JP2020064749A - Battery information processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a battery information processing apparatus capable of presenting information for selecting an appropriate assembling cell in consideration of a difference in using a vehicle per user.SOLUTION: A battery information processing apparatus is configured to: obtain vehicle usage information (an average ΔP) indicating a magnitude of air pressure of a vehicle during usage; and generate, using the obtained vehicle usage information, assembly information for selecting an adaptable cell that is suitable to manufacturing a battery pack from assembling cells. The assembly information represents which cell is an adaptable cell, from among cells that have been categorized by a magnitude of ΔP. According to the battery information processing apparatus, a deterioration resistance of the adaptable cell against air-pressure variation represented by the generated assemble information increases with the ΔP indicated by the vehicle usage information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a battery information processing device, and particularly to a technique for manufacturing a battery pack.

  The assembled battery is composed of a plurality of secondary batteries. A large-capacity assembled battery can be obtained by combining a plurality of secondary batteries. However, in order to use the assembled battery for a long period of time, maintenance of the assembled battery is required. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2015-73427 (Patent Document 1) discloses a battery management system regarding maintenance of an assembled battery. In this battery management system, it is determined whether maintenance of the assembled battery is necessary based on the variation in the characteristics of a plurality of battery blocks included in the assembled battery. Notify the person related to the battery of the information related to the assembled battery. Below, each secondary battery which comprises an assembled battery is called a "cell."

JP, 2005-73427, A

  Generally, when replacing a cell of an assembled battery mounted on a vehicle, the cell is replaced with a cell having the same specifications (material, structure, etc.) as the cell before the replacement. However, how to use the vehicle depends on the user. Therefore, it is not always appropriate to replace the cell with the same performance as the cell before the replacement. For example, for a user who uses a vehicle in which the air pressure fluctuates greatly, a mechanism (hereinafter, also referred to as “overpressure prevention mechanism”) that prevents an excessive increase in pressure in the cell case is likely to operate. . An example of the overpressure prevention mechanism is a valve that discharges gas in the case when the pressure in the case of the cell becomes high (generally referred to as “safety valve”, but hereinafter referred to as “release valve”). , A pressure type current interruption mechanism that interrupts the cell current when the pressure in the cell case increases. The pressure type current interruption mechanism operates, for example, when the pressure inside the cell case rises above a predetermined pressure (reversal pressure) to electrically connect the electrode inside the cell case and the terminal outside the case. Configured to disconnect. An example of the pressure type current interruption mechanism is a CID (Current Interrupt Device).

  When the release valve of a cell is activated (ie, opened), exposure to the atmosphere tends to cause the cell to deteriorate. Further, when the pressure type current interruption mechanism is activated to interrupt the cell current, the cell cannot be used. The deterioration of a cell means that the degree of deterioration of the cell increases (that is, the cell approaches a state in which it cannot be used). Therefore, the change from the usable state to the unusable state of the cell is included in the deterioration of the cell.

  As described above, when the overpressure prevention mechanism provided in the cell operates, deterioration of the cell is promoted, which may lead to deterioration of cell performance (capacity decrease, etc.) and increase of cell replacement frequency. The battery management system described in Patent Document 1 is useful in that maintenance of the assembled battery can be performed at an appropriate time, but a cell suitable for manufacturing the assembled battery is selected from a plurality of types of cells (assembling cells). There is room for further improvement to make it selectable.

  The present disclosure has been made to solve such a problem, and an object thereof is to provide battery information that can provide information for selecting an appropriate assembly cell in consideration of a difference in how to use a vehicle for each user. It is to provide a processing device.

  A battery information processing apparatus according to the present disclosure is a battery information processing apparatus that processes information for manufacturing an assembled battery including a plurality of cells, and includes an acquisition unit and a generation unit. The acquisition unit is configured to acquire vehicle usage information indicating the magnitude of the atmospheric pressure difference (hereinafter, also referred to as “ΔP”) of the vehicle in use. The generation unit is configured to generate assembly information for selecting a compatible cell suitable for manufacturing an assembled battery from the assembly cell. The assembly information indicates which of the cells classified according to the size of ΔP is a compatible cell. The generation unit is configured to generate the assembly information using the vehicle usage information. In this battery information processing device, the larger the ΔP indicated by the vehicle usage information acquired by the acquisition unit, the higher the deterioration resistance of the conforming cell indicated by the assembly information generated by the generation unit to the pressure fluctuation. Hereinafter, the deterioration resistance of the cell with respect to the atmospheric pressure fluctuation is also referred to as “atmospheric pressure fluctuation resistance”.

  The magnitude of fluctuations in the atmospheric pressure of the vehicle (and by extension, the atmospheric pressure around the battery pack mounted on the vehicle) varies depending on how the user uses the vehicle. For example, in a vehicle that is used so that ΔP becomes large (hereinafter, may be referred to as “first usage”), the fluctuation in atmospheric pressure becomes large. On the other hand, in a vehicle that is used (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “second usage”) such that ΔP is small, fluctuations in atmospheric pressure are smaller than in a vehicle that is used first. When the cell is provided with an overpressure prevention mechanism, the cell overpressure prevention mechanism operates more easily in the first usage than in the second usage.

  Further, a cell having a high resistance to atmospheric pressure fluctuation is less likely to be deteriorated by a fluctuation in atmospheric pressure than a cell having a low resistance to atmospheric pressure fluctuation. For example, by making it difficult to operate the pressure type current interruption mechanism of the cell, it is possible to increase the resistance to atmospheric pressure fluctuation of the cell.

  In the above battery information processing device, the generation unit generates the assembly information using the vehicle usage information. Then, the larger ΔP indicated by the vehicle use information is, the higher the pressure variation resistance of the compatible cell indicated by the assembly information generated by the generation unit is. For this reason, in the vehicle that is used for the first time, the assembled battery is manufactured using cells having high resistance to atmospheric pressure fluctuations, so that deterioration of the cells (capacity reduction, etc.) is suppressed, or the frequency of cell replacement is reduced. It becomes possible to do. Further, in the vehicle which is used in the second way, the deterioration of the cell due to the pressure change does not pose a problem. For this reason, in the vehicle that is used in the second way, the assembled battery is manufactured using cells having advantages other than the pressure fluctuation resistance, so that sufficient pressure fluctuation resistance can be ensured while still enjoying another merit. It becomes possible to do. For example, if a cell suitable for increasing the capacity is used for manufacturing an assembled battery, a large capacity assembled battery can be obtained. Further, if inexpensive cells are used for manufacturing the assembled battery, it becomes advantageous in terms of cost. As described above, according to the above-described battery information processing device, it is possible to provide information (assembly information) for manufacturing an assembled battery with an appropriate assembly cell in consideration of the difference in how the vehicle is used for each user. become.

