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EP-4071961-B1 - DEVICE FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING BATTERY CELL AND METHOD FOR CHARGING AND DISCHARGING BATTERY CELL USING THE SAME

EP4071961B1EP 4071961 B1EP4071961 B1EP 4071961B1EP-4071961-B1

Inventors

  • KIM, KWANG JIN
  • KIM, SEUNG CHEOL

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20211027

Claims (11)

  1. A device for charging and discharging a battery cell (1), the device comprising: a pair of jigs (10, 100, 200, 300) each of which is configured to fix a respective one of two electrode leads (1a) of the battery cell (1), wherein each of the jigs (10, 100, 200, 300) includes: - a first jig block (11, 110, 210, 310) which is configured to press one surface of an electrode lead (1a) of the battery cell (1); - a second jig block (12, 120, 220, 320) which is configured to press the other surface opposite to the one surface of the electrode lead (1a); - a first jig block control unit (13, 130, 230, 330) which is connected to the first jig block (11, 110, 210, 310) so as to move the first jig block (11, 110, 210, 310) toward the one surface of the electrode lead (1a); and - an interval adjusting member (140, 240, 340) which is arranged between the first and second jig blocks (11, 110, 210, 310; 12, 120, 220, 320) so as to control an interval between the first and second jig blocks (11, 110, 210, 310; 12, 120, 220, 320); a sensor unit (250, 350) which is configured to measure at least one of a temperature, an electric current and a voltage of the battery cell (1); and a data processing unit (260, 360) which is configured to receive information on at least one of the temperature, the electric current and the voltage of the battery cell (1), measured by the sensor unit (250, 350), and to determine whether to operate the interval adjusting member (140, 240, 340).
  2. The device of claim 1, wherein the data processing unit (260, 360) decides to operate the interval adjusting member (140, 240, 340) if at least one of the temperature, the electric current and the voltage of the battery cell (1), measured in the sensor unit (250, 350), goes beyond a reference value range.
  3. The device of claim 1, wherein the interval adjusting member (140, 240, 340) is connected to a fluid pressure system and increases the interval between the first and second jig blocks (11, 110, 210, 310 and 12, 120, 220, 320) by a fluid pressure transmitted from the fluid pressure system.
  4. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a height adjusting member (370) which is arranged at a bottom of the second jig block (12, 120, 220, 320) and controls a level of the second jig block (12, 120, 220, 320) or the jig (10, 100, 200, 300).
  5. The device of claim 4, wherein the interval adjusting member (140, 240, 340) and the height adjusting member (350) are connected to the respective fluid pressure system, wherein the interval adjusting member (140, 240, 340) increases the interval between the first and second jig blocks (11, 110, 210, 310 and 12, 120, 220, 320) by the fluid pressure transmitted from the fluid pressure system, and wherein the height adjusting member (350) controls the level of the second jig block (12, 120, 220, 320) or the jig (10, 100, 200, 300) by the fluid pressure transmitted from the fluid pressure system.
  6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a charge and discharge unit which is electrically connected to the electrode lead (1a) of the battery cell (1).
  7. The device of claim 1, wherein the pair of jigs (10, 100, 200, 300) are arranged to be aligned alongside each other facing the same direction or are arranged to face each other.
  8. A method for charging and discharging a battery cell (1) using the device according to claim 1.
  9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: charging and discharging a battery cell (1) in a state that an electrode lead (1a) has been fixed between first and second jig blocks (11, 110, 210, 310 and 12, 120, 220, 320), wherein at least one of a temperature, an electric current and a voltage of the battery cell (1) is measured during the charging and discharging of the battery cell (1).
  10. The method of claim 9, further comprising increasing the interval between the first and second jig blocks (11, 110, 210, 310 and 12, 120, 220, 320) if at least one of the temperature, the electric current and the voltage of the battery cell (1) goes beyond a reference value range during the charging and discharging of the battery cell (1).
  11. The method of claim 9, wherein the measuring of at least one of the temperature, the electric current and the voltage of the battery cell (1) is continually performed or is repeatedly performed at regular intervals during the charging and discharging of the battery cell (1).

