Lead storage battery regenerating device

Abstract

This invention provides a lead-acid battery regeneration device that enables the reuse of lead-acid batteries in a short time. The device (100) regenerates the lead-acid battery (18) by electrochemically decomposing and reducing the lead sulfate crystallized insulating material. It comprises: a storage circuit (17) with a capacitor to which charge is stored; a discharge switch circuit (19) that controls the on / off state of the storage circuit (17) to apply a pulse voltage to the lead-acid battery (18); and a series resonant circuit (30) configured by connecting the storage circuit (17), the lead-acid battery (18), and the discharge switch circuit (19) in series. By applying a pulse voltage of a predetermined frequency once to the lead-acid battery (18), N-th harmonic resonance phenomena (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1) are generated within the lead-acid battery (18). The lead-acid battery (18) is regenerated by repeatedly applying this pulse voltage multiple times.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a lead-acid battery regeneration device, and more specifically, to a lead-acid battery regeneration device that removes crystallized lead sulfate generated on the electrode surface of a lead-acid battery and regenerates the lead-acid battery into a rechargeable state. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, lead-acid batteries have been widely used as storage batteries for solar or wind power generation and disaster prevention equipment, or as backup power in mobile phone base stations when power supply is interrupted due to power outages.

[0003] Lead-acid batteries experience a decrease in dilute sulfuric acid concentration due to increased charge-discharge cycles and self-discharge caused by storage, resulting in the formation of lead sulfate crystallization insulation (hereinafter also referred to as sulfate) on the lead electrode surface. This sulfate reduces the surface area of ​​the lead electrodes related to charge and discharge, thus increasing internal resistance and decreasing charging capacity, leading to a reduction in energy storage capacity. Once sulfate forms, the reduction processes of lead sulfate → anode-lead dioxide and cathode-lead + dilute sulfuric acid become impossible under current charger voltages. Approximately 80% of lead-acid battery degradation is caused by sulfate, with the remaining 20% ​​attributed to thermal stress during charge and discharge, stress-induced peeling and detachment of lead active material, and external physical damage. Furthermore, the longer a lead-acid battery is stored, the thicker the sulfate layer becomes, and its removal is time-consuming and problematic.

[0004] Furthermore, as a current issue of sustainable energy, countermeasures to address the reduction in battery capacity of energy storage and disaster prevention equipment for solar and wind power generation are essential technical issues that cannot be delayed.

[0005] Specifically, the pulse regeneration method, a widely known battery regeneration technology, involves applying a very short pulse (50-200 ns) caused by the back electromotive force to the lead-acid battery after a brief current flow through the inductor (coil) followed by a momentary interruption. Due to the weak pulse energy, this method requires a long regeneration time (weeks to months). Furthermore, it requires constant connection to the battery, raising concerns about potential adverse effects on the machine under load (e.g., on the car's microcomputer). Consequently, this method is unsuitable for regenerating large lead-acid batteries with high lead mass, such as large deep-cycle batteries. Another regeneration method is forced charge-discharge of deteriorated batteries. This method also requires time (approximately 15 hours), necessitates high power for large batteries, and involves technical issues related to machine size and heat management during discharge. Yet another regeneration method involves applying high-frequency power to the lead electrodes. This method also requires high power (approximately 500W) and a relatively long regeneration time (approximately 2-3 days).

[0006] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a regeneration device for removing the crystalline coating of lead sulfate insulators. This device selectively heats the lead sulfate at a dielectric loss mitigation frequency of 10 MHz (1 MHz to 100 MHz) to finely decompose the poorly conductive crystals. A charging current is then used to oxidize and reduce the positive electrode to lead oxide and the negative electrode to lead. The regeneration device in Patent Document 1 utilizes a high-frequency skin effect to dissolve sulfate from its surface. However, even if the surface layer of sulfate is dissolved through the skin effect, a direct current cannot flow through the firmly crystallized deep layers, preventing reduction from lead sulfate to lead or lead oxide. Therefore, the dissolved sulfate re-crystallizes within the electrodes. Thus, a new technology is needed to apply a charging current to the firmly solidified deep layers of sulfate.