  The vehicle usage information may be information indicating the magnitude of ΔP of the vehicle when it is actually used (hereinafter, also referred to as “usage history information”). It may be information (hereinafter, also referred to as “usage prediction information”) indicating what the magnitude of ΔP is. The usage history information may be the actually measured ΔP itself, or may be an average value (arithmetic mean value or median value) of a plurality of ΔP acquired in a predetermined target period. For example, the atmospheric pressure of the vehicle may be acquired every time a predetermined period has elapsed, and the difference between the previously acquired atmospheric pressure and the currently acquired atmospheric pressure may be set as ΔP at each timing in the target period. Further, the usage prediction information may be the traveling frequency of the vehicle under the condition that ΔP becomes large (or the condition where ΔP becomes small). Further, the magnitude of ΔP may be comprehensively evaluated from various viewpoints for each vehicle, and the obtained overall evaluation point may be adopted as the vehicle usage information.

  ΔP may be the atmospheric pressure difference of the vehicle per travel. For example, the period from the start of the vehicle system to the stop thereof may be one travel. Further, the number of cell divisions (hereinafter sometimes referred to as “cell divisions”) classified according to the size of ΔP is arbitrary as long as it is 2 or more.

  "Acquiring" vehicle usage information means generating and acquiring vehicle usage information in the battery information processing apparatus, and receiving and acquiring vehicle usage information generated outside the battery information processing apparatus. Including. For example, the battery information processing device may receive from the vehicle the usage history information detected by the vehicle. Further, the battery information processing device may conduct a questionnaire to the user and generate use prediction information using the questionnaire result.

  The battery information processing device may be a server that manages battery information, or may be a terminal different from such a server (hereinafter, referred to as “other terminal”). When the battery information processing device is another terminal, for example, the vehicle usage information acquired by the server may be acquired by the other terminal from the server, and the assembly information may be generated by the other terminal.

  A suitable battery manufacturing support device used with the above-described battery information processing device in manufacturing a battery pack is shown below.

  A preferred battery manufacturing support device is a battery manufacturing support device for manufacturing a battery pack by replacing at least a part of a plurality of cells constituting the battery pack with compatible cells selected from assembling cells, An acquisition unit that acquires the assembly information generated by the battery information processing apparatus and a display unit that displays the assembly information acquired by the acquisition unit are provided. According to such a battery manufacturing support device, an appropriate assembly cell can be selected in consideration of the difference in how the vehicle is used by each user, and the assembled battery can be manufactured using the selected assembly cell.

  Further, the assembled battery manufactured according to the assembly information generated by the battery information processing device includes an appropriate assembly cell suitable for the user's usage of the vehicle. That is, such an assembled battery is suitable for the user.

  According to the battery information processing apparatus of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide information for selecting an appropriate assembling cell in consideration of the difference in how to use the vehicle for each user.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an aspect of physical distribution from collection of battery packs to manufacture / sales according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a communication network constructed in the battery management system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the vehicle in the battery management system shown in FIG. 2, a management server, and each terminal. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the assembled battery shown in FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by an ECU of the vehicle in the battery management system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by a terminal of a recovery company in the battery management system according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a compatible cell indicated by the rebuild information generated in the process of FIG. 6. It is a figure which shows an example of the cross-sectional shape of a discharge valve. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by a terminal of a store in the battery management system according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a figure which shows an example of the questionnaire screen displayed in the process of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the modification which classified the cell into 3 divisions by the magnitude | size of (DELTA) P.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the same or corresponding parts in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will not be repeated.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing one aspect of physical distribution from collection of battery packs to manufacturing and sales in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Hereinafter, the physical distribution mode shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as a “battery physical distribution model”. In this embodiment, “manufacturing the assembled battery” means manufacturing at least a part of the plurality of cells included in the assembled battery with the assembling cells to manufacture the assembled battery. The assembling cell is basically a reusable cell taken out from the collected assembled battery, but may be a new cell.

  With reference to FIG. 1, this battery distribution model includes vehicles 10, 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, ..., Collection company 31, inspection company 32, performance recovery company 33, battery pack manufacturer 34. , A store 35, a recycler 36, and a battery management system (management server 20, etc.) described below.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a communication network constructed in the battery management system according to this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 2, battery management system 1 includes management server 20, terminals 41 to 45, and communication network 50. The vehicle 10, the management server 20, and the terminals 41 to 45 are configured to be able to communicate with each other via the communication network 50 such as the Internet or a telephone line. The vehicle 10 is configured to be capable of exchanging information with the base station 51 of the communication network 50 by wireless communication. The terminals 41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 are terminals of the collection company 31, the inspection company 32, the performance recovery company 33, the battery pack manufacturer 34, and the dealer 35 shown in FIG. 1, respectively.

  With reference to FIG. 1 together with FIG. 2, the collection company 31 collects the used battery packs from the vehicles 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, .... Vehicles 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, ... Are equipped with battery packs 62-1, 62-2, 62-3 ,. It is configured to include an assembled battery configured from. The collection company 31 disassembles the collected battery pack and takes out the cells from the assembled battery in the battery pack. The cells may be taken out from the assembled battery for each cell, or for each module in which some cells are assembled.

  The collection company 31 stores reusable cells (assembling cells). More specifically, among the cells taken out from the assembled battery, the cells whose performance deterioration is judged to be small by the inspection company 32 are stored by the collection company 31. The cells whose performance has been restored by the performance restoration company 33 are also stored in the collection company 31. In addition to the reusable cell, the collection company 31 may store a new cell as an assembly cell. The collection company 31 assigns an ID (hereinafter, also referred to as “cell ID”) for identifying each cell to be stored. Then, in the terminal 41, the information of each cell stored by the collection company 31 is managed in association with the cell ID. Further, the collection company 31 transmits the cell ID to the management server 20 using the terminal 41.

  There are collection companies for each site. The information of the cells managed by the collection company of each site is collected in the management server 20 from the collection company of each site. For example, reusable included in battery packs 62-1, 62-2, 62-3, ... Recovered from vehicles 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, ... The information of the cell is transmitted from the terminal 41 of the collection company 31 to the management server 20 and accumulated in the management server 20. The management server 20 collectively manages the cell information managed by the collection company at each site by distinguishing each site (that is, each collection company).

  The inspector 32 inspects the performance of each cell collected by the collector 31. Specifically, the inspection company 32 inspects the electrical characteristics of the collected cells. For example, the inspector 32 inspects electrical characteristics such as cell capacity, resistance value, OCV (Open Circuit Voltage), and SOC (State Of Charge). Then, the inspection company 32 separates the reusable cells and the non-reusable cells based on the inspection result, hands over the reusable cells to the performance recovery company 33, and determines the non-reusable cells. Will be handed over to the recycler 36. Further, among the reusable cells, the cells whose performance is determined to be small in the inspection by the inspection company 32 are returned to the collection company 31. The inspection result of each reusable cell is transmitted to the management server 20 from the terminal 42 of the inspection company 32 together with the cell ID.

