JP2010101706A - Method and apparatus for diagnosing deterioration of secondary battery - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To diagnose deterioration of secondary batteries being mutually different in transmittability for an ultrasonic wave. <P>SOLUTION: A method is provided, which includes: a changeover step of changing over from a sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated by an ultrasonic oscillator, to a previously set sound pressure level; an applying step of oscillating the ultrasonic wave at the changed sound pressure level and applying it to the secondary batteries; a reception step of receiving the ultrasonic wave by using an ultrasonic wave receiver; a calculation step of applying a data processing to a reception signal of the ultrasonic wave output by the ultrasonic wave receiver, and calculating a feature value of the reception signal; a read-out step of alternatively reading out the reception signal feature value of the ultrasonic wave related to a rated capacity secondary battery whose type is the same as that of the secondary battery being a diagnosis object, from a data table; and a diagnosis step of diagnosing the deterioration of the secondary battery by comparing the reception signal feature value of the ultrasonic wave related to the rated capacity secondary battery being read out, with the reception signal feature value of the ultrasonic wave related to the secondary battery being calculated by above calculation step. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a secondary battery deterioration diagnosis method and apparatus.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses a secondary battery deterioration diagnosis method as follows. First, an ultrasonic wave is applied to the secondary battery to be diagnosed by the ultrasonic oscillator 3, and the ultrasonic wave transmitted through the battery is received by the ultrasonic wave receiver 4 attached to the outside of the battery. Then, the deterioration of the secondary battery is diagnosed based on the received ultrasonic waves. With such a method, it is possible to easily diagnose deterioration without charging and discharging the secondary battery to be diagnosed.
JP 2005-291832 A

  In general, ultrasonic waves that can be measured by the ultrasonic receiver 4 have a certain width in sound pressure level. This is because if the sound pressure level at the time of reception is too high, the output signal will be saturated, and if the sound pressure level at the time of reception is too low, the ultrasound itself cannot be received and measurement is not possible in this case. .

On the other hand, the ease of passing ultrasonic waves to the battery differs depending on the internal structure and rated capacity (size) of the battery to be diagnosed. For example, since a battery with a small capacity has a small battery size and a short ultrasonic transmission distance, the ultrasonic wave can easily pass (the attenuation inside the battery is small). On the other hand, in a large-capacity battery, since the battery size is large and the transmission distance of ultrasonic waves is long, ultrasonic waves are difficult to pass (attenuation inside the battery is increased). Therefore, if the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave at the time of oscillation is kept constant, the sound pressure level at the time of reception becomes too high due to the ease of passing the ultrasonic wave to the battery, and the received signal is saturated, On the other hand, the sound pressure level at the time of reception may be too low to be received.
The present invention has been completed based on the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable deterioration diagnosis of secondary batteries having different ease of passing ultrasonic waves.

  The present invention is a method for diagnosing deterioration of a secondary battery, wherein ultrasonic waves having a sound pressure level set in advance according to the ease of passing ultrasonic waves are applied to the secondary battery, and the interior of the secondary battery is advanced. Each feature value calculated by processing each received signal obtained by performing ultrasonic detection operation for receiving ultrasonic waves reaching the battery outer wall for each rated capacity secondary battery with different ease of passing ultrasonic waves Is a deterioration diagnosis method for diagnosing deterioration of a secondary battery using a data table having as a data, the sound of ultrasonic waves oscillated from an ultrasonic oscillator attached outside the secondary battery to be diagnosed A switching step of switching the pressure level to the sound pressure level set in advance according to the ease of passing ultrasonic waves to the secondary battery, and oscillating ultrasonic waves at the switched sound pressure level to apply to the secondary battery The application step and the diagnosis target A reception step of receiving an ultrasonic wave that travels through the secondary battery and reaches the outer wall of the battery by an ultrasonic receiver attached outside the secondary battery; and a reception signal of the ultrasonic wave that is output from the ultrasonic receiver. The calculation step of calculating the feature value of the received signal by data processing and the feature value of the ultrasonic received signal related to the rated capacity secondary battery of the same type as the secondary battery to be diagnosed are selected from the data table. Comparing the readout step of reading out, the feature amount of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the read rated capacity secondary battery, and the feature amount of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the secondary battery calculated in the calculation step By doing so, it has a diagnostic step of diagnosing deterioration of the secondary battery to be diagnosed.

