Abstract: A voltage detection circuit for a secondary battery. A secondary battery is composed of a plurality of battery blocks (B1) to (B3), and is connected to a flying capacitor (C1) via input side sampling switches (SW1) to (SW3). The flying capacitor (C1) is connected to a differential amplifier circuit (10) via output side sampling switches (SWa) and (SWb). A feedback capacitor (C2) is connected to an inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier circuit (10) to form an integrator circuit, which reduces the capacitance of the flying capacitor (C1).

Abstract: An assembled battery is formed by combining battery modules. Each battery module includes at least one battery cell and a rectangular box-shaped case that accommodates the at least one battery cell. The battery modules include a first battery module and a second battery module located adjacent to each other. The case of each of the first battery module and the second battery module includes an opposing side surface that is opposed to one of the first battery module and the second battery module. Each opposing side surface includes projections, which are laid out in rows, and ribs, which extend parallel to the layout direction of the projections. The ribs are smaller in height than the first projections. The ribs include connection ribs that connect the projections located in a predetermined range in the layout direction of the projections.

Abstract: A battery includes an external terminal member and an insulating member on an outer surface of a lid member so that an interval between the insulating member and the lid member is smaller in a long side of the lid member than in a short side. A weld mark is formed over the entire circumference of the lid member to extend across the outer surface of the lid member and an open end face of the case body. The weld mark not only extends across the outer surface of the lid member and the open end face of the case body but also reaches an outer side surface of the case body in a zone of the long side of the lid member facing the insulating member, but does not reach the outer side surface of the case body in a zone except the former zone.

Abstract: A method for adjusting a battery module including a plurality of connected cells is provided. Each of the connected cells is a nickel-metal hydride battery including a positive electrode containing an active material of which a main component is nickel hydroxide, a negative electrode containing a hydrogen adsorption alloy, and an electrolytic solution that is an alkali solution. The method includes over-discharging the battery module so that a state of charge reaches 0% in every one of the connected cells.

Abstract: A method includes discharging an assembled battery (10) formed of a plurality of batteries until a state of charge (SOC) of the assembled battery becomes smaller or equal to a lower limit of a predetermined normal use range used in charge and discharge control of the assembled battery, measuring the discharge capacity of each of a plurality of battery blocks in the discharge of the assembled battery, the plurality of batteries being divided into the plurality of battery blocks, calculating the capacity difference in the discharge capacity among the plurality of battery blocks, and determining the remaining life of the battery block or the assembled battery based on the calculated capacity difference.

Abstract: A nickel-hydrogen storage battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode using an AB5 based hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and a separator arranged between the positive and negative electrodes. The AB5 based hydrogen-absorbing alloy includes an A element, which is a constituent element of a misch metal, and a B element, which includes nickel and cobalt. The ratio of the amount of substance of the B element to that of the A element is 5.2 or more and 5.4 or less. The ratio of the amount of substance of cobalt to that of the A element is 0.15 or more and 0.4 or less. The liquid retention volume (V1) and the true volume (V2) of the separator, the theoretical capacity of the negative electrode (C1), and the theoretical capacity of the positive electrode (C2) satisfy the following expression. 2.0?V1/V2×C1/C2?3.

Abstract: A method of selecting a used secondary battery includes an internal resistance measurement step of measuring a specific internal resistance (second internal resistance) at a specific battery temperature (second battery temperature) of each of used secondary batteries, and a selection step of selecting a used secondary battery or batteries having the specific internal resistance (second internal resistance) smaller than a preset threshold from the plurality of used secondary batteries whose specific internal resistances (second internal resistance) have been measured in order to exclude an electrode-deteriorated battery from the used secondary batteries.

Abstract: A welding mode determination device that determines a welding mode when laser beam welding is performed includes an obtaining unit that obtains an image in an infrared wavelength region and an image in a short wavelength region of visible light from a laser irradiation area and its vicinity. An extraction unit extracts a light emitting image from the image in the infrared wavelength region and a light emitting image from the image in the short wavelength region of visible light. A determination unit compares the light emitting image of the image in the infrared wavelength region and the light emitting image of the image in the short wavelength region of visible light and determines the welding mode when the laser beam welding is performed based on a comparison result.

Abstract: A sealed battery includes a return type safety valve. An annular projection that projects toward a valve body from a valve port is formed on a valve seat for the safety valve. The projection includes a first projection region and a second projection region that are defined by a shape of a tip of the projection and arranged in parallel in a circumferential direction of the valve port. The first projection region and second projection region have different curvature radii in a cross-section of the projection taken along an axial direction of the valve body. The pressure per unit area applied to the second projection region by the valve body is higher than the pressure per unit area applied to the first projection region by the valve body.

Abstract: In a method for adjusting a nickel-metal hydride storage battery, based on a correlation between a charge amount after valve opening and an increased amount of a discharge reserve capacity which are previously ascertained, the charge amount after valve opening corresponding to a target value of the set increased amount of the discharge reserve capacity is calculated and this calculated value is set as a target charge amount after valve opening. In a discharge reserve adjusting step, when a charge amount of the battery from the time when a safety valve device is opened after start of overcharge of the battery reaches the set target charge amount after valve opening, overcharge of the battery is terminated.