  The recycler 36 dismantles the cells that cannot be reused by the inspector 32 and recycles them for use as raw materials for new cells or other products.

  The performance recovery company 33 performs processing for recovering the performance of the cell that is reusable by the inspection company 32. As an example, the performance recovery company 33 recovers the capacity of the cell by discharging the cell to an overdischarged state or charging the cell to an overcharged state. The cell whose performance has been restored is delivered to the collection company 31 or the battery pack manufacturer 34. The performance recovery result of each cell is transmitted from the terminal 43 of the performance recovery company 33 to the management server 20 together with the cell ID.

  The battery pack manufacturer 34 manufactures a battery pack using the cells obtained from the recovery company 31 or the performance recovery company 33. The method for manufacturing the battery pack will be described later.

  The store 35 sells a battery pack including the assembled battery, sells a new vehicle equipped with the assembled battery, and receives an order for rebuilding the assembled battery used in the vehicle. The store 35 assigns an ID (hereinafter, also referred to as “vehicle ID”) for identifying the vehicle for each vehicle, and manages the information of each vehicle in the terminal 45 in association with the vehicle ID. The store 35 uses the terminal 45 to transmit the vehicle ID to the management server 20.

  There is a store for each base. The vehicle information managed by the dealers of the respective bases is collected in the management server 20 from the dealers and the respective cars of the respective bases. For example, the information detected in vehicle 10 is transmitted from vehicle 10 to management server 20 together with the vehicle ID, and is stored in management server 20. The management server 20 collectively manages the vehicle information managed by the dealers of each base for each base (that is, each store).

  In this battery distribution model, the vehicle 10 is a vehicle in which the assembled battery is rebuilt. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a battery pack (not shown) including an assembled battery. When the user of the vehicle 10 desiring to replace the battery pack (more specifically, rebuild the assembled battery) hands over the vehicle 10 to the dealer 35, the dealer 35 gives the vehicle 10 a vehicle ID. However, when the vehicle ID has already been assigned to the vehicle 10, the assignment of the vehicle ID is omitted. The store 35 orders the rebuilding company 31 to rebuild the assembled battery used in the vehicle 10. At this time, the dealer 35 collects the battery pack from the vehicle 10 and sends the collected battery pack to the collection company 31 together with the vehicle ID.

  The rebuilding of the assembled battery is performed according to the rebuilding information indicating the cells (suitable cells) suitable for manufacturing the rebuilt product. The rebuild information is generated at the terminal 41 of the collection company 31. The generated rebuild information is transmitted from the terminal 41 to the terminal 44 of the battery pack manufacturer 34. Further, the number of assembling cells indicated by the rebuild information (that is, the assembling cells corresponding to the conforming cells) are provided from the collection company 31 to the battery pack manufacturer 34 in the number required for the rebuilding. The battery pack manufacturer 34 rebuilds the assembled battery using the assembling cells received from the collector 31 according to the rebuild information received by the terminal 44. More specifically, the battery pack manufacturer 34 replaces at least a part of the plurality of cells included in the assembled battery mounted on the vehicle 10 with compatible cells indicated by the rebuild information, and rebuilds the assembled battery. To do. Then, the battery pack manufacturer 34 completes the battery pack for the vehicle 10 using the rebuilt battery pack (rebuilt product). The battery pack thus completed is delivered to the store 35 where the vehicle 10 is brought in, and is mounted on the vehicle 10 at the store 35.

  In the above description, the collection company 31, the inspection company 32, the performance recovery company 33, the battery pack manufacturer, and the shop 35 are separate from each other, but the division of the companies is not limited to this. For example, the inspection company 32 and the performance recovery company 33 may be one company. Alternatively, the collection company 31 may be divided into a company that collects the battery pack and a company that disassembles the collected battery pack.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing in detail the configurations of the vehicle 10, the management server 20, and the terminals 41, 44, 45 shown in FIG.

  With reference to FIG. 3, the terminal 41 of the collection company 31 includes an information processing device 210, a communication device 220, a cell information database (DB) 230, and an input device 240. Further, the terminal 45 of the store 35 includes an information processing device 310, a communication device 320, a vehicle information database (DB) 330, and an input device 340. The management server 20 also includes an information processing device 510, a communication device 520, and a management information database (DB) 530.

  The information processing devices 210, 310, 510 are configured to include a computing device, a storage device, and an input / output port (none of which is shown). As the arithmetic unit, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) can be adopted. The storage device includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) for temporarily storing data and a storage (for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a rewritable non-volatile memory) for storing various kinds of information. In the storage, in addition to programs used for various controls, various parameters used in the programs are stored in advance. Various controls are executed by the arithmetic unit executing the programs stored in the storage device. Note that various types of control are not limited to processing by software, and may be performed by dedicated hardware (electronic circuit).

  The communication devices 220, 320, 520 are configured to be accessible to the communication network 50. The communication devices 220, 320, and 520 can communicate with other terminals via the communication network 50. The communication devices 220, 320, 520 are controlled by the information processing devices 210, 310, 510, respectively.

  The input devices 240 and 340 are devices that receive an input from a user. The input devices 240 and 340 output signals corresponding to inputs from the user to the information processing devices 210 and 310, respectively. The communication method between the information processing devices 210 and 310 and the input devices 240 and 340 may be wired or wireless. Touch panels can be used as the input devices 240 and 340. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a keyboard, a mouse, and various switches (push button switches, levers, etc.) may be adopted as the input devices 240 and 340. The input devices 240 and 340 may be operation units of mobile devices (smartphones, tablet terminals, etc.).

  The cell information DB 230 stores the information of the assembling cells (hereinafter, also referred to as “assembling cell information”) stored by the collection company 31 in association with the cell IDs and accumulates them. The assembling cell information stored in the cell information DB 230 includes initial cell information (for example, traceability data stored at the time of shipping) and used cell information. The cell information after use is collected, for example, by performing performance evaluation of each cell by the inspection company 32.

  The vehicle information DB 330 stores the above-described vehicle information in association with the vehicle ID. The vehicle information accumulated in the vehicle information DB 330 includes initial information (for example, traceability data stored at the time of shipping) of an assembled battery installed in the vehicle and vehicle information input through the input device 340.

  The management information DB 530 stores information acquired from each vehicle and the terminals 41 to 43, 45. The information accumulated in the management information DB 530 includes, in addition to the information stored in the cell information DB 230 and the vehicle information DB 330 described above, information on the vehicle that is periodically transmitted from the vehicle to the management server 20 (for example, the state of the vehicle. Information indicating the transition of) is included. The management information DB 530 stores the received vehicle information in association with the vehicle ID.