[0007] Furthermore, the regeneration device in Patent Document 1 requires several days to remove sulfates, which have deteriorated significantly due to prolonged use. As a practical operation, this method is extremely inefficient and not preferred for regenerating lead-acid batteries. Therefore, there is a need for a highly efficient lead-acid battery regeneration device capable of regenerating deteriorated lead-acid batteries in approximately several hours.

[0008] Existing technical documents

[0009] Patent documents

[0010] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 4565362 Summary of the Invention

[0011] The technical problem that the invention aims to solve

[0012] Therefore, the present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned technical problems, and its object is to provide a lead-acid battery regeneration device that enables the reuse of lead-acid batteries in a short time by electrochemically decomposing and reducing the lead sulfate crystallized insulating material (sulfate) of lead-acid batteries.

[0013] Solution to the above technical problems

[0014] In order to solve the technical problems of the above-mentioned methods, the inventors of this application conducted various experiments and found that the power consumption is low (for example, about 30W) but the regenerated power is large under pulse mode. By applying a voltage of 1 pulse, a resonance phenomenon is induced inside the lead-acid battery, thereby inventing a new lead-acid battery regeneration device that electrochemically decomposes and reduces sulfate through this resonance phenomenon.

[0015] That is, the lead-acid battery regeneration apparatus of the present invention is a lead-acid battery regeneration apparatus that regenerates the lead-acid battery by electrochemically decomposing and reducing the lead sulfate crystallized insulating material of the lead-acid battery, and includes:

[0016] An energy storage circuit has a capacitor to store electrical charge.

[0017] The discharge switch circuit controls the connection and disconnection of the energy storage circuit, thereby applying a pulse voltage to the lead-acid battery.

[0018] It has a series resonant circuit, which is constructed by connecting the energy storage circuit, the lead-acid battery, and the discharge switch circuit in series.

[0019] By applying a pulse voltage of a predetermined frequency to the lead-acid battery once, N high-order harmonic resonance phenomena (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1) are generated within the lead-acid battery. By repeatedly applying this pulse voltage multiple times, the lead-acid battery is regenerated.

[0020] Furthermore, the lead-acid battery regeneration device of the present invention includes a charging circuit that charges the lead-acid battery with power from a predetermined power source.

[0021] The lead-acid battery is charged through the charging circuit while simultaneously being regenerated.

[0022] Furthermore, in the lead-acid battery regeneration device of the present invention,

[0023] The resonance phenomenon has the following characteristics: a basic frequency band, which is the first frequency of the higher harmonics after the pulse voltage is applied in the lead-acid battery and is attenuated over time; and a higher harmonic frequency band, which is a frequency of the third higher harmonic or higher relative to the first frequency after the basic frequency and is attenuated over time.

[0024] Invention Effects

[0025] According to the lead-acid battery regeneration device of the present invention, the lead-acid battery can be regenerated in a short time by electrochemically decomposing and reducing the lead sulfate crystallized insulating material (sulfate) of the lead-acid battery electrodes through the generation of resonance phenomenon in the lead-acid battery. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a lead-acid battery regeneration apparatus for regenerating deteriorated lead-acid batteries according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of an oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of a 12V lead-acid battery being regenerated using a lead-acid battery regeneration device.

[0028] Figure 3This is a diagram showing an example of an oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of a 24V lead-acid battery being regenerated using a lead-acid battery regeneration device.

[0029] Figure 4A This is a photograph of the voltage waveform during the regeneration of a 12V lead-acid battery, showing an example of the oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery during regeneration using a lead-acid battery regeneration device.