Abstract: This device and method use the complex impedance of a rechargeable battery to detect the state of the rechargeable battery. A computer determines the slope of the complex impedance at least two different frequencies in a diffusion region of the rechargeable battery when a straight-line approximation has been made, and compares the slope with a threshold value. If the slope is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the computer determines that the battery has a normal capacity balance, and if the slope is less than the threshold value, the computer determines that the battery has an abnormal unbalanced capacity. Furthermore, if the magnitude of an imaginary axis component of the complex impedance in the diffusion region of the rechargeable battery is greater than the threshold battery, the computer determines that the battery has an abnormal capacity balance, and if said magnitude is less than or equal to the threshold value, the computer determines that the battery has a normal capacity balance.

Abstract: An alkaline storage cell comprises a positive electrode including a cobalt additive and nickel hydroxide particles that have been covered by a cobalt compound film layer, and a negative electrode including a hydrogen-absorbing alloy that contains nickel and cobalt. The positive electrode has a capacitance V, the negative electrode has a capacitance W, the cobalt additive is cobalt metal or a cobalt compound, the positive electrode contains X mass % of the cobalt additive, the cobalt is included by Y mass % in the hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and X, Y, V, and W satisfy the relationship 1.1?(X/Y)×(W/V)?1.91.

Abstract: A method for reusing a secondary battery by reusing unit cells or battery modules constituting reclaimed assembled batteries (or battery packs) to reconstruct a new assembled battery is disclosed. Assembled batteries are reclaimed, and disassembled into battery modules. The battery modules are selected based on battery characteristics such as an open-circuit voltage (OCV) and the like using an absolute acceptable range and a relative acceptable range, and a new assembled battery is rebuilt. The relative acceptable range is an acceptable range which is set for each assembled battery, and is set to have its center at an average value of a battery characteristic distribution.

Abstract: A nickel-hydrogen storage battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode using an AB5 based hydrogen-absorbing alloy, and a separator arranged between the positive and negative electrodes. The AB5 based hydrogen-absorbing alloy includes an A element, which is a constituent element of a misch metal, and a B element, which includes nickel and cobalt. The ratio of the amount of substance of the B element to that of the A element is 5.2 or more and 5.4 or less. The ratio of the amount of substance of cobalt to that of the A element is 0.15 or more and 0.4 or less. The liquid retention volume (V1) and the true volume (V2) of the separator, the theoretical capacity of the negative electrode (C1), and the theoretical capacity of the positive electrode (C2) satisfy the following expression. 2.0?V1/V2×C1/C2?3.

Abstract: Provided is a device for estimating secondary cell status using multiple models. The device for estimating secondary cell status uses multiple models, model 1, model 2, and model 3, to estimate the status of respective secondary cells. An arithmetic unit compares the estimated voltage values obtained from model 1, model 2, and model 3 with measured voltage values, sets the model having the highest correlation as the optimal model, optimizes the parameters of such model, and estimates secondary cell status.

Abstract: A method includes discharging an assembled battery (10) formed of a plurality of batteries until a state of charge (SOC) of the assembled battery becomes smaller or equal to a lower limit of a predetermined normal use range used in charge and discharge control of the assembled battery, measuring the discharge capacity of each of a plurality of battery blocks in the discharge of the assembled battery, the plurality of batteries being divided into the plurality of battery blocks, calculating the capacity difference in the discharge capacity among the plurality of battery blocks, and determining the remaining life of the battery block or the assembled battery based on the calculated capacity difference.

Abstract: In a method for adjusting a nickel-metal hydride storage battery, based on a correlation between a charge amount after valve opening and an increased amount of a discharge reserve capacity which are previously ascertained, the charge amount after valve opening corresponding to a target value of the set increased amount of the discharge reserve capacity is calculated and this calculated value is set as a target charge amount after valve opening. In a discharge reserve adjusting step, when a charge amount of the battery from the time when a safety valve device is opened after start of overcharge of the battery reaches the set target charge amount after valve opening, overcharge of the battery is terminated.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to the detection of the state of charge of a battery, whereby the complex impedance in the diffusion region of the battery is used. An arithmetic device such as a computer determines the slope of the complex impedance at least two different frequencies in the diffusion region of a rechargeable battery when a straight-line approximation has been made. The state of charge of the rechargeable battery is detected by using the slope that has been determined, and the relationship between the state of charge and slopes that have been stored in advance in a storage means.

Abstract: This device and method use the complex impedance of a rechargeable battery to detect the state of the rechargeable battery. A computer determines the slope of the complex impedance at least two different frequencies in a diffusion region of the rechargeable battery when a straight-line approximation has been made, and compares the slope with a threshold value. If the slope is greater than or equal to the threshold value, the computer determines that the battery has a normal capacity balance, and if the slope is less than the threshold value, the computer determines that the battery has an abnormal unbalanced capacity. Furthermore, if the magnitude of an imaginary axis component of the complex impedance in the diffusion region of the rechargeable battery is greater than the threshold battery, the computer determines that the battery has an abnormal capacity balance, and if said magnitude is less than or equal to the threshold value, the computer determines that the battery has a normal capacity balance.

Abstract: This alkaline storage battery cathode is provided with: nickel hydroxide particles covered by a cobalt-compound coating layer; a zinc compound; and an yttrium compound and/or an ytterbium compound. The zinc compound and the yttrium compound and/or ytterbium compound are blended at a blend ratio that is in accordance with the ratio of the capacity characteristics of the alkaline storage battery and the output characteristics of the alkaline storage battery.