Aging device

Abstract

To execute a uniform aging processing on a plurality of power storage devices.SOLUTION: An aging device 1 disclosed herein includes: an aging chamber 30; a shelf 10; a stacker crane 20; and a ventilation device 40. The shelf 10 has: a plurality of stages of accommodation spaces 12; a front opening 12a provided in the front F of each of the accommodation spaces 12; and a rear opening 12b provided in a rear Rr of each of the accommodation spaces 12. In addition, the ventilation device 40 includes: a blowout port 42 that supplies warm air into each accommodation space 12 from the front opening 12a of the shelf 10; and a suction port 43 that sucks air inside each accommodation space 12 from the rear opening 12b of the shelf 10. As a result, it is possible to suppress the warm air from accumulating in each accommodation space 12, and thus it is possible to perform a uniform aging process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to an aging device for a power storage device.

Background Art

[0002] Power storage devices such as lithium-ion secondary batteries are widely used in various fields. In the manufacture of this type of power storage device, an aging process is performed in which the power storage device is held in a high-temperature environment. This provides various effects such as film formation on the surface of the electrode plate, detection of minute short circuits due to metal foreign matter contamination, and voltage stabilization due to Li diffusion.

[0003] An example of the device used for this aging process is disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-250930). The high-temperature aging treatment facility described in Patent Document 1 includes a number of shelves on which containers housing power storage devices are placed, and a transport mechanism with an arm (stacker crane) for transporting the containers to each shelf. The internal temperature of this high-temperature aging treatment facility is maintained at around 50°C. This enables efficient aging treatment to be performed on a large number of power storage devices.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in the aging device described in Patent Document 1, there may be variations in the effects of the aging process among a plurality of power storage devices. For this reason, in recent years, there has been a demand for an aging device that can perform uniform aging treatment on a plurality of power storage devices.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In view of the above problems, an aging device having the following configuration is provided.

[0007] The aging device disclosed herein includes an aging chamber, a shelf disposed inside the aging chamber, a stacker crane disposed inside the aging chamber for carrying in and out a power storage device with respect to the shelf, and a ventilation device for defining the flow of warm air in the aging chamber. And, the shelf of this aging device has a plurality of accommodation spaces partitioned along the height direction, a front opening provided in front of each of the accommodation spaces in the predetermined depth direction in the aging chamber, and a rear opening provided behind each of the accommodation spaces in the depth direction. Further, the ventilation device is provided in the partition wall in front of the aging chamber, and has a blowout port for supplying warm air from the front opening to the inside of the accommodation space, and is provided in the partition wall behind the aging chamber, and has a suction port for sucking the air inside the accommodation space from the rear opening.

[0008] The inventor of the present invention has focused on the fact that when a plurality of power storage devices are accommodated in the shelf of the aging device, the air permeability of the accommodation space of the shelf decreases. As a result, if air stays in the accommodation space of the shelf and temperature unevenness occurs, it may cause variations in the effect of the aging process. In contrast, the aging device disclosed herein includes a blowout port for supplying warm air into the accommodation space and a suction port for sucking the air inside the accommodation space. As a result, warm air can be appropriately circulated in the accommodation space, so that the occurrence of temperature unevenness can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the aging device disclosed herein, a uniform aging process can be performed on a plurality of power storage devices.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the technology disclosed herein will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, matters other than those specifically mentioned in this specification, which are necessary for implementing the technology disclosed herein (for example, the configuration and manufacturing process of the power storage device), can be grasped as design matters of those skilled in the art based on the prior art in the relevant field. The technology disclosed herein can be implemented based on the content disclosed in this specification and common general knowledge in the relevant field.

[0011] Note that the "power storage device" in this specification is a concept that includes a device in which a charge carrier moves between a pair of electrodes (a positive electrode and a negative electrode) to cause a charge and discharge reaction. That is, the power storage device in the technology disclosed herein includes, in addition to secondary batteries such as lithium-ion secondary batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and nickel-cadmium batteries, capacitors such as lithium-ion capacitors and electric double layer capacitors.

[0012] <The First Embodiment> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the aging device disclosed herein will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the aging device according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of the rear partition wall of the aging device according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the air outlet in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing a container for housing a power storage device. In the drawings, reference signs L, R, F, Rr, U, and D represent left, right, front, rear, upper, and lower, respectively. Also, reference signs X, Y, and Z in the drawings represent the width direction, depth direction, and height direction of the aging device, respectively. However, these are merely directions determined in advance for convenience of explanation and do not limit the technology disclosed herein.

