Abstract: A method for evaluating the safety of a battery under an internal short-circuit condition. The method for evaluating an internal short-circuit of a battery is characterized in that a short-circuit can be caused at a desired location inside the battery. According to the evaluation method of the invention, the evaluation result is not affected by the constitution of the outermost part of the battery unlike nail penetration tests which are conventional evaluation methods. Also, unlike crush tests which are conventional evaluation methods, the locations of short-circuits do not vary among tests and the safety under an internal short-circuit condition can be evaluated accurately.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an internal short circuit evaluation method for a battery including an electrode group including a positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate and a separator disposed between the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate, and an outer jacket covering the electrode group, the method including the steps of: (I) processing the electrode group to a predetermined position of the electrode group, from the outside of the electrode group toward the inside thereof; and (II) causing a short circuit between a portion of the electrode plate and a portion of the negative electrode plate of the electrode group that are located inside from the predetermined position, and measuring battery information that is changed by the short circuit, and an evaluation apparatus used for the above-described method.

Abstract: To operate a safety mechanism normally even when an accident happens. For this object, an electrochemical element includes an exhaust valve that operates when an internal pressure in a casing 4 reaches a predetermined pressure to release gas occurring in the casing to the outside, and a perforated plate 2 having holes 5a and 5b, which is provided between an electrode group 3 and the exhaust valve. The area of the perforated plate 2 excluding the holes 5a and 5b is 20% or more and 50% or less of the area of the opening of the casing. The perforated plate 2 is adapted for electrically insulating the electrode group 3 from the sealing member 1.

Abstract: A charging system is provided with a secondary battery, a charging current supplier for supplying a charging current to the secondary battery, an internal resistance detector for detecting the resistance value of the internal resistance of the secondary battery, and a charge controller for increasing the charging current to be supplied to the secondary battery by the charging current supplier as the resistance value detected by the internal resistance detector decreases.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes: a positive electrode 4; a negative electrode 6; a separator 5; and a battery case 1 in which an electrode plate group 7 including the positive electrode 4 and the negative electrode 6 spirally wound or stacked with the separator 5 interposed therebetween is stored with an electrolyte. In the nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, after charging, when the separator 5 is removed to bring a surface of the positive electrode mixture layer and a surface of the negative electrode mixture layer in contact with each other, terminals are respectively provided on the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode current collector and a resistance value between the terminals is measured, the resistance value is 1.6 ?·cm2 or more, and the battery case 1 is electrically insulated from the positive electrode 4 and the negative electrode 6.

Abstract: The invention provides an evaluation method and an evaluation apparatus with which it is possible to know the safety level of batteries when an internal short circuit occurs through a chemical process, and a battery whose safety level has been determined with the evaluation method and the evaluation apparatus. A battery that has been charged to a predetermined voltage and into which conductive foreign matter has been incorporated is immersed in an electrolyte. The time at which the battery started to dissolve in the electrolyte is determined. Occurrence of an internal short circuit in the battery is detected based on a battery voltage. A time required for occurrence of short circuit is computed based on the above-described dissolution start time and the time of occurrence of the internal short circuit, and then output.

Abstract: A lithium secondary battery including: an electrode group, a non-aqueous electrolyte and a battery case housing the electrode group and the non-aqueous electrolyte, the electrode group including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator layer interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, wherein an end-of-charge voltage and an end-of-discharge voltage are set in such a manner that the electrode group has an energy density of not less than 700 Wh/L, the separator layer includes a porous heat-resistant layer, and a short circuit area A produced when an internal short circuit has occurred between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and a reduced area B of the porous heat-resistant layer that is produced by heat generation satisfy 1?(A+B)/A?10.

Abstract: A charging system includes a secondary battery which includes a heat-resistant member between a negative electrode and a positive electrode thereof, a charging-voltage supply section which conducts a constant-voltage charge of the secondary battery, a charge control section which controls the operation of the charging-voltage supply section, and a mode-setting acceptance section which chooses and accepts the setting of either of an ordinary charge mode and a high-voltage charge mode. When the ordinary charge mode is accepted, the charge control section conducts a constant-voltage charge of the secondary battery by supplying a voltage equal to, or below, the reference voltage, and when the high-voltage charge mode is accepted, the charge control section conducts a constant-voltage charge of the secondary battery by supplying a voltage above the reference voltage.

Abstract: A battery pack of the present invention includes: a battery assembly including a plurality of batteries having a sealed portion, the plurality of batteries being connected to each other; a terminal portion electrically connected to the battery assembly and outputting electric power; and a composite layer structure including a heat-absorbing layer and a heat-conductive layer layered on the heat-absorbing layer, the composite layer structure being arranged at least at a part of a periphery of the battery assembly. The heat-absorbing layer has a specific heat of 1,000 J/kg·° C. or more. The heat-conductive layer has a heat conductivity of 10 W/m·K or more. This configuration allows for a small, light, and highly safe battery pack that is free from battery pack damage even when a battery in the battery pack has trouble and emits a high-temperature inflammable gas to expose the inside of the battery pack to a high-temperature environment.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating an internal short circuit of a battery. An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus capable of evaluating whether or not an internal short circuit has occurred in an electrode group in consideration of pressure applied to the electrode group. An internal short circuit evaluation apparatus according to one embodiment of the invention includes at least a pressure member capable of operating independently and applying pressure to at least a predetermined position of the surface of the electrode group, and a short-circuiting member that is pressed into the predetermined position. An internal short circuit evaluation apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention includes a pressure member having an integrated short-circuiting member.

