JP2018132440A - Tray and inspection system for power storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inspection system which can measure the temperature of a power storage device when an inspection is not being performed, in a charge/discharge inspection device for the power storage device.SOLUTION: A temperature measurement tray 20 used for the charge/discharge inspection device of a power storage device 10 is a tray dedicated for temperature measurement, which is different from a conveyance tray 2 for conveying a power storage device as the target of the inspection. The temperature measurement tray 20 is provided with a tray-side temperature sensor 22 for measuring ambient temperatures. The inspection system has a tightly set system-side temperature sensor, and the tray-side temperature sensor 22 is located near the system-side temperature sensor while the tray 20 is being inserted in the slot of an inspection rack.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to an inspection system for inspecting a power storage device such as a secondary battery or a capacitor.

  Rechargeable secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries and nickel metal hydride batteries, or electric double layer capacitors (hereinafter collectively referred to as energy storage devices) are used in mobile devices, electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, household energy storage systems, etc. It is used in a wide range of fields, and its importance is increasing more and more in recent years.

  The storage device is inspected to function normally by using a charge / discharge inspection apparatus before shipment. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an inspection system examined by the present inventors. The inspection system 1 includes a transport tray 2, a stacker crane 4, and a charge / discharge inspection device 100. The charge / discharge inspection apparatus 100 includes a power supply unit 102 and an inspection rack 200.

  The power storage device 10 is transported and inspected while being stored in the transport tray 2. A plurality (N) of power storage devices 10 are accommodated in one transport tray 2.

  The inspection rack 200 is provided with a plurality (K) of slots 202. The transport tray 2 on which the power storage device 10 is placed is inserted into the slot 202. A probe is provided inside the inspection rack 200, and this probe is in electrical contact with the electrode 12 of the electricity storage device 10.

  The power supply unit 102 inspects the plurality of electricity storage devices 10 by charging and discharging each of the electricity storage devices 10 accommodated in the inspection rack 200. For example, the power supply unit 102 includes a converter 104 provided for each slot 202. Converter 104 has N channel outputs corresponding to N power storage devices 10 housed in corresponding slots 202.

  The stacker crane 4 carries the transport tray 2 and inserts the transport tray 2 into an empty slot of the inspection rack 200. Further, the transport tray 2 that has been inspected is pulled out of the slot 204 and carried out.

JP, 2006-180755, A

  In the inspection process of the electricity storage device 10, the temperature control is extremely important, and the device temperature of the electricity storage device 10 needs to be stably maintained at a desired value for high-accuracy inspection. Inside the slot 202, a temperature sensor for measuring the device temperature of the electricity storage device 10 is provided.

  In the conventional inspection system, only the device temperature during the charge / discharge inspection or the temperature in the vicinity thereof is regarded as important. However, from the viewpoint of battery quality control, temperatures other than the inspection period are also useful.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of the exemplary purposes of an aspect thereof is to provide an inspection system capable of measuring the temperature of a device other than during the inspection.

  A tray according to an aspect of the present invention is a tray used for an inspection system for an electric storage device, and includes a tray-side temperature sensor that measures an ambient temperature of the tray.

  According to this aspect, it is not limited to the inside of the slot, and it is possible to measure the temperature at any location outside the slot where the tray can be transported.

  The tray may be a measurement-dedicated tray that is different from the transport tray on which the storage device to be inspected is mounted. In this case, the temperature of an arbitrary place can be measured without being restricted by the transport route of the transport tray.

  The inspection system may include a system-side temperature sensor that is fixedly installed. The tray side temperature sensor may be a standard temperature sensor.

  The system side temperature sensor may be calibrated based on the respective measured values obtained by bringing the tray side temperature sensor and the system side temperature sensor close to each other. Further, the abnormality of the system side temperature sensor may be detected based on the respective measured values obtained by bringing the tray side temperature sensor and the system side temperature sensor close to each other.

  The tray side temperature sensor may be arranged so as to be in a position close to the system side temperature sensor in a state where the tray is inserted into the slot of the inspection rack.

  The system-side temperature sensor may be provided on the front side of the rack having a slot into which the transport tray on which the power storage device is mounted is inserted, next to the slot entrance.

  The tray may be a transport tray on which a storage device to be inspected can be mounted. In this case, a history of the ambient temperature of the power storage device can be acquired. Further, if the power storage device generates abnormal heat when the tray is out of the slot, it can be immediately detected.

  The tray side temperature sensor may measure the ambient temperature during the inspection of the electricity storage device and the ambient temperature during aging of the electricity storage device.

  The tray may further include a wireless unit that wirelessly transmits a temperature measurement value obtained by the tray-side temperature sensor to the outside. Thus, the temperature can be monitored in real time without waiting for the tray to be collected.