[0013] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the aging device 1 according to this embodiment includes an aging chamber 30, a shelf 10, a stacker crane 20, and a ventilation device 40. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described.

[0014] 1. Aging Chamber The aging chamber 30 is a room for performing an aging process on the power storage device D. The aging device 1 according to the present embodiment performs an aging process on the power storage device D by raising the temperature inside the aging chamber 30. This can suppress the occurrence of temperature unevenness due to contact with the outside air. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the aging chamber 30 in the present embodiment is a substantially box-shaped room. Specifically, the aging chamber 30 has a floor 31, a front partition 32, a rear partition 33, a right partition 34, a left partition 35, and a ceiling 36. As shown in FIG. 1, the front partition 32 is a wall that rises upward U from the floor 31 in the front F in the depth direction Y. Further, the rear partition 33 is a wall that rises upward U from the floor 31 in the rear Rr in the depth direction Y. And, as shown in FIG. 2, the right partition 34 is a wall that rises upward U from the floor 31 on the right R in the width direction X. The left partition 35 is a wall that rises upward U from the floor 31 on the left L in the width direction X. And the ceiling 36 is supported by the front partition 32, the rear partition 33, the right partition 34, and the left partition 35. Note that the shape and dimensions of the aging chamber 30 are not particularly limited and can be appropriately changed according to the object to be processed and the like.

[0015] 2. Shelf As shown in FIG. 1, the shelf 10 is disposed inside the aging chamber 30. This shelf 10 includes a plurality of stages (10 stages in FIG. 1) of accommodation spaces 12 partitioned along the height direction Z. And a front opening 12a is provided in front F of each of the accommodation spaces 12 in the depth direction Y. Also, a rear opening 12b is provided in the rear Rr of each of the accommodation spaces 12 in the depth direction Y. The power storage device D that is the object of the aging process is accommodated in each of the plurality of stages of accommodation spaces 12.

[0016] Note that, as shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the power storage device D having a rectangular parallelepiped outer shape is the target of the aging process. And this power storage device D is accommodated in the accommodation space 12 of the shelf 10 while being mounted on the container C. This container C is configured to restrain a plurality (nine in the figure) of power storage devices D arranged along a predetermined arrangement direction A. Specifically, the container C includes a pair of holding plates C1, a plurality of beam members C2, a restraining plate C3, and a trapezoidal screw C4. The pair of holding plates C1 are plate-like members having a holding surface wider than the flat surface of the power storage device D. This pair of holding plates C1 face each other with a plurality of power storage devices D interposed therebetween. Next, the beam member C2 is a rod-like member that bridges the pair of holding plates C1. In this embodiment, the holding plates C1 are connected to each other by four beam members C2. Further, the restraining plate C3 is a plate-like member attached to one of the pair of holding plates C1. This restraining plate C3 is connected to the holding plate C1 via the trapezoidal screw C4. By rotating this trapezoidal screw C4, the restraining plate C3 can be moved along the arrangement direction A. When accommodating the power storage device D in the container C having such a configuration, after arranging a plurality of power storage devices D between the holding plate C1 and the restraining plate C3, the trapezoidal screw C4 is tightened. As a result, the aging process can be performed while pressing a plurality of power storage devices D. As a result, a micro short circuit due to the mixing of metal foreign matters can be detected with high accuracy. Further, since it becomes easier to accommodate a plurality of power storage devices D in the accommodation space 12, the efficiency of the aging process can be improved.

[0017] And the shelf 10 in the present embodiment includes a pair of support plates 14 extending along the height direction Z and the depth direction Y, and a placement plate 16 which is a long plate-like member extending along the depth direction Y. The support plates 14 are members forming the side walls of the shelf 10. Specifically, a pair of support plates 14 face each other in the width direction X so as to sandwich a plurality of containers C (power storage devices D). And as shown in FIG. 1, each support plate 14 is provided with support protrusions 14a protruding in the horizontal direction (width direction X or depth direction Y). The height positions of the respective support protrusions 14a are aligned between the pair of support plates 14. And the placement plate 16 is supported by the plurality of support protrusions 14a with aligned height positions. Thereby, a long accommodation space 12 extending along the depth direction Y is formed above the placement plate 16. Also, a plurality of support protrusions 14a are continuously arranged along the height direction Z on each support plate 14 with a predetermined interval therebetween. Thereby, a plurality of stages (10 stages in FIG. 1) of accommodation spaces 12 are formed. Note that a plurality of (4 in FIG. 1) containers C are placed on the placement plate 16. Thereby, a plurality of power storage devices D can be arranged along the depth direction Y of the accommodation space 12. Note that as shown in FIG. 2, the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of (16 in FIG. 2) shelves 10 having the above-described configuration. And each shelf 10 is adjacent in the width direction X.

