cell is within a prescribed SOC range, the used battery cell holder being capable of being transported while being connected to the used battery cells, and being capable of being transported independently of the used battery cells.

2. The used battery cell holder according to claim 1, wherein the connection portion is configured to allow the used battery cells held by the holder to be connected to be chargeable and dischargeable to each other via the connection circuit provided in the storage device, the charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion is configured to acquire charge and discharge instruction information based on the battery state recognized by the battery state recognition portion, the charge and discharge instruction information being used to instruct a charge and discharge between the discharge target battery cell and the charge target battery cell, the charge and discharge management portion is configured to cause the discharge target battery cell to be discharged and the discharged power to be charged to the charge target battery cell based on the charge and discharge instruction information acquired by the charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion, so that the SOC of the discharge target battery cell and the charge target battery cell is within a prescribed SOC range.

3. The used battery cell holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the battery state recognition portion is configured to recognize a temperature of the used battery cells held by the holder as the battery state, the charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion is configured to acquire the charge and discharge instruction information based on the battery state including the temperature of the used battery cells.

4. The used battery cell holder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the battery state recognition portion is configured to recognize the battery state of each of a plurality of unit cells constituting the used battery cells, the charge and discharge instruction acquisition portion is configured to acquire the charge and discharge instruction information based on the battery state of each of the plurality of unit cells, ​ The charge / discharge management section is configured to cause the plurality of single cells that constitute the secondary battery unit held by the holder to be charged or discharged individually until the difference between the voltage values of the plurality of single cells is smaller than a prescribed allowable difference, based on the charge / discharge instruction information acquired by the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section.

5. A used battery cell storage system characterized by, Possessing: a holder that detachably holds secondary battery units of various shapes and sizes, holds the secondary battery units by placing them, is configured to be able to take out the secondary battery units, is able to be carried in a state connected to the secondary battery units, and is able to be carried independently of the secondary battery units; a storage device for the secondary battery units that is able to detachably install a plurality of the holders that hold the secondary battery units; a connection section that is provided to the holder and is able to be connected to the secondary battery unit held by the holder; a battery state recognition section that is connected to the secondary battery unit held by the holder via the connection section and recognizes the battery state including the current value and voltage value of the secondary battery unit; a charge / discharge instruction acquisition section that acquires charge / discharge instruction information based on the battery state recognized by the battery state recognition section, the charge / discharge instruction information being used to instruct the discharge of a secondary battery unit to be discharged among the plurality of secondary battery units and the charging of a secondary battery unit to be charged; and a charge / discharge management section that causes the secondary battery unit to be discharged and the secondary battery unit to be charged based on the charge / discharge instruction information acquired by the charge / discharge instruction acquisition section, so that the SOC, i.e., state of charge, of the secondary battery unit to be discharged and the secondary battery unit to be charged is within a prescribed range of SOC.

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