  Another aspect of the invention relates to an inspection system. The inspection system is a system controller that receives temperature information measured by one of the trays described above, a transport tray on which an electricity storage device is mounted, an inspection rack having a slot into which the transport tray is inserted, and a tray-side temperature sensor of the tray. And comprising.

  Another aspect of the present invention is also an inspection system. The inspection system includes a transport tray equipped with an electricity storage device, a measurement dedicated tray having a tray-side temperature sensor, an inspection rack having a slot into which the transport tray is inserted, and a transport means for transporting the transport tray and the measurement dedicated tray. And a controller for controlling the conveying means so that the measurement-dedicated tray is arranged at a position where the temperature is to be measured.

  Note that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and the constituent elements and expressions of the present invention replaced with each other among methods, apparatuses, systems, and the like are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to an aspect of the present invention, the temperature outside the slot can be measured.

It is a figure which shows the test | inspection system which this inventor examined. It is a figure which shows the tray which concerns on 1st Example. It is a typical top view of an inspection system. It is a figure which shows the tray which concerns on 2nd Example. It is a figure explaining the temperature history measured in the 2nd example. It is a figure which shows the tray only for a measurement which concerns on 3rd Example. FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining a usage form of the measurement-dedicated tray.

  The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. The embodiments do not limit the invention but are exemplifications, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a view showing the tray 20 according to the first embodiment. For ease of understanding, the transport tray 2 is shown together with the tray 20. A plurality of power storage devices 10 to be inspected are mounted on the transport tray 2. The transport tray 2 is transported by a stacker crane as described with reference to FIG. The tray 20 is compatible with the transport tray 2 in size and the like, and the stacker crane can transport the tray 20 in the same manner as the transport tray 2. In order to distinguish from the transport tray 2, the tray 20 is referred to as a measurement-dedicated tray.

  The measurement dedicated tray 20 includes at least one tray-side temperature sensor 22. In this embodiment, a plurality of tray-side temperature sensors 22 are provided in place of the power storage device 10 at positions where the power storage device 10 is arranged in the transport tray 2. The number of tray side temperature sensors 22 may be arbitrary.

  The measurement dedicated tray 20 may further include a wireless unit 24. The wireless unit 24 transmits the temperature measured by the tray side temperature sensor 22 to the outside (for example, a system controller 310 described later).

  The above is the configuration of the measurement dedicated tray 20. Next, we will explain its use. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the inspection system 300. The inspection system 300 includes a charge / discharge inspection lane 301, a first aging lane 302, a second aging lane 303, a transport unit 304, and a system controller 310. The system controller 310 controls the entire inspection system 300 in an integrated manner.

  The charge / discharge inspection lane 301 corresponds to the inspection system 1 of FIG. 1 and charges / discharges the power storage device 10. As in FIG. 1, the charge / discharge inspection lane 301 includes the inspection rack 200, the stacker crane 4, a power supply unit (not shown), and the like.

  The transport unit 304 transports the transport tray 2 between the charge / discharge inspection lane 301, the first aging lane 302, and the second aging lane 303. The electricity storage device 10 manufactured on a manufacturing line (not shown) is mounted on the transport tray 2. The conveyance means 304 carries the conveyance tray 2 into the charge / discharge inspection lane 301. The stacker crane 4 inserts the transport tray 2 carried by the transport means 304 into the slot 202 of the inspection rack 200. Which transport tray 2 should be inserted into which slot 202 is integratedly controlled by a system controller 310 (not shown). When the inspection of the transport tray 2 is completed, the stacker crane 4 takes out the transport tray 2 from the slot 202 and returns it to the transport means 304. The transport unit 304 transports the transport tray 2 transported from the charge / discharge inspection lane 301 to the next first aging lane 302.

  The inside of the first aging lane 302 is adjusted to a temperature higher than room temperature, for example. The transport tray 2 is stored in the first aging lane 302 for a long span of about one week. The first aging lane 302 includes a storage rack 220 instead of the inspection rack 200 of the charge / discharge inspection lane 301. The inside of the second aging lane 303 is temperature-controlled at room temperature (for example, 25 ° C.), and the transport tray 2 is stored in the first aging lane 302 for about two weeks. The charge / discharge inspection lane 301, the first aging lane 302, and the second aging lane 303 are each provided with a temperature control facility 240 and an air duct 242 for sending air whose temperature has been stabilized by the temperature control facility 240. .

  The above is the configuration of the inspection system 300. The measurement dedicated tray 20 is present at a ratio of one to several tens to several hundreds of the transport tray 2. The system controller 310 moves the position of the transport tray 2 according to the inspection procedure.

  On the other hand, the system controller 310 moves the measurement dedicated tray 20 along the same or different route as the transport tray 2. Hereinafter, a usage form of the measurement-dedicated tray 20 will be described.