  The present invention is a secondary battery deterioration diagnosis device, which is attached to the outside of a secondary battery to be diagnosed, and generates an ultrasonic wave to be applied to the secondary battery, and the ultrasonic wave Switching means for switching the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the oscillator, and ultrasonic reception that is attached outside the secondary battery to be diagnosed and receives the ultrasonic wave that travels through the secondary battery and reaches the outer wall of the battery And a calculation means for calculating the characteristic amount of the received signal by processing the ultrasonic received signal output from the ultrasonic receiver, and depending on the ease of passing ultrasonic waves to the secondary battery Applying ultrasonic waves at a preset sound pressure level and receiving ultrasonic waves that travel through the secondary battery and reach the battery outer wall, each rated capacity secondary that has different easiness of passing ultrasonic waves Each received signal obtained for the battery From the storage unit storing a data table having each feature amount calculated as data, and the data table stored in the storage unit, the super capacity related to the rated capacity secondary battery of the same type as the secondary battery to be diagnosed Readout means for selectively reading out the feature quantity of the received signal of the sound wave, the feature quantity of the received signal of the ultrasonic wave related to the read out rated capacity secondary battery, and the secondary battery to be diagnosed calculated by the calculation means And a diagnostic means for diagnosing deterioration of the secondary battery to be diagnosed by comparing with the feature amount of the received signal of the ultrasonic wave.

  In the present invention, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator is switched according to the ease of passing the ultrasonic wave to the secondary battery to be diagnosed. For example, for a small-capacity secondary battery that can easily pass ultrasonic waves, the ultrasonic sound pressure level at the time of oscillation is switched to a low level, so the ultrasonic sound pressure level at the time of reception increases. Not too much. For high-capacity secondary batteries, etc., where ultrasonic waves are difficult to pass, the ultrasonic sound pressure level at the time of oscillation is switched to a high level, so the ultrasonic sound pressure level during reception is low. Not too much. Therefore, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave at the time of reception becomes a constant sound pressure level suitable for measurement regardless of the degree of ease of passing the ultrasonic wave to the battery.

  In the present invention, there is provided a data table in which the characteristic amount is obtained for each battery type (easiness of passing ultrasonic waves), and when diagnosing deterioration of the secondary battery to be diagnosed, Therefore, the feature amount reading about the rated capacity secondary battery of the same type as that of the battery type is made and compared with that of the secondary battery to be diagnosed (feature amount). For this reason, diagnosis errors due to mismatching conditions (such as comparing feature quantities of batteries that are easy to pass ultrasonic waves with those that are difficult to pass) are almost eliminated, and highly reliable diagnosis results can be obtained.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the following configuration is preferable.
-In the data table, a relational expression indicating the correspondence between the size of the feature amount and the rated capacity ratio is stored for each secondary battery with different ease of passing ultrasonic waves, and each stored in the data table is stored. The relational expression corresponding to the secondary battery to be diagnosed is read out from the relational expression, and the diagnosis target is based on the feature quantity of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the secondary battery to be diagnosed and the read relational expression. The ratio of the secondary battery to the rated capacity is determined, and the deterioration of the secondary battery to be diagnosed is diagnosed from the determined ratio of the rated capacity. With this method, it is possible to display the rated capacity ratio together with the deterioration diagnosis result.

・ The ultrasonic oscillator and the ultrasonic receiver are placed facing each other so that the ultrasonic wave is transmitted vertically to the electrode in the battery with respect to the secondary battery to be diagnosed, and the ultrasonic oscillation is performed. In a device that oscillates an ultrasonic wave containing a plurality of frequency components from a child and applies it to a secondary battery to be diagnosed, Fourier transform is performed on the received signal of the ultrasonic wave to obtain power spectrum data, and the obtained power spectrum data The total power value of the ultrasonic wave calculated from is used as the feature amount. According to the applicant, since there is a strong correlation between the degree of deterioration of the battery and the total value of the power spectrum, if the total value of the power spectrum is calculated as the feature amount of the received signal, the battery It becomes possible to more accurately diagnose the deterioration of.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, a deterioration diagnosis is attained about the secondary battery from which the ease of passing an ultrasonic wave differs.

<Embodiment 1>
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
1. Principle of Diagnosis of Secondary Battery Degradation The present invention is more than a secondary battery B to be diagnosed (such as a lead storage battery having an electrode E in which a battery active material is attached to a grid-like current collector having a rating of about 100 Ah) B Applying sound waves from outside, performing ultrasonic detection operation to receive ultrasonic waves that pass through the battery and reach the outer wall of the battery, and diagnose deterioration of the secondary battery based on the received ultrasonic signal Sr It is.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 1, for a lead storage battery B to be diagnosed, an ultrasonic oscillator 3 is attached to one side surface of the outer wall of the lead storage battery B, and an ultrasonic receiver 4 is attached to the other side surface of the other outer wall. Install it. Then, ultrasonic waves having a plurality of frequency components are applied from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 to the battery B, and ultrasonic waves that reach the outer wall of the battery while being transmitted perpendicularly to the electrode E in the battery are received by the ultrasonic receiver 4. Receive.