  The information processing device 210 of the terminal 41 is configured to communicate with the management server 20 through the communication device 220 and generate rebuild information using the information acquired from the management server 20. The rebuild information according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of “assembly information” according to the present disclosure.

  The terminal 44 (battery manufacturing support device) of the battery pack manufacturer 34 includes a communication device 71, a control device 72, and a display device 73 (for example, a touch panel display). The communication device 71 is controlled by the control device 72, and is configured to acquire the above rebuild information from the terminal 41 of the recovery company 31. The control device 72 also causes the display device 73 to display the rebuild information acquired by the communication device 71. The battery pack manufacturer 34 can rebuild the assembled battery using the compatible cells by selecting the assembling cells corresponding to the compatible cells based on the rebuild information displayed on the display device 73.

  The vehicle 10 includes an assembled battery 100, a battery monitoring unit 11, a power control unit (PCU) 12, a motor generator (MG) 13, driving wheels 14, and an electronic control unit (ECU: ECU). The electronic control unit) 15, a storage device 16 (for example, a non-volatile memory), a communication device 17, a communication line 18, and an atmospheric pressure sensor PS are included. The ECU 15, the storage device 16, and the communication device 17 are connected by a communication line 18 and are configured to be able to send and receive information to and from each other.

  The vehicle 10 is configured to convert the electric power stored in the battery pack 100 into motive power and to be able to travel by the motive power. The vehicle 10 may be an electric vehicle that does not include an internal combustion engine (hereinafter, also referred to as “engine”), or may include an engine (not shown) and may be driven by power output from the engine. It may be a hybrid vehicle. The electric power stored in the battery pack 100 is converted into power for driving the drive wheels 14 by the MG 13.

  The assembled battery 100 includes a plurality of cells. The plurality of cells are connected in series or in parallel. Further, some cells in the assembled battery 100 may be connected in parallel and the other cells may be connected in series. Details of the structure of the assembled battery will be described later (see FIG. 4).

  The battery monitoring unit 11 includes various sensors that detect the state of the assembled battery 100 (temperature, current, voltage, etc.), and outputs the detection result to the ECU 15. The ECU 15 acquires the state (for example, SOC) of the battery pack 100 based on the output of the battery monitoring unit 11 (detection values of various sensors).

  MG 13 is a rotary electric machine and is, for example, a three-phase AC motor generator. The MG 13 is driven by the PCU 12 to rotate the drive wheels 14. Further, MG 13 can also perform regenerative power generation during braking of vehicle 10. The electric power generated by the MG 13 is rectified by the PCU 12 and charged in the assembled battery 100.

  PCU 12 is configured to include an inverter and a converter (both not shown), and drives MG 13 according to a drive signal from ECU 15. The PCU 12 converts the DC power supplied from the assembled battery 100 into AC power and supplies the AC power to the MG 13 when the MG 13 is in the power running mode, and rectifies the power generated by the MG 13 to regenerate the MG 13 and drives the assembled battery 100. Supply to.

  The ECU 15 basically has the same hardware configuration as the above-described information processing devices 210, 310 and 510. That is, the ECU 15 is also configured to include a computing device, a storage device, and the like (neither is shown). For example, the running control of the vehicle 10 and the charging / discharging control of the assembled battery 100 are executed by the arithmetic device executing the program stored in the storage device.

  The atmospheric pressure sensor PS is configured to detect the external atmospheric pressure of the vehicle 10 and output it to the ECU 15. Although not shown, the vehicle 10 includes various sensors (vehicle speed sensor, fuel gauge, odometer, accelerator opening sensor, etc.) that detect the state of the vehicle 10 and output it to the ECU 15, in addition to the atmospheric pressure sensor PS. An outside air temperature sensor, etc.) is provided. The ECU 15 controls the vehicle-mounted device so that the vehicle 10 is in a desired state while detecting the state of the vehicle 10 by these various sensors.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the battery pack 100. In FIG. 4, the arrangement direction D1 indicates the direction in which the plurality of cells 110 forming the assembled battery 100 are arranged, and the width direction D2 indicates the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction D1.

  With reference to FIG. 4, the assembled battery 100 is configured by alternately stacking a plurality of cells 110 and a plurality of spacers 120 in the arrangement direction D1. The cell 110 is, for example, a lithium ion battery. However, the cell 110 may be another secondary battery (for example, a nickel hydrogen battery). The case where the cell 110 is an electrolytic solution secondary battery will be described below, but the cell 110 may be an all-solid-state battery. The number of cells 110 in the assembled battery 100 can be appropriately changed according to the output required for the assembled battery 100 and the like.

  In the case of the cell 110, an electrolytic solution, a positive electrode plate including a positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material layer, and a negative electrode plate including a negative electrode current collector and a negative electrode active material layer are housed (all not shown). Has been done. Further, a positive electrode terminal 131 and a negative electrode terminal 132 are projected outside the case of the cell 110. The positive electrode terminal 131 and the negative electrode terminal 132 are electrically connected to the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate in the case, respectively.

  A discharge valve 130 is provided on the upper surface of the case of the cell 110 (for example, between the positive electrode terminal 131 and the negative electrode terminal 132). The discharge valve 130 is a valve for discharging the gas in the case. The discharge valve 130 opens when the pressure in the case rises above a predetermined pressure (hereinafter, also referred to as “valve opening pressure”). For example, when an abnormal reaction occurs inside the cell 110, the pressure in the case rises to reach the valve opening pressure, and the release valve 130 opens, so that the gas generated by the abnormal reaction goes out of the cell 110. Is released. The assembled battery 100 may further include a duct (not shown) for exhausting the gas released to the outside of the cell through the release valve 130 of each cell 110. After the release valve 130 opens, when the pressure inside the case falls below a predetermined pressure (hereinafter, also referred to as “reseal pressure”), the release valve 130 closes. The reseal pressure is set below the valve opening pressure. The valve opening pressure and the resealing pressure may be the same, or the resealing pressure may be lower than the valve opening pressure.

  The plurality of cells 110 that form the assembled battery 100 are arranged with their directions reversed one by one. The positive electrode terminal 131 of one cell 110 and the negative electrode terminal 132 of another adjacent cell 110 are electrically connected by a connecting member 140 (bus bar). In this way, the cells 110 are connected in series. Further, the constraining plates 141 and 142 are arranged at both ends of the assembled battery 100 in the arrangement direction D1. The restraint plate 141 and the restraint plate 142 are connected to each other via a restraint band 151. The restraint band 151 and the restraint plates 141, 142 are connected by a screw 152. By tightening the screw 152, pressure (restraint force) is applied to the cell 110 and the spacer 120. The case of the cell 110 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. The spacers 120 existing between the cells 110 are made of resin, for example.