(First usage pattern)
As described above, the temperature inside the charge / discharge inspection lane 301, the first aging lane 302, and the second aging lane 303 is stabilized by the temperature control equipment. However, even within the same lane, there is a temperature difference depending on the position. Since many inspection racks and storage racks have a height exceeding 10 m, there can be a temperature difference that cannot be ignored between the vicinity of the ground and the top of the rack. Therefore, the system controller 310 may sequentially move the measurement-dedicated tray 20 to a plurality of points inside the charge / discharge inspection lane 301 and measure the ambient temperature (environment temperature) at each point. Thereby, the temperature distribution in the charge / discharge inspection lane 301 can be measured. The same applies to the first aging lane 302 and the second aging lane 303.

(Second usage pattern)
The system controller 310 may move the measurement-specific tray 20 to the same point at a plurality of times and log the environmental temperature at that point. Thereby, the temperature history of an arbitrary place can be acquired.

(Third usage pattern)
The system controller 310 may move the measurement-specific tray 20 along a predetermined route and acquire temperatures at a plurality of points that pass. In this case, the measurement dedicated tray 20 may be moved along the same route and the same pace as the typical transport tray 2. Thereby, the temperature history of a typical conveyance tray 2 can be estimated.

  In the first to third usage modes, the measurement-dedicated tray 20 may be inserted into the slot 202 and the temperature inside the slot 202 may be measured.

  In the first embodiment, since the power storage device 10 to be inspected is not mounted on the measurement dedicated tray 20, the measurement dedicated tray 20 can be freely moved without being limited by the inspection procedure and route of the power storage device 10.

(Second embodiment)
FIG. 4 is a view showing a tray according to the second embodiment. This tray 30 can be grasped as a tray-side temperature sensor 32 added to the transport tray 2 of FIG. The tray side temperature sensors 32 may be attached to all the transport trays 2, but this increases the cost of the entire system. Therefore, the tray side temperature sensors are in a ratio of one to several tens to several hundreds of the transport trays 2. 32 may be attached.

In addition, the tray 30 with temperature sensor
Then, the utilization form of the tray 30 with a temperature sensor is demonstrated. The system controller 310 basically moves the tray 30 with a temperature sensor without distinction from the transport tray 2 and inspects the power storage device 10 mounted on the tray 30 with a temperature sensor. The system controller 310 acquires the history of the ambient temperature measured by the tray-side temperature sensor 32 during inspection, conveyance, and b-aging. The tray 30 with temperature sensor may further include a wireless unit 34.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the temperature history measured in the second embodiment. φ ₀ represents a process of carrying the charge / discharge inspection lane 301 by the transport unit 304. φ ₁ represents an inspection process inside the charge / discharge inspection lane 301. φ ₂ represents the movement from the charge / discharge inspection lane 301 to the first aging lane 302. φ ₃ represents the period of storage in the first aging lane 302. φ ₄ represents the carrying-in process to the first aging lane 302. φ ₅ represents a period of storage by the conveying means 304.

  Thus, according to tray 30 with a temperature sensor, the temperature history of a tray and by extension, the temperature history of a plurality of accumulation-of-electricity devices 10 carried in the tray can be acquired correctly.

During the storage in the first aging lane 302, when the temperature rises as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in φ ₃ , there is a high possibility that any one of the electricity storage devices 10 mounted on the tray 30 is abnormally heated. According to the second embodiment, abnormalities during storage can also be detected. The electricity storage device 10 that is abnormally heated has an adverse effect on the surrounding electricity storage device 10. Therefore, the system controller 310 may forcibly carry out the temperature sensor-equipped tray 30 in which abnormal heat generation is detected from the first aging lane 302 (second aging lane 303).

  On the other hand, compared with the second embodiment, the first embodiment has the following advantages. As described above, the tray 30 with the temperature sensor moves in the inspection system 300 without being distinguished from the transport tray 2. Therefore, it is difficult to control in which slot of the inspection rack or the storage rack the tray 30 with the temperature sensor is inserted. In this respect, the first embodiment has an advantage that the slot into which the measurement dedicated tray 20 is inserted can be freely controlled.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a view showing a measurement-dedicated tray 40 according to the third embodiment. Similar to the measurement-dedicated tray 20 in FIG. 2, the power storage device 10 is not mounted on the measurement-dedicated tray 40.

  The measurement-dedicated tray 40 includes a tray-side temperature sensor 42 and a wireless unit 44. The tray side temperature sensor 42 is a standard temperature sensor, and can measure the ambient temperature with a small error and high accuracy. The wireless unit 44 transmits the measured value of the tray side temperature sensor 42 to the system controller.