  Thereby, for example, a reception signal Sr as shown in FIG. 2 is output from the ultrasonic receiver 4. FIG. 3 shows the power spectrum data (power distribution for each frequency component) of the received signal Sr calculated by Fourier transforming the received signal Sr of FIG. 2 output from the ultrasonic receiver 4.

  Thus, the power spectrum data of the received signal Sr obtained shows a strong correlation with the deterioration of the battery. Specifically, the data of FIG. 3 is the power spectrum data of a lead storage battery in a deteriorated state (lead storage battery with a reduced rated capacity ratio), and the data of FIG. 4 is an undegraded lead storage battery (to rated capacity ratio). Is a power spectrum data of a lead storage battery that is nearly 100%.

  As is clear from comparison between FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the power (strength) of each spectrum tends to increase as the deterioration of the lead storage battery B proceeds. This tendency is indicated by the fact that as the battery deteriorates, the electrode E collapses inside the battery or a part of the active material is peeled off, so that ultrasonic waves easily pass through the battery. Because it is considered to be.

  And about the same kind lead acid battery B from which a to-rated capacity ratio differs, when the test which measures power spectrum data was each performed, the to-rated capacity ratio and the ultrasonic power total value (area of the area | region shown in gray in FIG. 5) ) Has a substantially proportional relationship and can be expressed by a correlation line 2 (relational expression 2) as shown in FIG.

  From the above, if the ultrasonic detection operation described above is performed on the lead storage battery to be diagnosed, and the power sum value is obtained from the power spectrum data of the obtained ultrasound, the obtained power sum value and the correlation line 2 in FIG. Based on the above, it is possible to calculate the ratio of the lead storage battery B to the rated capacity, thereby diagnosing deterioration. For example, in the case where the threshold value is set to the rated capacity ratio of 90%, if the ultrasonic power total value related to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed is “−29000 dB”, as shown in FIG. The rated capacity ratio is “about 93%”, which exceeds the threshold value “90%”. At this time, it is determined that “deterioration has not occurred”. Also, assuming that the total power value of the ultrasonic wave related to the lead storage battery to be diagnosed is “−27000 dB”, as shown in FIG. 6, the rated capacity ratio is “about 86%”, which is the threshold value “ Since it is less than “90%”, it is determined that “deteriorated” at this time.

  Now, in general, ultrasonic waves that can be measured by the ultrasonic receiver 4 have a certain range in sound pressure level. If the sound pressure level at the time of reception is too high, the output received signal is saturated. Also, if the sound pressure level at the time of reception is too low, the ultrasonic wave itself cannot be received, and in this case, measurement is not possible.

  On the other hand, the ease with which ultrasonic waves pass through the battery varies depending on the capacity of the battery (the size of the rated capacity). In a small-capacity battery, the battery size itself is small, and the ultrasonic transmission distance (distance from the oscillator 3 to the receiver 4) L is shortened. Further, in a large capacity battery, the battery size itself is large and the transmission distance L is long, so that ultrasonic waves are naturally difficult to pass.

  Therefore, if the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave at the time of oscillation is fixed to a constant value, depending on the battery, the sound pressure level at the time of reception becomes too high and the received signal becomes saturated, or vice versa. However, the sound pressure level at the time of reception may be too low to be received.

  In view of this point, in the present embodiment, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated by the ultrasonic oscillator 3 is switched according to the capacity of the battery (easy to pass ultrasonic waves to the battery). Specifically, for small-capacity batteries that are expected to have a high sound pressure level at the time of reception, the ultrasonic sound pressure level at the time of oscillation is set to a low level in advance. For a large-capacity battery that is expected to have a low sound pressure level, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave during oscillation is set to a high level in advance.

  In this way, the ultrasonic sound pressure level at the time of reception becomes a constant sound pressure level suitable for measurement, even if the ultrasonic wave passing through the battery is different. It becomes possible to diagnose the deterioration of lead acid batteries having different easiness of passing sound waves.

  Moreover, it is preferable to perform an ultrasonic detection operation for each capacity of the lead storage battery B and to obtain a correlation line indicating the relationship between the above-described rated capacity ratio and the total power value of the ultrasonic wave. . When calculating the ratio of the rated capacity to the rated capacity in the deterioration diagnosis process, it is preferable to use a correlation line corresponding to the lead storage battery B having the capacity. This is because, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, when the battery capacity is different, the slope of the correlation line and the value of the intercept change correspondingly. In the ultrasonic detection operation performed to obtain the correlation line, it is of course possible to perform the ultrasonic sound pressure level at the time of oscillation at a sound pressure level set in advance according to the ease of passing the ultrasonic wave. is necessary.