  By the way, how to use a vehicle (and thus how to use an assembled battery mounted on the vehicle) varies depending on the user. If the assembled battery is rebuilt without considering the difference in how to use the vehicle for each user, a rebuilt product suitable for the user may not always be obtained. For example, for a user who uses a vehicle in which the fluctuation of the atmospheric pressure is large, the release valve 130 tends to open frequently. When the discharge valve 130 is opened, the cell 110 is likely to deteriorate due to exposure to the atmosphere.

  Therefore, in the battery management system 1 according to this embodiment, the terminal 41 has the configuration described below. The terminal 41 according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the “battery information processing device” according to the present disclosure.

  The communication device 220 in the terminal 41 is controlled by the information processing device 210 and is configured to acquire the usage history information of the vehicle (for example, the vehicle 10) from the management server 20. The vehicle use history information is information indicating the magnitude of ΔP (pressure difference of the vehicle in use) when the vehicle is used. After the vehicle usage history information is detected by the vehicle, the vehicle usage history information is transmitted from the vehicle to the management server 20 and accumulated in the management server 20. In the present embodiment, the “acquisition unit” according to the present disclosure is embodied by the information processing device 210 and the communication device 220.

  In addition, the information processing device 210 generates rebuild information using the vehicle usage history information acquired as described above. The generated rebuild information is information indicating which of the cells classified according to the size of ΔP is a compatible cell. Then, the larger ΔP indicated by the vehicle use history information is, the higher the atmospheric pressure fluctuation resistance (deterioration resistance against atmospheric pressure fluctuation) of the conformable cell indicated by the rebuild information generated by the information processing device 210 becomes. The information processing device 210 according to this embodiment includes the “generation unit” according to the present disclosure. For example, the "generating unit" is embodied by the arithmetic device and the program executed by the arithmetic device.

  In the battery management system 1 according to this embodiment, the assembled battery is manufactured (more specifically, rebuild) according to the rebuild information generated as described above. Therefore, when manufacturing an assembled battery mounted in a vehicle that is used in the first usage (that is, usage that increases ΔP), an assembly cell having high atmospheric pressure fluctuation resistance is used. As a result, when using a vehicle equipped with the assembled battery after assembly, it is possible to suppress deterioration of the cells (reduction in capacity, etc.) and to reduce the frequency of cell replacement. On the other hand, when manufacturing an assembled battery mounted in a vehicle that is used in the second usage (that is, usage that reduces ΔP), an assembly cell having low atmospheric pressure fluctuation resistance is used. In the vehicle which is used in the second way, the deterioration of the cell due to the pressure fluctuation does not pose a problem. For this reason, in the vehicle that is used in the second way, the assembled battery is manufactured using cells having advantages other than the pressure fluctuation resistance, so that sufficient pressure fluctuation resistance can be ensured while still enjoying another merit. It becomes possible to do. For example, if a cell suitable for increasing the capacity is used for manufacturing an assembled battery, a large capacity assembled battery can be obtained. Further, if inexpensive cells are used for manufacturing the assembled battery, it becomes advantageous in terms of cost.

  Hereinafter, a method of generating rebuild information in the battery management system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by ECU 15 of vehicle 10 in battery management system 1 according to the first embodiment. The process shown in this flowchart is started by turning on a start switch (not shown) of the vehicle 10. The start switch is a switch for starting the vehicle system, and when the start switch is turned on, the vehicle system (and thus the ECU 15) is started. Generally, the start-up switch is called a "power switch" or an "ignition switch".

  Referring to FIG. 5, in step (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “S”) 10, ECU 15 acquires the external atmospheric pressure of vehicle 10 detected by atmospheric pressure sensor PS (hereinafter, also referred to as “vehicle atmospheric pressure”). And stores it in the storage device 16. The storage device 16 stores the vehicle air pressure separately for each acquisition timing.

  In addition, in this embodiment, the external air pressure of the vehicle is acquired in S10, but the “air pressure of the vehicle” according to the present disclosure is not limited to the external air pressure of the vehicle. For example, an air pressure sensor may be provided in the vehicle compartment to acquire the air pressure in the vehicle compartment instead of the outside air pressure of the vehicle.

  After the processing of S10, the ECU 15 determines in S20 whether or not the traveling of the vehicle 10 has ended. More specifically, when the start switch is turned off, it is determined that the traveling of the vehicle 10 has ended. In this embodiment, one period is defined as the period from the time when the start switch is turned on (at the start of running) to the time when the start switch is turned off (at the end of running).

  Until the traveling of the vehicle 10 is completed (that is, the period when NO is determined in S20), the processes of S10 and S20 are repeatedly performed every predetermined control cycle. Then, by the processing of S10 which is repeatedly performed in this period, the transition of the vehicle atmospheric pressure (that is, the vehicle atmospheric pressure for each control cycle in one traveling) is stored in the storage device 16.

When it is determined in S20 that the traveling of the vehicle 10 has ended (YES), the ECU 15 determines in S30 from the transition of the vehicle atmospheric pressure stored in the storage device 16 in S10 that the difference in the atmospheric pressure of the vehicle per traveling (hereinafter , Sometimes referred to as “ΔP _A ”). Then, the ECU 15 stores the obtained ΔP _A in the storage device 16. ΔP _A is, for example, the difference (absolute value) between the vehicle atmospheric pressure at the start of traveling and the vehicle atmospheric pressure at the end of traveling.

  In this embodiment, while the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle atmospheric pressure (for example, the outside atmospheric pressure) is acquired every time a predetermined period of time elapses (for example, every control cycle), but only when the traveling starts and when the traveling ends. The atmospheric pressure of the vehicle may be acquired.

Then, in S40, the ECU 15 transmits the ΔP _A acquired in S30 to the management server 20 together with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10. ΔP _A transmitted from the vehicle 10 to the management server 20 is stored in the management information DB 530 (FIG. 3) in association with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10. With this S40, the process of FIG. 5 ends.

In this embodiment, ΔP _A is transmitted from the vehicle to the management server 20 every time one traveling of the vehicle is completed. However, the timing is not limited to this, and the timing at which ΔP _A is transmitted from the vehicle to the management server 20 is arbitrary. Data of a plurality of runs may be collectively transmitted to the management server 20. Data of a plurality of runs transmitted at once may be distinguished for each run, such as the first run, the second run, ....

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by the terminal 41 (more specifically, the information processing device 210 illustrated in FIG. 3) of the recovery company 31 in the battery management system 1 according to the first embodiment. Is. The process shown in this flowchart is executed by, for example, the collection company 31 giving an execution instruction to the information processing device 210 of the terminal 41 through the input device 240. In the battery management system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the user of the vehicle 10 desiring to rebuild the assembled battery used in the vehicle 10 delivers the vehicle 10 to the dealer 35, the dealer 35 collects the assembled battery rebuild. Place an order with the trader 31. The collection company 31 may give the above-mentioned execution instruction to the information processing device 210 at the timing of receiving this order.