[0018] 3. Stacker Crane The stacker crane 20 is disposed inside the aging chamber 30 and carries the power storage device D to and from the shelf 10. In the present embodiment, the stacker crane 20 is disposed behind the shelf 10 (Rr). The stacker crane 20 includes a device gripping mechanism 21, a Z-axis drive mechanism 22, a guide shaft 23, a rail 24, and an X-axis drive mechanism 25. The device gripping mechanism 21 is a member for gripping the power storage device D. The device gripping mechanism 21 in the present embodiment is configured to be able to grip the container C (a plurality of power storage devices D). Further, the device gripping mechanism 21 may be configured to be able to grip the mounting plate 16 on which the container C (a plurality of power storage devices D) is placed. The device gripping mechanism 21 is attached to the guide shaft 23 via the Z-axis drive mechanism 22. The guide shaft 23 is a columnar member extending along the height direction Z. The Z-axis drive mechanism 22 is a device for raising and lowering the device gripping mechanism 21 along the guide shaft 23. Thereby, the device gripping mechanism 21 can carry the power storage device D to and from each of the plurality of storage spaces 12. As shown in FIG. 2, the rail 24 extends along the width direction X. The upper end and the lower end of the guide shaft 23 are slidably attached to the rail 24 (see FIG. 1). X-axis drive mechanisms 25 (see FIG. 2) are attached to both ends of the rail 24 in the width direction X. The X-axis drive mechanism 25 is a device for moving the guide shaft 23 along the rail 24. Thereby, the device gripping mechanism 21 can be moved to the rear (Rr) of the shelf 10 that is the work target. According to the stacker crane 20 having the above configuration, the power storage device D can be carried to and from all the storage spaces 12 of the plurality of shelves 10.

[0019] 4. Ventilation device The ventilation device 40 is a device for defining the flow of warm air in the aging chamber 30. The ventilation device 40 includes an air outlet 42 and an air inlet 43. Further, the ventilation device 40 in the present embodiment includes a warm air supply duct 44, a blower 46, a circulation duct 41, a heater 45, a sensor 47, a control device (not shown), and a cooling means 48. Each configuration will be described below.

[0020] (1) Air outlet The air outlet 42 is provided on the front F side of the shelf 10 and supplies warm air from the front opening 12a of the shelf 10 into the accommodation space 12. The air outlet 42 in the present embodiment is connected to the blower 46 via the warm air supply duct 44. The blower 46 is a device that blows the air (warm air) heated by a heater 45 described later. A fan or the like can be used for this blower 46. Further, the blower 46 is disposed outside the aging chamber 30. And the warm air supply duct 44 includes an air passage 44a that penetrates the front partition wall 32 and enters the aging chamber 30, and an expansion portion 44b where the flow path expands inside the aging chamber 30. And a shielding plate 44c is attached to the end of the expansion portion 44b. This shielding plate 44c is a plate-like member facing the front F surface of the shelf 10. And the air outlet 42 in the present embodiment is a plurality of openings formed in the shielding plate 44c. Each of these plurality of air outlets 42 faces the front F side surface of the shelf 10. Thereby, the air outlet 42 can supply warm air from the front opening 12a of the shelf 10 into the accommodation space 12.

[0021] Note that the number of air outlets 42 in the height direction Z is the same as the number of stages of the accommodation space 12 of the shelf 10 (10). Specifically, the air outlets 42 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the height direction Z. And each air outlet 42 is disposed at substantially the same height as one of the plurality of stages of accommodation spaces 12. That is, in the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment, one air outlet 42 faces the front opening 12a of one accommodation space 12. Thereby, it becomes easy to supply warm air into the accommodation space 12.

[0022] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, four shelves 10 are arranged for one hot air supply duct 44. Specifically, in one hot air supply duct 44, rows of air outlets 42 arranged in the height direction Z are provided in four columns along the width direction X. Each row of these air outlets 42 faces the front opening 12a of the storage space 12 of one shelf 10. And, as shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, four sets of hot air supply ducts 44 are arranged along the width direction X. As a result, hot air can be appropriately supplied to the storage spaces 12 of each of the plurality (16 in FIG. 2) of shelves 10.