2. Configuration of Deterioration Diagnosis Device Next, the deterioration diagnosis device 10 that realizes the above-described deterioration diagnosis method will be described. Here, there are three types of batteries as a diagnostic target: a small-capacity lead-acid battery, a medium-capacity lead-acid battery, and a large-capacity lead-acid battery, and three patterns of correlation lines corresponding to these batteries (FIGS. 6 to 6). It is assumed that a data table (shown in FIG. 9) having, as data, three patterns of relational expressions 1 to 3 obtained by replacing 8) with mathematical expressions is stored in advance in the storage unit 70 described later.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the deterioration diagnosis device 10 is mainly configured by an ultrasonic oscillator 3, an ultrasonic receiver 4, and a processing device 50.

  As the ultrasonic oscillator 3, for example, a piezoelectric element can be used. The ultrasonic oscillator 3 is connected to the sound source generator 20 via an amplifier (power amplifier) 41. As shown in FIG. 11, the sound generator 20 according to the present embodiment includes a 42-stage M-sequence shift register 21, a low-pass filter 23, and a preamplifier 25.

  The 42-stage M-series shift register 21 has a function of generating a pseudo binary signal. The low-pass filter 23 has a cutoff frequency set to 500 kHz, and has a function of suppressing signals in a band exceeding the cutoff frequency. The preamplifier 25 is composed of two amplifiers A and an attenuator 27.

  Then, the pseudo binary signal generated by the 42-stage M-sequence shift register 21 is passed through the low-pass filter 23, so that the white noise wave (electricity is normally distributed in amplitude and flat in frequency characteristics (1 kHz to 500 kHz)). Signal). The white noise wave (hereinafter simply referred to as noise wave) is then amplified to a predetermined voltage level by the preamplifier 25.

  The noise wave (electric signal) amplified to a predetermined voltage level by the preamplifier 25 is amplified again through the amplifier 41 and input to the ultrasonic oscillator 3. Thereby, the ultrasonic oscillator 3 is driven and an ultrasonic wave including a frequency component up to 500 kHz is oscillated.

  A changeover switch (manually operated rotary operator) 30 shown in FIG. 10 switches the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3. That is, when the changeover switch 30 is operated, the changeover signal St is output to the attenuator 27 constituting the preamplifier 25, and the attenuation amount of the signal is automatically changed over by the attenuator 27.

  As a result, the voltage level of the noise wave (electrical signal) sent to the ultrasonic oscillator 3 and the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 are switched.

  As already described, the degradation diagnosis apparatus 10 of the present embodiment assumes three types of diagnosis targets: a small-capacity lead storage battery, a medium-capacity lead storage battery, and a large-capacity lead storage battery. Attenuation (1/2, 1/4, 1/20), and by extension, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave is switched to three levels (sound pressure level 1 to sound pressure level 3).

  The ultrasonic receiver 4 is made of, for example, a piezoelectric element, and has a function of receiving an ultrasonic wave and outputting a reception signal Sr corresponding to the wavelength, amplitude, and frequency of the ultrasonic wave. The output side of the ultrasonic receiver 4 is connected to an A / D converter 60 provided in the processing device 50 via an amplifier 45. Accordingly, the ultrasonic reception signal Sr output from the ultrasonic receiver 4 is amplified by the amplifier 45 and then converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 60.

  The processing device 50 includes a storage unit 70, a CPU 80, an input / output unit 90, and the like. The storage unit 70 stores a program executed when the CPU 80 performs various arithmetic processes, and a data table DT. The data table DT has already been described, and as shown in FIG. 9, the relational expression and the sound pressure level are stored in association with each battery type.

The CPU 80 controls the entire processing device 50, and is roughly divided into the following four functions.
(1) Calculation function (2) Reading function (3) Diagnosis function (4) Display control function

  The calculation function is that the received signal Sr converted into a digital value is subjected to Fourier transform (FFT) to obtain ultrasonic power spectrum data, and the ultrasonic power total value (power spectrum value) is calculated from the obtained power spectrum data. This is a function for calculating an integral value. Incidentally, the processing function performed by the calculation means of the present invention by the calculation function performed by the CPU 80, that is, “the received ultrasonic signal output from the ultrasonic receiver is subjected to data processing (in this case, FFT, integral calculation, etc.). “A feature amount (here, power sum value) of the received signal is calculated” is realized.

  The read function is a function for accessing the data table DT and reading a relational expression corresponding to the type of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed. The processing function performed by the reading means of the present invention is realized by the reading function performed by the CPU 80.