[0030] Figure 4B This is a photograph of the voltage waveform during the regeneration of a 24V lead-acid battery, showing an example of the oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery during regeneration using a lead-acid battery regeneration device. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the schematic configuration of a lead-acid battery regeneration apparatus 100 for regenerating a deteriorated lead-acid battery 18 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] For the structure and operation of the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100, refer to... Figures 1 to 4B Please provide an explanation.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 (hereinafter also referred to as the regeneration device 100) has a built-in power supply unit Pw. As the power supply unit Pw, it is capable of accepting commercial AC power (e.g., AC 100-220V) and converting it to DC (e.g., DC 16V) using a converter power supply 11 or a DC / DC converter 12. In addition, the regeneration device 100 is connected to the regeneration target, i.e., the deteriorated lead-acid battery 18, via a predetermined power cable.

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, the regeneration device 100 includes a power cut-off circuit 13 for disconnection and abnormality, a transistor oscillation circuit 14, a step-up transformer 15, a rectifier circuit 16, a storage circuit 17, a discharge switch circuit 19, a discharge timing circuit 20, a DC reverse current prevention diode 21, a high-frequency reverse current prevention coil (inductor) 22, a charging circuit 23, and a disconnection and abnormality detection circuit 24.

[0036] In addition, Figure 1 The portion of the attached figure, marked with dashed lines (30), is a series resonant circuit 30 formed by connecting the energy storage circuit 17, the lead-acid battery 18, and the switching circuit 19 in series. The series resonant circuit 30 resonates at the resonant frequency specified later.

[0037] The power cut-off circuit 13 for disconnection and abnormality is a circuit that cuts off the power supply from the power source (conversion power supply 11 or DC / DC converter 12) to prevent electric shock when the power cable connecting the regeneration device 100 and the lead-acid battery 18 is not connected or when an abnormality is detected.

[0038] In addition, the DC / DC converter 12 is, for example, an isolated type DC / DC converter, but is not particularly limited thereto, and may also be, for example, a non-isolated type DC / DC converter.

[0039] The transistor oscillator circuit 14 is a circuit that generates and outputs an oscillation signal with a predetermined constant frequency (11 kHz in this embodiment). The transistor included in the transistor oscillator circuit 14 is preferably, for example, a field-effect transistor (FET).

[0040] The rectifier circuit 16 is a circuit that rectifies the voltage boosted by the step-up transformer 15 to DC.

[0041] The energy storage circuit 17 is a circuit that has a capacitor (not shown), which stores charge by the DC current output from the rectifier circuit 16, and discharges the stored charge according to the on / off control signal from the discharge switch circuit 19.

[0042] The discharge switch circuit 19 is a circuit that performs the following control: outputs an on / off control signal to the energy storage circuit 17, discharges the charge stored in the capacitor of the energy storage circuit 17, and applies a pulse voltage to the lead-acid battery 18.

[0043] The discharge timing circuit 20 is a circuit that controls the timing of the on / off control of the discharge switch circuit 19. The discharge timing circuit 20 is an example of a trigger circuit.

[0044] DC reverse current prevention diode 21 and high frequency reverse current prevention coil 22 prevent reverse current from the pulse voltage applied to lead-acid battery 18.

[0045] The charging circuit 23 is a circuit that charges the battery 18 by means of a specified DC voltage (e.g., DC 2V to 48V) supplied from the power supply 11 or the DC / DC converter 12.

[0046] The disconnection and abnormality detection circuit 24 is connected to the power cut-off circuit 13 and sends a detection signal to the power cut-off circuit 13 when the power cable connecting the regeneration device 100 and the lead-acid battery 18 is not connected or when an abnormality (e.g., a short circuit) is detected.

[0047] In addition, the transistor oscillator circuit 14, the step-up transformer 15, the rectifier circuit 16, and the energy storage circuit 17 are connected in series in the current path between the power supply unit Pw and the positive terminal of the lead-acid battery 18, and the discharge switch circuit 19 is connected to the negative terminal of the lead-acid battery 18.