[0023] Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the hot air supply duct 44 in this embodiment includes a first duct 44X and a second duct 44Y. Further, the air blower 46 in this embodiment includes a first air blower 46a and a second air blower 46b (see FIG. 2). The first duct 44X is connected to the first air blower 46a. As a result, hot air can be supplied from the first duct 44X to the five air outlets 42 provided on the upper U side in the height direction Z. On the other hand, the second duct 44Y is connected to the second air blower 46b. As a result, hot air can be supplied from the second duct 44Y to the five air outlets 42 provided on the lower D side in the height direction Z.

[0024] In addition, in the present embodiment, a braking plate for reducing the velocity of the warm air blown out from the air outlet 42 is attached. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, in the warm air supply duct 44 in the present embodiment, a converging portion 44d in which the flow path becomes narrower toward the air outlet 42 is formed between each air outlet 42 and the expansion portion 44b. And a first braking plate 49a is attached inside this converging portion 44d. By inclining the first braking plate 49a with respect to the depth direction Y, the velocity of the warm air blown out from the air outlet 42 can be reduced. As a result, the wind speed from each air outlet 42 can be made uniform. Although it will be described in detail later, by reducing the velocity of the warm air with this braking plate, the temperature unevenness in the accommodation space 12 can be more suitably prevented. Further, in the present embodiment, a second braking plate 49b is attached inside the air outlet 42. The second braking plate 49b can adjust the direction of the warm air blown out from the air outlet 42. Thereby, the detailed error in the positional relationship between the air outlet 42 and the shelf 10 can be adjusted.

[0025] (2) Suction port The suction port 43 is provided on the rear Rr side of the shelf 10 and sucks the air inside the accommodation space 12 from the rear opening 10b of the shelf 10. The suction port 43 in the present embodiment is a plurality of openings formed in the rear partition wall 33 of the aging chamber 30. Further, the suction port 43 is connected to the blower 46 via a circulation duct 41 described later. When such a configuration is adopted, when the blower 46 is operated, the inside of the circulation duct 41 becomes a negative pressure. Thereby, air can be sucked from the aging chamber 30 into the circulation duct 41 through the suction port 43. And the suction port 43 faces the rear Rr of the shelf 10. Thereby, the air inside the accommodation space 12 can be sucked from the rear opening 12b.

[0026] Note that, similar to the above-mentioned air outlet 42, the number of the suction ports 43 in the height direction Z is also the same as the number of the stages of the storage space 12 of the shelf 10 (10 pieces). And, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the plurality of suction ports 43 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the height direction Z. And each suction port 43 is arranged at substantially the same height as one of the plurality of stages of the storage space 12. That is, in the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment, one suction port 43 faces the rear opening 12b of one storage space 12. Thereby, the air inside the storage space 12 is easily sucked into the suction port 43. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the rows of the suction ports 43 arranged in the height direction Z are provided in 16 columns along the width direction X. Thereby, air can be more appropriately sucked from the inside of each storage space 12 of the 16 shelves 10.

[0027] Here, as described above, the shelf 10 having the configuration shown in FIG. 1 has a plurality of stages of storage spaces 12 that can accommodate a plurality of containers C (power storage devices D). Thereby, since the progress status of the aging process can be managed for each storage space 12, the aging process for a large number of power storage devices D can be efficiently performed. However, when the power storage device D is accommodated in the shelf 10 having such a configuration, the air permeability in the depth direction Y of the storage space 12 decreases. As a result, when the warm air stays inside the storage space 12, there is a possibility that temperature unevenness occurs in one storage space 12. In this case, when the progress status of the aging process is managed in units of the storage space 12, there is a possibility that variations occur in the effect of the aging process. On the other hand, the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment includes an air outlet 42 that supplies warm air into the storage space 12 and a suction port 43 that sucks air inside the storage space 12. Thereby, the warm air can be appropriately circulated in the storage space 12. As a result, since the temperature unevenness in the storage space 12 can be suppressed, the aging process can be uniformly performed on the plurality of power storage devices D.