  The diagnostic function calculates the relative capacity ratio of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed on the basis of the calculated ultrasonic power total value and the read relational expression, and the relative rating set as a threshold value. This is a function for diagnosing whether or not the lead storage battery to be diagnosed has deteriorated by comparing with the capacity ratio. The processing function performed by the diagnostic means of the present invention is realized by the diagnostic function performed by the CPU 80.

  The display control function is a function for controlling the display content of the display unit 95 connected to the input / output unit 90. In this embodiment, under the control of the CPU 80, a guidance display required at the start of measurement is displayed on the display unit 95 together with a diagnosis result (presence / absence of deterioration) after the measurement is completed. It has become.

  A user interface 93 is electrically connected to the input / output unit 90. The user interface 93 is a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, and can be used to input conditions necessary for diagnosis such as the type and threshold value of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed.

3. Diagnosis Operation Next, a specific diagnosis operation performed using the deterioration diagnosis apparatus 10 configured as described above will be described. In the following description, it is assumed that the ultrasonic oscillator 3 and the ultrasonic receiver 4 are attached to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed in the state shown in FIG.

  When the degradation diagnosis apparatus 10 is turned on to start diagnosis, the apparatus is activated. Then, display control by the CPU 80 is performed, and the following display is made on the display screen of the display unit 95.

(A) Display for prompting selection of battery type (small capacity, medium capacity, large capacity) to be diagnosed (b) Display for prompting input of threshold value

  Here, the description will be made assuming that “medium capacity” is selected as the battery type by the user, and the threshold is set to “ratio to rated capacity 90%”. The selection of the battery type and the setting of the threshold value can both be performed by the user interface 93.

  When the battery type is selected and the threshold value is set, the CPU 80 stores the input threshold value data in the storage unit 70 and accesses the data table DT to obtain the “sound pressure corresponding to the selected battery type. Processing to read “level” is performed. As a result, “sound pressure level 2” corresponding to “medium capacity” is read out.

  When the “sound pressure level” corresponding to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed is read, the CPU 80 displays the “switch 30 on the display screen of the display unit 95 so that the user can switch the“ sound pressure level ”. "Please switch the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave to sound pressure level 2 by operating".

  When the above display is displayed, the changeover switch 30 is operated to adjust the “sound pressure level” to “2”. When this is done, the changeover signal St is input to the attenuator 27. Then, the attenuation amount of the signal is automatically switched by the attenuator 27 so that the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 becomes “sound pressure level 2” (switching step).

  When the sound pressure level switching operation is completed, the start switch displayed on the display screen of the display unit 95 may be operated. When this operation is performed, the sound generator 20 is activated. Thereby, an ultrasonic wave of “sound pressure level 2” is oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 and applied to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed (application step).

  The ultrasonic wave applied to the lead storage battery B passes through the battery and is received by the ultrasonic receiver 4 attached to the outer wall on the opposite side. Then, a reception signal Sr corresponding to the wavelength, amplitude, and frequency of the received ultrasonic wave is output from the ultrasonic receiver 4 (reception step).

  The output ultrasonic reception signal Sr is amplified by the amplifier 45 and then taken into the processing device 50. Then, it is converted into a digital signal by an A / D converter 60 provided in the processing device 50. Thereafter, in the processing device 50, the CPU 80 obtains ultrasonic power spectrum data by performing Fourier transform (FFT) on the received reception signal Sr, and further calculates the ultrasonic power total value from the obtained power spectrum data. (Calculation step).

  When the ultrasonic power total value is calculated, the CPU 80 subsequently accesses the data table DT and performs a process of reading a relational expression corresponding to the type of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed. Here, since the diagnosis target is the “medium capacity” lead storage battery B, “Relational Expression 2” is read from the data table DT (reading step).

  Then, when the relational expression is read, the CPU 80 calculates the ratio of the rated capacity of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed based on the calculated ultrasonic power total value and the read relational expression, and uses this as a threshold value. A diagnosis is made as to whether or not the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed has deteriorated by comparing the magnitude with the rated capacity ratio set as (diagnostic step). Here, it is assumed that the rated capacity ratio of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed is “about 93%”, exceeds the threshold value “90%”, and is determined to be “not degraded”.

  Thus, when the deterioration diagnosis is performed on the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed, the CPU 80 displays the calculated rated capacity ratio together with the diagnosis result on the display screen of the display unit 95. As a result, “no deterioration” and the rated capacity ratio “93%” are displayed on the display screen.

  Next, a case where a lead storage battery B of a different type, for example, a “small capacity” battery is diagnosed will be described. In this case as well, the work is basically proceeded in the same manner as in the case of the medium capacity lead storage battery B described above. That is, first, according to the guidance displayed on the display screen of the display unit 95, a battery type selection operation and a threshold value are set accordingly.

