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US 11,081,765 B2Granted
Battery cell refillable with electrolyte, battery pack, electrolyte refilling system for battery pack, and electrolyte refilling method for battery pack
AssigneeLG Chem, Ltd.
InventorsChul Gi Hong, Jae Hyun Lee, Dong Kyu Kim, Dae Soo Kim
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a battery cell refillable with an electrolyte, an electrolyte refilling system for a battery pack configured to include a plurality of battery cells, and an electrolyte refilling method for a battery pack of an electric vehicle.
Claims12
An electrolyte refilling system for a battery pack comprising:
- (1) a plurality of battery cells each comprising a cell accommodating case configured to accommodate an electrode assembly comprising a negative electrode plate, a positive electrode plate, and a separator interposed between the negative electrode plate and the positive electrode plate,
- wherein the cell accommodating case has, on one side thereof, a cell filling port comprising a filling valve, and has, on the other side thereof facing the cell filling port, a cell discharge port comprising a discharge valve;
- (2) a battery pack in which the cell filling port of each battery cell is connected in parallel to each other through a main filling tube,
- the cell discharge port of each battery cell is connected in parallel to each other through a main discharge tube,
- the cell filling ports and the cell discharge ports are accommodated in an outer case, and a main filling port of the main filling tube and a main discharge port of the main discharge tube pass through the outer case and are exposed to the outside;
- (3) a liquid filling pump connected to the main filling port of the main filling tube of the battery pack;
- (4) a solvent tank comprising a solvent valve configured to supply or block the solvent supplied to the liquid filling pump;
- (5) an electrolyte tank comprising an electrolyte valve configured to supply or block the electrolyte supplied to the liquid filling pump;
- (6) an electrolyte refilling determining unit configured to calculate a 1C capacity holding rate (%) of the battery pack and determine a necessity of refilling the electrolyte;
- (7) a supply amount calculating unit configured to calculate amounts of the solvent and electrolyte to be supplied to the solvent tank and the electrolyte tank;
- (8) a control unit configured to control, according to the determination of the necessity of refilling the electrolyte from the electrolyte refilling determining unit, the filling valve, the discharge valve, the liquid filling pump, the solvent valve, and the electrolyte valve so as to supply the calculated amounts of solvent and electrolyte to each battery cell constituting the battery pack;
- and
- (9) a notifying unit configured to notify a user of the necessity of refilling the electrolyte and the calculated amounts of solvent and electrolyte.
10 more elements
A method of refilling an electrolyte in a battery pack for an electric vehicle, comprising:
- a 1C capacity holding rate calculating step of calculating a 1C capacity holding rate (%) of a battery pack in use;
- an electrolyte refilling necessity determining step wherein when the 1C capacity holding rate (%) calculated in the 1C capacity holding rate calculating step has been calculated as a predetermined percent (%) or less, the necessity of refilling the electrolyte is determined;
- an electrolyte refilling necessity notifying step wherein the necessity of refilling the electrolyte is notified to a user;
- a solvent supply amount displaying step wherein an amount of solvent to be supplied to a solvent tank is displayed to the user;
- a discharging step wherein the solvent supplied to the solvent tank is filled into each of battery cells constituting the battery pack, and an electrolyte and a reaction gas inside each battery cell are discharged to the outside;
- an electrolyte supply amount displaying step wherein an amount of electrolyte to be supplied to an electrolyte tank is displayed to the user;
- and
- an electrolyte filling step wherein the electrolyte supplied to the electrolyte tank is filled into each of the battery cells constituting the battery pack.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.