[0028] Also, as described above, in the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment, one air outlet 42 is formed so as to face the front opening 12a of one accommodation space 12. Also, one suction port 43 is formed so as to face the rear opening 12b of one accommodation space 12. Thereby, the air outlet 42 and the suction port 43 can be opposed to each other with the accommodation space 12 interposed therebetween. According to such a configuration, since the warm air linearly flows through the accommodation space 12, temperature unevenness due to the stagnation of the warm air can be more suitably suppressed.

[0029] Also, as shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, a braking plate (first braking plate 49a) for reducing the speed of the warm air blown out from the air outlet 42 is attached. And the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment sucks the warm air from the suction port 43 after reducing the speed of the warm air from the air outlet 42. Thereby, since a linear flow of warm air is more likely to occur in the accommodation space 12, temperature unevenness due to the stagnation of the warm air can be more suitably suppressed.

[0030] (3) Circulation duct Also, as described above, the ventilation device 40 in the present embodiment includes a circulation duct 41. The circulation duct 41 is a gas flow path that supplies the air sucked at the suction port 43 to the air outlet 42. As shown in FIG. 1, the circulation duct 41 in the present embodiment is provided outside the aging chamber 30. Specifically, the upstream portion of the circulation duct 41 extends upward U in the height direction Z outside the aging chamber 30 on the rear Rr side of the rear partition wall 33. The upstream portion of the circulation duct 41 is connected to each of the above-described suction ports 43. Thereby, the air in the aging chamber 30 flows into the circulation duct 41 through the suction port 43. And the middle portion of the circulation duct 41 extends forward F in the depth direction Y on the upper U side of the ceiling 36. And the downstream portion of the circulation duct 41 extends downward D in the height direction Z on the front F side of the front partition wall 32. And the end of the circulation duct 41 is connected to the blower 46. According to the circulation duct 41 having such a configuration, the air sucked at the suction port 43 can be supplied to the air outlet 42.

[0031] (4) Heater The heater 45 heats the air inside the circulation duct 41. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the heater 45 is provided in the downstream portion of the circulation duct 41 (the region adjacent to the front partition wall 32). By operating this heater 45, the air in the circulation duct 41 can be heated to a desired temperature (about 50°C to 70°C, preferably about 55°C to 65°C). The specific configuration of the heater 45 is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known heating device (such as a sheathed heater) can be used without particular limitation. Then, the air reheated by the heater 45 is supplied to the air outlet 42 through the blower 46 and the warm air supply duct 44. In this way, by reusing the air sucked in at the suction port 43, the energy cost required for the aging process can be reduced.

[0032] (5) Sensor The sensor 47 is a device that measures the temperature of the air supplied to the air outlet 42. As shown in FIG. 4, in the aging device 1 according to this embodiment, the sensor 47 is attached inside the warm air supply duct 44 (the expansion portion 44b in FIG. 4). Thereby, the temperature of the air immediately before being blown out from the air outlet 42 can be measured. The position of the sensor 47 is not particularly limited as long as it is on the downstream side of the heater 45 and can be changed as appropriate.

[0033] (6) Control device The control device controls the heater 45 based on the measurement results of the sensor 47. This control device is a microcomputer capable of storing programs and performing calculations on external data. The control device in the present embodiment stores a control program for controlling the operation of the heater 45 so that the temperature of the warm air supplied from the air outlet 42 is maintained within a desired range. For example, it is preferable that a heater stop temperature is preset in the control device. Then, the control device compares the measurement results of the sensor 47 (the temperature in the warm air supply duct 44) during the aging process with the heater stop temperature. When the measurement result of the sensor 47 exceeds the heater stop temperature, the heating by the heater 45 is stopped. When the measurement result of the sensor 47 is lower than the heater stop temperature, the control device resumes the heating by the heater 45. Thereby, the temperature of the warm air supplied to the air outlet 42 can be appropriately controlled.

[0034] (7) Cooling means Furthermore, the ventilation device 40 in the present embodiment includes a cooling means 48 for supplying outside air to the circulation duct 41 based on the measurement results of the sensor 47. This cooling means 48 includes a cooling path 48a and an opening / closing mechanism 48b. As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling path 48a in the present embodiment is a gas flow path with one end connected to the circulation duct 41 and the other end open to the outside air. Note that the cooling path 48a in the present embodiment is connected between the heater 45 and the blower 46. On the other hand, the opening / closing mechanism 48b is a valve body provided on the cooling path 48a. By appropriately operating such a cooling means 48 (opening and closing the opening / closing mechanism 48b), it is possible to prevent the warm air from rising excessively with respect to the set temperature. For example, in the control device of the aging device 1 according to the present embodiment, a cooling start temperature higher than the heater stop temperature is set. When the measurement result of the sensor 47 exceeds the cooling start temperature, the control device opens the opening / closing mechanism 48b of the cooling means 48. As a result, outside air is supplied to the circulation duct 41, so that the temperature of the warm air can be reduced early. Also, when introducing outside air into the aging device 1 by the cooling means 48, it is preferable to provide an exhaust means 50 for exhausting the gas inside the device to the outside.