  When the battery type is selected and the threshold value is set, the CPU 80 stores the input threshold value data in the storage unit 70 and accesses the data table DT to obtain the “sound corresponding to the input battery type. The process of reading “pressure level” is performed. As a result, “sound pressure level 1” corresponding to the selected “small volume” is read out.

  When the “sound pressure level” corresponding to the battery type to be diagnosed is read, the CPU 80 operates the “switch 30 on the display screen of the display unit 95 in order to allow the user to switch the“ sound pressure level ”. Then, switch the ultrasonic sound pressure level to sound pressure level 1 ”.

  When the above display is made, the changeover switch 30 is operated to adjust the “sound pressure level” to “1”. When this is done, the changeover signal St is input to the attenuator 27. Then, the attenuation amount of the signal is automatically switched by the attenuator 27 so that the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 becomes “sound pressure level 1” (switching step).

  When the sound pressure level switching operation is completed, the start switch displayed on the display screen of the display unit 95 may be operated. When this operation is performed, the sound generator 20 is activated. Thereby, an ultrasonic wave of “sound pressure level 1” is oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 and applied to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed (application step).

  The ultrasonic wave applied to the lead storage battery B passes through the battery and is received by the ultrasonic receiver 4 attached to the outer wall on the opposite side. Then, a reception signal Sr corresponding to the wavelength, amplitude, and frequency of the received ultrasonic wave is output from the ultrasonic receiver 4 (reception step).

  The output ultrasonic reception signal Sr is amplified by the amplifier 45, converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 60, and taken into the processing device 50. Thereafter, in the processing device 50, the CPU 80 obtains ultrasonic power spectrum data by performing Fourier transform (FFT) on the received reception signal Sr, and further calculates the ultrasonic power total value from the obtained power spectrum data. (Calculation step).

  When the ultrasonic power sum value is calculated, the CPU 80 subsequently accesses the data table DT and performs a process of reading a relational expression corresponding to the battery type of the lead storage battery to be diagnosed. Here, since the battery type of the lead storage battery to be diagnosed is “small capacity”, “relational expression 1” is read from the data table DT (reading step).

  When the relational expression 1 is read, the CPU 80 calculates the ratio of the rated capacity of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed based on the calculated ultrasonic power total value and the read relational expression 1, and sets this as a threshold value. A diagnosis is made as to whether or not the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed has deteriorated by comparing the magnitude with the rated capacity ratio set as (diagnostic step).

  Thus, when the deterioration diagnosis is performed on the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed, the CPU 80 displays the calculated rated capacity ratio together with the diagnosis result on the display screen of the display unit 95.

  Similarly, when diagnosing deterioration for a “large capacity” battery, the sound pressure level corresponding to the type of battery, that is, “sound” is the same as when diagnosing deterioration for “medium capacity” and “small capacity” batteries. The ultrasonic wave of “pressure level 3” is oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 and applied to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed.

  Then, the “relational expression 3” corresponding to “large capacity” is read from the data table DT, and based on the read “relational expression 3” and the power sum value calculated from the ultrasonic reception signal Sr. Then, the rated capacity ratio of the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed is calculated, and then it is diagnosed whether or not the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed has deteriorated.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 is switched according to the ease of passing the ultrasonic wave to the lead storage battery B to be diagnosed. As a result, even if the ease of passing ultrasonic waves to the battery differs, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic waves at the time of reception becomes a constant sound pressure level suitable for measurement. It becomes possible to diagnose the deterioration of lead acid batteries having different sizes.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, the data table DT which calculated | required the relational expression for every battery type (easiness of passage of an ultrasonic wave) is provided, and when diagnosing deterioration of the lead storage battery B, it is from the data table DT. A relational expression corresponding to the battery type is read out, and based on the relational expression, the battery to rated capacity ratio is calculated. For this reason, it is possible to accurately determine the ratio of the rated capacity, and it is possible to obtain a highly reliable diagnosis result regarding the presence or absence of deterioration.

<Embodiment 2>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In the first embodiment, the power sum value is calculated as a feature amount from the ultrasonic reception signal Sr. In the second embodiment, the reception duration time is calculated as a feature amount from the ultrasonic reception signal Sr. More specifically, in this case, as shown in FIG. 12, an ultrasonic oscillator 300 is attached in the vicinity of one electrode terminal T on the upper surface of the lead storage battery B, and an electrical signal (for example, as shown in FIG. 13) 150 kHz) is input to the ultrasonic oscillator 300, and an ultrasonic wave having a predetermined time width (for example, 50 μs) is oscillated and applied to the lead storage battery B.

