The invention relates to a method for selecting electrochemical cells during the production of a battery which comprises a plurality of electrochemical cells and a battery produced in accordance with the method.
Electrochemical energy stores, also referred to as electrochemical or galvanic cells in the following, are frequently manufactured in the form of stackable units, wherein batteries for various applications, particularly for use in electrically operated motor vehicles, can be produced by combining a plurality of such cells. The invention will be described with reference to its use in a motor vehicle, whereby it is however pointed out that such a method and battery with accordingly designed electrochemical cells can also be operated independently of motor vehicles, e.g. in stationary use.
The entire content of the DE 10 2011101793 priority application is fully incorporated as an integral part of the present application by reference herein.
Different methods for manufacturing a battery comprising a plurality of electrochemical cells are known from the prior art.
The present invention is based on the object of providing an improved method for selecting electrochemical cells during the production a battery which comprises a number of electrochemical cells and on a corresponding battery.
This object is accomplished by a method for selecting electrochemical cells during the production of a battery in accordance with claim 1 and by a battery in accordance with claim 13. The subclaims relate to advantageous further developments of the invention.
According to a first aspect, in a method for selecting electrochemical cells during the production of a battery which comprises a number of electrochemical cells, this object is accomplished by the method comprising the following steps: acquiring parameter data on an individual electrochemical cell to be analyzed in order to assess the quality of the electrochemical cell, feeding the acquired parameter data to a control unit, associating the electrochemical cell with the parameter data, and determining by means of the control unit whether there is a predetermined correlation between the parameter data for the electrochemical cell associated with said parameter data relative to predetermined parameter values. One advantage of this method is that from a cost, quality as well as design point of view relative a battery application to be selected, production yield can be increased. In particular, the electrochemical cells selected for the battery or the battery assembly can be of a selective predetermined quality. Thus, for example batteries having a first, preferably higher quality can be used for original equipment while batteries having a second, preferably normal quality can be used for the aftermarket. Furthermore, batteries of a third quality can be used for stationary application.
An electrochemical cell in the present context is to be understood as an electrochemical energy store; i.e. a device which stores energy in chemical form, releases the energy to a load in electrical form, and can preferably also absorb it in electrical form from a charging device. Galvanic cells and fuel cells are important examples of such electrochemical energy stores. The electrochemical cell comprises at least one first and one second device for storing electrically different charges as well as means for producing an operative electrical connection between said two devices, wherein charge carriers can be positioned between the two devices. A means for producing an operative electrical connection refers for example to an electrolyte acting as an ionic conductor.
Parameter data is to be understood in the present context not only as a plurality of parameter data, but also, where applicable, one single parameter datum. Accordingly, predetermined parameter values in the present context is not only to be understood as a plurality of predetermined parameter values, but also, where applicable, one single predetermined parameter value.
It has proven advantageous for the control unit determination step to comprise at least one of the following determining steps: determining whether the transmitted parameter data includes predetermined first parameter values and/or determining whether the transmitted parameter data does not include predetermined second parameter values.
Preferably, the control unit determination step comprises at least one of the following determining steps: determining whether the transmitted parameter data exceeds predetermined third parameter values and/or determining whether the transmitted parameter data falls short of predetermined fourth parameter values.
The method can furthermore comprise at least one of the supply steps: feeding the electrochemical cell associated with the parameter data to a first production line for producing first battery types when the predetermined correlation is determined in the determination step or feeding the electrochemical cell associated with the parameter data to a second production line for producing second battery types when the predetermined correlation is not determined in the determination step.
The control unit determination step can additionally comprise the step: determining whether the parameter data is within at least one predetermined parameter value range for a predetermined fifth parameter value.
A first parameter value range of 1.2%, preferably 0.6%, has proven advantageous in the method for the feeding to a first production line for producing hybrid cell batteries.
A second parameter value range of 3%, preferably 1.5%, has proven further advantageous for the feeding to a second production line for producing plug-in hybrid batteries, wherein preferably the parameter data of the electrochemical cells to be fed to the second production line is beyond, in particular outside of the preferred parameter range of the aforementioned first embodiment.
A third parameter value range of 4.5%, preferably 2.2%, has proven further advantageous for the feeding to a third production line for producing electric vehicle or device batteries, wherein preferably the parameter data of the electrochemical cells to be fed to the third production line is beyond, in particular outside of the preferred parameter range of the aforementioned first embodiment and/or preferably the parameter data of the electrochemical cells to be fed to the third production line is beyond, in particular outside of the preferred parameter range of the aforementioned second embodiment.
