JP2002313438A - Battery, and method for determination of deterioration of the same battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve problems in a method for determination of deterioration of a battery, especially a lead-acid battery, by discharging at a constant current wherein there are two method for measuring time till reaching a prescribed voltage and measuring inner resistance, and the former is complicated because of removing, combined batteries, carrying a constant current, and measuring time by preparing a device, and the latter is lack in reliability by the dispersion of internal resistance of electrolyte, electrodes, terminal parts, etc. SOLUTION: In this method, a battery has an easily deformable member 3 by which deterioration of the battery 2 can be determined on an outer part of a battery jar 1. The easily deformable member 3 is formed of metal, resin, glass, paint, etc., that is easily deformed corresponding to deformation of the battery jar 1. As the battery jar 1 is expanded corresponding to elongation of a positive electrode grid, cracking or rupture is generated, thereby deterioration of the battery 2 can be determined.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a battery and a method for judging deterioration of the battery.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art One of the biggest causes of deterioration in a battery, for example, a lead-acid battery is elongation of a positive electrode grid. The positive electrode plate is obtained by coating a positive electrode grid made of a lead alloy with a paste mainly containing a lead compound and acting as a positive electrode active material. The positive electrode active material changes from lead dioxide to lead sulfate during discharging, and changes from lead sulfate to lead dioxide during charging. By repeating the charge and discharge, the volume of the positive electrode active material changes, and the positive electrode lattice is expanded. When the positive electrode grid is elongated, the adhesion between the grid and the active material is reduced, the amount of the available positive electrode active material is reduced, and the battery capacity is reduced and the life is shortened.

As a method for determining the deterioration of a battery, there are a method of discharging one battery at a constant current and measuring a time until a terminal voltage falls to a specified voltage, and a method of measuring internal resistance between terminals.

The method of measuring the time for discharging at a constant current (this is referred to as the battery capacity) is highly reliable because the actual battery capacity is measured. However, it is necessary to remove the battery from the battery pack of the battery facility, and a device for discharging the battery at a constant current and measuring the time is also required.

The method of measuring the internal resistance between the terminals can be measured without removing the battery from the battery pack of the battery equipment, and the determination device is lightweight and inexpensive. However, the internal resistance is caused by changes in the resistance of many lead components including the electrolyte, electrodes, and terminals, and the variation is large even with the same type of battery. The causality is unclear and unreliable. In addition, since the value of the internal resistance, which is regarded as the life, differs depending on the type of battery, a determination table is required.

[0006]

In the prior art, a measuring device is required to detect the deterioration of a battery, and a device having both simplicity and reliability in measurement is required.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of forming a positive electrode grid which can be visually and immediately understood by a person who has no knowledge of a battery without requiring any measuring device, and which is caused by expansion of an active material which is the biggest factor of battery deterioration. It is an object of the present invention to provide a battery having a configuration capable of easily determining the deterioration state of the battery by determining elongation, and a method for determining the battery.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electrode plate group including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, and a separator, which is inserted into a battery case. 1 shows a battery provided with an easily deformable member that deforms the visual state in response to the deformation of the battery case in response to the deformation of the battery case.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the battery having the structure of the first aspect, the easily deformable member is a metal piece.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is directed to a battery having the structure of claim 1, wherein the easily deformable member is formed of a resin piece.

The invention according to claim 4 of the present invention is directed to a battery having the structure of claim 1, wherein the easily deformable member is made of a piece of glass.

Further, the invention according to claim 5 of the present invention shows that in the battery having the structure of claim 1, the easily deformable member is made of paint.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the battery having the configuration of the first aspect, the easily deformable member has a mirror-finished surface.

The invention according to claim 7 of the present invention provides:
A battery deterioration determination method for determining a deterioration degree of the battery according to a change in a visual state of the easy-to-change member provided in the battery having the configuration of claim 1 to 6 is shown.