Abstract: An electric power equipment has a main body case, a plurality of power supply elements provided in the main body case, and a fire-extinguishing agent discharge space disposed facing the plurality of power supply elements. The fire-extinguishing agent discharge space includes fire-extinguishing agent spray space having a plurality of fire-extinguishing agent spray holes for spraying a fire-extinguishing agent toward the plurality of power supply elements, and a fire-extinguishing agent supply space coupled to the fire-extinguishing agent spray space via a plurality of fire-extinguishing supply holes. A fire-extinguishing agent tank is coupled to the fire-extinguishing agent supply space via a shutoff valve.

Abstract: A PTC resistor according to the present invention comprises at least one PTC composition which comprises at least one resin and at least two conductive materials. The at least two conductive materials comprises at least two conductive materials different from each other. The at least one PTC composition may comprise a first PTC composition which comprises a first resin and at least one first conductive material and a second PTC composition which is compounded with the first PTC composition and comprises a second resin and at least one second conductive material. The at least one first conductive material is at least partially different from the at least one second conductive material. One of the first resin and the second resin may comprise a reactant resin and a reactive resin which is cross-linked with the reactant resin. The PTC resistor may comprise a flame retardant agent. The PTC resistor may comprise a liquid-resistant resin.

Abstract: A battery module includes a first enclosure, a second enclosure, and a plurality of batteries having vent holes accommodated between the first and second enclosures, and has a configuration in which a first partition member for accommodating the batteries individually at a position facing the battery vent holes in at least one of the first enclosure and the second enclosure is provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a battery pack and a battery-equipped device in which, even if a battery experiences an abnormal event to cause thermal runaway, and generates heat, temperature increase in the battery pack and batteries except for the battery which experienced the abnormal event can be prevented. For this purpose, a heat absorbing member 4 is arranged in space inside a battery pack 1 between a casing 2 and batteries 3. Even if one of the batteries 3 experiences thermal runaway, the heat absorbing member 4 absorbs heat generated by the battery 3, thereby preventing the thermal runaway from occurring in the other batteries 3.

Abstract: A positive electrode for use in a lithium secondary battery comprises a positive electrode current collector, and a positive electrode film which is carried on the positive electrode current collector and includes a plurality of mixture layers. The positive electrode film contains, as a positive electrode active material, two or more kinds of lithium-containing compounds having exothermic initiation temperatures different from each other. At least one kind of the two or more kinds of lithium-containing compounds has the exothermic initiation temperature of 300 ° C. or higher. A first mixture layer of the plural mixture layers closest to the positive electrode current collector contains at least one kind of the lithium-containing compound having the exothermic initiation temperature of 300 ° C. or higher.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery and a manufacturing method thereof. An object of the present invention is to obtain a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that has an improved non-aqueous electrolyte impregnation ability into a flat wound electrode group that includes a porous insulating layer that contains inorganic oxide particles and a binder, little deterioration of charge/discharge cycle characteristics, high voltage discharge ability and favorable productivity. According to the present invention, in a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery 1 that includes a flat wound electrode group 2 and a battery case 9, the electrode group 2 including a positive electrode 5, a negative electrode 6, a separator 7 and a porous insulating layer 8, at least one crack is formed in the porous insulating layer 8 that lies at folded portions 2a of the electrode group 2.

Abstract: A nonaqueous secondary battery includes a negative electrode plate 303 containing a negative electrode active material 324 capable of reversely inserting and extracting lithium, a positive electrode plate 301 containing lithium as a positive electrode active material 322, an electrolyte, a porous protective membrane 325 provided between the negative electrode plate 303 and the positive electrode plate 301 and permeable to lithium ions while having heat resistance, and a concave portion 352 in which growth of deposited metal, which is formed according to a set voltage Vs, is controlled in such a manner that the deposited metal is bridged between the negative electrode plate 303 and the positive electrode plate 301 when the set voltage Vs is applied between the negative electrode plate 303 and the positive electrode plate 301.

Abstract: A battery pack is provided in which battery characteristics are not degraded in normal use and, even if a cell reaches a high temperature and a high-temperature gas is released from the inside of the cell, the spread of combustion to the entire pack can be suppressed to reduce damage. The battery pack is provided with cells, a housing for accommodating the cells and a thermal expansion section capable of reducing internal clearances between the cells and the housing upon the application of heat.

Abstract: Disclosed is a lithium ion secondary battery wherein an active material layer of at least one of positive and negative electrodes, or a separator carries a porous insulating layer, and the surface of the active material layer or separator carrying the porous insulating layer has a first region in which the porous insulating layer is formed and a second region including plural discontinuous deficient hole portions where the porous insulating layer is not formed. When a given reference deficient hole portion is selected from the plural deficient hole portions and a given circle having an area ten times that of the reference deficient hole portion is set on the surface of the active material layer or separator, the area of a part of the second region surrounded by the circle is controlled to not less than 10 ?m2 and not more than 100 mm2.

Abstract: A charging current is maintained at a predetermined constant quick charging current (S1) and a full charge determination is made at a point in time (S7) when the terminal voltage (V1) (S6) reaches the charge end voltage Vf?. The charge end voltage Vf? is taken as a voltage (S5) obtained by adding a voltage drop amount VD (S4) that is obtained by multiplying an internal resistance value (S3) estimated from the temperature T (S2) of a secondary battery by a quick charging current value to a predetermined initial charge end voltage Vf. Therefore, a constant high current can be supplied from the beginning to the end and quick charging can be performed up to a full charge, while preventing overcharge, in place of the conventional CC-CV charging.