A fourth parameter value range of 50%, preferably 25%, has proven further advantageous for the feeding to a fourth production line for producing batteries for stationary applications, wherein preferably the parameter data of the electrochemical cells to be fed to the fourth production line is beyond, in particular outside of the preferred parameter range of the aforementioned first embodiment and/or preferably the parameter data of the electrochemical cells to be fed to the fourth production line is beyond, in particular outside of the preferred parameter range of the aforementioned second embodiment and/or preferably the parameter data of the electrochemical cells to be fed to the fourth production line is beyond, in particular outside of the preferred parameter range of the aforementioned third embodiment.
It is preferential for at least one electrochemical cell parameter data to be selected from a parameter group comprising at least one of the following parameters: the open-circuit voltage of the electrochemical cell, the capacitance of the electrochemical cell, the internal resistance of the electrochemical cell, a change in the internal resistance of the electrochemical cell after application of a pressure, preferably to side surfaces of the electrochemical cell, or the internal pressure of the electrochemical cell. It is particularly preferential to use as parameter data the internal resistance of the electrochemical cell during or after finishing upon in particular application of a pressure via the side surfaces of the electrochemical cell, whereby preferably at least three or more resistances are used. The change in the internal resistance of the electrochemical cell after application of a pressure to the electrochemical cell's side surfaces has proven to be a preferential parameter for assessing the quality of an electrochemical cell. When pressure is applied to an electrochemical cell and the electrochemical cell yields, the internal resistance changes. Hence, a pressure can be applied to the electrochemical cell and the change in internal resistance measured. Electrochemical cells which are relatively hard and which have minimal internal resistance change after application of pressure to their side surfaces no longer outgas once closed. The change in the internal resistance relative to the change in pressure can thus allow a particularly simple correlating of the electrochemical cell to different types of quality and thus to appropriate production lines. Hence, the quality can for example be expressed by the following relationship in which dRi denotes the change in the internal resistance and dF denotes the change in applied pressure:
According to a second aspect, the object is accomplished by a battery which comprises a plurality of electrochemical cells by the battery being produced in accordance with one of the above-cited production methods.
It has proven advantageous for the battery to be designed as a battery selected from a battery group which comprises: plug-in hybrid batteries, hybrid cell batteries, electric vehicle batteries, device batteries or batteries for stationary applications.
Moreover, the electrochemical cell of the battery can additionally comprise a storage apparatus designed to store a quality value.
The present invention further relates to a battery having electrochemical cells which is designed for use in a motor vehicle.
The following will draw on preferred embodiments as well as the figures in describing advantages of the invention in greater detail. Shown are:
It is determined by means of the control unit whether said parameter data DPar. exhibits predetermined first parameter values WPar.1. Should the parameter data DPar. exhibit the predetermined first parameter values WPar.1, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a first production line for producing a first type of battery. Otherwise, if the parameter data DPar. does not exhibit the predetermined first parameter values WPar.1, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a second production line for producing a second type of battery.
It is determined by means of the control unit if said parameter data DPar. does not include predetermined second parameter values WPar.2. Should the parameter data DPar. not exhibit the predetermined second parameter values WPar.2, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a first production line for producing a first type of battery. Otherwise, when the parameter data
Dpar does exhibit the predetermined second parameter values WPar.2, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a second production line for producing a second type of battery.
It is determined by means of the control unit whether said parameter data DPar. exceeds the predetermined third parameter values WPar.3. Should the parameter data DPar. exceed the predetermined third parameter values WPar.3, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a first production line for producing a first type of battery. Otherwise, when the parameter data DPar. does not exceed the predetermined third parameter values WPar.3, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a second production line for producing a second type of battery.
It is determined by means of the control unit if said parameter data DPar. does not exceed predetermined fourth parameter values WPar.4. Should the parameter data DPar. fall short of the predetermined fourth parameter values WPar.4, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a first production line for producing a first type of battery. Otherwise, when the parameter data Dpar does not fall short of the predetermined fourth parameter values WPar.4, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a second production line for producing a second type of battery.
It is determined by means of the control unit whether said parameter data DPar. falls within a predetermined parameter range for a predetermined fifth parameter value WPar.5. Should the parameter data DPar. be within the predetermined parameter range for the predetermined fifth parameter value WPar.5, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a first production line for producing a first type of battery. Otherwise, when the parameter data DPar. does not lie within the predetermined parameter range for the predetermined fifth parameter value WPar.5, the electrochemical cell will be fed to a second production line for producing a second type of battery.
This modification has the additional step S4.1 and S4.2 after step S3. In step S4.1, a quality value is established by means of parameter data DPar. which is stored in step S4.2 in a storage unit arranged in or on the electrochemical storage cell. The quality value can for example be used for a classification of the electrochemical cell which can for example be used for subsequent production steps or when analyzing the battery.
The present invention further relates to a battery comprising said electrochemical cells, particularly a battery designed for use in a motor vehicle which comprises said electrochemical cells.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2011 101 793.7 | May 2011 | DE | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2012/001885 | 5/2/2012 | WO | 00 | 12/20/2013 |