  On the other hand, the ultrasonic receiver 400 is attached in contact with the other electrode terminal T on the upper surface of the lead storage battery B or in the vicinity thereof in order to detect the ultrasonic wave propagated in the battery B. Then, a reception signal Sr having a waveform as shown in FIG. 14 is output from the ultrasonic receiver 400 that has received the ultrasonic wave propagating in the battery.

  Then, a time during which the voltage level exceeds the threshold, that is, a reception duration time is calculated from the output reception signal Sr (time t in FIG. 14). It is considered that the reception duration is shortened because the ultrasonic transmission path is shortened when the electrode E collapses or the active material peels due to deterioration of the battery. Therefore, if the reception duration is compared with that of the rated capacity, it is possible to diagnose the deterioration of the battery as in the case of the first embodiment. Note that the reception continuation time may be the sum of t1 to t5 instead of t.

<Other embodiments>
The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described with reference to the above description and drawings. For example, the following embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  (1) In the first embodiment, the difference in capacity (rated capacity) is taken as an example in which the ease of passing ultrasonic waves through the battery is different. However, even if the internal structure of the battery and the difference in active material are different, The ease of passing sound waves changes. In view of this point, if a considerable number of switching patterns of sound pressure level during oscillation are prepared, in addition to lead-acid batteries, various secondary batteries such as nickel metal hydride batteries, lithium batteries, and nickel cadmium batteries can be diagnosed as a single unit. Diagnosis is possible with the device.

  (2) In the first embodiment, the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator 3 is switched by the attenuator 27 provided in the sound generator 20. It is also possible to switch the sound pressure level by switching the signal amplification factor. In the first embodiment, the sound pressure level is manually switched. However, the sound pressure level can be automatically switched according to the battery type.

  (3) In the first embodiment, a relational expression is stored for each battery type in the data table DT. Then, a relational expression corresponding to the secondary battery to be diagnosed is read out from the data table DT, and the secondary expression is based on the read relational expression and the total power value of the ultrasonic waves related to the secondary battery to be diagnosed. The battery-to-rated capacity ratio was determined, and the secondary battery deterioration was diagnosed from the result. The deterioration diagnosis is not necessarily limited to the method of calculating the ratio of rated capacity based on the relational expression, and may be the following method. For example, the power total value of the ultrasonic reception signal Sr related to the rated capacity secondary battery is stored for each battery type in the data table DT. Then, the power sum value of the rated capacity secondary battery corresponding to the secondary battery to be diagnosed is read from the data table DT, and the read power sum value and the ultrasonic power sum of the secondary battery to be diagnosed are read. By comparing the values, the deterioration of the secondary battery may be diagnosed (determination is made when the power sum value on the diagnosis target side exceeds the read power sum value).

In Embodiment 1 of this invention, the perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the lead storage battery B of a diagnostic object with the ultrasonic oscillator and the ultrasonic receiver attached. The figure which shows the waveform of the received signal of the ultrasonic wave output from an ultrasonic receiver Waveform diagram of power with respect to ultrasonic frequency when battery deteriorates Waveform diagram of power against ultrasonic frequency before battery deterioration Power waveform diagram showing integrated value of power spectrum, that is, total power Graph showing the relationship between the total power value of ultrasonic waves and the rated capacity ratio (medium capacity battery) Graph showing the relationship between the total power value of ultrasonic waves and the rated capacity ratio (small capacity battery) Graph showing the relationship between the total power value of ultrasonic waves and the rated capacity ratio (large capacity battery) Diagram showing data table configuration Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the deterioration diagnosis device Block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the sound generator In Embodiment 2 of this invention, the perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the ultrasonic storage element and the ultrasonic receiver to the lead storage battery B of diagnosis object Waveform diagram of the voltage signal entering the ultrasonic oscillator Waveform diagram of the voltage signal output from the ultrasonic receiver

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Ultrasonic oscillator 4 ... Ultrasonic receiver 20 ... Sound source generator 27 ... Attenuator (equivalent to "switching means" of this invention)
30 ... changeover switch (corresponding to "switching means" of the present invention)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50 ... Processing apparatus 70 ... Memory | storage part 80 ... CPU (equivalent to the "calculation means, reading means, diagnostic means" of this invention)
93 ... User interface 95 ... Display unit 300 ... Ultrasonic oscillator 400 ... Ultrasonic receiver

Claims (6)