Referring to FIG. 6, in S110, information processing device 210 receives a vehicle ID for identifying vehicle 10 (target vehicle) from terminal 45 of dealer 35. Then, the information processing apparatus 210 requests transmission of [Delta] P _A of the vehicle 10 to the management server 20 by using the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10 obtained from the terminal 45, obtains the [Delta] P _A total travel of the vehicle 10 from the management server 20 Yes (S120). When the management server 20 receives the above request from the information processing device 210 of the terminal 41, the management server 20 reads out ΔP _A of all the traveling associated with the vehicle ID of the vehicle 10 from the management information DB 530 and transmits it to the terminal 41.

Subsequently, in S130, the information processing apparatus 210 divides the total sum of ΔP _A of all the traveling of the vehicle 10 acquired in S120 by the number of traveling times to obtain an arithmetic average value of ΔP _A in all traveling (hereinafter, “average value”). ΔP _A )). The average ΔP _{A according} to this embodiment corresponds to an example of “vehicle use information” (particularly, use history information) according to the present disclosure.

In this embodiment adopts the arithmetic mean of [Delta] P _A, it may be employed median [Delta] P _A in place of the arithmetic mean value of [Delta] P _A. Further, the latest ΔP _A may be adopted instead of the average value of ΔP _A (arithmetic mean value, median value, etc.) in all traveling.

Next, in S140, the information processing apparatus 210 determines, based on the average ΔP _A acquired in S130, which of the cells A and B is a suitable cell suitable for rebuilding (replacement of cells). To do. Then, in S151 and S152, one of the cells A and B is selected, and rebuild information for rebuilding in the selected cell is generated.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a conforming cell indicated by the rebuild information generated in S151 and S152. In this embodiment, cells are classified into two cell sections (cell sections A and B) according to the size of ΔP (more specifically, the size of average ΔP _A ), and which cell section is classified by the rebuild information. It is indicated whether the belonging cell is a conforming cell. Hereinafter, the cells belonging to the cell divisions A and B are referred to as cells A and B, respectively.

  Referring to FIG. 7, in this embodiment, both cells A and B have the configuration shown in FIG. However, the atmospheric pressure resistance of the cell A is higher than the atmospheric pressure resistance of the cell B. More specifically, the discharge valve 130 of the cell A is harder to operate (open) than the discharge valve 130 of the cell B.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional shape of the discharge valve 130. With reference to FIG. 8, the discharge valve 130 includes an umbrella portion 130a and a shaft portion 130b. The larger the thickness D10 of the umbrella portion 130a, the higher the valve opening pressure of the release valve 130, and the more difficult the release valve 130 operates. In this embodiment, the atmospheric pressure resistance of the cell A is higher than the atmospheric pressure resistance of the cell B due to the difference in the thickness D10. That is, the thickness D10 of the umbrella portion 130a of the discharge valve 130 used in the cell A is larger than the thickness D10 of the umbrella portion 130a of the discharge valve 130 used in the cell B.

  Referring to FIG. 7 together with FIG. 8, the cell A is a cell in which the thickness D10 of the discharge valve 130 satisfies the requirement of “large”. The cell B is a cell in which the thickness D10 of the discharge valve 130 satisfies the requirement of "small". The numerical range of the thickness D10 of the cell sections A and B can be arbitrarily set as long as the relationship that the thickness D10 of the cell A is larger than the thickness D10 of the cell B is satisfied. This numerical range may be fixed or variable. The information processing device 210 acquires the assembly cell information (more specifically, the thickness D10 of each assembly cell) from the management server 20, and sets the cell having the largest thickness D10 among the assembly cells as the cell A. The cell having the smallest thickness D10 may be the cell B.

Referring to FIG. 6 again, in S140, information processing device 210 determines whether or not average ΔP _A acquired in S130 is larger than threshold value Th (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “Th”). Th is a threshold value for determining whether or not the average [Delta] P _A of the vehicle 10 is large (therefore, whether the pressure difference of the vehicle 10 during use is large). An appropriate Th may be obtained in advance by experiments or the like. In this embodiment, Th is set to 20 kPa.

When it is determined that average ΔP _A is larger than Th (YES in S140), information processing device 210 generates rebuild information indicating that the compatible cell is cell A (FIG. 7) in S151. Specifically, the information processing device 210 refers to the assembling cell information stored in the cell information DB 230 and generates the rebuild information indicating the cell ID of the assembling cell corresponding to the cell A.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the average ΔP _A is equal to or lower than Th (NO in S140), information processing device 210 generates rebuild information indicating that the compatible cell is cell B (FIG. 7) in S152. . Specifically, the information processing device 210 refers to the assembling cell information stored in the cell information DB 230 and generates the rebuild information indicating the cell ID of the assembling cell corresponding to the cell B.

  In addition, in S <b> 151 and S <b> 152, when the information processing apparatus 210 refers to the cell information DB 230 and determines that the stock of the cells corresponding to the compatible cells (S <b> 151: cell A, S <b> 152: cell B) is insufficient. May add information indicating that the number of compatible cells is insufficient to the rebuild information.

  When the rebuild information is generated in any of S151 and S152, the information processing apparatus 210 transmits a rebuild product generation command according to the generated rebuild information to the terminal 44 of the battery pack manufacturer 34 (S160). Then, the processing of FIG. 6 ends with this S160.

  After executing the process of FIG. 6 by the terminal 41, the collection company 31 provides the battery pack manufacturer 34 with the assembly cells used for rebuilding (that is, the assembly cells indicated by the rebuild information). In addition, if the collection company 31 determines that the assembly cells corresponding to the conforming cells are sufficiently in stock, it randomly selects the cells to be used for the rebuild from the assembling cells corresponding to the conforming cells. Alternatively, cells satisfying a predetermined requirement (for example, a requirement considering the user's request) may be preferentially selected. In addition, when the collection company 31 determines that the stock of the assembling cells corresponding to the conforming cells is insufficient, for the insufficient quantity, the rebuilding is performed from the assembling cells not corresponding to the conforming cells. The cells used for the above may be randomly selected, or cells close to the matching cell may be preferentially selected.

  The battery pack manufacturer 34 rebuilds the assembled battery using the assembling cells received from the collector 31 according to the rebuild information received by the terminal 44. Then, the battery pack manufacturer 34 completes the battery pack for the vehicle 10 using the rebuilt battery pack (rebuilt product). The battery pack thus completed has characteristics suitable for the user of the vehicle 10. Then, the battery pack manufactured by the battery pack manufacturer 34 is delivered to the dealer 35 and mounted in the vehicle 10 at the dealer 35.