[0035] <Other Embodiments> The above describes one embodiment of the technology disclosed herein. Note that the technology disclosed herein is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes other embodiments with various configurations changed. Hereinafter, other examples of the embodiments of the technology disclosed herein will be described.

[0036] The aging device 1 according to the first embodiment described above includes a circulation duct 41. However, the circulation duct 41 is not an essential configuration of the technology disclosed herein. For example, as another embodiment of the aging device disclosed herein, a configuration in which the warm air sucked in at the suction port is exhausted and new warm air is constantly supplied from the blowout port can be cited. Even when such a configuration is adopted, if there is a blowout port for supplying warm air into the accommodation space and a suction port for sucking air in the accommodation space, the retention of warm air in the accommodation space can be suppressed, so that a uniform aging process can be carried out. Also, the configuration of the mechanism for circulating air through the circulation duct is not limited to the configuration described in the first embodiment. For example, when controlling the operation of the heater by a control device, a timer may be installed instead of the sensor to perform heater control based on time.

[0037] Also, the aging device 1 according to the first embodiment described above includes a brake plate. However, the brake plate is not an essential configuration of the technology disclosed herein. For example, even if the brake plate is not provided, if there are a blowout port and a suction port, the retention of warm air in the accommodation space can be suppressed. Also, without using the brake plate, the speed of the warm air from the blowout port can be reduced. For example, even when controlling the operation of the blower with a control device or the like, the speed of the warm air from the blowout port can be reduced.

[0038] Also, the shelf only needs to have an accommodation space, a front opening, and a rear opening, and other configurations are not particularly limited. That is, the number of shelves (number of support plates) in the aging chamber, the number of stages of the accommodation space, the number of power storage devices that can be placed on the placement plate, etc. can be appropriately changed according to the scale of the aging device.

[0039] Next, in the aging device 1 according to the first embodiment, the stacker crane 20 is arranged behind the shelf 10 at Rr. However, the arrangement position of the stacker crane is not particularly limited. For example, the stacker crane may be arranged in front of the shelf (the side where the air outlet is installed), or may be arranged on both the front and rear sides of the shelf. In other words, the stacker crane may be arranged on at least one of the front and rear sides of the shelf. From the viewpoint of facilitating the supply of warm air into the storage space, it is preferable to arrange the stacker crane 20 behind the shelf 10 at Rr as in the first embodiment.

[0040] Also, the ventilation device 40 in the first embodiment includes a warm air supply duct 44 and a blower 46. However, the ventilation device only needs to be able to supply warm air from the air outlet into the storage space, and is not limited to the configuration described in the first embodiment. For example, even when a gas pressure feeding device such as a compressor is used instead of the blower, warm air can be supplied from the air outlet. Further, in the ventilation device 40 shown in FIG. 1, two warm air supply ducts 44 (the first duct 44X, the second duct 44Y) are connected to two blowers 46 (the first blower 46a, the second blower 46b). However, one blower may be installed for the two warm air supply ducts. However, as in the above first embodiment, providing a blower for each warm air supply duct can stabilize the supply amount of warm air to the air outlet.

[0041] In the first embodiment, the height positions of the accommodation space 12, the air outlet 42, and the air inlet 43 are aligned. However, the height positions of the accommodation space 12, the air outlet 42, and the air inlet 43 do not have to exactly coincide. For example, when the height position of the accommodation space 12 above the container C (power storage device D) is set as 100%, the height position of the air outlet 42 may be set within the range of 80% to 120% (preferably 90% to 110%, more preferably 95% to 105%, still more preferably 98% to 102%, and particularly preferably 99% to 101%). Thereby, warm air can be appropriately supplied from the front opening 12a of the accommodation space 12. On the other hand, compared with the air outlet 42, the deviation in the height position with respect to the accommodation space 12 of the air inlet 43 may be larger. Even in this case, air can be appropriately sucked from the rear opening 12b of the accommodation space 12. For example, when the height position of the accommodation space 12 above the container C (power storage device D) is set as 100%, the height position of the air inlet 43 may be set within the range of 75% to 125% (preferably 80% to 120%, more preferably 90% to 110%).

