Reconditioned Battery Pack Assembly Through Cell Grading and Matching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Rechargeable battery packs used in automotive applications degrade due to cell reversal, limiting their capacity and requiring disposal, despite some cells still having usable life, leading to material wastage and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A method to recycle and recondition battery units by testing, grading, and matching them based on performance characteristics to form replacement battery packs, using a battery unit grading and matching system that collects and processes data during a single discharge cycle to ensure compatible performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If battery packs are disposed of when degraded, then reliability is maintained, but loss of substance increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies discarding and recovering by collecting degraded battery packs, extracting functional battery units from them, and reusing these units in new battery packs. This process recovers valuable battery materials and extends the lifecycle of degraded units while maintaining reliability standards through systematic testing and matching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming degraded battery units with varying performance characteristics into functional components of new battery packs. Through testing, grading, and matching processes, units with different capacity, voltage, and internal resistance parameters are selectively combined to create balanced pack configurations that meet reliability requirements.
2Loss of substance
If degraded battery units are reused, then loss of substance decreases and productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the battery pack into individual battery units that can be independently tested, graded, and matched. This segmentation allows for systematic processing of degraded packs, where units are evaluated based on specific performance parameters and reconfigured into new packs, managing complexity through modular organization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies feedback through a comprehensive testing and grading system that measures battery unit performance parameters (capacity, voltage, internal resistance) and uses this data to make informed matching decisions. The feedback loop ensures that only compatible units are combined, maintaining reliability while managing the complexity of the recycling process through data-driven selection.
3Loss of time
If battery units are tested and matched during a single discharge cycle, then time is reduced, but measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing comprehensive testing and measurement of battery unit performance parameters during a single discharge cycle before the units are matched and assembled into new packs. This preliminary characterization of capacity, voltage, and internal resistance enables efficient matching without requiring multiple testing cycles, reducing time while maintaining measurement precision through upfront data collection.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of recycling battery packs having a plurality of battery units is disclosed. The battery units have positive and negative terminals combined with each other and are supported within a housing. The battery units are separated from battery packs subsequent to the one or more battery packs being judged as being degraded. Each of the battery units is tested with a battery test stand having a fixed resistance load to obtain battery operating data indicative of variable voltage and variable current. The battery units are matched based on the battery operating data to form sets of matching battery units. And, replacement battery packs are formed by connecting positive and negative terminals of the matching battery cells within the sets.