As described above, in the battery management system 1 according to the present embodiment, the terminal 41 of the collection company 31 acquires the average ΔP _{A of the} vehicle 10 (S110 to S130) and uses the acquired average ΔP _A of the vehicle 10. To generate rebuild information (S140, S151, S152). When the average ΔP _{A of the} vehicle 10 is large (YES in S140), rebuild information indicating that the compatible cell is the cell A (cell having high resistance to atmospheric pressure fluctuation) is generated (S151), and the average ΔP of the vehicle 10 is generated. _{If A} is small (NO in S140), rebuild information indicating that the compatible cell is cell B (cell with low atmospheric pressure fluctuation resistance) is generated (S152). Then, a rebuild product is generated according to the generated rebuild information.

  Since the rebuild product is generated as described above, it is possible to provide the user who uses the vehicle in which ΔP is large with the rebuild product having excellent resistance to atmospheric pressure fluctuation. Further, an inexpensive rebuild product can be provided to a user who uses the vehicle such that ΔP becomes small. Generally, the larger the thickness D10, the higher the price of the discharge valve 130. As described above, in the battery management system 1, in manufacturing the assembled battery, the difference in the usage of the vehicle 10 for each user is taken into consideration and an appropriate assembly cell is selected.

In the first embodiment, vehicle information (eg, ΔP _A ) is periodically transmitted from the vehicle to management server 20. However, the information stored in the vehicle is not limited to this, and the information stored in the vehicle is stored in the vehicle by connecting the vehicle to the terminal 45 of the store 35 when the vehicle is brought into the store 35. From the terminal 45 to the management server 20.

In the first embodiment, the terminal 41 of the collection company 31 calculates the average ΔP _A. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the average ΔP _A may be calculated in the vehicle and the calculated average ΔP _A may be transmitted to the management server 20.

[Second Embodiment]
A battery management system according to Embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described. Since the second embodiment has many parts in common with the first embodiment, differences will be mainly described, and description of the common parts will be omitted.

  The battery management system according to the second embodiment basically has a configuration according to the battery management system according to the first embodiment (see FIGS. 1 to 4). However, in the battery management system according to the second embodiment, the process of FIG. 9 described below is executed instead of the process of FIGS. 5 and 6.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of processing executed by the terminal 45 of the store 35 (more specifically, the information processing device 310 shown in FIG. 3) in the battery management system according to the second embodiment. is there. The process shown in this flowchart is executed by the store 35 giving an execution instruction to the information processing device 310 of the terminal 45 through the input device 340. The dealer 35 may give the above-mentioned execution instruction to the information processing device 310, for example, when an order is received from a user who has visited the store to purchase a new vehicle. The terminal 45 according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of the “battery information processing device” according to the present disclosure.

  Referring to FIG. 9, the information processing apparatus 310 conducts a questionnaire to the user who has visited the store in S210. The user can answer the questionnaire through the input device 340. In this embodiment, a touch panel display is adopted as the input device 340. In S210, the information processing device 310 displays a questionnaire screen on the touch panel display and waits for an input from the user.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the questionnaire screen. Referring to FIG. 10, this questionnaire screen is for investigating where and how often the user will use the vehicle in the future on weekdays and holidays. The user can operate the touch panel display to input the driving time per day and the driving ratio in each place of the highway (highway), urban area, suburbs, and mountains. In FIG. 10, the underlined numerical value indicates the numerical value input by the user.

  Weekdays are, for example, 5 days from Monday to Friday. Holidays are two days, for example, Saturday and Sunday. However, the number of days on weekdays and holidays can be arbitrarily set according to the user.

  Referring to FIG. 9 together with FIG. 10, information processing device 310 predicts from the result of the above-mentioned questionnaire what the magnitude of ΔP of the vehicle will be when the vehicle will be used in the future, and the ΔP of the vehicle in the future will be predicted. Is determined (S220). When the questionnaire result has the content shown in FIG. 10, the information processing apparatus 310 calculates the total evaluation score by, for example, the procedure described below, and uses the calculated total evaluation score to determine the ΔP size of the vehicle. Predict.

  In this embodiment, points (hereinafter, also referred to as “pt”) are set for each driving place. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, 15 pt, 5 pt, 10 pt, and 50 pt are set for the highway, urban area, suburbs, and mountains, respectively. The higher the point, the more likely it is that the driving place is where the atmospheric pressure difference (ΔP) of the vehicle being driven becomes large. Further, as the driving frequency increases, ΔP tends to increase. Therefore, the magnitude of ΔP at each driving place can be represented by the product of the points and the driving frequency (hereinafter, referred to as “driving evaluation value”). . A larger driving evaluation value means that ΔP tends to increase during driving.

  The driving evaluation value of the highway on weekdays is such as "days on weekdays (5 days) x driving time per day (4 hours) x driving ratio (20% = 0.2) x points (15pt) = 60" It can be obtained by a formula. With such a formula, the driving evaluation values on the highway, urban area, suburbs, and mountains on weekdays are calculated to be 60, 70, 20, and 0, respectively. Then, the total score of the driving evaluation values of all the driving places (hereinafter, referred to as “total driving evaluation value”) is 150.

  The highway driving evaluation value on a holiday is such as "days of holiday (2 days) x driving time per day (6 hours) x driving ratio (10% = 0.1) x points (15pt) = 18" It can be obtained by a formula. With such a formula, the driving evaluation values on the highway, urban area, suburbs, and mountains on holidays are calculated to be 18, 6, 60, and 180, respectively. The total driving evaluation value is 264.

  Then, a total evaluation point, which is the sum of the weekday general operation evaluation value and the holiday general operation evaluation value, is obtained. In the example of FIG. 10, the total evaluation score is 414. The higher the overall evaluation score, the more likely the vehicle will be used in the future and the greater the ΔP of the vehicle. Therefore, in S220, it can be determined whether or not the ΔP of the vehicle will increase in the future, based on the comprehensive evaluation score. In this embodiment, when the total evaluation score is larger than the predetermined value, it is determined that ΔP of the vehicle will increase in the future (YES in S220), and when the total evaluation score is less than the predetermined value, It is determined that ΔP of the vehicle is small (NO in S220). The questionnaire result (for example, the comprehensive evaluation score) according to this embodiment corresponds to an example of “vehicle use information” (particularly, use prediction information) according to the present disclosure.