[0042] Although the technologies disclosed herein have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes of the specific examples exemplified above. That is, the technologies disclosed herein include the forms described in Items 1 to 6 below.

[0043] <Item 1> An aging chamber, A shelf disposed inside the aging chamber, A stacker crane disposed inside the aging chamber for carrying in and out the power storage device with respect to the shelf, A ventilation device that defines the flow of warm air in the aging chamber and comprising, The shelf is, A plurality of accommodation spaces partitioned along the height direction, A front opening provided in front of each of the accommodation spaces in a predetermined depth direction in the aging chamber, A rear opening provided at the rear of each of the accommodation spaces in the depth direction and having, The ventilation device is provided on the front side of the shelf, and has a blowout port for supplying warm air from the front opening of the shelf into the interior of the accommodation space, provided on the rear side of the shelf, and has a suction port for sucking air inside the accommodation space from the rear opening of the shelf An aging device equipped with.

[0044] <Item 2> The aging device according to Item 1, wherein the blowout port and the suction port face each other with the accommodation space therebetween.

[0045] <Item 3> The ventilation device is a circulation duct for supplying the air sucked by the suction port to the blowout port, and a heater for heating the air inside the circulation duct The aging device according to Item 1 or 2, further comprising.

[0046] <Item 4> The ventilation device is a sensor for measuring the temperature of the air supplied to the blowout port, and a control device for controlling the heater based on the measurement result of the sensor The aging device according to Item 3, further comprising.

[0047] <Item 5> The ventilation device according to Item 4, further comprising a cooling means for supplying outside air to the circulation duct based on the measurement result of the sensor.

[0048] <Item 6> The ventilation device according to any one of Items 1 to 5, comprising a braking plate for reducing the speed of the warm air blown out from the blowout port.

Explanation of Signs

[0049] 1: Aging device 10: Shelf 10b: Rear opening 12: Accommodation space 12a: Front opening 12b: Rear opening 14: Support plate 14a: Support protrusion 16: Placing plate 20: Stacker crane 21: Device gripping mechanism 22: Z-axis drive mechanism 23: Guide shaft 24: Rail 25: X-axis drive mechanism 30: Aging chamber 31: Floor 32: Front partition 33: Rear partition 34: Right partition 35: Left partition 36: Ceiling 40: Ventilation device 41: Circulation duct 42: Air outlet 43: Suction port 44: Warm air supply duct 44X: First duct 44Y: Second duct 44a: Air supply path 44b: Expansion part 44c: Shielding plate 44d: Converging part 45: Heater 46: Blower 47: Sensor 48: Cooling means 48a: Cooling path 48b: Opening / closing mechanism 49a: First brake plate 49b: Second brake plate 50: Exhaust means D: Energy storage device

Claims

1. An aging chamber, a shelf disposed inside the aging chamber, a stacker crane disposed inside the aging chamber for carrying in and out a power storage device with respect to the shelf, and a ventilation device for defining a flow of warm air in the aging chamber are provided. The shelf has a plurality of storage spaces partitioned along the height direction, a front opening provided in front of each of the storage spaces in a predetermined depth direction in the aging chamber, and a rear opening provided behind each of the storage spaces in the depth direction and has. The ventilation device is provided on the front side of the shelf, and has a blowout port for supplying warm air from the front opening of the shelf into the storage space, and is provided on the rear side of the shelf, and has a suction port for sucking air inside the storage space from the rear opening of the shelf and is provided with an aging device.

2. The aging device according to claim 1, wherein the blowout port and the suction port face each other with the storage space therebetween.

3. The ventilation device further includes a circulation duct that supplies the air sucked by the suction port to the blowout port, and a heater that heats the air inside the circulation duct and is the aging device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The ventilation device further includes a sensor that measures the temperature of the air supplied to the blowout port, and a control device that controls the heater based on the measurement result of the sensor and is the aging device according to claim 3.

5. The aging device according to claim 4, wherein the ventilation device further includes a cooling means for supplying outside air to the circulation duct based on the measurement result of the sensor.

6. The aging device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ventilation device includes a braking plate for reducing the speed of the warm air blown out from the blowout port.

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