METHOD FOR ESTIMATING THE SELF-DISCHARGE OF A LITHIUM BATTERY

• US 20140049227A1
• Filed: 01/20/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Martin, Nelly, Le Cras, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 9,608,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/162
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0525 Rocking-chair batteries, i.e. batteries with lithium insertion or intercalation in both electrodes; Lithium-ion batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/4285 Testing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/446 Initial charging measures
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5088 Initial activation; predischarge; Stabilisation of initial voltage
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A method for determining the self-discharge current of a lithium-ion battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte arranged between the positive and negative electrodes includes charging the battery until a metal lithium layer is formed between the electrolyte and the negative electrode, measuring the open-circuit voltage of the battery at two moments, and determining the self-discharge current from the variation of the voltage measured between the two moments.

Claims

1. A method for determining the self-discharge current of a lithium-ion battery provided with a positive electrode, a negative electrode comprising a lithium ion insertion material, and an electrolyte arranged between the positive and negative electrodes,

comprising the steps of:

charging the battery until a metal lithium layer is formed between the electrolyte and the negative electrode,

measuring the open-circuit voltage of the battery at two moments, and

determining the self-discharge current from the variation of the measured voltage between the two moments.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the positive electrode comprises a quantity of lithium greater than the quantity of lithium that the negative electrode is capable of inserting.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the charge parameters are selected to cause a flow of lithium ions greater than the maximum flow of lithium ions capable of diffusing within the negative electrode.

4. The method according to any of claim 1, wherein the negative electrode comprises a material having a lithium chemical diffusion coefficient smaller than 10⁻

9 cm²/s.