Description

[Technical Field] The present invention relates to a device for charging and discharging a battery cell, and a method of charging and discharging a battery cell using the same. [Background Art] In recent years, as the price of energy sources increases due to the depletion of fossil fuels and the interest of environmental pollution is amplified, the demand for environmentally friendly alternative energy sources has become an indispensable factor for future life. As such, various researches on power generation technologies such as nuclear power, solar power, wind power, and tidal power have been continued, and electric power storage devices for more efficient use of such generated energy have also been attracting much attention. In particular, with the development of technology and demand for mobile devices, the demand for batteries as energy sources is rapidly increasing, and accordingly, a lot of researches on batteries capable of meeting various demands have been conducted. Typically, in terms of the shape of the battery, there is a high demand for a prismatic secondary battery and a pouch-type secondary battery that can be applied to products such as mobile phones with a small thickness. In terms of materials, there is a high demand for lithium secondary batteries such as lithium ion batteries and lithium ion polymer batteries having advantages such as high energy density, discharge voltage, and output stability. In general, such a secondary battery is formed in a structure such that an electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator disposed therebetween is built in a battery case, and positive and negative electrode tabs are welded to two electrode tabs and are sealed to be exposed to the outside of the battery case. The electrode tab is electrically connected to the external device through contact with the external device, and the secondary battery supplies power to the external device through the electrode tab or receives power from the external device. Meanwhile, the secondary battery is manufactured by accommodating an electrode assembly in a battery case and injecting electrolyte, followed by a battery activation step. At this time, the battery activation step includes the process of charging and discharging the secondary battery in the conditions necessary for activation after mounting the secondary battery in a device for charging and discharging a secondary battery. Such a device for charging and discharging a secondary battery is mainly used to charge or discharge the secondary battery in the battery activation step, as well as used for performance evaluation purposes of the secondary battery. However, in order to properly charge or discharge the secondary battery using the device for charging and discharging a secondary battery, the secondary battery should be properly mounted on the device for charging and discharging a secondary battery. That is, the electrode lead of the secondary battery is disposed to contact the conductive portion of the device for charging and discharging a secondary battery so that both are electrically connected, and the electrical connection state should be maintained while charging and discharging is in progress. The device for charging and discharging a secondary battery for this purpose is generally provided with a fixing jig for fixing the electrode lead. When charging and discharging a secondary battery, if a conventional fixing jig 10 as shown in FIG. 1 is applied, an electrode lead 1a is positioned between first and second jigs 11 and 12. Further, the height of the first jig 11 is lowered and the electrode lead 1a is pressed and fixed through a first jig block control unit 13. However, thickness of the battery cell 1 is changed according to a swelling phenomenon during the charge and discharge process as shown in FIG. 2. Specifically, a cell swelling phenomenon occurs in the battery cell 1 by the internal gas of the battery cell 1 or lithium by-products during the charge and discharge process. At this time, the electrode lead 1a of the battery cell 1 is in a fixed state, and disconnection occurs by the bending of the electrode lead 1a due to the cell swelling phenomenon. The disconnection of the electrode lead 1a may decrease the capacity of the battery cell 1 and ignite the battery cell 1. Hence, there is a need for a method for preventing disconnection of the electrode lead or safety accidents, etc. during the charge and discharge process of the battery cell. [Disclosure] The document EP 2 860 815 A1 discoses a gripper assembly for battery charging/discharging configured to contact the electrode lead surface without damage. The document KR 2015 0011 736 A discoses a gripper for battery charging/discharging in which individual components are detachably mounted for replacement in case of failure. The document KR 2018 0137 705 A discoses a battery evaluation device using a modular pressing jig with improved contact betwe