  The method of obtaining the magnitude of ΔP from the questionnaire result is not limited to the above, and any method can be used. Further, the questionnaire question items shown in FIG. 10 can be arbitrarily changed. For example, in the questionnaire, the user may be allowed to input only the mountain driving frequency. Then, assuming that the altitude of the mountain becomes a predetermined value (for example, the highest assumed value), the magnitude of ΔP may be obtained from the driving frequency in the mountain by a general formula. In addition, using big data collected from each vehicle in the management server 20, the result of the questionnaire (for example, the vehicle usage condition as shown in FIG. 10) and the size of ΔP are determined by a known machine learning technique or artificial intelligence. The relationship may be introduced.

  If it is determined in S220 that ΔP of the vehicle will increase in the future (YES in S220), information processing device 310 determines that the matching cell is cell A, and in S231, the matching cell is cell A. Assembly information indicating that is generated. If it is determined in S220 that ΔP of the vehicle will be small (NO in S220), the information processing apparatus 310 determines that the matching cell is the cell B, and in S232, the matching cell is the cell B. Is generated. Note that S231 and S232 are the same as S151 and S152 of FIG. 6, respectively, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

  When the assembly information is generated in any one of S231 and S232, the information processing device 310 transmits a manufacturing request (order) of a new battery pack according to the generated assembly information to the terminal 41 of the recovery company 31 (S240). ). Then, with this S240, the processing of FIG. 9 ends.

  According to the assembly information received by the terminal 41, the collection company 31 collects the assembling cells corresponding to the compatible cells and assembles the assembled battery. The battery pack including the assembled battery thus assembled has characteristics suitable for the user. Then, the manufactured new battery pack is delivered from the collection company 31 to the dealer 35 and mounted in a new vehicle at the dealer 35.

  As described above, the terminal 45 of the store 35 according to this embodiment is configured to acquire the vehicle usage information by the questionnaire (S210 in FIG. 9). Therefore, even if the user who wants to manufacture the assembled battery is a new customer, the terminal 45 can acquire the vehicle usage information about the user.

  If the user desiring to manufacture the assembled battery is a new customer, the assembled battery is manufactured by the method according to the second embodiment, and if the user desiring to manufacture the assembled battery is an existing customer, the operation is performed. The assembled battery may be manufactured by the method according to the first embodiment.

[Other Embodiments]
In the first embodiment, the assembly information is generated by the terminal 41, and in the second embodiment, the assembly information is generated by the terminal 45. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the generation of the assembly information may be performed by the management server 20, any of the terminals 42 to 44, or a separately provided terminal. Further, the ECU 15 of the vehicle 10 may generate the assembly information.

  The timing of manufacturing the assembled battery is arbitrary, and may be the timing of purchasing a new vehicle (including replacement), the timing of purchasing a new battery pack, or the timing of regular maintenance. Good. In addition, the management server 20 obtains an appropriate cell replacement timing based on the information obtained from the vehicle (such as the accumulated mileage of the vehicle and the elapsed time from the start of using the battery pack), and the vehicle is determined at that timing. You may notify.

  In each of the above embodiments, the cells are classified into two sections (ΔP: large, ΔP: small) according to the size of ΔP, but the cells may be classified into three or more sections according to the size of ΔP.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a modified example in which cells are classified into three sections (ΔP: large, ΔP: medium, ΔP: small) according to the size of ΔP. Hereinafter, the cells belonging to the cell divisions A, B, and C will be referred to as cells A, B, and C, respectively.

  Referring to FIG. 11, the cell A is a cell in which the thickness D10 of the discharge valve 130 satisfies the requirement of “large”. The cell B is a cell in which the thickness D10 of the discharge valve 130 satisfies the requirement of "medium". The cell C is a cell in which the thickness D10 of the discharge valve 130 satisfies the requirement of "small". When the discharge valve 130 is arranged in the order of increasing thickness D10 (that is, having high atmospheric pressure fluctuation resistance), cells A, B, and C are obtained. The numerical range of the thickness D10 of each cell section can be arbitrarily set as long as this relationship is satisfied.

  When the ΔP of the target vehicle is large (for example, larger than the first threshold), the battery information processing device (for example, the terminals 41 to 45, the management server 20, or the ECU 15) determines that the compatible cell is the cell A. If the ΔP of the target vehicle is medium (for example, not less than the second threshold and not more than the first threshold), the rebuild information indicating that the compatible cell is the cell B is generated, and If the ΔP of the vehicle is small (for example, less than the second threshold), the rebuild information indicating that the matching cell is the cell C may be generated.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the assembly information indicates the compatible cell by using the thickness D10 (FIG. 8) of the umbrella portion 130a of the discharge valve 130, but the assembly information is not limited to this. The assembly information can indicate the conforming cell using any parameter that correlates to the pressure fluctuation tolerance. For example, the opening pressure of the discharge valve 130 may be used instead of the thickness D10. The higher the valve opening pressure of the discharge valve used in the cell, the higher the pressure fluctuation resistance of the cell. When the cells constituting the battery pack are equipped with a pressure type current interruption mechanism (for example, CID), the reversal pressure of the pressure type current interruption mechanism may be used instead of the thickness D10. The higher the reversal pressure of the pressure type current interruption mechanism used in the cell, the higher the pressure fluctuation resistance of the cell.

  The embodiments disclosed this time are to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown not by the above description of the embodiments but by the claims, and is intended to include meanings equivalent to the claims and all modifications within the scope.

  1 Battery Management System, 10, 60-1 to 60-3 Vehicle, 11 Battery Monitoring Unit, 12 PCU, 13 MG, 14 Drive Wheel, 15 ECU, 16 Storage Device, 17 Communication Device, 18 Communication Line, 20 Management Server, 31 collection company, 32 inspection company, 33 performance recovery company, 34 battery pack manufacturer, 35 dealer, 36 recycler, 41-45 terminal, 50 communication network, 51 base station, 62-1 to 62-3 battery pack, 71 communication device, 72 control device, 73 display device, 100 assembled battery, 110 cell, 120 spacer, 130 release valve, 130a umbrella part, 130b shaft part, 131 positive electrode terminal, 132 negative electrode terminal, 140 connecting member, 141, 142 restraint Plate, 151 restraint band, 152 screw, 210, 310, 510 information processing device 220,320,520 communication device, 230 cell information DB, 240 input unit, 330 vehicle information DB, 340 input unit, 530 management information DB.

Claims (1)

A battery information processing device that processes information for manufacturing an assembled battery including a plurality of cells,
An acquisition unit for acquiring vehicle usage information indicating the magnitude of ΔP, which is the atmospheric pressure difference of the vehicle being used;
A generation unit that generates assembly information for selecting a compatible cell suitable for manufacturing the assembled battery from the assembly cell using the vehicle usage information,
The assembly information indicates which of the cells classified by the size of the ΔP is the compatible cell,
The battery information processing device, wherein the larger the ΔP indicated by the vehicle use information is, the higher the deterioration resistance of the compatible cell to the atmospheric pressure fluctuation indicated by the assembly information generated by the generator is.

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