[0048] In addition, the power cut-off circuit 13 and the disconnection and abnormality detection circuit 24 are provided as needed and are not essential components in the regeneration device 100.

[0049] Furthermore, when regenerating the lead-acid battery 18, the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 operates at low power consumption (e.g., 30W) and can be supplied with DC voltage from a 100V commercial power supply or a 12V automotive battery. Therefore, the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 can be small, lightweight, and highly portable, and can perform regeneration operations without regard to the type of lead-acid battery or its installation location.

[0050] [Operation of lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 (regeneration method of lead-acid battery 18)]

[0051] Next, the operation of regenerating the deteriorated lead-acid battery 18 using the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 will be described. In this embodiment, the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 and the lead-acid battery 18 to be regenerated are connected by a specified wire and cable.

[0052] First, a DC voltage (e.g., DC 16-60V) is supplied from the power supply 11 or DC / DC converter 12 to the charging circuit 23 via the power cut-off circuit 13.

[0053] Next, power is supplied to the lead-acid battery 18 from the charging circuit 23 through the high-frequency reverse current prevention coil (inductor) 22 and the DC reverse current prevention diode 21. At this time, the disconnection and abnormality detection circuit 24 detects whether the wires and cables are disconnected or short-circuited.

[0054] Next, when charging of the lead-acid battery 18 is performed normally, according to the turn-on control signal of the discharge switch circuit 19 based on the discharge timing circuit 20, a pulse voltage of a predetermined frequency (11 kHz in this embodiment) is applied to the lead-acid battery 18 via the path of transistor oscillation circuit 14 → step-up transformer 15 → rectifier circuit 16 → energy storage circuit 17 → lead-acid battery 18 → discharge switch circuit 19. As will be described in detail later, by applying this pulse voltage to the lead-acid battery 18 once, a resonance phenomenon of Nth (where N is an integer greater than or equal to 1) high-order harmonics (also called harmonics) is generated within the lead-acid battery 18. By repeatedly applying this pulse voltage multiple times, the crystallized sulfate can be stripped and dissolved from the lead electrodes of the lead-acid battery 18, thereby regenerating the lead-acid battery 18. In this embodiment, the regeneration of the lead-acid battery 18 using the resonance phenomenon generated within the lead-acid battery 18 is referred to as the resonance regeneration method.

[0055] In addition, for lead-acid batteries, the preferred number of pulse voltage applications is approximately 8,000 to 12,000 times per second.

[0056] Next, the resonance phenomenon discovered by the inventors within the lead-acid battery 18 will be described in detail. This resonance phenomenon can be confirmed by connecting an oscilloscope probe between the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery 18 being regenerated using the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 and observing the changes in the voltage waveform.

[0057] Figure 2 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of a 12V lead-acid battery 18 being regenerated using a lead-acid battery regeneration device 100. Figure 2 In the image, the vertical axis represents voltage [V], with 1 scale unit equal to 2V and the total width of the vertical axis is 16V. The horizontal axis represents time [sec], with 1 scale unit equal to 500ns and the total width of the horizontal axis is 5μs.

[0058] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of an oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of a 24V lead-acid battery 18 being regenerated using a lead-acid battery regeneration device 100. Figure 3 In the image, the vertical axis represents voltage [V], with 1 scale unit equal to 5V and the total width of the vertical axis is 40V. The horizontal axis represents time [sec], with 1 scale unit equal to 500ns and the total width of the horizontal axis is 5μs.

[0059] also, Figure 2 and Figure 3 The horizontal axis center is the lead-acid battery voltage ( Figure 2 It is 12V. Figure 3 (24V).

[0060] Figure 4AThis is a photograph of the voltage waveform during the regeneration of a 12V lead-acid battery, showing an example of the oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery during regeneration using a lead-acid battery regeneration device. Figure 4A The oscilloscope screen displays time on the horizontal axis (1 scale unit equals 500 ns, and the full width of the horizontal axis is 5 μs) and voltage on the vertical axis (1 scale unit equals 2 V, and the full width of the vertical axis is 16 V).

