Reconstituted Battery Pack Using Charge Amount Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Secondary batteries in battery packs for electric vehicles or hybrid electric vehicles often fail due to environmental and characteristic differences, leading to system failures, and existing methods for replacing defective batteries do not effectively address the challenge of reusing usable secondary batteries from discarded packs.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing a reconstituted battery pack by obtaining reference-time charge amounts for used secondary batteries, selecting batteries with similar charge amounts, and assembling them into a new pack, with a charged-state control device managing the SOC to prevent overcharge or overdischarge, ensuring optimal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If used secondary batteries with large characteristic differences are combined to produce a battery pack, then the quantity of usable batteries increases, but overcharge or overdischarge occurs and performance cannot be exhibited sufficiently
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by measuring and evaluating individual characteristics of each used secondary battery (charge amount, capacity, internal resistance) and assigning batteries to specific positions or groups within the battery pack based on their unique properties. This ensures that batteries with compatible characteristics are grouped together, preventing overcharge/overdischarge issues while maximizing the utilization of available used batteries.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes parameters by measuring multiple electrical parameters (charge amount, capacity, internal resistance) of each used battery and using these parameter variations to select and combine batteries. By establishing selection criteria based on parameter ranges and differences, the system can accommodate a larger quantity of used batteries with varying characteristics while maintaining reliable performance through controlled parameter matching.
2Reliability
If secondary batteries are replaced when defective, then system reliability is maintained, but usable batteries are discarded and resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements discarding and recovering by collecting used secondary batteries from scrapped vehicles and recovering those that remain functional. Instead of discarding entire battery packs when one battery fails, the system recovers and reuses individual usable batteries by evaluating their remaining capacity and characteristics, thereby reducing resource waste while maintaining system reliability through selective replacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies self-service by enabling the battery management system to automatically evaluate the state of used batteries, identify suitable candidates for reuse, and configure them into new battery packs without requiring complete replacement. This self-evaluation and self-configuration capability reduces the need for external intervention and maximizes the utilization of recovered battery resources.
3Use of energy by moving object
If new secondary batteries are charged to full capacity, then maximum energy storage is achieved, but charge amount differences between batteries increase leading to performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial or excessive action by intentionally charging new secondary batteries to less than full capacity (specifically 5% to 20% less than other batteries) when replacing defective batteries. This partial charging action prevents excessive charge amount differences between new and existing batteries, thereby maintaining charge uniformity and preventing performance degradation while still achieving sufficient energy storage capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A reconstituted battery pack producing method comprises an obtaining process for obtaining, by use of one of a first charged-state control device having ever controlled a charged state of a used battery pack when it was used before and a second charged-state control device arranged to control the charged state of the used battery pack as with the first charged-state control device, a reference-time charge amount charged in each used secondary battery constituting the used battery pack; a selecting process for selecting more than one of the used secondary batteries close to each other in the reference-time charge amount from a group of the used secondary batteries whose reference-time charge amounts have been obtained; and an assembling process for combining and assembling the selected used secondary batteries into a new reconstituted battery pack.