  The tray side temperature sensor 42 and the system side temperature sensor are brought close to each other, and the system side temperature sensor is calibrated based on the respective measured values obtained at that time.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining a usage form of the measurement-dedicated tray 40. FIG. FIG. 7A shows the inspection rack 200 of the inspection system 300. The inspection rack 200 includes a slot 202 into which the transport tray 2 on which the power storage device is mounted is inserted. The system side temperature sensor 210 is provided in front of the inspection rack 200 and next to the entrance of the slot 202. The tray-side temperature sensor 42 is disposed so as to be in a position close to the system-side temperature sensor 210 in a state where the measurement-dedicated tray 40 is inserted into the slot 202. The system side temperature sensor 210 may be provided in the storage rack 220 in addition to or instead of the inspection rack 200. The position of the system side temperature sensor 210 is not limited to that in FIG. 7A, and may be provided inside the slot 202.

  With the measurement-dedicated tray 40 set in the slot 202, the tray-side temperature sensor 42 and the system-side temperature sensor 210 measure substantially the same environmental temperature. Therefore, the system side temperature sensor 210 can be calibrated based on the measured value of the tray side temperature sensor 42 which is a standard temperature sensor, or an abnormality of the system side temperature sensor 210 can be detected.

  As shown in FIG. 7B, the system-side temperature sensor 210 may be disposed in the vicinity of the transport unit 304, that is, on the transport path of the transport tray 2. By setting the measurement-dedicated tray 40 so that the tray-side temperature sensor 42 and the system-side temperature sensor 210 are close to each other, the system-side temperature sensor 210 can be calibrated or an abnormality of the system-side temperature sensor 210 can be detected.

  The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. This embodiment is an exemplification, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are within the scope of the present invention. is there. Hereinafter, such modifications will be described.

  The tray 30 with a temperature sensor may further include an acceleration sensor and a vibration sensor. Thereby, in the inspection system 300, it is possible to detect the history of impact received by the power storage device 10 mounted on the transport tray 2. Further, by mounting an acceleration sensor or a vibration sensor on the measurement dedicated trays 20 and 40, it is possible to estimate an impact received by the electricity storage device 10.

  Although the present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, the embodiments merely show one aspect of the principle and application of the present invention. Many variations and modifications of the arrangement are allowed without departing from the spirit of the present invention defined in the scope.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Inspection system, 2 ... Conveying tray, 4 ... Stacker crane, 10 ... Electric storage device, 12 ... Electrode, 20 ... Tray for exclusive use of a measurement, 22 ... Tray side temperature sensor, 24 ... Wireless unit, 30 ... Tray with temperature sensor, 32 ... Tray-side temperature sensor, 34 ... Wireless unit, 40 ... Tray dedicated to measurement, 42 ... Tray-side temperature sensor, 44 ... Wireless unit, 100 ... Charge / discharge inspection device, 102 ... Power supply unit, 200 ... Inspection rack, 202 ... Slot, 210 ... System-side temperature sensor, 220 ... Storage rack, 240 ... Temperature control equipment, 242 ... Air duct, 300 ... Inspection system, 301 ... Charge / discharge inspection lane, 302 ... First aging lane, 303 ... Second aging lane, 304 ... Conveying means, 310... System controller.

Claims (9)

A tray used in a storage device inspection system,
A tray comprising a tray-side temperature sensor for measuring the ambient temperature of the tray.   The tray according to claim 1, wherein the tray is a measurement-dedicated tray that is different from a transport tray on which the power storage device to be inspected is mounted. The inspection system includes a system-side temperature sensor fixedly installed,
The tray according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tray-side temperature sensor is a standard temperature sensor.   The tray according to claim 3, wherein the tray-side temperature sensor is disposed so as to be close to the system-side temperature sensor in a state where the tray is inserted into a slot of an inspection rack.   The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tray is a transport tray on which the power storage device to be inspected can be mounted.   The tray according to claim 5, wherein the tray-side temperature sensor measures an ambient temperature during inspection of the electricity storage device and an ambient temperature during aging of the electricity storage device.   The tray according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a wireless unit that wirelessly transmits a temperature measurement value obtained by the tray-side temperature sensor to the outside. A tray according to any of claims 1 to 7,
A transport tray with a storage device,
An inspection rack having a slot into which the transport tray is inserted;
A controller that receives temperature information measured by a tray-side temperature sensor of the tray;
An inspection system comprising: An inspection system,
A transport tray with a storage device,
A dedicated measurement tray with a tray-side temperature sensor,
An inspection rack having a slot into which the transport tray is inserted;
Transport means for transporting the transport tray and the measurement dedicated tray;
A controller for controlling the conveying means so that the measurement-dedicated tray is arranged at a position where the temperature is to be measured;
An inspection system comprising:

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