An ultrasonic detection operation is performed in which ultrasonic waves having a preset sound pressure level are applied to the secondary battery according to the ease of passing ultrasonic waves, and ultrasonic waves that travel through the secondary battery and reach the battery outer wall are received. , Using a data table having each feature amount calculated as data by processing each received signal obtained for each rated capacity secondary battery with different ease of passing ultrasonic waves, A deterioration diagnosis method for diagnosing deterioration,
The sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator attached to the outside of the secondary battery to be diagnosed is set in advance according to the ease of passing the ultrasonic wave to the secondary battery. A switching step to switch to
An application step of oscillating ultrasonic waves at the switched sound pressure level and applying them to the secondary battery;
A reception step of receiving ultrasonic waves that travel through the secondary battery and reach the outer wall of the battery by an ultrasonic receiver attached to the outside of the secondary battery to be diagnosed;
A calculation step of performing data processing on the reception signal of the ultrasonic wave output from the ultrasonic wave receiver and calculating a feature amount of the reception signal;
From the data table, a readout step for selectively reading out the feature quantity of the received signal of the ultrasonic wave related to the rated capacity secondary battery of the same type as the secondary battery to be diagnosed;
The feature quantity of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the read rated capacity secondary battery is compared with the feature quantity of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the secondary battery calculated in the calculation step, thereby making a diagnosis target. A method for diagnosing deterioration of the secondary battery, and a method for diagnosing deterioration of the secondary battery. A deterioration diagnosis method for a secondary battery according to claim 1,
In the data table, a relational expression indicating the correspondence between the size of the feature amount and the rated capacity ratio is stored for each of the secondary batteries having different ease of passing ultrasonic waves,
In the reading step, the relational expression corresponding to the secondary battery to be diagnosed is read out from each relational expression stored in the data table,
In the diagnosis step, the ratio of the capacity of the secondary battery to be diagnosed is obtained based on the feature quantity of the received signal of the ultrasonic wave related to the secondary battery to be diagnosed and the read relational expression, It is characterized by diagnosing the deterioration of the secondary battery to be diagnosed from the ratio of the rated capacity. A method for diagnosing deterioration of a secondary battery according to claim 1 or 2,
The ultrasonic oscillator and the ultrasonic receiver are arranged facing each other so that the ultrasonic wave is transmitted perpendicular to the electrode in the battery with respect to the secondary battery to be diagnosed. In what is applied to a secondary battery to be diagnosed by oscillating ultrasonic waves containing a plurality of frequency components from a sound wave oscillator,
The ultrasonic reception signal is subjected to Fourier transform to obtain power spectrum data, and the ultrasonic power total value calculated from the obtained power spectrum data is used as the feature amount. A secondary battery deterioration diagnosis device,
An ultrasonic oscillator that is attached to the outside of a secondary battery to be diagnosed and that oscillates and applies an ultrasonic wave to the secondary battery;
Switching means for switching the sound pressure level of the ultrasonic wave oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator;
An ultrasonic receiver attached to the outside of the secondary battery to be diagnosed and receiving ultrasonic waves that travel through the secondary battery and reach the outer wall of the battery;
Calculating means for processing the ultrasonic reception signal output from the ultrasonic receiver and calculating a feature quantity of the reception signal;
An ultrasonic detection operation is performed in which ultrasonic waves having a preset sound pressure level are applied to the secondary battery according to the ease of passing ultrasonic waves, and ultrasonic waves that travel through the secondary battery and reach the battery outer wall are received. A storage unit storing a data table having each feature amount calculated as data by processing each received signal obtained for each rated capacity secondary battery with different ease of passing ultrasonic waves;
Reading means for selectively reading out the feature quantity of the received signal of the ultrasonic wave related to the rated capacity secondary battery of the same type as the secondary battery to be diagnosed from the data table stored in the storage unit;
By comparing the characteristic amount of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the read rated capacity secondary battery with the characteristic amount of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the secondary battery to be diagnosed calculated by the calculation means, And a diagnostic means for diagnosing degradation of a secondary battery to be diagnosed. The deterioration diagnosis device according to claim 4,
In the data table, a relational expression indicating the correspondence between the size of the feature amount and the rated capacity ratio is stored for each of the secondary batteries having different ease of passing ultrasonic waves,
The reading means reads a relational expression corresponding to a secondary battery to be diagnosed from among the relational expressions stored in the data table,
The diagnostic means obtains the rated capacity ratio of the secondary battery to be diagnosed based on the feature quantity of the ultrasonic reception signal related to the secondary battery to be diagnosed and the read relational expression, It is characterized by diagnosing the deterioration of the secondary battery to be diagnosed from the rated capacity ratio. The deterioration diagnosis apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein
The ultrasonic oscillator and the ultrasonic receiver are arranged facing each other so that the ultrasonic wave is transmitted perpendicular to the electrode in the battery with respect to the secondary battery to be diagnosed. In what is applied to a secondary battery to be diagnosed by oscillating ultrasonic waves containing a plurality of frequency components from a sound wave oscillator,
The ultrasonic reception signal is subjected to Fourier transform to obtain power spectrum data, and the ultrasonic power total value calculated from the obtained power spectrum data is used as the feature amount.

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