[0061] Figure 4B This is a photograph of the voltage waveform during the regeneration of a 24V lead-acid battery, showing an example of the oscilloscope waveform (resonance waveform of higher harmonics) between the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery during regeneration using a lead-acid battery regeneration device. Figure 4B The oscilloscope screen displays time on the horizontal axis (1 scale unit equals 500 ns, and the full width of the horizontal axis is 5 μs) and voltage on the vertical axis (1 scale unit equals 5 V, and the full width of the vertical axis is 40 V).

[0062] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, if a pulse voltage of a predetermined frequency (11 kHz in this embodiment) (with a pulse width of approximately 0.55 to 0.7 μs) is applied once to the lead-acid battery 18 during regeneration (in... Figure 2 and Figure 3 (The upward-convex portion is indicated by the numeral PV in the attached diagram). After a large amplitude appears on the negative side of the voltage, an unstable voltage waveform with small amplitude will continue. Subsequently, as a resonance phenomenon within the lead-acid battery 18, a fundamental frequency band F1 and a higher harmonic frequency band F2 appear: the fundamental frequency band F1 is the first frequency of the higher harmonics (2MHz in this embodiment) and decays over time; the higher harmonic frequency band F2 appears after the fundamental frequency band F1, and is a frequency of the third higher harmonic or higher relative to the first frequency (the fundamental frequency of the higher harmonics) (6MHz for the third harmonic in this embodiment, with an upper limit of approximately 10MHz for the fifth harmonic) and decays over time. For example... Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the process from the application of a single pulse voltage PV to the near disappearance of the amplitude of the higher harmonic frequency band F2 takes approximately 5 μs. In this invention, the resonant waveform generated after the application of a single pulse voltage PV, i.e., the fundamental frequency band F1 and the subsequent higher harmonic frequency band F2, are collectively referred to as the harmonic resonance waveform. This harmonic resonance waveform occurs whenever a specific pulse voltage is applied and is a phenomenon observable in almost all lead-acid batteries, except for extremely degraded ones. In summary, by generating a harmonic resonance waveform within the lead-acid battery 18 during the regeneration of the lead-acid battery 18 using the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100, high-speed regeneration can be achieved not only in large-capacity lead-acid batteries but also in all types of lead-acid batteries. In this invention, a resonance phenomenon occurs within the lead-acid battery 18 after the application of a single pulse voltage PV. It is inferred that the generation of the fundamental frequency band F1 and the subsequent higher harmonic frequency band F2 in the resonance phenomenon, as well as the frequency transfer from the fundamental frequency band F1 to the higher harmonic frequency band F2, are not controlled or adjusted by the regeneration device 100, but are generated by the resonance of the lead-acid battery 18 itself.

[0063] Furthermore, if no resonance occurs within the lead-acid battery 18, and the waveform is merely a voltage decay vibration at the same frequency, as described above, since the frequency does not change (shift) midway, it is possible to confirm whether a resonance waveform is generated by observing the oscilloscope waveform between the positive and negative terminals of the lead-acid battery 18.

[0064] Furthermore, as the regeneration process of the lead-acid battery 18 progresses via the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100, the peak of the upward waveform decreases (the internal resistance of the lead-acid battery 18 decreases), and the trough of the downward waveform also decreases due to the increased discharge capacity of the lead-acid battery 18. The completion of regeneration of the lead-acid battery 18 can be determined by the complete decrease (cessation of change) of both the peak and trough waveforms. Furthermore, if regeneration is confirmed to be complete on the lead-acid battery 18 side, it is sufficient to measure the voltage and internal resistance of the lead-acid battery 18 after regeneration to confirm that an increase in voltage and a decrease in internal resistance have been achieved.

[0065] Furthermore, the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100 is preferably used to regenerate the lead-acid battery 18 while charging it through the charging circuit 23.