[0015]

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a battery according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

An electrode group consisting of a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator is housed in a battery case 1 to constitute a battery 2. In the present invention, the easily deformable member 3 is mounted on the side surface of the battery case 1. This easily deformable member 3 responds to the deformation of the container side,
This member is easily deformed by the deformation.

The easily deformable member 3 is preferably a metal piece, a resin piece, or a glass piece, and is fixed to the battery case at least at two points near both ends. FIG. 2 shows the state of the section taken along the line AA ′ shown in FIG. When the battery deteriorates and the positive grid expands, the battery case 1 is also expanded. The easily deformable member 3 is subjected to a tensile force in the thickness direction, that is, the outside of the battery case 1, and a compressive force is applied in the opposite direction to the inside. Therefore, the easily deformable member 3 causes a state deformation such as a crack or a break at a certain stress value. Therefore, the rate of expansion of the battery case 1 can be determined by cracking or breaking of the easily deformable member 3.
The main cause of the expansion of the battery case 1 is expansion of the positive electrode grid. Since the elongation of the positive electrode grid is the largest factor of battery deterioration, there is a correlation between the rate of battery deterioration and the elongation of the positive electrode grid. Deterioration of the battery can be determined by determining the stress value at which the easily deformable member breaks from the rate of elongation of the positive electrode grid at the end of battery life. The breaking stress value can be changed depending on the material, length, thickness, fixing position and number of the easily deformable member. If a mirror-like member that undergoes plastic deformation is used as the easily deformable member 3, the mirror surface changes from a flat surface as shown in FIG. 2A to a convex surface as shown in FIG. Therefore, by visually recognizing the visual change of the mirror image reflected on the mirror surface, the deformation of the battery case 1 can be easily confirmed.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 shows a battery 2 of the present invention in which the electrode group according to Embodiment 2 is housed in a battery case 1a.
It is a perspective view which shows a.

The battery 2a of the present invention forms a coating film 3a instead of the easily deformable member 3 mounted on the side of the battery case of the battery 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG.

As the battery 2a deteriorates, the side surface of the battery case 1a becomes convex, and the coating film 3a is spread out, causing a crack on the surface and causing a visual change. Therefore, by checking the surface condition of the coating film 3a, the rate of expansion of the battery case 1a can be determined. The main cause of the expansion of the battery case 1a is expansion of the positive electrode grid. Since the elongation of the positive electrode grid is the largest cause of battery deterioration, there is a correlation between the battery deterioration and the rate of elongation of the positive electrode grid. Deterioration of the battery can be determined by determining the stress value at which the paint cracks from the percentage of elongation of the positive electrode grid at the end of battery life. The stress value causing the crack can be changed depending on the material of the paint, the length to be applied, and the thickness to be applied.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a battery provided with an easily deformable member that changes its state in response to the deformation of the battery case according to the deformation of the battery case and a method for determining the deterioration of the battery are provided by the present invention. Even a person who has no knowledge of the battery can visually determine only the elongation of the positive electrode plate, which is the biggest factor of battery deterioration, and can realize an excellent battery and a deterioration determination method.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a battery according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of the battery.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a battery according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 1a battery case 2, 2a battery 3 easily deformable member 3a coating film

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5H011 AA00 AA09 CC02 CC05 CC06 DD12 5H028 AA01 BB11 EE01 EE04 EE06 EE10 5H030 AA08 AS20 FF51 FF69

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An electrode plate group comprising a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator is inserted into a battery case, and an easily deformable member which is deformed according to the deformation of the battery case is mounted outside the battery case. Battery. 2. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the easily deformable member is a metal piece. 3. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the easily deformable member is a resin piece. 4. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the easily deformable member is a piece of glass. 5. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the easily deformable member is a paint. 6. The battery according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the easily deformable member is a mirror surface. 7. A battery according to claim 1, wherein said easily deformable member is provided with a deformable visual state.
A battery determination method, wherein a degree of deterioration of the battery is determined.