SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DETERMINING BATTERY STATE-OF-HEALTH

• US 20130066573A1
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Published: 03/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eaglepicher Technologies LLC (Eaglepicher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Eaglepicher Technologies LLC (Eaglepicher Corporation)
• Inventors: Dermott, Jeff, Bond, James R., Listerud, Eivind
• Granted Patent: US 9,244,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/63
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4207 for several batteries or cells simultaneously or sequentially

Abstract

A system and method use an open-circuit voltage (OCV) method of calculating a state-of-health (SOH) of a chemical battery. The OCV system and method includes charging the battery to a maximum charge potential, determining an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery after waiting a predetermined period of time after completion of the charging, and determining the SOH of the battery based on the determined OCV of the battery. Another system and method use a time-to-charge (TTC) method of calculating a state-of-health (SOH) of a chemical battery. The TTC system and method includes monitoring and storing a charge time of the battery in a memory and scaling the stored charge time to form an SOH indication.

Claims

1. A method of calculating a state-of-health (SOH) of a chemical battery including individual or parallel-grouped cells, the method comprising:

charging the battery to a maximum charge potential of the battery;

after waiting a predetermined period of time after completion of the charging, determining an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery; and

based on the determined OCV of the battery, determining the SOH of the battery.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately 30 minutes.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the battery at a temperature of at least about 20°

C. during the charging and determining steps.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the temperature is maintained at about 25°

C.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a battery energy level (BEL) using the following formula;

BEL=SOH×

SOC×

Cell Stack Voltage×

111.6 (kJ).

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

determining a charging time during which the battery is charging;

multiplying the charging time by a measured cell current response for a first cell of the battery to complete charge to determine a coulomb count; and

adjusting the BEL by adding the coulomb count to a state-of-charge (SOC) calculation during charging of the battery, wherein

the SOC calculation is based on the following formula;

SOC=−

0.026×

OCV²+1.584×

OCV−

23.102.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

incrementally sampling a load current at regular intervals;

summing the sampling to provide a used discharge capacity; and

adjusting the BEL by subtracting the used discharge capacity from the SOC calculation during discharging of the battery.

8. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

resetting the BEL calculation following completion of each normally-terminated full charge event.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

resetting the BEL calculation following completion of each normally-terminated full charge event.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SOH of the battery is determined by using the determined OCV to consult a look-up table.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the SOH of the battery is determined by calculating a state-of-charge (SOC) of the battery, after the predetermined period of time, using the following formula:

SOC=A×

OCV²+B×

OCV−

C, wherein the SOC represents the SOH of the battery, A and B represent the slope of the response, and C represents the OCV expected at 0% SOC.

12. A chemical battery management system that estimates a state-of-health (SOH) of a battery, the system comprising:

a controller configured to (i) wait a predetermined period of time after the battery has been fully charged, (ii) after the predetermined period of time, determine an open-circuit voltage (OCV) of the battery, and (iii) determine the SOH of the battery from the determined OCV.

13. The chemical battery management system according to claim 12, wherein the predetermined period of time is approximately 30 minutes.

14. The chemical battery management system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to control a battery temperature control system to maintain the battery at a temperature of least about 20°

C. during the charging and determining.

15. The chemical battery management system according to claim 14, wherein the temperature is maintained at about 25°

C.

16. The chemical battery management system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to calculate a battery energy level (BEL) using the following formula:

BEL=SOH×

SOC×

Cell Stack Voltage×

111.6 (kJ).

17. The chemical battery management system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to (v) determine a charging time during which the battery is charging;

(vi) multiply the charging time by a measured cell current response for a first cell of the battery to complete charge to determine a coulomb count; and

(vii) adjust the BEL by adding the coulomb count to a state-of-charge (SOC) calculation during charging of the battery.

18. The chemical battery management system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to (viii) reset the BEL calculation following completion of each normally-terminated full charge event.

19. The chemical battery management system according to claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to (v) incrementally sample a load current at regular intervals;

(vi) sum the sampling to provide a used discharge capacity; and

(vii) adjust the BEL by subtracting the used discharge capacity from the SOC calculation during discharging of the battery.

20. The chemical battery management system according to claim 19, wherein the controller is configured to (viii) reset the BEL calculation following completion of each normally-terminated full charge event.

21. The chemical battery management system according to claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine the SOH of the battery by calculating the state-of-charge (SOC) of the battery, after the predetermined period of time, using the following formula:

SOC=A×

OCV²+B×

OCV−

C, wherein the SOC represents the SOH of the battery, A and B represent the slope of the response, and C represents the OCV expected at 0% SOC.

22. A method of calculating a state-of-health (SOH) of a chemical battery, the method comprising:

monitoring and storing a charge time of the battery in a memory, the charge time being a time required for the battery to become fully charged from a predetermined depth-of-discharge using a fixed power input; and

scaling the stored charge time to form a SOH indication, wherein

the charge time decreases over a life of the battery.