[0066] Thus, the white lead sulfate produced by the internal electrodes of the lead-acid battery 18, which is the cause of deterioration, is stripped off by regenerated electricity, and then reduced to lead and dilute sulfuric acid by the charging current.

[0067] Therefore, lead-acid batteries 18 can be regenerated in a shorter time.

[0068] Traditional lead-acid battery regeneration devices mainly utilize either back electromotive force generated by cutting off the coil current or applying high-frequency power to the battery. This invention, however, stores high voltage in a capacitor and applies a pulsed voltage to the lead-acid battery, and employs a regeneration method that generates harmonic resonance (Nth-order harmonics) within the lead-acid battery itself (resonance regeneration).

[0069] In summary, according to the lead-acid battery regeneration device 100, the lead sulfate crystallized insulating material (sulfate) of the electrodes of the lead-acid battery 18 can be electrochemically decomposed and reduced by generating a resonance phenomenon in the lead-acid battery 18, thereby enabling the regeneration of the lead-acid battery 18 in a short time.

[0070] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these embodiments are merely illustrative of how to implement the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented by appropriate modifications without departing from its spirit.

[0071] Industrial applicability

[0072] This invention can remove crystallized lead sulfate generated on the electrode surface of lead-acid batteries and is suitable for lead-acid battery regeneration devices that regenerate lead-acid batteries into a rechargeable state.

[0073] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0074] 100 lead-acid battery regeneration device

[0075] 17. Storage Circuit

[0076] 18 lead-acid battery

[0077] 19 Discharge switch circuit

[0078] 30 series resonant circuit.

Claims

1. A lead storage battery regeneration device that regenerates a lead storage battery by electrochemically decomposing and reducing a lead sulfate crystalline insulator of the lead storage battery, characterized by comprising: a lead sulfate crystalline insulator decomposing and reducing unit that decomposes and reduces the lead sulfate crystalline insulator of the lead storage battery; a lead sulfate crystalline insulator depositing unit that deposits the decomposed and reduced lead sulfate crystalline insulator; and a lead sulfate crystalline insulator depositing unit that deposits the decomposed and reduced lead sulfate crystalline insulator. Possessing: a power storage circuit having a capacitor, which stores electric charges to the capacitor; a discharge switching circuit which performs on-off control to the power storage circuit to apply a pulse voltage to the lead storage battery, having a series resonance circuit which is configured by connecting the power storage circuit, the lead storage battery, and the discharge switching circuit in series and connecting the lead storage battery between the power storage circuit and the discharge switching circuit, generating N-th harmonic resonance phenomena in the lead storage battery by applying the pulse voltage of a predetermined frequency to the lead storage battery once, and performing regeneration of the lead storage battery by repeating the application of the pulse voltage a plurality of times, where N is an integer of 1 or more, applying the pulse voltage to the lead storage battery at a predetermined frequency in a predetermined frequency range of 8 kHz to 12 kHz, the pulse width of the pulse voltage is in a range of 0.55 μs to 0.7 μs.

2. The lead storage battery regeneration device according to claim 1, characterized in that, a charging circuit which charges the lead storage battery with electric power of a predetermined power source is provided, the regeneration of the lead storage battery is performed while charging the lead storage battery with the charging circuit.

3. The lead storage battery regeneration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the resonance phenomena have: a fundamental frequency band which, after the pulse voltage is applied to the lead storage battery, is a first frequency of the high-order harmonics and decays over time; and a high-order harmonic frequency band which, after the fundamental frequency band, is a frequency of the third or higher order harmonics with respect to the first frequency and decays over time.

4. The lead storage battery regeneration device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, the pulse voltage is applied to the lead storage battery at a predetermined frequency of 11 kHz.

5. The lead storage battery regeneration device according to claim 3, characterized in that, the fundamental frequency band includes a first high-order harmonic of 2 MHz.

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