Recovering Device and Recovering Method for Recovering Nickel-Metal Hydride Battery

A recovering device for recovering a nickel-metal hydride battery having a container provided with an exhaust valve configured to exhaust gas generated in the container to outside, the recovering device comprising:

• a liquid bath configured to store liquid coolant;
• a fixing device configured to fix the nickel-metal hydride battery to the liquid bath with at least a portion of the container of the nickel-metal hydride battery being immersed in the liquid coolant in the liquid bath;
• a circulating device configured to circulate the liquid coolant in the liquid bath;
• a deformation amount detector configured to detect a deformation amount of the container of the nickel-metal hydride battery with the nickel-metal hydride battery being fixed to the liquid bath by the fixing device;
• an exhausting device configured to collect the gas exhausted from the exhaust valve of the nickel-metal hydride battery and exhaust the gas to outside the recovering device;
• a charger configured to charge the nickel-metal hydride battery;
• and
• a controller configured to perform an overcharging process for overcharging, using the charger, the nickel-metal hydride battery fixed to the liquid bath by the fixing device while circulating the liquid coolant in the liquid bath using the circulating device, wherein
• during the overcharging process, the controller is configured to
• continue the overcharging process when the deformation amount of the container is less than a threshold value, and
• halt the overcharging process when the deformation amount of the container exceeds the threshold value.