Shin-kobe Electric Machinery Co., Ltd.

Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.

Hiroyuki Wakatabe

Shinichi Sano

Katsura Mitani

Yoshikazu Hirose

Ichiro Shimoura

Provided are a refresh charging method and a refresh charging apparatus for an assembled battery constituted from lead-acid storage batteries, by which a necessary charging rate may be performed while shortening a charging period. In a constant voltage charging mode, n intermediate threshold values Sto Swhich decrease stepwisely are set between a predetermined threshold value Sand a lower-limit current value, and n additional timer periods Tto Tare set where n is an integer equal to or larger than one. Counting of the n additional timer periods Tto Tis respectively started when the charging current reaches the n intermediate threshold values Sto S. A maximum timer period Tand the n additional timer periods Tto Tare set to satisfy a relationship of T&#x3e;T&#x3e; . . . &#x3e;T. Charging is stopped when the counting of one of the maximum timer period Tand the n additional timer periods Tto Tis completed before the lower-limit current value is detected.

Refresh charging method for an assembled battery constituted from a plurality of lead-acid storage batteries and charging apparatus

A grid plate for a lead acid storage battery including a frame section having a pair of quadrangular contour shape, and longitudinal and lateral grid strands forming a frame section grid. The longitudinal and lateral grid strands have thick strands of smaller thickness than the frame section, and thin strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick strands. Strands adjacent to the thick strands are thin strands, and space allows flow of active material to sides of the thick strands. Ends of the thick strands in the thickness direction are positioned further inward from end faces of the frame section in the thickness direction, and the end portions of one end side of the thin strands in the thickness direction are positioned offset to one end side of the thick strands in the thickness direction, and active material is packed into the reverse surface side of the grid plate.

Grid plate for lead acid storage battery, plate, and lead acid storage battery provided with same plate

A lead acid storage battery composed of plates, the lead acid storage battery being obtained by packing an active material into a grid plate provided with a frame section having a quadrangular profile shape, and lateral grid strands and longitudinal grid strands that form a grid inside the frame section. The lateral grid strands are composed of thick lateral strands having a thickness equal to the thickness of the frame section, and thin lateral strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick strands, the longitudinal grid strands being composed of thick longitudinal strands that have a thickness that is less than thickness of the frame section, one end in the thickness direction being arranged in the same plane as one end of the frame section in the thickness direction, and thin longitudinal strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick longitudinal strands.

Lead acid storage battery

A lead acid storage battery composed of plates, the lead acid storage battery being obtained by packing an active material into a grid plate provided with a frame section having a quadrangular profile shape, and lateral grid strands and longitudinal grid strands that form a grid inside the frame section. The lateral grid strands are composed of thick lateral strands having a thickness equal to the thickness of the frame section, and thin lateral strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick strands, the longitudinal grid strands being composed of thick longitudinal strands that have a thickness that is less than thickness of the frame section, one end in the thickness direction being arranged in the same plane as one end of the frame section in the thickness direction, and thin longitudinal strands of smaller width and thickness than the thick longitudinal strands, end faces of one end side of the thin lateral strands and the thin longitudinal strands in the thickness direction being positioned further inward in the thickness direction than an end face of one end side of the frame section in the thickness direction, and end faces of the other end side of the thin lateral strands and the thin longitudinal strands in the thickness direction being positioned further inward in the thickness direction than an end face of another end side of the frame section in the thickness direction.

There is provided a method for operating a lead acid storage battery in order to compensate for fluctuations in the amount of power generated by a solar power generation apparatus, a wind power generation apparatus, or another natural energy power generation device, the lead acid storage battery being charged by a power generation device and discharged to a load. The state of charge of the lead acid storage battery is maintained in a range of 30 to 90% where the fully charged state of the lead acid storage battery is 100%; and the lead acid storage battery is charged and discharged while the battery voltage is kept in a specified range of 1.80 to 2.42 V per cell to extend the service life of the battery. A reference temperature of 25&#xb0; C. is established, and when the ambient temperature has risen above or fallen below the reference temperature, the upper and lower limit values of a specified range are corrected within a range of &#x2212;4 mV/&#xb0; C. to &#x2212;6 mV/&#xb0; C. per cell according to the amount by which the temperature has increased or decreased so that a corrected voltage range is obtained. The storage battery is charged and discharged while the battery voltage is kept in the corrected voltage range, and the battery is operated.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Hiroyuki Wakatabe